When a hurricane strikes, there is an undercurrent in other parts of the country of victim-blaming. “What do those idiots expect if they live on the coast?” “Why don’t those morons evacuate when there’s a hurricane out there?”

The obvious answers to the first question are a) It wasn’t like this when I moved here 37 years ago…and I don’t really want to start over in Fargo at my age, and b) Like there’s no weather where YOU live?

For the answer to the second question, you just have to be here. In the time since we (meaning those of us in Florida and the Gulf states) started tracking Ernesto, it has been variously forecasted to hit New Orleans, Pensacola, Tallahassee, Cedar Key, Tampa, and the Keys. At what point do you say, “O.K., this is it! I’m packing the car!”

When Rita hit last year, post-Katrina, people in South Florida were chastised (mostly by the governor and other Republican officials) for not stocking up on enough emergency supplies. After all, they should be prepared to fend for themselves for a couple of weeks now that everyone’s had fair warning government will not save them. But what does it mean, exactly, to fend for yourself?

Here’s an idea. This helpful piece of advice is in my local paper today, since my town is in the current forecast to be the exit point for Ernesto as it leaves Florida.

Disaster checklist for pets:

Your written family/pet disaster plan

Crate/carrier and bedding

Food, water, manual can opener, dishes

Plastic bags, paper towels, newspaper (when shredded, can be used as cat litter)

Cleaning supplies, disinfectants

Collar, leash, harness

Muzzle, gauze rolls

Identification tags

Current medical and vaccination records

Extra bottles of daily medications or copies of prescriptions with expiration dates

Current photos of you and your pet(s) together

Pet comfort items: towels, blankets, toys

A list of hotels, motels and boarding kennels that accept pets

Detailed instructions for animal care and rescue workers

First aid kit for your pet(s)

Flashlights, batteries

Flat tire repair kit

Out-of-state telephone contact number

Label all pet supplies with your name, address and telephone number

Source: St. Johns County Office of Emergency Management

I can’t imagine what the flat tire repair kit is used for, but maybe my dog and cat will appreciate it.

The list seems a tad ambiguous. Why do I need detailed instructions for animal care and rescue workers if I’m taking my pets with me? What’s the out of state phone number for? Should I be teaching Pepsi and Stinky how to dial on my cell?

The point is, hurricanes are a crap shoot, and the best we can hope for is to make the right last-minute decision — because until the science of meteorology gets a little more precise, that’s all we can do. So please, Fargoans and the rest of you, don’t get mad at us if we get hit. We really did try to think of everything.