Need Info from Folks with Hurricane experience...PLEASE!

Hi L.-

We moved to the Houston area 6 years ago from Chicago and have now survived Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Ike.

If you are out of the potential storm surge and flooding area, you are most likely just going to get a REALLY, REALLY, bad storm with extremely high winds. Take in anything outside that is not bolted down. All furniture, kids toys, etc they will all become projectiles in high winds.

Next, be prepared to potentially be without power for several days. This means batteries and food that you can eat without the use of a microwave or electric oven/stove. If you have a gas stove, have some matches or a lighter so you can still light it and cook that way.

Have plenty of bottled water in case your water is not usable. Also, fill your tubs with water right before the storm. If you lose your water you can use the tub water to wash up or to fill the toilet tank if those are not working. Basically have everything you need for your family to survive in your house for up to a week if necessary since stores may not reopen for awhile and some streets might have debris for a few days and not be driveable.

At night during the storm, don't let anyone sleep near any windows. Also, make sure your car gas tanks are full before the storm hits.

Good luck,
K.

The course of the hurricane has changed. We are about 90 minutes south of DC and live very close to the water, maybe 2 miles if that. I am not worried about the rain at all...more the wind. but even at that, it's not supposed to be too bad. But we prepare either way. Tons of water, batteries, and canned food. Plus we charge up all of the electronics (Portable DVD players, DSi's, laptops, etc) so that we have entertainment if we need it :). Good luck!!!

I've not been through a hurricane, but have been through several tornadoes.

Look on the National Weather service website for suggestions,and DON'T PANIC.

Move anything loose from your yard into your garage. Don't park your car under a tree or power line or in a low spot. Park on a hill or high spot in a parking lot. If it comes ashore, and its not supposed to, go with your family in a downstairs room with no outside walls or windows. Bring blankets or snacks and listen to the radio. We packed a 72-hour kit. Basic food and drinks and neccessities (toilet paper, etc.) to last you 72 hours if you are told to evacuate.

Then watch the news and DON'T PANIC. Keep your cool. Keeping calm will enable you to think logically when you need to. Keeping calm will also convey calm to your kids.

Good luck to you and yours.

.

Oh yeah.....be sure to have a little first aid kit with benedryl, tylenol, advil, polysporin, etc......

Mom's are just more on top of these kind of things, so just jump on it.

Listen to the news and follow their advice, but I will tell you my MIL lives inland and she had no electricity for 2 weeks last year. Fill your car with gas. Charge the battery on your cell phone, and if you don't own one buy a car charger for it. Buy bottled water, a couple of bags of ice for the cooler and put some extra water in containers for washing just in case you lose your water. Get extra food that does not need to be cooked or refrigerated. Some people buy some butane type "burners" so they can cook, but canned food, etc... should do the trick. They have small boxes of milks that don't need to be refrigerated until after opened......like Rice Milk.

The media can make a mountain out of a mole hill, but they are preparing for the worst. Hopefully the storm will literally blow over quickly, but for piece of mind be prepared.

p.s. try not to park your car in a low lying area.

Consult the neighbors. They are your resident experts. They'll tell you what to worry about, what not to worry about, what to do every time there's an alert, and what is optional. Go ahead and do what they recommend.

Your husband will come around. It may be a personality thing. Or it may be that he's waiting to see what happens! Or it may be that since you're worried he's not gonna be....

Many, many people live in hurricane areas all their lives and live to tell about it! (They don't get on the evening news, though.)

I lived in Boca Raton, Florida for five years, right on the beach. I've been through numerous hurricanes and actually 4 back-to-back one year. There are several types of hurricanes and I'm not just referring to categories one through four. There are wet storms and dry storms. What side of the hurricane are you going to be on (i.e. east, west, etc.)? More than likely you will over prepare and the storm will under-deliver. As much as they project a path of a hurricane, they have no idea where it is going to hit or go until it actually hits land.

As you said, I would move all the things that could potentially blow away into your garage. In case it is a wet storm, I would pick up anything off the floor of the garage that you wouldn't want to get wet. No matter what anyone tells you, DO NOT TAPE YOUR WINDOWS! It does absolutely nothing and contrary to popular opinion, it will not keep the glass together should the window break.

Fill your bathtub with water. Should you lose water, you will need drinking water or bath water or water to flush the toilet with. If you have a generator, keep it handy in case you lose power. Make sure you have a flash light handy in case that happens too. If you lose power, open the fridge as little as possible, but truthfully, you will have about 24 hours to eat anything that is perishable in the fridge. Get ready-to-eat food as well just in case you can't use the stove (i.e. power loss, etc.). Get some board games and make the most of the storm. If it comes your way and you don't have hurricane shutters, which I am doubtful that you do, make sure that if there are any trees near any of your windows that no one sleeps near that window.

I promise you that it will be fine. Tornadoes come with hurricanes typically so that isn't a bad way to think of how to prepare. Do what you would do for a tornado in some sense.

