East Coast Hurricane Prep Thread
Well, peeps, some of us on the East Coast are sighing and going into our well-established hurricane prep routine. We ALL hope that Matthew somehow tracks offshore and well offshore for the duration and lands a direct hit nowhere. Most of us can probably confess that our second hope is that if it doesn't stay offshore and hits somewhere, we hope that the effects are minimal and that the hit is not in our own backyard. If it looks like it's going to hit in our own backyard, there are things to do.
1. Pay attention. Listen to the weather and keep up. When they start talking about "storm surges" know if you are in an area that is vulnerable. Many times the greatest damage and loss of life is due to storm surges.
2. If you need to evacuate, earlier is better than later if possible. If you have friends or relatives to stay with outside the area of activity, now is the time to inform them that you may be on your way in the near future. Worst case scenario is that you have an unexpected visit with people you like anyway.
3. If it looks like you're going to tough it out, for whatever reason, do your prep
I am known to be a prepper as regards hurricanes. I always tell the same story when hurricane season comes around, so I will go ahead and tell it now and get it out of the way.
When Hurricane Gloria (the Storm of the Century as it was labeled by Time magazine) was churning at sea and headed for what looked like a direct hit on Rhode Island, I sprang into action. We lived on high ground and our best friends and their three cats and my husband's parents all came to our house where I had stocked the basement with: pillows, blankets, first aid kit, paper towels, hand sanitizer, board games, playing cards, water, food, catfood, flashlights, and basically everything else you can imagine. One of my friends came downstairs, saw the setup, and then turned to me and said, "Where's the operating theater?"
Here is what I do and am doing right now.
#1. Make ice. Don't worry about buying it, there won't be any. But if you start now it won't be a problem. Get your ice maker going and bag the ice and store it in your freezer. when your freezer is filled, fill the fridge and after the fridge fill the ice chests. If you don't have an ice chest, an empty washing machine filled with ice makes a great impromptu fridge.
#2 Buy batteries. The ones that sell out first are the D's which power flashlights and lanterns. Get out your flashlights and lanterns and make sure they work. I lately glommed onto the fact that inexpensive touch lights are a great thing to have on hand for just normal power outages as well as tropical storms, hurricanes, etc. They take AA batteries
#3 Fill your car tanks with gas now. If there is an evacuation, you want to be gassed and ready to go. Plus pumps don't work when the power is out.
#4 Get some cash on hand - ATMs won't be working and neither will credit card machines.
#5 Fill the tubs with water. You will need it to flush the toilets and it can be used for drinking water in a pinch.
#6 Have bleach on hand. It can be used to sterilize and to purify water if necessary.
#7 Have an axe in your attic. People have died trapped in their attics when they had no way to access the roof. No one ever wants to use it, but I'm glad its up there.
#Stage your chain saw to where you can get to it and make sure you have gas for it.
#8 Charge everything you can charge in advance. I'm glad I have an old kindle that holds a charge for over two weeks.
# 9 Stock up if you can - What I buy- I buy canned stuff and staples that we use on a regular basis anyway - tomatoes, beans, peanut butter, fruit, dried fruit, nuts, crackers, pet supplies, etc. Plus Paper plates, paper towels, trash bags, I already mentioned hand sanitizer which is a major convenience.
#10 Hope that all your planning was no effect and turns into simply a dry run for the next time.
So are you affected by Matthew and what are your thoughts?
Comments
An appropriate
song, perhaps?
Band of Heathens "Hurricane". Check it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn6YXqMLF0w&sns=em
Edit: hope it works. First time trying to embed a video.
Edit: AGAIN! I think it works now, at least it did when I tried it again!
Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .
Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .
If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march
Here's a whole playlist
of Hurricane songs! I've only ever heard of a couple of them (cuz I'm old, see, so I recognize Dylan) but it looks like fun!
How many here have experienced a hurricane?
I mentioned Gloria - we were lucky because we mostly passed unscathed. I recall being very angry at people who acted like they were disappointed we weren't blown off the face of the earth. Idiots!
