A while back, I posted some lessons that I learned from Hurricane Harvey. I've been able to make good on a lot of the improvements, but still have to finish some things (after 300k mi, my tranny kicked the bucket on my Suburban). :cray:
For those of you on the East/Gulf Coasts (even for those of you who aren't), what have you learned from the last couple of hurricane seasons as far as preparedness? Experiences? Scenarios? If you could go back, what (if anything) would you have done differently?
Nobody is coming to save you. (Depending on where you are)
I was a first responder during Sandy. We had people underestimate the storm and threw a "hurricane party" in their homes along the coast. They were lucky that we got them.
Ajacent towns had houses and buildings burn to the ground because we couldnt get fire trucks through flooded neighborhoods to get to them.
Best advice...look at the flood zone maps and buy a house outside of them. I was fine being 2 miles from the shoreline but barely.
This is going to sound like a joke, but I eat out 100% of my meals. I don’t even know if my oven works.
So I was pretty shocked when restaurants weren’t open. I ended up waiting in packed lines for Waffle House for several days while power was restored. Apparently a propane grill and 15 chicken wings were not enough to get me through Irma.
I didn’t even lose power, but I was starving.
Being in SE Pa hurricanes haven't really effected us. Sandy was windy with moderate to heavy rain but that was it. The man made creek behind my house didn't even overflow and it's not that deep. It's not even a creek but a drainage ditch made to look like a creek to divert water away from the houses. None of the hurricanes on the NE coast have had a big effect on us. Some power loss, some roads flood but it's all more of an inconvenience
I've lived in NJ-FL-TX->GA and the drill is the same since FL. Prepare at the beginning of the season buying everything and putting in a tote in the garage and ensuring insurance is up to date BEFORE season starts. At the end of the season bring remaining water into house and use for normal life with a bit going into winter mix windshield washer fluid. Use up batteries and other like supplies (charcoal/propane) during the offseason, remove batteries from camping lanterns and other like items so they don't corrode.
My preparations come from 20-30 hurricanes in FL and 1 in Houston (130MPH winds 1 hour north.....not fun with 100 year old trees down everywhere). Revised prep over that decade in a half. When neighbors have a pool add shock so everyone can swim after the event, which I still keep doing in the hopes of a neighbor getting a pool.
Anything over a category 1 we leave, no questions asked, not up for debate, thinking discussion, we leave period. Dying in a storm instead of leaving is the best way for everyone in the afterlife to label you the joke of the universe, nothing is worth staying for.. If it doesn't happen, come back and resume life. Inconvenient false alarms are just that. If you stop listening to the alarms you will eventually be dead.
Can't say I learned anything. I always took storm prep seriously when I lived in NE for blizzards, and took is seriously when I moved to FL for hurricanes. I could probably exist at least a month in my house or longer if needed. I have zero interest in realizing I don't have enough X on hand, and be out with the other poorly prepared people after a major storm. Those standing on long lines days before a big storm for basic stuff are idiots. Make a list, and follow the list till you have what you need, and add what ever you think you may need/enjoy if you lose power, and things are down for some time. Have a BOB in case for some reason you're forced from your house. Rotate food stores once a year or so, as well as batteries and such.
It's really not complicated.
I grew up in North Florida and this is more or less what my parents have been doing for as long as I can remember, and by extension myself, even after living in TX, CO, WY, etc.. For a while I was surprised when I'd meet folks in disaster prone areas who didn't keep a "hurricane closet," or take other basic steps to be prepared for something that could so obviously affect them (whether it's a hurricane, blizzard, etc.). As I've grown older and learned more about human nature it doesn't surprise me nearly as much.Quote:
Originally Posted by ndmiller
We had a Derecho roll through this part of VA in 2012, about a year after I moved here. There were trees down all over, roads blocked, and widespread power outages. Most of the area was back up within a few days, but my wife and I were without power for just over a week. Fun times..
Just about every point you mentioned in the first part are what first got my attention when I lived in Hawaii, and that is one of the main reasons I left.Quote:
Originally Posted by WillBrink
I realize it's not complicated, but sometimes you don't know what you don't know until you realize you don't know it. It amazes me how many people don't think about this stuff at all, and that's why I started the thread.
First time I decided maybe I should have more then a flashlight, a firearm, and a few cans of tuna, was before Y2K. Luckily Y2K turned out to be nothing major but I was glad i had the stuff if it had been a big deal. I found a list, and followed that. I then supplemented the list with some stuff I thought might be worth having, and went from there. Yes, it's amazing how many people don't think abut that, per my previous comments above.Quote:
Originally Posted by echo5whiskey