Hurricane Supplies and Tips

There's a pretty neat one at Wal-Mart now for about $30. Saw it (portable battery-powered TV) the other day, will pick one up tonight in fact.

[edit on 19-10-2005 by Gazrok]

i must emphasize the importance of BUG SPRAY! without power, i found it was nearly impossible to sleep without some amount of air flow- and eventually just resorted to sleeping outdoors... and the mosquitoes ate the palms of my hands!! (which i'd forgotten to spray) i would have traded all the water in the house for another can of OFF! (ok, maybe not.... )

it's a good idea, if there's a possibility that the storm is headed for you, to have ONE BOX with all of your important papers ready to GO. passports, birth certificates, social security cards, the phone numbers and paperwork for home and auto insurance companies- don't forget your titles!! and by all means, grab all your tax returns and receipts!! bring your bank statements and checkbooks- anything pertaining to portfolios, stocks, assetts... wills... marriage license- immunization or medical records- you know- all the papers to prove WHO YOU ARE and WHAT YOU OWN (or owned) all of these papers should be together in a safe place anyway, but make sure to have them with you if you leave! one of my friends went so far as to scan all the receipts of his past tax returns, and neatly had copies and back up copies with no more paper trails... a lot of work, but much more convenient to carry.

business owners- do grab all of your client lists!!!!!! honestly, i've heard more stories about being unable to reach clients or rebuild lists of suppliers and customers- as demonstrated by new orleans, it may be some time before anything will be back to 'business as usual', but those that thought ahead were able to bring enough to set up temporary offices and continue working (when possible) wherever they were.

don't trust surge protectors! well, some do the job promised, and others... i wouldn't recommend learning the hard way... and if the lights start flickering, turn off the air conditioner to protect your compressor- it's a good idea to unplug electronics or at the very least, turn off the main breaker when the electricity has gone out until the lights have come on again... the electric companies have a GREAT little feature that when you report an outage, they will give you a courtesy call to inform you when power has been restored. no kiddin...

an extra gas can or two or three! filling up the tank is great, but be prepared for the run on gas that may be happening all the way up the road is imperative!

if you leave, DO let family and friends know WHERE you are going- it's better to phone them before, when the calls are still able to go through. katrina knocked out some towers, and calling was difficult, but not impossible- try not to worry your family and at least give them a head's up that you're ok- they can call everyone else so that you can conserve battery. (and yes, a charged backup battery is a GREAT idea)

don't leave your pets... even if you believe you'll only be gone a day or two... just make the extra effort and pack up poochy, or kitty or tweety... oh, and remember, fish don't last long without the pumps running... little elliott (RIP) taught me that lesson during rita- sigh.

a map! while the evacuees are lining up on the main highways to pass through your town, knowing a back way out (in case you've got to leave) could be to your advantage- or even if you'd like to make a mad dash for a last minute provision, the main roads could be congested- having an alternate route could save you time and gas.

it seems like you guys have covered everything else fairly well... but the season is proving that it isn't giving up yet.... i don't know about ya'll, but i'm tired of it already!!

Greetings...I would like to share some information which I was prompted to share here from a dream I had

If anyone is in need of water in case of an emergency there is a certain palm like tree called the travelers palm

The traveler's palm gets its name from the fact that thirsty travelers could find stores of water in many parts of the plant including the leaf folds, flower bracts and inside each of the hollow leaf bases each of which may hold up to one quart of water! Although not a true palm, the traveler's palm is considered one of the most striking and unique trees in nature.

here is a link to the search I did for more images of what it looks like:
Travelers palm

I saw some pictures online from florida which has this tree there but I'm not sure how often it is seen. I hope this info is of some help to anyone who has seen it or ever comes across one. God Bless

Bumping this one, as start of the season....rain is really pounding here right now...but we need it.

Take a look, Gazrok
www.abovetopsecret.com...

There is a chance for Alberto to be a hurricane!

Trust me...when you're in a Hurricane Warning, you certainly pay attention to the news, hehe....but thanks for the heads up!

