Preparing for a Major Storm

Do you know what to do?

Preparing for a Major Storm, has many things people forget or just don’t know what to do. This is about protecting you and your families lives. Preparing for a Major Storm is the key to survival. To not prepare puts you and your love ones lives at risk, it also puts everything you own at great risk.

Preparing for a Major Storm

Preparing for a Major Storm Should be a Priority

Predictions for major storms is higher this season and has already started strong.

This article will include all the things you need to secure, move, tie down and things you should do.

Preparing for a Major Storm

Getting Insurance before a storm?

Preparing for a Major Storm includes having home owners or rental insurance. While I do not sell insurance, I want you to beware of the dangers of waiting to get Insurance. Most Insurance Companies will not issue new policies for an area that a storm is predicted to hit, until the storm passes. If your home sustains major damage can you cover the cost without insurance? Be sure to get full cost replacement. Be ready when a major storm comes to your area.

Preparing for a Major Storm

Includes Evacuation Plans

Preparing for a Major Storm includes listening for warnings and any evacuation orders for your area. If there are any, I recommend you leave. Especially if you are near the ocean or river. These areas are subject to storm surge which is the most deadly part of a storm. Also if you are in a flood zone where water can rise to dangerous levels very quickly, cutting off evacuation routes. This is definitely not a safe area to ride out a storm. Preparing for a Major Storm includes learning where all shelters and evacuation routes are in your area. Do not assume you will not need them. Major storms cause many unexpected problems even with the best planning.

If time permitting and if possible board up windows and sand bag around the house before evacuation.

Preparing for a Major Storm

Don’t Forget About The Pets

Plan ahead, in case you receive evacuation orders. Stock up on all pet supplies, enough for at least two weeks. You will need paper work showing they have had their shots. This would be a good time to microchip them because you may get separated during the storm. Have transport gages for your animals. Because you may want to board your pets in a kennel, in a safe location. Look up their number and keep it on hand. As soon as you know you may have to leave, reserve boarding for your pet.

Preparing for a Major Storm

Keep a window breaking tool in your vehicle at all times.

For evacuation purposes, there are special tools for breaking your window in your car if you get carried away in flood waters and the vehicle is under water. Car windows and doors are very hard to open if under water. I recommend you get one of these tools and keep it in the vehicle.

Preparing for a Major Storm

Storms are not always predictable.

This is why preparing for a major storm is so important. Think about this, tropical storm six (1961) was recorded to have a traveling speed of 69 mph as per (wikipedia.org). In other words if you went to bed at 9pm. and the storm was 800 miles away. When you wake up at 9am. it would be there. That is a scary thought.

Don’t wait, at the first warning get prepared, if you are at risk of flooding get sand bags filled and in place. Pick up and secure at risk items.

Preparing for a Major Storm

What communication Methods do you have?

Cell phones may not work if towers are damaged. To keep in touch at close distances think of your options, maybe walkie talkies would work for you. CB radio, it’s old technology but very effective when there is no other service. If you know someone with a ham radio and you can get a message to them. They maybe able to send a message that you are ok. Think of your options in preparing for a major storm.

Preparing for a Major Storm

What basic supplies are needed in preparing for a major storm

News and weather stations will constantly tell you to get batteries and water and board up the windows. They will also tell you to put sand bags around your home. That is good information, just not enough.

Preparing for a Major Storm

Do you really know what you need?

Buy food items that can survive without refrigeration, stock up on good drinking water. Wash the tub out really well and block the drain, then fill the tub with water. This water you can ration for washing purposes. Survival straws are also a product to have in emergency to filter water. There is another useful product to have available in an emergency, they are called water purification tablets. Water filtering pitchers can also be very helpful. Water should be boiled and cooled if possible before filtering.

Preparing for a Major Storm

Back-up lighting

Make sure you have back up flashlights and extra batteries. Emergency light bulbs are another helpful product. You use them like a regular light bulb. This is how they work, when in use they charge. If the power goes off they come on and stay on for 4 to 6+ hours. When the power comes back on or you run a generator use them to recharge.

Don’t forget paper plates and plastic forks.