I was a week without power because of Hurricane Bob and we were hit pretty hard by Isabelle - lots and lots of tree damage. Isabel is similar to Matthew in that she came after some incredible rains and the ground was already saturated - the upshot being that trees just fell over , it didn't take all that much wind to give them a good shove. I had always loved trees before Isabel, but now I have a distinctly different take on large trees near my house.
" “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” FDR "
I lived through Gloria
I was living in providence at the time. We were without power for five days because the break only affected two houses and the power company had bigger fish to fry. Fortunately we had gas for cooking and oil heat.
We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed.
- Greta Thunberg
Hugo - 1989
Here, in the slums of North Charleston, we were without power for three weeks.
My boss had me camped out at work overnights to "defend" against looters.
The National Guard trucks roamed the streets at night enforcing a curfew.
During the eye of the storm looters had loaded a truck with the beer aisle of the local grocery.
A neighbor one day cooked stew over an outdoor open fire, that was nice. Meet my Ex there ...
People drove inland for hours to buy $500 generators to re-sell them here for thousands.
Fresh food was gold when we lived off spam and beans. Those were the days ... ;->
I lived through the 2004 season in Florida
I lived in Daytona Beach at the time--Charley was first, and worst, even though it came though the Gulf of Mexico and all the way across the state before it hit the Atlantic coast. The other three we saw: Frances, Jeannie and Ivan--tried the patience of everybody I know. But in this part of FL, we were damned lucky every single time. (Pensacola, not so much--I had friends there who lost everything in Ivan, it really sucked up there). Worst that happened to us was that we lost a whole freezer full of meat (yeah, I was pissed but hey....it can be replaced. Plus we did salvage some of it by having a huge block party cookout on Day 3 without power....)
I'll be shopping later for supplies and cranking up the generator to see if it's still working. We're far enough inland that the worst we'll see here is probably a shit-ton of rain, some localized flooding and some power outages. I feel fortunate and I am sending prayers and all the good mojo I have for people further south and east in the islands all around the bottom of our country. It's gonna get ugly before it all stops
I was down the road in Melbourne during those
There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties.. This...is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.--John Adams
My parents
lived off US 27 between Haines City and Lake Wales which is inland. During the 2004 hurricane season, Charley, Frances, and Jeanne passed over them. I was visiting them when Frances was coming and had to leave early. Part of my route used the turnpike and the state had opened it up without tolls to allow for evacuations. Three days before the predicted hit, the roads were jammed with people evacuating.
My parents' house was concrete block with only three exterior windows and a double pane sliding glass door leading to a small Florida room, so it was like a hurricane fortress. Their neighborhood took a heavy hit with many homes losing their roofs and they were without power for a week. But the worst part was many homes flooded because the ground was so soaked that the water table could not absorb the rain. Luckily my parents were among the highest and driest. But what it taught me is that even far inland, a hurricane can do significant damage, especially water.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Endless rain
this is a rainmaker, regardless. Flooding will no doubt be a huge issue inland, as will downed trees (from all that water, not so much from wind)
Yeah, we'll be bagging up some sand, too--a couple of our sliding glass doors get kind of leaky when it rains too much (one of those fixes we have to keep putting off)
Hurricane Dennis--twice!! I drove onto Emerald Isle
during Dennis's first past. It was just a lot of rain and wind and my father-in-law's house was on the sound side of Pine Knoll Shores in a wooded area so it was no big deal. Dennis wandered off and then meandered back for a second pass. More rain and wind.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
I lived in Chelsea
In NYC when Super Storm Sandy hit. I wrote about my experience back at the GOS, so I'm not going to include the link here for obvious reasons, but basically we were all caught with our pants down because we felt immune to such trifling things like hurricanes. It was an experience I never wish to live through again.
Now that I live in Southern California, we have earthquake prep, which sounds like most of the things on your list in the absence of electricity.
