Panic starts

[SeaCat]

I went down to the Local Home Repairs Place today to pick up a sheet of Plywood. (Thin to cover a small table in work.) I couldn't believe the crowd scene there.

We now have a potential Hurricane growing out off the horizon and people are starting to get a bit antsy. Already they are buying storm supplies. I saw more 1/4 inch plywood heading out today than have in the past several months.

I came up to the register with my single sheet of plywood and the guy behind me in line informed me that wouldn't do a damned thing to shelter my windows. (No kidding dude.)

It's amazing how the panic is starting so early.

(Oh and the preliminary tracks all have the storm heading a long ways to our south.)

Cat

 

[TE999]

'Once burnt, twice fear the fire' Cat.

Or maybe they figger on makin' a quick buck sellin' it to last minute shoppers.

I was in our Big Orange this pm and it was dead as a hammer.

I guess folks are more excitable down your way.

 

[SeaCat]

'Once burnt, twice fear the fire' Cat.

Or maybe they figger on makin' a quick buck sellin' it to last minute shoppers.

I was in our Big Orange this pm and it was dead as a hammer.

I guess folks are more excitable down your way.

Could be.

Then again we still have plenty of Blue Tarps on roofs. (Two years after the storms no less.)

Our place is almost ready. I still have a couple of things to put into place. (Two Shutter systems) but then again I have lived here less than a year. I have already done quite a bit of work on the place considering I've been here less than a year, do all my own work, and work full time besides. (I'm hoping that I'll have the shutters done by the end of the week.)

This winter will be the fun time. Re-doing the external walls to make them stronger. (Most of the work will be done from inside so I don't have to get a permit.)

Cat

 

[cloudy]

let them just mention "snow flurries" here, and immediately bread and milk sells out.

I never have figured out why bread and milk specifically, to be honest. Gimme coffee, cigarettes and toilet paper, and I'm okay.

 

[SeaCat]

let them just mention "snow flurries" here, and immediately bread and milk sells out.

I never have figured out why bread and milk specifically, to be honest. Gimme coffee, cigarettes and toilet paper, and I'm okay.

Reminds me of Cape Cod when I lived up there.

I have never figured out the Bread and Milk.

I always head for the Beer and Cigars.

Cat

 

[buxxxom]

Here in NC we get a little of all of it...floods, snow, tornadoes, but worst of all hurricanes and ice. All of that means no electricity. Power lines down. I'm heading for the Pop-Tarts. No refrigeration necessary.

 

[Lee Chambers]

'Once burnt, twice fear the fire' Cat.

Or maybe they figger on makin' a quick buck sellin' it to last minute shoppers.

When Rita came through in '05 we heard many stories of plywood that people had in their backyards disappearing. And yes, it wouldn't surprise me if some of them would try to price gouge to make a buck before they haul ass.

 

[starrkers]

Here in NC we get a little of all of it...floods, snow, tornadoes, but worst of all hurricanes and ice. All of that means no electricity. Power lines down. I'm heading for the Pop-Tarts. No refrigeration necessary.

Exactly - why stock up on bread and milk? If you have no power, you're better off with tinned food and dry crackers.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

They just buy everything here when a big storm is heading in. Doesn't matter what kind of storm. If the news hypes it ahead of time, they buy everything.

Cat, what kind of plywood do you use for storm security? I'd think 3/4" or thicker, but I don't live near the coast, so I really don't know.

 

[Weird Harold]

let them just mention "snow flurries" here, and immediately bread and milk sells out.

I never have figured out why bread and milk specifically, to be honest. Gimme coffee, cigarettes and toilet paper, and I'm okay.

Bread and Milk are perishables -- they can't be stocked ahead of timeas coffee, cigarettes and toilet paper can -- but both will stay potable for about a week with no more regridgeration than a bucket of cold water to keep the milk cool.

At least for me, Bread and Milk are just the last pieces in the total "emergency supplies" picture and the only thing I would likely NEED to buy at the last moment.

 

[rgraham666]

let them just mention "snow flurries" here, and immediately bread and milk sells out.

I never have figured out why bread and milk specifically, to be honest. Gimme coffee, cigarettes and toilet paper, and I'm okay.

And what they consider 'flurries' down there would be a 'light dusting of snow' up here.

 

[SeaCat]

They just buy everything here when a big storm is heading in. Doesn't matter what kind of storm. If the news hypes it ahead of time, they buy everything.

Cat, what kind of plywood do you use for storm security? I'd think 3/4" or thicker, but I don't live near the coast, so I really don't know.