Originally posted by Ptolomeo
Take a look, Gazrok
www.abovetopsecret.com...

There is a chance for Alberto to be a hurricane!

beryl, is already on its way... suspicious similarities to last year... hm...
( wait-and-see )

ps: beryl is not officially confirmed as a tropical storm, yet.

Even though Alberto was just a TS when it blew over, it certainly made for one nasty trip home that night, from school. About 10 feet visibility in the rain, and everyone going 20mph on the interstate....

tips:

Wash, Prepare and Season meat for grilling, then freeze 1-2 days before storm arrives, that way if and when the power goes out or tap water becomes unsafe, you can just throw stuff on the grill without having to use up your precious supply of bottled water.

Buy motor oil for your generator, a spout is handy too.

Garbage Pickup might be cancelled so sanitize your garbage cans, move them inside and double bag food waste to avoid stinky smells.

oh and get all your laundry done

(just going thru my checklists, wasn't sure if I mentioned these before or not, so I shared )

There's a lot of info here from my buddy Ralph in Miami.

Hurricane Preparedness Guide
Courtesy of Ralph's Tropical Weather


[edit on 28-8-2006 by Regenmacher]

For those who live in earthquake country:

Have each major home appliance plugged into a surge suppressor and thence plugged in to the wall outlet. Otherwise electricity brownouts (common during even brief earthquakes) can do bad things to your refrigerator, washer, dryer, etc. Electric power surges (often seen when electric power supplies resume) can do an even worse number on any such electrically operated appliances. This strategy is recommended for first responders in earthquake country, but I have yet to see this practice in use at anyone's home that I have visited so far.

bump for those getting ready to hunker down in their homes for Gustav.

If you haven't taken all the necessary precautions to protect your home and family, now is the absolute last chance you may have.

If you have already secured your home and are just waiting, you can peruse this thread for additional tips, such as preparing meats for the grill before freezing, setting your fridge and freezer to the highest temperature, baking cookies and breads etc that be stored for a few days after the power goes out.

If you're home waiting, now is the time to organize things inside, put flashlights, radios, etc in places where you can easily find them in the dark. Get games and cards ready to play with the kids to keep them calm. While we adults can be stressed out naturally in these circumstances, so can the children, so take time to ease their fears and your own.

Best wishes and know that all being affected will be in the thoughts and prayers of many.

Windows: Taping windows will not prevent breakage or offer protection once glass is broken. Taping Windows will only help to hold the shatter pieces where the tape is applied. Once breached another gust of wind will most likely take the entire window out.

If you do not have shutters, use large furniture to cover the window opening from the inside of the house. Even if you have shutters or hurricane glass windows, use towels and blankets at the frames of the window and doors to prevent water from seeping in.

Opening windows even a crack during a storm can be very dangerous, the myth about equalizing pressure within the house is false. DO NOT OPEN WINDOWS DURING A HURRICANE

During the peak of the storm, when winds are howling and your pipes are screaming, seek shelter in an interior room such as bathroom or closet with no windows. Take blankets and comforters to make yourselves comfortable and to protect your heads should there be a breach.

Do not go out during the eye of the storm unless it is to get to a safety nearby or to make repairs quickly. Keep tarp, hand saw, nails and hammer and extra plywood in the house for such quick repairs.

Keep your weather radio on at all times. Have faith, stay positive and stay safe.

Fill Ziploc bags with water and stack in all the open spaces in your freezer. You'll have ice and it will help keep the food in the freezer a little longer.

You can also use newspaper to fill open spaces in the freezer, but I suggest the bags of water, because it serves more than one purpose.

When power does go out, unplug the fridge and throw a heavy blanket over it, only open it when absolutely necessary.

Fill the tub and all empty pots, pitchers, etc with water. It can be used for simple things as washing your hands or brushing your teeth.

Cook a great meal and eat well tonight, take a long hot shower, you never know when again you'll be able to do these things again.

If you plan well, you can start cooking the most perishables items today and have enough for a few midnight snacks while you wait out the storm.

