Featured photo: A rare west swell breaking in the river during last year’s hurricane season.

Most people don’t realize this wave even exists.

This “secret spot” only comes to life when an incredibly rare combination of conditions aligns: a long-period west swell with 22-second intervals, an onshore wind, the right stage of the tide, lingering hurricane energy, and even the recent dredging that subtly changed the river bottom.

Miss any one of those ingredients and it’s just another stretch of river.

When everything comes together, however, the river produces a clean, perfectly shaped right-hand barrel that looks completely out of place on Florida’s First Coast. It’s the kind of wave you’d expect to find in a surf film—not breaking in a river channel.

A true one-in-a-million swell… and a reminder that Mother Nature is always capable of surprising us.

That same hurricane energy that occasionally creates an incredible surf break also serves as a reminder that hurricane season deserves our attention every single year—not just when a storm is headed our way.

Annual Hurricane Preparedness Checklist

Home

• Inspect your roof for loose or damaged shingles.
• Clean gutters and storm drains.
• Trim trees and remove dead limbs near the house.
• Secure or replace loose fencing.
• Identify how you’ll protect windows if a storm threatens.
• Test garage doors and locks.
• Know how to shut off electricity, water, and gas (if applicable).

Emergency Supplies

• Store at least 7 days of water (1 gallon per person per day).
• Stock non-perishable food.
• Replace batteries in flashlights and lanterns.
• Charge power banks.
• Fuel vehicles before storms approach.
• Keep cash on hand in small bills.
• Refill prescriptions.

Generator & Equipment

• Test-run your generator.
• Change the oil if needed.
• Store fresh fuel safely.
• Verify extension cords are in good condition.
• Test chainsaws and other storm cleanup equipment.

Insurance & Documents

• Review homeowners and flood insurance coverage.
• Photograph each room of your home.
• Photograph valuable belongings.
• Save digital copies of insurance policies.
• Store important documents in a waterproof container or cloud storage.

Family Planning

• Review evacuation routes.
• Decide where you’ll go if evacuation becomes necessary.
• Update emergency contact information.
• Plan for pets.
• Check on elderly family members or neighbors.

After the Storm

• Avoid driving through floodwater.
• Watch for downed power lines.
• Document all damage before cleanup.
• Contact your insurance company as soon as possible.

Living on the coast means accepting both the beauty and the responsibility that comes with it. Most years we never need our hurricane supplies, and that’s exactly the way we want it. But when that storm eventually comes, you’ll be glad you prepared before everyone else was standing in line for bottled water and generators.

Hopefully this year’s hurricanes give us nothing more than another once-in-a-million river wave to admire from a safe distance.

AI Disclosure: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed and edited for sense of humor before publication.