90% of my arguments here are on the matter of people buying plywood 2 days before a TC makes landfall (Home Depot thread is the latest).
Please don't buy plywood and nail or screw into walls if you don't know the proper way to do so.
"Most resort to using plywood attached to the structure using various types of methods. The least effective method, used by many people with minimal time to prepare, is to let the plywood overlap the window opening and attach it to the structure using concrete nails. This technique can cause more harm than good since in even moderately high winds, most of these poorly-attached boards will be ripped off and become dangerous flying missiles!"
full story and tips here:
http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/shutters/index2.html
According to FEMA, homeowner constructed plywood window covers (done correctly) take ~3 hours per window. If you have 10 windows to say nothing of doors or garage, rather difficult to do the job safely in a day.
If you are hellbent on the ability to board up (read: what the hell was going on in April???), please take off the entire week to learn the correct way, purchase material and do the job. You have 5 days before the maelstrom begins.
[author personal note: while working at a radio station in Portland, ME during Gloria '85, I observed at Cape Elizabeth a sheet of plywood wedged in the rear window of a pick-up truck. It came off a home two houses down from where it landed in the truck. I'm glad no one was in between the house and the truck; they'd have been sliced in two. I do not believe Gloria's gusts exceeded 80MPH at that location...but the result was obvious. Doesn't take a Cat-4 to blow shoddy work off the side of a building[/ personal note].
Please use this time to review your plans if there's a chance this or another TC can clobber you. You dis-serve your family/home/business if you are one of the Lame-o's on the TV News joking around at Lowe's. If you don't have proper window and door protection now, you probably won't.
This post will get buried so take a look at Mike's sticky on preparedness. Special note to inlanders: the WREL site has an excellent inland resource page: http://www.wrel.com/stormcenter.htm ; that has loads of information and suggestions.
Don't waste time doing things that probably don't help. Use prep time wisely.
end of rant.
Scott
