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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
Member Is Offline
Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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Preparing For A Major Hurricane (Tips)
Direct From The School Of Hard Knocks
The power may go off for days. The problem isn't just with downed lines, the ground gets saturated and towers topple.
Stuffing a refrigerator is counter-productive, fill ice chests all the way with ice instead. When the hurricane hits remove food from
refrigerator and fit what you can into the ice chests.
Water may be off for days, fill all tinacas, drinking water jugs, etc.
Park the car on a solidly packed drive. When sand gets saturated even a 4WD will bog down to the frame if you try and move it. Fill medicine lists,
get extra batteries for flashlights. Make sure you know where the flashlights are. Searching for one in pitch black can be a bummer.
Telephone friends and relatives up north and tell them that you are preparing for the hurricane. This seems to lessen the amount of worry they may
have when they cannot contact you for days and days afterward.
Hang extra towels and sheets over curtains and drapes. When windows shatter they become razor shards that can fly across a room. The towels will help
lessen their velocity. Stay away from windows and doors to the outside. A door can be sprung so violently it can break bones.
Pick a room with the least amount of windows (even the bathroom) if the wind gets so bad it threatens to break windows. Flying debris is much more
likely to break glass than the force of wind however.
Shut off the gas at the tank by closing the valve. One less thing to worry about. A gas leak with wind screaming outside is hard to deal with.
Put at least one set of bedding sheets inside a plastic trash bag and tie it. Ideally all clothing and bedding should be bagged. Nothing is more
miserable than wet clothing. If you have a tarp cover your mattress. A soaked mattress can take days to dry out.
The temperature near the eye of a hurricane can be thirty degrees less than what it was before the hurricane arrived. For instance during hurricane
Henriette 1995 in San Lucas, I measured 66 degrees Fahrenheit during the passage of the eye. It became downright chilly with everything being wet when
the winds started to pick up again.
Unplug appliances. Merely shutting off the circuit breaker is not enough. Extremely high voltage faults can travel up a neutral wire which is not
fused or switched and toast electrical and electronics. Turn off fluorescent lights before things get too violent. They too can blow out from freaked
out power lines. Off grid inverters must be shielded from water.
A category 4 hurricane will make the best made house leak like a sieve. Water will be everywhere. Wear your most slip resistant pair of shoes.
Stuff towels under front and rear doors. Not only to impede water but to stop migrating scorpions, centipedes, mice and other vermin.
Hurricane winds do not wind down suddenly, except in the eye. Don't be fooled. Perform whatever tasks you can, then get ready for winds coming from
the opposite direction.
Large and powerful hurricanes can contain cells that many meteorologists believe are actually tornadoes (!) Don't become complacent, thinking ("well
this is as bad as it can get"). If things get bad wedge up against a wall not facing a window behind a mattress removed from a bed.
The military will arrive sooner (to towns and villages) or later after a bad hurricane. They will be carrying drinking water and food staples, and
have medics to perform basic primer auxilios (first aid) if needed.
After every bad hurricane came the bugs. Most of the time mosquitoes, but sometimes jejenes, no-see-ums. I always have bug repellent on hand.
Scorpions and spiders will have no doubt moved into your home before and during the storm. Be aware of this as you handle clothing, bedding, shoes and
reach for stuff up on shelves.
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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J.P.
Super Nomad
Posts: 1673
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
Mood: Easy Does It
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As a Hurricane Vetran from the Gulf Coast of Texas, The best advice I can give Is Get the Hell out of Dodge If you have enough advanced warning.
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
Member Is Offline
Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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They are no fun at all. Some of us cannot Dodge this one 
But pile on the suggestions if you are a veteran. I'm going to go fill the extra tinaca now that the water is on for the day.
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Use duct (or duck) tape on your windows, make an "X", helps with broken glass.
Use solar garden lights for interior lighting.....not real bright, but does provide light
If you have a pet, make provisions for water, food and medications, don't forget a leash....keep pets leashed or in a crate or travel kennel.
Fill the car/truck with gas.
Have a "bug out" bag for yourself and pets with clothes, food, water, medications (don't forget eyeglasses), a flashlight and important papers.
Be prepared to survive for at least 3-6 days without outside assistance (water/propane/electricity).
Cell phones probably will not work during or after an event
Help your neighbors
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J.P.
Super Nomad
Posts: 1673
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
Mood: Easy Does It
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The one I should have run from was Alicia in Aug of !983 We lived about 65 miles inland so I thought we were safe. When it passed over our house the
winds were still 90 to 100 mph. If that wasn't bad enough the The Two Tornados that followed really ripped it.
Good luck Down there I know you guys dont need another one.
[Edited on 9-24-2012 by J.P.]
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Eli
Super Nomad
Posts: 1471
Registered: 8-26-2003
Location: L.B. Baja Sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: Some times Observing, sometimes Oblivious.
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To help with water run-offs coming in thru the windows; Duck tape scrunched up towels or sheets on your window sills with one end that goes down to
form a"wick" into a bucket or pot sitting on the floor.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Eli
To help with water run-offs coming in thru the windows; Duck tape scrunched up towels or sheets on your window sills with one end that goes down to
form a"wick" into a bucket or pot sitting on the floor. |
Get a "bunch" of 5 gallon "Home Depot" type plastic buckets......
