How To SURVIVE Your Next Hurricane...

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How To SURVIVE Your Next Hurricane...

Posted: 9/8/2004 12:38:18 PM EDT

Cause these things happen, and sometimes more than once in a row...

First do everything here:

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=265798

What To Do BEFORE The Next Hurricane...

Hurricane Frances was a category 4 so that meant after taking care of supplies and locking down my house as much as possible I fled west. We stayed with freinds and put 20 miles between us and the coastline. If it is a category 4 or 5 and you are EXPECTED to be hit directly LEAVE whenever possible. Don't go north or south, go inland.

Shutter Up.

Stop screwing around with plywood and awning shutters. Get the real ones and your home will have the best possible chance of surviving the storm. Rule of thumb is when you lose a window you lose a roof. Post hurricane living sucks, it's a lot worse when your house is wide open.

Have your shit laid out.

Be able to find it in the dark cause you are going to lose power. Out west we were without power for several days. For perspective the storm that hit last weekend knocked out power so bad in West Palm Beach they are announcing October 4 as the date when everyone will be restored.

Convert your refrigerator to an old fashion ice box.

Eat your perishables the days prior to the storm and fill containers with water and freeze them. Giant blocks of ice will help keep your fridge cold a few extra days after the power goes out.

Battery operated TVs are your friend.

You want to be able to SEE where the damn storm is right now. This thing was $20 at Kmart, buy one.

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.

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.

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 doezen 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.

We got LUCKY.

We didn't lose water like they did after Andrew so we had that luxury. We also had a few businesses that got power and were open the day after the storm. Pretty nice to be able to do a McDonalds run and take a load of wash to the coin laundry.

It was an eventful week.

Posted: 9/8/2004 12:43:49 PM EDT

[#1]

What brand solar lantern is that?

Posted: 9/8/2004 12:45:06 PM EDT

[#2]

move to indiana until halloween ;)

Posted: 9/8/2004 12:48:08 PM EDT

[#3]

Reminds me of this:

It's hurricane season, best to be prepared. We have entered the hurricane season. Every day for the next several months, you'll turn on the TV to see a weather person pointing to some radar blob out in the Atlantic Ocean and making two basic meteorological points:

(1) There is no need to panic.
(2) We could all be killed!

Yes, hurricane season is an exciting time to be in Florida. If you're new to the area, you're probably wondering what you need to do to prepare for the possibility that we'll get hit by "the big one." Based on our experiences, we recommend that you follow this simple three-step hurricane preparedness plan:

STEP 1: Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at least three days
STEP 2: Put these supplies into your car.
STEP 3: Drive to Nebraska and remain there until Halloween.

Unfortunately, statistics show that most people will not follow this sensible plan. Most people will foolishly stay here in Florida. We'll start with one of the most important hurricane preparedness items:

HOMEOWNERS' INSURANCE:
If you own a home, you must have hurricane insurance. Fortunately, this insurance is cheap and easy to get, as long as your home meets two basic requirements:

(1) It is reasonably well-built, and
(2) It is located in Nebraska.

Unfortunately, if your home is located in Florida, or any other area that might actually be hit by a hurricane, most insurance companies would prefer not to sell you hurricane insurance, because then they might be required to pay YOU money, and that is certainly not why they got into the insurance business in the first place. So you'll have to scrounge around for an insurance company, which will charge you an annual premium roughly equal to the replacement value of your house. At any moment, this company can drop you like used dental floss. Since Hurricane Andrew, most Floridians have had an estimated 27 different home-insurance companies. This week, I'm covered by the Bob and Big Stan Insurance Co., under a policy which states that, in addition to my premium, Bob and Big Stan are entitled, on demand, to my kidneys.

SHUTTERS:
Your house should have hurricane shutters on all the windows, all the doors, and -- if it's a major hurricane -- all the toilets. There are several types of shutters, with advantages and disadvantages:

Plywood shutters: The advantage is that, because you make them yourself, they're cheap. The disadvantage is that, because you make them yourself, they will fall off.

Sheet-metal shutters: The advantage is that these work well, once you get them all up. The disadvantage is that once you get them all up, your hands will be useless bleeding stumps, and it will be December. Roll-down
shutters: The advantages are that they're very easy to use, and will definitely protect your house. The disadvantage is that you will have to sell your house to pay for them.

Hurricane-proof windows: These are the newest wrinkle in hurricane protection. They look like ordinary windows, but they can withstand hurricane winds! You can be sure of this, because the salesman says so. He lives in Nebraska.

