Basic preparations for every season

This will be the place to find all your hurricane prep information. Whether it be preparing your home, family, pets or evacuation plans here is where to find the information you need.

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KBBOCA
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#81 Postby KBBOCA » Thu Aug 23, 2012 7:09 pm

I'm enjoying discovering some new resources via browsing Twitter tonight.

The NHC has an experimental Twitter account where they report on Storm Surge.

https://twitter.com/NHC_Surge

what I found there:
1) A public service announcement explaining Storm Surge and its danger:


2) Reports on Storm Surge for Isaac from around the Caribbean:
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/quickl ... ISAAC.html

I imagine this could be an awesomely helpful resource should Isaac threaten storm-surge prone areas (Tampa, Big Bend, MissGulf Coast etc.) in the Gulf!
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#82 Postby artist » Fri Aug 24, 2012 9:59 am

KBBOCA wrote:I just saw while following Twitter re: Isaac that the Red Cross has some special apps to help with Hurricanes:

American Red Cross ‏@RedCross
Our hurricane app also features info on #RedCross shelters, a toolkit w flashlight, strobe light, alarm http://rdcrss.org/Py9tHU #Isaac

American Red Cross ‏@RedCross
In our Hurricane App, there's a one-touch “I’m Safe” button to let family, friends know u are okay. #Isaac http://rdcrss.org/Py9tHU

very cool to see technology put to such good use!

great information KBBOCA
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#83 Postby artist » Mon Aug 27, 2012 12:34 pm

Be prepared for flooding even on the outskirts of Isaac.
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#84 Postby KBBOCA » Fri Oct 26, 2012 6:31 pm

I saw good advice from a Floridian related to power outages in the comments at Jeff Masters' blog:

It sounds silly, but based on dealing just with garden variety SoFla power outs, I'd like to suggest that people find out now how to report and how to track local power outs on both their computers and on their phones. Make sure you can make things work- some companies want your account number and in this day of ebills, who has that lying around? Some let you text in an outage report, but you have to register in advance, etc. A little time now will cut your stress later, imho. Be safe, all.
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Re: Basic preparations for every season

#85 Postby MidnightRain » Tue May 28, 2013 5:03 pm

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The above images display the reality of a approaching hurricane at your local gas stations and hardware stores, but it's a reality you can avoid for the most part. I know a lot of people don't like spending money preparing for something that probably won't happen. But when it does happen and you already have 90% of your hurricane list checked off, it's a massive relief. So, take some time to store away some gasoline, batteries, flashlights, lanterns, ice bags in your deep freezer...etc. Every little bit counts and will end up saving you a lot of time and stress.
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Re: Basic preparations for every season

#86 Postby vbhoutex » Wed May 29, 2013 12:50 pm

MidnightRain gives some good advice. Instead of waiting till the threat of a storm is a reality, each time you go grocery shopping pick up one or two things you will need for your emergency kit. That way you don't have to fight crowds and spend a lot of money all at once.
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Re: Basic preparations for every season

#87 Postby DonaldL396 » Sun Jun 02, 2013 9:26 pm

Are there any portable radios that recieve television broadcasts? I have not been able to find one since the switch to digital signal
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Re: Basic preparations for every season

#88 Postby BlueWater36 » Tue Jun 04, 2013 3:35 pm

DonaldL396 wrote:Are there any portable radios that recieve television broadcasts? I have not been able to find one since the switch to digital signal


I haven't had any luck finding one, or a battery powered TV for that matter. I'm currently considering one of these for my laptop:
http://www.amazon.com/Elgato-EyeTV-Hybr ... BWYM9JVNZR

It's basically a digital TV tuner that plugs into a USB port on your computer, but I can't justify spending $115+ on something like that.

Can anyone recommend a good battery powered TV that picks up digital signals?
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Re: Basic preparations for every season

#89 Postby Claire » Wed Dec 28, 2016 2:30 am

Very informative and helpful advice. It is better to prepare for the disaster before the time. We might not be able to avoid the damages but at-least preparing for the damages in advance can help us to reduce some of the damages. Sometimes, people even refuse to listen to the authorities when they ask them to relocate. It is difficult to leave the home but we should prioritize our lives over the property. Property is something that can be build once again but life is something if you lose, you cannot get it back.
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Re: Basic preparations for every season

#90 Postby weathaguyry » Mon Jul 03, 2017 9:31 pm

Here is my 2 cents from my Hurricane Sandy Experiences...

