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Riding it Out
Evacuating
Surviving a hurricane
"Unfortunately, disasters bring out the best in some
people and the worst in others."
Long range preparation:
Read through this
entire section to get a sense of what you are preparing for.
This actually starts long before the first warning. You should have this in
mind in all your major decisions.
Should I live in a Hurricane
zone?
Is the house I am thinking of
living in built to withstand at least a category 3 storm?
How about the elevation, is it
in a flood zone?
If You are planning on building a
home, choose a safe location? Use a civil engineer in the design stage to verify the structure will
withstand winds in excess of 120 mph minimum, go for more if you can afford it.
Construct a "Hurricane
Room" that will withstand a category 5 storm and be above a storm surge
level.
Be certain every member of your
family knows what is expected of them in this situation.
Have your hurricane protection
shutters on hand and in good condition, along with sufficient fasteners.
As it draws nearer:
With the advanced warning system we have in place nowadays, there is no
reason to not be able to survive a hurricane. By this we don't mean riding it
out but being aware of the potential danger and making the appropriate decisions
and preparations. It is expedient to have two plans, one for riding it out and
one for evacuating. Check you insurance policy's to make sure you have
sufficient coverage, this has to be done at least 2 days prior to being placed
under a hurricane watch.
If
you are are planning on riding it out then the following section should be
helpful, however if you are evacuating then the Evacuation section may be what
you want
Riding it out
Preparations During
After
You must determine whether you have a safe location and what limits it will
withstand. Consider all thing such as strengthening hurricane force winds,
flooding, a change of path, and the possibility of embedded tornadoes. Basically this can be broken down into three main categories with sub
categories.
Images below have hidden
explanations.
Hold mouse on thumbnails to reveal explanations.
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Eminent arrival Preparations:
1. Monitor the weather reports
or visit NOAA,
often. We usually have information and a link to additional
information on our homepage.
2. Gather enough non perishable and easily
prepared foods for the house hold for at least one week. Store it in plastic
storage containers above any potential flood elevation.
Collect a variety of non perishable foods so everyone's preferences are met.
3. Medical
needs for all known requirements and any possible situations:
Provide for all contingencies:
A complete First Aid Kit with trauma supplies (Large bandages) and a
stethoscope and pressure cuff. (learn to correctly use all supplies)
Include a medical manual in the kit. This doesn't need to fit in those
wimpy little automotive First Aid kits. Make it as large as you need and
place it in a a clearly marked weatherproof container.
Medications for asthma, diabetes, coronary, cancer or any known illnesses.
Painkillers such as Aspirin (also beneficial in the event of a heart
attack but will promote bleeding) or Tylenol to ease the pain that may occur
from any injuries.
Gatorade or Pedialyte to replace electrolytes should someone become ill.
Super Glue has been used successfully to close open wounds in lieu of
stitches.
4. Store 1 gallon of water for each
member for each day for a week or even longer, for cooking or drinking.
5. Wash all
clothing and store in plastic bags in an elevated location.
6. Wash out the bathtub, sterilize
with bleach and fill with water. To be used a bucket at a time, for sponge
baths to be taken in the sink.
7. Secure the home. Put up shutters,
sandbag or use expanding foam (hard to remove) in areas where water
can enter.
8.
Reinforce garage doors.
In these pictures it shows a 4x4 post fastened to the floor by a post
anchor secured by a Redhead bolt on the concrete. The second picture shows
a U bolt that was fabricated by bending all thread rod and the placed
around the post and though the header. Note the bar clamps holding the
door tight to the post. also note the 24 inch by 10 inch 3/4 in
thick steel I beam over the door. This house was designed and engineered
to withstand winds in excess of 160 MPH with no major structural damage.
9. Cut down or hurricane
cut* any trees that may danger your home. *(reduce in size and open
up to allow wind to pass through, remove fruit that may become cannon balls
(coconuts)) - Even if you are not cutting before the storm, buy or service
your chainsaw and extra chains for the cleanup.
10. Get enough cash to last 2-3 weeks
because after the storm passes retailers may not be able to takes cards
due to damage. You may have to buy some supplies out the back of truck and
or wind up paying a premium price for anything you can get.