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13049
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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thanks for all the suggestions...i had forgotten about some of these...
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redmesa
Senior Nomad
Posts: 580
Registered: 3-12-2008
Location: Van Isle and Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
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Hi J.P. I am also a Texas Gulf Coast hurricane survivor. The big one for my town was Carla. We had a tremendous flood afterwards and lots of damage.
The terrain is so very different in Baja that it is hard to image how the town of Bahia Asuncion would handle a full blown Cat 4 or 5. I remember
as a child I had hurricane mapping charts and would track all the hurricanes in the Gulf. I agree if it looks like a big hit for a given area ....
anyone who can, should get out. I know for the folks in Baja this is almost an impossibility but the town sure empties out of Semana Santa.
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J.P.
Super Nomad
Posts: 1673
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
Mood: Easy Does It
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In a early Reply I said Run. That might not be a good idea down there because of the rain's that come with the storm the Vados will be runnig full and
not only close off the escape route but pose a real danger
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redmesa
Senior Nomad
Posts: 580
Registered: 3-12-2008
Location: Van Isle and Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
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As a child, the biggest fear for me after a hurricane was the snakes. We had so many poisonous snakes swimming in the flooded waters around our house
and town.
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bajalinda
Senior Nomad
Posts: 552
Registered: 6-7-2008
Location: Pacific Coast, BCS
Member Is Offline
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Fill up containers of water and freeze them - then transfer from freezer to fridge and/or ice chests as needed to help keep food as cold as possible.
Also can be used as back-up drinking water when it starts to melt.
Stock up on non-perishables (rice, pasta, beans, canned tuna etc.)
If you have a generator, now is the time to make sure it runs properly if you haven't done so already. Even if it's not safe to run it during the
height of the hurricane, it will run the fridge, fans, etc. after the storm.
Eli - I like your "wicking" towel idea. We have our own home-made hurricane shutters, but some water still seeps through in some places and we end up
wringing out heavy water-laden towels. Will give it a try. As of this writing, we seem to be far enough south of Miriam's track to be out of range
of a direct hit, but we are keeping a close watch on it nonetheless.
Make sure you have a good supply of batteries and candles too.
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J.P.
Super Nomad
Posts: 1673
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
Mood: Easy Does It
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| Quote: | Originally posted by redmesa
Hi J.P. I am also a Texas Gulf Coast hurricane survivor. The big one for my town was Carla. We had a tremendous flood afterwards and lots of damage.
The terrain is so very different in Baja that it is hard to image how the town of Bahia Asuncion would handle a full blown Cat 4 or 5. I remember
as a child I had hurricane mapping charts and would track all the hurricanes in the Gulf. I agree if it looks like a big hit for a given area ....
anyone who can, should get out. I know for the folks in Baja this is almost an impossibility but the town sure empties out of Semana Santa.
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I was there when Carla hit. I lived out in the Aldine. area. When Alicia hit I was working downtown on a High Rise, it blew all the Glass out of two
multi story buildings down the street abt there was glass two feet deep in the streets afterwards
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Check your evacuation routes/safe places BEFORE you need to Bug Out........and also have secondary locations
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
Member Is Offline
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If you find yourself without enough bug spray at a time when you most need it, cover your open skin areas with shampoo. Caveat: every couple days wash
or peel it off and do it again.
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Mulegena
Super Nomad
Posts: 2412
Registered: 11-7-2006
Member Is Offline
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My experience with both wind & rain and floods is to prop open all your doors, open all your windows and take down from the sill and glass that
can be removed.
Get you and all your animals and foodstuffs to a safe place 'way ahead of time to wait it out. Return home when and if its safe.
"Raise your words, not your voice. It's rain that grows flowers, not thunder." ~Rumi
"It's the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." ~ Aristotle
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desertcpl
Super Nomad
Posts: 2405
Registered: 10-26-2008
Location: yuma,az
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Mulegena
My experience with both wind & rain and floods is to prop open all your doors, open all your windows and take down from the sill and glass that
can be removed.
Get you and all your animals and foodstuffs to a safe place 'way ahead of time to wait it out. Return home when and if its safe.
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I am not debating this advise, but doesn't this really apply to a Tornado and not a Hurricane
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micah202
Super Nomad
Posts: 1615
Registered: 1-19-2011
Location: vancouver,BC
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by desertcpl
| Quote: | Originally posted by Mulegena
My experience with both wind & rain and floods is to prop open all your doors, open all your windows and take down from the sill and glass that
can be removed.
Get you and all your animals and foodstuffs to a safe place 'way ahead of time to wait it out. Return home when and if its safe.
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I am not debating this advise, but doesn't this really apply to a Tornado and not a Hurricane |
I dunno about the first part,,but certainly the 2nd part applies allround.........better safe-early than sorry,late
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desertcpl
Super Nomad
Posts: 2405
Registered: 10-26-2008
Location: yuma,az
Member Is Offline
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was talking about opening the doors and windows
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Bajatripper
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3151
Registered: 3-20-2010
Member Is Offline
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Excellent tips, David. Thanks.
There most certainly is but one side to every story: the TRUTH. Variations of it are nothing but lies.
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