Prepare for the next hurricane

Just got this notice from WeatherBug:
HURRICANE WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST
UNTIL 5:00PM EDT
Bulletin - Immediate Broadcast Requested Hurricane Ophelia Local Statement National Weather Service Charleston SC 1209 PM EDT Sat Sep 10 2005

... Hurricane Watch In Effect For The South Carolina Coast...

Hurricane Ophelia Is Expected To Turn West And Impact The South Carolina Coast Beginning Sunday Night And Continuing Through Monday.

... Areas Affected... This Statement Recommends Specific Actions Be Taken By Residents And Visitors Of Southeast South Carolina..Including The Adjacent Coastal Waters.

... Watches/Warnings... ... Hurricane Watch In Effect From The Savannah River North To The South Santee River...

... Storm Information... At 11 AM EDT... 1500z... The Center Of Hurricane Ophelia Was Located Near Latitude 31.6 North... Longitude 76.5 West Or About 220 Miles East-Southeast Of Charleston South Carolina And About 255 Miles South-Southwest Of Cape Hatteras North Carolina. Maximum Sustained Winds Were Near 80 Mph With Slow Strengthening Expected. The Storm Is Expected To Turn West And Move Toward The South Carolina Coast.

... Precautionary/Preparedness Actions... Residents Of The South Carolina Coast Should Begin To Make Preparations For Hurricane Conditions And Heed The Advice Of Local Emergency Officials. Secure Loose Objects Or Bring Them Inside.

... Storm Surge Flood And Storm Tide Impacts... A Storm Surge Of 3 To 5 Feet Is Possible North Of Charleston Monday Night With Only 1 To 2 Feet Expected South Of Charleston. This Will Give Estimated Storm Tide Readings At The Following Locations On Early Tuesday Morning Between 200 And 300 Am:

U.S. Highway 17 Bridge 9 Feet Bulls Bay Near Mcclellanville 8.5 Feet Charleston Harbor 7.5 Feet Fripp Inlet Bridge 6.5 Feet

... Wind Impacts... Hurricane Force Winds Will Approach The Coast Late Monday And Then Impact The Coast On Monday Night. Winds Of 90 Mph With Gusts To 105 Mph Are Expected Where The Storm Makes Landfall.

... Flood Impacts... Due To The Dry Air In Place Across South Carolina... Rainfall Amounts May Be Lighter Than Most Hurricanes. However... Where The Storm Makes Landfall 3 To 5 Inches Of Rain Are Possible With Lesser Amounts Further From The Storm Center.

... Tornadoes... Isolated Tornadoes Are Possible North Of Where The Storm Center Moves Ashore. This Is Most Likely Near And To The North Of Charleston.

... Inland Wind Impacts... Based On The Current Track... Inland Hurricane Force Winds Are Most Likely In Berkeley County. However... If The Track Shifts Southward Other Counties May Experience Hurricane Force Winds.

... Seas And Rip Currents... A High Risk Of Rip Currents Will Continue Through The Weekend With Extremely Dangerous Surf Conditions Expected On Monday. Seas In The Coastal Waters Off The Coast Will Increase To 14 To 18 Feet Near The Center Of The Storm Sunday Night And Monday Morning.

Strong Winds Over The Last Week Along The Coast Have Caused Some Beach Erosion Already. The Strong Winds From Ophelia Will Cause Additional Erosion. However... Since The Winds Are Expected To Mainly Be Offshore... The Beach Erosion Should Be Minor To Moderate.

... Next Update... The Next Hurricane Local Statement Will Be Issued By The National Weather Service In Charleston Around 3 PM Or Sooner If Conditions Warrant.

Additional Information On Ophelia Can Be Found In Advisories Issued By The National Hurricane Center... As Well As Public Information Statements And Short Term Forecasts Issued By This Office.
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Shopping list from a local fire department:

http://www.cbfiredept.com/cbpage/tropics/checklist.html

STOCK-UP CHECKLIST

Suggested By: Piggly Wiggly

PRINT THIS LIST TO TAKE TO THE STORE

Drinking water-7 gallons per person

Battery operated TV/Radio

Spare batteries

Manual can opener

Flashlights

Waterproof matches

Toilet paper

Diapers

Wipes

Formula

First aid kit

Books, magazines, toys

Cash (ATMs may not work)

Plastic sheeting

Duct tape

Nails

Rope

Lumber

Tools

Plastic garbage bags

Insect spray

Sunscreen

Rain gear

Fire extinguisher

Fuel for generators and cars

Ice chest

Soap

Prescription medicine (2-week supply)

Disinfectant

Bleach for sterilization, unscented with Hypochlorite (the only active ingredient), tincture of iodine or water purification tablets.

Sterno cooking cans

Propane gas (for grills)

Charcoal and lighter fluid


FOOD

Canned meats (tuna, ham, Spam, chicken, sardines, etc.)

Crackers

Cookies

Shelf package juices (canned or cartons)

Peanut butter

Pudding

Powdered or evaporated milk

Prepared foods (spaghetti, soup, stew, chili, etc.)

Paper plates, cups

Plastic utensils

Pet food
 
They also suggest:

How to protect your home

by SYBIL FIX
The Post and Courier

A well-conceived hurricane plan should include a list of things to do to
prepare your house before you leave it. "The kinds of systems to protect
the home are the things people need to do in advance," said Dennis Clark,
head of Charleston County's Emergency Preparedness Department.

