The Scare Tactics Are Starting

[cabinetman]

To be more PC, I'll call them early warnings. The media is following Isaac, a tropical storm headed for Florida. At least that is the way they show the prediction cone of coverage. Whether it will develop into a full fledged hurricane, we'll have to wait and see.

When Wilma hit here, we lost our electricity for 15 days, and no water for over a week. My wife is a worry wart, and then we had heeded the advance warnings and went out and bought a lot of canned goods and drinking water. I also bottled up several gallons of tap water...just in case. Good thing we did those things.

At least we aren't in the "quake zone", but we do get our share of tornadoes during a hurricane. So, it's likely this weekend we will be making the trek to the stores, for our survival stuff...just in case.

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[dbhost]

Some experienced storm tips...

I have a bunch of those blue plastic jerry cans that I fill up for use after a storm. I think they hold 6 or 7 gallons, I have 6 of them and fill them up. Plenty of water for 2 people, and our critters for a week and then some.

If you don't have one, buy yourself a decent quality camp stove and fuel. I personally prefer liquid fuel because I camp, a LOT, and my dual fuel stove will burn Coleman fuel as well as unleaded pump gas, but propane is what most folks prefer.

If you are a coffee junkie like me, make sure you at the very least have a percolator pot for the camp stove. Cowboy coffee is a bit too hard for me to swallow...

IF the storm hits you, you will be without refrigeration for several days, you will need an ample supply of non perishable foods. Might be a good time to practice cooking SOS...

Hang tight folks, these are never any fun....

[RAFlorida]

Agree with you on being prepared.

Most of the spaghetti models of last night showed your area being a very possible hit zone. Hope it makes a strong north turn soon so you and others and us will be missed. But today I am pulling the generator out and checking to be sure it'll operate if needed! Being in the county, we have our own well so we will not suffer lack of water. Gas will be problem though.
When Charley hit us back in '04, there was no electricty for a week or more and gas was hard to come by. This year I've got enough drums for 50 gallons of petro, (but yikes for the cost! )
Just load up with supplies and stay safe if it does decide to come your direction. Better to be safe.

[cabinetman]

Fortunately, we have a 120# propane tank for our dryer, water heater, and stove. So, cooking/coffee isn't a problem. I'll also be servicing our generator. It's during times like this that the stores get a run on basic stuff, and the shelves get cleared off.

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[dbhost]

Latest track from the weather service shows the eye of this thing dragging along the west coast of Florida now, meaning you guys will likely be on the dirty side of the storm. Hunker down and keep out of low lying areas...

[jackellis]

If by "scare tactics", you mean warnings that attempt to penetrate the thick skulls of area residents with no common sense, I'd agree.

We can't flee ahead of earthquakes around here, but we did have a plan for evacuating the area when we lived near San Francisco - walk to the airport with the pets and fly up to our home in the mountains. We get fewer, less vigorous earthquakes up here so we'd just ride them out.

Wildfires are another story. Being prepared means keeping the yard free of wood debris, clearing the roof of flammable materials, and being ready to drive away at a moment's notice with a few valuables and the critters.

[dbhost]

Not sure where folks in Florida would go... Not a whole lot of inland to run away to...

I must admit though, I get REALLY annoyed at the folks that are not in the evacuation zones that evacuate anyway... They clog up the roads and make it impossible for those of us that are in the mandatory evac zones to get out...

[chopnhack]

It's time's like these that I am reminded that I am not in control of my own destiny.... As much as we hate to admit, there does come a time when your faced with something, could be a hurricane, fishing during hurricane bonnie , fill in the blank, and you see that fact. Plan, prepare, pray

[cabinetman]

It's time's like these that I am reminded that I am not in control of my own destiny.... As much as we hate to admit, there does come a time when your faced with something, could be a hurricane, fishing during hurricane bonnie , fill in the blank, and you see that fact. Plan, prepare, pray

It's a fact...we aren't in control of our destiny. We should heed the warnings because anything could happen. I don't minimize the forces of storms or what they can do. During Wilma, one of our steel sheds, got picked up and taken away. It was lifted from the floor, and all sides and the roof was gone...no trace of it in the neighborhood. Most likely the culprit was a tornado. Interestingly, it left all the storage contents in tact. We had two 10'x12', and the one on the left was untouched.
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[Stytooner]

We are watching as well.
If it skips up the Fla West coast, it's headed for my back door.
Vehicles and gas cans are topped off and will be continually updated as needed. Have a few cases of water on hand. We have both a well and County water, so with the generator, we can obtain water. I serviced the generator at the start of the season.
Plenty of canned goods and cooking methods on hand.
Very little left to do for a Cat 1. I'd board up my North windows for Cat 2. Cat 3 and higher, we just leave North Bound and start praying.

The worst part is that we have been having thunderstorms here for about a month straight. Last couple days have been clear, but the ground is totally saturated already. That and a little wind equals a tree killer.

[tommyt654]

Having lived in Tampa, I can guarantee if it does push up near the bay they won't be having much of a convention unless they are good swimmers as the Hillsborough River dumps water into the north end and when waters pushing up past SSSW(Sunshine Skyway) then it pretty much floods downtown and the northern suburbs with any type of storm surge,then you have to deal with all the flooding from the rain as well,really cleans out the bay tho,might even do a better job this time

[dbhost]

The good news for you guys in Florida is that the storm track keeps veering west. The bad news for us guys in Texas is that we are west of you!

I don't expect a hit here, but if I were in New Orleans I would be nervous...

The weather here is already getting wierd. Strong winds, on and off hard rains, and funny shifts in temps. I am starting to think we are going to get some of the weather off of those feeder bands anyway...

[tommyt654]

I think if ya live in the south period its gonna effect you regardless, sadly areas of Texas do not need water(considering all the floodin and west nile problems)N.A definetely is a no-no, Hopefully he turns and goes away from any largely populated areas period. I never went thru one in the gulf,but in the 60's we lived in Wilmington,N.C. and had a few close calls there. There may be more on the way sadly from what I can see as well(amateur meteorologist)But I'll take the rain for Ga. as the peach crop sucked this yr.

[dbhost]

The run up in West Nile has FAR more to do with city budgets than with the amount of surface water.

Well surface water has a lot to do with mosquitoes breeding yes... But cities and counties here in Texas are responsible for spraying for mosquito control. In the past I could hear the spray trucks going by at least twice a month... This year we are lucky to have gotten sprayed twice... From what I understand it has to do with budget cuts. I suspect the issue in the Dallas area is the same...

Especially when you consider most of Texas is still under drought conditions...