samsmart
DP Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2009
- Messages
- 10,315
- Reaction score
- 6,470
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Other
I'm a Florida cracker so I know a teeny bit about making it through a hurricane. The only problem is that it can be very situational. It depends on what kind of building you live in (trailer vs. house) and the local environment (beach vs. further inland).
If you yourself aren't sure then the best thing to do is to listen to your local authorities when things develop. County government officials and county sheriff offices coordinate these kinds of things very closely. In Florida, county sheriffs aren't just law enforcement - they also act in a "public safety" capacity during hurricanes. So many announcements will come from the sheriff office.
I can tell you right now that if you live in a flimsy structure such as a trailer you better make plans to board it up, lock it up, and go to a hotel. I haven't seen an update, but what I saw said that it may get here as a Cat 1 but once it hits land it may be a Cat 2. Trailers are not designed to withstand hurricanes, so if you live in one you should definitely leave.
For buildings, ever since Hurricane Andrew in '92 Florida law has demanded certain basic standards to help them survive hurricanes. But I don't know what Georgia's building standards are. But, naturally, there are some modifiers that may affect this. For instance having lots of glass doors is a pretty bad idea.
Also, if you're going to whether the hurricane, the proper thing to do is to keep your windows closed. The reason why is because when the windows are closed it allows the house to build up internal pressure. This pressurizes the house and makes it more resistant against the high winds, and thus increases your survivability and the integrity of the building.
If your building loses it's integrity what can happen is that the high winds can cause updrafts within the building itself. This can cause the winds from inside to rip the roof off from the inside rather than the outside. So, yeah, kinda important that you do things to make sure that doesn't happen.
Regardless of whether you stay it out or if you leave, there are a few basic preparations you should make. Namely;
make sure that you have plenty of any medications or prescriptions that you and your dependents rely on.
Florida has a large population of elderly people and during the '04 hurricane season when Charley, Frances, and Ivan hit the state back-to-back many people were unprepared. The most important way in which they were underprepared was that people did not have enough of their medications to last until power went back up and roads were cleared. So please make sure that you have enough extra medication to last between 2 weeks to a month.
This includes any medication for pets too. Speaking of pets, if you don't wait it out at your home make sure you make proper arrangements for any pets you have. If you go to a hotel ask them what their policy on pets are. If you can't find one that allows pets then look for a proper animal shelter to keep them. If you need to put them in a shelter you better look for some to keep in mind now as they may fill up fast. You want to keep several in mind just in case your primary choice because unavailable you will have a back-up. And no, it's not a good idea to keep your pets there while you run off. Stay with your pets or put them in a proper shelter where they can be well taken care of.
If you whether it out, make sure you are well stocked and well prepared.
Buy canned food, and enough to last you and your dependents for 2 weeks. Also, if you have a charcoal grill I suggest getting the things you need to grill food so you can use that to cook the stuff you have in your refrigerator and then go to your canned goods once that stuff runs out. Another thing to do is hard boil your eggs so that they're already cooked, they'll keep longer and you have a breakfast food.
You're also going to want to buy several cases of bottled water, again to last you and your dependents for 2 weeks. At minimum, I would say make sure you have at least 2 cases of bottled water per person in your household. Don't skimp on the water. It can get hot in Florida and if power goes out sweat and shade will likely be your primary way of keeping cool. It's important to stay hydrated.
Also, before the hurricane hits, you're going to want to fill every bath tub in your house with water. This water isn't to drink - you use bottled water for that. Instead, use the tub water for hygiene. You can use it for personal hygiene and for cleaning any utensils you may use and any other similar uses.
You may also want to stock up on ice. You can use ice to keep any fresh food cold longer. You can also use it for hygiene purposes, such as for washing.
You will also want to make sure you have plenty of flashlights and batteries for them. I'd like to suggest getting LED flashlights and rechargeable batteries. That way you can use them over and over.
Another thing you'll want to get your hands on is a battery-powered radio. Ever since the move to high-def TVs I don't think they broadcast any TV signals that can be picked up by portable battery-powered TVs by antennae. But in some regions the local news channels are affiliated with the local radio stations. So what will happen is that the local news station will simulcast news reports on several radio stations. So it's very important that you find a good working radio so you can keep up with current information. By "current information" I mean status updates on the hurricane, government curfews, and law enforcement patrols.
And no - an mp3 player is not a valid substitute for a radio. You want a real radio that gets radio signals. The reason for this is to get regular updates on information.
Also fuel up any cars you have and any gas containers. You may need it, especially since gas station pumps are operated by electricity and they may lose access to power so even if gas stations have gasoline they won't be able to pump it out if the electricity is down. Keep that stuff in a garage or a shed, though - not in your house.
Also, if you have a generator, be sure you know how to operate it properly. DON'T operate it or any other kind of gas-powered equipment inside your house, as you can fill your house with carbon dioxide and die of carbon dioxide poisoning. Rather, keep it and operate it outside where it has lots of ventilation. Make sure it has plenty of fuel and motor oil before each and every time you crank it up. Also, make sure you store your fuel away from the generator so the heat doesn't ignite the fuel and start a fire.
But please be on the safe side. If you don't know anything about electricity don't try to do anything fancy with it. Just plug the things that you need into it as you need it. And be careful for power cords on the wet ground. Those two things are not good together.
If the hurricane is coming, be sure to clear your yard of any loose and unsecured items. This includes, but is not limited to, lawn/patio furniture, lawn decorations, trash cans, and anything else that can be blown away by +75 mph sustained winds. Debris flying around at those speeds through the air is incredibly dangerous.
One of the most underrated banes during and in the aftermath of a hurricane is boredom. This is especially true if you have children. Make sure you have some form of entertainment to keep yourself and your household occupied. The thing to remember, though, is that such forms of entertainment must not rely on electricity. This means getting magazines and paperback books. Playing cards are excellent as well since there's so many different kinds of games you can play using them. Board games are nice to get away from the monotony.
I also suggest getting your hands on a 5-gallon bucket. The uses of a 5-gallon bucket are nigh-infinite. It can be used as a chair, to carry a large number of items all at once, or even, if you're desperate and line it with a plastic bag, as a toilet.
Also, if you stay and something happens while you're inside the house, such as the roof flying off or the windows breaking, the best thing to do is to get yourself and the rest of your household inside a bathtub and use that for protection. And hold on for dear life.
And, like MrVicchio said, if there's a mandatory evacuation then don't **** around - board up and get the **** out of there. In Florida law enforcement and other emergency responders are not mandated to help those people who stay in mandatory evacuation areas during a hurricane. Any help is done solely at the discretion of those personnel. And if you're in Georgia I don't know if the personnel up there is as prepared for that as Florida personnel is, so Georgia responders may not be in a position to help you out. So if you get that mandatory evacuation order then please be responsible enough to follow it.
If you have any dependents that are elderly then I suggest even more to leave, as a hurricane can be very traumatic for them.
I think that covers the basics of what you need to know. However, if you think or feel that you won't be able to handle it I suggest boarding up your house and leaving. It can get tough during and in the aftermath of a hurricane and if you don't know how to properly prepare for yourself and your household or if you and your household don't know how to properly compose yourselves during and in the aftermath of a hurricane then the best thing to do would be to board up your house and leave. This way you will ensure your own safety and the safety of your dependents and you will be one less household that emergency management officials will have to worry about.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them. The following is a link to a Florida news channel website that offers good information on hurricane preparedness. Feel free to consult it so you can make whatever specific preparations you need to, such as if you have a pool.
HurricanePlus | West Palm Beach News, South Florida Breaking News, Video from WPTV NewsChannel 5
