Hurricane Prep that isn't just a generic list?
Posted by VviFMCgY@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 32 comments
I'm looking for an extensive list of ideas to make your home more resistant to hurricanes
Any ideas? If I find one I will share
I'm in the Houston area
2Loves2loves@reddit
#1 protect the windows. if you have a cat 4 or higher nobody will have a mailbox, and they all went flying hitting the windows and breaking them. then the roof lifts off and you have a wet bed and carpet with no power and life realy sucks.
plan for no power for a week.
an inverter can be used to power a tv or fan from your car, if you run it enough to keep the battery up. inverters run 50-100 vs 400+ for a generator.
justthenormalnoise@reddit
I'm in Florida and this is what I do starting around late April into May.
_Check all flashlights. Refill with new batteries. Any rechargeable light stays plugged int through the summer. I make sure everyone in the house has a good headlamp. _Double-check the hurricane bucket tote. Make sure spare batteries, lanterns, tarps, and rope are available and in good repair. _Buy an extra case of water every other trip to Costco so I have enough for everyone for a week (the longest I've been without power). _Load your pantry with things that will not take electricity to cook. _Ensure first-aid kits and prescription medicines are current.
During hurricane season proper: _Always have at least one propane tank filled. I have two but am getting a third. _Keep gas tanks filled. Halfway is the new E. _Do you need a chainsaw? Now's the time to buy one. _Survey your home and cut away any branches or shrubs that can damage it.
Hurricane is on the way: _Clean your home from top to bottom. You may be stuck in it for a while and it is even more stressful when messy. _Likewise, get all your laundry cleaned before you lose power. _Eat all the ice cream. It's going to melt anyway. _Bake cookies or make some treats, especially if you have kids. _Make an extra pot or two of coffee. _Turn on your weather radio and keep it on.
MrBrawn@reddit
Check your generators. Also for tarps, you never have too many tarps.
uddane@reddit
We test our generator at the end of this month (April) that way if we can't fix it, there is still time to get it fixed.
Remarkable_Gene4264@reddit
I too live in Western Central Florida, about 40 miles East of Tampa in a rural area on a little over 1 acre.
I don’t prep for hurricanes, I stay prepared 12 months a year. I don’t want to get caught up the those that don’t and go into a frenzy the day before the storm arrives.
I started with my house being built in 2019. The builder was one of the most experienced and respected designer/builders in the area. His home designs exceed Florida building codes. Roof rated to 160 mph, windows rated to 150+ mph with 8 mil shatter resistant film. I don’t like window shutters or the idea of putting up plywood, cinder block walls with every 2-3 holes are rebar reinforced and filled with concrete the rest are filled with insulated grout.
23kw whole house generator with 500 gallon propane tank, solar with 24kw Tesla batteries. Water is a well, sewage is septic.
Extensive first aid kit and just not bandaids and iodine. Stocked with the sort of stuff you would need for serious injuries including blood clotting bandages and powder, tourniquets, suture/stapler for those really serious lacerations, various otc antibiotic ointments. Various OTC pain killers. Several packs of glow sticks in addition to flashlights and batteries. Remember, first responders will be pretty busy if the storm is extensive.
When food shopping throughout the year, stock up on food items when they are on sale or offered as a BOGO that way when a storm is coming you only need to grab last minute items. Always maintain a case of toilet paper and paper towels in the garage, when that package is opened, buy another at Sam’s Club/Costco……. We maintain a deep pantry all year long, have 2 refrigerators and 1 freezer which is kept well stocked. Also maintain a couple weeks worth of freeze dried food “just in case”😉 6 five gallon water containers that I fill as the storm is approaching just in case the well pump fails unexpectedly.
We don’t live in a flood prone area, so that issue is rather low on the list. But you do, plan to evacuate BEFORE it is too late.
As you can see I believe in being prepared ALL the time, that way if things go South you aren’t in panic mode which can lead to making bad decisions.
factory-worker@reddit
Im by the villages, I'll bring the beer!
TexasAggie08@reddit
I'm in the Houston suburbs, and I've been looking into small solar generators for hurricane power outages. In my area, we usually get power back within about 3 days, and I'd like to be able to stay in my home while I wait. The heat was what forced me to leave during the last windstorm. I have health issues, and I can't stay in the house once it gets above 90. I've bought a couple of Ryobi fans to deal with that. I was looking at solar-powered coolers to keep from losing everything in my fridge/freezer every time we lose power, but it looks like solar coolers can't deal with the kind of heat we have in Houston during hurricane season.
eye_of_the_sloth@reddit
The best hurricane prep I ever did was move. Never had a hurricane since
Ancient-Claim-5487@reddit
After Helene?
