OK, as a longtime resident of South Florida and a veteran of hurricanes from Andrew to Wilma I feel I am qualified to comment on this subject.

If you live in the SE United States anywhere near a coast you will want to save or copy this one.

BEFORE THE STORM:

1. Should you stay or should you go?

Consider leaving. There are all kinds of reasons people stay from not having a place to go, concern about property and friends or things like that. But probably the thing that makes most people stay is they "think" they know what a hurricane hit is like when most don't. If you are in a hurricane warning and the storm ends up hitting 150 miles away and it was a small hurricane you did NOT experience a hurricane but the outer storms associated with one. This causes most people to feel they have been through a hurricane and know what to expect when they are wrong.

That said, even those who HAVE been through a hurricane probably won't bail for a Cat 1 hurricane. The problem is hurricane forcast is NOT an exact science but a collection of best estimates. Hurricane Wilma was "forcasted" to be a Cat 1 storm by the time it reached us but what we in fact got was 122 mph sustained storm that gusted up to 144 mph and did the kind of damage normally associated with a Cat 3 storm. The short version is by the time you know FOR SURE where it is going and how strong it will be it will also be too late to leave.

So if you have a hurricane forcasted to "possibly" hit your area and you can leave it is probably a good idea. I personally use Cat 3 as my demarkation point. Having seen what they do if we "might" get a Cat 3 or stronger storm I explore my options to leave. Might be a good week so secure the house and take a short visit to see your family up north.

2. Secure your home.

Secure your home to protect it from the storm and from looters after the fact if you leave.

The number one thing you want is these:



REAL Hurricane Shutters rated for a Category 5. The rule of thumb is if you lose a window you will probably lose the roof. Once winds get inside and under the roof they begin to stress it from underneath. In major storms don't forget to reinforce the garage door, that is how most roofs were lost during hurricane Andrew. A simple way to reinforce it is a few 2x4s wedged against the door with the rear bumber of your car from the inside.

If you don't have hurricane shutters, save up for them. Plywood just won't save you in a big storm and shutters are a hell of a lot cheaper than rebuilding your house. During Andrew the ONLY houses that didn't lose the roof had quality shutters.

Locks doors and reinfornce all weak points. Have a safe room to bail to if needed (interior room with no windows) and put your most important supplies in there.

Hurricane preparation isn't cheap and you will need lots of things. Now most of us don't have $3-500 to blow on supplies so the thing to do is buy something every week. Whenever you go shopping buy about $10 worth of supplies for your hurricane kit:

Candles
Batteries
First Aid Kit
Canned food
MREs
Radio
Mosquito repellent
Insurance papers

and most importantly WATER.

Skip the gallon jugs, they leak. Rinse out 2 liter soda bottles and fill them with water. The are more portable and durable, 64 oz. Gatorade bottles also work well. You should have a min. 7 days of supplies for each person.

In addition you should grab all the camping comforts you can afford. Plan on roughing it for a week. People who got hit will tell you just how nice something like a cot to sleep on is when they don't have a roof or a bed. Even if you DO have a roof, you will probably sleep on a porch because it gets hot and humid at night with no AC.

Get at least one big ass cooler for storing food. Won't be the same as a fridge but it works for storing food. Ice everything down the day BEFORE the storm as ice will be a rare commodity afterwards. Freeze containers full of water while you still have power to make big blocks of ice. Put some in your regirgerator afterwards and make it work like an ice box.

Gas up all your cars and pull some cash. Be prepared to fend for yourself without power for an entire week at least.

Have your shit laid out. Be able to find it in the dark cause you are going to lose power. After Wilma we were without electric for 15 days.



Save your grill.



I put this thing INDOORS with about 4 tanks to ride the storm cause I knew it would be the new stove for at least a week. You want a dozen pie tins. Put food on a tin or in foil and just cook everything you have on the grill.

Have a few long drop cords. People who don't have genertors will want to plug in their refrigerators. You see who is good neighbors after a storm by just looking where the bright orange extention cords are running.

Besides a generator buy a window AC unit. Being able to cool off the primary living/sleeping area was wonderful. I also have a solar water heater so I had hot water.



If you can get a generator to run the fridge. Having a working refrigerator is like winning the lottery after a storm. If you think generators are expensive now, wait till you try and buy one after you get hit. Save up, it will be worth every penny.

