Some Prelim Preparation Steps from Storm2K

[canewatcher lucy]

I just spent 9 days without electricity due to Charlie. I made coffee each morning on our gas grill. It was a production, but somethings a girl can't do without.

Two things were invaluable to us that may not have been listed here: 1. battery operated personal fans. I bought several and we kept them blowing on us all the time. No exactly cool, but it made it tolerable. They really tore through the batteries. 2. Dry ice.

I will not be using my frozen food as my freezer is basically bare. I'm thinking that Fort Myers will miss Frances but power may be an issue. Freezer is now a repository for frozen water bottles.

Our spa held its heat for a few days so we used it without the blowers (obviously).

Little book lights are great for reading. Bought another one yesterday for my husband. CWL

[bosag]

We have bicycle helmets for everyone to wear if the storm gets closer. might even get a laugh out of it.

I guess if you took cash out, make sure to have it in small bills (something I need to do today),

I was thinking about cooking some pasta and freezing it, so as not to worry about using water after the storm.....Does that sound good?


Barb

[anjou]

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but easiest evac is by air... before flights get booked up. They're way cheap (like barely over $100 one way to a distant point), and by flying you don't risk getting caught in a huge storm on a highway in unfamiliar territory (just look at the NHC 'cone of terror' as I call it to see how wide a swath of land currently represents the possible targets).

http://www.southwest.com and http://www.flysong.com ... (Song is Delta's cheapie branch. And SW has discount fares for seniors - didn't see them listed on the site - gotta call.. it was running at half or less the stated fully refundable fare to wherever when I checked. There are plenty of non-advance-fare seats still available as of this writing on several airlines, I believe. The price only goes up as people book the lower fares and force folks into the higher-dollar seats.)

By 'vacationing' now, you're one less person standing in line at the airport later or sitting on the road or ending up a potential casualty.

[sitcommom]

Somrthing I heard on TWC this morning: back up your computer to discs.

[Sharkhunter622]

A 12 volt cell phone charger that plugs into your vehicles cigarette lighter might be a good idea if theres no power,and the phones still have towers to work from.

[Sharkhunter622]

Another thought......Just because you have a generator,plan as if you dont.I have a well that I can run off the generator,but if the generator fails? Stock up on water

[MSRobi911]

Just had a thought, be a good samaratin....check on your elderly neighbors who don't have family near by to help them. Make sure they are "ready" and have somewhere to go....get them in touch with Red Cross for centers for people with medical needs, etc.

[Doc Seminole]

As the storm approaches ....... if you are in the direct path,

HAVE EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE PUT SHOES ON IN CASE THERE IS BROKEN GLASS.

- tough to get to shoes walking through broken glass

GOD BLESS ALL IN THIS THINGS PATH, AND GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

[Doc Seminole]

JUST HEARD THIS ON THE RADIO.......

If you ran a generator during Charley..... change the oil.

[HeartofNC]

TALK TO EVERYONE YOU SEE ABOUT THE STORM, they might NOT know about Frances . People with small children might not have time to catch the news - might not have internet, might just listen to CD's in the car, you may make a new friend...

[stormcrow]

Msrobi, I appologise for all Cat (catasthrophe ) Adjusters, even us dry landers should know that the reason your fridge is rusting is the salt water carried in the wind. Most cat Adjusters are in Florida already and we are learning something new, what it is like to await the big one. We are asking ourselves a lot of questions and looks like many of us will learn more of what you experience. Any hints on supplies are welcome. Here in Ft Meyers Beach, I am nervous, and at this time I expect a long and windy day on Saturday.

[HurricaneQueen]

Another tip: When you fill your bathtub, first disinfect with Clorox. and rinse well. Place a plastic stopper over the drain and the duct tape the whole thing as tightly as possible before filling the tub. This can be a lifesaver for a quick rinse off after the muggy, buggy aftermath of the storm. It' not as good as a hot shower but at the time will feel better!

We fill an extra trash can (30 gal.) w/ water for flushing, cleaning, etc. Disinfect this first as well. From experience I can tell you that you'll be so happy to have as much water (and ice) as possible and not just for drinking and cooking. Camping showers are great and you can even put them in the sun after the storm for a warm shower.

Also, there is really no way to wash dishes so if you have time, get plenty of plastic or paper plates, bowls, cups and plastic utensils. Aluminum foil containers for cooking over a camp stove is a great idea also and they too are disposable.

I usually cook up and freeze chili and soup, etc. so we have a couple of warm meals before the electricity goes out-then we hit the canned goods. cereal (with long life milk)

I finally bought a generator after Charley but we still can't find gas cans so we'll have to siphon from the cars but at least we might have the computer after the extra power source dies (it takes forever to recharge on the car) and hope to keep a fan and the fridge going.

