Teach me about hurricanes

[Bookshelves]

No advice from here in tornado-land, just sending my good thoughts. I can't remember where exactly you relocated, but I think it's near my brother and future SIL. (They're coming here to get married this weekend!)

[wally3]

HI first time poster - I am a lurker from Florida. You have received a lot of good tips. I also would add prepare to not have power for extended amount of time - especially if you are planning on staying and seeing what happens. Wash all your laundry now including linens. Wash all dishes and if possible by disposable dishes for after the storm. If you can throw out all the trash you have now - if your area is affected you will be living with your trash until roads are safe to start services again. Check to see if your car will charge a phone without the car being turn on - it is good to know. If you have not already fill your gas tank and then try not to drive as much as possible. Eat all the parishables in your fridge and freezer. If you evacuate - put all you freezer and fridge items that would get smelly in a trash bags in the fridge and freezer. That way if you lose power while you are gone clean up is easier and less smelly. If you don't all your food is still good to eat. Buy lots of comfort food.

[unicornofthesea]

I kinda skimmed through posts so forgive me if it's been said.....

But if you plan on evacuating get gas cans and fill them up now!

We evacuated from FL to GA for Irma and seeing all the cars lined up on the highways and out of gas was freaky. It looked like the apocalypse. No joke.

We didn't bring gas but got lucky enough my family was literally only a tank away.

Don't forget coming back will be heavy traffic as well, so plan for that.

I legit packed things I didn't want to lose if we came back to no house. It's scary but think of keep sakes, important documents, clothes for up coming seasons, etc.

Stock up on diapers, wipes, baby food, water jugs, dry goods.

Don't forget people also freak out and get desperate in times like this. I'm not one to typically feel like I need protection but I would keep a pocket knife, pepper spray, etc on you no matter what.

[unicornofthesea]

Also...follow Mike's weather page on FB
He's the best.

[Sweetjane]

All the ice cream is on sale at the store. Buy some😂

Make sure you have a pet carrier.

I'm not very helpful, we usually leave town. We will probably stay this time, I have lots of games to play indoors, lots of snacks, and gas in my car.
It floods alot here so my H usually likes to put my car in a city garage, they are usually free for a few days for people to do this.

[radiantfate]

FL native here, I've been through what feels like countless hurricanes. My preparations always look like:

- If you have a gas grill, get a propane tank. You'll thank yourself when you need to cook up all your perishables if the power goes out.
- You can never have enough bottled water. You'll definitely need it for drinking, especially if your local water gets contaminated. Also, you may need it to bathe for the same reason.
- Fill 2 liter bottles with water and freeze them (leave extra room for the ice to expand). These can be used to help keep your fridge/freezer cool if the power goes out. Also, they serve as backup drinking water.
- Stock up on shelf-stable foods that don't require much/any cooking. Also, lots of snacks for the kids.
- If the power goes out, use up the perishables first.
- Get lots of candles or battery powered lights, and batteries to go with them.
- Get a solar powered radio or one that works with a hand crank. Don't rely on being able to access the news via your phone (with Charley in 2004 and Irma last year, I had zero cell reception for DAYS).
- Fill your car's gas tank, not just because you may need to evacuate, but also because many gas stations may run out of gas and following the hurricane it may take a while for them to get replenished due to road damage/downed trees/etc
- Have cash on hand. If stores are open following the store they may not have electricity so you'll need to pay with cash.
- Charge your devices and have backup battery chargers at the ready.
- For the kids, a portable battery powered DVD player can help keep them occupied or distract them if they're scared.
- Don't forget about your pets (if you have any) -- stock up on pet food and make sure you have enough water for them.
- If you haven't already, seal your important documents in a waterproof container and keep it somewhere handy in case you need to evacuate.
- If you have a generator, make sure it's ready to go but don't ever operate it in an enclosed area. (I think this goes without saying but literally every hurricane we've had here we've had deaths because someone turned on the generator in the house)
- Have a well-stocked first aid kit.

I think that's everything I do to prepare.

[chickenonsunday]

Finally had time to pop over to HIH and wondered if you were talking about the hurricane. My local women's FB groups and Nextdoor are filled with people trying to buy bottled water. It is an odd mixture of people saying we are far enough inland to not be worried and doomsday predictors saying we will lose power.

I just need to get my beer fridge restocked before all of the neighbors descend on our house because we have a generator.

[tgrimes]

Whether you stay or evacuate, stock up on alcohol if you drink. Everyone else has given great advice.

Something I make sure I have now are puddle jumpers for the kids. During Harvey, we didn't have any flotation devices at our house because they were all at my in laws'. Thank god we didn't need them but they were doing helicopter rescues two streets behind me. Watching parents struggle to carry their pets and kids to safety was awful.

[nohardfeelings]

I’m a Floridian and have been in God knows how many hurricanes. I’ll add the following to the really good advice given in the comments above....

- stock up on supplies before hurricane season even starts or at the beginning of it. Don’t wait because as soon as a storm is headed your way then it is difficult to find bottled water, there are long lines for gas, limited supplies etc.


- when a storm is coming there is mass hysteria. People are on edge. Again, avoid the chaos by stocking up in advance.


- make sure you have something to occupy your time when the power is out like books, board games, cards, checkers/chess, etc.


- Tropical Storms, Category 1 and Cat 2 hurricanes generally are not that bad. Possible power loss, trees down, minor damage, etc.


- Category 3 and up are flat out terrifying. The winds sound like a train is coming. I experienced about 2 weeks without power after a Cat 3.


- I prefer to evacuate if it’s a Category 5.


- Don’t procrastinate about evacuating. If you decide to leave do it as early as possible. If you wait to leave until a few days before the storm is supposed to hit then you may not be able to leave because no flights available, gridlock traffic, no gas, etc.