Store gas, after Wilma all the stations had gas but NO electricity to run the pumps. A reserve of 25 gallons should be sufficient until a few stations are up and running.

Get a weapon light. Was open carry season after the hurricane and the USP was with me everywhere. After dark it was a MP5 with e bright ass LED light. If you don't have a weapon light, get one. Night visions is also very useful follwing a hurricane and the days of no electricity.

Solar power is your friend.



This latern was brighter than about 10 candles and worth the $35 I paid for it. Ran all night and just put it in the sun the next day for a few hours and it was good to go again. Little things like good light keep you from going bonkers. Also safer than 25 open flames. The solar radio was great for getting info and providing entertainment after the storm. Little things like hearing your favorite songs (like Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes) can really pick up your day when things are getting difficult.

I cannot stress how important a good illuminated watch is. This will be your new clock and if you can't read it at night you won't know what time it is.

I have a Luminox dive watch that did a superb job.

DURING THE STORM:

Battery operated TVs are your friend. You want to be able to SEE where the damn storm is right now. I got one for $20 at Kmart, buy one. Resist the urge to go out during the eye.

Very few people die FROM the hurricane. Most die from stepping in water energized by fallen power lines (and they can be several houses away in the same pool of water) and from falling branches/debris. Be VERY CAREFUL when going out after the storm has passed.

AFTER THE STORM:

OK, if you really got hit your yard probably looks like this:



Secure your property and clean up the debris as best you can. Place debris piles strategically for use as concealment or a "looter" blind. Fallen limbs also make good firewood (fires illuminate the night and smoke repels mosquitos).



I got a patio fireplace just for this reason. Gets rid of storm debris, provides some light and a rally point for neighbors and kids made smores almost every night. Also sitting around a fire at night with freinds beats the shit out of sitting in your dark house wishing you had TV. Also things like roasting marshmellows and hot dogs on the fire go a long way to help prevent storm stress in kids.

Your yard might not be as secure as it once was:



I strung fence wire in place of my fallen fence to serve as "tripwire" if I chased looters in that direction.



Pick a COMFORTABLE weapon.



Realize you will carry a handgun and rifle CONSTANTLY as well as extra mags. The only people who don't love M1 Garands are those who had to carry one and all their gear all the time. Expect that for a full week you will always have a handgun on your hip and a rifle slung. If you have a Swiss Army M4 with 20 lbs. of shit on it things will get old quickly.

Organize a basic crew of neighbors, shooting buddies, etc. Work with the understanding that as soon as they have gotten their house squared away they will band together and check on everyone involved. These people will come see if you are ok a lot sooner than any government employee.

Agree that you will help the guy(s) most in need. Go from house to house and help with basic repairs and assitance then decide who is most vulnerable and camp there.

Pull security for those homes if not the entire block. After Andrew we actually created a map of a 4 block area and noted which houses were occupied, vacant, etc. We told neighbors we would be operating at night and requested permission to be on their property during patrols. We also invited them to join our patrols. We noted houses that we KNEW should be empty and were inviting targets, better to get them robbing the place next door before they get to your house.

We all had firearms and carried openly. Mostly AR15s, shotguns and I had a HK91. We all wore camo as we were trying not to be seen by those who would be robbing houses and didn't want to attract deliberate attention to ourselves. Make sure you don't have trigger happy idiots in your ranks. This isn't "shoot a looter" night.

I cannot stress how valuable night vision was, both weapon sights and monoculars. Only mosquito repellent was more appreciated than even Gen 1 stuff. Second to NV is communications. Basic Motorola radios are absolutely needed. Some quick ties for flex cuffs are also nice but make sure you know who you are taking into custody. Don't ID yourself as "police" unless you actually are. Simply refuse to identify yourself to those you detain, question or take for the NG. Simply stating that "nobody belongs in this house" is usually enough. Protect ONLY your homes and neighborhood, do not go on a "looter hunt" at the local strip malls. Homeowners protecting their property is one thing but grabbing people robbing discount records and tapes is another unless you actually own discount records and tapes.

During the week we took about a dozen people out of several homes that we KNEW should be empty. These individuals who didn't know who the guys with camo and guns were and were only too happy to be turned over to local NG posts. We also advised the NG who we were, where we lived and where and when we would be operating. Make sure they know what house you are basing from and that free coffee will be available at that home every night. Work with them, not against them. Our patrols ran into their patrols on more than one occassion.

