Hurricane season officially begins June 1. However, unlike previous years, when the media saturation of sensationalist stories was held until that date, this year they are playing on our fear of a repeat performance and have been cranking up the hype machine since late April or early May.

I am torn about this. I hate to see news agencies continue to profit from exploiting fear, rather than providing accurate reporting; however, it is good to see dissemination of the actually useful information that manages to sneak in around the edges of storm-tossed palms and Katrina victims sitting on New Orleans rooftops. I guess to some extent the local media are occasionally useful, in spite of themselves.

1948 hurricane hitting Miami, NOAA Photo Library

Exploitation or not, if you live in Florida it is important for you to prepare for the inevitable storms. If you haven't already, here are a few tips from your friends at Hidden City.

• We'll start with the assumption you are all familiar with the basics of preparations. If not, quit reading this crap and go learn something now. Hurricanes are serious business.
• Make certain you have arrangements for your pets in case of a disaster or evacuation. Here's a list of considerations from the Miami-Dade County Hurricane Preparedness site. Most shelters will not take animals, and it is truly bad karma to leave your companions on their own.
• Power and light — will you have enough? Whether or not you invest in (or can even use) a generator, you can never have too many power sources. The same goes for flashlights and radios, too. The Storm Station from Black & Decker is an interesting little device combining a radio, flashlight, and battery charger, but I can't vouch for it from personal experience.
• Speaking of flashlights, I discovered these LED upgrades for Maglight flashlights. You replace the standard bulb with a superbright LED, increasing the available light which reducing the power consumption by 90%. This one I can vouch for: I took a six-cell Maglight that was down to a dim yellow glow, swapped out the bulb, and now the thing will light the room. Also, if you want something to keep in your purse or pocket, the Pak-Light 9-volt flashlight is great, if a bit pricey.
• You should have emergency food and water on hand, just in case you need it. However, if you are like me, you'll end up being lazy and eating the tuna and crackers before a storm ever gets here. In that case, you might want to look into the Nutristorage Emergency Food System. A white plastic 5-gallon bucket contains 275 servings on "just add water" soups, stews and chowders. And it's available in a special offer at Costco for just $110! Buy two, one for your family, and one to send to your wacky uncle who lives in a cabin in Montana waiting for the revolution.
• Public Service Announcement: Hurricane parties can be bad. Drinking to excess, while sometimes often entertaining, can be a problem if you have to make a snap decision, such as which direction to run when a tree falls on your roof. Note that if the storm is particularly bad and has lasting effects, you may need that alcohol in the weeks to come.
• However, remember that fear can be an aphrodisiac. Perhaps a hurricane party isn't out of the question, with a somewhat different guest list.

If you are in a hurricane-prone region, I hope you're taking some precautions. If you aren't, doesn't this just make you want to sell your possessions and move here?