Hurricane preparedness

[Discus-n00b]

Hope everyone and their fish in my path (Hurricane Matthew) stay safe. I'm not trying to cause to much damage and I hope there are no casualties though there is something morbidly cool about having a major storm with your name. Looks like it might hit SC almost direct around the weekend after brushing FL, GA and then up into NC, though it's predicted to weaken around then. Get your generators ready just in case! Hope Ryan and all of you on the FL coast weather it, as well as you folks in the SC low country. I might have to make a trip to Charleston to get my brother's dog if it's serious as he'll be holding down the aquarium down there. I'll take my camera ;) Would love not to make the trip though.

[John_Nicholson]

Matt make sure you stay safe.

-john

[Second Hand Pat]

Matt, hopefully you are not impacted.

This thing is edging closer to the Fla coast which is scary. My parents are on the coast and I will try and talk them into coming inland plus looks like I may get topical force winds etc....yikes. :(
Pat

[brewmaster15]

I'm definitely not rooting for it to hit you guys down south, verses skirting the coast and hits us in New England, However I will be glad if it goes anywhere else but up here. We've had a real bad drought this summer, Trees are really stressed and the soil is shot.If it hits here, its going to be a massive nightmare.:( would love for it to spin out to sea entirely!


I consider myself a practical prepper, might as well mention this...
Be safe and do yourselves all a favor.. be prepared. I don't mean getting some "Bread and Milk" . Stock up on water. Those 44-50 gallon grey brute drums they sell at Homedepot make great emergency water storage for short term. .. I'ves used them alot over the years. make sure you have a gallon of fresh, unopened and unscented bleach as well as a disinfectant.
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/emergency-disinfection-drinking-water

You really need about 1 gal of water per person per day. https://emergency.cdc.gov/preparedness/kit/water/
Last major hurricane that hit us hard we were out of power for 1 week... 7 daysX 4 people== 28 gals. and thats not counting pets
Buying a gal of drinking water at the grocery store before a storm is not likely to help much...it may make you feel safe and prepared, but thats a false feeling. Big storms you should always assume you could be out of power several days, the experts recommend 3 days..I plan on a week or longer given what we have seen the past few years with storms.


Foods , you really should have that covered... but its not a bad idea to think about what you would eat and how you would prepare it.
Fill up your gas grills propane tanks as well.... easy cooking if needed.

Do you have a "grab and go bag"? aka "bug out bag"? Search it on the net, theres a bazillion Ideas for what to include, some may be a bit wacko for your needs, but don't be surprised if some jar your brains into a "wow, why didn't I think of that " moment. I have one for each of us here and one for our pets.

Good to plan ahead for a problem and not need it...better than kicking yourself in the backside for not planning and then needing it!

al

[Second Hand Pat]

You are correct Al. Tom and I were hit with three hurricanes in a six week period in 2004 and lost power a total of three and a half weeks over that period. Prepping us is fairly easy but water for the horses became a problem. We are on a well so if the power goes so does the well...ie, no water.

We are in a rural settlement and are not the first to get power. However half the neighborhood did have power and I have several half burrows I used to fetch water for the horses. Helps to have a truck and know how to start a siphon in these circumstances. :)
Pat

[jmf3460]

good advice al, I'm hoping it misses NC for sure.

[gunnerschh2]

If anyone loses power & has a disel engine you can buy a inverter & run it 7/24 with no problem. A gas engine will also work. Did it during Sandy for days. HARRY

[Altum Nut]

Fingers crossed that Hurricane Matthew gets down graded or better yet makes an unexpected turn away for you all.
Great right up and advise Al and stay safe everyone.

...Ralph

[bluelagoon]

Looks like a lot of rain for the eastern seaboard.By the time it gets to us here in Nova Scotia it will be down graded to a category 1.We do need the rain on the southern part of the province.The wind could cause some damage here because it was a drought all summer and the trees are so dried out they could snap easily.This year for us it's the driest season on record.A lot of records set lately and more to come, unfortunately.