This is also why you stagger out your patrol. We usually ran a 8 person team with one point man, 3 guys on one side of the street (in the yards) 50m back and 3 guys on the other side of the street with one guy 50m to the rear. Better to have your point man go talk to the NG patrol with the other 7 guys with guns remaining unobserved. They NG guys were pretty savy and knew what was going on. When we finally ran into them continuously we discontinued our patrols.

Be prepared to fend for yourself (food, clothing, shelter and security) for a week. In Homestead people were on their own for a month or more. And the only thing worse than losing everything, is losing everything and not having any kind of plan or supplies.

During Wilma I encountered people who didn't even have 3 days worth of supplies.

Expect that within a week or so local stores and businesses will be up under their own power or a generator. That is when things will start getting easier for you. When the rib joint around the corner was up and running it was like Christmas around here.

I like the metal shutters but have never seen them for sale around here.  Any info on them?  How are they held in place?

Quoted: I like the metal shutters but have never seen them for sale around here.  Any info on them?  How are they held in place?

Had them contractor installed. They wedge inside the guide up top and tumbscrew down to bolts on a rail on the side of the house.

Found them:

http://hurricanedepot.com/

Aluminum   .040 "   SBCCI   $4.15
Aluminum .050 " $4.45
Aluminum .063 " $5.25
Aluminum (white) .050 " $5.35
Aluminum (1/2 Panel) .050 " $4.45
Lexan Clear ( 1/2 Panel)   $6.95
Galv. Steel 22 gauge None $4.25
Galv. Steel 20 gauge $4.50
Protexan(Clear)     $7.95

Just make sure they are Miami-Dade approved.

I'd recommend the 20 gauge Galv. Steel.

Replying to a SteyrAug thread is a sacred duty

tag

Man, no hurricanes here, Steyer, but I think we'd make good neighbors.

ETA, seemed unclear, we think alike, but my neighborhood lacks the team spirit/give a shit atitude that your obviously has.

Nice thread.

Damn fine article!  

SteyrAug, you should get that published.... or at least make a permanent website home for it.

I doubt I'll worry about hurricanes, tsunamis, and the like her in Michigan...but the advice is sound.

No Expert

Or.............................. just move!
j/k There's some nuggets of good advice for any SHTF situation regardless of whether you live in a hurricane zone or not.

Tag

Plenty of accurate info SA.

Next year 2 generators, 2 chainsaws and a good machete will be mandatory.
I had power 3 days after Wilma in W. Davie.

Stock up on gas, atleast 50 gallons. The lines get old the first time.

There were thousands of morons who didn't even have water stashed. It got riotous at the local High School. DPD didn't bother with patrols and the M4 was slung 24/7.

Luckily, it dropped into the 50's within hours after Wilma passed and was more like camping.
It was actually enjoyable. The BBQ grill stayed lit for a week even though power was restored quickly.

Despite no generators and no chainsaw, it was no problem.

Owning a lifted Jeep or other 4x4 is also very good advice.

HS1

I still need:


Generator
Window AC
NV
Flares (incase I don't have NV)
More Gas for the grill


I didn't see these items on your list:

extra gas cans (3-5 gallon plastic)  - I can't get too far out of town in my truck with one tank of gas

chain saw and other tools

I freeze hamburger and other meat solid in smaller packages (ziplock) so I can get it out of the cooler quickly

more to come later

Give me a break SA, just another feeble attempt at showing off your goodies and making everybody on this board jealous as hell.


BTW: You're good at it.

Damn, all those weapons?  You must live on the wrong side of the track

Seriously, I did keep my 1911 close by all the time but I didn't carry it with me except when out walking the dogs at night.  In the closet (but out of the safe) I had a Rem 870 and my BM carbine.  

In our community there were a lot of kids out on the street playing after dark.  I had couple of Coleman lanterns set up on my front yard next to the street so kids could play at night. Also, streets and yards were full of people just visiting, eating, drinking and talking until 10-11 PM every night.  As for security all we did was drag a big ass palm tree that fell accross the community entrance so cars would have to slow down and make a "S" turn to get in or out.  In the morning we would just drag it out of the way.  We did this on the third and forth night since during the first two days cars could not get within 300 yards of our community entrance due to fallen trees.      

