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View Full Version : How does one prepare for a hurricane? and how..



tri again
08-25-2011, 04:54 AM
do millions of people evacuate on a couple of 2 lane highways?

and where do we go?
go west a couple hundred miles and plan on camping in cars

or drive till you get down to 1/2 tank so you can get home
if the stations are powered out or out of fuel?

lock down the house and find the cheapest flight to anywhere for a few days?

HuffieVA
08-25-2011, 08:21 AM
For major cities along the coast such as Norfolk, they will reverse lanes of travel on the interstate (6 - 8 lanes until you get closer to Williamsburg where it drops down to 4), smaller areas on the Outer Banks (Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, Hatteras Island etc.) have one road in and one road out fortunately the majority of the population during hurricane season in those towns are tourists and if they dont leave at first, generally if you show them a few pictures from previous storms they start to pack...

If your in the projected path you tighten everything down board up your windows (for flying debris, as well as to attempt keep the wind from building pressure inside the house and ripping your roof off) shut off gas etc and decide if you are staying or going...

If your staying you gather your supplies: flashlights, lantern, batteries, food, fuel, generator etc and hope for the best (the best being it changes course)

If you leave (especially if you leave late) plan on the possibility of sleeping in your car or like Joe said driving a couple hundred miles to find a motel

No flying out at the last minute as planes are generally grounded...

A direct hit from even a category 1 is serious, in September of 03, Isabel made landfall as a Cat one on Hatteras Island (not far from current predictions), if it hits as a Cat 3 it will be catastrophic to the Outer Banks

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc461/HuffieVA/Isabel/HatterasVillage09192003.jpg
(No it didn't take out the bridge, it took out the land)

Hatteras Village
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc461/HuffieVA/Isabel/HatterasVillage09192003A.jpg

The surf reaching highway 12 in Kitty Hawk
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc461/HuffieVA/Isabel/KittyHawksurf.jpg

Why do people always rebuild?

Because the Outer Banks are arguably the best least populated non over commercialized beaches in the United States...

Here's a couple shots from last weekend

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc461/HuffieVA/Isabel/DSC02978tww.jpg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc461/HuffieVA/Isabel/DSC02962tww.jpg

We even ran across a trike when we were there...
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc461/HuffieVA/Isabel/twwDSC02952.jpg

Seriously though, if your in or near the projected path, dont wait until landfall to decide what you are gonna do, that little earthquake the other day is a joke compared to the potential for damage from this storm...

300rman
08-25-2011, 11:46 AM
Outer banks is an awesome place to visit, but its stupid to build anything nice, or with the thought of it lasting. You're building on a sand bar, what do ya think will happen? Build cheap where you can, and rebuild even cheaper.

The Goat
08-25-2011, 11:53 AM
I'm from Louisiana.

If you're worried about water getting shut off, you buy water, we are gravity fed... So we typically don't.

We fill the deep freezer with gallon jugs of water, make sure we have food and some gas set aside (there are skews shortages post storm), I usually grab some charcoal and propane as well as other BBQ supplies. Not to mention a fair amount of alcohol as well.

You hang out and wait for the power to go out, at Whig point we usually hop in the car and drive around the property listening to the radio with the a/c on. After the storm is passed, fire up the generator and wait.

The next day you do clean up and then BBQ and drink until it's all done and you can return to work... A few days up to two weeks or so.

Occasionally there are curfews, which no one really pays attention to, and if we get bored we fire up the tractors, saws, and bikes and go clear the roadway on our stretch.

During gustav we actually got trapped by fallen trees a few miles from the house on land, so we walked back. Now that was painful...

jamese5952
08-25-2011, 01:28 PM
cebtral florida hurricane kit beer ice and gas keep the liquor hidden until it really gets hairy. the most important is the beer and ice the gas stations usually close for the storm and it gets really boring sitting around all day and not having any liquid encoouragement for great ideas aka knee-boarding throough the neighborhood behind a johnboat

Vealmonkey
08-25-2011, 04:11 PM
Alot depends on where you live. People on the high ground usually fare better, or have less to worry about than being on the low ground ~~ flood plane! People lay in supplies and try to tie down and shore up and cover windows or other points that may be damaged in heavy. Some stay put, other roll out. There is nothing worse than hearing about missing people after a storm that were stubborn and tried to stay put. Storms are so unpredictable. You never know when they will turn or stall out of get worse. I just wish all the people in the storms path the best of luck.

