Chris in PA Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 I keep listening to the Weather Channel tonight and am feeling like we should do some type of preparation. The meterologists have a different tone tonight. It is like a weird sense of urgency. I have never been through a hurricane or a tropical storm. Maybe I will check out what goes into a disaster prep kit. I could be overreacting but then again I never expected to have an earthquake here either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 We are. We have a generator, a well stock supply of food, sump pumps, and lots of other supplies on hand. Although, if it gets too bad for me we will leave. I went through Andrew so if it gets like that then I am leaving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 We have a kit that the kids and I assembled (it's a large Rubbermaid container) when Japan experienced the tsunami. DH checked to make sure the batteries for the flashlights were all in there a couple of weeks ago. We have lots of bottled water and things that don't require cooking -- the last time a hurricane blew through here our biggest problems were no water for 3 or 4 days and no electricity for a couple of days. You can google and see what is suggested you have on hand. Here's hoping that none of us need any of it!;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvingLife Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 We are! My dad and I are going out tomorrow to get the things we need in case things get really bad around here. You never know with the weather, like the earthquake we had, that was scary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 My husband loves meteorology. He teaches a weather class as a local college. He is in HEAVEN right now following this storm. Weather people get so excited about this stuff. DH and I were going to watch a movie together tonight, but he said, "This could be the biggest storm to hit the mid/northeast coast in 100 years! Would you mind if I just track it online?" And he's been happily hitting all the weather websites that he loves. With that said, he knows a LOT about the weather. We live in South Central PA (as I saw that you do), and I asked him if we should be worried. He said that we can get some bad weather, but no where near like what towns along a coastline will get. Hurricanes get their power out at sea, and when they travel over land they vastly lose their power. So, if you still live in South Central PA, I wouldn't worry too much. We will probably get bad weather, but not like the coastal people. Now, those coastal people might want to be taking some serious precautions. It's a doozy of a storm. It could settle down over the next few days, but if it doesn't, then it'll be fierce when it hits land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 I ran out this afternoon and grabbed bottled water and non-perishables. I couldn't find flashlights on base though, so I'm going to look for those again tomorrow. We have dh's military flashlights if we need to use them and plenty of batteries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 But now they are saying it will stay off the coast. I'll prob still have wind and rain, but that's manageable. Even if it does turn, I have most stuff needed for a few days on hand anyhow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 My advice as someone who lives in a hurricane prone area is to decide now whether to stay or to evacuate and begin to make preparations as soon as possible. If you plan to evacuate get on the road before the rush. The East Coast is much more densely populated than the Gulf Coast and even Texas and there have been major traffic bottlenecks in both areas during evacuations. If you plan to stay shop for your emergency supplies that you do not already have tomorrow before everyone else cleans out the stores. Also when making your decision about whether to stay or evacuate remember to take the tornados that hurricanes spawn into account as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 I'm making sure to do ALL the laundry before it gets to us just in case we end up without electricity for a few days. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 (edited) Thanks for the heads up. I've made my list of to-do, to-get tasks. Doesn't hurt to have the basics covered. Edited August 25, 2011 by askPauline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamom Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Looks like Irene's coming in a little closer to the coast than they thought yesterday. I like the idea of getting the laundry done and will pick up a few things from the store including water just in case. Otherwise we'll check the gutters and the sump pump and make sure the electrical devices are charged. I'm also planning on where I'm going to park my car so I'm not under any major trees. I hope this things decides to head out to sea but I'm thinking not at this point. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Don't underestimate what this can do. It is going through where we used to live (Tidewater area of VA). We went through three when I lived there, not direct hits. It was still pretty bad. Don't just look at the path, it is large, so the wind and rain will be far from the center. At minimum, you lose power. Off hand, here is a list: Get money (ATMs take power, and stores do open for cash business after a storm). Bottled water Lots of flashlights and batteries A battery operated radio w/batteries Make a lot of ice now to extend the life of refrigerator/freezer contents in a cooler Get nonperishable food (bread, peanut butter, canned goods, etc.) Get prescriptions filled Fill your gas tanks Bring in lawn furniture and other items from outside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 So the collective list is: Check sump pumps and gutters. Batteries and flashlights. Charge phones and such. Bottled water. Food that is nonperishable and doesn't need cooking. Get up-to-date on laundry and dishes. Make ice (perhaps with bottled water...) Think about where to park car (not under major trees). Cash Gas A battery operated radio w/batteries Get prescriptions filled Bring in lawn furniture and other items from outside All of which won't be wasted even if the storm passes us by. Any other suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Don't forget to test your generators and chain saws. Get oil for the chain saw and make sure you have good tarps. I guess we are having a baking day this week. Muffins, cookies, etc are great for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in PA Posted August 25, 2011 Author Share Posted August 25, 2011 My dh is going to spend this evening cutting back several of the trees around the house. Needs done anyway and then we won't have to worry about falling branches. We are also putting away all the patio furniture and anything the could blow around outside. I never thought about where we park our cars. My dh parks his Jeep in the driveway under a tree. Going to change that for the weekend. I am going to gas up both vehicles and buy extra batteries. Plus I love the baking idea. I have some zucchini sitting around. I think we will make bread and muffins tomorrow and Sat morning. Thanks for the great list and ideas.......It is looking more and more like we are going to experience the effects of this storm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in AL Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 I'm making sure to do ALL the laundry before it gets to us just in case we end up without electricity for a few days. ;) :iagree: If you have time, I second this idea. In April when the F5 tornado hit here, we wound up being without power for six full days. I had just *happened* to have got caught up with the laundry the day before. What a small blessing that turned out to be. Even in the event that you don't lose power, you could lose your water source, so having those clean clothes (and rags!) would be a comfort. Also, about the cash.... if you can, withdraw smaller bills and have loose change handy. With the exception of one day, the large stores here had generators trucked in so their credit card machines worked (but not debit), and it came in handy being able to pay for things with nearly exact cash. In fact, one guy in front of us was trying to buy ice with a check but the store's check machine was down (duh) and he had no cash. Just as we were about to offer to pay for his ice for him, the manager came over and OK'd the transaction so he was good to go. He told the manager he never carried cash and didn't even think about the debit and check machines being down since the store had a little power. I hope everyone stays safe and sound during this storm!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenpatty Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 We've located the candles, flashlights, batteries (or lack thereof), pulled the generator out where we can get to it easily, moved loose stuff out of the yard & porches... so yes, we are preparing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 The handiest hurricane trick I learned was to freeze the bottled water. This works best with the gallon distilled water jugs. Open and pour off a bit, then freeze. This turns your freezer into an ice chest and will allow you to keep things chilled for an extra day or two. Also, eat your frozen food now. There's nothing sadder than throwing it all away after a long power outage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca VA Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 I'm going to boil eggs, prepare some ready-to-eat meals (I found a ham-and-cheese "pocket" recipe that looks great), and get some large hunks of cheese, some crackers, and containers of nuts. We always keep lots of fruit and veggies around. We need to fill the gas tank on our grill. We may be using it a lot next week! We had a large tree cut down yesterday. I'm desperately trying to get some turf people out to sod that part of the yard before the rain hits. Other than that, I think we're set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 I don't live in a coastal region. All we will get is a huge rainstorm, if past hurricanes are anything to go by. I've got to remind DH to get the basement floor picked up so there is a clear path to the sump. I know where the windup flashlights are. I am not worried about needing food etc. But my thoughts are with those who DO have lots to do and decisions to make. I hope you all weather the storm and stay safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenpatty Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 I guess this is one reason I should be glad our freezer died a few days ago. LOL, our new one is practically empty from losing a lot of our food! