He said: preparing for Sandy

Thursday, November, 1, 2012; 10:31 PM | 16 | | Print

by James Harris, featured columnist

Image: 2012-11-01 20:23:34

I scanned my food shelf and this is what I saw: croutons, extra virgin olive oil and an empty McDonald’s cup. Things were looking grim. With Hurricane Sandy threatening Blacksburg with 1/2 an inch of snow and 29 mile-an-hour winds, preparation was key; with those kinds of conditions, who knew what could happen? I needed food.

Kroger was a mad house. Everyone was frantically attacking the bottled water, canned veggies, and 24-packs of Natty Light with a fervor rarely seen. I quickly made my way to the scented candles. Rumors were abounding that power was out already in The Village and Terrace View, and I knew my house might very well be next. Light was needed, as well as the lilac scent to make my house smell all flowery and less like the body odor of grown men who can’t shower because there isn’t hot water.

I got home and quickly made my house look like a seance was about to be performed with candles everywhere. I had food on my shelf and water bottles hidden beneath my bed. I then went into the bathroom and filled the bathtub with hot water in case the storm turned into an apocalypse. I was almost ready for the impending doom of Sandy.

Weeks ago, my roommates and I had decided being frugal was more important than things like warmth and comfort. So we had vowed not to turn on the heat until at least halfway into November. The blizzard was trying to speed up our schedule and we couldn’t let this happen. I ran into the yard and hastily started chopping wood for our fireplace. It may have been the last line of defense.

Once wood chopping was finished, I returned inside and went to wash my face. I walked into my bathroom and saw something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. My roommate Evan was whistling a merry tune and taking a bath in the tub I had just cleaned and filled with hot water. I don’t know where he got the bubble mix from and didn’t think to ask either. I released a howl of despair and ran from the bathroom, desperate to get away from the image now burned into my retinas.

Even without the bathtub full of water, I calmed myself down, telling myself that we would be ok. I had to be strong for my roommates, who were bordering near hysteria. Frankenstorm wouldn’t get the best of me.

In all honesty though, the storm was pretty serious, and as images came rolling in from around the country, it was a bit scary. Although Sandy didn’t hit Blacksburg very hard, we’re sure to face some big snows come winter. Before every blizzard, be sure to prepare yourself for the worst. As the old saying goes, better safe than sorry.

A version of this article appeared in the Nov 2 issue of the Collegiate Times.

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