11. Fuel up and start up your
generator if you have one. If it has 40 hours of run time or more
than six months since the last oil change then it is due for a change, if
not then top it off (usually just up to the threads) but do not overfill it
as this is nearly as bad as too little oil. An alternative to having to run your generator would
be to have a few batteries with a solar panel and connected to an inverter to provide you with a
limited amount of power to fire up your laptop and modem or other small
appliances. If nothing else an inverter that you can connect to you
vehicle will provide some 120 volt AC current. Never tie
your generator directly into you household system unless you
have the approved stand-by system or you risk sending current
out on the main lines and electrocuting the power company
employees that are working to restore your service.
12. A day or two before the storm,
turn your refrigerator to the coldest settings and fill any open
space with water bottles in both the fridge and freezer as the more cold
you have stored in the water the longer you food will stay cold. Plastic
water bottles in the freezer can burst if they are totally full. Leave an
airspace in each bottle.
13. If the storm is going to be a
category 1 which means the electricity may be out for short time,
set you water heater's thermostat up so you will have warm water to hold
you over as the insulation will keep the water warm for a couple of days. You
may want to invest in a heater blanket to lengthen the time
that the water will stay hot. (these are good to have for
everyday use)
14.If you have an electric
stove then invest in a camp stove ($20.00 -75.00) so you can have hot
meals even if it is nothing more than Spam and Macaroni and Cheese. If you
have a propane grill, fill the propane bottle or exchange it
and make sure that if you use it or a charcoal Barbecue
grill that you only use it outside after the storm.
Using it indoors can kill from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. SOme
folk have propane or natural gas stoves in their
homes and even these have concerns. Make sure that your
propane tank is full and if you have less than a hundred pound
tank (30 gal) get an extra one as it may have to serve to heat
water on the stove top as well as cooking. Most
propane or gas stoves require electricity to ignite them
(unless you have a pilot light) so have matches or a barbecue
lighter on hand (Keep matches in a zip lock bag). Natural
gas service may be interrupted and you may want to make
sure that you have the orifices to convert your stove to
propane and the lease a tank and regulator to have
on hand should you need to convert it over to propane.
15. Several flashlights and
batteries plus hurricane or oil lamps and
a gallon or two of kerosene will make the evening hours more
pleasant. Stock up on emergency candles and a candle dish for each
location. Kitchen matches make it easier to light a lamp than a lighter,
and it may be wise to have some waterproof matches just in case the rain
manages to blow through your house. It has been known to happen. Use
extreme caution when using flames for lighting and remember
fire fascinates children.
16 You should have a light on
if the storm is approaching at night but not candles or kerosene lamps
other than an authentic hurricane lamp.
Consider emergency lighting that comes on immediately if the electricity
goes off. (available in most hardware and electrical supply stores). These
will provide about 45 minutes of light and come as either the hard wired
varieties or plug in types and cost somewhere between 30 and 50 dollars.
Consider placing one near the stairs or in your designated shelter room.
This will enable you to get settled in.
17. Raise electronics and water sensitive items
up as high as you can get them and then cover with plastic and secure it.
18. Get retro. You may need some of the items
that we thought were passé.
Purchase or dig out a phone with a chord and that doesn't require
electricity to function because frequently the telephone will remain in
service or be restored before the electricity.
Locate rabbit ears for a small TV so you can get the news even if the
cable service is out.
Small battery or crank operated radio and plenty of batteries. You will be
able to track the progress of the storm and not make the mistake of
thinking it is over when it may be the just the eye of the storm passing
over
head.
19. Make sure that relatives and loved ones
know of your intentions and set a time and or place to meet or at
least contact each other after the storm. Arrange it so that if you
evacuate you will call them to let them know this and if they don't hear
from you by the specified time, then they can assume that you have stuck it out and may have
lost your phone. Set exact times of the day that you will turn on your
cell phone (providing you can still get a signal). Become familiar with
text messaging as we have found that sometimes this is the only service
available immediately after a storm.
20.Vehicles should be filled
with fuel and parked inside
of a strong garage (consider parking it in a commercial parking garage and near a
wall). where
you can get it out just in case you change you mind about staying and you
still have a safe amount of time to get out of harms way. If you can't get it inside, park it in a sheltered location, possibly
between 2 buildings, and make sure that it is as low to the ground as
possible. Add weight to a vehicle such as a load of sand or gravel in the
back of a pick up or sand bags on the floor boards of a car. If you can't
get sand for your truck then put a sheet of plastic in the bed and duct tape
it to the
top rail. Fill this with water. RVs should be protected with extra care, as
the size of them makes them more vulnerable to the winds. Park the RV
sideways as close to a wall as possible. Consider drilling anchors into a cement
footer and use eyebolts and come-a-longs to cinch it down.
