Posted: 5/14/2009 8:06:33 AM EDT
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Florida provides unique challenges to the "prepared" person, so I find it necessary to start a thread here to discuss some of the ways we Floridians prepare.
Our high humidity, high heat and exposure to hurricanes, wild fires and poor geographical defense means we have to prepare differently than others. due to Op-Sec I don't find it prudent to list what you have done for your own preps, but perhaps some tips that we all should consider as florida specific? I'll start. Power outages are a guarantee during hurricane season so I have a generator and 15 gallons of gas on stand-by at all times. I've rigged my circuit breaker box to accept my generator so I can run my AC and one fridge to preserve the single most important survival related thing in Florida - AIR CONDITIONING! Only thing to boost morale during a power outage is cooling. You also need the ability to keep food cool when the power is out, and a cold drink on a hot August/September day is invaluable. If you are on a well, you need that Generator to be able to flush toilets (unless you have a pool). I think a generator is the first thing to get besides your standard 3 day supply of food and water. What contributions can you make to the Florida specific prep guide? |
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I'm just gonna check into a Disney hotel. LOL - protecting my property>comfort, so enjoy your stay. I'll be the guy with "trespassers will be shot" spraypainted on the garage. You have much to learn in the ways of ARFCOM. That said, if you've dealt with floridians, for more than 10 minutes, you'll think S has already HTF and want to shoot the zombies who live here. |
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I'm in no way prepped for a full on SHTF scenario, but I'll make it through the usual post hurricane fiasco as usual (been there, done that). All year long I grab jugs of water leading up to hurricane season until I have the corner of a room filled. Throw in tons of Gatorade, Gatorade mix, tea mix, and water treatment stuff and I'm good for quite a while. I do the same with canned food, soups, etc. By the time the first storm is a twinkle off the coast of Africa I usually have enough for 2-3 weeks.
Generator is tested and run every so often, lots of fuel jugs filled, and I add a bit of extra fuel in my boat should I need to have access to more (holds over 200 gal so as long as it's still there I'm set). Extra tank for the gas grill. Charcoal. Camping butane and stove. Tons of flashlights, batteries, candles, first aid gear. After Wilma came through and we were in the dark ages for a week and a half (some poor souls had to go MUCH longer) we pretty much lived camping style. Camping stove and grill, charcoal, you name it. Made the best of the situation and still managed to have a good time through it all. |
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Quoted: Yeah but that won't allow me to do this.... http://www.bennadel.com/resources/uploads/i_am_legend_will_smith_in_bathtub_with_samantha.jpg That's why I have two bathrooms.  |
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When I lived in South Florida, one lesson in particular was driven home very thoroughly.
Prepare early. That means buy plywood ahead of time. Stock water ahead of time. Have extra food ahead of time. Have extra batteries ahead of time... there's a pattern here, and that's for very good reason. Most of the population doesn't prepare, and once the warnings go up, and they news media goes into their 24/7 hurricane coverage, crowds of non-prepping people will strip out a walmart or home-improvement store to the bare walls in a couple of hours. If you wait until a day or two before landfall to buy stuff, you're SOL. You'll literally wait in a line all day long to find out that the truck that's bringing the next shipment of plywood won't be there for a couple hours yet. Been there, did that... much to my chagrin. Going through a single major hurricane will bring the prepping concept home, no matter where you live. When I moved out of Florida, I took the prepping mentality with me, and it served me well during various ice storms, blizzards, etc. Being prepared is more than just the Boy Scout Motto... it's truly a different way of looking at the world. |
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Quoted:
When I lived in South Florida, one lesson in particular was driven home very thoroughly. Prepare early. That means buy plywood ahead of time. Stock water ahead of time. Have extra food ahead of time. Have extra batteries ahead of time... there's a pattern here, and that's for very good reason. Most of the population doesn't prepare, and once the warnings go up, and they news media goes into their 24/7 hurricane coverage, crowds of non-prepping people will strip out a walmart or home-improvement store to the bare walls in a couple of hours. If you wait until a day or two before landfall to buy stuff, you're SOL. You'll literally wait in a line all day long to find out that the truck that's bringing the next shipment of plywood won't be there for a couple hours yet. Been there, did that... much to my chagrin. Going through a single major hurricane will bring the prepping concept home, no matter where you live. When I moved out of Florida, I took the prepping mentality with me, and it served me well during various ice storms, blizzards, etc. Being prepared is more than just the Boy Scout Motto... it's truly a different way of looking at the world. + 1000 I have supplies to last 6 months now... Andrew and Wilma was a good test / wake up call South Florida failed in the past... I won't be caught off guard ever again... I have an Ice machine in the garage that holds the ice cream and frozen food now... How-ever it doubles as an ice maker when needed... Be prepared... Never be complacent... |