All this sounds scary and I hate to sound so relaxed, but I lived in Hurricane territory for so long that it is par for the course. If you have any other questions let me know. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I can try and give you as much info as I can. You'll be fine. Don't worry so much.

I don't have any personal hurricane experience. But here is a list I found that may help you get more prepared. http://articles.dailypress.com/2010-09-01/news/dp-nws-ear...
I understand that it is frustrating when you are scared and your night in shining armor isn't (seemingly) protecting you. Just don't allow your fear to take over, you'll get through this. Perhaps your husband feels overly secure because you are so far inland. Or perhaps he's spoken with coworkers who have that "no big deal" attitude. Just ask him directly for what you need, and avoid criticizing him for his past actions. Good luck

Most likely you're going to get a lot of rain and maybe a bit of wind.
You can get a fairly idea how close it's predicted to come near you by watching information here:
National Hurricane Center
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
Their Warnings/Cone interactive tracker is cool, too:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at2+shtml/090751...
For your area it looks like it's going to be a near miss (for the direct action) but you can get some fall out from wind/rain and tidal surges.
If you're likely to lose power, stock up on batteries (and food you can eat without cooking).
When we lose power, our well pump won't work, so we also stock up on bottled water. Freezing some in your freezer will help keep it cold if your power is out for a long time.
It doesn't hurt to bring loose things inside (garbage cans into the garage, and secure patio furniture) if the wind gets high enough to move it around.
If you have storm drains, make sure they are clear (so rain water can drain away as best it can).
Talking to your neighbors (who have lived in the area awhile) will give you the best information about how your neighborhood is likely to flood, if it's likely at all.
For our area, as far as I can tell, Earl should give us less trouble than a Nor'easter we had come through last fall.
You'll be fine!

You should be asking your neighbors about what happens. If you are very close to the bay, even if the wind does not cause damage, the storm surge will drive those waters in a very long way, what you need to know from someone who has been through one (and it has been a while since they went through that far north) how far inland the storm surge comes and if you should expect flooding. Hurricanes are tricky, you never really know how bad it is going to be, so you should prepare. Even a tropical storm can cause real problems if it stalls or wabbles a little differently than the weather men predicts. Our worst expereinces were from tropical storms, so you just never know!

We went through several TS & Hurricanese in Lousiana and Texas, and you should have drinking water, a couple of weeks of any prescription medications for your family, some non perishable foods, and cash, on hand if you are sheltering in place. If the power goes out, you can't get money from an ATM, and most places will not be able to run your credit card either. Charge your cell phones, but you may not have that service either) Get extra batteries and a portable radio and flashlights, you may have trouble finding these on the shelf by now, or bottled water, but you can also get a few pitchers and fill them and fill up your own bottles before the storm. You usually do not loose water, but you will be told not to drink it.

Usually, it is just a few hours that your power will go out, but it could be a day or even more in the worst case. Make some extra ice today if you can, and if you have a freezer, buy some ice and store it,and have your coolers handy. You may need them if your power goes out, and ice is the first thing that is in short supply (along with the generators at the Home Depot.) Leave the freezer and the frigde shut if the power goes out so that you conserve the cold and save your stuff if the outage is short lived, and only open it and put your stuff into coolers if it is obvious that your power is going to be out for longer than it would take before your stuff starts to thaw. You may want to have the grill handy for after the storm (protect it, so that you can use it) and cook all the stuff you will loose if the power goes out on the grill. It is a good time for BBQ. If you are a coffe addict (like me) I always made sure that I had a way to brew it (you can put a kettle on your grill to heat water!) If you have a gas range, you can still use that if you have a lighter or matches because the electric starter will not work.

Don't know about Delaware, but down south you want to stay out of the surge waters, even if they look still and not too dirty. Kids will want to play in them, and the surge can bring all kinds of stuff inland that you would not find usually, like snakes and (in Texas-fire ants!) and you just never know what is under it, or if it washed out what you think is under it, like the road.

Good luck, I hope it is not too bad. If you have a chain saw, you will be everyone's best friend...if not, listen for that buzz, and make a new friend from down the street. My husband was never without a chain saw in the garage (he grew up in Houston!)

M.

I'm jealous that you are getting ready to experience some exciting weather, prepare for it and enjoy it! Don't forget to take pictures and vids. You would KNOW if you were in a very dangerous area, trust me you would have someone knocking on your door to warn you. Have you talked to any of your immediate neighbors? What are they doing to prepare?
You are may be misinterpreting your husbands real feelings about the up and coming hurricane. Men try to remain calm so as not to get the women and children all scared. He's at work, you are at home. If I were you I'd go drag in all the things that could blow away in 100 mph wind. Make sure you do have flash lights, matches, water, etc.. in case of power outage.