shortline10
08-25-2011, 04:28 PM
I have been threw a bunch of major hurricans and its not fun . Anything above a cat 3 is life threatning . Wilma was the last major one for me and I had over 70 grand in damage to my house and every light pole in my area was broke and had no power for weeks . Major items you will need are generator , gas for generator , water , canned food , batteries for radio and flashlights oh and also a gun LOL .

threewheelin-feelin
08-25-2011, 04:52 PM
For major cities along the coast such as Norfolk, they will reverse lanes of travel on the interstate (6 - 8 lanes until you get closer to Williamsburg where it drops down to 4), smaller areas on the Outer Banks (Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, Hatteras Island etc.) have one road in and one road out fortunately the majority of the population during hurricane season in those towns are tourists and if they dont leave at first, generally if you show them a few pictures from previous storms they start to pack...

If your in the projected path you tighten everything down board up your windows (for flying debris, as well as to attempt keep the wind from building pressure inside the house and ripping your roof off) shut off gas etc and decide if you are staying or going...

If your staying you gather your supplies: flashlights, lantern, batteries, food, fuel, generator etc and hope for the best (the best being it changes course)

If you leave (especially if you leave late) plan on the possibility of sleeping in your car or like Joe said driving a couple hundred miles to find a motel

No flying out at the last minute as planes are generally grounded...

A direct hit from even a category 1 is serious, in September of 03, Isabel made landfall as a Cat one on Hatteras Island (not far from current predictions), if it hits as a Cat 3 it will be catastrophic to the Outer Banks

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc461/HuffieVA/Isabel/HatterasVillage09192003.jpg
(No it didn't take out the bridge, it took out the land)

Hatteras Village
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc461/HuffieVA/Isabel/HatterasVillage09192003A.jpg

The surf reaching highway 12 in Kitty Hawk
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc461/HuffieVA/Isabel/KittyHawksurf.jpg

Why do people always rebuild?

Because the Outer Banks are arguably the best least populated non over commercialized beaches in the United States...

Here's a couple shots from last weekend

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc461/HuffieVA/Isabel/DSC02978tww.jpg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc461/HuffieVA/Isabel/DSC02962tww.jpg

We even ran across a trike when we were there...
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc461/HuffieVA/Isabel/twwDSC02952.jpg

Seriously though, if your in or near the projected path, dont wait until landfall to decide what you are gonna do, that little earthquake the other day is a joke compared to the potential for damage from this storm...

i was just watching the weather and they are saying this has the potential to reshape the outer banks...they are saying this could also be catostrophic to virginia beach and norfolk as well...and im just across the water in hampton...the hampton roads brigde tunnel with me one way starting at 8 in the morning getting people out of the outer banks va beach and norfolk

Mr. Clean
08-25-2011, 05:28 PM
Major items you will need are generator , gas for generator oh and also a gun LOL .

Lived in the "sunshine state" most of my life and luckily dodged all major hurricanes, however you also need a way to "lock" down that generator or be prepared to sit up all night with the gun so someone does not steal the generator......and why is drjoe171 concerned about hurricanes sitting in Oregon? You speak in terms of "we".....you got nothing to worry about from impending Hurricanes......

Hurricane Charlie was projected to hit St. Pete/ Clearwater Tampa area....we were in the 90% projected path.....had it gone into Tampa Bay it would have caused major devastation due to condensed population. Many people evacuated to Orlando, we stayed......then Charlie hooked hit Punta Gorda its path took it right thru to Orlando (although weaker than when it made landfall)....where most of the peeps who evacuated went to!!!!

By the way boarding up windows does not do a whole lot of good when the wind blows the roof off of your house.

But to answer drjoe's question....you prepare as though you would live a couple weeks in a time prior to running water and electricity...caveman style!!!

SYKO
08-25-2011, 06:18 PM
was it charlie that went through right around brooksville mike in 04? I was living in san an at the time and saw sunshine through the eye! parked my truck by the only dead tree in the block hoping for a check.....every tree around us went down EXCEPT that old basdard! Slept on the concrete floor, nothing major.

tri again
08-26-2011, 05:32 AM
Lived in the "sunshine state" most of my life and luckily dodged all major hurricanes, however you also need a way to "lock" down that generator or be prepared to sit up all night with the gun so someone does not steal the generator......and why is drjoe171 concerned about hurricanes sitting in Oregon? You speak in terms of "we".....you got nothing to worry about from impending Hurricanes......