Included in your preparing for a major storm should include paper plates and plastic knifes and forks. You won’t have enough water to wash dishes. You should also have can openers and bottle openers on hand.

Preparing for a major storm, what is your power source?

If it is in your budget, a generator large enough to run the refrigerator is a big plus.

DO NOT RUN A GENERATOR IN THE HOUSE OR GARAGE.

Another good back up for running fans and lights is a DC to AC converter. The converter will run off of your car battery. If you have two vehicles, make sure you switch batteries before you drain them completely. Run the vehicle whenever possible to recharge the battery.

DO NOT RUN THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE.

Special tip

In my last storm my power was off for 10 days. All my neighbors had no TV or internet because their cable and power was down. My TV worked the whole time so I was able to keep up on all the important information about the storm. I was thankful I had an antenna which picks up over the air free tv stations (NOTE: antenna needs to be grounded). To power the TV I used a DC to AC inverter. I recommend if you are going to have power, you buy an antenna and some cable to hook it up. It will give you entertainment and important information when the power and internet is down.

Preparing for a major storm, what are you going to cook on?

If you have a barbeque, make sure you get propane so you can use it to cook. If you don’t have a barbeque you can purchase a one burner gas portable stove for around $20.00 – $25.00. Small gas cans to run it are available in many sports and camping stores. You could also buy a charcoal grill and extra charcoal. Don’t forget to fill up the cars gas and gas containers before gas stations sell out. Fuel becomes very difficult to find after a storm. Include matches or lighters in your supplies.

Preparing for a major storm, how are you going to keep food cold?

Fill gallon bottles with water about 3 to 4 inches from the top and freeze them, then leave them in the refrigerator. Make or buy extra ice ahead of time. This will help keep the refrigerator cold longer. If you have a generator with enough power you can run the refrigerator. Fact is, there is a lot more than just having supplies on hand. Therefore you should read the full post to maximize your ability to prevent unnecessary risk to you and your family.

Why you remove or secure outside items.

It is not just hurricane strength wind and rain you have to deal with. Water surge, and the potential for tornados and lighting during a storm. Unsecured items, become flying missiles in a storm. It is up to you to secure these items to protect not only your home but also your neighbors. You would not be happy if your neighbors lawn chair flew into your window. Would you? These flying objects can easily fly thru a window hitting and seriously injuring anyone in its path. Broken windows will also allow the wind and rain in the home.

Preparing for a major storm, outside

First of all, you need to remove all loose items from around the house. Then you need to secure many of the permanent things around the home. I will list many things most people don’t think about which are very important for safety.

Lets start with any kids toys, small and large, put them in the garage or in the house. You don’t want to just put them on your porch even if it is screened. They can fly around in there, and as a result take out a window.

Should you take in the flower pots?

Next you can take in all flower pots, loose on the ground and hanging. If you can’t move the heavier pots, tie them down. They also can become airborne. If you watch the news you already know large trucks get blown around in a hurricane, what chance does that flower pot have?

Above all don’t forget the garden hose, it will become a large whip. It can smash into things and certainly damage the water tap causing a leak

Pick up and secure miscellaneous items

Things like garden solar lights and yard ornaments need to removed and placed inside.

Bird feeders and wind chimes also need to be removed and stored inside until the storm passes.

Have you left out any lawn tools, loose lumber or broken branches.

Trampolines are known for being airborne in a storm

Most certainly secure any trampoline you might have. If you can’t get it in the garage, flip it over so it is laying flat on the ground. Then you need to tie it down really well.

Remove lawn chairs and outside tables to the garage.

Another item is the trash cans, you need to put them in the garage.

Ok, now take a good look around your yard is there any thing you missed?

Preparing for a Major Storm is a lot of work

Preparing for a Major Storm is a lot of work but well worth it. To you, what I say next my seam like it is over the top. Due to the fact that I have been in hurricanes and been on insurance claims and seen the damage. I promise you it is not. I have seen the damage from tornados, wind and water. Things like a heavy farm tractor sitting up a tree. Trees twisted bent and broken. Lighting destroying many electronics and in some cases setting houses on fire.

