Author Topic: Hurricane Preparation Guide  (Read 11550 times)

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Offline Anole

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Hurricane Preparation Guide
« on: August 10, 2006, 09:15:47 PM »
I just posted part one of a three part guide I've been writing on getting ready for hurricane season. This first part covers the actions to take before the season starts. Part two will cover what to do when a storm approaches, and part three will cover the aftermath. Take a look and let me know what you think. As always I'm open to comments and if you can think of anything that's been left out let me know.

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and go to the Wx Blog in the menu.

Offline ncpilot

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« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2006, 09:55:58 AM »
We may have messaged about it before, but forgot you went through Floyd... I decided to evacuate from Wilmington to the Chapel Hill area--what a cluster F*** on I-40... 6+ hour drive from Wilm to Hillsborough. Then I couldn't get back because all the incoming roads to Wilm were flooded... and all the while I was listening on the radio about how it was weakening...

Anyway...

Re: home property inventories, the IRS has some forms that can be used as a starting point--from schedule:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p584.pdf

It's nice because it lists items I wouldn't have thought about documenting.

This is in addition to photos or videos of course...

Re: pets... fortunately, after Katrina, officials are realizing that people are very unwilling to evacuate if they can't take their pets, so there is a very large movement to make accommodations in shelters for pet owners... very much a local issue. So as you say, find out about it ahead of time.

Re: water--I've thought about adding a water filtering device to my "hurricane kit"--one of those devices primarily designed for camping. Cost about $60 or so... that solves the potable water need with no preparation, no water storage, light weight, portable, etc... although of course, your suggestions serve other purposes also... like freezing containers.

Re: food... c'mon, you know very well that the first section of the grocery store to disappear pre-hurricane is the alcohol section... can't have too much beer post-hurricane!!!!!  :lol:  :lol:

Re: tools, after Katrina, it might not be a bad idea to have some type of axe handy...? Of course , that's kinda specific to massive flooding when you're below sea level, but still...

Gotta run to a meeting...  still ruminating on other additions...

But great idea, and excellent start...

Marc
(we'll get to the ammo/knife/firearm needs later...  :shock: )
Marc
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Offline Anole

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« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2006, 10:53:12 AM »
A couple of good suggestion there, in particular the water filter and axe.

On Floyd, the amount of rain and flooding was incredible. I was living in Pilot, NC at the time about 5 or 6 miles from the Tar River. There's a section of old US 64 that drops down to a bridge crossing the river just west of Spring Hope. On either side of the bridge are telephone poles to carry the lines across the river. When you looked out across that section of road after Floyd, all you could see was about a foot of one of the telphone poles sticking out of the water. That means the water was a good twenty feet over the bridge! Floyd is the perfect example of why you can't just look at the "strength" of a storm when trying to decide how dangerous it might be.

One of the biggest problems in the weeks after Floyd was washed out roads. You had to be very careful driving around, particularly in Nash county because all of the sudden the road would just go away! Most of those cases where culverts crossing under the road that normally were empty or just carried a trickle of water and couldn't handle the deluge.

Offline ncpilot

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« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2006, 01:46:27 PM »
Also, if weight is an issue, there are more food products becoming available in foil type packaging, like tuna/salmon e.g....

I think Wilmington got about 22-23" of rain from Floyd.

The main issue I now have with evacuation is you're not necessarily guaranteed more safety inland--at least in NC (all things being equal, assuming you've got a home structure built to recent code). Just look at Hugo and Fran, both bore straight inland, to Charlotte and Triangle area respectively. I have friends in Durham that were without power for about a week after Fran (although admittedly, they certainly had less damage than say Topsail Beach). Lots of damage from falling trees though, and then there's the tornado risk...

I'm pretty inclined to stick it out now... but I also have an extremely low risk of flooding...

Here's to hoping all the storms stay at sea!
Marc
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Offline Anole

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« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2006, 01:59:33 PM »
Fran was yet another example of how the indicated "strength" of a storm can be misleading. The big thing with Fran was that we had had about 2 weeks of steady rain and the ground was already pretty saturated. Tree came down right and left. Many areas were impassable for days because there were so many trees down. The highest winds we saw were "only" about 80mph, but with the ground as wet as it was before Fran came through, that was plenty to wreak havoc. It took 9 days for us to get power back because of trees down on the lines. One of them was the 85' tall pecan tree in our yard that came down missing the house by about 7 feet when it fell into the road.