Cash in denominations of 20 or less.
Batteries, propane, butane, charcoal for after the initial hit when power goes out.
Solar backup cooking/charging when the sun returns and the power doesn't or you have to wait on an electrician to OK your home if you took a hit.
A solar cooler for when all the ice is gone over 3 counties. This will be my next purchase. If you have $$, go for the solar fridge.
cophotoguy99@reddit
Couple hustler nudie mags from the late 90’s
3 packs of double stuffed Oreo’s ( 2 chocolate, 1 vanilla)
Batteries C & D’s to keep those old school vibrators humming along.
4-5 road flares and 3 gallons of gas (don’t mix unless you get really bored)
Rain coat preferably one covered in cute duckies or kitties dancing with rainbow’s.
24 pack of Black Cherry white claws
An uncomfortable amount of Skittles
factory-worker@reddit
Define.....uncomfortable......
cophotoguy99@reddit
Like when you leave the store the cashier follows you out to make sure you’re not driving a white van uncomfortable….
_learned_foot_@reddit
I would presume it's rainbow colored.
WWWeirdGuy@reddit
Oh yeah it's gamer time
Mobile_Bed4861@reddit
What’s missing from these lists: GTFO.
Statistically most people who die in hurricanes are people who didn’t leave. That statement is probably too obvious, but they’re either people who refused to leave or who waited too long.
Typically the government will issue a “watch” or “warning”, followed by voluntary evacuation, then mandatory evacuation. When they call voluntary evacuation, it’s time to GTFO.
relianceschool@reddit
Media often plays up hurricanes for viewership (crying wolf, essentially), so when a real danger comes along, folks think "they said that about the last 5, and I was fine."
And sure, you can (and should) harden your house. But there's not much you can do when a hurricane spawns 45 tornados, other than getting out ahead of traffic and posting up in a motel across state lines.
Instantcupofregret@reddit
I think the reason that it's mostly lists for hurricane prep, is because what can you really do against it. You can board up windows but all you can really do is prepare for whatever damage or after effects the storm brings.
I keep an assortment of tarps so I can cover up broken windows or a hole in the roof. I keep extra gas and maintain my chainsaw for fallen limbs or trees. Tomorrow I plan on getting on the roof and trimming branches from the oak tree that shades my house to help prevent limbs from getting too heavy.
JanieLFB@reddit
It used to be one could purchase a new shower curtain liner and keep it on hand for if/when it was needed. If the curtain in the shower started looking grody, put up the new one. Throw the old one in the washer with some bleach. Air dry over a chair. Fold and put away until you have a chance to purchase the new replacement.
A slightly used shower cutter was always kept in the house. It could be a drop cloth or window cover.
The-Mond@reddit
This site (now archived) always struck me as a unique list of things to do to prep for a hurricane. https://web.archive.org/web/20080923181008if_/http://www.theplacewithnoname.com:80/blogs/klessons/p/map.html
VviFMCgY@reddit (OP)
Awesome site!
Capital_Sherbet_6507@reddit
I am in Florida. I have one expensive, but long term prep that I am thankful for every year. In 2005 when I bought my house, it was sorely in need of new windows, so I replaced all of the windows, sliding doors and french doors with Winguard PGT products. It's all aluminum framed with impact glass. Hurricane windows cost about 50% more than normal windows, but I've never boarded up a window in 20 years and on top of that, they stopped a burglary attempt about 10 years ago.
Also somewhat pricey but worth it to me, I just invested in a 3 KWH battery backup with solar input, primarily to keep fridge and freezer cold. I plan add extra batteries once it's all set up and the transfer switch is wired in. This product maxes out at 11 KWH. My ice cream won't melt :)
If sun is scarce and I need to ration power, I have a second deep freezer setup with an Inkbird temperature controller, which effectively turns it into a 15 cubic foot refrigerator. It's set to keep food between 35F and 38F. I can move all of my kitchen fridge contents to the "deep fridge". The deep fridge consumes about 200 Watt Hours (0.2 KWH) a day vs. 1.5 KWH for the fancy french-door kitchen fridge. If I unplug the big fridge, I only need 1.2 KWH a day to keep all my stuff cold, which with an 11 KWH battery is a long time, even with zero solar input.
