Hurricane experiences of years past

[L.C. Bane]

The hurricane tracking models are constantly changing. Here are the most reliable local indicators of an imminent storm:

1. Pickup trucks loaded with several and various containers lined up at the gas station.

2. Bud Light, charcoal and propane tanks disappearing from the shelves (off season).

3. The excessive rise in gas prices at Tom Thumb after Labor Day weekend.

If you see any 2 of these, start packing. If you see all 3, you should be on the road.

 

[m1a1mg]

We rode out hurricane Eloise in 1975 in our house in Santa Rosa Beach. It was a full on direct hit.
View attachment 67239

We had family friends who lost their place at the beach. To add insult to injury, a tree fell on their house at home as she went inland.

 

[ottomatik]

I have been in 12 major hurricanes due to working for a hurricane shutter company and owning my own.
Leave town

 

[redfisher]

Ivan and Dennis, most immediately, come to mind. Really started viewing this site during Ivan or Dennis. That was the quickest visual of the area if you did get out. Did the answering machine trick too. There are plenty of areas well above sea level I think the GPS said we were 55 feet ^. Irma started worrying me a day or two ago, tracks just don't go vertically North, the way they were predicting on Saturday.

Biggest hurdles as I remember, was not having the plywood already cut and the other materials stored ahead of time and when the various counties closed the bridges, pre landfall

 

[L.C. Bane]

So, it appears the panic buying of gas, canned goods and bottled water has begun.

Tip:

Most people already have 40 gallons of water stored in their home. Your water heater. Comes with a handy drain valve at the bottom that is threaded like a garden hose for easy access! You can also turn off the breaker and valve off your water before a storm hits in case your water purveyor's lines get contaminated.

 

[John G]

So, it appears the panic buying of gas, canned goods and bottled water has begun.

Tip:

Most people already have 40 gallons of water stored in their home. Your water heater. Comes with a handy drain valve at the bottom that is threaded like a garden hose for easy access! You can also turn off the breaker and valve off your water before a storm hits in case your water purveyor's lines get contaminated.

Excellent Tip!
Is water purification necessary for drinkable?

 

[L.C. Bane]

If the water that filled the tank is clean it should be completely fine to drink so long as the water hasn't been sitting for an extended period of time.

Remember, your potable supply water ties directly to the water heater. Any single valve faucet is generally mixing the hot and cold water as well. If you can safely drink from the tap, there should be little to no difference.

Having said that, there are going to be some sediment in water heaters (especially old ones).

 

[Lake View Too]

I'm not sure if L.C. is dead serious, but there is almost never been a lack of drinking water. The worst case scenarios of the past have been power might go out for 3-4 days, after a direct hit, and then the water may, or may not, go out because of the pumps going down. This may affect your shower schedule and most certainly your toilet habits, but drinking water would be trucked in almost immediately. That is, if you stay and try to ride it out. If you have five cases of water in your trunk, as you evacuate through Alabama and Mississippi, you will probably have five cases of water when you return.

 

[Low Brow]

Excellent Tip!
Is water purification necessary for drinkable?

Pulling water from the bottom of the water heater will result in extremely calcified and scaled water. Like LC said above, if it's an old unit, you may not even be able to drain it for all of the settled solids.

A couple of things I remember from some past storms were to have two-cycle mix fuel for chainsaws. Being able to cut your way out of your street/neighborhood for fallen trees was huge.

 

[L.C. Bane]

My "tip" is a little tongue in cheek aimed at the bottled water hoarders. In an emergency you do what you gotta do. You can use it to flush toilets or a sponge bath or ? Im just pointing out that it's there.