Hurricane season

[Live And Learn]

I know it started over a month ago but August and September are the more likely to be active then July.

If you are in a hurricane prone area, what do you do you to prepare ?

My list is:

• Buy a dozen cans of beans (kidney, navy, black, etc) - I usually use dry beans when I make them
• Buy a dozen cans of Spaghetti-O's - I never eat them but I figure they'll be yummy at a hurricane party
• Stop buying things that need to be frozen; start using the things that are already in my freezer (I call it "the purge")
• Put together my evac kit - paper photos are in two plastic bins; backup disc kept up to date; manual can open and aforementioned beans and Spaghetti-Os centrally located in pantry
• Keep 3 gallons of distilled water (for the dog and the bird) on hand at all times
• Keep 3 weeks worth of food for the dog and bird at all times
• Check the plywood shutters ... this is going to be a problem for me this year since we moved and I never got shutters for this house. I'm finally looking into impact glass - too late for this year !

A couple of things I'd like to do, but haven't yet:

• Sort all my collectables so that the ones most dear to me are close together so I can take them with me if I want
• Make a list of things to do in case of evac

Any other suggestions ?

 

[Meadbh]

That sounds as if you will be staying in the house.

I do not live in a hurricane prone area, but in one prone to wildfires. Everyone here is advised to have an evacuation plan. Within the past two weeks, 2500 people in our community were evacuated for 3-4 days, though I was not. Our electricity supply was threatened as there is only one cable coming into the community. I live in a condo building. I do not have pets. This is what I did to prepare:

1. Prepared large rubbermaid tote containing all irreplaceable paper documents (passports, certificates, etc), jewelry and family photos. Put it in the trunk of the car.

2. Packed a suitcase with clothing, underwear and grooming items for up to a week. Put it in the trunk of the car.

3. Put a dozen bottles of water in the trunk.

4. Filled the gas tank.

5. Placed candles and matches in key spots around my home in case the power goes out.

6. Placed a set of clothing on the chair next to my bed where I could find it easily in the dark.

7. Charged all electronics. Placed them, money, credit cards and keys in a purse close to my bed.

8. Arranged accommodation with a friend outside the potential evacuation zone.

If the call to evacuate had gone out, even in the middle of the night, I could have run down the 4 flights of stairs to our parkade and driven away within 5 minutes. I contemplated taking all sorts of things with me, but I decided that stuff can be replaced and it was amazing how focused I became on what I really needed.

 

[heeyy_joe]

Hurricane Supply List | Hurricane Checklist | Hurricane Safety

 

[Rustic23]

We live in a pseudo hurricane area. By that I mean we are far enough inland that water is not a problem. Wind, and loss of power is a problem. Loss of power means no power for two weeks. That is where we are on the power grid.

Right now our preparations are to eat down the freezer, and we are doing a darn poor job of it. We do not have a generator, and don't intend to get one. If we loose power, we will take a trip. Clean out the fridge, and freezer, give stuff to neighbors that have generators, or whole house backups, close up the house and leave. Might wait a day or too, so we can enjoy a few real good steak and sea food lunches and dinners. But then it is travel. Plan on being back in two weeks.

You see, being retired means we don't have to stay here. Once we are a couple of hundred miles from here say, New Mexico, or Colorado, motel rooms are not gouging, gas is normal, and there are places to go and things to see.

 

[BTravlin]

I know it started over a month ago but August and September are the more likely to be active then July.

If you are in a hurricane prone area, what do you do you to prepare ?

My list is:

• Buy a dozen cans of beans (kidney, navy, black, etc) - I usually use dry beans when I make them
• Buy a dozen cans of Spaghetti-O's - I never eat them but I figure they'll be yummy at a hurricane party
• Stop buying things that need to be frozen; start using the things that are already in my freezer (I call it "the purge")
• Put together my evac kit - paper photos are in two plastic bins; backup disc kept up to date; manual can open and aforementioned beans and Spaghetti-Os centrally located in pantry
• Keep 3 gallons of distilled water (for the dog and the bird) on hand at all times
• Keep 3 weeks worth of food for the dog and bird at all times
• Check the plywood shutters ... this is going to be a problem for me this year since we moved and I never got shutters for this house. I'm finally looking into impact glass - too late for this year !

