South Floridian hurricane season supplies

[ZEROPILOT]

Let's hope Puerto Rico is spared too this year.

Yes.
They still haven't fully recovered from last year.

 

[Pearly]

Aggghhh! Those pesky hurricanes! I do worry about my Mom too. She’s in and out this whole Summer, not sure if she gets all boarded up, bcs then she’s have to live in a very dark house for couple of wks... one other thing that my Mom has always done in storm prep is putting up all important family photo albums like all the way up by the ceiling, in case of water damage. That and make provisions for the animals of course

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Aggghhh! Those pesky hurricanes! I do worry about my Mom too. She’s in and out this whole Summer, not sure if she gets all boarded up, bcs then she’s have to live in a very dark house for couple of wks... one other thing that my Mom has always done in storm prep is putting up all important family photo albums like all the way up by the ceiling, in case of water damage. That and make provisions for the animals of course

Is she in a flood zone?
At 9 miles inland we're technically not. But the last cat one turned our street into a river.

 

[daniellenc]

My parents are on the water in both houses though at least in plantation it’s the canal. Their home in key west in a block from Mallory Square on the beach smh. They’re actually selling that house this summer.

 

[Pearly]

Is she in a flood zone?
At 9 miles inland we're technically not. But the last cat one turned our street into a river.

Yeah, on the other side of her street there’s a deep sea canal every 2 houses. It’s a 10 min walk to the Intercoastal. Her house is on the poor side of the street though[emoji6]

 

[wellington]

Always wondered why those of you that worry about flooding don't build an attic if you don't have one and store your keepsakes and flood supplies, etc, there? Also why hurricane shutters aren't perminently placed on windows where all you have to do is close and latch them?
I know nothing about living through hurricanes or floods or the cost of hurricane shutters or whether or not there's a reason you have attics or not. Just something I always wondered why people don't do these things.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Always wondered why those of you that worry about flooding don't build an attic if you don't have one and store your keepsakes and flood supplies, etc, there? Also why hurricane shutters aren't perminently placed on windows where all you have to do is close and latch them?
I know nothing about living through hurricanes or floods or the cost of hurricane shutters or whether or not there's a reason you have attics or not. Just something I always wondered why people don't do these things.

Most of the new houses in South Florida do have shutter tracks anchored permanently placed outside the windows and when the storm is approaching you just slide the metal shutters in and bolt em in. Most people in Florida do have attics too. Flooding is usually only a problem closer to the coast from storm surge, but it all depends on how fast the storm is moving, intensity, etc . Usually when a storm is approaching they close the gates from the everglades, and intercoastal a few days before and this makes the canals water level drop lower so they don't flood

 

[daniellenc]

Always wondered why those of you that worry about flooding don't build an attic if you don't have one and store your keepsakes and flood supplies, etc, there? Also why hurricane shutters aren't perminently placed on windows where all you have to do is close and latch them?
I know nothing about living through hurricanes or floods or the cost of hurricane shutters or whether or not there's a reason you have attics or not. Just something I always wondered why people don't do these things.

No attics in many homes or not full attics. Also no basements there so homes that are two stories is rare and usually a staked house as in on the water but on posts. No basement no attic but two living floors. The newer homes have attached hardware for hurricane shutters but year round unless you don’t like natural light would never work. Then flooding lol @ZEROPILOT i get it. Was there for 9 years of college and grad school. Hurricane safe is serious and so much work

 

[ZEROPILOT]

My attic if you can call it that is just a crawlspace only large enough for A/C ducts. And a tiny repairman. It's also very, very hot and humid up there. Like a blast furnace. The roof is also the FIRST thing that will blow off and away in a large hurricane. And the last place you would want any valuables.
The homes are mostly made of cement block on cement foundations. About a third of my house, the garage, etc, has shutters up 24/7. But these are fiberglass or aluminum. Not up to the new code. I bolt 5/8" exterior plywood up over all of them when a hurricane approaches. Not as thick as it could be, but I do this alone, and it's heavy.
For a tropical storm or a near miss category one hurricane, we just put up the fiberglass and aluminum shutters because they'r simple and you can still open the windows with them on.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

For nobody that's been thru one too, its pretty scary during the storm when you can't look outside to see what's happening, and the wind sounds like a fright train!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

For nobody that's been thru one too, its pretty scary during the storm when you can't look outside to see what's happening, and the wind sounds like a fright train!

It's pretty spooky. Lasts for HOURS and why do they always hit at night? The next morning, the area looks like war footage. No power. Damage. But the community comes together. Soon, a line forms in front of my house when they remember that I repair generators. I also notoriously have hoarded fuel. And have a functioning chainsaw.
Just happy no one we know was injured.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

It's pretty spooky. Lasts for HOURS and why do they always hit at night? The next morning, the area looks like war footage. No power. Damage. But the community comes together. Soon, a line forms in front of my house when they remember that I repair generators. I also notoriously have hoarded fuel. And have a functioning chainsaw.

They do always hit at night your right, never really thought about that though. Were you there for Andrew?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

In Oakland park.
Nearer the beach. But North of the storm.
I had to evacuate my apartment. But because I was and am part of the Broward county emergency team, I was payed while at the school shelter. Ramblewood middle school. As an employee rather than an evacuee.
It was my first hurricane.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

In Oakland park.
Nearer the beach. But North of the storm.
I had to evacuate my apartment. But because I was and am part of the Broward county emergency team, I was payed while at the school shelter. Ramblewood middle school. As an employee rather than an evacuee.
It was my first hurricane.

I was about 10-11 years old. Living in North Lauderdale. Broward was definitely spared during that one. Me and my family went down on buses to the Naranga lakes area to volunteer after the storm. It was an incredible event I will never forget. Nothing still standing, national guard troops everywhere, tents cities, quite the experience.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

The scary part was looking at the destruction and knowing that it was NOT as bad as it gets.
What was he, a cat 3?
Trees are still growing sideways down south from that thing.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It's easy to feel bad about your situation. Until you see how bad others have it.
I thank God that we're o.k. after each one.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

The scary part was looking at the destruction and knowing that it was NOT as bad as it gets.
What was he, a cat 3?
Trees are still growing sideways down south from that thing.

Cat 4 I think. The strangest thing I can remember to this day is there was a pile of rubble that used to be a house, yet right in the middle there was a cabinet with a tea pot and some silverware sitting on it untouched. It baffles me to this day. There had to be tornadoes within that storm

 

[ZEROPILOT]

That's kind of what a hurricane is, a hundred mile wide, SLOW moving tornado.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I chickened out and bought actual aluminum shutters this year. Bolted to the cement and I'm already test fitting them.
The studs stay in the walls and you just place the shutter panels up and wing nut them down. Easy.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

These are what I'd used previously.
Fiberglass units that clamped onto the actual window.
Literally "better than nothing".
They've worked so far.
The one cool feature is that you can still open the window.
The un cool part is that they are actually touching the glass. So if anything really whacks them...The glass will break.