[hawkward]

In case anyone else is following this for advice-- we're sheltering in place unless we get evac orders. A friend who has been through this before gave me the tip of making the dog a place to pee and poop in the garage. We're putting down puppy pads for him, and you can buy spray that smells like urine to let the dog know it's safe to use that spot.

[McBenny]

I just kept letting my dogs out until I couldn't.

[McBenny]

Sept 11, 2018 9:27:35 GMT -6 hawkward said:

In case anyone else is following this for advice-- we're sheltering in place unless we get evac orders. A friend who has been through this before gave me the tip of making the dog a place to pee and poop in the garage. We're putting down puppy pads for him, and you can buy spray that smells like urine to let the dog know it's safe to use that spot.

When is landfall?

[McBenny]

Sept 11, 2018 9:27:35 GMT -6 hawkward said:

In case anyone else is following this for advice-- we're sheltering in place unless we get evac orders. A friend who has been through this before gave me the tip of making the dog a place to pee and poop in the garage. We're putting down puppy pads for him, and you can buy spray that smells like urine to let the dog know it's safe to use that spot.

Does your dog have issues with incontinence or a medical issue? this has never been an issue so I am wondering.

[McBenny]

Sept 11, 2018 12:26:38 GMT -6 swanson said:

Sept 10, 2018 11:19:12 GMT -6 tgrimes said:

Whether you stay or evacuate, stock up on alcohol if you drink. Everyone else has given great advice.

Something I make sure I have now are puddle jumpers for the kids. During Harvey, we didn't have any flotation devices at our house because they were all at my in laws'. Thank god we didn't need them but they were doing helicopter rescues two streets behind me. Watching parents struggle to carry their pets and kids to safety was awful.

Wow, this is great advice. Never wouldve thought about flotation devices. Luckily we already keep our alcohol stocked well!

If you have a plastic totes bin or air mattress you can float kids and pets in there as well.

[hawkward]

Sept 11, 2018 12:23:51 GMT -6 McBenny said:

Sept 11, 2018 9:27:35 GMT -6 hawkward said:

In case anyone else is following this for advice-- we're sheltering in place unless we get evac orders. A friend who has been through this before gave me the tip of making the dog a place to pee and poop in the garage. We're putting down puppy pads for him, and you can buy spray that smells like urine to let the dog know it's safe to use that spot.

Does your dog have issues with incontinence or a medical issue? this has never been an issue so I am wondering.

He has stress-induced colitis. And he’s an asshole.

[hawkward]

Sept 11, 2018 12:22:19 GMT -6 McBenny said:

Sept 11, 2018 9:27:35 GMT -6 hawkward said:

In case anyone else is following this for advice-- we're sheltering in place unless we get evac orders. A friend who has been through this before gave me the tip of making the dog a place to pee and poop in the garage. We're putting down puppy pads for him, and you can buy spray that smells like urine to let the dog know it's safe to use that spot.

When is landfall?

It keeps bouncing back and forth between Thursday night and Friday morning. The latest projection actually has it bouncing south a bit, so now I’m not so sure for us.

[tgrimes]

Sept 11, 2018 12:34:40 GMT -6 McBenny said:

Sept 11, 2018 12:26:38 GMT -6 swanson said:

Wow, this is great advice. Never wouldve thought about flotation devices. Luckily we already keep our alcohol stocked well!

If you have a plastic totes bin or air mattress you can float kids and pets in there as well.

Definitely!  Just make sure to blow it up before you lose power.

[lacey]

Checking back in here. You have gotten great advice so I’m sure you are set now. For now (and I’m in Flood Zone D) most of our worries have to do with local flooding and lost power. One thing we are doing is sleeping on our first floor once the storm hits because excess water can make tree root systems unstable. We live in an area with huge trees so this could be an issue for us. Good luck!!

[dc2london]

If you live in Montgomery county, you lose power every time the wind blows.

Here in NoVA we tend to fare better, but it all depends on where you live. We have underground lines but during Sandy we lost power for about 12 hours bc a transformer blew.

[dc2london]

Oh also keep in mind that trucks and planes won't be coming from other places for a few days so make sure you have any necessary items (eg medications, bread, toilet paper) stocked up. Even when the stores open, they often don't have stuff (this goes for winter time too. If we get 3" of snow, nobody's getting eggs for three days)

[hawkward]

lacey the most recent models have me feeling a bit better about things for now. Stay safe!

[hawkward]

Sept 11, 2018 16:19:52 GMT -6 dc2london said:

Oh also keep in mind that trucks and planes won't be coming from other places for a few days so make sure you have any necessary items (eg medications, bread, toilet paper) stocked up. Even when the stores open, they often don't have stuff (this goes for winter time too. If we get 3" of snow, nobody's getting eggs for three days)

The boys and I stocked up on essentials and got non-perishable/shelf stable versions of the things we can’t live without. DS2 would simply cease to function without his daily chocolate milk!

[dc2london]

Sept 11, 2018 16:32:45 GMT -6 hawkward said:

Sept 11, 2018 16:19:52 GMT -6 dc2london said:

Oh also keep in mind that trucks and planes won't be coming from other places for a few days so make sure you have any necessary items (eg medications, bread, toilet paper) stocked up. Even when the stores open, they often don't have stuff (this goes for winter time too. If we get 3" of snow, nobody's getting eggs for three days)

The boys and I stocked up on essentials and got non-perishable/shelf stable versions of the things we can’t live without. DS2 would simply cease to function without his daily chocolate milk!

It just occurred to me that my sensory S2 might subsist on Joe Joe's if we lose power bc he won't have cheeseburgers or chicken nuggets

[dc2london]

DGMW he'd be thrilled to subsist on cookies, crackers and Luna bars but, under normal circumstances it's a no