Less than a week left and counting... Are you preparing?

[O Town]

We usually get our stuff together in July or early August.

Here too. We have some stuff from last year still, but as far as food and water goes.........also gas we wait till then.

[dixiebreeze]

Wish I was as well prepared as all of you posters! Lots of good ideas in this thread. I truly hope none of you who suffered last year's storms will be in harm's way again.

[cajungal]

We have a generator. Just need to stock up on some more batteries. And get a better playing battery operated TV. The bank was giving them away last year when you opened up an account. I used it when we were without power for several days for Katrina. The radio part worked okay, but the TV you could not catch even 1 station. And I was dying to actually see the images of Katrina, not just hear about it on the radio.

[souljoy]

I live in NE FL and we get our supplies every year like batteries, water and such. I tease my DH alot though because he likes beanie weenies and buys 20 cans just for hurricane season. He says one day I will be thankful.

I absolutely keep my gas tank full during the season as people get nuts and buy gas out quickly during the storms.

[Jagno]

Hey....that's a good idea!

"but honey, we need a new SUV for our hurricane evacuation kit!"

Actually Sky it went something like this "Honey, I'm sitting in the middle of Airline Hwy with a cat foaming at the mouth and a 14 year old with two broken bones in his right leg and I was on my way to go see about your mother who I made arrangements to have airlifted to Houston to undergo 10 hours of emergency surgery for cancer. The car is DEAD and I think it died of smoke inhalation from its own exhaust. Oh, and guess what? I'm right in front of the Toyota dealership and I see exactly what I want for Christmas so are you in the mood for Christmas in October?" Once he stopped laughing hysterically he told me to write the check and put the dealer rep on the phone. I drove off the lot with it an hour later. Oh, I made them push the car out of the middle of the road or I refused to buy a car from them. LOL

He'd been after me to buy a descent vehicle but I held on as long as I could because I really liked my little car and it was paid for. We'd been saving for a new one but I was the one waiting as long as I could.

[JP]

I would like to know whether it is a bad idea to run a generator during the storm.

[Opal storm]

I still have a lot of hurricane supplies left over from Ivan and Dennis including batteries, flashlights,lanterns,MREs...stuff like that.All I need to get now is gas for the generator and bottled water.

[dixiebreeze]

I live in NE FL and we get our supplies every year like batteries, water and such. I tease my DH alot though because he likes beanie weenies and buys 20 cans just for hurricane season. He says one day I will be thankful.

I absolutely keep my gas tank full during the season as people get nuts and buy gas out quickly during the storms.

Very smart to keep a full tank, though buying gas right now is no fun

[x-y-no]

Last week in May - that's when I always make sure my hurricane kit is complete.

I think I'm finally going to retire my old Primus backpacking stove this year and get a propane stove instead. Hey, I bought it in 1977 and it's seen pretty heavy use over the years ... 29 years ain't too bad. Last year after Wilma it got pretty cranky on me, though. Besides, propane is nicer to deal with than gasoline or kerosene.

[x-y-no]

I would like to know whether it is a bad idea to run a generator during the storm.

Very bad idea, in general. Too much chance of some mishap. Besides, you can't very well have it inside, and you don't want to be going outside in the middle of a storm to start it up.

[MiamiensisWx]

I have plenty of supplies already, but I am very nervous because I still haven't got more than two gas cans, both of which are five-gallon ones with easy handles on all sides. I also have not got enough batteries yet. My dad doesn't want to prepare much more, and it makes me very aggravated. I need some help on this!

[Scorpion]

I have plenty of supplies already, but I am very nervous because I still haven't got more than two gas cans, both of which are five-gallon ones with easy handles on all sides. I also have not got enough batteries yet. My dad doesn't want to prepare much more, and it makes me very aggravated. I need some help on this!

You have the whole summer to prepare.

[BayouVenteux]

Last week in May - that's when I always make sure my hurricane kit is complete.

I think I'm finally going to retire my old Primus backpacking stove this year and get a propane stove instead. Hey, I bought it in 1977 and it's seen pretty heavy use over the years ... 29 years ain't too bad. Last year after Wilma it got pretty cranky on me, though. Besides, propane is nicer to deal with than gasoline or kerosene.