Before leaving your home or staying to weather the storm, you should:

• Board up your windows with plywood or have storm shutters installed
in advance. Clark and others recommend having permanent hinges or
a washer and screw system so you don't have to nail the boards to your
windows every time.

By the way, state climatologist Mike Helfert, of the Department of
Natural Resources, says, "Taping windows is a hoot. It does nothing."

• Move things away from areas susceptible to flooding. Stack your furniture.
Clark reminds people to familiarize themselves with the geography of their
home's location--whether it will flood and how much, or whether the
greatest danger is wind.

• Cover furniture and valuables with plastic sheeting. If the roof blows off
it does no good, but if you have a leak it might save your expensive couch.

• Wrap breakable things such as crystal and china and put them inside
heavy pieces of furniture.

• Prepare and rehearse for a storm room, a safe place to duck for cover,
said Clark. The room could be a bathroom or a walk-in closet, but generally
it will be windowless, away from outside walls and safe from flooding. In that room, store your emergency supplies and most valuable property
(if you don't take it with you).

• Before leaving shut-off gas, water and electricity, Helfert recommends .

• Bring things inside such as patio furniture and potted plants that might fly and cause damage to property. And be prepared for flying objects.

http://www.cbfiredept.com/cbpage/tropics/howprotecthome.html
 
Reba said:
That's right. Before hurricane Floyd, the police knocked on the doors of my daughter's apartment building and told everyone to leave. So they left.
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Its the smart thing to do.
 
The local TV news just announced that voluntary evacuations of coastal areas will begin tonight at 6 p.m. They will be opening the shelters at that time.
 
We may have mandatory evacuations in some areas by 6 a.m. tomorrow.
 
Reba

Reba,

Whether you choose to evacuate or weather the storm, please be safe! I'll be thinking about you! :)
 
Oceanbreeze said:
Reba,

Whether you choose to evacuate or weather the storm, please be safe! I'll be thinking about you! :)
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Thank you. :)

Right now (6 p.m. report) Ophelia might go north towards Wilmington, NC. This is the part of hurricane season that drives me crazy. Will it hit? Will it miss? Will it be Cat 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5? When will it move? I don't like this uncertainty. Grrrrr....
 
Reba said:
Thank you. :)

Right now (6 p.m. report) Ophelia might go north towards Wilmington, NC. This is the part of hurricane season that drives me crazy. Will it hit? Will it miss? Will it be Cat 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5? When will it move? I don't like this uncertainty. Grrrrr....
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You're welcome! :)

You're not kidding about the nerve wracking part, either! We usually bite our nails, too, right up until mid Oct. Our area usually sees a "secondary peak" right around the middle of Oct where these storms like to form in the Caribbean right below Cuba. Because of how the trade winds are blowing during that time of year, we have the potential to get nailed. It's not fun!
 
Oceanbreeze said:
...You're not kidding about the nerve wracking part, either! We usually bite our nails, too, right up until mid Oct.
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That's right. When we got hit by "the big one" it was Sept. 21-22, 1989. Today is only Sept. 10. We still have plenty of hurricane season left.
 
Reba said:
We still have plenty of hurricane season left.
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*sigh* Yes.

Be safe, Reba.

I'm hearing that there's dry air that's infiltrating the storm, and keeping it from strenghtening. Hopefully, this will continue and she will be a weak storm when she makes landfall.

It'd be nice if she just curved out to sea and missed land altogether. Save you the trouble of biting your nails for alittle while longer! :lol:
 
Ophelia <~~ What categary ??

I'm very curiouis...

*felt bad about everyone have to forced evulation* who live Eastern Coast. Simlair alike New Orleans..
 
Reba, I'm not trying to advertise the 'liberal' blog but this blog entry is pretty good for how to prepare yourself for disaster and all. Here's link: Are YOU ready for disaster? Part 1 of 3 - Assess your risks!

AlphaGeek is working on Part 2 right now.

And like Ocreanbreeze, I'll be thinking about you and your family and you & your family will be in my prayer as well. Take care.
 
I can wither a real big storm as I've been through many storms in my life.

Richard
 
i surfed Hurricane Floyd :thumb: i also surfed Frances...she left me with a big cut on my foot, from my surf fin. but i wear it like a badge.
 
Magatsu said:
Reba, I'm not trying to advertise the 'liberal' blog but this blog entry is pretty good for how to prepare yourself for disaster and all. Here's link: Are YOU ready for disaster? Part 1 of 3 - Assess your risks!

AlphaGeek is working on Part 2 right now.
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The rain falls on liberals and conservatives alike. :) All suggestions for preparedness are welcome.

And like Ocreanbreeze, I'll be thinking about you and your family and you & your family will be in my prayer as well. Take care.
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Thank you.
 
Magatsu said:
Some news said it is Category 2, some other news said it is Category 1.
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Ophelia's strength keeps going up and down, and her path keeps changing. She is very fickle.
 
Oceanbreeze said:
...It'd be nice if she just curved out to sea and missed land altogether.
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Yes, that is the scenario I prefer. I don't want Ophelia to hit Charleston, but I don't want the hurricane to hit any other city either. Out to sea is best.
 
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