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Hurricane Irene and Ways to Survive Hurricane Season 2011 Safely
By SavingsIQ(view all posts by SavingsIQ)
at 7:56AM Saturday August 27, 2011
under
Newsworthy
As I write this blog post, Hurricane Irene is lashing the East Coast with heavy rain and winds of 105 mph. Irene has the potential to become a multibillion-dollar catastrophe. Six to nine foot waves have already been reported along the Carolina coast. This disaster is projected to affect 65 million people in the heavily populated region of DC, New York, Boston, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
New Yorkers, who have not seen a hurricane since Hurricane Gloria in 1985, are being asked to pack up and move elsewhere as the city could become flooded. The highest economic damage by a storm in the Northeastern U.S. was in 1938 in Long Island at $45,301,000,000.
Let's hope Hurricane Irene weakens and gets downgraded from a Category 2 storm.
What are some ways you can prepare for a hurricane and avoid disaster to you and your home?
Allegra recently posted about disaster preparedness on a budget and lists ways to save on kits, food, water and first aid. I'll show you some ways to save yourself from hurricanes.
How do you prepare for hurricanes and other disasters?
New Yorkers, who have not seen a hurricane since Hurricane Gloria in 1985, are being asked to pack up and move elsewhere as the city could become flooded. The highest economic damage by a storm in the Northeastern U.S. was in 1938 in Long Island at $45,301,000,000.
Let's hope Hurricane Irene weakens and gets downgraded from a Category 2 storm.
What are some ways you can prepare for a hurricane and avoid disaster to you and your home?
Allegra recently posted about disaster preparedness on a budget and lists ways to save on kits, food, water and first aid. I'll show you some ways to save yourself from hurricanes.
- Get out of town. Heed the evacuation warnings and leave town if you can. You really don't want to be in the path of the hurricane. Before you leave town, make sure you board up all your windows with plywood, not duct tape. Turn off all gas, electricity and water. Also, secure any outdoor furniture or just bring it inside. If you are in a low-lying area, get some sand bags and put them outside the house to prevent flooding. Make sure you bring your pets with you or find out about local shelters that can take them in.
- If you can't or don't need to leave town, get your disaster kit ready. You should have a three day supply of food and essentials that include canned food, can opener, battery-operated radios or TV, flashlights with extra batteries, one gallon of water per person per day, cash, copies of all important documents for everyone, a recent photo of each family member and pet supplies. One great tip from Guy who has been through a few hurricanes: Fill the bathtub with water in case the storm knocks out your water supply. Use this to flush the toilet, etc.
- Develop a family emergency communication plan. In case you and your loved ones get separated, it's good to designate an out-of-state contact that you can all call to check in with. It's easier to call long distance after a disaster. Make sure everyone knows the name, address and number of this person.
- During the hurricane, listen to battery-operated radios or TVs for updates on the storm. Once you are given clearance to return home, make sure you check your house for gas leaks and other problems before going back in.
How do you prepare for hurricanes and other disasters?
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My lifestyle means that I am prepared for all disasters. At least as much as is possible. We live in an off-the-grid homestead and generate our own power. So unless the hurricane takes our house and barn down, including our solar panels, we will still have power. Our pantry and root cellar is full of food and supplies at all times. Our water comes from a pitcher pump out front so that is covered also. No nearby buildings to fall on us or fuel sources to explode near us. We have a propane tank though and that could be a worry if we were hit hard with the hurricane. We were hit in 2000 with a tornado and survived it.
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I lived in north Texas long time ago. A hurricane come up through Houston. They told us we'd see a heavy storm pass. I looked out the window of my apartment and saw a "darkness" coming my way. The storm broke small trees like twigs. Withing minutes the darkness/rain/hail was over. Never forgot that.
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I live in South Florida and we prepare for hurricanes every single year. June 1 through November 1 is hurricane season, though August has been the peak time to expect them. This year I replaced my gas grill and purchased one with a side burner. I also get out my Coleman camp stove. Luckily, we live near a hospital and they have (in the past) gotten the electricity back to this grid within 8 hours. We've been through Andrew and Wilma and everyone here takes hurricanes seriously.
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@ katlupe- it's great that you guys are prepared for all disasters! i can't imagine living through a tornado, those things are scary~
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@orchidlady- good that people in Florida take hurricanes seriously. better safe than sorry!
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Ideally everyone has a disaster preparedness plan in place....but accumulating supplies can be a costly endeavor, especially if supplies are bought all at once and immediately before a disaster strikes. A better approach is accumulating supplies over a period of time - have a "stash" of canned supplies, fuel, water, etc. on hand that are replenished/added to each time you make a trip to the supermarket. Dollar cost averaging is a slower - and potentially cheaper - method for preparing for disasters.
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thanks @Mcpants! that's a great tip, definitely accumulate supplies over time and buy them on sale too.
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buy ahead, dont wait until the week of the storm. I buy all my products in may when teh batteries/water/first aid/etc are tax free. it will be hard to find them right before the storm. Also, have an emergency kit prepared and ready whenyou need it.
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