Having traveled all day, I can hardly keep my eyes open so I'm off to bed. Hope some of these ideas help others. Good luck all!
Lynn

[isobar]

What an awesome thread! Although I don't live in a hurricane area (my family does), so many of these tips can be used for any kind of disaster.

The reason this is so helpful is because it's written by folks to have lived through it.

After Frances is history, maybe we at S2K can make a compilation of this thread and other tips to publish in the next newsletter or keep as a sticky or something. I would be willing to organize it if needed.

All the best to everyone affected by Frances and any other wx event. May this list never have to be used.

[gatorbabe79]

One of the most useful things I discovered during these past 2 days without power is one of those little xenon headlamps that can illuminate hands free where you are walking, working at the counter, etc.

[windsurfertx]

If your like me space in the car is at a premium if we have to evacuate. Its an easy matter to open up the computer case and remove the hard drive. (four screws and two cables). If you are so unfortunate to lose the computer the old hard drive should work in your new computer. I know... I know that if it happens, the computer is the least of your worries, but someday you will want all that info thats on your hard drive.

[GalvestonDuck]

If your like me space in the car is at a premium if we have to evacuate. Its an easy matter to open up the computer case and remove the hard drive. (four screws and two cables). If you are so unfortunate to lose the computer the old hard drive should work in your new computer. I know... I know that if it happens, the computer is the least of your worries, but someday you will want all that info thats on your hard drive.

Good idea.

I'd always planned to take the tower (it's easy to replace the monitor, keyboard, and mouse). But I suppose if things were too tight, I could just take the drive, cushion and seal it up, and go.

Good advice.

[Newly converted]

I had a checklist type of list and have almost finished adding most everything in this thread into it. Still needs a bit of work and I hope to finish it today/tonite. Anyone know where we could post such a thing for all to get to? It's in MS Excel and is a multi-tabbed workbook with separate tabs for different needs.

[catzmeow]

Thanks for all these suggestions. We've been through a number of tropical storms, but never a hurricane. Frances convinced us we need to do a better job of preparing. It was significantly weakened by the time it made landfall where I live (in the panhandle), so we were lucky...this time. THe next time, we might not be so fortunate.

Again, thanks for sharing your experiences, and a newbie question.

When do you board up your windows, if you do? We live 60 miles inland, north of Tallahassee. How important is it to reinforce your garage door or roof if you're pretty far from the coast?

We're newbies at this, and haven't learned to look at these things with the equanimity of our neighbors.

[Coldfront]

Hello everyone! Please pardon if this has been posted before. thought I post this info just in case.


- Extra bottles of drinking water & spare containers

- 12-hour snap "Glow sticks" or a ***NON-Sparking*** flashlight.

Normal flashlights may give off a spark when being turned on or off. A *serious* safety hazard if gas lines have been broken or there is a leak.

- Water purification tablets or non-scented bleach to purify the water and for use in clean-up afterwards.

- Solar powered cell phone charger (if you have a cell phone and if any towers are still standing locally)

- An emergency pack with first aid kit, extra traps, paracord, knife, flshlight, spare set of clothes and copies of important papers. Also extras of any important meds you must take.

- An extra 5-gallon bucket or two to transport water. (Can also be used as an emergency latrine.) [From personal experience, you can also use the bucket to take grey water and pour it into the toilet to flush it.]

- Portable solar shower (black bag that hold water and heats up. Has a hose at one end. VERY useful!)

- Extra soap and NON-water hand sanitizer (saves on water usage)

- Extra matches

- Food that is ready-to-eat without extra preparation and is protected from the elements. (MRE's, canned items, vacume-packed meals, peanut butter, etc...)

- A handcrank or solar powered radio and flashlight


Thinking creatively in a post-disaster environment:

A few tips taken from "Roughing it Easy" by Dian Thomas:

- You can cook on a wheelbarrow or wagon if you fill it with dirt, then put coals on top the dirt. Use a metal rack as the grill [color=red]IMPORTANT: Do not use refrigerator grills, as the metal coating is poisonous[/color].

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0962125733/ref=sib_db_rdr/102-3474537-0440964#reader-page


- If you don't have matches or a flashlight, another way to start a fire is to put two flashlight batteries together + to - and then run a piece of 00 steel wool from the + to the -. Hold the steel wool against the - (bottom) and rub it against the + post. It should spark.


There are many more VERY good tips in Dian's book. If you don't have it for your personal library, I'd highly recommend getting a copy:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... s&n=507846

I have no affiliation with Ms. Thomas, I am just recommending a very good book filled with practical camping and emergency preparedness information that some might find useful.

[Guest]

One more thing, just a comfort measure really. The day before the storm, turn the air conditioner as cold as she'll go. Then when your power goes out, you'll have a little while longer of not sweating.
...Jennifer...