People heading out to get supplies in preparation for Hurricane Elsa

Preparation is the key to hurricane season. With Hurricane Elsa having the potential to hit Southwest Florida, people are headed to stores to stock up.

People in Cape Coral say they won’t wait to evacuate if it comes to that. While they’re preparing for the worst,  most don’t see Elsa strengthening into a major hurricane.

They’re stocking up in hopes that the storm won’t ruin Fourth of July plans.

If you’ve lived in Southwest Florida for some time, you have survived a hurricane or two, and a handful of tropical storms.

The key to that survival is preparation.

Martin Schgwerzler is someone who takes this preparation seriously.  “You never know when you’re going to need all that sort of stuff for anything hurricane or not. So just better to be prepared than not prepared,” Schgwerzler said.

For him, that means having water, batteries, flashlights, canned goods and generators.

Edgar Girao wanted to know about hurricanes before he came here. He and his family lived in Puerto Rico when Hurricane Maria hit. Girao had no choice but to leave after Maria. It was a category four hurricane that destroyed much of the island’s infrastructure.

“When Hurricane Maria hit the Island in my case I spent almost 40 days without water, electricity. We were struggling on the island, so I decided to move here with my wife and my two kids,” Girao said.

Girao says his family struggled daily to find basic necessities after the storm hit. Sometimes, he didn’t know how he’d get food on the table for his family.

His best advice to those in Southwest Florida is not to wait. You’ll be glad you didn’t.

“To prepare, to get prepared. Get water, get supplies and be aware of the news, the trajectory of the hurricane,” said Girao.

A Home Depot manager says that some hurricane essentials such as gas containers and flashlights are currently tax-free.

As for Fourth of July celebrations, so far, Red, White and Boom in Cape Coral, as well as other major SWFL fireworks shows, are still on for Sunday night.