Hurricane prepping for newbs

No problem flamingo.... I have a list from Home Depots website with supplies but its the advice like the battery operated fans and having cash since the banks may be closed. THAT'S great stuff, thanks everyone!

Agreed! Thats the stuff I probably wouldn't think of. I've experience many hurricanes here in MD & fortunately most of them have not been bad but experiencing one on an island will be a whole different story.

fill your car gas tanks. Get a tetanus shot if its been more than 10 years. Guess I'm overdue...one after Hugo and one the day before Lenny. They give them at Charles Harwood if anyone need one.

dont forget to get some AfterBite for when you get bit by mosquitos

AfterBite is mostly ammonia, so guess what works just as well... Windex! Maybe not as sleek as AfterBite in the little tube, but it sure does do the trick.

thats true fdr

seriously? I've been buying that Benadryl stuff for bites. Windex works? Are there other things that are bad to be absorbed in there? I'm going bonkers.... I have a really nice expensive mozzy net over my bed that does open on the sides but has a 2 ft overlap. Every morning I kill one mozzy inside the damn net!?! No clue how they're getting in, this weekend I'm sowing the sides shut. I shoulda got the really expensive no see um net with no opening sides.

Windex will be fine to use, unless you plan to bathe in it. 😉

Not to mention phones being down for months, having to go to call centers, waiting in lines for everything, no cable TV for a couple years

This is one reason why people go with:
TV = Dish Network instead of cable (you may want to take your dish down before the storm if it is a big one coming)
Internet = Broadband VI / Choice instead of Innovative.....no outage or a few days vs. months for anything on WAPA poles
Phone = Cell vs. Innovative....easy decision

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Atlantic+Tele-Network+assesses+impact+of+Hurricane+Marilyn.-a017533657

Try and leave a door or window on the opposite side of the storm to equalize pressure. They will help with the roof staying on or the building imploding. It's not that bad, but it's worth the precaution.

Snopes says "False" http://www.snopes.com/science/hurricane.asp

So does NOAA. And my civil engineer husband.

When you experience it yourself you'll discover why people that have been thru hurricanes like Hugo and Marilyn tell you to do so to save your roof or having windows blow out. Somethings gotta give if the house is sealed up tight and the pressure has increased dramatically.
I have seen a door blow off the hinges and out into the night which saved my roof during Marilyn. Turst us!

I WOULD THINK THAT LEAVING A DOOR OR WINDOW OPEN WOULD MAKE IT MORE LIKELY TO HAVE THE WIND BLOW THE ROOF OFF?

didnt mean the caps

I can only relate my experiences. If the roof starts flexing and the pressure builds up, open the doors or windows to relieve the pressure inside. Having some wind and rain in the house is a heck of a lot better than losing the roof or a portion, thereof and destroying everything in the home. Not to mention, you'll still have a home.

Windex works? Are there other things that are bad to be absorbed in there?

No worse than in a DEET spray or most sunscreens, especially in the small quantities you'll use. Try it and see. If I recall, the Benadryl version has a topical agent in it that temporarily numbs the area, like lidocaine -- that never really worked for me for very long; AfterBite always seemed more effective. Then someone told me about the Windex trick, and it works fantastic for me.

If you're considering spraying yourself with nasty chemicals like windex or DEET, you might want to try planting a bunch of lavender and cat nip near your windows.

I can only relate my experiences. If the roof starts flexing and the pressure builds up, open the doors or windows to relieve the pressure inside. Having some wind and rain in the house is a heck of a lot better than losing the roof or a portion, thereof and destroying everything in the home. Not to mention, you'll still have a home.

Hubby says to tell you "you got lucky" and that the reasoning behind this practice "defies physics". I'm paraphrasing the rest of what he told me because the jargon causes my eyes to glaze over somewhat: One window open is all it takes to give the extra oomph to push your roof up. It adds upward pressure on the roof, which is already experiencing low pressure above. (Even on the opposite side of the storm, the air is more forceful than your inside air). Unless your house is completely sealed, which "no house is", pressure does not differ as much as you think it does inside. I have to take his word for it because it's his job to know about the effects of hurricanes and tornadoes on houses, and he's made a good living on this type of info, without losing his licenses, for decades.

i know that when i use afterbite ( ammonia ) , immediatly after a bite, not only does the itch stop but the bump goes away too, usually in less than 1/2 hour