Our family did essentially everything that we shouldn't have done during the storm. We lived in the highest elevated part of town, which was a whopping 10 feet above sea level. When the power went out around 5PM, we were all fighting over a small, pink flashlight that didn't always work. The wind wasn't too much of an issue, but the flooding was. Around 9PM the flooding started, we saw the water, illuminated by the flashing headlights of flooding cars. When the water came into our house, my sister, only 11 at the time, suggested that we take the bikes upstairs, which was an awesome call. During a Hurricane, keep all of your family's bikes upstairs, on top of a towel or something, with a manual pump, so this way there is a way of transportation. I had suggested that my dad kept his car on an elevated part of the lawn, which he did not listen to, and we ended losing 2 cars, and my grandfathers Mercedes. Another huge problem was the phone situation. In 2012 cell phones were very important, but now they are an absolute necessity in 2017. In Sandy, we had AT&T, which did not work, Verizon and Sprint did not work, the only company that worked for some reason was T-Mobile. Another perk of having a working car was being able to charge a phone. Anyway, now onto insurance info, DO NOT CALL YOUR INSURANCE AGENT THE MORNING AFTER A DEVASTATING HURRICANE!!! My father was bombarded with calls all saying the same thing, about tons of loss and devastation, but there wasn't anything we could do about it. Another thing was that gas was running short, in our town, we are a small island tucked between a barrier island and the mainland, so it wasn't easy to find gas. We ended up in our second cousins friend's car to go to the basement of a friend's house with a generator. During that stressful time, we were sent to our second cousin's house near Fort Lauderdale, FL (Which is the exact opposite place you'd expect to go to escape a hurricane disaster zone!) My sister and I flew as un-accompanied minors on JetBlue, and as a 9 year old child, I was very scared going without my parents, but a major thanks to JetBlue, since they gave us the whole back row to ourselves, and always came to give us snacks and talk to us about everything, which was so relieving after all the "adult talk" after the storm. It was not easy adapting into the house, since there was 3 kids, one a second grader, and 2 Kindergarteners, one with very severe Cerebral Palsy. After 2 Weeks we finally came back to our town. It was pretty bad for a while, and that winter was not fun. Since most water heaters were broken, heaters did not work, and when it was 36 degrees at night in November, the house didn't feel too much warmer than that. Well, I'll put some tips below on some things that you can do, based on my experience.

Before the storm:
-Buy battery packs for all of your cell phones in the house, and also charge them up before the power goes out!
-Buy extension cords, with other plugs, so this way you can get the most out of one outlet, if you are in a public place, or a shelter
-Keep water heaters on concrete blocks so they are elevated, this may not be as important to Floridans, but here in New York, it will save you big time!
-Read and understand your insurance policies, and know what each one covers, keep them all in one place, in a safe spot so there is access to them.
-Bring Bikes upstairs, which a mechanical pump (Tires will lose air quick with shards of glass and rocks littered around the street)
-Let your kids go and take anything upstairs that is very important to them, so this way they have it.
-Clean ALL of your clothes in the laundry, and make sure all the baskets are upstairs (We left a full laundry basket of clothes downstairs!)
-Clean ALL of your dishes in the dishwasher, so there is no mess when the power goes out, also, empty the dishwasher, and make sure it doesn't run too close to when the power goes out, because standing water and any dishes in there will get moldy after a couple days.

During the storm:
-Put your phone on low- power mode, and try to turn off notifications for non-essential apps (A notification about heavy rain coming into your area is important, but a notification that says "Eric Blake, Ryan Maue, and 6 others are tweeting about #Hurricane_________! can be shut off"
-If you have lots of kids, have them all camp out in your room for the night, it will give you peace of mind that your kids aren't wandering off into flood waters, and it will give them peace of mind that they are with their parents
-Have some snacks (Chips, cookies, etc.) with you as the storm passes, during the stressful time you may not be able to make a meal, so some snacks can hold you over for the storm.
-Listen on a radio for weather updates, and determine when danger is imminent.