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 I'm pretty high up and far inland, but the winds could definitely take our power out. I have a mini-emergency bag out in the car right now (lightning got awfully close a few minutes ago!), and I'm going over our long-term plan/supplies. Unfortunately, dh is in the flood business. If we lose power, it's just going to be me and (four of) the kids until it comes back! My ex is headed to RI with my oldest son. I am a miserable nervous wreck, and am trying to push it out of my mind. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Another thought on parking cars, be careful not to park in a low spot that generally has a large puddle or worse after rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Dh mentioned that you are supposed to fill your bathtub with water (to flush toilets with). And, be very careful with the candles..... maybe get the ones in a jar for fire safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 I've made two trips to the store and stocked up on: canned mixed veggies pasta tomato sauce canned soups and a couple of mix water soups cartons of Almond milk powdered milk Ramen noodles (first time I've ever bought those!) canned chicken cans of baked beans jugs of water wine (LOL) bread crackers graham crackers pretzels nuts apples, oranges, bananas hot dogs, hamburgers and buns (in mom's freezer) My mom has a generator which keeps her refrigerator and full-size freezer going, so I bought six large bags of ice to store in that. I will pull from it for our coolers. I also made sure we had plenty of toilet paper, paper towels, cat food, cat litter, my thyroid meds, first aid supplies, etc. ******************************** We have a propane lantern, a battery-operated lantern, jarred candles, and flashlights with batteries. We have a grill and a propane stove. I just brought in two coolers, a 5-gallon drink cooler (going to mix up lemonade ahead of time), and our Rubbermaid box full of disposable paper and cup products). ********************************** I made sure we had enough money in the checking account and plan to get some cash out tomorrow morning. ********************************** Laundry will be caught up as soon as my husband gets home from taking the boys out of town. The house is also clean and organized. I hate trying to find things in the dark. Of course, if a tree falls on our house, none of that will matter. Tomorrow morning, we will bring items in from the lawn into the garage. We will also fill up all vehicles with gas. I am rather worried about trees around our house, but there's nothing to be done about it now. I'm wishing my husband had been here early enough to get some plywood to cover the windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 I took a foot of dead leaves out of my basement window wells. That should do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 My advice as someone who lives in a hurricane prone area is to decide now whether to stay or to evacuate and begin to make preparations as soon as possible. If you plan to evacuate get on the road before the rush. The East Coast is much more densely populated than the Gulf Coast and even Texas and there have been major traffic bottlenecks in both areas during evacuations. If you plan to stay shop for your emergency supplies that you do not already have tomorrow before everyone else cleans out the stores. Also when making your decision about whether to stay or evacuate remember to take the tornados that hurricanes spawn into account as well. I don't mean to sound like a goofball, but a) how do you decide and b) where do you go??? We're new to the east coast and have never been through a hurricane. Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 I still hear that we won't get much, but I went out and got essentials we didn't already have: batteries and chocolate. The reports this afternoon said we'd get 40-50 mph winds and up to 2 inches of rain. Unless she jogs west again, it's not going to be very bad here. I've been through worse. If I was closer to the coast, I'd be worried. Mom left the beach to go home. But of course the beach, well it's the beach and her home is in the path more than mine is. I am concerned for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 I don't mean to sound like a goofball, but a) how do you decide and b) where do you go??? We're new to the east coast and have never been through a hurricane. Alley It is really a personal decision and there are multiple factors that can impact it. We have multiple dogs and chickens and are living in a house with a metal roof that is less than 5 years old on land with good elevation for the area and no infants in the family. Also both my dh and I are from coastal areas and have lived through multiple hurricanes both as children and adults. If the hurricane were coming toward my area we would probably plan on staying put. However when Katrina was coming we were living in a neighborhood in a house that was older and we had far less confidence in. We did not have chickens and had fewer dogs and one cat. Most importantly my dd was less than 1 year old so we evacuated several counties up to a relative's house and it was not far enough for that hurricane. Yet another thing to consider is the strength of the hurricane. In general it very much depends on how you feel about risk and which risks bother you more. There is the risk from the hurricane