How to Throw a Hurricane Party

How to Throw a Hurricane Party

Hurricane Sandy is this week's most undesired guest, scheduled to slam into our shorelines around Monday night. What is there to do with what may be a power-out, shut-down situation here in Rhode Island? Do what New Orleaneans have done for generations: throw a Hurricane Party.

The idea is to give into the limitations of the storm's worst effects, and turn your time inside into the best time ever. It can be a spontaneous sheltering of neighbors or a destination event for a group of friends (bring sleeping bags!). Here are some tips on how to pop up your own Hurricane Party.

1. Have your own survival supplies well in hand. Be prepared to feed and shelter (that includes toilet paper) several people for 3-5 days. Don't forget the use of a generator if possible, food, water, first aid supplies, and a weather radio.

2. Food. A classic Hurricane Party approach is to ask your guests to clean our their refrigerators and freezers and stockpile goodies that way. If you're leery of assuring food safety if the power goes out, stock up today on non-perishables. Make sure there's a manual can opener.

3. Plan things to do. If your HP is family-friendly (and less alcoholic), make sure you've got lots and lots of boardgames and cards. Consider planning a scavenger hunt to keep folks busy.

4. Music. Yes, you want that theme, especially for the first few hours. Some favorites: Dylan's "Hurricane," Jonny Cash's "Blowin' in the Wind," Led Zeppellin's "When the Levy Breaks," Springsteen's "Lost in the Flood," and of course, Blu Oyster Cult's "Eye of the Hurricane."

5. Drinks! Yes, make sure you've got gallons of milk, water, and perhaps juice boxes for wee ones. But it's not a true Hurricane Party without a true Hurricane, one of NOLA's most famous drinks. Here's a classic recipe:

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Hurricane Recipe

serves 1
1 oz vodka
1/4 oz grenadine
1 oz gin
1 oz light rum
1/2 oz Bacardi® 151 rum
1 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1 oz triple sec
grapefruit juice
pineapple juice

Directions

Fill a hurricane (or any other tall glass) 3/4 full with ice.

Pour all the alcohols in first, then follow with equal parts of grapefruit and pineapple juice.

Serve and enjoy! (For those not drinking alcohol, you can use sprite and orange).

Keep up to date on Hurricane Sandy with GoLocal's Stormpulse real-time tracker, right here.