As Hurricane Irma grows more ominous with the state of Florida in her crosshairs, panic has ensued across Tampa Bay. Hurricane supply shopping has quickly become everyone’s priority.

Having just seen the devastation Hurricane Harvey left in Houston, many people ended their relaxing Labor Day weekend by springing into prep mode. The scene in the stores is madness. Watching people hoard supplies and fight over the last case of bottled water with an everyone-for-themselves attitude made my stomach turn.

I get it, major storms like Irma don’t threaten us often. We haven’t had to prepare like this. We’ve been lucky in Tampa Bay for a long time. But we’ve been on borrowed time. Experts say the Tampa Bay area is the most vulnerable area in the U.S. to hurricane damage and flooding.

Hurricane Irma Wake-Up Call

With so many people new to Florida and few serious threats in recent years, the chaos caused by Hurricane Irma is understandable.

While we pray Irma makes a sharp turn east back into the Atlantic, lets hope this massive hurricane serves as our wake-up call. We need to have our hurricane kits ready at all times.

I’m pretty good at keeping my pantry well stocked thanks to buying many items in bulk. I’m a Costco and Amazon Prime kind of mom. However, I was seriously lacking in the bottled water department when Irma reared her head. And of course, I was not quick enough to get any at a store without waiting in a huge line. Lesson learned.

Hurricane Supplies to Buy in Bulk

If you start buying these items in bulk, you’ll be better prepared for a hurricane and likely save money in the long run.

- Bottled water. No question.

Non-perishable food. Snacks, protein bars, canned goods, coffee, etc.
Baby products. Diapers are not something you want to run out of. Amazon Prime members get 20 percent off diaper and baby food subscriptions through Amazon Family.
Batteries. You know your kids’ toys go through them faster than you ever imagined anyway.
Pet supplies. Don’t forget about your furry family members.
Toiletries. I often stock up on toothpaste when it’s BOGO at Publix.
Paper products. While these can be difficult to store if you don’t have extra space, I don’t like the thought of running out of toilet paper.
Wine. This is critical. You will need this, especially after school is canceled, or you brave the jam-packed grocery store for more essentials.

After Hurricane Irma, I will remain diligent with bulk shopping. Because I never want to deal with this Black Friday-style hurricane supply shopping ever again. How about you?

For expert advice on hurricane preparedness, visit http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.