How do you prepare for a hurricane? SoCal person - no hurricane experience!!!

[diva77]

Anyone have advice for hurricane prep?

Thanks in advance...

[cbabe]

1. Hurricane preparedness

https://www.cdc.gov › nceh › features › hurricanepreparedness › index.html

Preparing for a Hurricane or Tropical Storm - Centers for Disease ...

Aug 7, 2023It's always important to be prepared for a hurricane.

Preparing for a Hurricane Follow these important hurricane preparedness tips from CDC: Prepare for a hurricane: Take basic steps now to ensure your safety should a storm hit. Get emergency supplies: Stock your home and your car with supplies. Make a plan: Create a family disaster plan.

[diva77]

2. Thanks!

this is helpful

[getagrip_already]

3. Step 1....

Grab the pets and kids....

Step 2. Get the hell out.

Oh, and you can board up windows and take valuables with you when you leave. Make sure to take docs you can't easily replace.

If you don't get along with your spouse, feel free to leave them behind to watch over stuff. bit still take the kids and pets.

[fierywoman]

26. And/or take pictures of the docs.

[getagrip_already]

40. Water, water, everwhere.....

Your biggest problem will be flooding on a scale you've never seen. Roads will wash out. Homes will flood. Standing water will be everywhere. Mud, mud, mud.

Cars will float and travel with current in just 3" of water.

Florida doesn't see that because they sit on sand. Water drains very fast.

California, especially san diego, LA and palm springs, will become rivers and lakes.

Just take a vacation if you can. It's not a badge of honor worth having.

[madaboutharry]

4. Be prepared to lose power.

That means batteries for flashlights and lanterns, non- perishable food, a full tank of gas, and bottled water.
Have all your devices charged 100%.
Put outdoor furniture in the garage and take in stuff that can fly away in the wind.

I’m sure others have a lot of other things to add.

[Walleye]

6. I think you got it covered good. Batteries, fresh water, non-perishable food

[spooky3]

10. Charge your backup power supplies for all devices,

and make sure you have the correct cables for each.

[Tetrachloride]

5. check rain gutters on house

check street gutters

charge your phone

lock all the doors

turn on front door outside light

say hello to neighbors

read some books

[Phoenix61]

7. Make sure you are out of the tidal surge area.

Fill up the car and get some cash as power may be out for a couple of days. Fill the bathtub with water for flushing. Get bottled water and non-perishable food for 3-4 days. Get a go-bag ready. Credit cards, important papers, etc. Get one of those compressors you keep in your car. When roofs get blown off the roofing nails go everywhere! If you are handy, a tire plugging kit comes in handy. Also if you’re handy, tarps in case you lose part of your roof. Battery powered radio so you can stay informed. Also, half the people who died in Hurricane Andrew died after the storm in traffic accidents. No power = no traffic signals. So, get everything you need to hunker down for 3-4 days and do what local authorities tell you to do.

[spooky3]

8. A sibling also fills her washing machine with water

(As you recommend for bathtubs).

[Phoenix61]

9. Hadn't thought of that but yeah, good idea. nt

[2naSalit]

12. +1

[Deuxcents]

14. I fill my washing machine up with bags of ice

And fill the bath tub with water. Add a capful of Clorox to the tub of water..keeps it bacteria free

[spooky3]

17. Good ideas-also get extra ice and put it in cooler(s) you may

Have. You may be able to save some food if power is out less than a day or two.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

34. It took over a week after Harvey before most gas stations had gas

[Deuxcents]

11. You'll be getting a tropical storm for the weekend

Depending where you are, you should be getting lots of rain, maybe flooding in San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles counties. You’ll have strong winds so what we do here is bring in from your yard, lanais or porches anything that could be lift and/or blown away so the don’t become missiles of flying garbage can lids, toys that can bust windows. Load up on non perishable foods, ice, water, meds, flashlights, pet food..enough for a few days. Make sure you have a full tank of gas in your vehicles. Tropical storms are mainly rain events..lots of rain so make sure windows are secured and shut. Sometimes the power goes out so be prepared for that, too. Have an evacuation kit at the ready..I put mine in a water proof container with important papers, money, meds. Have a list and don’t wait until the last minute because the food will be gone from the stores n businesses will most likely close up. It’s all just about being prepared because what the storm is gonna do is beyond your control. Post and let us know how you’re doing.. I’m sure you’ll be fine..most is common sense and staying calm. You’ll be fine, I’m sure

