Now that you’ve finished prepping for a storm (as per our definitive list of hurricane preparedness) all there is to do is wait it out in the safety of your home but as Bermudians know from experience, that is easier said than done. Some storms last only several hours, while some last days – in fact, a category 3 hurricane that hit the island in 1915 effected the island for a full five days, resulting in the wreck of the SS Pollockshields off Elbow Beach. With that said, it’s always best to think ahead and organize ways to spend your time waiting out a storm – particularly if you have young children. Here is our curated list of what to do, eat, drink and listen to when cooped up during a hurricane.

What to Eat
It can be hard to feed a family after the power goes out, especially if you have an electric stove and oven. This recipe for fish tacos is a delicious and economical meal to make and it requires no cooking whatsoever. Feel free to substitute any ingredients and craft your tacos just the way you like them.

Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado Lime Dressing (Servings 4)

Ingredients:
Canned fish (tuna or salmon, whichever you prefer)
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper
1 avocado
2 limes
4 corn tortillas
Romaine lettuce leaves
1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage
1/3 cup canned black beans
1/4 cup corn

Directions:
Mix the paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Drain canned fish and place into small bowl. Mix in spices and seasonings.
Make the creamy avocado and lime dressing by mashing 1/2 an avocado with 1 tbsp of water and the juice of two limes.
Cut the other half of the avocado into cubes.
Top 4 tortillas with lettuce, cabbage, beans, corn, cubed avocado, salmon and drizzle with the avocado lime dressing.
Serve and enjoy!

What to Drink
Now, we’re not instructing you to get hot but if you can’t put your feet up and enjoy a sipper during a storm, then when can you? This Bermuda Hurricane is a fruity twist on the traditional Dark ‘n Stormy and is guaranteed to add a little bit of sunshine to a gloomy day. 

Bermuda Hurricane 
4 ounces light rum
4 ounces Gosling’s Black Seal Rum
1/2 cup Gosling’s Ginger Beer
1 cup orange juice freshly squeezed
1/2 cup passion fruit juice
1/4 cup lime juice
4 teaspoons grenadine
Cherries, orange and lime wheels optional garnish

Directions:
In a pitcher, mix together rum and fruit juices.
Top each glass with 1 teaspoon grenadine before garnishing with fruit to serve

What to Play
In today’s world, it can be difficult to find entertainment when the power is out (particularly if children are involved!) Here are three games to play when you can’t plug-in. 

21 Questions
This game can be played with as little as two people. One person thinks of a person, place or thing (e.g. a pop-culture icon, a city or a double-decker bus). The others ask simple yes-or-no questions in an effort to figure out what the first person is thinking of. Determine a set amount of time or rounds and the person who guesses the most correctly wins.

Charades or Pictionary
Better played in a group or family setting, charades and Pictionary are very similar. With charades, one person thinks of a person, place, thing, or activity and acts out what they are thinking while the others guess what it is. In Pictionary, the rules are similar, but the person draws their idea instead of acting and they can’t make any sounds or gestures. Keep track of the person who successfully acts or draws the most correctly guessed items if you want a winner.

Around the Circle
This game definitely needs a group of at least 4 to make it fun. Have everyone sit in a circle either on the floor or around a table. Decide on a theme and the subject (e.g. cars, fast-food restaurants, cities). Then you go around the circle and each person says something that is in that category (e.g. if the category is cars, then suitable answers would include, Toyota, Mazda, Mercedes, etc.) If a person can’t think of something, hesitates too long, or repeats a previous answer, they are out of the game. The game continues until only one person is left.

For information regarding how to prepare for an impending storm, contact BF&M.

Read more from our Hurricane Season 2023 series, HERE!