On the occasions I put up Plywood I always used 1/2 inch. (If the window or door took more than one sheet I would reinforce with 2x4's.)

Now I use 1/16 inch Steel Storm Shutter Sections. (With the rails bolted into the Wall Studs.) as well as 1/16 inch steel Bahama Shutters.

It's kind of spooky when your shutters are stronger than your walls. (1/16 inch Aluminum)

Cat

 

[WRJames]

We used to go down to Boca Raton in the 70's to visit some relatives. Their house was built to survive a nuclear holocaust -- solid cinder block, tile roof, and hurricane shutters built in. What happened to building codes that everyone needs to cover their windows with plywood now?

 

[SeaCat]

We used to go down to Boca Raton in the 70's to visit some relatives. Their house was built to survive a nuclear holocaust -- solid cinder block, tile roof, and hurricane shutters built in. What happened to building codes that everyone needs to cover their windows with plywood now?

Ever hear of money?

Up until the early nineties you could build pretty much how you wanted to.

Older houses were built with the elements in mind, then the building boom started and people started looking for short cuts and cheaper construction.

Then Florida got snot stomped and they decided to change the rules. They started new building codes. (Surprisingly they didn't include shutters.) Unfortunately many houses and buildings were Grandfathered in.

My Mobile home was built in the late sixties. It still had the old style construction. (Solid bottom and header frames.) It has been in the same place since 1975 with little damage, and is in my opinion better built than many of the newer Wind Zone 3 Mobile Homes. (It's not up to my standards but will be by the end of next winter.)

Cat

 

[Lee Chambers]

Forget the store bought stuff. When hurricane Rita rolled into town in '05 there was no plywood to be found for miles. So my uncle got creative and pulled the frikkin closet doors off and used them to cover the windows with. One inch thick pine wood. We didn't have to worry about ANYTHING coming through there.

 

[christabelll]

storms weather liquid or solid are unpredictable so people freak when its predicted....

Two weeks before my daughter was born - I dreamt all night - and I do mean all night of Tornadoes - all over the place - hundreds. I stood in a field and watched them swirl like that scene in x-men 2.

When I awoke that morning - I turned on the TV. 76 tornadoes had struck Oklahoma during the night - and were heading my direction. I lived 11 miles from ground zero of tornado alley. More tornadoes tracked into missouri...

I gathered the animals (5 dogs 5 cats) blankets, my portable fire pit, flashlights batteries candles matches.... bread, peanut butter, all the fruit and veggies I had, dog food cat food, ten 5 gallon containers of water (we lived on well water and sometimes it ran dry), stock pots and skillets, various canned goods, toilet paper, towels, soap etc..
We left the spoilables in the fridge - with coolers on standby.

Being heavily pregnant it was very difficult for me to get into our little cellar with ancient dry cistern, luckily we had exterior access... my ex put everything down there including chairs and lanterns. Vacuumed up all the spiders etc.
Through out the day we were under tornado watch - the sky simply boiled...
I finally when upstairs to rest - I hadn't been up there 10 minutes!!! when the sirens four miles away could be heard...

So off we all went (my mom included) to the cistern - all the critters....phew

Four tornadoes hit within 3 miles all around the house... 1 literally marched up 44 jumped over the farmhouse - then landed 1/2 mile away taking out - you guessed it - the only trailer park in the county...

I believe in preparedness but I don't believe in panic... and cisterns suck when you are ready to POP out a baby....but it was incomparable when it was over a foot thick of stone and concrete and 12 feet under ground.

All we did with the windows was closed them and the storm glass that covered them.


ALways have an emergency kit mostly prepared. it takes 2 minutes to gather the remaining stuff - cuz you never ever know for certain when the shit is gonna hit the fan -

If I don't have a fireplace I always get a portable fire pit - with grill top - if nothing else you can keep warm and get a hot meal when the lights go out....


I think I am in a very weird mood today

 

[galaxygoddess]

I love how, if they mention the temp is going to be 5 degrees lower than usual in the winter time, people start stocking up like a blizzard is about to hit >.>

We haven't seen an actual blizzard since forever


but I go with the "once biten, twice shy" thing.

I for one would just like to be able to buy a loaf of bread when the weather is "acting funny" *sigh

 

[SeaCat]

I grew up in New England where we dealt with a little thing called Nor' Easters were the norm. (Until you have lived on a Cape and dealt with a Nor' Easter you just haven't lived. )

I learned young to keep a storm kit, quite an extensive one at that. We're talking a kit that completely fills four 4x6 foot plastic waterproof totes. (This doesn't of course include the Generator, hand tools or tarps.) With what we have in these totes we can live for up to 2 months. (This does include the cats by the way.) Longer if I get creative, and I tend to do that.

