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By Leonie Helm
Life Reporter
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With tropical storm Idalia, downgraded from a hurricane, wreaking havoc throughout Florida, southern Georgia, and the Carolinas, many people attempted to prepare themselves for whatever the extreme weather brought.
Idalia gained momentum through the Gulf of Cuba on Tuesday and made landfall near Keaton Beach community in Taylor County, about 75 miles from Tallahassee as a Category 3 hurricane at about 7:45 a.m. It was downgraded to Category 1 as it moved towards Georgia.
Before Idalia hit, one family received huge praise for a video they shared to TikTok showing how they were prepping their pets for the storm.
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In the video posted by @gigisue1964, with over 1.9 million views, Sue and her partner can be seen getting ready to be stuck in the house during the storm.
They fill a medium-sized kids' play pool with grass turf to act as a crafty indoor bathroom for their two dogs, placing it in the garage so they can keep their dogs inside where it's safe.
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"Hurricane Prepping today. Last year we didn't think about the dogs and 90 mph winds made it hard for them to go out to pee. This year they have their own garage bathroom, thanks to a kiddie pool and some sod from Home Depot. And now we wait....," reads the caption.
In the comments, Sue said that last year their small dog "who weighs 28 pounds got blown into our fence while she was trying to pee. This year we decided to be proactive."
At the end of the video, a table can be seen set up with various bottles of Bourbon, so both dogs and humans will be comfortable while stuck inside.
As of 2 a.m. ET, the storm was still circling along the coast of South Carolina and is expected to move northwards towards the North Carolina coast before turning back out into the Atlantic Ocean by 8 p.m. on Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper advised residents to "batten down the hatches for a while" in a press conference on Wednesday.
When extreme weather is bad enough to require residents to be evacuated, unprepared people with pets sometimes face heartbreaking decisions.
These decisions may not always be preventable but there are steps pet owners living in vulnerable areas can take to give their pets the best chance of staying safe during a hurricane.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends creating an emergency kit for your pet to be readily available in the event of adverse weather including:
- A picture of you and your pet together. If you become separated, a picture of you and your pet together will help you document ownership and allow others to assist you. Add species, breed, age, sex, color and distinguishing characteristics.
- Water. At least three days of water specifically for your pets.
- Food. At least a three-day supply in an airtight, waterproof container.
- Familiar items. Familiar items, such as treats, toys and bedding can help reduce stress for your pet."
Users on TikTok were full of praise for the ingenious solution.
"Genius. God bless keep those [puppies] safe! And y'all too," said one user.
"Thank you for being amazing pet parents!! So many animals go it alone during storms it's heartbreaking," commented another user.
"This is so smart," said a third user.
Newsweek has reached out to Sue via TikTok for comment.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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