but there is also the risk of travelling in a high traffic situation with many other stressed people. The one definitive thing that I would say is do not stay in a trailer during a hurricane and if you plan to evacuate get out soon enough so that you can be certain that you will not be trapped in your car in traffic during the storm. I would go west to get away from the storm if I were evacuating and go at least 120-150 miles. The farther you go the less likely it is that you will see much more than some rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 I'm not really worried about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Well, we live about 3 hours from the coast and for some reason some of the people who live around here are acting like we are going to get something. (??) I think they are insane. We'll have rain, maybe some wind, but other than that... the whole planning for the storm thing (in my case) is silly. But I guarantee walmart will be packed the next couple days with people buying all their necessities :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 I keep listening to the Weather Channel tonight and am feeling like we should do some type of preparation. The meterologists have a different tone tonight. It is like a weird sense of urgency. I have never been through a hurricane or a tropical storm. Maybe I will check out what goes into a disaster prep kit. I could be overreacting but then again I never expected to have an earthquake here either. I bought some water yesterday to restock what we were drinking in hot weather. Some bread and cold cuts to make sandwiches if we lose power. I will probably go out tomorrow and restock out charcol in case we lose power and want to grill. I may grab a couple bottles of propane to use with our camp stove. We had the gutters cleaned on Tuesday so they won't overflow. I have one window that is prone to leaking that I'm thinking of either covering with plastic or blocking so water cannot collect in the track. I mowed the lawn this morning, figuring that I wouldn't get to it for a couple days. Tomorrow or Saturday morning I will bring in the deck chairs, plants and other outside stuff that is prone to blowing around. I'm making sure that I'm caught up on laundry and have lots of jugs of water frozen in the freezer in case of loss of power. Will have to make sure we have batteries for our radios, have the weather radio set up and have cell phones charged. If you use a VOIP (like Verizon FIOS) or have a phone that requires external electricity (like a cordless), a loss of power may mean loss of phone service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 I'm fairly worried about all the trees on our property, but there is nothing I can do about it... so why fixate? Ya know? We do have a chainsaw with plenty of gasoline. We'll have plenty of water for ourselves and we have a stream that we can use in a pinch for the livestock. We'll try to enjoy the power outage that will come. We'll grill our dinner... maybe make a bonfire and roast hotdogs. We'll eat all the yummy things in our freezer. We'll listen to the kids play/practice their music and read books for entertainment. We'll go to bed early! It won't be so bad... as long as a tree doesn't fall on my house/cars/barn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Yet another thing to consider is the strength of the hurricane. In general it very much depends on how you feel about risk and which risks bother you more. There is the risk from the hurricane And, multiple, new moon high tides if you live along the coast....They are anticipating us setting a new hight tide mark by over 1 foot. OVER 1 foot - and up to 4 feet, since the beginning of records. That's crazy! Yeah, our house was built to hurricane standards, but I don't feel like watching 2 cars float towards the bay...so we're obeying the mandatory evacuation notice we got at 3 p.m. today and leaving tomorrow. Chicago, here we come! :tongue_smilie: (We're not really planning on going that far, but heck it looks like it would be safe there!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlylocks Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 We are about 2 hours from the coast here. We will have some rain and wind. We have a woodstove, generator, oil lamps and plenty of food and water. (life as usual) I'm not worried... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 And, multiple, new moon high tides if you live along the coast....They are anticipating us setting a new hight tide mark by over 1 foot. OVER 1 foot - and up to 4 feet, since the beginning of records. That's crazy! Yeah, our house was built to hurricane standards, but I don't feel like watching 2 cars float towards the bay...so we're obeying the mandatory evacuation notice we got at 3 p.m. today and leaving tomorrow. Chicago, here we come! :tongue_smilie: (We're not really planning on going that far, but heck it looks like it would be safe there!) Thinking of you -- probbaly best to ge tout of town! DD32 was supposed to be in OCNJ for a few days (they live an hour from there) -- but they arrived today and were told to evacuate -- so they are back home now. We have pretty much all we need -- but still, we are checking into our favorite extended stay hotel Saturday and will have late check out on Sunday. They have a back up generator and it's pretty likely we will lose power here in our neighborhood. Besides, we don't have tv here and I think that if we are to get through this, I need to sit the kids in front of the tv or send them down to the indoor pool.