Is your Hurricane Kit ready ?new poll from AP says NO

[MGC]

A2K, I would not be lulled into thinking that all major hurricanes weaken as they approach the NGOM coast. I suggest you look up Betsy and Fredrick. Both continued to intensify to landfall.

The suggested hurricane survival kit is a joke. Katrina proved that you can not prepare for a hurricane like Katrina. Gasoline was by far the item is shortest supply after Katrina. I suggest you buy at least 5 five gallon containers and fill them when you are placed under a hurricane warning. My son brought me gas after Katrina and we ended up using it as money. I didn't spend any money for at least a week after Katrina. There was no where to buy anything open.....MGC

[ROCK]

A2K, I would not be lulled into thinking that all major hurricanes weaken as they approach the NGOM coast. I suggest you look up Betsy and Fredrick. Both continued to intensify to landfall.

The suggested hurricane survival kit is a joke. Katrina proved that you can not prepare for a hurricane like Katrina. Gasoline was by far the item is shortest supply after Katrina. I suggest you buy at least 5 five gallon containers and fill them when you are placed under a hurricane warning. My son brought me gas after Katrina and we ended up using it as money. I didn't spend any money for at least a week after Katrina. There was no where to buy anything open.....MGC

I agree....Alicia was strengthening as she approached landfall......

[Audrey2Katrina]

A2K, I would not be lulled into thinking that all major hurricanes weaken as they approach the NGOM coast. I suggest you look up Betsy and Fredrick. Both continued to intensify to landfall.

I can't speak for Fredrick; but I certainly can for Betsy. She had max winds close to 155 mph while in the Gulf, and as Katrina did, she maxed out crossing the Gulf, but once she approached La's coast, she weakened, crossing over as a 3. I have yet to see of a storm intensifying TO major storm as it crossed into SE Louisiana, not that it isn't a possibility.

That said, were there to be a Betsy out in the Gulf, I'd follow plan B.. vacate... she was a monster LONG before landfall. And given the stipulations I'd already cited, I think that's the only pragmatic approach to take. It's ridiculous to think one needs to evacuate for EVERY single storm in which you find your area in the cone of landfall possibilities, barring it being you're near the center of that cone and the storm is either already a big one, or by keeping up with things like shear, projected movements and conditions favoring or not favoring intensification... lots of things to weigh out before going to plan B. And I agree with you in essence on the "kit" concept... one should always have the essentials necessary for survival; likewise few if anyone could be ready for a storm like Katrina and what she wrought.

A2K

[Dionne]

We're so ready you cannot possibly imagine. It's like an obsessive compulsive disorder. We have MRE's, bottled water, a stabilized fuel reserve, flare gun, chain saw and supplies necessary for first and second aid requirments.

But most important .....we have an early evacuation plan. Which consists of 2 cats, one dog, one duffel, one lock box with documents and cash and plastic.

We did not evacuate until after Katrina. We will not make that mistake again.

[HurryKane]

I didn't use my hurricane kit last year, so with the exception of filling up gas cans it's ready save for replacing what has expired/gone bad.

I've always taken mine with me when I evacuate. It takes up more room in the car than I like but it's easier to get to there than under a broken house. At this point I am not sure what strength storm I'd leave for now--surge cannot get to me, and all the trees that could have fallen on the house are gone via Katrina or tree cutters. Anything that looks like it might blow the roof off though and I'm outta here.

[skysummit]

I had one HELL of a hurricane kit last year, but I was also on the road working the afternoon that Katrina hit, and the following few weeks. I pretty much lived out of my truck for 2 months. I still have a few MREs left and some juice, but I'll be re-stocking my kit in May. We shouldn't (hopefully) see anything prior to May.

[Camille_2_Katrina]

u bet iam ready.to me this is most anticipated hurricane season ever...

why is that?

who? are "they" saying it's gonna be bad yet?

[SouthFloridawx]