Tie down and secure the big items outside

You need to tie down any shed you may have. This is how, put stakes deep in the ground and throw two pieces of rope over the top. One at the back and one at the front of the roof, tie them down tight. Make sure the knot can not slip out. Next run a rope all the way around the outside about have way up and tie it tight. Doing this can result in helping prevent the shed blowing apart.

Next on the list is the outside air conditioner unit, you need to stake and tie it down. Although it maybe on a small slab, it can tear loose.

Secure Boats and trailers

Boats on land

When possible it is best to have your boat out of the water, of course size of the boat my not make this possible. This is what you need to do with any boat and trailer you may have on land. Raise the trailers front enough to pitch the rain water to the stern so it can drain. You need to make sure you don’t raise it to high where it will catch to much wind. Letting half the air out of the tires will help lower the boat a little more and make it harder for the trailer to move around. Also as a reminder, don’t forget to make sure the drain plug is out so the water can drain.

Make sure boat is tied to the trailer

Then you want to stake and tie the boat and trailer to the ground. Make sure the back and front of the boat is also tied to the trailer.

Boats moored in the water

This will apply to average size boats not super large vessels. This is what we did and I hope it can help you. Living on an Island and owning boats that were normally moored out and subject to storms. Not only was it necessary to secure the boat to the moorings. The moorings had to be heavy enough so that the boat could not drag it in high winds. The chain had to be long enough for the boat to rise with the extra high tide on full moon. If not it would raise the moorings and drift. The big problem most people don’t think about or don’t know about is the constant jerking on the moorings.

How to ease the jerking on the boat

This can damage the boat and also increases the risk of breaking the chain. Here was the solution we used to eliminate this problem. We attached a length of ship chain which comes in different sizes to the bottom weight of the moorings. For a 16 to 18ft boat we used six foot of chain weighing over 100lbs. Then attach a strong anchor chain to the end of the ship chain. The other end of the strong anchor chain attaches to the boat. This is what happens, as the large waves come and the boat starts to rise. This will raise the ship chain starting at one end and raising more of the chain as needed. If done right it acts almost like a shock absorber, eliminating the slap and jerk on the chain. The length you use depends on the size of the boat.

Riding Mower

If you have any push or riding lawn mowers that have to stay out. you need to stake and tie them down. On a riding mower tie down the engine hood.

Did you think about your vans and high vehicles

If you have a van or high vehicle, it is a wind catcher and can be blown over. You need to put extra weight inside to hold it down. Then, if possible, you want to park it sideways in front of the garage door as close as you can get it. This serves as two purposes, the van will protect the garage door from blowing in. This also only exposes one side of the van to the wind. If the wind tries to push it over, the house should stop it. Front and back facing the wind is normally not a problem.

How to put the weights

Note: when you put the weights inside the van place weights on the side facing away from garage door. This will help keep the side into the wind from lifting.

Extra tip, you can put three or four of the large water bottles inside for the extra weight. This will give you extra drinking water if you loose water pressure.

Preparing for a major storm, What about tree branches

Another important thing you should have done, is take a good look at the trees around your house. If they are rotten see if you can have them removed, before a storm. You should also remove any branches that may fall on the house.

Check Roof

Remove any branches, leaves and debris from gutters and also in the roof valleys

In a storm you are going to get heavy rains, these blockages will allow water to get under the shingles. The end result will be your roof leaking.

Is Your TV Antenna Grounded?

Finally, if you had a TV antenna installed, you need to make sure it is grounded. If your cable goes from the antenna straight to the TV. You need to have it grounded before lighting strikes. Not only can this fry your TV it can also set your home on fire.

This antenna was mounted using fence pipe with an electrical conduit pipe inside of fence pipe. Styrofoam was sprayed inside to keep inside pipe from rattling. This set up survived 90mph winds and did not bend. Also mount to wall with a bracket, do not mount to eave of roof.

Preparing for a major storm, what about roof turbines

Roof turbines can turn at damaging speeds in a hurricane. Have some one wrap them with a strong material and tape them well. Don’t leave long pieces of the material hanging. Do not use trash bags they will rip apart.