RV up against garage doors.
21. Put some form of
entertainment in your "Hurricane Safe Room". Cards, board games,
magazines, Electronic games, something for everyone, because not just
during the storm but after you may have very little left to entertain you
or your family.
22. Store all critical items, flash lights, .first aid kit, rain coat and
boots, etc. in a convenient location close at hand where the can be
reached without difficulty because if your house starts to come apart in
the dark you will easily become disoriented.
23. Charge up you cell phone as this
may be your only link after the storm and you might not be able to
recharge it for some time. Get a car charger as hopefully you car
or someone's will survive.
24. If you store your friends and
families contact information on your computers "address book"
then print it out, or import it to your laptop and charge the batteries on
it.- you may want to consider an inexpensive dial up service that may
allow you to get back online after the storm when DSL and Cable may be out
of commission. Even if the phones work but not the electricity then DSL
will go out a few hours after the electricity is cut as the telephone
system has a battery back up system to alleviate spikes and short outages,
but this will run out.
25. When stocking up for the storm
consider buying supplies that you may need after the storm to effect
repairs, such as blue tarps or better yet 30# tarpaper and a box of tin
tab nails. This way you will be able to make repairs immediately after the
storm passes and reduce the amount of damage that may occur it you fail to
patch up.
26. Do not plan to drink or do anything that
may affect your ability to respond to an emergency. There is plenty of
time for celebrating your survival after the storm.
27. Follow the weather reports to
find if the storm is strengthening past the limits you have set or has
changed to a more dangerous track. There is a particular time that
determines when it is too late to evacuate. Prior to this time (frequently
called a window) expiring, commit to either hunkering down and riding it
out, or getting the heck out of Dodge. You need to allow for the fact that
there may be many others who were late leaving and may cause traffic
slowdowns.
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During
Be concerned and even be afraid but not Hysterical. Keep a level head and
take an interest in what is going on around you. Prayer would be
appropriate.
Sleeping during a storm
is possible for some people but at the height of the storm you should be
fully alert and ready to respond to any emergency. Sleeping
during a crisis is somehow considered macho but in a hurricane
it is just plain stupid. Other lives may depend on you.
Wear your clothes, good sturdy clothing including shoes. Don't
be so stubborn that you wouldn't consider wearing head and eye protection.
A large number of deaths occur from flying debris causing head
injuries.
One of the greatest number of deaths is from being
crushed by a collapsing structure. This is the reason you need to be in an
inside room away from external walls.
As the storm progresses move your family to the safe room.
For reassurance have a light on, one that is not dependent upon household
power or candle or a kerosene lamp other than a true hurricane lamp.
Candles and open flames are not just dangerous but may cause panic if the
wind blows out a windows and snuffs out the light.
Be a pillar of strength to others around you. Talk about plans for after
the storm to give the assurance that there will be something beyond the
storm. Do not make promises you have no intention to or may not be able to
fulfill. Keep it simple like "We will go out to the beach and see how
much erosion there is".
Be careful to control the stress so that it doesn't creep into
conversations - this is not a time for blame.
Do not venture out into the storm.
Listen for a change in the sound of the wind. An increase in the the
volume and an exceptional rumbling sound may indicate that a tornado is
imbedded within the hurricane. This raises the threat to the next level.
Do not hesitate, get everyone into the safe room or an interior closet
with a door that can be locked and then opened from the inside. If you
have no room that would fit this description then lay as many people as
you can in the bathtub with the head of the strongest person under
the spigot. Grasp the spigot with your hands and press against the head
and foot of the tub for traction. Hold on to each other.
Take an interest in the character of the storm. Hopefully this will be a
once in a lifetime experience.
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After
Deal with any medical needs before anything else.
Notify your family contacts as soon as possible to alleviate their
concern.
Assess the damage and formulate a plan of recovery.
Contact your insurance company.
Contact your employer and arrange for the time necessary
to get your house in order.
Let your utility companies know if your service is out.
The more calls they get the better they are able to determine where to
send the repair crews.