Cat

 

[christabelll]

Wow - And I thought I was rather a bit paranoid with what I keep around...

I would love to see a list of your kits' basic contents...

Among other things I have in mine is seed packets, plastic sheeting and pvc pipes (just in case everything goes to hell) so I can build a mini green house and have my veggies and herbs in a month or so - Canned and dried will only last so long...but long enough to get the fresh going...

I guess it comes from being in the country most of my child hood - and always being prepared for water pipes freezing - heating oil running out, power outages etc during snows storms and rain storms and tornadoes and hurricanes....

When I get around to buying another house it has got to have a working fireplace... and a storm cellar seperate from the house... fall out shelter??? perhaps LOL

 

[SeaCat]

Wow - And I thought I was rather a bit paranoid with what I keep around...

I would love to see a list of your kits' basic contents...

Among other things I have in mine is seed packets, plastic sheeting and pvc pipes (just in case everything goes to hell) so I can build a mini green house and have my veggies and herbs in a month or so - Canned and dried will only last so long...but long enough to get the fresh going...

I guess it comes from being in the country most of my child hood - and always being prepared for water pipes freezing - heating oil running out, power outages etc during snows storms and rain storms and tornadoes and hurricanes....

When I get around to buying another house it has got to have a working fireplace... and a storm cellar seperate from the house... fall out shelter??? perhaps LOL

LOL

I now have ten 5 gallon Lister bags for drinking water.
10 cases (10 meals each) of M.R.E.'s
A rather comprehensive First Aid Kit
Water Filters
100 pounds of Cat Food,
200 pounds Kitty Litter
10 pounds of coffee
30 pounds of homestyle Bacon
60 gallons worth of Gas Cans
1 generator
Enough small arms ammunition for a small war
Plenty of frozen food. (Enough for at least a month)
Enough canned food for a month.
4 cases of beer, 1 case Tequila and 2 cases of wine
Enough Tarps to cover my trailer twice
Hand tools
8 Propane Tanks
Camp Stove
Hurricane lamps along with several gallons of Lamp Oil
Rechargable Batteries
Camp Coffee Pot

In other words I have quite the kit.

Cat

 

[only_more_so]

Panicking people can be pretty amusing. I remember when I lived in Texas and we were expecting a snow storm... The stores sold out of all sorts of things, even though the snow would only stay on the ground for a day or two. So I waited for the snow to fall and went to the store to buy Marshmallows.

Although, not planning ahead is a bad thing too. When I lived in Virginia and hurricane Isabel was bearing down on us, my area was part of a mandatory evacuation. Just to show they meant it, they said emergency crews would not respond to areas under mandatory evacuations. Oh, and if you planned on staying you should write your name and SSN on your arm with a Sharpee, so they would be able to identify your body.

Anyway, Seacat, I hope you have a perfectly dull hurricane season.

 

[Lisa Denton]

Oh, and if you planned on staying you should write your name and SSN on your arm with a Sharpee, so they would be able to identify your body.

Thats one way to convince people of the possible danger, perhaps they should have said to write it again on your leg in case your arms are blowed off.

The media can help or hurt, and don't care so long as its a good story. Once before what they were expecting to be a huge storm, all the bottled water was selling out at the stores, so I seen a nut in a SUV loaded with cases of water running through red lights and driving crazy. He prolly thought someone might carjack him for his bottled water, maybe he was in his paronoid mind battling the fall of civilization and bravely fighting to save his family. He could have killed himself or a family in another car, the storm wasn't bad and the power was only off for a few hours, the water never went off. Fuckin media feeding the panic of the fuckin nuts.

In texas right now we just got a little rain, to cool off what the weather people have been calling the "ring of fire" that we are in. A childrens playground did a bizarre "instantaneous burstin into flames" thing the other day and burnt down in under a minute. Luckily no children were on it at the time and the whole thing was caught on security camera.

We are smokin and smolderin, but as texans, we know we are lucky. Usually by this time of year it has been killer hot for over a month, but the torrential floods we had all last month kept the temps cool. The tornadoes have luckily been missing me this year but I did have a tree get blowed down on my house with no major damage to the house, so again, lucky. A couple weeks ago some high winds knocked a tree down on my power line, yanking out the anchor to the house and almost ripping the power lines out. I just paid a guy 150 dollars to re-anchor the lines, and they didn't get pulled out, so again, lucky.

Hope the hurricanes miss you Cat, I know you are prepared as possible, but mother nature takes some strange turns, hopefully she will turn away from you, when you and yours are in danger.