So whos in the target zone and how are you protecting your pick ups and what not. Mine is in dry storage lol where its been for 5+ years

 

Also i hope everyone's prepared and safe

 

My Daughter in South Carolina started prepping two days ago. She's a smart cookie. All hatch's secured. Generator, MRE's and plenty of fresh water.

 

It's hitting us starting tomorrow night. I'm going to park the trucks sideways in front of the garage doors (I have two bays). That's worked real well in the past, so we'll see.

The forecast is changing all the time. At first they said it would be 200ish miles off shore, but kept getting progressively closer in subsequent forecasts. This morning they said landfall would happen in North Brevard County, FL, which is where I live (Mims). I think the latest is it will come in at Port Canaveral, so we'll see how it works out.

Mandatory evacuation on the barrier islands - like Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach. We haven't had that notice on the mainland side. My place is fairly wooded; the land is low but house is built up high. We spent some pretty good $$$ for fill to meet hurricane standards, and this is #5 for us in this house, altho first since '05 that's been very close.

It's already getting crazy around town. I'm pretty well set up, but needed some "D" cell batteries as my old stock was NFG. Couldn't find any and finally were given some from a friend. Gas stations aren't nuts yet, but the fist fights will be starting tomorrow. No water anywhere, ice is short, etc. Oh, and good luck finding gas containers or generators anywhere. Many items sell out the last day or so before. I didn't need much; I had filled up yesterday plus (5) 5 gallons containers for the generator.

I have to do a few things tomorrow, then wait for the storm, sit in our well protected back porch when it's going pretty good and smoke a cigar with a good Irish Stout (Murphy's). Nuthin' like it! Well, as long as the roof stays on and I don't see a Bullnose flying past...........

 

Why is it, that everyone waits for a storm threat to start the panic for generators, water, and everything related to basic survival when they know all too well that they are subject to the possibility of a "Bullnose Flying Past ?!" (not you fljab). We own property in Puerto Rico and by the second week of September, the storm panels are up. I don't get it.

 

Can't speak for everyone, but in this area we're usually pretty lucky I guess due to how most of the storms form and travel. The majority either go through the Keys and up the gulf to the Fl Panhandle to Houston, or go up the east coast like this one, but stay offshore and hit the Carolinas and on up.

Ya keep putting things off, and purchasing and storing a generator you rarely use just doesn't seem that high a priority. Now, I don't understand the store bought water thing. We just fill containers and have plenty to get through any storm. We also put a clean, lined plastic trashcan in the garage shower and fill it up as a precaution. Can be used as drinking water if need be, but also for washing, flushing, etc.

I have to admit, my window plywood shutters have been robbed for projects here and there in the 10 or so yrs since the last time I needed them, so I'll have to prioritize which ones I want to cover.

I really think we'll be OK here, but ya just never know 'till the Bullnose flys by in the redneck remake of the "Wizard of Oz" Lol.........

 

 

Nothing but little breeze and rain here in Arcadia, just a tropical storm watch for my area.

But in 2004 ole hurricane Charlie sure did a smack up when I lived in Cape Coral. I put my vehicles facing into the wind to buffet the house, saved my house I think. Others all round me had major roof damage, I had only a ridge vent cap blown off.

To this day, watching a 1973 Buick LeSabre 4door hopping around due to 110mph winds and my parent's motorhome about flip over twice when my friend's roof blew away is a sight I will never forget.

I couldn't see my 84 F250 or my parent's 95 Suburban , I bet they were moving too!

Oh, watching the porta-pots flying around like a TARDIS(Dr Who show) was funny though....

 

hope everyone came through this ok.

30 min s/e of Raleigh we got a lot of heavy rain & wind. Lot of flooding i heard on the news. Did not even try to walk across yard to my garage to work on the truck.
Some tree branches down in yard was the worst till 2am when power went out, wind & rain had stopped by then.

So with no power can't work on truck and not knowing when it will come back on may have to dig out the new never been used generator from the back of the shed before it gets dark.

Again hope all are doing well
Dave - - - -

 

Hey all, I just got power back this morning, so catching up a bit.

That was a pretty good blow for sure. No real damage at my house, and the Bullnose's stayed where I left them!

Turns out I had enough plywood for all the windows, altho for the 2 double windows I turned the pw sideways and covered the middle vs the whole thing. That allowed me to do all of them on the front of the house.

We lost tree limbs and there was and still is little bits all over the place. I drove around the neighborhood the next day and saw some trees down, 1 in a power pole, and a couple of streets blocked; that's just in my area.

We got lucky; prediction was for the eye to make landfall right where I live, but it stayed east just a bit and hit harder from New Smyrna Beach and on North. Bad damage in Flagler Beach & St. Augustine with A1A destroyed in a lot of places. Too bad, that is such a nice drive.

We're close to being back to normal at my place. I need to go get some Stabil for my generator gas, put up all the cords, still clean up some of the debris, and a few other things. It was nice to get a hot shower this morning and wash clothes.

 

Good to hear you came thru it pretty good.


Up here we got a lot of heavy rain so a lot of flooding and washed out streets and high ways like I95 shut down and I40 just 2 miles down the road from us.


We did get winds but did not think that bad but we did loose power Sun morning about 2am. by that time rain & wind had stopped.
I spent Sun morning picking up branches and hanging out as roads were closed, till it started getting dark.
That is when I pulled the gen set out of the shed and cords to plug in the refer & freezer and 1 light. Tried to get the cable tv working but no go.
Used the gas grill to cook diner and boil water for tea.


Being power did not come on by 11pm it was time to kill the gen set, pull it in the garage for safe keeping. and hit bed.
Some time about 1 pm from what I could tell power came back on so plugged the refer & freezer back in and back to bed.


Today did put up get set, I also need to get Stabil as I did not have enough on hand but everything is still closed around here.
Curfew here from sun down to sun up, not to be on the roads, have not heard of I95 or I40 if open yet or not but thinking not.
I did not have work today, drive a trailer truck, and don't know if I will tomorrow yet.


It was hard to use my smart phone to stay on the forum. I charged it in my trucks cig lighter. Got to do what you got to do!


Hope others came thru with out big issues.
Dave ----

 

Agree with that. I did some things on it, but for the most part it was a PITA to even try FTE.

I've had one of those pocket sized battery for portable devices. Amazingly, that thing worked good until we were able to charge it and the other devices ~30 hrs or so. My gen was kaput, but I was able to borrow another one in that time, so all OK after that as far as the basics.

My wife & I both have Kindles and smartphones. The Kindle was a lifesaver with books and I played a crapload of Cribbage on it during the storm and it's aftermath. That battery kept them all charged.

 

I hope that everyone is safe and that they get through this without too many things being damaged or have any losses!

 

Thanks; we both + the critters were safe/no injuries, so that was the important part.

Still have a mess outside. I have debris all over the place that I'm still cleaning up. The county yard waste trucks are really busy I'm sure; none have come back in our neighborhood as yet to pick up the growing piles of tree limbs and such piled alongside the road.