The checklist was left out for me before I headed to bed last night.
Charge all phones and laptops, leave out some candles, keep the fire going but, most importantly, make sure to fill the flask with hot water for tea in case the power goes out.
Power outages in high winds are not an uncommon part of life living in Donegal.
So it was a nice surprise amid a rare Red Alert Weather Warning when I woke at our house on the outskirts of Letterkenny to find that we were still connected to the national grid.
It was even more surprising when I went online to discover from an ESB spokesperson that more than 700,000 poor souls across the country were without power.
With a bit of a smug grin on my face I began working away making a list of trees blocking roads, power lines down and not least of all a serious road crash on the main Lifford-to-Letterkenny Road.
And just as I typed the last few words, a high-pitched sound came from the fuse box and the house was plunged into darkness.
My wife emerged from upstairs and remarked that at least we had water in the flask for tea.
I looked towards the opened and empty flask and realised (insert look of horror) that I had failed in my preparations for Storm Éowyn.
Do you know how long it takes to make an even tepid cup of tea by warming a pot of water on a stove? I do.
I’m now four hours without connection to the outside world not to mention a steaming hot cup of tea.
Stay safe everyone.
SM