HURRICANE PROOFING YOUR PROPERTY:
As the hurricane approaches, check your yard for movable objects like barbecue grills, planters, patio furniture, visiting relatives, etc. You should, as a precaution, throw these items into your swimming pool (if you don't have a swimming pool, you should have one built immediately).
Otherwise, the hurricane winds will turn these objects into deadly missiles.

EVACUATION ROUTE:
If you live in a low-lying area, you should have an evacuation route planned out. (To determine whether you live in a low-lying area, look at your driver's license; if it says "Florida," you live in a low-lying area). The purpose of having an evacuation route is to avoid being trapped in your home
when a major storm hits. Instead, you will be trapped in a gigantic traffic jam several miles from your home, along with two hundred thousand other evacuees. So, as a bonus, you will not be lonely.

HURRICANE SUPPLIES:
If you don't evacuate, you will need a mess of supplies. Do not buy them now! Florida tradition requires that you wait until the last possible minute, then go to the supermarket and get into vicious fights with strangers over who gets the last can of SPAM. In addition to food and water, you will need the following supplies:

• 23 flashlights. At least $167 worth of batteries that, when the power goes off, turn out to be the wrong size for the flashlights.
• Bleach. (No, I don't know what the bleach is for. NOBODY knows what the bleach is for, but it's traditional, so GET some!)
• 55 gallon drum of underarm deodorant.
• A big knife that you can strap to your leg. (This will be useless in a hurricane, but it looks cool.) • A large quantity of raw chicken, to placate the alligators. (Ask anybody who went through Andrew; after the hurricane, there WILL be irate alligators.)
• $35,000 in cash or diamonds so that, after the hurricane passes, you can buy a generator from a man with no discernible teeth.

Of course these are just basic precautions. As the hurricane draws near, it is vitally important that you keep abreast of the situation by turning on your television and watching TV reporters in rain slickers standing right next to the ocean and tell you over and over how vitally important it is for everybody to stay away from the ocean.

Good luck, and remember: It's great living in Paradise.

Posted: 9/8/2004 12:53:28 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
What brand solar lantern is that?

www.survivalunlimited.com/flashlights/solarlantern.htm

Posted: 9/8/2004 12:53:36 PM EDT

[#5]

((clap))((clap))((clap)) Excellant work Steyr!!

Explanation w/ pics...great work!

I am still trying figure out how to wire my portable generator to the fuse box.

Gonna call an electrician tomorrow.

Posted: 9/8/2004 12:54:37 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Reminds me of this:

It's hurricane season, best to be prepared. We have entered the hurricane season. Every day for the next several months, you'll turn on the TV to see a weather person pointing to some radar blob out in the Atlantic Ocean and making two basic meteorological points:

(1) There is no need to panic.
(2) We could all be killed!

Yes, hurricane season is an exciting time to be in Florida. If you're new to the area, you're probably wondering what you need to do to prepare for the possibility that we'll get hit by "the big one." Based on our experiences, we recommend that you follow this simple three-step hurricane preparedness plan:

STEP 1: Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at least three days
STEP 2: Put these supplies into your car.
STEP 3: Drive to Nebraska and remain there until Halloween.

Unfortunately, statistics show that most people will not follow this sensible plan. Most people will foolishly stay here in Florida. We'll start with one of the most important hurricane preparedness items:

HOMEOWNERS' INSURANCE:
If you own a home, you must have hurricane insurance. Fortunately, this insurance is cheap and easy to get, as long as your home meets two basic requirements:

(1) It is reasonably well-built, and
(2) It is located in Nebraska.

Unfortunately, if your home is located in Florida, or any other area that might actually be hit by a hurricane, most insurance companies would prefer not to sell you hurricane insurance, because then they might be required to pay YOU money, and that is certainly not why they got into the insurance business in the first place. So you'll have to scrounge around for an insurance company, which will charge you an annual premium roughly equal to the replacement value of your house. At any moment, this company can drop you like used dental floss. Since Hurricane Andrew, most Floridians have had an estimated 27 different home-insurance companies. This week, I'm covered by the Bob and Big Stan Insurance Co., under a policy which states that, in addition to my premium, Bob and Big Stan are entitled, on demand, to my kidneys.

SHUTTERS:
Your house should have hurricane shutters on all the windows, all the doors, and -- if it's a major hurricane -- all the toilets. There are several types of shutters, with advantages and disadvantages:

Plywood shutters: The advantage is that, because you make them yourself, they're cheap. The disadvantage is that, because you make them yourself, they will fall off.

