First hand Experience of a Tornado

TORNADO

Wow what a few very long and tense hours we had yesterday and into last night. We had Tornado watches posted all day. Then at 8pm our time we had a tornado warning come through. Watching the news and the weather the Tornado came with in 1/4 a mile of us. We could see the winds, and the clouds moving. The official word is that the tornado started as a water spout came on to land becoming a tornado then went back into a water spout over the water and then was making land again.

This is a picture taken by a viewer sent in to the news station. This is over the water as it is coming to land.

The bad thing for the day was the NOAA weather radio was not working. After contacting the news they reported that the station was down due to work crews that had by accident cut down the lines. Not a good day for this to happen. So we were able to keep updated by the local weather and news channels, via the apps they have for the smart phones, facebook, and such. Many of the local news even went and streamed online for those that lost power and could access them via their smart phones.

I was constantly monitoring the weather channel, the apps for weather on my phone. I was alerted to the WARNING via facebook! All since the weather radio was down and not transmitting. I get weather alerts directly to my phone, trust me it was going off all night!

We had our plan in effect and we knew what to do. We were safe and no harm happened to us or where we live. Just 1/4 a mile away is where most things happened. We did have wind and LOTS of rain. There were things that blew around. We had some minor flooding.

Key here is know what to do when watches, and warnings come out. Stay connected to local news channels. Facebook, twitter and the apps that are available are great tools for being updated! Have your family's plan and kits ready to go. Keep things in an easy to get to place. Plan, prepare and be safe. You also need to have a battery powered radio and know what radio station to tune in to.

You also need to follow officials directions. Many people were wanting to look at the damage, it was not safe to be out while there were downed power lines, and debris everywhere. When you are told to stay home, stay inside, it is for a reason.  The pictures and such that are being shared tells us we are all very lucky that no one was hurt seriously. People are out cleaning things up, trying to make things safe. Good news is today is going to be sunny and nice, no storms for today.

When we woke up this morning after all the storms had passed. Trust me I did not sleep all that well. But when we looked out the window, and went outside on our back patio it looked as a brand new day. There was no hint in the sky of the storms and the tornado that came through the night before.

So check another natural disaster of my list of ones I have loved through.

Hurricane WARNING

DURING A HURRICANE WARNING

What is a Hurricane Warning?

A Hurricane Warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center where sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher are expected within a specified area within 24 hours or less. All precautions must be completed immediately.

If You Live in a Mobile Home

Check tie-downs, turn off utilities and leave immediately for a safer place. Mobile homes are unsafe in hurricanes, tornadoes or severe thunderstorms. Can you imagine what hurricane-force winds would do to your mobile home?

Prepare for High Winds

Brace your garage door. Lower antennas. Be prepared to make repairs. Awnings, garbage cans, grills, lawn furniture, loose garden tools, toys and all other loose objects can be deadly missiles. Anchor securely or bring indoors. Securely board up or shutter large windows. Draw drapes across windows and doors to protect against flying glass.

Move Boats on Trailers Close to House

Fill boats with water to weigh them down. Lash securely to trailer and use tie-downs to anchor trailer to the ground or house. Check mooring lines of boats that must remain in water, then leave them. Accomplish this ahead of the hurricane watch to save time. 

Store Valuables and Personal Papers

Put important documents (birth certificates, heirlooms, personal inventory lists, pictures, titles, wills, etc.) in waterproof containers and store them in the highest possible location protected from potential flooding. If you evacuate, be sure to take them with you. You should have secured most of your valuables and important papers in a safety deposit box, during the family planning process.

Prepare for Storm Surge, Tornadoes & Flooding

Storm surges, tornadoes and floods are killers associated with a hurricane. In a Tornado Warning, seek inside shelter below ground level if possible. Otherwise, go to the inner-most small room away from outside walls, doors and windows on the lowest level of your structure. If you are outside, seek cover in ditch or other low spot. Do not attempt to outrun a tornado!

Mobile homes and portable buildings are extremely unsafe, during a tornado! The surge of the ocean water plus flash flooding of streams and rivers due to torrential rains cause 90% of the deaths associated with hurricanes. If you anticipate that your family will be at risk, evacuate early before the hurricane watch is issued! Complete evacuation well before the arrival of tropical force winds.

Test your generators. Make sure it is well has good ventilation  and You may want to think about chaining it up or securing it up! 

Bring pets indoors! 

Stay indoors! 

Of course you have have to decide what to do for yourself and your family. Only you are in charge of you and your family. 

Hurricane WATCH

What to do for a Hurricane WATCH.