SteyrAUG is 100% about protecting your home with shutters.  You can get away without any shutters in cat 1 hurricane but at cat 2 you will need minimum of plywood shutters that are correctly installed.  Cat 3 or higher will require proper metal shutters.  If your house is correctly shuttered the weak point of most home is the garage door.  I've heard from engineers on the talk radio after Wilma that properly installed standard metal garage doors will withstand direct cat 1 hurricane wind but not for long time.  To withstand cat 2 or higher wind you will need heavy duty garage doors with reinforced tracks and with proper steel braces you can withstand 140 mph wind.  I have a standard 2 car garage door and during Wilma I had used pair of 2"x6" planks and 3/4" marine grade plywood to brace my Expedition on to the center of the garage door from the inside but the door still buckled on the two outter edges.  I will be installling a heavy duty garage door with steel braces next year.  That garage door has always been my concern.

Wilma was a good practice run for many of us as we got to test a lot of our equipment for the big one.
 
 

Great advice for prepardness. I'm a veteran of Andrew/Charley/Gabrial (was 2 years old when Donna hit. A direct hit is a very scarry thing. You should publish your advice for everyone who is subject to hurricanes. You've obviously been there and speak from experience. The a/c unit is a great one. only those who have been there will appreciate that. Overnight patrols for the neighborhood are important. Sleeping in a room with an A/c unit running and a generator outside can drowned out the noise a looter can make while taking your stuff.  I lost a new truck (full of gas) to them during Charley. Again great Advice.............

You should have seen the look on the guy who walked up on my garage, at 11p, during Ivan... That Surefire M900 will get someone's attention.

All good info.

One item that was worth its weight in gold after Wilma was the Sun Shower
You have no idea how good a warm shower feels at the end of the day.  

SteyrAUG: Pop over over to the ARFCOM survival forum, you will find some interesting info there:
survival forum

+1 on the machete.  They are handy for clearing trees.

You should also stock up on medical supplies, especially if you rely on medication to live.

You should also have a plan for trash and human waste disposal.

You should also have suitable disinfectants in case you have to go through contaminated floodwaters.

Tag

tag.

This is good advice in general.


patio fireplace, I'm going to have to look into one of those.

I went through Rita this year, and everything you said is correct.  I live out in the country so we had to do some stuff a little different.  We had to drag the generator down to the well and hook it up to get water.  We had showers, but they were a little cold.  However, in the 100+ degree days following Rita, they actually felt good.  

If you have a deep freeze.  Put everything you have in the bottom and pack it as tightly as possible.  

you live in FL steyr? i live in orlando(thats where I go to school) and my parents live in ft lauderdale and they got hit pretty bad but they were lucky....


They didnt have any power for about 3 days but per FPLs reports it was going to be weeks before they got it back, but miraculously  they got it back on the 4th day. On the second day I had numerous supplies and was going to bring them down their with some handguns, ammo, and one of my ARs.(most of my AR ammo is down there anyway so they would have been set with that.

I was just worried it was going to the same thing as katrina....

nice write up, i have most of the preparedness stuff in a bug out kit, but no generators or anything big, being that i live in a college student apt complex.

Some great advice.  Thanks for the post, Steyr!

tag

Quoted: One item that was worth its weight in gold after Wilma was the Sun Shower You have no idea how good a warm shower feels at the end of the day.

Yup, I have a solar water heater with a solar panel for the pump so I was one of the few people with hot water. Made those first cold mornings tolerable.

Hey, Steyr: Those see-through laminate window covers never really did catch on, did they?

You know the ones: same shape and size as the galvanized ones, but made of some clear hi-tech plastic or other. MUCH lighter, and they let the light in (and allow you to see OUT), but I don't think they protected as well.

Way back when I was down there, I bought a big sheet of 1/4" lexan plastic and used it over one window, bolted to the concrete wall with several Tapcon screws and washers. Then-wife didn't want to be completely cooped in.




ETA: Oh, one other thing: Be VERY CAREFUL after the storm passes and the shutters are still up. More than one family has been killed because they couldn't get out of the house and a fire started from the candles or grill.

Quoted: tag. This is good advice in general. patio fireplace, I'm going to have to look into one of those.

Mine was about $60 at Outdoor World / Bass Pro Shops.

Also has a grill top for cooking. Worth every penny.

Also makes those two months of fall that we call winter nice for sitting outside with your feet by the fire.

Good stuff... Interesting how the NG didnt give you trouble all camoed out with AR15's. I guess thats a good thing though.