[spooky3]

13. Run backup(s) of all your computer data

Take at least one of them with you, if you’re not using cloud backup, preferably with cables, in a suitcase separate from the computer. So, if your computer is damaged or lost you still can restore the data onto a new machine.

[spooky3]

15. Research pet friendly hotels with generators, near your home, if you have pets.

You usually get several days warning with hurricanes—not with tornadoes. If you can afford it, move into the hotel room before the storm hits. If the storm is bad, other people will fill up hotels quickly.

[Beatlelvr]

16. I'm in SoCal

The only things I've done is:
Plenty of food
Brought potted plants under patio roof
Closed trash cans tightly
Locked windows
Our basement WILL flood but we have a sump pump. (Don't you love old houses?)

My big worry is our huge oak tree that's already leaning. If it falls, there goes neighbor's garage. I've contacted a guy who can stake up some branches, but he's not available until Tuesday!

[Deuxcents]

19. Bring in those trash cans..they'll get blown around

Probably a lot of rain so as not to go batty, get a good book unless you lose power..that’s when I go nuts not knowing what’s going on and no communication. If you have an AM radio in you car, that might help if you can get a local station still broadcasting. That helped me after Ian as we didn’t have power for 7-8 days and no cable or ‘net longer than that but this is a tropical storm..a big rain event so you should be fine. Be safe

[RockRaven]

18. On top of preparation tips, keep safety in mind AFTER the storm has passed.

Stay the heck away from downed wires. Even if you're pretty sure it's a telephone line and not an electrical wire. Just avoid. Call local PD or FD non emergency number to report downed lines in your neighborhood. Also the utility company, but in my limited experience, the FD got a faster response from the utility company than reporting from the citizenry.

Also avoid fallen trees and branches. They aren't necessarily stable. They can further break/collapse and/or roll. And that can be very dangerous, depending on their size. Trees/branches weigh a LOT more than people realize. If you aren't experienced, don't be a hero and try to clear large branches or trees by yourself.

If there is any flooding nearby, whether moving or standing, stay the hell out of the water (on foot or in car). For one thing it will be contaminated with all kinds of nasty stuff. If standing, you cannot be sure it isn't deeper than you think. If moving, it requires very little depth to knock your feet out or move your car off the road.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

35. As for standing water, the motto is turn around and don't drown

We have this motto on signs around Houston and we still have people drowning in stalled cars

[bamagal62]

20. If you can't leave,

Board up windows, fill your bathtub with water, go buy bottled water and canned goods. If you’re asked to evacuate, go. Only bring essentials and documents. If you must stay, Get a weather radio. But go inland if you can. It appears flooding will be an issue. We weathered Camille with boarded up windows, candles, and a tub filled with water. We used the water for drinking and flushing the toilet.

[Lochloosa]

21. Floridian here. How is the booze stock?

On a more serious note. Wind is not the issue. That will be over in 12 to 24 hours.

The problem you will have is water and power.
More people are killed in hurricanes by water than wind. If you are in an area that will flood, then leave now. If not, then power is your issue.

Assume you are going to be without power for a few days. Keep your freezer and refrigerator closed and as much as you can. The freezer will keep things frozen the longer you keep it closed.

Your going to have tropical storm winds. It's not going to be as bad as you think. You'll have some gust that will feel worse than they actually are. They come in waves mostly and will pass quickly.

Unless you are in direct path of the eye, the winds will not be sustained.

From what I've seen, you really should be fine.

[Lochloosa]

23. On second thought, how is the booze stock?

It's really not going to be as bad as you think.