Oh and for outdoor items that you cannot bring inside due to a lack of space, tie them to a fence or at least together with strong rope.

I'm so worried for everyone right now that I can't stop thinking of what else that I can tell you that make this ordeal a tad easier. Sadly I might have to turn to this thread myself by the end of the week.

Having just gone through Gustav (and it was a wiiiiild ride) I am glad to have had the opportunity to tweak our preps a little bit.

What we did right: Prior to approach, we froze six gallon jugs (cranberry juice containers) of water. Leave a little headspace of air for water expansion. After the power went out, we left three in the freezer, and put three in the fridge part. 16 hours without power, and everything was still frozen; everything still preserved in the chilled part.

We filled a cooler with six bags of ice, and only used that ice for chilled drinks, which made us open the fridge and freezer less. We still have ice in the cooler, and that was three days ago.

We have battery-powered fans, DC-powered fans, and an inverter/deep cycle battery to run a/c fans. Comfort won't save your life, but makes sleeping without power much easier, and sleep becomes a necessary commodity.

L.E.D. lighting. I can't say enough about this. LED's require very little battery power, keep lighting for a LONG time, and the bulbs (lamps) rarely, if ever, burn out. We had headlamps, solar-powered yard lights, lantern types. Plenty of lighting and they run just fine on rechargeable batteries (add a solar-powered recharger for $16.00)

All other systems worked as planned. We elected to stay in the house, figuring that our worst case was a CAT 3. As it turned out, Gustav turned CAT 2 as it passed over/by us, and shortly went to CAT 3. As it moved away, the windfield expanded, and winds of 124 were recorded at our airport. We were very lucky.

Buckets: There is always a need for them. Get several. If you have high groundwater, your toilets may not flush. We screwed a toilet seat to a 5-gallon bucket lid with a hole in the lid. yah. You get the idea. Have an extra lid handy to cap it off. Have several buckets. You REALLY don't want to open them again.

My Bride has a Blackberry, and service to it remained up during the whole event. This was a Godsend, to know the coordinates and shape of the storm. It really made a difference, plus we were able to email family and friends.

What we did wrong: I boarded up others, mostly our elderly, and since our shutters hang in place, I waited far too long to close them up. I never want to be that poor [expletive] you see on the news trying to nail up plywood in the wind. Well, I was almost that person, because even though we've been through several hurricanes, I didn't take into account the forward motion of the storm. It came on us as I was closing and locking down the shutters.

One of our DC fans made a very disconcerting noise. We've since called it "yum-yum" as it made a noise that sounded like monks chanting. Didn't bother my Bride, but it creeped me out, especially when I'd wake up in the middle of the night, hearing that sound.

I brought hand tools, lumber and hardware inside, and we have two Xantrex portable power units that can drive drills and a Sawzall. I had plenty of nails, screws, etc. but no caulking or caulking gun. When the wind-driven rain started pouring through the weep holes in our east windows, I had to carve plugs out of wood to stop them. Butyl rubber caulking would've been SO much easier, or even epoxy putty in the tube.

I didn't have matches handy for lighting our gas stove (it has electronic ignition). I had waterproof matches in our bugout kit, but it was under mounds of stacked boxes. My Bride produced a Zippo, which she had found, filled and replaced the flint, saving the day. Both of us quit smoking last year, so I was surprised she came up with this.

Lastly, I left far too early after the storm passed to assist people with taking off their shutters/plywood. At one point I became part of the problem, and had to wait an hour while POwer and Light blocked the road to effect a repair. I tried to mitigate this by directing traffic, but I really shouldn't have been there. I should have been at home, staying out of the way, until summoned to help.

Hope this helps. I don't mind so much making mistakes in the response to a hurricane. I'd hate like hell to not learn anything from it. I will be too seasoned for my own good just about the time I'm ready to pass on

thank you so much for posting argentus

Something else I want to touch on briefly.. our emotions
Yes, it's okay to feel terrified, scared, nervous, and even excited all at once. There is nothing wrong with you and you are no different from anyone else in the same position. Everyone will deal with the situation differently, try to sense what others feel without them saying it. One child might become a recluse and dont' want anything to do with the family, while another may be clingy and seek constant comfort. Understand that they are in the same place emotionally as you and are just reacting differently. Be patient, be patient with your family, with officials, and with yourself.