A Hurricane Watch is issued by the National Hurricane Center to ALERT specific regions or states that hurricane conditions pose a threat to a specified area within 36-48 hours. Monitor storm reports on radio and television closely. Implement your family plan. If evacuation has not already been recommended, consider leaving the area early to avoid long hours along congested and limited evacuation routes.

Here is a list of things to do when there is a Hurricane Watch issued for your area.

 1. Fill up your car with gas.

2. Secure buildings. Have Materials for protecting windows and doors. Have shutters or lumber ready to protect large windows and doors. Be sure to include the needed hardware and tools to securely cover windows and doors. 

3. Review evacuation plan.

4. Listen to a radio or television for official instructions.

5. Check your family's emergency supplies.

6. Bring in outdoor objects (i.e. toys, garden tools).

7. Turn refrigerator and freezer to coldest settings.

8. Secure outdoor objects which cannot be brought inside (i.e. boats, lawnmower).

9. Store drinking water in clean bathtubs, jugs, bottles, and cooking utensils

10. Have non perishable food, that you can prepared with out cooking and need no refrigeration. 

11. Make ice in your freezer for coolers. You will need a lot of ice and there will be little to no ice available to buy right before or especially right after a hurricane! 

12. Start prepping food to eat for the Hurricane. If you staying plan on pre cooking food before the storm hit. If you are evacuating, pre make food to take with you. As always take precautions for food safety and food borne illness. Keep things cold enough in coolers! Lots of ice! 

As always these are suggestions. You need to make your own choices and make your own plan. You need to decide what to do for yourself and your own family. No one can tell you how to prepare. You choose to do what is best for you! 

Hurricane to do list long before the Storm comes

There are many to do lists, and many things that people need to do before any emergency. Since Hurricane season is upon us, I wanted to touch base on a few things I have seen, learned and I do each year.

I would want to encourage everyone in a Hurricane area to go through and update there kits and plans. Now if you do not have a plan or kit, this is the time to make them.

So are a few to do lists:
1. Learn what to do before, During and After a Hurricane. Go to your cities, towns websites, Emergency management websites. Most Places that have hurricanes will put out booklets, pamphlets, etc. Also look at FEMA, RED CROSS, READY.GOV, and other for tips, ideas and checklists.  
2. Discuss with your family's Hurricane plan.
3. Go through, gather or assemble your family's Disaster kits. There are all kinds of check lists out there, but know that you will be with out power for days even weeks, depending on the strength of the storm.
4. Identify your out of state or out of area contact. TELL them they are your contact. Then be sure to tell other family members, friends, etc that they are your contact. Be sure everyone has the name, address and phone number of the contact person. (the reason is everyone can contact this person and update others, You only have to make one call, send one text to the contact). Also on this topic if all family is connected through a social media outlet, ie twitter, facebook, then everyone can know at the same time that you are ok and such.
5. You also need to have for those that need to a plan for those that are elderly, have disabilities, or have special needs. For example if you have someone in your family who needs oxygen to breath, know how long your battery back up is. Plan on if this person needs to be moved to a safer location for power. Plan ahead!
6. Pets. All your pets need to have a plan too. If you are going to a shelter, you can not take your pet. You need to know what to do with spot and fluffy. If you are evacuating you need a kit for them, and all there supplies.
7. You need to know a main evacuation route and an alternative route, in case you are asked to leave. You will need maps! GPS may not work! Also try driving the routes before hand, so you know where to go, landmarks, and smaller highways, or roads. Become familiar with the area especially areas you do not drive on a regular basis.
8. Know how to turn off your utilities in case you need to Evacuate.
9. Know your children's school plans, work plans in case of Emergencies.
10. Take a First aid course, CPR. Update your families first aid kit!
11. Review your status of your automobile, flood, home owners or renters insurance coverages. List and photograph or videotape valuable property. Make hard copies and place in your document kit. Be sure add the phone numbers of all insurances and account numbers. Take this kit with you if you evacuate!
12.List and photograph or videotape valuable property. Write down serial numbers, description, etc. Make hard copies and place in your document kit. Take this kit with you! If you have special insurance an item, be sure to have all the information you need in order to make a claim!

Family Disaster Supplies Kit

Keep these supplies at home throughout the year in preparation for major emergencies or disasters. We recommend that you keep them in a separate "Family Disaster Supplies Kit" so they are easy to find when you need them. Identify a safe room for storage of the supply kit and where you can go if a hurricane hits. Don't forget to rotate and replace expired items throughout the year.

Family members should discuss and plan additional supplies that might be needed over an extended period of time. Be ready for the hurricane season. Some supplies will be required in the event you elect to stay in your home. Others may be required if you evacuate or relocate or go to a shelter. Plan supplies so they are clearly accessible and identifiable. After a hurricane watch is issued, there may be a high demand and short supply of many items.

