Need Hurricane Advice :/

Dear K.,

Don't panic. do you live in a house or apartment? Does it have hurricane shutters.

Make sure you have a radio w tons of batteries, Alot of water , everything for your baby..food diapers, formula if you use it. bread, lunch meats, ice, a grill, propane if u need it. Candles, flashlites, chips, can goods , Dry milk , cereal, Charge all cell phones.......And listen to the TV as much as you can.........

If you live west of 95 you wont need to leave.........East you might have too.....

Been in a few ......relax..............

Keep me posted.

G. H.

Get some batteries, Flashlights, and candals. You already have water, and there are plenty of options on dry foods if you think about it, bread, Peanut butter, cereals, etc. I don't think this will be as bad as Hurricane Wilma a few years ago which was a direct hit here and did lots of damage in terms of roof damage and trees downed. I did not hear of any windows breaking on the homes that did not have shutters. And you are in a sturdy townhome. If there are any loose outdoor furniture, planters, objects take them in as they can become flying projectiles in the high winds. Thats all you can do. Don't worry too much.

First know that your family will be just fine...I've been here since 1990 and made it through all of them. You obviously have enough water but for the baby it's always good to have the small water bottles, not sure if you breastfeed or formula...for us I always pre-make some food and stick it in a cooler. For the baby, make sure you have enough diapers, baby food-premix is better, infant tylenol, infant benadryl & wipies of course. Our girl is only 4 months old and we have a dog, so we got her food and meds as well. Fill the bathtub with water even though you have a lot of it. Have enough candles and at least 2 flashlights for both of you, batteries for a radio...we have a waterproof one. Make sure the both of you have your cars filled with gas, once I got a flat and couldnt leave. Take everything in from outside that could hit the windows and do not go outside or watch near windows when the storm is bad, thats how most people get hurt even from a small storm like this one. The most you have to worry about with this one is losing electricity and that always sucks! At the pet store they have this little battery fan but they may be out by now. Anyway, have a place that you both decide is the safe place in the house to meet if it gets bad. You'll be fine just gets boring but we probably wont feel much from this one.

Surviving a hurricane. Think of everything you use every day & replace it with something you can use without refrigeration or power. Food keep it simple: peanut butter & bread or crackers, protein in cans (tuna & chicken) some baby food is good for this purpose. Applesauce & juice or milk (Parmalat) in individual containers - you probably will not have refrigeration. So AFTER the storm and until you get electricity back grill away and share with your neighbors. Then start using your canned food.
You'll never have enough batteries or candles. Water: fill the bathtub and every container you can so you can flush the toilets and have enough to wash with. Water after the storm may not be usable unless you can boil it.
Hurrican shutters are, in my opinion, essential. Plywood is just a waste of time but better than nothing.
A great item is a crank (that's the power - you crank it!)radio. With mine I can even power up a cell phone. Make sure you have at least 1 regular old-fashioned landline phone that is NOT mobile - you will have power from the telephone company and can get emergency calls in & out.
Keep the gas tank in your car as full as possible - after the storm the pumps may not be working.
Your community should have hurricane preparedness info as well as local papers. Check with them.
Good luck! B.

First of all, take a deep breathe. It is going to be fine. During hurricane season, you should have several items on hand, just in case. Here is a comprehensive list from CBS 4. A lot of this stuff, you will have in your house anyway.

http://cbs4.com/hurricanepreps/Hurricane.Preparation.Hurr...

The most important things are water, flashlights and batteries, a portable radio or tv, Food (canned goods would stay dry and won't go bad and bread and peanut butter are always good), food for the baby and any pets you have. It would be good to make sure you have a full tank of gas for the grill so you can cook out there after the storm if you lose power. You can buy ice and keep it in your freezer, so if the power goes out, you can throw it in a cooler and keep some of the stuff from your fridge in there. Although, it will start to melt, so that stuff won't last too long (eat or cook that stuff first). Also, fill up your car's gas tank and take out some cash in case gas stations and ATMs lose power. A lot of gas stations have back up generators now, so this isn't going to be as big a problem as it has been in the past.

Try not to panic. It looks like we will probably feel some of the effects of this, although it is more likely to hit the west coast at this point. If it looks like it will be a hurricane and it is heading this way, you should probably stay with a friend who has shutters on their windows. Eventually, you will want shutters, or your husband can put plywood over all the windows and doors (but that can be a pain).

K., Greetings and Welcome to Davie!
I also live in Davie, West of I-95...You wouldn't happen to be in the "Townhomes At Orange Drive", would you?

I have lived in Florida for 44 years and in Davie 13, so I have been through my share of hurricanes, including the big ones. The main thing is NOT to panic, just prepare! And it sounds like you are well on your way. You do have special concerns and considerations with an 8 month old. If you are breatfeeding, you are in luck! Just make sure you have plenty of water on hand, especially for YOURSELF! If the baby is on formula, stock up on that, water and any foods that don't require heating, they have so many these days!