Offline ncpilot

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« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2006, 04:44:36 PM »
Forgot about all that "pre" rain--I was actually living out of state at that time...
Marc
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Offline ncpilot

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« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2006, 06:24:14 PM »
I was joking with a friend at work that this is my endless supply of food and water in a hurricane aftermath:



 :wink: a joke y'all.........
Marc
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Offline mhweather

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Hurricane Preparation Guide
« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2006, 08:31:35 PM »
Hey ncpilot, where is the high ground in Wilmington ???  Week away from that Myrtle Beach trip and the new I-140 experience. Always think about a storm coming in while I'm down that way,  Sounds like I-40 can be a mess.  Thats an interesting road, any explanation for the exits ramps having the exit number painted on them ????
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Offline ncpilot

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« Reply #8 on: August 12, 2006, 09:39:02 AM »
In the event of a hurricane, all lanes of I-40 will be one-way west bound between Wilmington and I-95.

Can't imagine what the traffic jam will be like at that intersection...

Unless you were to evacuate (from Myrtle Beach) a full day or more ahead of an impending hit--I'd suggest going straight west, or towards Asheville...

There isn't much high ground in Wilmington... :roll: From the elevation maps I've looked at, mostly the center portion of the county is the highest ground, but we're talking in the 30-40' range only...

I think the advice you'd most often get for vacationers is to just completely leave the area rather than trying to "evacuate" to someplace close by. No telling what the infrastructure will be like after a storm, or whether you'd even be able to get out of town.

Don't know about the painted exit numbers--haven't heard or seen pictures of it...

Make sure you watch your speed through the initial stretch of 17 after you merge from 421, lots of traffic lights, and patrolled heavily...

Have fun down there...
Marc
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Offline mhweather

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« Reply #9 on: August 12, 2006, 10:15:58 AM »
I like that Highway 17 after you leave Wilmington. AAA always wants to send you via I-95 to US-501 in SC just past South of the Border.  I-95 is such a dreadful, boring, dreary road to travel, and reading those 76....75....74...miles to Pedro's at South of the Border, too much!!!  I like I-40, not heavily travelled it seems (least on our Sunday afternoon down, then 5am back home) timeframe.
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Offline ocala

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« Reply #10 on: August 12, 2006, 08:25:36 PM »
One thing you need to add about generators is to buy extra spark plugs and air filters. Consider that a generator will be running 24 hours a day for  who knows how many days.  You need to have it running at peak performance at all times. An extra gas filter wouldn't be a bad idea also.
Also while a generator may say it puts out a specific amount of wattage, its actual continuous wattage will be less.  Continuous watts is what the generator puts out after a certain amount of time. Mine is rated at 7800 watts, however the continuous wattage is only 7200 watts. Electrical items can be severley damaged by running on low voltage.
I would also try to educate people to buy the right generator for their needs. You don't need a huge generator if you are only going to power a few items because you will waste a lot of gas. Also hooking too much up to a generator can damage those items. See above. Have people get a list of things that they wish to power and have them go over that list with an electrician so they can determine just what they need. Generators also have a surge capacity. This means that for about 1-2 seconds they can almost double their output to take care of things like compressors starting on AC units and refrigerators. Keep this in mind when considering what you are going to power.
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Offline Mark / Ohio

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« Reply #11 on: August 12, 2006, 10:31:51 PM »
Here's some tips that were posted in the Humor section on another forum I visit..
I'm sure NCPilot already has these covered though.:wink:

MANDATORY EVACUATION
1 1/2 oz. Absolute Ruby Red vodka, 1/2 oz. Vermouth, Clamato, Prune juice
Combine vodka and vermouth in cocktail glass. Fill remainder of glass with equal parts Clamato and prune juice. Stir. Drink. Ask next-door neighbor whose ficus tree blew over and crashed onto your roof - even though you'd warned him for months to uproot it - if you can use his bathroom. Repeat.

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CATEGORY 5

1/2 oz. Vodka, 1/2 oz. Tequila, 1/2 oz. Rum, 1/2 oz. Bourbon, 1/2 oz. Gin, Sweet-and-Sour mix, splash of fruit juice (your choice)
Combine vodka, tequila, rum, bourbon and gin in a tall glass. Fill remainder of glass with sweet-and-sour mix and splash of juice. Stir, then garnish with an inverted drink umbrella. Drink during peak storm hours, and vow not to believe anyone who tries to tell you the hurricane that flooded your garage and destroyed your shed was just a Category 1.