i've been ready since last year lol. I still have a bunch of stuff in my kit for 2006 from 2005. I bought a bunch of stuff that cost a little money but, it was worth it seeing as we were out of power for almost 10 days after wilma. The battery powered radio/cd player/tv... although be it black and white i was still able to watch and local tv were showing the bands and where the stronger lines were coming in here. Also in addition candles, batteries, plenty of water 5 gallons + per person, fans, frozen chicken and other meat kept in coolers, lots of energy drinks, wine, generator, baby wipes in case water was not working, extra water in containers for the bathrooms, electronic tea kettle to boil water, games, battery powered dvd player (came in handy for kids), full tank of gas in car and 5. 5 gallon gas tanks, 2 first aid kits, cameras with batteries charged, assorted tools (saws, hammer other life saving equipment). One thing I did not buy which i am going to pick up is a noaa weather radio. Anway all my friends despite my knowledge on hurricanes did not prepare for wilma. I had enough supplies to share with friends and they said they are never oging to take a hurricane warning lightly. I have encouraged them to have a hurricane kit handy ... you only need a big box to put stuff in. Some of the stuff you can't really get until a couple of days before the storm. Anyway I was taking no chances being that it could have been worse than it was. I dont' want to be one of those idiots waiting in line for hours after the storm cause I didn't have gas or water or any of the essentials. After the storm went through we were grilling on the grill and having some fun as we were all safe.

One tip is make sure you have your kit ready by hurricane season cause even if you dont' get one it's still good to have or you will be wandering around everywhere trying to get stuff for the storm that is not there. You can pick stuff up month to month if you don't have much money to spend on supplies as believe me i can understand.

[cajungal]

Well after going through 3 hurricane brushes last year, we still got stuff left over. We have a generator. Still got a few batteries left. We just don't get the water and can goods until we actually go under a warning. We do have plenty of plywood that we keep in our shed. We boarded up here more times than I can count. It would be a lot easier if we could afford storm shutters where all you have to do is press a button. But, after leaving for Katrina last year, I doubt we will ride them out anymore. I think that now everytime we go under a warning, my parents are going to panic and want to leave. And they will drag me by the hair to leave with them whether I want to or not.

[f5]

people choose to ignore the warning so they put there life at risk the folks back in sept of 1900 in Galveston didn't have CNN,weather channel,NHC storm2k ect they didn't know it was coming

[Jagno]

Since I just got back into my house this past week I'm working on getting normal household supplies and feverishly adding to my hurricane preps since all mine were either used or destroyed during Rita. I bought another 35 gallon portable fuel tank which I'm excited about. The one thing I'd love to find is a portable ice-maker and I think I could survive much more comfortably this hurricane season.

[ktulu909]

I'd have to agree with Southerngale on this one. The only use I'd have for a "kit" per se, would be if a TS or minimal 1 came our way, what with the dubious condition of our levee systems. Beyond that, a Hurricane "PLAN" is much more important, and first and foremost in that is to "Get out of Dodge!"

A2K

True, but you can't know what it will be days ahead, when you need to plan to evacuate. You may be watching a tropical storm that is forecast to become a cat. 1 and think, "ok, I can stay for that" but then it strengthens more than anticipated at the last minute and makes landfall as a cat. 2 or cat. 3 or even higher. Meteorologists will tell you that it's hard to forecast intensity beyond about 6-12 hours. I've seen at least one say that on here.

That's true; but I would follow the path of the storm until it was about 36 hours away at minimum. I can't speak for other areas; but if history is any indicator, they rarely "strengthen" once moving to the Northern GOM, with the possible exception of Audrey, which was still quite far to the west from here. There are, usually, enough indicators to tell if a storm is strengthening or simply stable or even weakening before it hits my area.

Oh, yeah, Opal was another that made a sudden intensification, quite literally overnight if memory serves me right; but it also traveled over different contours before making landfall over the Florida panhandle. I guess I'd just have to go with my instincts on whether to stay or leave, because I ain't about to evacuate every time a hurricane is in the Gulf with some probability to strike my area.. I'd have to join a bunch of nomads. As far as me it still comes down to a Plan, moreso than a kit. I have friends who live on a higher ridge where we usually conglomerate in the event of the smaller storms. The "kit" if you want to call it that is lots of bottled water, canned food, and a good handy boat. Like I said earlier, for the bigger ones, or those expected to strengthen--the plan is to vacate the area.

A2K

Techincally,you can say that Cindy did too,but she simply ran out of water.

[ROCK]

If there is one thing I learned, it is to get a room and leave way way in advance.....

[HurryKane]

Dang y'all, you made me pick up another 5 gallon gas can while I was at Target tonight. DANG YOU!

[Audrey2Katrina]

Techincally,you can say that Cindy did too,but she simply ran out of water.

That's and EXCELLENT point... I quite literally went to bed not even knowing that this thing was skulking off the coast, and woke up to find the streets littered with branches all over the place...took a lot of us by surprise. Fortunately she was probably little more than a TS by the time she passed over New Orleans.. but yeah, that one was a real surprise.

A2K

[Audrey2Katrina]

Dang y'all, you made me pick up another 5 gallon gas can while I was at Target tonight. DANG YOU!

Can't ever be "too" prepared

A2K