Hurricane Prep

[richlevy]

You know, years ago I was actually considering relocating to Tampa-St. Pete. I don't think my family could have stood a decade of hurricane/flood preparations.

Pennsylvania is usually a very boring state in terms of natural disasters. A very few tornados. The last servere flood was I believe Johnstown in 1889 and 1936, which most Pennsylvanians know because we are still paying a liquor tax to help in the reconstruction.

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by richlevy

You know, years ago I was actually considering relocating to Tampa-St. Pete. I don't think my family could have stood a decade of hurricane/flood preparations.

Hey, life here is great. In fact, it has been great despite a few power outages. I'm certain, however, that it won't always be this nice and the key is to know that there might be times where you're on your own for 72 hours. No police, no medical assistance, no government aid. Water supply contaminated? Break your arm? Bands of armed looters breaking into homes? You may have to wait three days for someone to find that you're in need of assistance, even longer if you actually want to use a landline or cellphone to call for help.

Hey, wait, that's a bit scary.

[Katkeeper]

There was a major flood here in central PA on the Susquehanna River and its tributaries in 1972. Leftover rains from a hurricane caused it. UT was there...

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Katkeeper

There was a major flood here in central PA on the Susquehanna River and its tributaries in 1972. Leftover rains from a hurricane caused it. UT was there...

Hurricane Agnes, It was really wet hereabouts, but more serious further South.

[Stormieweather]

I'm a commercial property management accountant. At my last job, I was responsible for protecting our IS equipment/data in the event a hurricane threatened to hit Tampa Bay.

I would go to the location of the servers, prepare a fresh backup, power the servers down, unplug everything, elevate it or move it if possible to an inner room, wrap in plastic protective wrap (in case windows broke and rain blew in). I also covered the workstations and secured the office itself.

I then took the backups along with a a copy of the original software to a bank deposit box. As we made backups every day, I took the prior set of backups and another copy of the software with me in the event I evacuated (and the bank was inaccessable). I kept these in a small, waterproof, lockable case along with my other important documents.

Now, we obviously didn't need to have the software running 24/7 through a hurricane so our issue was not quite the same as yours, Kitsune. We had other emergency plans in place to protect the properties themselves such as hurricane shutters and a crew of workmen to scoot by each site and secure the outside moveable objects (ashcans, benches, signs, etc. ). We did need to be able to access the properties money in order to pay for repairs, etc. so being able to get at it fast was important (write checks, etc.).

Personally, I stock up on drinking water with the water cooler sized bottles, and if in extreme danger of being hit, fill the tubs with water for washing and flushing. I buy a weeks worth of canned goods, and multiple bags of ice which I store in a cooler. I fill up the cars with gas and check fluids and tires. I make sure i have several hundred dollars cash on me. I have photo's of all my rooms and valuables. All receipts and important documents are in a portable, waterproof safe. I buy tons of C batteries for the radio and flashlights. I have several decorative oil lamps which I often use in power outages, so I just make sure I have a bottle of oil to refill them. I buy extra dry cat food and fill the cats water bottle (it's one of those with a 2 liter bottle to keep the bowl full). The last thing I do is bring in everything from the patio. Then I have a party .

Stormie

[richlevy]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

Hey, life here is great. In fact, it has been great despite a few power outages. I'm certain, however, that it won't always be this nice and the key is to know that there might be times where you're on your own for 72 hours. No police, no medical assistance, no government aid. Water supply contaminated? Break your arm? Bands of armed looters breaking into homes? You may have to wait three days for someone to find that you're in need of assistance, even longer if you actually want to use a landline or cellphone to call for help.

Hey, wait, that's a bit scary.

It sounds like a Libertarian wonderland, especially with the expanded 'castle doctrine' in effect.