Thought about your hurricane preps?

St. Petersburg, Florida - It's been eight years  since the Tampa Bay area was truly tested by a hurricane, and some people may have forgotten the headaches and heartaches of 2004.

If you're one of those people, Pinellas County's preacher of hurricane preparedness, Tom Iovino, has a sermon.

"If you were in the area, think back to what you were doing that year; think back to the long lines at the home improvement center and the grocery stores getting ready for hurricane season. We're in the five day cone right now for Tropical Storm Isaac, so if you haven't gotten your kit ready, you might want to start doing that now," urges Iovino.

So, hit the store and fill your survival kit with water, food, flashlights, batteries, medications and don't forget the pets either.

For more hurricane prep information from the county's Hurricane Guide, click here .

At a St. Petersburg Publix Wednesday, Allen VanBenthuysen at least knew what he was supposed to do. "Batteries, flashlight, canned foods, water, those are the necessities you need to have," he said. But had he purchased them yet? "No," he said with a laugh.

Preparing for a major storm is no laughing matter, and Mary Swanson of Clearwater is ahead of the game. She already had her cart loaded with supplies. "Well, I'm going to stay with a friend if we have to evacuate, so I'm buying paper plates, paper towels, toilet tissue and lots of water."