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmama Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 My list is very similar to nestof3 (including wine, LOL!). I am two hours from the coast in VA, and so we may experience significant rain and possible power outages. My folks (who live on the Chesapeake Bay) are coming to stay with us. Biggest concern here is loss of power, since we are on a well, and so we have lots of bottled water, and I'll fill up a tub tomorrow for toilet flushing water. We're also getting propane to cook on the grill if needed. Thanks for the tips about laundry. Our last big hurricane here was Isabel, and that was (right) before kids and all the laundry they generate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Thinking of you -- probbaly best to ge tout of town! Our tenants in our other house haven't been in a hurry to leave...and we need to lash down things over there too. The list for tomorrow is a mile long. However, I already confessed our tardiness to our DA tonight at dinner, so I think we're OK. :) Considering we were both having dinner on one of the barrier islands. After evacuation orders. :):) I've been fine about the whole thing, until our insurance co. sent out an email today on how to file claims. That made me burst into tears! :blush5: We were finishing wallpapering in the school room, and we might be making claims by next week? 10 years ago on 9/11, we left our place in Ft. Lee thinking we'd never see it again. I was wrong then. I sure hope it works out the same this time. Just cooking as much food as I can tonight that we can pack and take with us in coolers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 A few things to remember (things I learned while going through 2 hurricanes in a 3 week period): even if your area isn't affected, your supply lines for food, gas may be. Your grocery store may be bare because supplies may be diverted to hit areas or normal supplies routes are not available. Don't assume you'll be able to run down and get a gallon of milk on Saturday or Sunday. If you think you might lose your power turn down the AC. Your house will be cooler longer. Fill the tubs with water. Have drinkable water available, have a way of cooking if no power. Do you have a grill, prepared food? If you have to evacuate many hotels won't normally take pets. Some make exceptions in emergency situations. We stayed in a hotel one night where pets abounded, it was full of hurricane evacuees. Have a family contact outside the affected area. Cell phone coverage may be out. Local coverage may be out, sometimes you can get a long distance call out easier than local. If you need to evacuate, go sooner than later. Highways get backed up. A family member was stuck in the Hurricane Rita evacuation for over 8 hours and went about 20 miles. Pets may freak out. If you can get something to tranquilize them, it might not be a bad option if you are in the storm areas. Do your laundry, do your dishes, take out the trash Keep your cars protected Get to know your neighbors if you are in an evacuation zone. Know who is staying, who is going. Get their phone numbers. We left for one hurricane and called the neighbors to make sure our boarded up house was all right. Take evacuation notices seriously. We listened to many reports of people who stayed behind in highly affected areas. They called for help to be evacuated, but none was coming, it was too dangerous to send anyone out. Some of those people didn't make it. Make sure you have insurance company numbers available. Flashlights, lots of batteries. An emergency radio that uses batteries and can be hand cranked is great. Charge all electronics. Take photos of any damage. Stay calm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Our tenants in our other house haven't been in a hurry to leave...and we need to lash down things over there too. The list for tomorrow is a mile long. However, I already confessed our tardiness to our DA tonight at dinner, so I think we're OK. :) Considering we were both having dinner on one of the barrier islands. After evacuation orders. :):) I've been fine about the whole thing, until our insurance co. sent out an email today on how to file claims. That made me burst into tears! :blush5: We were finishing wallpapering in the school room, and we might be making claims by next week? 10 years ago on 9/11, we left our place in Ft. Lee thinking we'd never see it again. I was wrong then. I sure hope it works out the same this time. Just cooking as much food as I can tonight that we can pack and take with us in coolers. Safe travel!!!!!:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 We are in the mountains, but my brand new one-week-old-tomorrow grandbaby is on the coast. DIL and her mom are planning to leave for here first thing in the morning. They were wanting to come today, but the Marine Corp had not said "evacuate" yet, so they had to wait. I'm hoping they do not get bottled up in traffic. ETA: That list in the post above mine is really good! I think I am going to print it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 A couple more thoughts. Charge everything -- MP3 players, electric razors, phones, Gameboys, whatever. I baked some brownies today, and to use up frozen