A word about not having electricity for more than a week. It sucks. New York City is NOT a sans electricity friendly kind of town, and those big tall buildings that hover directly over you look a helluva lot more inviting with thousands of lights shining from them.
Hope y'all back East take care and be safe!
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
I have been through lots of them
and typhoons in Japan. They never really frightened me, but living without power for days and not being able to go anywhere because of flooding can get pretty old.
We Floridians know about prep
Although I spend most of my time in NC now, I lived most of my life in Florida. In 1985, hurricane Kate hit the Florida panhandle and destroyed nearly the entire electrical system of Tallahassee, the state capital where we lived. It was a late season storm and we were without power for eight days. Many of my neighbors went eleven days without power. We still had to go into work downtown (where the power was restored quickly) every day even though we basically were camping out in our homes without lights, hot water, or electricity. Luckily, we had a camp stove and plenty of basic canned goods to live off of.
My greatest fear from a hurricane is storm surge if you are on the coast and then fallen trees that down power lines. I would never try to ride out a hurricane on the coast. That is just fool hardy.
Your storm prep advice is excellent, Phoebe. Stay safe.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Isabel was the worst for us
and it was a category 1. As a result, I now think, if that was a 1, I don't have any desire to experience any higher number.
One time I went to bed and whatever disturbance was out there, a hurricane that had downgraded into a tropical storm, had reformulated and changed course overnight back into a hurricane that was headed right at us! Can't remember the name of that, but it wasn't that long ago and just shows how unpredictable they can be. It might have been Floyd which was a massive rainmaker that just hung around inland and flooded lots of interior towns.
Which brings up another misconception about hurricanes - many times the major damage happens when they loose speed and just become massive rainmakers inland without those fast steering winds and currents. Flood insurance isn't just about flood plains and coastal communities -many floods happen in areas never considered to be historically flood prone.
Poor Haiti - can they ever catch a break? They need to make a major investment in re-foresting the hillsides. Hopefully their next recovery will go better than the last one.
" “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” FDR "
Rain
Tropical storms Alberto and Beryl were heavy rain makers in the Big Bend area of Florida in 1994 and inflicted massive damage due to flooding. Depending upon the location and topography, heavy rain can be as bad or worse than the winds. That is going to be a big problem in Haiti with the deforested mountain slopes. This could be a huge disaster in this poverty stricken country.
The most recent hurricane, Hermine, to hit the Big Bend did a lot of damage to Tallahassee's electrical system, but nothing like Kate in 1985. One barrier island (St. George Island, is only about 70 miles west of where it made landfall, but had very little damage because it was on the west side of the storm. If you are going to have to endure a hurricane, generally the west side of the hurricane is the one to be on as it is the weakest side and storm surges are not as big a factor.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
I am pretty bad about #1 lately as I have been avoiding...
the media lately.
I live in Southern Florida and didn't even know there was a Hurricane heading my way until someone from Australia asked me on Eve Comms last night if I was prepped for the storm, lol!
One thing I would add, if you don't have UPS's (Uninterruptible Power Supplies - Battery Backup for your PC) go and pick some up.
Living in Florida I have one in my Office, one in my wife's office, two in the living room and another in the bedroom.
If they are all fully charged I can recharge mobile phones dozens of times from one unit.
Also, I can power my modem/router for days, so if there is no cell towers for data/calls if the internet is still up (Even when power is down I don't usually lose network access) I can make calls via Skype, get updates, etc.
Your ice tip is a good one, I never thought about the washer before. What I always do is fill empty 1 gallon jugs or 2 liter bottles with water and freeze them, this way not only do I have ice, but I have potable, bottled water ready when it melts (and blocks of ice last a lot longer than cubed).
Also, don't forget food. I keep plenty of dry goods stored as well as having 2 bins in the pantry, one filled with 40 or so pounds of rice, the other with beans. (Not the most thrilling of diets, but that can keep 2 people going for over a month if need be.)