After the storm:
-Even if the storm is winding down, and the rain may get lighter, is is tempting to go outside, when in reality it is still very dangerous. Not only is there likely shards of glass, and jagged pieces of metal, along with down, and possibly live power lines, but the winds may also still be high, during Sandy, a 49mph wind gust knocked me, only 90 pounds at the time, right off my feet, so be careful
-If you have a barbecue, and you have some left over meat and perishable items that have not gone bad yet... Have a feast! Invite neighbors, and family, and use up the rest of the meat, your neighbors will likely appreciate it too, since a nice meal can be comforting in time of disaster.
-Only use one car, if possible, and try to make the best use out of every trip! Before you venture out on your car to check on family, or see the damage to any other property, check on your radio to hear of any road closures, there will likely be tons! Try to plan a practical route that can get around any closures, and drive very safely, since stoplights may not be working!
-Make a list of the things you have lost, and try to estimate their values, this will help with insurance

Well, that's about all I can say, I am so sorry about the long post. I pray that everyone stays safe during the 2017 Hurricane Season!!!
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Re: Basic preparations for every season

#91 Postby toad strangler » Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:06 am

The time is right now to check off that necessity list. Water, gas, propane, charcoal, batteries, non perishable and easy to prepare foods, first aid kit, etc etc etc. Most know the drill.

Get it NOW and if the slim chance your BY gets targeted you will be smiling a mile wide not having to join the mayhem in obtaining these supplies and worse getting shut out.

Do it this Labor Day Weekend.
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Re: Basic preparations for every season

#92 Postby gigabite » Sat Jan 05, 2019 5:57 pm

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After Irma 2017 the power was off at my apartment for 2 weeks. I had ready to eat food and water, but that cup of hot coffee first thing in the morning was hard to find. Eventually Waffle House opened which was great, and it was only a miles round trip. The cheapest butane stove I could find was $7. It works better than the torch I was using.
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Re:

#93 Postby Michele B » Wed Aug 28, 2019 9:34 pm

Persepone wrote:
rolltide wrote:... If you prepare like you are going on a camping trip to the middle of the woods (as in no campground facilities) you will be much better off. After Ivan we were without power for two weeks and water for 10 days and getting supplies in the aftermath was next to impossible.... Keith


I agree with this idea--as long as you add the "secure the house" activities and supplies as well.

Are you willing to share your "list" for what goes on a camping trip to the middle of the woods? We are "tent" campers and so even in commercial campgrounds we don't have "hookups" usually. The tradeoff is that usually they can squeeze us in somewhere even if they are "full" because we don't need much space and don't need hookups. So our list is probably fairly close except for water/sanitary stuff (although we do own a sunshower, and have improvised other stuff.) I'm curious about water: do you lug it, or carry a filter and purification tablets or boil water or what? I've done all but the filters.

What "tools" would you include that might do double duty on camping trip and hurricane situation?


Mosquito repellant!
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Re: Re:

#94 Postby Michele B » Wed Aug 28, 2019 9:38 pm

NewOrleansMom wrote:
NativeFloridaGirl wrote:
Janie2006 wrote:Hrmmmm. I always stock up on canned goods and all of those things for the season, however I'm wondering about MREs. I was thinking it might not be a bad idea to find some of those things for hurricanes (or any other sort of disaster). Anyone have ideas about where I can find some for sale? Army/Navy stores?


This is where I got my MRE's. http://www.safetycentral.com/mremealeatsi.html


A google search will show you quite a few sites that sell MREs. I've also seen them sold on EBay.
They are pretty tasty and include everything you need for a complete meal from a special bag that heats the food, to a moist towelette, salt and pepper, and even M & M's or some other kind of treat. They even have instant coffee, tea, and orange drink mix in them.


I know I'm bringing things in from past years, but good stuff. The thing to consider about MRE's. If you are ordering things online....it's probably TOO LATE to do it now. There will come a point in time when they will NOT deliver during or shortly after a storm (due to debris lying about, depending on how bad the damage is), so timing is everyhting when ordering things to be delivered that you want to ride out the aftermath of a storm.
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Re: Basic preparations for every season

#95 Postby 869MB » Sat Aug 15, 2020 10:09 pm

If you can afford to do so, it might also be a good idea to invest in a battery boost pack for every vehicle you have. Keep in mind these battery boost packs can be used for cell phone charging during power outages. Also depending on what brand you get, some may have a 120V AC plug outlet for you to utilize for low powered items. Just make sure you charge all of your boost packs before the storm arrives.
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