BajaNomad - Weather Preparadness in BCS

Weather Preparadness in BCS

CaboRon - 7-10-2008 at 05:51 PM

Evidently that season is starting to gear up south of us and at some point we could have to deal with a hurricane ...

This will be my first hurricane season in the tropics and I am making a list on what I need to do ....

Maybe your could help ????

I will go ahead and note what I have been told....

In addition to extra bottled water, dry goods and canned food and a hurricane lamp I was told to ...

Shut off the water and gas .... because the hugh changes in atmospheric pressure could do damage to those systems..

And I am very interested in your responses ...

CaboRon/Todos Santos

Al G - 7-10-2008 at 06:06 PM

Ron...this will be my first season too. I guess I have been told by at least 25-30 people that Todos Santos is seldom ever in any danger.
I still will take measures to satisfy my need of uncertainty. That will consist of protecting my big windows, Beheading several big palms behind my place, and keeping my 100 gallon freshwater tank full. I do that anyway as the damn water keeps going off or so low pressure, I cannot take a shower. This usually happens around 11 am to 2pm. If you are more concern, I would search hurricane John and read what they needed most.

oxxo - 7-10-2008 at 06:23 PM

This is my second hurricane season here. Went through Hurricane ? last September. That was my first hurricane ever and although it was only a Cat 1, a very interesting experience.

For preparations this season, we had our palms headed back yesterday. We've laid in a case of Costco bottled water.

Last year we bought a Costco pizza the day before the cane hit. We had pizza and Pacificos and watched the excitement through our windows. Nothing was damaged. We hope to be spared this year.

[Edited on 7-11-2008 by oxxo]

Osprey - 7-10-2008 at 06:41 PM

Good idea to fill up all your vehicles with fuel. Buy eggs, hot dogs and spam, extra batteries, insect repellent, cases of whatever you drink that rehydrates you. Candles and books can replace your TV when the power goes out. Embrace the darkness, the silence because it is a gift you won't have long after the storm has passed. In your head count all the money you're saving on pruning. Enjoy.

bajajudy - 7-10-2008 at 06:47 PM

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=19286#pid1684...

this is pretty good information.

Paula - 7-10-2008 at 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Osprey
Embrace the darkness, the silence because it is a gift you won't have long after the storm has passed. In your head count all the money you're saving on pruning. Enjoy.

We always leave for hurricane time. Don might like to be here, but I'm chicken, and I'd rather deal with what has happened than what is happening.

But Osprey, you make it sound downright mystical! Maybe I should change my thinking on this...

vandenberg - 7-10-2008 at 07:25 PM

Paula,
Hurricanes are about as mystical as a rootcanal.
Been through 3 in my lifetime and will not be disappointed if I never see another one.
My first one was in Holland as a teen. Called a northwester, with 130 mph winds. 2000 people perished and millions of livestock. Also put all of southwestern Holland under seawater for months, with devastating effect to all agriculture. No mystique there. Went through 2 here in Baja. No fun.
And now that Loreto Bay has all their garbage laying around, I really dread the possibility of one this season. Flying debris causing most of the damage during a storm.
But, let's hope we will be spared. Got my vote. :biggrin:

[Edited on 7-11-2008 by vandenberg]

fulano - 7-10-2008 at 07:44 PM

Are you guys talking about Paradise?

Because it sounds more like el culo del diablo.

:lol:

comitan - 7-10-2008 at 07:49 PM

Get all the supplies you need for a week, and buy the biggest generator you can afford and do this before the hurricane because if you wait everyone will be sold out.

Diver - 7-10-2008 at 08:26 PM

I spent 10 years in south Florida....
All of the above are good.
Make sure your doors and windows are secure and will withstand the wind.
Otherwise, make sure you ahve sufficient materials to board them up.
Also get a few tarps in case you get a leak and need to keep things dry.
Batteries, candles, canned or otherwise unspoilable foods for a few days and plenty of water and refrescos.
Don't forget enough extra water to "flush" occassionally.
All of these things are hard to buy in the before and after frenzy.

shari - 7-10-2008 at 08:38 PM

We almost never get hurricaines this far north but once every 10 years or so one can surprise everyone. On our house we installed big bolts into the cement around each window so we just have to bolt on pieces of plywood over the windows...the rain really came through the door though, under and around it...wish I would have sealed it too...will next time...a vhf radio is important to get help and communicate with the outside in the event of injury...with batteries to and all the other stuff everyone said. It's very scary, the noise is deafening and water everywhere...huge waves...but pretty darn impressive too. I may just like the adrenalin rush....kinda like in the earthquakes!

Paula - 7-10-2008 at 08:51 PM

I'm sorry if I sounded flippant about storms in my post. They are frightening and destructive.

