#25 Postby soonertwister » Sat Sep 25, 2004 4:13 pm
In most cases, if you are not in a mobile home or in a mandatory or recommended evacuation zone, your best course of action is to stay put, and make sure that your home or apartment is as prepared for hurricane force winds as it can be.
It is always a concern in hurricane country that large numbers of people will get stranded in the open in a major hurricane. It's really too late to take the risk of going more than a few miles from home for those closest to landfall now. Conditions are already deteriorating along the east coast of FL, and they will only continue to get worse until landfall. The chances of getting stranded on the road are just too high now to take the risk.
If you are well inland and not in a weak structure like a mobile home, you should stay put, unless you haven't done what you needed to do to protect your home. In that case, seek the nearest shelter or person who will shelter you in a house that IS protected.
Otherwise, prior to the hurricane reaching your residence, use heavy objects to barracade the doors of your home (or consider nailing your door shut if you are REALLY worried), and get to an interior space that is small and without glass windows. Take blankets and pillows and other layers of cloth with you. If you have bicycle or motorcycle or other helmets, put them on. (I know, it sounds silly, but it is sound thinking.)
Centrally located restrooms are nearly ideal. Stay there until you are positive that the hurricane has passed, and don't be fooled by the eye. You can tell the difference between the cane having passed and being in the eye, because the winds will go from very strong to almost nothing in a very short time if in the eye.
And remember to keep sturdy shoes at hand. In the aftermath of major hurricanes (and tornadoes), many people suffer foot injuries from nails and other sharp objects. The last thing you need in the aftermath of a bad hurricane is a festering wound.
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