Hubby says to tell you "you got lucky" and that the reasoning behind this practice "defies physics". I'm paraphrasing the rest of what he told me because the jargon causes my eyes to glaze over somewhat: One window open is all it takes to give the extra oomph to push your roof up. It adds upward pressure on the roof, which is already experiencing low pressure above. (Even on the opposite side of the storm, the air is more forceful than your inside air). Unless your house is completely sealed, which "no house is", pressure does not differ as much as you think it does inside. I have to take his word for it because it's his job to know about the effects of hurricanes and tornadoes on houses, and he's made a good living on this type of info, without losing his licenses, for decades.[/quote

As a totally non-professional observation...From what we saw after Hugo, and storms we've gone through since, it seems the buildings that lost roofs are ones that had a breech...lost a window or door or such, and then the wind got in and off went the roof. Seems to us the tighter the house is, the safer the inside.

 

So I'm wondering, we currently live in a (rental) house, that actually has several thick cables anchored in the ground and tied to the roof.
As far as we can tell, it is stick build. And certainly not airtight in any situation.
Does it make any sense to do that? Ty the roof down?

I can only relate my experiences. If the roof starts flexing and the pressure builds up, open the doors or windows to relieve the pressure inside. Having some wind and rain in the house is a heck of a lot better than losing the roof or a portion, thereof and destroying everything in the home. Not to mention, you'll still have a home.

Hubby says to tell you "you got lucky" and that the reasoning behind this practice "defies physics". I'm paraphrasing the rest of what he told me because the jargon causes my eyes to glaze over somewhat: One window open is all it takes to give the extra oomph to push your roof up. It adds upward pressure on the roof, which is already experiencing low pressure above. (Even on the opposite side of the storm, the air is more forceful than your inside air). Unless your house is completely sealed, which "no house is", pressure does not differ as much as you think it does inside. I have to take his word for it because it's his job to know about the effects of hurricanes and tornadoes on houses, and he's made a good living on this type of info, without losing his licenses, for decades.

What does he say about pressure building up so an exterior door blows off the hinges and deadbolt out into the night?

If you're considering spraying yourself with nasty chemicals like windex or DEET, you might want to try planting a bunch of lavender and cat nip near your windows.

I'm going to have to do something. They're really bad last couple day at my place. I actually killed 3 full ones INSIDE my dang mozzy net over my bed. Annoying, today I'm sewing the sides shut.

Not to mention phones being down for months, having to go to call centers, waiting in lines for everything, no cable TV for a couple years

This is one reason why people go with:
TV = Dish Network instead of cable (you may want to take your dish down before the storm if it is a big one coming)
Internet = Broadband VI / Choice instead of Innovative.....no outage or a few days vs. months for anything on WAPA poles
Phone = Cell vs. Innovative....easy decision

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Atlantic+Tele-Network+assesses+impact+of+Hurricane+Marilyn.-a017533657

Beeski: For how many days can Broadband VI provide service in case of a prolonged island-wide power outage? Do your access points have generators or batteries?

Having tried many battery operated fans, this is the only one to buy. The one we have is the p3300 and this is the newer model. Awesome little fan!!!!!!
http://www.ryobitools.com/catalog/power_tools/lifestyle/P3310

It doesn't seem to come up in a Home Depot search but that's where we got ours...

I ordered mine - 10 inch model then they had them in K-Mart last year right before hurricane season started.
It was less expensive to order. Quite happy with the ones I have and have used them often, especially during just regular WAPA outages and when generator is turned off during prolonged storm related ones.

http://www.coolfansonline.com/servlet/the-10%22-Battery-Fans/Categories

I ordered mine - 10 inch model then they had them in K-Mart last year right before hurricane season started.
It was less expensive to order. Quite happy with the ones I have and have used them often, especially during just regular WAPA outages and when generator is turned off during prolonged storm related ones.

http://www.coolfansonline.com/servlet/the-10%22-Battery-Fans/Categories

Have had three 02cool fans. Non lasted or put out much air. The Ryobi is awesome! But costs more. We paid $39.99 for the fan then needed a Ryobi battery and charger. Forget how much that was. You can just tell it's built tough and will last!

Thanks for the tip, SkystheLimit. I have the 1080 model O2 (third one shown on that link) -- I confess, I haven't tested its battery life, but I think it works just dandy when plugged in. It's a couple years old; maybe I just got lucky. Extra D batteries are more my budget than Ryobi right now, unfortunately!