Hurricane Harvey left a huge impact on the citizens of Houston. Although the storm may have passed, the damage was heavy. Another hurricane, Irma, is currently a rapidly intensifying category 3 and is headed for the home of former Derby resident Shelby Whitlock.

Whitlock, who graduated from Derby in 2015, lives in Lake Charles, Louisiana, with her mother and stepfather. It’s three hours from New Orleans and one hour from the ocean.

In the chaos that was Harvey, her family took precautions to keep themselves safe.

“We prepare by having plenty of nonperishable foods, water bottles, sandbags, batteries and candles in case the power goes out,” Whitlock said.

Hurricanes normally come with quite a bit of warning, depending on where they form. Hurricane Irma is about a week away from the U.S., Caribbean and Mexico.

Whitlock’s family stays up in shifts to watch the weather and the progress of the hurricane. If the storms get too close, evacuations are called for.

“If they start asking for evacuations we would pack some bags, (and) make sure we have important documents (such as) birth certificates, social security cards (and) insurance paperwork,” Whitlock said.