Quoted: Hey, Steyr: Those see-through laminate window covers never really did catch on, did they? You know the ones: same shape and size as the galvanized ones, but made of some clear hi-tech plastic or other. MUCH lighter, and they let the light in (and allow you to see OUT), but I don't think they protected as well. Way back when I was down there, I bought a big sheet of 1/4" lexan plastic and used it over one window, bolted to the concrete wall with several Tapcon screws and washers. Then-wife didn't want to be completely cooped in. ETA: Oh, one other thing: Be VERY CAREFUL after the storm passes and the shutters are still up. More than one family has been killed because they couldn't get out of the house and a fire started from the candles or grill.

Im curious about these. After charley all new houses here come with shutters. Mine is 7 years old.

I was thinking of getting the metal (cheaper) with a clear panel on the windows I use to watch whats going on. I dont want them if they are weaker though.

I couldnt stand being unable to see. I went outside during charley and wilma.  It makes it much better when back inside.

tag

Quoted: Im curious about these. After charley all new houses here come with shutters. Mine is 7 years old. I was thinking of getting the metal (cheaper) with a clear panel on the windows I use to watch whats going on. I dont want them if they are weaker though. I couldnt stand being unable to see. I went outside during charley and wilma.  It makes it much better when back inside.

Back in 1996 and 1997, you could buy them at Home Depot. Then they suddenly up and dissapeared.

The Lexan sheet I got at HD, though. EXPENSIVE! Something like $85 for a single sheet for a small single-pane window.

We lost 2 metal panels at work. On one the bolts sheared off, the other one the mounting holes were elongated by the wind. Motorola building across the street lost about 4 panels.  Our were steel not aluminum. Company is in Sunrise.
Gerry

Quoted: Quoted: Hey, Steyr: Those see-through laminate window covers never really did catch on, did they? You know the ones: same shape and size as the galvanized ones, but made of some clear hi-tech plastic or other. MUCH lighter, and they let the light in (and allow you to see OUT), but I don't think they protected as well. Way back when I was down there, I bought a big sheet of 1/4" lexan plastic and used it over one window, bolted to the concrete wall with several Tapcon screws and washers. Then-wife didn't want to be completely cooped in. ETA: Oh, one other thing: Be VERY CAREFUL after the storm passes and the shutters are still up. More than one family has been killed because they couldn't get out of the house and a fire started from the candles or grill. Im curious about these. After charley all new houses here come with shutters. Mine is 7 years old. I was thinking of getting the metal (cheaper) with a clear panel on the windows I use to watch whats going on. I dont want them if they are weaker though. I couldnt stand being unable to see. I went outside during charley and wilma.  It makes it much better when back inside.

Laptop. Webcams. Steel shutters.

Quoted: Good stuff... Interesting how the NG didnt give you trouble all camoed out with AR15's. I guess thats a good thing though.

That was after Andrew and it was a whole different world.

When we first encountered them we produced local IDs and indicated which homes we were operating out of. We also let them know which homes were vacant and that we were checking up on them.

Additionally we formed good relations with the NG in the area. Then Gov. Lawton Chiles ordered them to deploy with empty magazines. The Miami Herald found out and printed that in the newspaper so that residents wouldn't be scarred by the army guys with M-16s.

No sooner than in was announced in the paper every gang member in the area went up to guardsmen and stuck a loaded Glock in his face and got a brand new M-16. When we found out that was going on we went to all the local Guard posts and handed out 5.56 battlepacks.

Only one guardman refused the offer saying "Son, I'm from Texas. Do you really think my weapon is empty?"

When it became apparant the the local NG had things under control and their patrols were regular we discontinued ours. The nice thing about the NG (versus some local LE) is they are pretty astute about telling the good guys from the bad guys. They knew what we were doing and didn't feel as threatened by it as some in local LE might be.

Quoted: We lost 2 metal panels at work. On one the bolts sheared off, the other one the mounting holes were elongated by the wind. Motorola building across the street lost about 4 panels.  Our were steel not aluminum. Company is in Sunrise. Gerry

I used to live just down the street from you guys across from Plantation High School.

I believe those clear shutters sold at HD (maybe lexan?) were tested and found not to stand up to the Miami-Dade county specifications.  I talked to our engineer here at the office about those panels last year because my wife hates the dark and I have not being able to see out during the storm and he said they will be okay and will hold up if they are used only as the first and the last panel on the window.  Also, he said the shape must be such that they can interlock with steel panels and not catch the wind and keep the wind out.  I plan on replacing 2 steel panels in each room with these clear ones... when I can find them.