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CONE OF PROBABILITY

1 oz. Cinnamon Schnapps, 1 sugar cone
Pour the schnapps into the sugar cone. Every time you hear a TV weatherman say, "cone of probability," bite off the end of the cone and down the shot. If you hear Jim Cantore say it, drink two shots consecutively.

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FEEDER BAND

2 oz. Midori, 2 oz. Rum, 1 scoop Vanilla ice cream
After your home loses power, combine Midori and rum in a cocktail glass. Add
a scoop of the vanilla ice cream that is melting in your freezer. Stir, and drink through a straw.

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BEACH EROSION

1 1/2 oz. Goldschläger, 1 1/2 oz. Apple Brandy, 1 pack Sugar in the Raw Combine Goldschläger, apple brandy and sugar in cocktail glass. As you drink, seriously contemplate moving north.

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DOWNED POWER LINE

1 1/2 oz. Rum, 5 oz. Jolt Cola
Combine ingredients in a cocktail glass. Drink while trying to figure out how the heck you're supposed to go two freakin' weeks without television and AC.

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FLOOD ZONE

2 oz. Kahlúa, 2 oz. Baileys Irish cream, 4 oz. rum
Serve in a 6-ounce glass and laugh-cry deliriously as the mess spills all over the countertop.

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COLD SHOWER

2 oz. Blue Aftershock, 4 oz. Sprite
Combine in a cocktail glass with crushed ice you received after waiting in line for three hours at a mall parking lot. Take a deep breath, sip and scream like a little girl when the cold beverage hits your tongue. Repeat.

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LOOTERS WILL BE SHOT

1 oz. Jack Daniel's, splash of Sarsaparilla, Rock salt, 12 gauge & shells
Load 12 gauge shells with rock salt. Climb to the roof of your house with gun, bottle of Jack Daniel's and can of sarsaparilla. Fill shot glass with Jack and splash of sarsaparilla. Watch for looters. When you spot one, blast his ass with rock salt. Drink shot. Repeat.

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THE CHAIN SAW

1 oz. Goldschläger, 1 oz. Rumplemintz, 3 oz. Jim Beam, Splash of Vermouth Combine Goldschläger, Rumplemintz and Jim Beam in an empty soup can. Add splash of vermouth. Drink. Remove chain saw from garage and attempt to cut up fallen tree limbs in yard. Ask neighbor to drive you to hospital when it all goes horribly wrong.

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FOUR-WAY STOP

1 1/2 oz. vodka, 1 1/2 oz. vodka w/a splash of Midori, 1 1/2 oz. vodka w/a splash of Galliano, 1 1/2 oz. vodka w/a splash of Grenadine
Pour each into a separate shot glass. Serve one to yourself and three other people. The person with the clear shot of vodka drinks first. The person to his right drinks the Midori shot, and so on. If somebody drinks out of order, develop a quick case of road rage and beat the living crap out of him.

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BLUE TARP

1 1/2 oz. Curacao, 2 oz. Pineapple Juice, Splash of lime
Combine ingredients in a leaky paper cup and serve. Wait six to eight months for someone to repair the cup. If you're impatient, hire an unlicensed, out-of-state contractor to do the job for an exorbitant sum and pray he doesn't hurt himself in the process.

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FEMA FIZZLE

1 oz. Southern Comfort, 2 oz. Sloe Gin, Tonic water
One week after the storm has passed and your neighborhood is still in ruins with no sign of help on the way, combine Southern Comfort and gin in a cocktail glass. Fill remainder with tonic and add a dash of Angostura bitters. Serve with a nut brownie. Before drinking, raise the glass and say the toast, "Doing a helluva job Brownie"
Mark 
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Offline ncpilot

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« Reply #12 on: August 14, 2006, 10:50:29 AM »
Sure, someone from up north can afford to make fun.........

 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

It IS funny!! I'm going to print that out and post it at work...
Marc
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Offline Mark / Ohio

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« Reply #13 on: August 14, 2006, 07:56:25 PM »
The guy that posted that in the other forum lives in Louisiana just North a piece from New Orleans.  I bet he tried a few of them out last year.   :lol:
Mark 
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Offline ncpilot

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« Reply #14 on: August 14, 2006, 11:23:13 PM »
I lived in N'awlins for 2 years--don't remember any threats from tropical weather. We did however have an unusual cold snap back then. I was visiting family during semester break (up in Ohio!), and found out it snowed in New Orleans while I was gone.

Have a classmate living in Slidell still. He evacuated his family...went back when able to find his house had a water mark about 3 feet high--inside...
Marc
Wilmington, NC
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