[DiscusRob]

I've got the spare 55 filled up in the extra bedroom, just the wife and I, plus going to fill all our gallon jugs up as well, will probably flip the 30 gallon on the front porch over and let it fill with rain water. 6+ inches being forecast

See MTS does come in handy:grin::grin::grin::grin:

[DiscusRob]

Matt, hopefully you are not impacted.

This thing is edging closer to the Fla coast which is scary. My parents are on the coast and I will try and talk them into coming inland plus looks like I may get topical force winds etc....yikes. :(
Pat

too close

[Discus-n00b]

Not sure why you might be, but if you are traveling through South Carolina anywhere below Columbia be aware interstate I-26 will have ALL lanes reversed and heading west bound from Charleston all the way to Columbia by 3pm tomorrow. Most public schools in the state have had classes canceled and national guard has been deployed. Brace for impact.

[Altum Nut]

Matt...park your car in a high elevated impact resistant shelter.
Anyone heard from Barb...as I think she's in the path.

...Ralph

[Disgirl]

Yes, we sure are in the path unfortunately. We are 30 miles inland from the coast, no storm surge here or ocean water in the house and yard. But we can have awful wind and rain. It will be the first hurricane for our new house. I am scared already. But prepared of course.
Barb

[yogi]

Well I'm in South Florida between Miami and Ft Lauderdale. I'm also less than a mike from the beach and a few hundred feet from the Intracoastal waterway. My house is six feet above sea level and there is no high ground anywhere in South Florida. It's not looking to good down here and people are outright scared. The gas stations have lines and so does the atm machines, Home Depot, the wholesale clubs and supermarkets. We have been told to prepare ourselves with three days of food and water.

I've put up the harder to put up storm shutters tonight. It's easier at night when it's only 86 and humid compared to during the day when it's 90 and humid with strong sun. Tomorrow the easier shutters will be put up and depending on the track of the storm I'll either stay in my house or evacuate, which down here is only a few miles inland.

I have 15 battery air pumps ready to hook up to sponge filters. I had to go to 4 stores to get enough batteries there just isn't many on the shelf. In 2 stores it was zero on the shelf. Even though the news keeps saying there is a shortage of water at the stores and scaring people more. They are wrong and there are pallets of water available everywhere. From what I saw some people are spending a lot of money stocking up on supplies. It looked like some people had enough stuff for a month.

So all I can say is good luck to anyone in it's path and stay safe.

[Altum Nut]

Thanks for checking in Jerry and stay safe my friend.

...Ralph

[Second Hand Pat]

Do what you need to do Jerry...hugs
Pat

[DiscusRob]

Batten down the hatches, the entire east coast of Florida is now under a Hurricane Warning/Watch. Fixing to be an interesting 3 - 4 days. Say prayers for those in the path.

[bluelagoon]

I've been threw a category 2 right at the eye...Juan...WOW!Sounded like a freight train going by.We last 4000 trees here in our small city and a LOT of damage.I heard that expected wave surges will be 6 feet.I couldn't imagine what a category 4 would be like.I would leave if I could.

[DiscusRob]

They are forecasting 18+ foot waves at Jacksonville Beach. I'm about 12 miles inland straight as the crow flies, watching it closely, very closely.
That's waves, not the storm surge, that's going to depend on the tides. They have already ordered evacuations of the beaches.

[Akili]

Prayers and thoughts are with all of you that are in the path of Hurricane Matthew !! Be Safe !!!

[DiscusRob]

Prayers and thoughts are with all of you that are in the path of Hurricane Matthew !! Be Safe !!!

Thank You.

[Disgirl]

Unfortunately it will be here tomorrow. We are 75 mi. north of Wilmington, and 35 mi.inland. No storm surge, but high wind and tons of rain coming. I hate hurricanes.
Barb:(

[Altum Nut]

Barb...hoping that 35 miles inland is far enough. Hang in their and stay safe and try to check in with us that your fine.

...Ralph

[Second Hand Pat]

Unfortunately it will be here tomorrow. We are 75 mi. north of Wilmington, and 35 mi.inland. No storm surge, but high wind and tons of rain coming. I hate hurricanes.
Barb:(

Thinking of you Barb. Hope things go well for you tomorrow. I spend all last night and today beating on it and got it somewhat tamed down.
Pat