Sheet-metal shutters: The advantage is that these work well, once you get them all up. The disadvantage is that once you get them all up, your hands will be useless bleeding stumps, and it will be December. Roll-down
shutters: The advantages are that they're very easy to use, and will definitely protect your house. The disadvantage is that you will have to sell your house to pay for them.

Hurricane-proof windows: These are the newest wrinkle in hurricane protection. They look like ordinary windows, but they can withstand hurricane winds! You can be sure of this, because the salesman says so. He lives in Nebraska.

HURRICANE PROOFING YOUR PROPERTY:
As the hurricane approaches, check your yard for movable objects like barbecue grills, planters, patio furniture, visiting relatives, etc. You should, as a precaution, throw these items into your swimming pool (if you don't have a swimming pool, you should have one built immediately).
Otherwise, the hurricane winds will turn these objects into deadly missiles.

EVACUATION ROUTE:
If you live in a low-lying area, you should have an evacuation route planned out. (To determine whether you live in a low-lying area, look at your driver's license; if it says "Florida," you live in a low-lying area). The purpose of having an evacuation route is to avoid being trapped in your home
when a major storm hits. Instead, you will be trapped in a gigantic traffic jam several miles from your home, along with two hundred thousand other evacuees. So, as a bonus, you will not be lonely.

HURRICANE SUPPLIES:
If you don't evacuate, you will need a mess of supplies. Do not buy them now! Florida tradition requires that you wait until the last possible minute, then go to the supermarket and get into vicious fights with strangers over who gets the last can of SPAM. In addition to food and water, you will need the following supplies:

• 23 flashlights. At least $167 worth of batteries that, when the power goes off, turn out to be the wrong size for the flashlights.
• Bleach. (No, I don't know what the bleach is for. NOBODY knows what the bleach is for, but it's traditional, so GET some!)
• 55 gallon drum of underarm deodorant.
• A big knife that you can strap to your leg. (This will be useless in a hurricane, but it looks cool.) • A large quantity of raw chicken, to placate the alligators. (Ask anybody who went through Andrew; after the hurricane, there WILL be irate alligators.)
• $35,000 in cash or diamonds so that, after the hurricane passes, you can buy a generator from a man with no discernible teeth.

Of course these are just basic precautions. As the hurricane draws near, it is vitally important that you keep abreast of the situation by turning on your television and watching TV reporters in rain slickers standing right next to the ocean and tell you over and over how vitally important it is for everybody to stay away from the ocean.

Good luck, and remember: It's great living in Paradise.

My sides are hurting now...

Glad you made it, SA.

Posted: 9/8/2004 12:57:56 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Reminds me of this:

It's hurricane season, best to be prepared. We have entered the hurricane season. Every day for the next several months, you'll turn on the TV to see a weather person pointing to some radar blob out in the Atlantic Ocean and making two basic meteorological points:

(1) There is no need to panic.
(2) We could all be killed!

Yes, hurricane season is an exciting time to be in Florida. If you're new to the area, you're probably wondering what you need to do to prepare for the possibility that we'll get hit by "the big one." Based on our experiences, we recommend that you follow this simple three-step hurricane preparedness plan:

STEP 1: Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at least three days
STEP 2: Put these supplies into your car.
STEP 3: Drive to Nebraska and remain there until Halloween.

Unfortunately, statistics show that most people will not follow this sensible plan. Most people will foolishly stay here in Florida. We'll start with one of the most important hurricane preparedness items:

HOMEOWNERS' INSURANCE:
If you own a home, you must have hurricane insurance. Fortunately, this insurance is cheap and easy to get, as long as your home meets two basic requirements:

(1) It is reasonably well-built, and
(2) It is located in Nebraska.

Unfortunately, if your home is located in Florida, or any other area that might actually be hit by a hurricane, most insurance companies would prefer not to sell you hurricane insurance, because then they might be required to pay YOU money, and that is certainly not why they got into the insurance business in the first place. So you'll have to scrounge around for an insurance company, which will charge you an annual premium roughly equal to the replacement value of your house. At any moment, this company can drop you like used dental floss. Since Hurricane Andrew, most Floridians have had an estimated 27 different home-insurance companies. This week, I'm covered by the Bob and Big Stan Insurance Co., under a policy which states that, in addition to my premium, Bob and Big Stan are entitled, on demand, to my kidneys.