For rechargable things like flashlights and battery banks, I have a monthly recurring calendar event in the phone to plug them all in and charge them.
MajorTom1983@reddit
Lived in hurricane zones for most of my life and have been thru 29 hurricanes and have lived on water and all over and can tell you things the lists dont...... But its also given me a lot of experiences to realize what is important at the end of the day...... What is the one thing you would save after the lives of course...... Answer that and its the key to Hurricane preparedness above about 12 other things.
MrMaker1123@reddit
Are you thinking about things that reinforce the house itself? On the hurricane preparedness section of NOAA they give advice on how to strengthen your. The biggest weak points are the roof, windows, and then garage doors. These are typically the areas most affected by strong winds. If just one goes, all the rest of the house could go too.
Have a specialist check your roof
Install hurricane windows or shutters
Reinforce the garage door for strong winds
Make sure there's no big trees with long limbs around the house
Don't leave anything outside when winds are approaching, they become projectiles.
Was there other things you were thinking of?
CalmRecognition5725@reddit
Cash; no power = no credit cards
Involuntary-Expert@reddit
Sandbags for flood prevention. Especially in an arid climate like Texas.
Leopold_Porkstacker@reddit
Don’t forget to put an ax up in the attic.
Capstonelock@reddit
This is the Australian cyclone-rated builing code if that helps?
https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2022/adopted/volume-one/b-structure/4-design-buildings-cyclonic-areas
FinnfinnLP@reddit
Don't neglect trimming nearby trees (if you're allowed to do so) to limit the amount of branches that might play the part of a home invader.
Hurricanes and other natural disasters may render rooms or entire stories of buildings inaccessible. Short-term stashes in different places help in these cases. Assemble these under the assumption that a government response will happen, hurricanes don't usually wipe out an entire nation.
Get tarps and cover your windows and/or doors to minimize the amount of glass shards and small debris that may get inside and injure you. And learn how to get them where they need to be quickly.
Above all, don't count on your prep too much. Hurricanes don't really do pissing contests. If your building can't withstand the extreme forces it's exposed to, you're looking at severe damage and, if you're still inside, extreme danger. You're mostly doing damage control.
nakedonmygoat@reddit
To be clear, you're asking about making your home itself more resistant, as opposed to less generic preps? Because honestly, there's not much you can do about your house itself.
Depending on where you are in the Greater Houston Area, you might want to be able to board up at least some of your windows. Do you have storm windows and screens? That may be enough. I've lived in the inner loop since '86 and that's always been enough for me, but if you live closer to Clear Lake or League City, you might want some plywood.
Are you in a flood plain? How did your home weather Allison and Harvey? If you have flooding concerns, and especially if you live near a bayou, get some Quick Dams. They're like sand bags, but much more convenient to store. They bulk up when they get wet. They're also stackable.
Get your trees trimmed. If you have any loblolly pines, be aware that they have a shallow root base relative to their height and are the first to come down in high winds. For other trees, just be sure they're in good health and have no dead branches. If any branches are near the power or data cables across the yard, you'll want to address that as well, but it's not usually best done by an amateur.
Be ready to join your neighbors in clearing the streets after the storm has passed. This is how repair trucks and emergency vehicles are going to get in. If you're comfortable with a chain saw, have one ready to go. Otherwise, just having a push broom or a willingness to help drag cut up trees out of the way helps. It's amazing how quickly everyone organizes themselves and starts helping out.
Have tarps, just in case.
If, based on the strength and trajectory of the storm, you feel your home will not be safe, remember the Hurricane Rita evacuation and don't hit the road unless you truly have no other option. Any sturdy building to which you have legal access can be used as a shelter. This could be your workplace. It could be a parking garage. Staying close not only keeps you out of gridlock, but it also allows you to go home after the storm, take pictures of any damage, and then decide on next steps. After a major storm, you might not be allowed back for a while, which will delay placing tarps and getting your insurance claim under way.
Capable-Owl7369@reddit
When what you are trying to get ready for is a generic “hurricane” what you are going to find is generic lists. Without knowing more about your specific training, what you already have, the set-up of your home, local geography, available resources, and family dynamic then it’s hard to offer more than saying you should have batteries, a first aid kit, extra clothes, food and water.
AlphaDisconnect@reddit
Iwatani epr-a.
Coleman quad lamp the old d cell one. Extra stack of batteries.
12 pack of mres.
TheGisbon@reddit
Suggested Hurricane Supply Kits .pdf https://share.google/RgJOvlQy4NGPjNV9x