Also, fill your propane tanks and have both a BBQ grill and a camp stove for cooking and boiling water. 3 propane tanks are enough to prepare food for several weeks. Also, you can buy a propane "tree" that is basically a post that you screw onto the propane tank and it has a valve at the top for connecting a lantern and one on the side for connecting a portable camp stove.
Oh, weed and beer, can't forget the weed and beer. Days without electricity can be boring and one can only have so much sex...
"I used to vote Republican & Democrat, I also used to shit my pants. Eventually I got smart enough to stop doing both things." -Me
Especially when you've spent the last 72 hours
with no air conditioning or running water, and you smell terrible even to yourself.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Well, the nice part about a hurricane and living in Florida is
I can at least be guaranteed a cold shower every day for the most part (if you are not body modest and don't mind standing in the rain with a bar of soap.)
I decided I would much rather be embarrassed by nudity than stank.
The one thing I have always been lucky with though is a lack of body odor, I have never bought deodorant or antiperspirant in my adult life, but I still feel really gross if I don't shower.
I do have a solar shower somewhere in the garage, I should dig that out too, thanks for reminding me, I think I would rather go without food for a couple days than without a shower, lol!
"I used to vote Republican & Democrat, I also used to shit my pants. Eventually I got smart enough to stop doing both things." -Me
All Floridians know
that this is some good advice.
Former Floridians know this one too!
Even born and raised Floridians living elsewhere know the value of stashing recreational substances!
Thanks for all the tips
We've reserved a hotel room on the Gulf Coast just in case. Everyone please be safe, our hearts go out to those in the Caribbean and all who are affected by this.
Matthew (Euro Model): 75% Chance of Direct New York Hit
Matthew is quickly morphing into a potentially major nightmare for the U.S. East Coast. NHC/NOAA currently projects a direct hit by Matthew of NC's east coast as a Cat 2 hurricane. (Current projections look like it'll either hug the U.S. coast or move slightly inland.)
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/114739.shtml?gm_track...
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/114739.shtml?5-daynl#...
European hurricane models--widely considered to be the most accurate of all--currently project a 75% likelihood the Matthew will hit New York, pretty much along the lines of Irene and/or Superstorm Sandy.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/weather/717400/Hurricane-Matthew-path-upda...
Currently, there are 45-foot waves hitting western Haiti, according to some reports.
https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-matthew-caribbean-ha...
Potentially, this could be a major nightmare.
"Freedom is something that dies unless it's used." --Hunter S. Thompson
Funny, not ha ha, but ironic
I was thinking that Matthew had the chance of becoming the next Sandy. The metropolitan NYC area is very vulnerable (if not the most vulnerable area ) to a hurricane. Where to evacuate people from low lying areas and most of it is low. Evacuations take time, a lot of time. For example, emergency planners estimate it would take a minimum of 72 hours to evacuate the St. Pete/Clearwater area on Florida's Gulf coast.
I have been reading Dr. Jeff Masters blogs on Wunderground and he has been tracking similar storms from the past in his latest blogs. BTW, it is good to see you post, Bob.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Yes, it looks like Matthew's getting very ugly, very quickly
Nice to blog with you, as well, gulfgal98! Sorry that I'm not able to spend much time doing this, of late. Posted this comment because it now appears that the U.S. East Coast is about to get hit especially hard. And, those poor folks in Haiti, right now. As you read this, we're talking about massive destruction--AGAIN--of an impoverished country that's been continually hammered by mother nature for years.
They're noting "major hurricane" (not just "hurricane") status for Florida on those NHC/NOAA maps to which I linked in my previous comment.
"Freedom is something that dies unless it's used." --Hunter S. Thompson
I lived in NYC
during Superstorm Sandy and I can tell you that we were not prepared for it at all. We were not living in the evacuation areas so when the storm surge hit and started flooding everything east of the Hudson and past the evacuation areas, I'm not embarrassed to say there was a fair share of panic felt by everyone in my Pre-War, 5 floor walk up building in Chelsea. We were lucky as far as flooding and damage went, although the entire neighborhood lived without electricity for an entire week, but as I went scouraging for supplies in the neighborhood the next morning, I saw that others were not as lucky.