SHUTTERS:
Your house should have hurricane shutters on all the windows, all the doors, and -- if it's a major hurricane -- all the toilets. There are several types of shutters, with advantages and disadvantages:

Plywood shutters: The advantage is that, because you make them yourself, they're cheap. The disadvantage is that, because you make them yourself, they will fall off.

Sheet-metal shutters: The advantage is that these work well, once you get them all up. The disadvantage is that once you get them all up, your hands will be useless bleeding stumps, and it will be December. Roll-down
shutters: The advantages are that they're very easy to use, and will definitely protect your house. The disadvantage is that you will have to sell your house to pay for them.

Hurricane-proof windows: These are the newest wrinkle in hurricane protection. They look like ordinary windows, but they can withstand hurricane winds! You can be sure of this, because the salesman says so. He lives in Nebraska.

HURRICANE PROOFING YOUR PROPERTY:
As the hurricane approaches, check your yard for movable objects like barbecue grills, planters, patio furniture, visiting relatives, etc. You should, as a precaution, throw these items into your swimming pool (if you don't have a swimming pool, you should have one built immediately).
Otherwise, the hurricane winds will turn these objects into deadly missiles.

EVACUATION ROUTE:
If you live in a low-lying area, you should have an evacuation route planned out. (To determine whether you live in a low-lying area, look at your driver's license; if it says "Florida," you live in a low-lying area). The purpose of having an evacuation route is to avoid being trapped in your home
when a major storm hits. Instead, you will be trapped in a gigantic traffic jam several miles from your home, along with two hundred thousand other evacuees. So, as a bonus, you will not be lonely.

HURRICANE SUPPLIES:
If you don't evacuate, you will need a mess of supplies. Do not buy them now! Florida tradition requires that you wait until the last possible minute, then go to the supermarket and get into vicious fights with strangers over who gets the last can of SPAM. In addition to food and water, you will need the following supplies:

• 23 flashlights. At least $167 worth of batteries that, when the power goes off, turn out to be the wrong size for the flashlights.
• Bleach. (No, I don't know what the bleach is for. NOBODY knows what the bleach is for, but it's traditional, so GET some!)
• 55 gallon drum of underarm deodorant.
• A big knife that you can strap to your leg. (This will be useless in a hurricane, but it looks cool.) • A large quantity of raw chicken, to placate the alligators. (Ask anybody who went through Andrew; after the hurricane, there WILL be irate alligators.)
• $35,000 in cash or diamonds so that, after the hurricane passes, you can buy a generator from a man with no discernible teeth.

Of course these are just basic precautions. As the hurricane draws near, it is vitally important that you keep abreast of the situation by turning on your television and watching TV reporters in rain slickers standing right next to the ocean and tell you over and over how vitally important it is for everybody to stay away from the ocean.

Good luck, and remember: It's great living in Paradise.

My sides are hurting now...

Glad you made it, SA.

Posted: 9/8/2004 1:30:01 PM EDT

[#8]

Bumped cause Ivan will hit somebody.

Posted: 9/8/2004 3:43:24 PM EDT

[#9]

I'll bump again because you did a fantastic job of thinking this through and posting the info in a very user-friendly way. I'll add this to my archives.

Glad you survived Francis. Sorry for the hijack.

Posted: 9/8/2004 4:00:17 PM EDT

[#10]

I'll be more prepared ala Steyr AUG next year. After Andrew, I now take things much more seriously. I was 23 back then and had no family. Now I have a wife and two young daughters to protect. We survived Frances without a problem. No electric for 2 days (although my neighbors just west of us had zero power interruptions.) A generator is on the top of the list along with a shaker unit. The breeze inside the house was nice, but in the aftermath of an "Andrew" AC would be really nice.

We ate at Sonny's Sunday night and 10 minutes after we got home, the power returned.
We were lucky this time. Next time it could be worse. Much worse.

HS1

Posted: 9/8/2004 4:06:47 PM EDT

[#11]

Thanks for all of the tips! I will rememeber them if I ever move back to a hurricane state. Were getting ready for cold weather he in MO. Let it snow!

Posted: 9/8/2004 4:07:12 PM EDT

[#12]

Those of us in South Florida (Dade & Broward counties) got real lucy with Charlie and Frances but Ivan is still out there. I was in Dade during Andrew and had no water for 11 days and no electricity for 14 days. The house was shuttered tightly so it survived.