   

Great Article!  Gave me a few more things to add to my hurricane prep list.  

BTW - through the several hurricanes I have been through with children (not my own), I have also learned the value of the old Playstation 2 that I have.  Running the TV and PS2 for a couple of hours per day sure was helpful in keeping the kids occupied.

Quoted: We lost 2 metal panels at work. On one the bolts sheared off, the other one the mounting holes were elongated by the wind. Motorola building across the street lost about 4 panels.  Our were steel not aluminum. Company is in Sunrise. Gerry

There is a small new community of about 75 homes down by Homestead (built in last two years) where some houses lost over 75% of their panels during Wilma.  Every house lost some panels and most lost about 50% but couple houses lost over 75% of them.  

I have a relative who is part of the investigation team from state University checking out what happened and what he told me was scarry.  Many of the bolts that hold the panel were held in with cheap silicon caulk or liquid nail.  The correct way to attach those bolts is to use lead anchors that are drilled and installed 2" into the concrete.   He even found couple bolts that had tape wrapped around it because the hole they drilled was too big.  Of course county records show that hurricane shuttters were inspected and approved by the inspector.          

Great post, might come in handy since it's looking like I might be moving to Houston, although I guess they don't really get hit with huricanes with the regularity of Florida.

SHTF #1 choice HK91? It made the cut at least once apparently...

Nice Job

Very nice post!  While I am not in any immediate danger of hurricanes, this would be very helpful after a major tornado or storm.  Thanks!

Quoted: tag

+1

In my world, SteyAUG would be the Director of FEMA.

Nice job on the write-up Steyr

Good advice on making friends with the NG and offering them coffee!

great post

Quoted: SHTF #1 choice HK91? It made the cut at least once apparently...

Was my first pick for my first real hurricane over 10 years ago, hurricane Andrew.

I learned that a .308 rifle was HEAVY. I also learned that the conditions were not crappy enough to require an ultra reliable small arm like a HK or AK. Currently I only kit out with an AK if it is raining because I don't care if my AK gets drenched.

After Andrew I disconitined the HK91 as my first choice. I generally kitted out with AR-15s, a couple times with a HK33 and at least once with a Steyr AUG. I eventually discontinued those as my primary weapons because I discovered most encounters were extremely close events.

Currently my primary "go to" is the MP5.

This gives me commonality of ammo with my Sig handgun, a compact and lightweight weapon platform and a suppression option.

If it had been real hairy after Wilma my daylight weapon would have been a AR-15 and my rainy weather weapon would still be an AK. For everything else I'd have used the MP5 backed by my Sig.

Quoted: Good advice on making friends with the NG and offering them coffee!

The NG really IS your friend after a storm like this.

Take care of those who take care of you.

+1 on the weapons light.  I have never considered one previously because I shot during the daytime.  Unfortunately, you only have daylight for approximately 1/2 the day and sometimes the bad guys show up at dark.  

- Check your garage doors.  If your home is older, it may be likely that you do not have a reinforced garage door.  If you live in a newer home, you probably do as they are required by building code.  I have a newer one and it survived two Cat III storms (including one direct hit) without any bracing.  If you are unsure which type you have, go to your local home improvement store and ask them to show you which types they carry and then you can compare it to what you have.

- The steel shutters sure do look snazzy, but I've been using 5/8" plywood.  They survived 130+ mph winds with no damage.  As for Cat V, I can't attest to what their performance would be.  Then again, in a Cat V, I think I can say goodbye to my roof, in which case, my shutters are a moot point.  I may be wrong.

- In the aftermath of the storm, you WILL meet your neighbors.  Loss of electricity has a way of bring people out of their homes.  If you have a running generator and can run a freezer, you can earn a lot of points by making ice for the unprepared.  This is also a good time to show those around you how to prepare better in the future for themselves.  It worked for me.  My neighbor (now) had a generator for hurricane Dennis after he saw mine in use after Ivan.

- I believe that your use and carry of weapons will be dependant on your local and surrounding neighborhoods.  I live in a redneck suburbia and we had absolutely zero problems with looters.  It was different a bit further away.  Know your area and act accordingly.