I really hope it is not going to be as bad as Sandy. My Sister is visiting family there right now.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
From the birthplace of Matthew...
Matthew was a tropical wave turning into a Tropical Storm when it hit Dominica (not the Dominican Republic) with 50 mph winds and only a couple inches of rain last week. So, I agree with making sure one has lots of ice, LED flashlight batteries, canned food and water in every storage container (I have a water tank bought after carrying water in buckets from the river for a week after TS Erika) and fill the washing machine which is out on the porch). I have a back up generator from before we were hooked up to the grid and used that during the inevitable (24 hour) power outage. Having my Kindle charged is all I needed and I managed to start and finish a book
The villages in Dominica have trained Emergency relief teams who go around during the storm and afterwards to make sure that everyone is safe. Our village has 14 young men trained as Certified EMT and Disaster Relief on the team. There are hurricane shelters in the villages. One of the team members was here early in the morning and helped me set up the generator to the house and checked the entire electrical system (he is an electrician).
I posted extensively from the lighthouse during the TS Matthew on FB with pictures and so on, even commenting on the reaction of the sea and land birds and the success of the CER team.
Although people think of the eastern Caribbean as being hurricane prone, we are more the birthplace of the storms that move on to become hurricanes and spread death and destruction further usually north. In fact, the East Coast of the USA is much more prone to hurricanes than the Windward Islands.
.
From the Light House.
Dominica
I had heard of Dominica, but never knew much about it. So I decided to google it. Dominica is a gorgeous country, the Natural Island. I could not believe the beauty I saw in the photographs. It also sounds like a very nice country to live in.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Obviously, those damn Russians have hacked into the atmosphere
and are attacking our part of the Free World with hurricanes.
LOL!
Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.
I live in a beach town in
I live in a beach town in northern SC. I moved here three years ago to keep my job because my company moved here. It's a great job for somebody like me who doesn't perfectly fit the corporate mold because they tolerate me pretty well. I also have low-grade chronic PTSD, so I do require a bit of tolerance as I have a tendency to scream when startled, especially if I'm tired. Our parent company is European, so I also feel really fortunate that the company takes a somewhat European approach to work-life balance and benefits. Anyway, so far up until now I've coincidentally had travel plans for the tropical systems that have come nearby and been out of town for them. This time I'm not taking any chances. I've already made hotel reservations in my hometown in north-central NC where I expect rain but not the hurricane or tropical storm force winds.
My office is actually only five miles or so from the oceanfront, so I'm worried about losing power there and at my condo while I'm out of town. I've stayed at the hotel I'm staying in this time a few times, so it seems almost homey to me. They have free WiFi, and this time I'm bringing my laptop and not just my phone as well as my coffeepot and my own coffee. The hotel has free coffee, but it's a medium blend. I prefer French roast and freshly ground beans. It's one of my few remaining vices, so I can only stand a day or two of the blander medium roast. I'll be at the hotel until Sun., and I hope I am able to return to find the power on and not too much damage hereabouts, but I'm worried.
I feel so, so sad for all of the island peoples who are suffering through this storm. I am feeling truly special levels of anger and disgust about what I've read here and other places of how the Clinton Crime Foundation was more interested in crony-carousing to help corporations instead of focusing on housing and water for the citizens, not to mention their support of keeping the already-ridiculously-low minimum wage as low as possible. I'm sorry, but this calls for the "F" word. Fuck the lot of them for getting even more blood and suffering on their hands. I almost wish I believed in hell because that kind of greed deserves a nice warm welcome there.
Well, now I find out that my
Well, now I find out that my office is in the primary evacuation zone, so we'll be closed until at least Mon. starting tomorrow. The evacuations begin tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., and my hotel reservation is on Thurs. night. I should probably leave tomorrow instead, but I can't decide what to do. Curses! There is only one main highway, if you can call it that, out of this joint, but they're reversing all the lanes to aid evacuation starting tomorrow at the same time. Normally, there are great long traffic jams to get into town, but for sure now there will be great long traffic jams to leave.