There are several things you can do to prepare for the power going out. Boil some eggs! The boiled eggs (left in their shells) can be kept in the frig. If you lose power, they can be eaten for breakfast, or made into egg salad (a clever way to use that mayonaise before it spoils) Just ask yourself "What can I make NOW, while I have power, and eat later (when I may not have power) and you will be amazed how creative you will get!

I have a 7 year old daughter. Let me know if you would like to get together. I just found out about and joined mamasource.com today! Stay safe!

S.

I don't think you'll have to worry too much about Fay. But it would be good to get supplies together in case of a future hurricane. I would get a flashlight and extra batteries for it as well as for your radio. I'd also keep a first aid kit around. Here's a couple of links you might find useful:

http://www.redcross.org/news/ds/0305hurricane/

http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/news/2003/weatheradv.htm

Personally, I would get hurricane shutters installed or at least get plywood to keep around for all your windows and sliding glass doors. The structure might be in good shape, but stuff can fly into windows letting in debris and water, not to mention the broken glass. By getting hurricane shutters installed, you can also save money on your homeowner's insurance.

K.,
Relax, don't worry about this one. We will get some rain, and some heavey wind. I moved here almost 3 1/2 years ago from NY and was broken in pretty fast with the year with the most storms on record.

Your water supply is good, for the canned stuff get some veggies, tuna, soup, and anything that you can eat with out heating up or without power. Make sure you have enough food for the baby. Do you have a barbeque? That was my cooking when we had Wilma 3 years ago and had no power for 2 weeks.

Make sure you have batteries for flash lights, candels and a portable radio so you can listen to 87.7 (NBC 6) they will have live coverage if you loose power.

Honestly, you have nothing to fear with this one, if it was a cat 2,3,4,or 5 they would have had a lot more press on it.

Good Luck
L.
Mom of 2 1/2 year old boy and 1 month little girl.

First thing - CALM DOWN! I lived here through Hurricane Andrew and all of the storms of 2003 and the big one in 2005. This should be a small storm so you don't have too much to worry about. Generally, you want to have enough water for every person in your family for a couple of days and enough baby food and baby supplies. Canned food is good if you don't have a generator that can keep your refrigerator going if the power is out - think out meals in a can like Chef-Boy-R-Dee or Spaghettios. Batteries, flashlights, the radio are all good. You generally won't have to be trapped in the house long so the canned food is just in the event of a major storm that leaves the roads blocked for a few days. You should consider putting all of your important papers, cash, medicine in a water proof ziploc bag and have it handy if you need to evacuate. If this were going to be a bad storm, people may recommend filling up your tub with water when you know it's coming. This will give you water to flush your toilets with if service is interrupted. Some people also say to fill 2 liter water bottles and freeze them so you have cold water later. I have never done this. I survived the hurricane in 2005 with no shutters and spent 3 hours holding my mattress against my sliding glass doors because I thought they would implode. this will not happen with a category one, but during the storm if it gets bad you should move to a room inside your home with no windows (i.e. walk in closet, bathroom) take your flashlight and radio and then you can listen to see if the storm has passed and you will not trip and hurt yourself if the lights are out when you come out of this space.

Really, try to make some arrangements but relax. It's a pretty minor storm and I can tell you from experience that most of us Floridians are willing to help others. If we do have a bad storm, the red cross and local agencies will deliver food and ice and I'm sure your neighbors would loan you a pack of hot dogs for the grill if you got hungry. It will be okay. Water, medicine, baby supplies and flashlights - most important.

P.S. If this was a category 4 or higher, with a baby I might tell you to leave your house. I felt pretty calm with all of the storms I've weathered, but I now have a 4 month old and if we got another 4 or 5 where we would be without a/c for a week, I would leave. Really just for comfort - hurricanes are the best type of natural disaster. We have plenty of warning and time to prepare. Good luck!

Good luck!

Hi K. C.,

First of all, breathe:) Its going to be ok. When I first moved down here (some 12 years ago), I panicked every time they saw a disturbance in the water. LOL... If you do that though, you will stay in a constant state of panic.
Second of all, get you're supplies together. As you've heard, can goods and non-parishable foods are the best, just in case the electricity goes out. Whatever you think you'll be able to eat if you can't cook it is the best. I usually get canned meats like vienna sausages, tuna, stuff like that. The good thing is that you have a grill and propane because you can cook anything on your grill. Make sure you have plenty of water (which it sounds like you do). Batteries, flashlights, a battery-operated radio or TV to keep up with the news reports. Also make sure you all have cash on hand because you know the ATM's don't work if the electricity goes out. And have gas in your vehicle(s). When Wilma hit, the gas station lines were ridiculous so if you can avoid that for a few days, you will be very happy:) Also, if anyone in your household take any medication, make sure they have enough for a couple of weeks. If you all would like, you could go to Home Depot or Lowes (or somewhere like that) to get plywood to put up over your windows and glass doors if you think they won't sustain the winds.
The last thing is this, if by chance Faye pass over us, try to relax and let mother nature do her job because truthfully, there's not much else you can do:) After 12 years of being here, I experienced my first REAL hurricane just 3 years ago with Wilma. I was scared out of my mind. But to watch (from inside of my apartment of course) God at His work is an amazing thing. It was scary but it was also awe-inspiring. Its just me and my 3 sons and my 2 oldest sons slept through most of it. So me and my little one was up, peaking out the window every now and then. It was amazing. If you drink, have a little something to soothe your nerves, say a prayer and try to relax. Its going to be ok:)