- I wouldn't go overkill on the size of generator you purchase.  Remember, you have to feed that thing.  If you want enough power to light the Griswold family Christmas lights, you are going to need an Exxon truck parked next to your 1.2 Gigawatt generator.  For myself, I have a 5,000 watt generator that will power a freezer, window unit A/C and a 60 watt bulb simultaneously.  For that luxury, it costs me five gallons of gas for every twelve hours of use.  Figure out how much gas you can store, what you want to power and for how long you want it to run.  Adjust accordingly.

- Don't go cheap on the extension cords!  If you plan on running your fridge/freezer on a 14 guage cord, you just very well may kill your appliance.  Mine run exclusively on 12 guage - minimum.

- Oh yeah - test your car gas tank siphoning gear out ahead of time.  If you wait until after the storm to find out that your siphon line is too big to get past the anti-siphoning defenses in your gas tank, you may find that your generator may not get what it needs.  (I'm not saying that this happened to me though, because I'm smarter than to let something like that happen to me. )

Tag!

Quoted: +1 on the weapons light.  I have never considered one previously because I shot during the daytime.  Unfortunately, you only have daylight for approximately 1/2 the day and sometimes the bad guys show up at dark.   - Check your garage doors.  If your home is older, it may be likely that you do not have a reinforced garage door.  If you live in a newer home, you probably do as they are required by building code.  I have a newer one and it survived two Cat III storms (including one direct hit) without any bracing.  If you are unsure which type you have, go to your local home improvement store and ask them to show you which types they carry and then you can compare it to what you have. - The steel shutters sure do look snazzy, but I've been using 5/8" plywood.  They survived 130+ mph winds with no damage.  As for Cat V, I can't attest to what their performance would be.  Then again, in a Cat V, I think I can say goodbye to my roof, in which case, my shutters are a moot point.  I may be wrong. - In the aftermath of the storm, you WILL meet your neighbors.  Loss of electricity has a way of bring people out of their homes.  If you have a running generator and can run a freezer, you can earn a lot of points by making ice for the unprepared.  This is also a good time to show those around you how to prepare better in the future for themselves.  It worked for me.  My neighbor (now) had a generator for hurricane Dennis after he saw mine in use after Ivan. - I believe that your use and carry of weapons will be dependant on your local and surrounding neighborhoods.  I live in a redneck suburbia and we had absolutely zero problems with looters.  It was different a bit further away.  Know your area and act accordingly. - I wouldn't go overkill on the size of generator you purchase.  Remember, you have to feed that thing.  If you want enough power to light the Griswold family Christmas lights, you are going to need an Exxon truck parked next to your 1.2 Gigawatt generator.  For myself, I have a 5,000 watt generator that will power a freezer, window unit A/C and a 60 watt bulb simultaneously.  For that luxury, it costs me five gallons of gas for every twelve hours of use.  Figure out how much gas you can store, what you want to power and for how long you want it to run.  Adjust accordingly. - Don't go cheap on the extension cords!  If you plan on running your fridge/freezer on a 14 guage cord, you just very well may kill your appliance.  Mine run exclusively on 12 guage - minimum. - Oh yeah - test your car gas tank siphoning gear out ahead of time.  If you wait until after the storm to find out that your siphon line is too big to get past the anti-siphoning defenses in your gas tank, you may find that your generator may not get what it needs.  (I'm not saying that this happened to me though, because I'm smarter than to let something like that happen to me. )

That coincides with my experiences.

I would encourage you to look into quality shutters. All the homes in Homestead that kept their roof after Andrew had them, the ones with plywood in the front yard and no roof did not have them. Also shutters go up and down a LOT faster than plywood and you can do it yourself.

You are spot on with the generator. I had a 5550 and it got twelve hours to a tank of 5 gallons. I ran it from about 10:00am to about 10:00pm then shut it down for an hour and tossed in a little more gas to run if from 11:00pm to a bit after midnight then locked it up in the shed so it wouldn't get stolen while I was asleep.

I was able to skip the extention cords since my gen has a 30 watt 220 plug. I was able to wire a 220 cord direct to my box (I pulled the meter so I didn't backpower the line) and just clicked off all the 2 phase breakers. This meant no extention cords and I could click on room lights and use ceiling fans. Was a serious luxury.

And "I" did plan on using my gas tank of my Dodge as a reserve but couldn't get a hose past the anti siphon device. Glad I had enough gas in reserve in gas cans.