Begin to reconstruct your life immediately after the storm. Don't wait to
be rescued. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and help to erase
the victim stigma as well as making your surrounding and living conditions
more pleasant.
Avoid areas of civil unrest. Psychological studies
have shown that normal people behave differently in what is known as
"group mentality". When you factor in the stress of just
having lost everything, these areas or participation could be extremely
dangerous to you. Just to be safe don't bother to go downtown just to see
the damage or to the mall. Looting can very easily turn into
something you don't want your family exposed too.
While you may have insurance it doesn't mean that you
can't do something to save your property from further destruction. Just be
sure to record the damage and save all receipts and contracts. You can
always deal with the insurance company later after you have done your part
to restore your family's life. If you have difficulty dealing with
your insurance company, call your insurance commissioner or
the equivalent.
Do not fall into the trap of believing that it is
someone else's responsibility, this mentality is degrading. Just the
fact that you are here and a student of this website is an indication that
you are the self sufficient type.
If you do not have a way to recharge your cell phone,
then conserve the batteries by not leaving it on, keep any conversation
very short, set a particular time to contact or be available, and consider
using text messaging.
It is advisable to boil your drinking water as there
can be ground water intrusion because of damage to the water distribution
system. The county should notify the radio stations as to the quality of the
water. You don't need to be getting sick during the recovery period.
You would be amazed at how long you can go with out
having to buy additional food even if you failed to stock up before the
storm. Back in your cupboards there is most likely food items that you
just never got around to preparing. Be creative and give them a name such
as "hurricane surprise" to make them seem special and give you
some memories. See both or recipes
section and Survival
section for additional help along these lines.
There is a likely possibility that your sewer lift stations
may not be functioning correctly due to lack of electricity to run the
pumps. This can cause sewer to back up into floor drains. shower and
bathtubs. Close these off with plugs or tape before this happens and if
you have running water use it sparingly so you don't add more to the
system than necessary. Take a lesson from the "Meet the Fokkers"
movie, "If it is yellow let it sit a while and if it is brown flush
it down".
If you are running a generator be sure you understand how to use it to prevent
dangerous accidents.
1. If you are tying it into you home wiring then
get a stand by system or at least disconnect
the main breaker to prevent the electricity from flowing backwards out
to the main lines (this may not be allowed but is commonly done).
2.
Never use a double male plug chord to feed power into your house outlet.
This is extremely dangerous.
3. Never
run your generator indoors, not even on a porch or garage, to avoid being poisoned
from carbon monoxide.
4. Be
considerate of you neighbors. The accepted times to run a generator is the
same as it would be at a campground, from 6 AM to 10 PM. This will allow
for 8 hours of quiet time and let your neighbors open their windows while
sleeping. This doesn't mean that you need to run it for this length of
time. Generally 2 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening should
keep things in your freezer nice and firm.
Don't open your refrigerator or freezer door
frequently and not until you know what it is that you are going to take
out and do this quickly.
Get the kids, if any, back in school as soon as
possible. This is important for their Psyche.
Help a neighbor.
Sleeping after the storm and without a security
system, presents another problem. On top of that you will not
likely have air conditioning and you may need to have your windows
open.
1. Keep
a flashlight handy.
2.
Stack some empty cans under the windows to create a noise if someone
enters. We know this sound silly but we are talking about survival here.
3. If
possible place a board or bar across the window to restrict the size of
the opening, This should be fastened on the outside and not so well that
it couldn't be kicked out in case the windows was needed as a fire escape.
This should discourage most attempts of illegal entry.
4. If
looting, is problem (unbelievable but it happens) then plan to defend yourself. The
problem with looting is that it can escalate into a more serious crime. If
permissible in your state then be
sure you know how to use your weapon of choice. Some people go so far as
to put a sign out front saying "You loot, We shoot" and we
don't recommend this as it may open a legal question of premeditation.
5. This
is a great time to have a dog, which can easily be trained into a watch
dog by pointing in the direction of any sounds and saying
"Watch". They very quickly learn that you are concerned about
unusual noises and will do their part.
Be sure to reset your refrigerator and hot water heater temperatures once the storm has
passed and the electricity has been restored- see 12 and 13 in the "preparation" section .
When it is over and you are safe submit an article or photos
to share with our viewers.
If you need assistance.