And while It's okay to deal with stress in whatever manner makes you feel better.. just don't drink yourself into oblivion. Certainly alcohol can help take the edge off, but the last thing you need is to have your awareness so badly altered that you cannot make a decision to save your life. Many times in Florida hurricanes past, emergency calls are made due to domestic disturbance in which alcohol and or drugs play a part. Don't be stupid people, while a hurricane party sounds fun in theory it's a dangerous and foolish practice.

reply to post by worldwatcher


Excellent advice. I think sometimes overindulging is a response to a feeling of helplessness. Every time a storm comes or threatens here (at least for the last 14 years) the same people tell me: "ahhhh, it's not coming here...." I feel that they are basically choosing to play the odds, as most of the time they are right. I would accept this easier if it were accompanied by an analysis of the weather patterns, but no. It's just a [my opinion] selfish way out, possibly driven by fear and/or feeling of being helpless. I have observed that some of these same folks seem to party a bit hard on hurricane events.

As you noted, we all deal with the stresses differently. Myself, after the previously checked supplies have been loaded into the van and rechecked, I tend toward playing aggressive guitar. My Bride is very calming, and chooses to track the storms, getting the updates, and networks with friends and family. The cats whine; they excell in this skill. We both coddle them.

Sometimes, a person within your group will crack. It's almost a psychotic break. It's a sudden unleashing of emotion and panic, and those folks have to be tended, but not handled, if you know what I mean. If this happens in your group, I suggest you not try to talk them out of their fears, but just listen, be supportive. Don't be patronizing -- their fears are real, and they have just come to a culmination of them, and they will be okay. To try and talk them out of the fears is like trying to convince someone to not cry when they feel the need. Sometimes it is helpful to redirect a person's panic response into prayer, depending upon their beliefs. Children [and some pets] seem to take their cues from you. Sometimes during such events, we have to put a confident face on our fears for the good of the group.

During Gustav, I was texting a friend of mine, whose two-story house had more exposure, being on the south side of the island. They could feel their house moving, and worse yet, it was leaking water in many places. He has a wife and child, and I felt by the tone of his words that he was about to panic. I saw what was happening with the storm, and told him that he was less than two hours from the end of it.... and likely experiencing the worst of it. I think without that connection, he might've had a much rougher time of it. I kept sending a text message every 1/2 hour..... [one hour to go, you're going to make it just fine.... by the way, since your house is closed up, I strongly recommend avoiding eating chili] ...... silly stuff like that, just to try and bring a sense of normalcy.

Thank you much for highlighting the psychological aspects of the hurricane experience.

Cheers

[edit on 31-8-2008 by argentus]

Bumping this for those in the path of Isaac. Can't believe this thread was started so long ago and how many times I've gone through these preps and tips over the years. Still very helpful and useful information to have.

Please keep in mind that no two storms are identical and affects will vary but it better to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. Not every storm will be an Ike or Katrina, so no need to panic or be scared, just prepare to the best of your ability for each one that comes your way.

Just remembered something... Worried about a leaky roof? Buy Flex Seal or similar product and address any minor leaks you may have before the rains get to you. If it's already raining and you notice the leak, you can try to do it from inside, but you'll have to paint later.

That foam chaulk stuff that comes in cans is also great to quickly seal up any drafts under windows, doors, near pipes etc. Duck Brand also has some foam window chaulking strips that can be added to faulty windows to help prevent sideways rains from breaching your house.

Have WD40 or other spray greaser to lubricate not often used tools, screws, wingnuts and accordian shutters. We just had this experience with our accordian shutters, one wouldn't close and we didn't have WD40, had to run to the neighbors to "borrow" some. Had I wait til the last minute to close my shutters without checking first, I would have been in trouble.