Preparing for Hurricane Season 2020

[clean]

https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/zombie/index.htm

There is a 'graphic novel' too!! 

[AvidReader]

Oh, clean, this is amazing! Thank you!

I am indeed in the TX-LA curve. We don't have children, so I was hoping to stick it out with spouse to be a support network. Spouse can sleep at work in a real emergency, but it's better/nicer to be in one's own bed, and spouse does not have much free time (to cook, for instance) on work days. But the refundable reservations is a great idea if everything goes very badly.

We are avid campers but moved here in a single car (which we share, which adds excitement to evacuation), so the camping stuff and our usual resources did not come with us. But that gives me a good idea of what to get/plan. Hopefully the worst storm will just cause 3-7 days of "camping." I grew up on a farm, so I'm familiar with power outages, but hadn't thought of freezing our water (amazing tip! Thank you!). We do usually do the bathtub trick when we know outages might come.

I was wondering about the windows and will talk to my landlord. Our house is definitely vintage and I have no idea how old the windows are, but I also know it has survived a number of recent hurricanes.

Thank you again!

Polly, I hope the wildfires subside soon.

AR.

[polly_mer]

One amendment to clean's advice: only use containers for potable water that are meant to be used that way, especially for storage.  The bathtub is probably not clean enough for drinking water, but is good enough for toilet flushes and hand washing.

Don't refill with drinking water plastic two-liter or gallon jugs that came originally filled with some other beverage.

As a long-term preparedness, be sure to completely replace any plastic emergency water bottles every year.

[AvidReader]

Thanks, Polly! My bathtub is definitely not clean enough to drink out of.

I'm curious about this:

Don't refill with drinking water plastic two-liter or gallon jugs that came originally filled with some other beverage.

I grew up on a farm with a mother who rinsed out every gallon jug we ever got (milk, iced tea, orange juice), refilled them with water, and stuck them in a parade down the steps to the basement. We didn't drink from them because we had iffy well water and didn't drink that water in general, but we certainly used that water to brush our teeth and (I think) boiled it for cooking! I would have thought that washing out an iced tea jug and refilling with potable tap water would be fine--why is it not?

AR.

[polly_mer]

The chemical aging aspect of the plastic (it's weakened by storing acids and bases in it as well as being exposed to ultraviolet light) and the fact that people tend to not do enough to make the plastic sterile and absolutely clean are concerns.

Thus, you have possibly three problems.

1) Leeching of the plasticizers into your 'clean' water and that won't be fixed by boiling.  The 'fresh' liquid you purchased probably doesn't get much plasticizer, but storing new liquids for long term in the bottles where the polished inner surface has already been exposed is likely to pick up more plasticizer.  I would drink that water over immediate dehydration, but it's not good for you.  If you've heard of BPA, then that's one specific plasticizer.

2) Rinsing the containers even with dish soap is unlikely to result in a sterile container.  It's pretty easy to leave a thin coating of, say, milk or pop that will support bacterial growth.  It probably won't kill you, but it can be unhappy tummies if that's all your drinking water for several days.

3) Those weakened containers will allow the water to evaporate out long term.  It's entirely possible to have the back containers be half empty when you get to them.  That's true even if you buy fresh and store it long term; it's an even shorter shelf life for a used container.

[AvidReader]

Fascinating! Thanks so much--I learned something very useful today!
AR.

[mamselle]

Thinking of all those in the impending landfall areas.

Get out if you need to.

Don't try to be a hero and make someone else become one to save you.

Be safe.

All good thoughts.

M.

[clean]

As Marco fizzles, Laura ramps up.

I hope that everyone in the LA/TX border area are ready!  It is not too late to get ready! Better to be ready than not!

After this weeks' events, I hope that everyone takes stock of their plans and supplies. The best time to stock up is before there is a need and a 'run' on the stores.  (A speaking of a run, you may as well stock up on TP, which has for some reason been the most important disaster commodity!  the best news is that it doesnt have an expiration date!)

good luck to all!

[hmaria1609]

Stay safe and please keep us posted!

[apl68]

This Laura storm is looking bad.  It has already killed a number of people in the Caribbean.  On Thursday we're projected to have fix or six inches of rain, high winds, and possible tornadoes--and we're hundreds of miles inland.

[clean]

I have not seen the projections lately, but I saw that the projects of early yesterday were for a Major Hurricane (a level 3, or a very, very strong 2).  Frankly, IF I were in the area that was in the Cone of Death with expectations of a Major Hurricane, THIS IS EXACTLY the time I would be leaving for another place.  Dallas is not too far to go for a few days!  (and as the plan is for the storm to head East after that, I would not be heading that way).
  Just get in the car and go!  No need to dawdle!  Go while the weather is not too terrible. 

[AmLitHist]

Adding my good thoughts and best wishes to all who look to be affected by Laura.  They say we may get some good rain from it here in central/southern IL, depending on the track.

[clean]

My local news is indicating that Laura might be a Cat 4 by the time it comes ashore.  IF I were in the neighborhood, I would absolutely be leaving now! 

IF you are in the area of the storm's crossing the shoreline, find another place to be.  Even if your spouse has a critical job, S/he would probably sleep better knowing you are safer in another city.

Good luck!!

[Vkw10]

We had a dorm scheduled to be demolished until someone realized we could use it for overflow quarantine space. We have evacuated students from one of our system institutions moving into it tonight.

[AvidReader]

Thank you, clean! I have just realized that while spouse qualifies to stay during mandatory evacuations (or would have qualified in the last one in this town), I do not, so we are revising the (my) potential evacuation plan accordingly. At the moment, we are out of the direct path, but watching the radar very carefully indeed.

AR.