It was more of a comment on Osprey's lovely sentence

rpleger - 7-10-2008 at 10:45 PM

All of the above are good....Battery operated fans are really good as the power goes off and it is generly hot...a stove top coffie maker...and a small BBQ for cooking....

Skeet/Loreto - 7-11-2008 at 03:27 AM

All of the above suggestions on Material Goods in case of Bad Weather are well said.
Comment/Opinion:
After being in the Middle of the 1949 Tornado in Amarillo Texas, HUrricane Lisa that hit La Paz killing a lot of People and damaging many Materials Things I have only One suggestion;
Have Faith!!

Skeet/Loreto

Capt. George - 7-11-2008 at 04:40 AM

A "real" hurricane, 4+

Board up & "RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY!!!!"

no thank you, I'm outta there :light:

comitan - 7-11-2008 at 04:44 AM

Kate your phone still should work even if the power is off.

This was a baaaad one

Osprey - 7-11-2008 at 06:08 AM

Hurricane John

What we needed right after the storm was a visit by some small town Kansas Rotary Club members. They would have recognized quickly what it took us days, weeks to figure out; Hurricane John was a category two storm with moderate sustained winds but was moving along with a cadre of twisters held in by a tight and organized eye-wall. The whirling tornados sprang up, did their deadly dances, melded back into the maelstrom; a dynamic of many well organized typhoons and hurricanes. While the weathermen were telling us to prepare for 115 mile an hour winds, we would later see the incredible wreckage caused by winds surpassing 275 miles per hour in the twisters.

The spooky calm of the storm’s eye passing over us was short, unholy. Sunday, two days after the storm, there was another kind of silence. It was the soothing stillness falling on spent and tested survivors that marked the beginning of healing; a time of replenishment and perhaps the gift salvation offers with such unspoken grace. A remarkable quietude, it was a hush that gently opened the door where succor and solace dwell.

No two storms are alike; this one was a cleaner. In every village street mountains of power and telephone poles, fallen trees and storm debris stood as barricades against the advances of fleets of utility trucks and heavy equipment, villagers with ropes and shovels. When the streets were ready for vehicles, debris removal really ramped up – special crews with loaders and trucks began to take all the refuse to the dump. The villagers all took advantage of the opportunity to rid their lots of rubbish, junk that had cluttered their lots for years.

Los Cabos is such an important area to Mexico’s thriving tourist business the Mexican government arranged for 600 temporary power company employees to be quickly transported to the Los Cabos airport as soon as planes could land there. When they discovered the major damage was well north of Los Cabos, in the East Cape area, it meant a virtual army of pole setters and linesmen were available to each little hard hit pueblo. I watched in awe as the CFE people performed miracles while they laughed and roughhoused like kids on spring break. Risking death or injury aloft they seemed to me to be part Mexican circus roustabouts, part daredevil clowns in tan shirts, pants, bright yellow hardhats. Later groups of special Telmex emergency workers set new poles with only shovels and hands – the only equipment I saw was the big stake truck that carried the strong, wiry youngsters from one fallen pole to the next.

Even with all that organization, all those heroics, most of our phone lines were still down 30 days after the storm so we had little communication with the outside world. Two weeks after the storm, news traveled through the pueblo that yet another storm, Lane, was following Hurricane John’s track and was due to make landfall near us in less than 24 hours. The next morning, while the village was boarding up their homes again and making plans to hold the traditional Independence celebration at city hall that evening, some outsider slammed Perdition’s gaping door when he informed us Hurricane Lane had veered toward the Mexican mainland and would not pose a threat to us. On September 15 not a shot was fired, not one shout was heard in our little town. Hurricane Lane made landfall the next morning breaking somebody else’s things in Sinaloa.

We all said “¿Que lastima?” but we really meant “Gracias Dios.” After all, we are proud and resilient but we are human.

osoflojo - 7-11-2008 at 06:37 AM

I have seen several chubascos in CSL over the years but the worst was not a hurricane. In November 1993 we got (by reports) 28 inches of rain in about 12 hours. The new road to San Jose lost several bridges. The El Tule wash was running for 6 months, In town we had no water for 4 months and the electricity was out for over a week. You can prepare all you want but you cant be ready for everything that may come down the pike. I dont think the infrastructure in CSL is much better now than it was then. Best of luck to all.

oldlady - 7-11-2008 at 06:56 AM

In my experience the "morning after" (or several mornings) are worse than the actual storm. Prepare to be isolated for a few days, as some of us were last year, because of flooding. Comitan can attest to us watching, last year, the brave or foolish thinking they could clear a low spot and not realizing how deep the water was. Prepare to stay home a while if it is a slow mover with lots of rain.

We spent John at a friend's house. He has a small company here that makes and installs screens for hurricane protection. They were fabulous and are put up in a jiffy.

