It appears that Florida may be “Smack in the bullseye” of a “Possibly Category 4” hurricane. Mid you, predicting the power and path of a storm several days out is a lot like trying to predict any weather pattern several days….:::waggles hand::: MMMmmmaybe cat 4, maybe tropical storm….
But, the media loves getting a frenzy going so we’ll be inundated with the ‘residents stockpile food and water’ stories, pictures of crowds at stores and gas stations, and the ubiquitous picture of some poor bastard from the weather channel standing on a beach as the hurricane comes ashore.
I like living in the relatively disaster-free environs of Montana. Earthquakes are rare, hurricanes unknown, tornadoes virtually non-existent, and about all we have to contend with are blizzards and forest fires…and if you live in town, those last two things are basically non-events.
But…because we never know what sort of Black Swan in lurking around the corner we try to be prepared anyway. Yknow, just in case.
As of late, I haven’t really done anything new in terms of preparedness. Just more of the same…keep up on stockpiles of food, fuel etc; try and keep money in the bank, etc, etc.
I am reminded, as the days get shorter, that winter is on its way so soon it’ll be time to break out the winter gear, check the heaters, and make sure the emergency lighting is up to snuff.
All in all, though….I suspect that were I in Florida I would read the news of the impending hurricane and think to myself “Nah, I think I’m pretty good…no need to go to the store.”
In South FL here and although very prepared the effects of a Cat 4 is brutal. I lived through Andrew, Cat 5. It is scary but it is what it is….praying it misses us in the south because it is more densely populated and the death toll could be greater. I don’t want it to hit at all! I am going to venture out to a grocery store to pick up lunch meats and a few other things that I need but aren’t preps. The madness at gas stations is crazy….i’m ready on that front and one car goes in the garage. It sucks sitting and waiting…. stay safe all!
Those news clips have already started… Crazed panic buying in big box stores by the unprepared hordes.
It really escapes me how folks in the hurricane prone areas of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts don’t take a lesson from history and stay stocked up for at least a minimum of 2 weeks without resupply (realistically at least 3 months). I drove though Ground Zero ( HA) of Hurricane Michael a few weeks ago. STILL devastated with blue tarps everywhere on roofs and empty lots where buildings used to stand. Many with piles of rubble still there after the bulldozers got done.
It does beg the question though: How do you protect your preps in a situation where your structure is literally ripped apart around you? You can waterproof your preps but that would be a huge task if you’re talking about years worth of stuff and won’t protect them from damage if the structure collapses on them and tidal surges flood you out…
I guess what I would do would be rent a storage room somewhere geographically safe from flooding and extreme wind events and maintain a primary stockpile there with an adequate secondary one at the home in the danger area. Perhaps even rent one large enough to keep an old back-up truck or Jeep in as well. In my area one that large only rents for about $100 a month so it’s pretty affordable.
Even better, don’t live somewhere this could happen to you as a primary residence…
Regards
“How do you protect your preps in a situation where your structure is literally ripped apart around you? ”
Put them in a structure that does not literally get ripped apart. http://www.vaughnconcreteproducts.com/storm-shelters1
Doesn’t look much better than a conex and would get washed away by storm surge. A elevated hurricane construction still seems best answer(add a boat and supplies)
Case in point:
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-29/i-feel-helpless-bottled-water-gas-shortages-reported-floridians-brace-hurricane
Heheh, I agree. Remember, I live in a concrete fortress with a purpose built basement bomb shelter. However, having lived and worked in Florida for many years it would be difficult to have a basement shelter in most areas especially around the coastal areas due to the high water table.
A back yard shelter would be fine – you’d have to disguise it to get permits in many areas especially with intrusive HOAs. You could stock it with a reasonable amount of supplies but nothing along the lines of a true prep stockpile unless you could afford and are allowed to have a very such large building on the property (outside of city limits would be the place to go). Much of what you couldn’t store in the shelter would still be vulnerable
Many new FL homes are built with a reinforced room to ride out storms in the coastal areas but once again size and storage space would become an issue for those folks who take their preps seriously. Perhaps a surplus mil metal conex shelter surreptitiously placed in the garage would be an option for more space? It’s tough to defeat Mother Nature, sometimes she can be a real byatch…
Regards
Does Bozeman count as a disaster in Montana?