blueberries, I made muffins and cobbler. Ditto on the fill up bathtub. We are nailing plywood onto our largest windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 I went to the grocery store earlier tonight. They were already completely wiped out of gallon and 2.5 gallon jugs of water and only had about a dozen cases of water left. I hope they get more in tomorrow or Saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeemama Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 I'm making sure to do ALL the laundry before it gets to us just in case we end up without electricity for a few days. ;) That's what I worked on today too. Tomorrow am: put away patio furniture, fill gas tanks, and get few days worth of food ( we already have a decent supply of water and batteries). Be sure not to overfill your freezer with things that could spoil if power is out for three or four days. A friend of mine keeps telling me not to worry b/c since they bought a whole house generator, nothing will happen and it will never be used... Not sure whose quote this is: Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Intellicast has the track going directly over the top of us. I imagine it will only a tropical storm by then. We could camp in the yard if we needed to (why, I don't know!), we have a gas grill, and our water is on a spring. I'm not too worried. Maybe we'll fill up the gas cans if the storm stays on the same track, just so that we can use the tractor to haul water for the toilets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 We're staying. Here is our pre-storm list (some of it references what day we do what): 1. Transfer Station – take garbage and recycling 2. Buy water 3. Buy propane 4. Buy any other needed grocery items 5. Check RXs 6. Check flashlights and replace batteries 7. Locate tarps 8. Top off gas tank 9. Get caught up with laundry 10. Get caught up with dishes 11. Cook/bake food 12. Friday: start making ice for cooler 13. Saturday: buy 6 bags of ice 14. Saturday: buy any other last minute grocery items (milk) 15. Bring in any possible projectiles (bird feeders, lawn furniture); lay down basketball goal post 16. Check garden 17. Move container plants against wall. 18. Fill pots and pans with water 19. Everyone shower 20. Fill bathtub with water 21. Locate flashlights, candles, matches, light sticks and place in a convenient place 22. Unplug computers 23. Find corded phone 24. Charge cell phone 25. Put important documents in Ziploc bags 26. Check emergency file – evacuation details 27. Back-up computers Anne, Thanks for posting your list. I had completely forgotten about the basketball hoop! Eek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 looks like it will come right by us if not on top of us. I'm hoping it will go east go east. we are ready and will check in the mornig to see if we leave or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Our tenants in our other house haven't been in a hurry to leave...and we need to lash down things over there too. The list for tomorrow is a mile long. However, I already confessed our tardiness to our DA tonight at dinner, so I think we're OK. :) Considering we were both having dinner on one of the barrier islands. After evacuation orders. :):) I've been fine about the whole thing, until our insurance co. sent out an email today on how to file claims. That made me burst into tears! :blush5: We were finishing wallpapering in the school room, and we might be making claims by next week? 10 years ago on 9/11, we left our place in Ft. Lee thinking we'd never see it again. I was wrong then. I sure hope it works out the same this time. Just cooking as much food as I can tonight that we can pack and take with us in coolers. This thread has been extremely helpful. I know I'll be up late tonight, starting all of this. Nono, I've been thinking of you and Jeannie! I hope you get out quickly and easily and come back to no damage at all :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 I grew up in Virginia Beach, so hurricane preparation was an annual event for us! Generator is on the porch. Flashlights have new batteries. We have several gas cans filled and ready. Both cars have full gas tanks. We bought a case of bottled water. Filling up the bathroom tub with water later so we can flush the toilet. Have batteries for the radio. Stocked up on canned goods, bread, lunch meat & peanut butter. Bought a big package of toilet paper. Went Isabelle went through (what? 7 years ago?), our area was out of commission for 2 weeks. We live in a small town / rural area just 3 miles from the Potomac River / Chesapeake Bay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 Well, we live about 3 hours from the coast and for some reason some of the people who live around here are acting like we are going to get something. (??) I think they are insane. We'll have rain, maybe some wind, but other than that... the whole planning for the storm thing (in my case) is silly. But I guarantee walmart will be packed the next couple days with people buying all their necessities :lol: well, not sure what state you live in but in VA there have been areas further to the west that have had more damage and flooding as a result of all the storms that blew in. So it is always wise to know your area and the affect it could have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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