Contact
FEMA (Federal
Emergency Management Agency). If you are unable to get on the net
then get a hold of a working phone and call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). They
have temporary housing, blue tarps to protect you home from additional
rain damage, and sometimes they may have re-imbursement or living expenses
allowances.
The Red
Cross or 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669) offers rescue
services,
medical, meals, water, counseling and various forms of primary care.
The Salvation
Army
Contact
us wut2
and we will make an effort to provide you
with the information you need to to overcome the obstacles of recovery. We
will do the research for you so that you can concentrate on other things
and once we have the information you need we will reply. Because of our
location we may also be affected by storms hitting SW Florida but we will
respond as soon as possible.
Using your radio, listen for assistance numbers or
relief locations if theses services are needed. They likely won't be if
you follow the "Preparations section"
Send us an email to let us
know how you faired (photos would be great) and note any incidences or
impressions that you would like to share with our web community. |
Evacuating
Everyone in the path of a hurricane should
have an evacuation plan, and have certain indicators that will determine when it
is necessary to put it into effect.
Leave Early to avoid traffic jams.
You will want to secure your home using hurricane shutters
and sandbags before you leave, so hopefully you will have one
to return to.
Fuel up your vehicle days in advance, consider taking a fuel
can with you, as evacuations can overpower resources along the way.
Pack food such as sandwiches and drinks for the trip.
Call ahead and make reservation (guarantee with a credit
card) in a location that you feel you will feasibly reach and will be out of the path
of the storm. A good source for the motels along the route is the discount
coupon books that are free usually at the restaurant (Wafflehouse) and gas
stations near the freeway exits You can search for a motel on the internet
before you leave home by using a search engine (google.com
or yahoo.com) enter terminology
such as - motel exit 101 I-75 Florida. This should provide you with a list a
likely locations. Of course you can always contact the Chamber of Commerce for a
particular town and the often have a list of motels with vacancies. You can
always find them on line by searching for - Chamber of Commerce Tampa FL - or
something similar.
Bring any medications or special needs such as diapers and
formula.
Place all important papers (insurance, deeds, titles, and
personal IDs and proof of residence such as a utility bills) and those items that
are valuable to you, in the vehicle well in advance to your departure and lock
it and set you security system as thieves are depending on your leaving so they
can go to work.
We don't recommend leaving your guns behind because you don't
want them falling into the hands of looters, but do not carry a gun where it can
be considered a concealed weapon. Most law enforcement agencies require
that a fire arm needs 3 distinct procedures to make it ready to be fired
in order to not be considered a deadly weapon. Such as , unloaded - in a secured
holster and locked in the glove box. Sitting out in the open on the seat next to
you does not qualify as not concealed as it is not visible to all persons. Under
your seat is a definite no no. Check with your local authorities on the requirements
for your area or better yet get a concealed weapons permit (again contact you
local authorities).
Bring something to entertain the kids because evacuations can
be a slow and boring process.
Allow for alternate routes just in case the most desirable
route (usually the freeways) becomes to congested. Prior to the storm you should
familiarize yourself with these alternate routes either by studying a map or
better yet, take a road trip, a picnic or go
fishing along this possible route (this would mean that you would
have to be thinking way ahead).
Be polite to others evacuating as tensions may be running
high. Yet if danger is eminent you may have to take your family's survival into
you own hand and not become a mindless sheep sitting in a queue that is going
nowhere.
You may get stuck in traffic that is gridlocked causing you
to idle away all your fuel. If this looks like a possibility then do not run
your AC, shut off your engine and wait until there are several car lengths
between you and the car in front of you before starting your car and pulling up
(you will likely have people jumping in front of you but they are just as likely
to jump back out the first opportunity they get or run out of fuel because of
their hot-dogging). Do not accelerate to begin moving, just let it idle forward.
Frequent starting may drain your car's battery so do not run any electricity
requiring devices such as a radio and especially not CD or DVD players.
Driving on the shoulder and zooming by others is just plain
rude but is an option should medical situations make it necessary. Choosing to
drive the ditch is frowned upon but it is your call yet you must consider the
presence of trash that may puncture your tires.
If you find that you are being over charged for supplies or accommodations
along the evacuation routes, keep your receipts and notify the state's fraud
line and report the price gouging.
Be courteous to your fellowman but not to the extent that you
put your family's lives in danger.
Take home some memories from your evacuation and remember you
can always submit an article or photos
her for publishing.
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