Finally, I strongly support one of the previous posts. If it's a 4 or greater, get out!

Osprey - 7-11-2008 at 06:59 AM

Osoflojo is right on spot. The powers that be have designed Los Cabos to attract a weather catastrophy -- they have made the place almost unfixable in some areas. If they don't move about 12,000 people in the arroyo near Santa Anita out of harm's way in the next 60 days they could have a killer situation there. There is no way to prepare for some kinds of rain/wind combo -- storms like Juliette can stall for days (almost destroying Todos Santos) near the shore, over populated areas, in the mountains above towns and villages like Mulege.

CaboRon - 7-11-2008 at 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Osprey
Osoflojo is right on spot. The powers that be have designed Los Cabos to attract a weather catastrophy -- they have made the place almost unfixable in some areas. If they don't move about 12,000 people in the arroyo near Santa Anita out of harm's way in the next 60 days they could have a killer situation there. There is no way to prepare for some kinds of rain/wind combo -- storms like Juliette can stall for days (almost destroying Todos Santos) near the shore, over populated areas, in the mountains above towns and villages like Mulege.

Sober words indeed ....

I have friends up the hill who own a panga , and I have asked them to park the trailer with the panga in my front courtyard .... that way I will be able to get out if the water rises too much :?:

CaboRon

Osprey - 7-11-2008 at 07:53 AM

In this little village all the panga/boat owners put the drain plugs in -- hoping the rain will fill the boat, keep it on the ground/trailer. Once our local pangeros pulled my boat up the beach to safety, to nest with them, sent me home for the plug. They didn't want my boat blowing around to wreck theirs. It's in my yard now and after storms I just use the water in it to water the plants, save the pila for the house.

CaboRon - 7-12-2008 at 08:35 AM

Do you need to shut off the gas ????

Do you need to shut off water ????

CaboRon

Osprey - 7-12-2008 at 09:15 AM

Ron, too many variables. What color is a bicycle?

CaboRon - 7-12-2008 at 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Osprey
Ron, too many variables. What color is a bicycle?

RED

rob - 7-14-2008 at 09:21 AM

We put stainless steel eye bolts into the walls on each side of the windows. Put in cut-to-window 1/2" plywood (I varnished it to keep water out) and a steel bar through the bolt holes to keep the plywood in place (actually the hurricane helps - it presses the plywood against the window frame).

Al G - 7-14-2008 at 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rob
We put stainless steel eye bolts into the walls on each side of the windows. Put in cut-to-window 1/2" plywood (I varnished it to keep water out) and a steel bar through the bolt holes to keep the plywood in place (actually the hurricane helps - it presses the plywood against the window frame).

I don't know as I cannot see it, but if your plywood is loose I would think with all the negative and positive pressures...That plywood would sound like a a Indian on the warpath beating a drum... :biggrin:

CaboRon - 7-14-2008 at 11:38 AM

Quote:

There are some very fine ideas here if you own your own casa .... what about those of us (and there are many) who are renters and are reluctant to finance upgrades to the property ?

CaboRon

Cypress - 7-14-2008 at 01:46 PM

Baja storms are light weights compared to the big ones that roll up from way across the Atlantic with winds in excess of 200MPH, but they're bad enough if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Have drinking water, food, etc. for at least a week or two. Keep clear of arroyos. Been thru more than a few of the big ones, at least down in Baja you won't have to be dodging falling trees etc. :yes:

Osprey - 7-14-2008 at 02:20 PM

What in the hell are you talking about? We don't have big, devastating hurricanes in the Pacific? We don't have trees in Baja California? Your messages make no sense to me. What's the roll bounce mean when you simply post a name and that little moving ball? What are you drinking and why are you drinking it all day?

[Edited on 7-14-2008 by Osprey]

Cypress - 7-14-2008 at 02:38 PM

Beer! :yes:

And I like it. :lol:

Follow the moving ball. :yes:

You've got to keep your eye on the ball.:tumble

on't believe the eastern Pacific has seen the likes of Katrina or Camille.

Agree with you about the trees, have seen some big ones down in Baja. :yes:

Ancient olive trees down around Comondu and San Javier, also those huge trees around the plaza in San Ignacio. Doubt if they've been put to the test of a 200MPH wind, hope they never are. :tumble:

Osprey - 7-14-2008 at 05:17 PM

As I pointed out, many of our hurricanes in the Eastern Pacific have tornados in and around the eye-wall where wind speeds of over 200 MPH are clocked in catagory one storms. Why don't you have a big bowl of those little smiley things to clear your head -- they don't hold any special meaning for a lot of us and they don't really work to enhance your attempts at communication. If you knew about the big, ancient trees, why did you say what you did about "not having to worry about trees blowing around?". Eventually you'll say something I understand and now I'm convinced I won't like it much.