Aftermath of a Hurricane

Old Oct 7th, 2003, 07:44 AM
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Aftermath of a Hurricane

Halifax Nova Scotia and surrounding communties were devasted by a direct hit from Hurricane Juan last Sunday night. As Maritimers often do, we downplayed the reports of an impending storm, and well, have had to suffer with the consequences since. Over 10,000 people still have no power. Can we learn something from those on the East coast of the US about how to prepare for these types of occurences ?? Any advice will be greatly welcomed.
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Old Oct 7th, 2003, 08:58 AM
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Heed the warnings. Before I actually lived through a hurricane, evacuations were an excuse to party. I'll stay for a one or a weak two but anything else, I'm gone.

Just because you aren't directly on the beach doesn't mean you aren't in the line of fire. My home is ocean front and several times after hurricane brushes (ones that went north of us) we had all utilities while many of those inland did not. We also had no damage while those inland did.

Trees do more damage than the tidal surge. Years ago it was all about the tidal surge. Now, fallen trees from high winds and tornados do tons of damage.

Make sure you have flood insurance. Flood insurance is not covered by regular homeowners and is a separate policy underwritten by FEMA. Hundred year flood levels have changed in the last 10 years all over the country.

At the moment, those are all I can think of. No one takes hurricanes seriously unless they live on the coast. Look at all those poor people in Baltimore after Islabel. They were ill prepared.
 
Old Oct 7th, 2003, 09:07 AM
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We are in Williamsburg, Virginia and we lost power for 11 days after Isabel.

The most important thing we learned was you need to do all of the preparation things at the beginning of the hurricane season and not wait until it looks like the hurricane may be heading your way. The shelves were empty a week before the storm and we are just now seeing D cell batteries again. Buy the batteries, buy the propane for the Coleman stove, make sure you have a radio that takes A batteries. Buy canned goods you would actually want to eat.

I am proud to say that although we were behind the ball on Isabel, we now have all of the above mentioned items in a storage tote for the next time.

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Old Oct 7th, 2003, 09:16 AM
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Here's some tips from a Caribbean islander who's gone three months with no power and phone in the aftermath of two disastrous hurricanes plus shorter periods after smaller ones.

Get a generator. Even if it's a small one, you'll be able to move extension cords around so you can sequentially run your refrigerator and run the water pump to take a shower, flush the toilet and use the washing machine. It probably won't power the clothes dryer, but that's not a necessity.

I didn't have a generator after Hurricane Hugo in 1989 but got one after Marilyn in 1995. It made a big difference in my outlook and health.

And when the aftermath gets you down, remember that this too shall pass.

If you're looking for pre-hurricane tips, save half-gallon plastic milk cartons. When you hear a hurricane might come your way, start filling them with water and placing them in the empty spaces in your freezer. By the time the hurricane hits, all the empty space should be filled with the frozen water. It will help keep your frozen food frozen longer than if you have empty spaces.

Keep canned goods on hand, but only stuff you can stand to eat when hurricane season ends. Lots of people stock up on stuff like canned ravioli, but would never touch it during normal circumstances. Chicken in the can is good bet because you can do lots of stuff with it.

Of course, you should have batteries, a portable radio, flashlights, and lanterns on hand. Candles only give marginal light - not enough to read by or even eat by unless you want to be romantic. And believe me, the aftermath of a hurricane won't be the most romantic time in your life.

Board up your windows if you don't have shutters. I had a good laugh when a friend in Hawaii said she was going to close her drapes to keep the flying glass out when a hurricane threatened them this year. Boards or shutters are the only way to go. We have small portholes in ours so we can see what's happening outside during the storm. We also laugh when we see clips on the TV that show windows striped with masking tape in an attempt to save the glass. All it does is make it harder to clean your windows should they survive. I taped my windows in the 1989 hurricane. The entire windows blew out.

And lastly, don't do stupid things. People died in the states because they were out driving around during the hurricane. One person was canoing. Were they nuts? Stay inside.

Hope this helps and that you will soon recover from this disaster.
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Old Oct 7th, 2003, 09:21 AM
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We here in NC seem to always be getting hit these last few years.

What we do...

1 week ahead

Keep an eye on http://www.noaa.gov/ to get current position on storm

Eat as much food from the fridge as possible and not buy any more frozen or refrigerated foods.