Evacuate as soon as possible
If you wait longer, you will be caught in traffic. It is better to leave early even if you must spend another day in a hotel.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Thank you. That's what I'm
Thank you. That's what I'm going to do.
Just looked at wunderground again
It looks like the greatest areas of concern for a potential landfall are Florida through North Carolina with it heading out to sea right before entering Virginia and avoiding the whole NY NJ area. Some tracks keep it entirely offshore for everyone, although I think tidal flooding would still be a concern regardless. Let's hope it keeps wobbling eastward and not westward! They do say that only the 3 day out forecasts are the ones with the most legitimacy.
I always love to prepare for nothing! I mean that unironically.
" “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” FDR "
Pop-Tarts
Here in the Houston area, we are no strangers to these damn storms. I won't bore you with how many I've gone through in both Texas and Louisiana.
Here's a laugh, though. Guess what the first thing the grocers run out of? Yep. Pop-Tarts.
I wish I was kidding. Any Google search along these lines will provide plenty of cites for the veracity of this.
Well, they travel well, Pop-Tarts that is.
I used to buy big boxes to take to the cottage when kids were small. I have not dealt with anything hurricane-y more than rain on the edge. But blizzards, yep the panic buying is crazy. How many loaves of bread can a family store? I do general winter stock-up of important items like toilet paper, dog food, cheese and crackers. Used to be important to get a carton of cigs, even though I never smoked inside. Booze was high on the former list, too. Now it's tea bags.
At least with hurricanes and blizzards there are days of warning.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
An often overlooked category
Pets.
You are not going to be able to buy cat litter. I guaranty that.
Don't have a pet carrier/pen/transport device? Get it an hour ago.
Food, meds, of course ... but often folks forget.
too many 'canes to count
going into the storm haul mode now. many millions of dollars worth of boats to tend, can't haul them all. doing the hog-tie routine, gazillion miles of lines. after it hits, you can only hope for the best. hope you all are safe.
Lots of great advice
Living in Delaware, I've been through the edge of many hurricanes. One piece of advice that has paid off is to fill ziplock bags with water and stuff them into every nook and cranny of a freezer, especially a chest freezer. In case of a power outage, it helps keeps things frozen longer and you'll have extra water if you need it.
Glad to see Matthew will probably miss NYC. I've got Comicon this weekend.
Best of luck to everyone!
I've seen too many to keep count
having lived most of my life either on the Atlantic or Gulf coasts: Beulah, David, Floyd, Hugo, and others, but by far the most memorable was Camille. Although I didn't actually see anything but the aftermath of Camille, that was enough for me.
I was traveling with my family, going from Houston to the east coast in October 1969. Interstate 10 was still under construction in most places, so our route took us across U.S. 90. We crossed the Mississippi River on a bridge that looked like it had been hit by a succession of explosions. Some of the concrete slabs (12 feet wide, 20 feet long and probably 8-10 feet thick) that made up the bridge had been shifted up as much as 5 or 6 feet. The tops of some of them were higher than the car we were riding in.
When we got to Pascagula MS, we started to see the real devastation Camille had wrought - houses flattened, roadways torn up and debris everywhere. In some places the beach had been washed away right up to the edge of the asphalt.
In particular I remember seeing a large concrete slab with a few pipes sticking up out of it. I learned later it was all that remained of a two-story hotel where about a dozen people had been having a "hurricane party." None of them survived. A few hundred yards down the highway I saw a large boat (I estimate it was 50-60 foot) that had been pushed inland 200 yards or more and right through the front door of a two-story house.
Those memories have stuck with me and served as a reminder never to stick around when a storm is predicted to strike.
People, you need to listen to Phoebe. Be prepared. Very little in nature can equal the destructive power of a hurricane. It's not something you want to take for granted.