It's not predicted to stall, which is the worst damn thing to happen, so one day/night of biting your neck nails and it's over.

[fargone]

25. Yes it is the water and possible power outage

Get drinking water.
Fill up gas tank but don't drive through water especially if it is moving.
Have some food you don't have to cook.
Get some cash, credit card systems could be down.
If you live in a low area or near a dry wash consider relocating for a couple days.

[bamagal62]

22. Also, if you must stay, put important things in your washing machine.

They will be insulated from any flooding.

[herding cats]

29. Hey, that's excellent advice!

I've been though many a disaster and never thought of this.

This is golden information with modern front loaders.

My thanks to you!

[Tomconroy]

24. Battery powered lanterns and radio.

[jmbar2]

27. Former Houstonian - try to be green as much as possible

People do a lot of unecological things with hurricane prep, like buying pallets of bottled water.
After many hurricanes in my former home, Houston, I really worked on reducing unnecessary waste.

Here are some tips:

- If your water at home is drinkable, just fill up water jugs and pitchers from the dollar store instead of buying individual bottles.

Reduce battery usage
- use rechargeable batteries.
- Solar camping lights.
- Coleman makes a very good rechargeable camping lantern that can operate from a stored charge, and then batteries. Highly recommend. When used inside, put a lampshade on it to reduce the glare.

Avoid wasting food because of lost electricity
- Freeze water in milk jugs to keep refrigerator cool longer.
- Use up as much of your freezer items as possible, and clear out any foods that will rapidly spoil.
- Then avoid opening the refrigerator as much as possible to keep items cold until the power comes back on.
- You can make a evaporative sand cooler for drinks and some foods if the refrigeration is lost. Line a laundry basket with burlap, fill with sand and place in an area outside with good ventilation. Place a metal pan in the middle to hold stuff. When the sand gets wet, it will keep the items in the middle cool for awhile.
- Stock up on food that you like that requires little prep. Avoid panic buying of crappy food. Things will get back to normal fairly quickly. You don't need a year's supply of ramen.

When the electricity went out for days in Houston, once the storm had passed, we brought out meat from the freezers and had a big neighborhood BBQ. Good way to avoid wasting food.

Water for toilet and bathing
- In addition to filling up the bathtub, you can put water, rocks or bricks in the bottom of kitchen garbage cans outside and let them fill with rain water for flushing and bathing.

- Make sure all gadgets are fully charged.

That's all I can think of for now. Good luck!

[herding cats]

28. Texas here.

First: Purchase all the bottled water in your store.

Second: purchase all the toilet paper. I've not a clue as to why, but this is a necessity!! JUST DO IT!

Seriously, charge up all your charging bricks and devices. Do have a few days worth of bottles water and canned food. Have plenty of batteries in stock and a crank NOOA radio, if there's any left at this point. If not, just make sure you have a full tank of gas and an adaptor for your phone to charge in your vehicle. Know your flood zones and exits.

You're going to be on the dry side of the storm it seems. Not much comfort I know.

[Wolf Frankula]

30. Minor quibble

It comes from the Pacific. Shouldn't it be a typhoon? And to prepare, stay under a firm structure with plenty of food, drink and Beatles' music.

Wolf

[diva77]

31. Thanks so much to everyone so far -- keep it comin' -- it's helping :)

[LetMyPeopleVote]

32. If you have a CPAP, you can get a golf cart battery and converter to run the machine

A good battery story will have the battery and converter

[The Unmitigated Gall]

33. So Cal too.

General preparations.
You should have supplies enough to shelter in place for at least a few days
Food, water. Canned food that is easy to prepare, along with
Flashlights, candles, lanterns.
Blue tape can be used to strengthen windows by making an X figure on the glass.
Make sure you have medicines.
Charge up batteries, power banks etc.
Food for pets.


The storm will go through quickly; my worry is our electrical grid might not handle the deluge very well. Water supply will hopefully be ok, but there might be a boil water order if pipes break.