I have been in Florida for many years.
Yes, we get storms, and it always makes me grin that a storm is such a surprise.
Panic for water, milk and such.
Yes, we get new yankee’s each year, but , really, are they all unaware??
Sadly you are seeing the northern Democrat yankees. And yes, they are clueless.
My Mother in the family condo in coastal S Fl refused to even take a flashlight or let me measure the windows for boarding up/storm shutters. A pure case of if I don’t prep it won’t happen. Neighbors tell tales of how the area is immune from hurricanes.
We are prepared, and the only last minute buy is that I top off vehicle fuel and gas cans as soon as we are in the cone. My 10K portable genny uses about half a gallon of fuel per hour. My next upgrade is to install a propane fueled automatic genny, but I am still trying to convince my wife.
The only other thing is that sitting in a house without power for the 24-48 hours it takes for the storm to pass (can’t run the genny until the wind dies down) is that we sit and play cards and snack on junk. So just before the storm hits, we get a couple of subs, some chips, pop tarts, and cereal (none of which we normally keep in the house).
Shout out from the Orlando area! (right in the middle of the bell curve of uncertainty)
The gas stations started getting busy yesterday. I stopped by the store (Publix) for a few comfort items, it’s full but not end-of-the-world full yet. There are no flats of water left in the store, but at least they had the craft beer I like 🙂
I gassed up the vehicles yesterday and picked up some extra gas in containers. In years past, sometimes the gas stations didn’t get resupplied for a week or so. Charging up all the rechargeable batteries right now.
I hate the ones that run up to the coast and stop moving forward then hang around for days raining buckets with just enough wind to rip off shingles allowing big water damage. Hard to cover a hole in the roof in 75-80 mph wind and 2+ inches of rain per hour.
Your first prep is to make damn sure you are insured.
classic firearms.com has korean GLOCK 33rd mags for $8.99 at the moment….
You think Hurricanes are bad come experience a severe thunderstorm in North Texas or Oklahoma. Fyi, I’ve been through many Hurricanes as well!!!
Well I have a new travel trailer, bought this march which I left at an rv park in okeechbee. Wonder if its going to still be there.
I live inland on the Alabama Gulf Coast, where wind is the major threat. I have a 12”X24′ reinforced “Dog House”, thickest metal roof, verticle bolts from floor to roof, a laminated beam running the length of the structure, sprayed on insulation and walls of 3/4″ plywood 4 sheets thick. Indestructible? No, but it’ll stand up to some hard wind.
Dear Friends, having been a law enforcement officer for over40 years in Central Florida and having a considerable amount of time in my county’s Emergency Operations Center, I have a bit of experience with hurricanes. I must say that I am not an expert but I am familiar whith this subject. I do not feel there are any experts as these storms are very unpredictable. Our weather people can tell when a storm is coming as they can see it. On Radar, by satellite, by aircraft and by ships at sea. They cannot tell with any certainty exactly where they are going. It is at best an educated guess. I have learned a few facts concerning hurricanes. If you ask anyone who has been in a major storm they say three things. Number 1, I was stupid, number 2, I thought I was going to die, number 3, if another hurricane comes here, I am going somewhere else. Never gamble with something you are unwilling or unprepared to loose. In storms such as these, you are gambling with your and your families lives. There will be time for hurricane parties when the storm is past. Even a small storm can generate tornadoes. Storm serge water can drown you. The Lines on the ground may be energized and can kill. Even a cable tv line or wire fence can be energized by a power line falling on them. A family member said he was moving into his shed that was rated for a 200 mile an hour wind. I told him, do not worry about the 200 mph shed, worry about the 25 mph tree that will come down on the shed and crush you like a bug. My friends get away from the water and find a very secure refuge. Do not trust manufactured buildings. Such as mobile homes. Even if they made it through the last storm. Prepare but be smart!
Rule #1– there is nothing in your house that is worth your life!
If you should go– go–
“… cash in the bank.”
Don’t forget to put some in the mattress, and the safe, and tucked in out of the way places where you will always have access. ATMs don’t always work.