HURRICANE SAFETY & PREPAREDNESS TIPS from our MEMBERS

I have rec'd a number of Hurricane and preparedness tips from our members.... PLEASE help us build this out ESPECIALLY since many of our members live in hurricane prone areas AND we just moved the club to S. Florida.

So I am a complete neophyte at this so please chime in.... this could help our members including ME!!! Thank you! Kamala

Here are some of the tips I have gotten so far:

1. Freeze a penny in the bottom of a bottle of water. Then turn upside down. As the water melts the penny will drop. When power comes back on it will refreeze. Now where the penny is suspended will show how much of the water melted before refreezing. So if the penny is half way down then half the bottle dethawed before refreezing. My only question is ....how much dethawing is represented by the moving penny? So if the penny moves a quarter of the way down, how much total dethawing does this represent?

2. If you have window drapes ties them up off the floor to keep them from being wicks and save them.

3. if you can place valuable furniture on higher ground or upstairs do so. Then place plastic over the furniture and place other things you want to protect on top of the large pieces of furniture.

4. Place freezers or Fridges up on concrete blocks to keep them from getting wet and being destroyed that way.

5. Take patio furniture off the patio so it does not become a projectile into your home...or just be swept away.

Looks like you pretty much have it covered - but one tip is you can put all the refrigerator food that will spoil when the power goes out in garbage bags.  That way if the power goes out and you are not there to clean it out you can take the bags out and won't have to get rid of your refrigerator.

What you need will also depend on whether you expect storm surge, flooding from rain or high winds.  I've been through multiple hurricanes and each had their own problems.  High winds takes down cell tower and power lines so communication is an issue.  Storm surge takes out roads so you have to evacuate early.  Flooding rain in a large area like Harvey takes out highways, interstates, water and power stations so having plenty of food and water on hand for the days after is critical if you can't get out or decide to stay and then can't get out.

Make sure you have your important documents and anything important in the kit you plan on taking with you.  If you have non-digital pictures that are important to you you can scan them or take a picture with your cell phone and back them up somewhere safe (to the cloud or some offsite storage that won't be affected if you house or city floods).  One of the things I've seen most after the flooding here is pictures that smear beyond recognition - it all depends on the process used for developing and printing.

So make a plan - figure out the elevation of your house and likely evacuation routes, what winds it is rated for then decide when you need to evacuate and where you plan to go.  Keep a large safety margin just like in diving and you'll be OK.

Thanks Butch! That was great!!!

Any other tips...even if small?  EVERY Tip helps!!!

Got some more from other members....

• Coffee is essential. Don't go anywhere without a good French press. Don't forget the old fashioned tea kettle too.
• Pre-grind more coffee beans than you expect.
• Ammo might not be necessary but it is impressive. And they say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...
• Cheap gas cans suck. Buy good ones. Preferably old good ones.
• Generators are expensive. But they're worth it. I want a bigger one.
• A good chain saw is better than two crappy ones. Sharp chains are important. Have a spare.
• A/C is over rated. You can totally live without as long as clothing can be minimal and you don't have to try to look pretty.
• Having a pool is the best thing ever.
• Doing a lot of preparation then realizing you didn't need to Really is the best thing ever.
• Life might be challenging, but we are spoiled and sometimes disruption can be a good reminder for gratitude.
• Having good friends makes everything better.

More....

• Always wear REAL shoes when going outside to work during the storm.
• If you get a new generator, get one that runs on propane or LP, if you already have service with either one. We had 100 gallons of propane so the generator ran straight through...but make sure you have a big storage tank for extended outages
• Can I add...always use gloves when picking up branches and yard debris...SNAKES
• Never underestimate the greatness of a large home depot orange water container to store tap water before the storm.