2 days ahead

If headed our way, we make final determination on whether to move inland or stick it out.

We have five horses, cats and dogs, so we would not leave unless it looked like winds were going to be over 90 mph where we live.

If we stay, we go to the grocery and buy lots of bottled water, ice, food that does not need to be heated or refrigerated (granola bars/breakfast bars, etc.), batteries for flashlights and weather radio, candles with sturdy bases and matches.

We buy extra gas for the generator, fill it up and test it to make sure it is working properly and place it outside but easily accessible by hook up.

We fill all the vehicles with gas, get cash from the ATM.

One day ahead.

We move all porch and patio furniture into the garage, and secure the garbage container.

We fill a large 100 gallon watering trough for the horses in case the power goes out for more than one day.

We fill the upstairs bathtub with water.

We assemble candles, flashlights, etc. in central location in house.

We get out towels to put under exterior doors if the wind gets very bad to keep out the rain.

Day of the storm.

We closely monitor the storm position and decide whether or not to go into work, and if so, what time to leave for home.

We park the vehicles in the garage or as close to the house as possible on the leeward side from the direction the storm is approaching.

We bring in one large and one small cooler to put remaining food from fridge in if power is out for more than 2 hours.

We pray

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Old Oct 7th, 2003, 09:26 AM
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Reply to islandpaddler: I have no experience with hurricanes, but saw a show where someone (I believe on Kauai) was seriously wounded by a piece of flying glass. Wouldn't tape on the windows help prevent pieces of flying glass, especially if no plywood etc. was available?
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Old Oct 7th, 2003, 09:33 AM
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wagonwheel:

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

All of the other posters make excellent points. I would just add the following:

- Get a battery-powered weather radio, and make sure it's operational well before the storm hits. I got one early in the summer, and I was glad to have it, as even though I lived in a fairly inland area (southern Maryland), I was most concerned about the tornadoes that always seem to spawn with a hurricane.

- islandpaddler makes an interesting point about the frozen water, but if you live in a rural area, I'd also get buckets of non-frozen water, as you'll need it for flushing the toilets. You'll also need drinking water.

- If you can't afford a generator, at least get a camping stove that can be powered by those little propane tanks.

- But, as Go Travel points out, the best thing to do is to heed the warnings. Isabel was a category 5, and we were VERY lucky that it was sheared down to a 2. There was plenty of damage in the DC-Baltimore area, and far worse damage in NC, Richmond, and Hampton Roads. I can't even imagine what things would be like if it had been a 5 when it hit . . . Remember, your house and posessions can be replaced -- you can't.
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Old Oct 7th, 2003, 09:41 AM
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Hurricanes are horrible things. As others mentioned stock up on canned foods and bottled water. Make sure you have a hand-crank can opener.

Fill the car with gas, stop by the ATM.

Empty the freezer of as much stuff as possible. If you have an ice maker, empty the bin (or lower the amount of ice) so it doesn't overflow into the freezer. I learned that one the hard way.

Also, do your laundry before the storm hits. Learn that one the hard way too.

Remove or secure all outside furniture. A deck chair is dangerous in 80 mph winds.

You might want to make an emergency box with all your flashlights, radios, batteries, food, diapers(if needed) linens, etc. If you plan far enough out, make an evacuation box in case you have to leave.

But most important DO NOT DRIVE INTO STANDING WATER. The road could have been washed away. Most people who die from hurricanes in North Carolina involve the flooding after the storm.

Around here, the television stations put out a hurricane tracking map in springtime. It usually lists things to stock up on and contact information. You might want to check with the Canadian Red Cross for what they suggest.
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Old Oct 7th, 2003, 09:52 AM
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islandgirl, I had to laugh at the tape comment. People leave that stuff on their windows forever and it is such an eyesore.

We also board up the windows whether we stay or not. That is such a PIA that we are considering having hurricane shutters put on the house.
 
Old Oct 7th, 2003, 09:58 AM
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Gin and vermouth, shaker, olives, ice? Might as well make things comfortable while you pray.
 
Old Oct 7th, 2003, 10:09 AM
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Oh Travelsmiles, I did forget to mention that the ice bucket and beverage of choice are crictical components of our hurricane-preparedness kit
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Old Oct 7th, 2003, 10:17 AM
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As strange as it may seem, Travelsmiles made an excellent point. When the Hurricane is a few days away, we head to the liquor store and load up, cigarettes too if you smoke.