Three days after Andrew I remember having to drive up north to Boca (50+ miles) with $200 in my pocket and 4 large ice chest to buy water and ice. First store I found open (in Dania) wanted $5 for a bag of ice. Second place I found open was a Pizza Hut and the manager wanted $30 to fill each ice chest with ice. Finally went up north and found Burger King where the manager filled all 4 ice chest with ice for nothing and gave me a cup of coke. Finally got back home after about 10 hours with 4 ice chest full of ice and about 40 gallons of water. Neighbors appreciated the ice and water. Oh yeah, I got a tank of gas too.

Now, every spring I stock up on enough food and water for 15 days for my family (me, wife and 2 dogs) and have everything ready to bug out in 1 hour or less (need to prepare all importanrt documents, personal papers, pics of the house inside and out on CD's, etc.). I had the house secured with shutters and had everything put away from the outside in 3 hours. Finally, I keep about $500-$600 in small bills in the safe.

Need to be prepared to live in paradise.

Posted: 9/8/2004 4:09:28 PM EDT

[#13]

Did you run into any situations where that MP5 justified its cost?

I hope not. Glad to see you survived.

Posted: 9/8/2004 4:10:00 PM EDT

[#14]

Does anyone get ice blocks and keep a freezer full of them?

Posted: 9/8/2004 4:12:05 PM EDT

[#15]

No one has asked yet? Where's the action report

Posted: 9/8/2004 4:15:09 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Does anyone get ice blocks and keep a freezer full of them?

No it is better to freeze jugs ahead of time.
Then they don't leak and you can drink them if they thaw.

Bob

Posted: 9/8/2004 4:16:16 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
No one has asked yet? Where's the action report

When I was preparing for Frances last week, my wife wanted to know where her pistols was (a Browning Hi-Power) and my shotgun

Posted: 9/8/2004 4:20:05 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
move to indiana until halloween ;)

+1

Posted: 9/8/2004 4:24:38 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
No one has asked yet? Where's the action report

Late Saturday night some guy decides to pound at my door. Since the power was out, I couldn't see him through the peephole. Figuring it was better to answer the door than to let the guy assume nobody was home, I opened the door. The light from my M3 lit him up real nice and startled him quite a bit. He responded with, " Oh, i'm sorry. I can't get my friends house right." He quickly left once he noticed my presence and large stature. It's funny though, he had no idea the light was attached to my G17. This admittance would have been better had he been more persistant in entering my home. He was lucky. Next time, maybe I won't answer the door just to see what might happen next!

HS1

Posted: 9/8/2004 4:34:22 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Did you run into any situations where that MP5 justified its cost? I hope not. Glad to see you survived.

Yes I did. Just having it available and the piece of mind that brought was worth every penny.

An added bonus was one night before I went outside the wife grabbed one of the other MP5s, stuck a hot mag in it and slung it before coming outside behind me.

Posted: 9/8/2004 4:39:35 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
No one has asked yet? Where's the action report

Only one incident of consequence.

Couple black guys in the back yard of a house that was known to be empty. Local kids tipped us off and several neighbors grabbed handguns and shotguns and gave chase. I got there kinda late but took a few fences with the MP5 until we lost sight of them.

They left a bloody t shirt on one fence so they at least got some scrapes. In all probability they were scoping out the neighbors generator. A homeboy mobile drove by minutes later going very slow as if he were looking for someone, probably these two assholes ride.

It takes an amazing piece of shit to try and steal generators from people FOLLOWING a hurricane. I wish we had gotten them.

Posted: 9/9/2004 10:26:21 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
It takes an amazing piece of shit to try and steal generators from people FOLLOWING a hurricane. I wish we had gotten them.

Why buy things and prepare when you can just steal it? That's the attitude of people who won't plan ahead for anything their entire lives.

GunLvr

Posted: 9/9/2004 10:37:59 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Did you run into any situations where that MP5 justified its cost? I hope not. Glad to see you survived.

Yes I did. Just having it available and the piece of mind that brought was worth every penny.

An added bonus was one night before I went outside the wife grabbed one of the other MP5s, stuck a hot mag in it and slung it before coming outside behind me.

PICS!!!!!

Posted: 9/9/2004 10:49:06 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Did you run into any situations where that MP5 justified its cost? I hope not. Glad to see you survived.

Yes I did. Just having it available and the piece of mind that brought was worth every penny.

An added bonus was one night before I went outside the wife grabbed one of the other MP5s, stuck a hot mag in it and slung it before coming outside behind me.

PICS!!!!!