Good luck,
T.:)

I am a mother of 4 and have lived in south florida for 30 odd years. EVERY and I mean EVERY May I go through our 'hurricane kit' to make sure it is all still current and fresh. A hurricane kit consisits of:

--1 gallon of water per day (a weeks worth) per person in the house. So that is 7 gallons of water per person who lives in this house. (I have 50 gallons of water in a variety of sizes and containers)
--canned food (tuna, chicken, soup, beans, ect) and a manual can opener,
---paper towels, paper plates, plastic utensils, cups, napkins, ect...
---first aid kit, don't forget a small container of otc pain meds and any prescription meds
---essential things for baby (wipes, formula, diapers, toys)
---personal hygiene/toiletries
---a land line telephone (non-cordless)
---important documents in water proof bags/container
---Pet care items: proper identification / immunization reords / medications, ample supply of food and water, a carrier or cage, muzzle and leash
---tools (rubber mallet/hammer/screw drivers
---rain gear
---a flashlight for each person in the house and many spare batteries
---a battery operated radio and many spare batteries
---many candles and lighters, even water proof matches
--extra gas for gas grill
---a cast iron skillet or pan for use on gas grill
---grilling utensils
---other dry goods/non-perishable items such as cookies, crackers, gummy candy, ect...
---a deck of cards/toys/games
---small container of non-scented bleach
---a large folded tarp with a bundle of rope

I keep everything in several rubber maid totes with lids. I put them in a closet, stored during the year. Then in May we bring them out, go through, check to see everything is still fresh/good. Replace anything out dated. We make sure we do this every year. I never forget because once you live through a hurricane and you live without running water and electricity? It is something ingrained in your mind forever.
Don't panic. Your not alone. There are millions of mothers in the area going through the same thing you are. Feel free to ask as many questions as you like.
I have pulled out our kits in the event that we loses power or whatever.
Seeing your west of 95 you won't be evacuated unless the storm is lethal.
Always have a plan and always keep informed. I make sure I get text messeges on my cell from the weather channel keeping me posted when a storm is near.
Make sure you get shutters for EVERY window in your home!!!! That is one of the most important things. If a window breaks in your house during a bad storm, once the wind and pressure get into the house your roof is going to get ripped right off the house. That was one of the many problem during Hurricane Andrew. The roof doesn't generally just rip off in a hurricane. You'll lose shingles and have damage but if your windows bust open and the wind and pressure get in.....? Your roof will be gone. So make sure all your window are properly protected.
This is the price we pay to live in paradise. After living here a while, you will get used to it. Keep your eyes open for sales at the supermarket for canned goods and stuff like that and NEVER, EVER, EVER wait till the past minute to prepare. There are alot of people in Florida who don't prepare a head of time. Let them suffer and flounder. As a mother you have way too many other things to worry about. Preapare for the worst and hope for the best. That is a south Floridian mothers mantra during the hurricane season.
Good luck!!!!!!!!

Huricane Wilma taught us a lot. My husband and I have personalized one of the many hurricane prep lists. We now keep charcoal, paper plates plastic cups and utenils, batteries and flashlights just for huricane season. We do all of the laundry and gas up the cars and the everybody takes a shower/bath before the storm hits. Charge up cell phones, laptops, And then a quick trip to the dollar store for new toys to keep the boys busy when they aren't playing with flashlights. The storm itself is short compared to the recovery time that may be needed. Preparing our household to be without electricity is our main focus. The storm itself, as someone else mentioned, is an awesome act of nature. We crowd around the one tiny window without shutters to watch the wind swirl.

K.

Make sure you get gas too for both vehicles. That's a must. You don't want to be stuck in line and run out of gas. The news always shows tons of people in line that seem to run out of gas. Make sure you have enough food items and diapers for the baby.

Also, not sure if your place allows generators; your food WILL go bad. We have been through a lot of hurricanes and you get used to it. You will survive this and realize that it's not that bad; Also, for boredom, do you have board games or cards?

OH, and if you have any projectiles in the yard, move them to a secure area. I know that it seems like a pain but I grew up in New England and I never want to shovel snow or warm my car up for twenty minutes again. I have lived most of my adult life in a warm climate from coast to coast and believe me, it's not that bad.

Sounds like everyone has given you the some great advice. G-D Bless!