Here in North Carolina we have State owned ABC stores. They close for any lousy excuse you can think of.

Be sure to also stock up on bread. Two or three days before the storm hits, the stores will be out.

Again, here in North Carolina we also have to worry about ice storms in the winter. Best advice I can give is to ALWAYS have your basic supplies on hand. I can't believe the number of people scurrying around the day before weather is expected scrounging for basics like flashlight batteries!!!!! Unbelievable.

Cuious
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Old Oct 7th, 2003, 10:23 AM
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Booze is a must.

There is only so much time you can spend with your friends and family sweltering in the heat with nothing to do before the killings begin.

Booze is a must.
 
Old Oct 7th, 2003, 10:34 AM
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Forget the liquor. If your roof is blowing off, you need to have a clear head to save your life.

To John D.

Tape on your windows won't hold any glass in place. If you live where you'll experience hurricanes, you have to have plywood on hand to board up your windows, install shutters or get those metal ones they sell today. They're still a pain to put up, but easier than plywood.

To those who suggested emptying your freezer etc. If you eat up all your food before the hurricane to prevent it from spoiling, what are you going to eat afterward? While the federal goverment is much more organized about helping now than it was in the past, you might watch the Weather Channel's Storm Series on at 8 p.m. Eastern time every night to see what happened after Hurricane Andrew devastated south Florida in 1992. It was anarchy, partly because people had no food. I'm not sure what Canada has in the way of emergency services to help those folks in Nova Scotia.

I would urge anyone in hurricane belts to watch STorm Stories to see what can happen. You just can't take any hurricane threat lightly. Prepare like it was going to be a Category 5 and if you get off with a 1 or 2, count your lucky stars. While hurricane forecasting has made many strides, it's still imperfect. Case in point. Marilyn was a mild hurricane when it hit St. Maarten. As it neared the Virgin Islands, it picked up unexpected strength and speed to do a number here.

Don't count on any government agency or anyone but yourself to save your life and ease your way after the hurricane. Be prepared.

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Old Oct 7th, 2003, 10:48 AM
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Reply to islandpaddler: I respectfully disagree, things that can break glass like hurricanes, twisters and tornadoes are not always predicted with enough advanced warning to best prepare against damage. I agree tape will not hold glass in place, but think the idea behind it is similar to safety glass as explained here:http://www.howstuffworks.com/question508.htm

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Old Oct 7th, 2003, 10:57 AM
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Forgot to mention that the storm was a category 2 with damage equal to a 3.It made landfall near the capital city which of course has all the major services. Nice to hear some good advice. Our own PM has yet to call in and ask if we're ok ?!
TSk, Tsk, Tsk...
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Old Oct 7th, 2003, 11:00 AM
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Tape will keep your windows together - and a dry martini will do the same for you. Perhaps they ought to name one Olive, just for the heck of it. Then just imagine the fun when the winds are really shrieking, and you turn to your neighbor and say ... why, of course, I always have my martini with an ... (it starts with an "o").
 
Old Oct 7th, 2003, 11:18 AM
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islandpaddler, I assumed it went without saying that you don't want be throwing back martinis while a category 5 is bearing down on your roof.

I'm talking about hitting the booze after you are in the clear, hurricane has passed you by (yes, I do know they can turn around), and the curfew/mandatory evacuation has not yet been lifted.
 
Old Oct 7th, 2003, 12:10 PM
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I agree that you probably aren't going to get much warning on a tornado, but we watched Isabel come across the Atlantic since it formed on Sept. 6. So, if you live where hurricanes are likely to hit, it pays to know what's happening weather wise during hurricane season.

Tape isn't going to hold any glass together. I hope you don't get to experience this first hand, but I know from personal experience in 1989 that it doesn't work. Shutters or plywood are a must.

And to those of you who think you will be sitting there drinking martinis in the aftermath, guess again. You'll be out there with a saw cutting up the trees that keep you from getting out of your driveway, washing your clothes in a bucket if you don't have a generator and you thought to fill up buckets before hand and going to sleep early because all the effort is exhausting.
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Old Oct 7th, 2003, 12:37 PM
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islandpaddler, I give up. I was talking about after the hurricane has passed you by and we've done it a number of times. For the record, I do live beachfront on the coast of South Carolina so we've been hit and had quite a few scares.
 

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