• AM/FM radio (AC/DC battery operated)
• Baby food, diapers, formula and other supplies
• Backpack, duffel bag, portable cooler or other containers
• Bleach (without lemon or any other additives)
• Canned or packaged foods, milk and beverages (minimum 7-day non-perishable food supply for each family member)
• Can opener (non-electric)
• Changes of clothing, hard soled shoes and rain gear for each family member
• Eating utensils and supplies
• Emergency cooking facilities (camping equipment and supplies are great)
• Extra prescription medications, glasses or hearing aids (see your doctor)
• Fire extinguishers (checked and serviced annually)
• First aid kit (adequate capacity and type for the size of your family)
• Flashlights & extra batteries (size and type for flashlights, radios, etc.)
• Food and water for pets
• Important documents (driver's license, birth certificate, insurance documents, etc.)
• Lanterns and fuel (stored in safe container & location)
• Matches (stored in a safe and protective container)
• Mosquito repellant
• Non-perishable foods, milk and beverages (minimum 7-day supply for each family member)
• Plywood boards ¾" to board up windows (cut & fit ahead of time)
• Quiet games, toys, books and cards
• Sleeping bag and blankets for each family member
• Spare batteries for flashlights, radios, etc.
• Spare keys for home, vehicles, boats, etc.
• Toilet paper, soap, tooth brushes, tooth paste and other personal hygiene items
• Water (1 gallon per person per day for drinking purposes)
• Water purification procedures & tablets (check with your local health department)
• Weather alert radio (AC/DC battery operated)
• Other items preplanned by the family

Hurricane Season

BE PREPARED! ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON STARTS JUNE 1: 

Hurricane season is upon us! The time is now to prepare!

Hurricanes occur in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Certainly, there are other areas of tropical storm activity, but those storms carry other names. The tropical storms that occur in the Pacific Ocean are called typhoons and in the Indian Ocean and southwestern Pacific, they are referred to as cyclones.

Officially, the U.S. hurricane season is defined as June 1st to November 30th of each year. The ending date has been progressively moving later in the month of November from 2008 into 2009 and 2010.
These dates have been set to include 97 percent of all major hurricane days and 79 percent of all tropical storm days. As a guess, these dates are fairly reliable but there are always exceptions to any rule. Hurricanes have hit in the months of May and December in the past.

The early part of the hurricane season is usually mild but hurricane activity begins to pick up by the mid part of August. The peak part of the season is usually September.
Your location may influence possible months for experiencing a hurricane. Some experts say that the western Caribbean experiences most of its activity and intensity during the period of mid-September through until the end of November. If however, you are located along the Atlantic coast your peak is a bit earlier in the season, mainly between mid-August through mid-September.

So with all that Lingo going on, here is my two cents:

After going through my very first Hurricane I have added to my kits and altered my plan just a bit! As anyone should do when you are making your own kits for any disaster!

There are many lists, guides and websites to check out! FEMA, RED CROSS, Local news stations, generally give out guides or can print them off online. I have given lists back in August 2011 along with links, not going to redo that.

First and for most know what is going on around you! Know what the weather is like and what is "coming". Sign up for alerts from the weather channel, local news, NOAA, etc.  You can follow all on twitter, facebook, and some even by email. You can get apps for your smart phones and sign up for alerts to come to your phone.

Things I am going to do this year, is have a few more things to do for groups to do, like games, puzzles, books to read, etc. We have no young children but one thing I noticed last year was when you have a group of 20 somethings that are used to be "entertained" by electronics it can be hard for them to not be bored!

I will be getting more glow sticks to have in the house, one for each room for a week! Even when the power goes out for a bad thunder storm they come in useful!

WATER! yes water and ICE! I am buying water by the cases, a few cases each week. I will also buy a few gallons of water. I will be making Ice chucks as the summer goes on! Always need ICE after the power goes out.

Propane for the BBQ. Need to have plenty and maybe even an extra one for the season.

Food, everyone needs food. Last year I planned and cook the day before the hurricane hit. That was the best thing I could do! Made a turkey that we had for dinner the night before, day of hurricane we had turkey sandwiches, and the next day I make a turkey soup with dumplings. a little 10 pound turkey fed 6 people for 3 meals! So prepping food the days before a hurricane is to hit is a very good plan! As always food that is easy to prepare with out a lot of work, fuel, water, is best for when with out power.

Anyway I can go on forever on things. Bottom line is if you are on the coast and you are in a hurricane area prepare now. Get your family ready for the season. Put your mind at ease and get your kits together!