**Let him be proud of you that you prepared the nest for the storm while he was at work.

Since you seem so anxious, take this anxiety out on the prep.... you will feel better afterwards. Anything you can't move that you feel would be jeopardized by rain and wind, let hubby know about those things and he can decide whether or not they need to be protected.
Be strong, brave and prepared... it's more sexy than a damsel in distress these days.

dont panic, they always make it sound worse, they make it sound really bad so the more people watch the news. can hurricanes be horrible, of course, but this isnt going to be comparable especially where you live. remember, hurricanes are notorious for moving all over so never depend where it will go. when hurricanes hit land, they slow down, so being inland is a good thing.

now for preparation, just use common sense. have you experience with blizzards or noreasters? much of it is the same. hurricanes make wind, so taking in everything from outside is your best bet, everything blows all over. to be extra safe, go outside and take inventory of the trees in yard to be aware of any branches that could end up in your roof. get water, although we on the jersey coast have never had a water problem ever. get gas in the car so you dont have to worry or in case you did decide to leave the area. get food, and make sure its also stuff that doesnt need refrigeration. if you are really into it, make some ice in the freezer and have a cooler in case you do lose electricity for awhile to give you a day or two more without food spoiling. have your cell phone charged, and also have a land line phone. nowadays, everyone has cordless phones, but if the power is out, and phone lines work, you still have no way to make calls.

and then to make life easier, get your laundry done today in case you lose power, and anything else you just dont want to get backed up with.

but really, i have 2 little kids, am pregnant, are on the jersey coast, and arent worried. i have seen many in my lifetime, but havent seen a good one hit here since i was a little girl. im sure it will be okay, but def get everything that will blow.

as for your husband, just sounds like a guy that needs to be directed. just make a list for him to do when he gets home and you go to the food store. that way you arent in each others business. and fyi, i have lived here my whole life with snow, noreasters, hurricanes, even flooding, and tornadoes look way more scary to me!!!

I went through a couple bad northeaster storms living on Long Island about 45 min inland including one hurricane and one hurricane while living way way inland in VA. I think wind is the enemy and you are most at risk from 2 things. First, losing electricity for perhaps days. And second, not being able to drive anywher for a couple days due to down trees and wires. For this reason, I think you need to have basic emergency supplies like flashlights, batteries, radio. You also want to stock up on non-perishable food, diapers, etc. I guess you could lose your water, but I think that is unlikely. For our LI hurricane, we taped our windows (big X on the panes) I guess to prevent shattering should the glass break, but in hind sight it seems a little silly. More likely, I would be worried about big mature trees coming down on your roof - have you had your trees checked or trimmed in recent years? Lastly, tornados pop up in huricanes, but you probably know what to do there :)

So basically, make sure you have an emergency kit and essentials for losing power and have a safe place to go in your basement if the wind gets bad (away from windows, etc.). It doesn't sound to me like you would need to worry about flooding, but I don't know where you live. All in all, I wouldn't worry too much, and I don't think it will be even the worst storm you have been in, but you want to be prepared.

Don't be afraid to ask your neighors, they've probaly been through this before and can reassure you during this scary time! Good luck and stay calm!

I can't see the other responses but I am sure they are very similar to the one I will give.
1. The main thing you will encounter is the wind and rain aspect of the hurricane. You are enough inland to protect you from the water surge from the ocean although depending on the hurricane strength, there may be some flooding directly around the bay as the water may get backed up into it. So, securing anything outside that may get blown away is the first step.
2. If you have a large wall of windows, boarding them up to protect from blowing debris is good. (Once again, may not be necessary where you live.)
3. The big thing to prepare for would be power outages. Sometimes these may last for a week or more depending on the extent. So having flashlights, batteries, radio, coolers, fresh water in bottles, and other "camping" type provisions are helpful including canned foods. Filling your bathtub before the storm hits is helpful if you need the water to flush the toilet with later. (Many cities have enough water pressure that this is not necessary but if you are on well or cistern water you will need this.)
4. Sometimes cell phones and wireless phones won't work after storms, so having an old fashioned wired land line is helpful so people may contact you.

Hope this helps.

I just moved to houston and went through the hurricane about 2 weeks after I got here. I also am from tornado alley. you will get 3 days of waves of rain. they told us here get laterns and batteries and stock at least 15 gallons of water. buy alot of canned goods and a propane stove to cook with if you dont have one. if the eye hits you your supposed to board your windows. your weather man will tell you what to expect. like with tornados. your not supposed to get a direct hit so you will just get alot of rain. in tornado alley you get as much rain in 3 hours as you will get in 3 days with a hurricane.

life goes on as normal until the eye hits.basically it will be easier than tornado weather. and the churches can help you with tornado prepardness. I was like during the one that hit houston after being from tornado alley my feeling was like and this is panic weather? boy you all got it easy. relax and enjoy the calm of the hurricane as opposed to the tornado weather. expect more flooding cause they arent used to the heavy rain we get in tornado weather and dont irrigate well.