Hurricane Irma, Please Update

cbg

Thu, Sep 07 2017, 11:54 am

To S.Fl. Ima's that are staying home,
How are you preparing
I want to make sure I thought of everything

Boarded up
Drinking Water
Gasoline
Medicine
Food
Flashlight
Batteries
Make sure devices are 100% charged
Fill bathtubs with water in case water is turned off, for flushing and washing up
Steno and racks
BBQ grills disposable

What I don't have is a battery operated radio, but I can use my devices 1 at a time

If the power goes out UNPLUG all your devices so they don't get damaged when the power comes back on.

Please add to the list, and please stay safe.

BTW, DH and I are staying home, in Aventura
I'm making doubles of everything for Shabbos.
Besides that I bought canned veggies and legumes, tuna, sardines, crackers, cereal, almond milk in boxes, snacks, cookies, and nuts.
Also I bought 4 disposable BBB grills, and 12 stenos with racks and pans.

SixOfWands

Thu, Sep 07 2017, 12:20 pm

I'm not in Florida, but ...

Try to keep your freezer packed, so it will stay frozen longer.

If you can find them, get external chargers for your devices

https://www.amazon.com/Smalles.....P48F3

LittleDucky

Thu, Sep 07 2017, 12:22 pm

Basic emergency supplies would also include
Hand crank or solar radio (some have USB ports to charge phones)
Hand crank flashlight
Tarps
Garbage bags
Duct tape
Water- gallon per person per day minimum. Minimum 3-5 days
Food for 3+ days (body can last longer without food and only on water but I would suggest when such a major storm is coming more is better).
List of emergency contacts in case your phone gets lost.
List of basic info on family- allergies, medical conditions.
Wrench to turn gas off.
Can opener (manual)
Make digital copies of insurance documents, leases, etc and save to a cloud! Or email yourself!

Create a go bag of things you can't live without (meds, 1 change of clothes) and have it ready in case of evacuation...

Fill your fridge/ freezer as if you don't open it, it can stay cold longer the fuller it is. Fill with water bottles, ice etc.

Stay safe and dry!

Rutabaga

Thu, Sep 07 2017, 12:47 pm

You may want to aquire some longer burning candles in case you have no power over Shabbos. It's hard to use the bathroom in pitch blackness. Obviously take precautions so that you don't start a fire.

AYLOR, but some say you can use an LED flashlight on Shabbos in case of emergency.

MagentaYenta

Thu, Sep 07 2017, 12:50 pm

If the local sewer system (or septic) is inundated with flood water flushing your toilet with buckets of water won't help and will likely cause a sewage backup into your home. Get a 5 gallon bucket and some trash bags.

ETA: you need a radio, preferably hand cranked.

If you are in a mandatory evacuation area please do the smart thing and get out.

Last edited by MagentaYenta on Thu, Sep 07 2017, 12:55 pm; edited 1 time in total

MommyM

Thu, Sep 07 2017, 12:53 pm

Not currently in Florida, but used to live there:
Lanterns give off more light than flashlights if you are in an area susceptible to losing power for longer.
Also, an old fashioned phone is good to have so that if you lose power you still have phone service.

WhatFor

Thu, Sep 07 2017, 1:23 pm

One more thing about the power: if it does or doesn't go out, turn off the main circuit breaker before evacuating.

If water floods to your electric outlets it could unfortunately kill someone who comes searching for anyone in the house. My understanding is that this is what happened to a rescuer after Harvey.

MagentaYenta

Thu, Sep 07 2017, 1:26 pm

Use some permanent marker and write on the front door or garage door the name of your family, the number of people evacuated and your destination.

cbg

Thu, Sep 07 2017, 1:47 pm

Thanks for all the great advice
Keep them coming
Hopefully we won't lose power.
It gets hot with no AC and no way to open windows.
Also it will be dark after we board up regardless day or night.

LittleDucky

Thu, Sep 07 2017, 2:11 pm

Cash! Thanks to the poster who mentioned that... Of course you need as much cash as feasible. Break it up into smaller amounts and several envelopes (inside waterproof bags) so you aren't flashing cash around if you need to buy something... Put those bags in different bags/suitcases/pockets and on different responsible people so in case one bag doesn't come with you if/when you need to escape you likely will still have something.

And maybe move all the survival stuff onto a second floor (but then cover of your roof leaks).

Do you have little kids? Don't forget diapers.

And for everyone else (as I write I remember more...not in FL but lived in areas that get natural disasters): WIPES. Baby wipes to cleanse yourself (maybe no showers for a while and before you prep food etc).

Raisin

Thu, Sep 07 2017, 4:20 pm

a couple of things I saw, but can't remember where I saw the first one:

Put things you want to keep safe inside the dishwasher, it is waterproof. (unless you turn it on I guess lol)

close all interior doors. https://disastersafety.org/ibh.....irma/

cbg

Thu, Sep 07 2017, 4:56 pm

Iymnok wrote:

Curious, what is boarding up for?

I don't have hurricane shutters, so instead we take plywood and screw them on to the window frame. This is so flying debris doesn't break the Windows.
If C"V, your window breaks the wind can cause a mini tornado inside your home like a vacuum.