15 Things to Do While Waiting Out a Hurricane

So the storm is upon us. We’re all “hunkered down”, ready to ride out the storm from wherever we are.

Obviously, being stuck inside for this long can make just about anyone a little stir-crazy. We’ve all made our hurricane preparations by this point, but few of us planned for what to do to keep our minds busy during the anxiety and uncertainty of the pending storm.

That’s why we’ve come up with a quick list of things to try to fight off the hurricane-induced boredom. Ideas listed in bold will work even in the event that the power goes out.

1. Work on chipping away at your Netflix/Hulu queue.
2. Catch up on sleep! The rain is a perfect background for a long nap, and it’s not like you’ll be missing much.
3. Break out the old board games – Monopoly, Trouble!, Apples to Apples, etc. – that you probably haven’t played in a while.
4. Be productive – do something you’ve been meaning to do for work, or work on a project you’ve been putting off.
5. Unleash your creativity – put on a puppet show, draw something, whatever outlet keeps you calm and distracted.
6. Do some “spring” cleaning, tackling the tasks around your house/apartment that you usually try to avoid.
7. Get out a deck of cards and start Googling – there are an insane number of card games to be played. Just be sure to do your research early while the power is on.
8. DRINK! Use that supply of alcohol you stockpiled for the storm.
9. On a related note: make up a hurricane drinking game – for example, drink each time you hear the phrase “storm surge” on the weather radio.
10. Practice a hobby you’ve been working on mastering. Anything from guitar-playing to knitting will work, especially if it doesn’t require power.
11. Put on a show with your flashlights – as long as you’ve got backup batteries for the flashlights.
12. Read a book – once the power goes out, all you’ll need is a flashlight.
13. Browse channels on television while you’ve still got cable and see if there’s any good movie marathons going on – a Harry Potter marathon could last you an entire weekend if the power stays on.
14. Sneak in some moments of peace. Big storms can be stressful, so try meditating or listening to a guided relaxation video. There are a ton of these available on YouTube.
15. If all else fails, try conversation! Use the time to catch up with your roommates, friends, or family.

Above all, please stay safe! Any big enough storm could cause a decent amount of damage. Stay inside, stay safe, and try not to get too bored.