A couple of things I'd like to do, but haven't yet:

• Sort all my collectables so that the ones most dear to me are close together so I can take them with me if I want
• Make a list of things to do in case of evac

Any other suggestions ?

Buy a few extra bottles of my favorite adult beverages to tide me over until the liquor stores are up and running again.

And then buy several more bottles of vodka. Amazing how quickly you can get repair work done after the storm if you have the right currency on hand.

 

[Koolau]

Except for the highest category of storm, we plan to shelter in place. At the first mention of a storm (rather rare) we fill several 5-gallon pails of water and store them in our bathtub and shower areas. While these could be used for drinking, they are (for us) to keep the toilets flushed. When we lose power for more than a day, we lose water. For drinking, we keep a few cases of bottled water around.

For lighting, I avoid candles, etc. like the plague. Too many local folks have caused fires while using candles during our not-infrequent power losses. Even for extended periods, one can light a home with the newer LED flashlights (As Seen On TV, etc.) for many hours with a single set of alkaline or lithium batteries. I try to keep a couple of weeks worth of batteries on hand. I have a couple of 12 volt "jumper" batteries (for the cars) which can be connected to my power inverter. 500 watts AC will power several LED lamps (or a few CFL or incandescents.) or, better yet, a single small appliance at a time (radio, smaller TV and DVD, etc.) The car can recharge 12v batteries to be used with an inverter (we have a storm "proof" parking structure for the cars.) In fact, my immediate back-up to shelter in place is to move into the cars. Not a pleasant thought, but we wouldn't be the first people on the Island living in a car.

For those who have storm shutters, it is VITAL to have a lot of light available. Being confined to a dark area for 2 or 3 days can be a psychological nightmare. If you plan to shelter in place, LET THERE BE LIGHT! YMMV

 

[cmndzero]

Check out the bathtub bladder systems for another way to store water.

 

[Dancer373]

I live 35 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico and hurricane related problems would be wind , rain and loss of electricity. I do most of the previously mentioned preparations especially battery lights, no candles. Another important thing to do would be to have one contact person outside the "disaster zone". Let them know your plans and where you will be/ or going and how to reach you.

 

[jimnjana]

We just got our hurricane shutters last year, and had the skylight glass replaced with impact glass. We do keep a case of bottle water on hand, we buy more when the first hint a storm arises. We also added a back up generator last year, enough to run stuff in bedroom and kitchen (we have small window ac unit in bedroom). Checked the flashlights, have plenty of batteries and emergency candles as well. Lots of charcoal as well.

 

[MichaelB]

So much could be set aside, yet my guess is most of us don't have lots of unused space at home. In the south, not many homes have cellars to store perishables.

In South Florida the one thing that always is in short supply when a hurricane comes to visit is gasoline. I would say the critical things to have are lots of water (drinking, cleaning, hygiene), batteries and canned food, a bicycle, and a car with a full tank of gas. The Cat 3 and less have resulted in shortages for 2-3 days, when Wilma hit most SF was out of everything, including water and electricity, for 2 weeks.

 

[Live And Learn]

I would weather anything to a Cat3 in place. Anything worse than that I'm outta here. The beans, spagettio's and water come with us.

Just had another quote for hurricane windows. First quote was 14k, this was 12k. Good thing it's only a 1500 sq ft house !

 

[Free To Canoe]

I hope our friends in Hawaii are hunkering down for the double wammy!

Hawaii braces for Hurricane Iselle, with Julio right behind | Reuters

 

[mountaintosea]

Just curious how the folks who live in Hawaii are doing?

 

[Koolau]

Just curious how the folks who live in Hawaii are doing?

Doin' great! Sitting here in the midwest watching it on the Weather Channel. Actually, I wish I could be there to see it for the first time. I have a friend in the condo and he grew up just a few blocks away, so he knows just what to do to keep everything dry. Right now, it looks like a bit more than the non-event that our last two tsunamis turned out to be. Still, most folks in the islands take the potential for such storms in stride. Now, if we were to get another Iniki, all bets are off. That one, I was very glad to watch from the midwest. My friend said all the bottled water has been bought up. I'm guessing there will be no more until after Julio. When we had the tsunamis, we always filled plastic tubs with water to use in the toilets. There will almost certainly be power outages, but I keep enough flashlights around to make it look like Christmas. Keeping my fingers crossed, but not too worried for now.

