Tonight on the news...

[brooklynite]

I can expect to see video of people in the Carolinas raiding Home Depot for generators, plywood and lanterns to ride out the storm. I've always wondered what they did with the stuff they bought for the last hurricane?

[SheilaT]

1. I always sort of wonder that myself.

I think that if I lived in hurricane country, once I'd done the boarding up one time, I'd store the boarding up stuff, or at least whatever would be reusable, for the next time. Of course, I suspect that many homes in that part of the country don't have basements, although a storage shed might be a good idea.

[RegieRocker]

2. Transients

:)

[uppityperson]

3. could be people who didn't buy it last time and decided it would be a good idea this time?

Or they used the plywood for other projects.

[hlthe2b]

4. Well, I, for one have nothing to worry about (currently) in Colorado...BUT...

I have long put off upgrading/updating my emergency supply kit, including the hand crank NOA-AM-FM radio that charges a cell phone, various flashlights, and so many other supplies that one needs for an emergency loss of power--whether from a blizzard, tornado, or whatever. I've also sort of looked at those supplies that I'd like to have too (steripen for water decontamination and multi-tool for the car that includes an emergency window breaker and seat-belt cutter)... and just made an online order. And, I got a new butane bottle for my portable gas burner.

Don't ask me why seeing the East coast response has finally gotten me off my proverbial tail, but it has. Maybe it is the cumulative after all the horror in Japan, the tornadoes in the Midwest, the recent earthquake scare..... Don't worry, East Coasters-- I'm not ordering from East coast companies and my order won't even be processed for a couple of weeks, but just so you know... I even cleaned out a space in the closet by the front door that I am going to reserve for a small backpack full of this stuff.

So there you go! Joining my East Coast DUer brethren and sisters in spirit as in deed. Stay safe. Stay well. Be prepared (and don't you dare forget those precious pets!) ;)

[kentauros]

5. You need to read this blog-post,

Hurricane Irene: Tips from the Last U.S. City to Get Hit (i.e., Houston)

And then print out your very own Hurricane Bingo game ;) (link is a pdf)

[hlthe2b]

6. LOL... love the bingo game...

Glad to see Houstonites have such a sense of humor....:rofl:

[kentauros]

7. Yeah, we've suffered our own local news for decades

and really, they could record all of their "news stories" for one storm and then edit it for future storm names and still have exactly the same coverage each time! }(

Shoot, even just imagining one of those same stories and my mind went to one that started out with hammering before the reporter started their voice-over! :rofl:

[hlthe2b]

9. They could readily create another for blizzard coverage....

though it is a bit less sensationalized out West, I still remember the local news in Atlanta when snow/sleet of any kind was in the weather forecast. It was similarly a hoot and unbelievably predictable.

[kentauros]

10. Next time there is one, record it.

Then edit it for the following similar storm (new voice-overs) and put it up on YouTube, to see if anyone notices the difference }(

[kdmorris]

8. Most of it doesn't last until next year.

Plywood we've had since 2004, generator we have, but the batteries wear out. You have to take them out of the box and put them into household circulation after the season is over. But I maintain my hurricane box of stuff that doesn't wear out and update it every beginning of hurricane season.

However, I'm not poor. I have known poor people that get this stuff to ride out the storm and then take it back if the storm veers away. A friend of mine is quite poor and was concerned that she would have to spend last week's paycheck for hurricane stuff instead of the rent. We told her to wait as it was supposed to veer away from Florida (it did), but if they had ever issued a hurricane warning for South Florida, she would have had to prepare.