Picture this, Hurricane Clifton was just broadcasted on the news. Aimed to go straight up the East coast, this strong category two is about to get you out of school. Now imagine, your mother is in the kitchen strategically organizing the food that she fought for, acquiring battle scars from the fights with the soccer moms over who got the last princess Goldfish. Your father and his neighborhood buddies are out back, surrounding a beer cooler, “putting up shutters.”  Finally, you are staring at the ceiling realizing that those APUSH notes are not due.

Of course “Hurricane Clifton” is not real, or coming for that matter, but this is to introduce the concept of hurricane culture, which can be defined as the specific behaviors displayed by a group when a hurricane comes or occurs. Hurricane culture is not only unique to Florida; but it is special here in the way that it is more nonchalant, as people have less fear over something every Floridian has grown up with. Many older Florida natives have also pushed through some extreme hurricanes, making today’s hurricanes an image of child’s play. Some may not know it, but hurricane parties and running out in the eye of the storm, is all a part of Florida’s distinct hurricane culture.

When asked about hurricane specific behaviors, people can realize that they are a part of this phenomenon. This is why we went out and asked Santaluces Chiefs how they feel and what they do during hurricanes, to see if hurricane culture is as prevalent as it seems.