[StoolPigeon]

36. Stock up on canned food

But make sure that you have a can opener that doesn't require electricity.

[zuul]

37. Refill your prescriptions if you can.

You never know which businesses will have power after the storm.

And keep a few hundred dollars in cash. If there is no power, some businesses will open on a ‘cash only’ basis if they can’t use the credit card devices.

[GoodRaisin]

38. I've rode out a bunch of hurricanes in eastern NC over the last 35 years.

The worst one, we didn’t have any electricity or water and were cut off from leaving by flooded out roads for 4 days after the storm passed. We were stuck and it was a pretty miserable 4 days. You need to be prepared in case that happens to you. Think about what necessities you would need to survive without electricity and water for an extended period of time, just in case.

[Conjuay]

39. it really depends on how far inland you are, and what 'cat' the storm is.

Having been through 4 hurricanes in a six week period, and more than two dozen since 1960, each storm is quite different. “Charlie”, the first of the four was quite frightening. I watched our sliding glass door vibrate like a bass drum.

Category one storms will take out the lights (tree limbs on power lines,ect). So expect in any case to lose refrigeration - Set the fridge / freezer to the coldest setting and LEAVE THE DOOR CLOSED.

If you are in an area that has historically experience flooding, get out, and get to higher ground.
Higher ground means just that - out of storm surge waters. Hurricane Donna (196o’s) brought water within a few feet of our front door, while ‘Sandy’ (recent)brought water -on the same house- up to the door knob. The difference was Sandy arrived at the time of high tide.

Factors such as what side of you the storm makes landfall actually comes into play. On the east coast, if you are on the advancing side (north of the eye) the counter-clockwise rotation produces more rain, pulling it’s moisture from the water it just passed over, while the area south of the eye is ‘drier’.

The final thing I feel I should bring up, is the possibility of tornadoes. Most of the damage cause by Hurricane Andrew was that it spawned some seven or so tornadoes. A battery powered radio is essential.

Now that I brought all this up, I’ve been in the path of hurricanes for all seventy years I’ve inhabited this sphere. I have not experience more than a lot of lumberjacking after a storm has passed, and a lot of cursing due to a lack of electricity. (Hurricane Gloria was the record holder, at 21 days in the dark.)

Surprisingly, I did not write this to alarm you or to add to the pre-storm panic, but to try and give you an idea of what COULD happen, and what to expect.
I’ve known people who just bought extra beer and sat looking out their plate glass window looking at the mayhem.
On long Island, a bunch of crazies took to their surf boards and played around until the rain drove them home.

Decide if you are in a safe place, and hunker down. Or find a safe place and hunker down there

[haele]

41. It will be like the winter storm we had last December.

Heavy rainfall, winds up to 50mph gusts along the coast and inland valleys, but worse in the mountains and deserts. Worst will be Sunday through Tuesday.

Laz, who has been through hurricanes, says do the following -
Today, clean up your outside area, shop pandemic style to keep you set until at least Wednesday without going out at all. If you are afraid power will go out, get food items that don't need cooking. Lots of salad, pre-cooked meats, sandwiches, fruits and veggies, and items that kept in a cooler. MREs if you can get them.
Fill up your car. Or help a neighbor fill up theirs. Charge your electronics and keep them charged as long as possible.

If you're in a flood or slide area, put everything important (papers, pictures) in as waterproof a container like a sturdy plastic bin that's
marked with sharpie with your name and address and waterproof taped shut. This will allow them to be more easily evacuated or retrieved if something happens.

If infrastructure is poor and you expect power may go out, fill a bathtub with water for flushing and have lots of batteries. Get block ice or freeze water in plastic containers for coolers to keep milk, eggs, and items that need stay chilled in case power goes out. Have plenty of buckets on hand for leaks, roofs can dry out during the summer and leak more easily.
Do not use a grill indoors! If you have a gas stove, and still have gas available, you may be able to cook if you have matches.

But then again, nothing might happen at all.

Haele