Hurricane Charlie was projected to hit St. Pete/ Clearwater Tampa area....we were in the 90% projected path.....had it gone into Tampa Bay it would have caused major devastation due to condensed population. Many people evacuated to Orlando, we stayed......then Charlie hooked hit Punta Gorda its path took it right thru to Orlando (although weaker than when it made landfall)....where most of the peeps who evacuated went to!!!!

By the way boarding up windows does not do a whole lot of good when the wind blows the roof off of your house.

But to answer drjoe's question....you prepare as though you would live a couple weeks in a time prior to running water and electricity...caveman style!!!

Nice catch, Mr C.

'we' can mean many things. The brotherhood of 3 wheeled americans is a good start.
I guess we;re all in this together, and why 'we're' on this site to start with.
We help each other learn and fix stuff and be prepared to get and hopefully, stay out of trouble
when possible.

I go between upstate NY and Fla keeping dad on track.
He does that east coast snowbird thing and at 83 yrs old, I bounce around
and help him keep stuff in motion
He winters in N. Fla and summers near Canada. (needs tires for his 225 yama BTW)

Yeah, I'm personally good for at least a month, food, power, powder, primers,
well water with hand pump and 220 generator, wood fired and solar waterheater,
cute and quiet 2 stroke gen for fridge,
antibiotics, sutures and on and on.
Yupp all that is just great until the house gets flipped over or dismantled and scattered by the wind, right?

My concerns are with unprepared people goin' looney trying to 'escape'
and if the weather channel is anywhere near correct, where exactly do 130 million people actually "GO"?
west till they run out of gas?
and where do they stay? side of the road in their cars?

I guess anything beats a tornado with what? mere moments of warning?

Good luck to all of us.

HuffieVA
08-26-2011, 07:38 AM
Well if history repeats itself a ton of us could be without power or worse for some time, so take a minute and make sure you have everything as ready as you can... and Good Luck to the entire East Coast...

Use your time wisely today, picking up sticks in your front yard right now would be like rearranging the deck chairs just after the Titanic struck the iceberg...

just ben
08-26-2011, 07:47 AM
all this sounds great I think I will stick with an occasional blizzard. good luck to all you coastliners and stay safe

tri again
08-26-2011, 07:56 AM
Reports of panic buying.
Batteries are hard to find, for instance.

I've had the 'off grid' theme going for a few years which is comforting, but then again,
where do you look for all the cool stuff you've stored when the house is scattered
by the wind
or everything got flooded and soaked.

I think I'll buy a houseboat, mount some retractable wheels and be able to cable or chain it to the ground
but also so it can float up if it has to.
That should be impossible.

Someone's been building floating houses. Maybe the Netherlands.
Hollow Concrete barge type floatation units and set between
telephone poles so it can go up and down like a floating boat dock.

JayBone
08-26-2011, 08:22 AM
I was actually on my way to a class in Williamsburg VA on Sunday. It has been canceled and now i'm going to buy beer, smokes hot dogs & buns. I have 15 milk jugs with water for the toilet, 2 doz candels, tons of canned foods, flash lights and 3.5 cords of wood stacked & split.. I have plenty of drinking water. Bring it on!! My only worry are the trees at my house and my folks house.

tri again
08-26-2011, 12:05 PM
I was actually on my way to a class in Williamsburg VA on Sunday. It has been canceled and now i'm going to buy beer, smokes hot dogs & buns. I have 15 milk jugs with water for the toilet, 2 doz candels, tons of canned foods, flash lights and 3.5 cords of wood stacked & split.. I have plenty of drinking water. Bring it on!! My only worry are the trees at my house and my folks house.

yupp.
I Always put my chainsaw away full of gas and oil , kissed up chain and ready to go out the door at 2am.

The Goat
08-27-2011, 07:02 PM
Thankfully after Andrew, all the trees within house distance were cut.

A lot of people around here panic, which isn't necessary if you Arent coastal or facing a cat 4 storm.

Even eating MREs for a few weeks isn't all that bad. Most stores around here overstock on cheap beer peanut butter and raviolis if a storm is coming. One hurricane party during the storm, clean up, then move on as best you can. Cajuns tend to be pretty optimistic and enduring though... Have to be

If a storm is gonna knock your house down, may as well be with good people having q good time. It's not unheard of to have a couchon de lait during a storm... Just need a well anchored roof over the hole lol