Have you prepared inside the home?

In this section I will tell you what you can do inside the home when in a hurricane warning area.

When you are already in a hurricane, it will be very difficult to get any of these things done. You must get prepared a head of the storm.

Preparing for a major storm in advance to mitigate against water damage that may seep into the home. We will start with the important stuff.

What about your Important Papers?

First of all you want to gather all your important papers, Insurance Policies. Life Insurance. Birth Certificates. Vehicle Titles. Mortgage Papers and don’t forget your passports.

When you finally get them together, you want to put them in a water proof container.

Due to the fact it could get very rough in the house if a window blows out. You want to make sure the top can’t come off. You also need to secure the container so it can not float or blow away.

Because of the same reasons, you should repeat this procedure for jewelry, valuables and collectables.

Can you do a better job protecting the furniture?

Your home could have rapidly rising water or leaking from above. So you need to protect against both possibilities.

First of all you need to protect the antique and collectable pieces. Take thick plastic and cut it into 24 inch squares. Don’t use thin plastic it will tear. Then you put each leg of the furniture in the center of the square. Now you pull the sides up evenly then tape it tight around the leg. Make sure you keep the tape on the plastic and not the furniture.

Raise and secure furniture

Another thing you want to do is get the furniture on top of some thing that won’t wash away. Then you should cover it tightly to protect the top side.

Certainly you need to continue this procedure with the rest of the furniture with legs.

Due to flat bottom furniture having a large area sitting on the floor. You need to raise them as high as you can and put something strong like a plastic crate under them.

Because storms are very unpredictable, you should protect your belongings to with stand a minimum of six inches of water in the house. Hopefully you will not have any. Keep extra tarps or heavy plastic on hand in case of roof leaks.

Leaking basement?

Great Back up Plans for Basements sump pump

Basement leaking is a common problem, that is why they install sump pumps. Your sump pump may be working fantastic now but what about when you have no power?

Most likely when you are in a storm you are going to have power failures. As a result the sump pump will not work. I will give you tips on possible solutions. But first we will cover some other possibilities.

If you have the resources there are a few things that can be done to help keep the basement dry. First of all you need to make sure any gutters are not discharging water near the basement walls.

Another thing you can do is have the land near the basement walls slopped away from the walls. This will help keep water from pooling against the wall. Which will end up seeping into the basement.

Make a complete visual of the walls for cracks or bad joints. If there are any, have them repaired.

Sealing the wall

Another thing that may help you, is sealing the walls. There are some really good sealers that work very well. Before you rush out and buy a sealer do a little research to see if it will work for you in your basement. While sealing the inside of the wall may help, it is the outside that needs to be done. Most basements the outside may be buried and hard to get to.

Are you ready for some possible fixes

Certainly test the pump to make sure it turns on when water is present. Also make sure the sump drain is not blocked with debris. https://www.watermitigationadvice.com/basement-sump-pump-work-when-needed/

SUMP PUMP BACK UP PLANS

What will you do about the sump pump when you have no power? Certainly you can run it off of a generator. If you are home and you can get gas to run the generator. IMPORTANT NOTE, YOU CAN NOT RUN A GENERATOR INDOORS, in a garage or on a porch. Due to the fact the fumes can seep through window and door seals and are deadly.

What’s the next choice?

Next thing you could do is use an inverter and a battery to run the sump pump. Here is the problem, you would need a large and expensive inverter with a heavy duty battery just to supply enough starting amps. This method would quickly drain the battery

While you could use your car to recharge the battery. The weather will be bad and once again you can not run the car in the garage.

Preparing for a Major Storm

Here is a better plan if you are going to be at home. Get yourself a boat bilge pump, they use a lot less amps to run them. They come in many sizes and pump different volumes of water. It can be run off of a 12 volt battery, like your car battery.

Due to the fact that most bilge pumps, GPH rating will drop a little for each foot of elevation it has to pump the water up. You need to take that into consideration. Therefore you must get a pump that is rated for the lift and volume you need.