 

[mountaintosea]

Thanks. I turn to the weather channel occasionally to watch. I guess there are a couple of hours to go before it hits land. Still the reporter is soaked. What a job.

 

[Dancer373]

I hope but am sure that Nords and all the other ER members are prepare for this hurricane. Hope they're just a little inconvenienced but safe !

 

[MRG]

I would weather anything to a Cat3 in place. Anything worse than that I'm outta here. The beans, spagettio's and water come with us.

Just had another quote for hurricane windows. First quote was 14k, this was 12k. Good thing it's only a 1500 sq ft house !

Can you help me understand the hurricane windows. Are these windows that are rated for hurricane winds, debris etc? Or the sliding metal shutters permanently attached that you slide out and lock? Or the metal panels that you have to put up and screw in?

We had a realator in FL. that was talking about shutters, I think she wasn't quite truthful about what they cost or were worth to a homes value. Thanks in advance.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[MichaelB]

Hurricane windows (and doors) use glass that is rated to withstand the impact of debris that might hit it during a hurricane (such as an asphalt roof tile), and are anchored into the house frame to insure they cannot be ripped out due to high winds.

Hurricane shutters are corrugated aluminum or steel panels that are attached to the frame over the windows and doors, also to protect them from wind and debris. They can be attached and removed per storm (very hard work), or permanent accordion shutters can be attached that can be rolled into and out of place.

It is very difficult to get homeowners insurance by a rated insurer without having shutters.

 

[Nords]

I hope but am sure that Nords and all the other ER members are prepare for this hurricane. Hope they're just a little inconvenienced but safe !

We're good. This could have been a lot uglier.

We have a comprehensive hurricane checklist, but it's a lot easier to implement when you're empty-nesters without pets. These days we shelter in place, and even for a CAT 4 we'd have a long, thoughtful discussion about sheltering in place instead of getting trapped in a shelter.

This time we dodged a bullet. The Big Island (Hawaii island) bore the brunt of it, with some downed power lines & trees. No reported deaths or injuries. The rain was epic, and the runoff made tiny little Rainbow Falls (by Hilo) look like Niagara Falls. Oahu had a few power outages in rural areas, but they were brief. (We didn't have any power problems.) We had winds gusting to 50 knots but most of the day was just steady rain.

Our hurricane checklist got a twofer this time-- very efficient. Julio will be passing north of Oahu, and right now it looks like we'll just get a little rain along with the typical tradewinds. But that depends on how the track moves past the Big Island... it's unusual for a hurricane to venture this far to the north.

The meteorology researchers are pretty excited. It's the first time in recorded history that a hurricane has gone directly over the Big Island. After pounding Hilo the hurricane ran into the mountains of Mauna Kea & Mauna Loa, which slowed it down and forced it south of the rest of the islands. Meanwhile the high-altitude tradewinds tore the top off the storm and the rest of it fell apart as it splattered to the west.

Weather permitting, I'll be back on my longboard for dawn patrol on Monday morning!

Here's a local wrapup of Iselle, with photos:
Lucky break - Hawaii News - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Here's why Hawaii is less hurricane-prone than Guam or other Pacific islands:
Why Hurricanes Are So Rare in Hawaii - Scientific American

I did a two-minute Skype video with USAA on Thursday evening. Here's the article with more hurricane checklists. It can be viewed by everyone, no USAA login or membership required:
https://communities.usaa.com/t5/USAA-News/Storm-watch/ba-p/40198
We're still happier with a battery-powered radio than using an app or getting texts to our phone. And when the power is on, Twitter is far better than a radio or TV or apps or texts.

 

[dm]

We just moved to southwest Florida. We just moved in last week so we are still unpacking. Hopefully we won't have to worry about it this year.

Our plan this year is to just leave if a storm is heading this way. Figure it will just be a good time for a little vacation.

 

[W2R]

Nords, glad all is well on Oahu. I wasn't expecting much damage, given that the islands are not very hurricane prone, but wasn't sure so thanks for letting us know.

 

[Free To Canoe]

Nords, glad all is well on Oahu. I wasn't expecting much damage, given that the islands are not very hurricane prone, but wasn't sure so thanks for letting us know.

+1

 

[eytonxav]

Seems like we do not need a hurricane to cause problems this year given some of the heavy rains/flooding events that have occurred throughout the county.