Not to sound like Hank Hill but propane is the way to go. I filled two tanks before Katrina and used a Weber Genesis Gold Grill (with one stovetop burner) and my crawfish boil burner to feed breakfast, lunch, and dinner to my family of 4 and 12 other relatives who stayed with us during and after the storm. Thankfully our power was only out for a brief 4 days, but having the means to quickly and easily give everyone a cooked meal was a blessing and much appeciated by all.

[MiamiensisWx]

You have the whole summer to prepare.

I want to be done with the rest NOW!

[x-y-no]

You have the whole summer to prepare.

I want to be done with the rest NOW!

Not a bad habit to develop. For more years than I care to count, I've put my kit together the last week of May. It all goes in a big box in the closet, with the water bottles on top. I swap out the water (1 gallon bottle per week) thoughout the summer so it doesn't go stale.

And all thos bottles on top discourage me from sneaking into the box to filch some food if I'm low in the pantry.

With that all set, all I need to worry about when a storm is coming is to buy gas, take some cash out of the money machine, and put up shutters. No struggling with the crowds in the stores.

(of course all my friends tell me I'm obsessive-compulsive)

[baygirl_1]

I would like to know whether it is a bad idea to run a generator during the storm.

True story from a friend of ours: They have a rental house and two college girls rent it from them. The girls had a generator when Katrina came last year. As soon as the power went out, they went out to the carport to start the generator. At that moment, one of the trees fell on part of the house and the carport! Fortunately, they weren't hurt but they were really freaked out!
A generator has to be outside to avoid deadly fumes and you should not be outside during a storm. It would be best to wait til the storm is over.

[SeaBrz_FL]

Luckily, I have what's left of what we didn't use in 2004, and all of the extras that I added to the kit and never had to use in 2005 (more tarps, ropes, sterno stove/fuel, flashlights, portable TV/weather radio, first aid kit, etc.)

My biggest expense earlier this year was to scrap my plans to remodel my 20+ year-old outdated bathrooms, and instead spent the money on a new roof and a complete set of the clear, corrugated polymer hurricane panels. Although, I still hate these old bathrooms, I have to say that I feel much safer with the new roof, and relieved that I'm not going to be dealing with plywood again this year (if needed) and living in a dungeon of darkness.

This weekend, I'll stock up on batteries, water, and food. The only thing I want to have to scramble for when the "H word" is announced is gasoline, cash, and liquor and I'll do that before the crowds catch on.

My biggest upcoming challenge is to find guaranteed evacuation property on the mainland for my extended coastal family. I do NOT want to deal with frantically trying to find hotel rooms again.

Good thread! Enjoyed reading all of the suggestions!

SB

[CajunMama]

I bought a pack of batteries...does that count?

I buy a little something here and there when i go to the grocery store. I have a gazillion of those little push/tap lights from last year so i'm going to get plenty of batteries for them this year.

[baygirl_1]

I am a special education teacher. I've been working with my students to compile Hurricane Preparation Booklets they can take home and use if/when a hurricane threatens our area, again. Hopefully that will help some families that have been clueless in the past.
As for our personal plans: the batteries are stocked up (as always), bottled water's in the laundry room, papers are in a portable file (lesson learned wasting precious time sorting thru lots of stuff before Ivan), and pantry's stocked with boxes of milk, packets of chicken, canned ravioli, etc. We have a new SUV, too, thanks to a wreck earlier this year. Here's hoping we won't put too many miles on it retreating upstate!

[MSRobi911]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm no house left to worry about thanks to Katrina, no furniture or anything else thanks to Katrina, living in a FEMA trailer, don't care if it floats off or blows away, it ain't mine. Important papers still in a suit case, pics and stuff I remembered to take still at my moms in her spare room or where ever I could find a place to put them, trying to buy "substantial housing" as my husband says , so yep everything taken care of so far. Always get cash and food last minute, can't keep much in these tiny trailers anyway. Always have batteries and flashlights...married to a cop

Yep, I think that is about all there is ..... until the next one.....

Mary