Bilge pumps can cost from $20.00 to a couple of hundred dollars.

You would like it to work when you are not home, right?

Here is the deal, unfortunately everything I told you above about running the pump means nothing if you are not home when a storm hits. Remember the power goes out and your not there to manually supply power, nothing is going to work.

Want the answer? read on

This solution is not cheap but neither is water damage This system if set up correctly, will work when you are not home and the power goes out.

You can buy an automatic (has a float valve) bilge pump that will pump over 3,000 GPH and push water up over 20 feet but at a lower GPH volume per foot due to the lift involved. These pumps can move a lot of water.

Use a Marine Battery for power

Also needed is a heavy duty MARINE battery, not a car battery. The marine battery is deep cycle and will last longer. You can even strap two together for longer lasting power.

Next you need either an automatic battery trickle charger or a solar charger. This will keep the battery fully charge when not in use.

This system can run off the battery for long periods as it is only going to run when the water level triggers it.

When there is no sun for solar charging the system can eventually drain the battery. If your homes power is out for days and there is constant torrential rains.

Dual Powered sump pump

Another option, you can purchase a dual powered sump pump. The pump works just like your sump pump, the difference, it has it’s own battery back up system for when there is a power failure.

Gable Vent leaking?

A Gable vent is normally above the garage in the wall going to the attic. Gable vents are very useful because the help remove hot air from the attic.

You can tell what it is by the vent slats in it. Here is the problem with them. In a storm you have high winds blowing rain in a straight line.

As a result the rain enters thru the vent, wets the attic which in turn runs down inside the house.

Gable Vent Solution

When a storm is coming, block the back of the vent with a sheet of wood or plastic. Make sure you seal the sides and bottom so the water just runs back out.

After a storm you can modify the vent. by installing the wood or plastic on a 70 degree angle. Starting with he wood against the bottom of the vent then have the top out 70 degrees. Then attach sides from vent to the wood leaving the top open. It should work like a funnel. Seal sides and bottom.

This will trap the water, forcing it to drain back out. However it will still allow the air to get in and the hot air to get out.

Can your children survive in waters like this?

This may sound crazy to you, but I want you to stop and think about what I am going to tell you. You see this on the news all the time, people clinging to their roof tops. Although they have never had a flood in their area before, now they are surrounded by water.

Freaky Weather

Freaky weather can cause flash floods in a very short time. Rivers can rise and over flow their banks flooding whole towns. You maybe a few miles from a river, that does not mean you can’t be affected. Rivers have been known to flood miles away from their banks.

While it may or may not happen to you, why take a chance. Be ready to protect your family, at the very least have a life jacket for everyone living in the home. For the same reason you should have some strong rope on hand. I also recommend in a storm you keep them near by.

A really good website to check all about floods is NSSL https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/floods/

What Should I Take If I Have To Evacuate?

This may sound stupid, but it has happened before. First make sure everyone that lives with you, leaves with you.

Next make sure you have everyone’s medications, also any prescriptions that have to be filled. Put them in a zip lock back and secure them.

Does everyone have there identification information with them.

While it is not smart to have a lot of cash on you, you should have some cash. ATM machines most likely will not be working. There may a problem buying anything as the power may be out and there could be a lots of damage.

Be prepared for flash flooding

If you purchased life jackets like I mentioned before, put them in the vehicle. Roads may be flooded, some maybe deeper than you think. There could also be flash flooding on your journey. If you have young children I would put the life jackets on them when they get in the car.

You know the rope I told you to buy, well this would be a good time to put it in the car with you. If for any reason your vehicle starts to get swept away with raging flood waters. Everyone puts there life jacket on and ties the rope to each other, so no one goes missing.

Preparing for a Major Storm

There will not be a lot of room at the shelters so forget much of the personal stuff. A few blankets to lay on, a change of clothes but not suitcases full.

If time permits and you have the room in the vehicle. As long as you have these items already, like non perishable foods and bottled water you can bring them to help out the shelter. DO NOT TRY TO GO SHOPPING AT THE LAST MINUTE. The shelters fill up fast, you may not be able to get in.

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