For the Folks in Hurricane Territory

[RUDisney]

It never ceases to amaze me that when a hurricane is approaching a coastal community, everyone rushes to Home Depot, etc., for supplies.

Now, I'm not criticizing, for until I've walked a mile in your shoes, I cannot pretend to understand your mindset... BUT... you know you live in a hurricane-prone area. Why do you wait until the last minute to buy batteries, water, plywood, etc.? Chances are, you know where you live and how often you'll use them.

Here are my theories:

1. You don't have the storage space to keep plywood around.

2. Plywood only lasts through one hurricane. (I don't know if this is true or not.)

3. It heightens the anticipation of the storm to scramble to buy your supplies. (Sort of like waiting until the week before Christmas to buy your gifts.)

4. People, in general, are procrastinators.

I'm just curious. When I see the shelves bare at the home stores on the news, I always feel worse for those who have to live through the storms.

 

[amid chaos]

It's the grocery store that always amazes me. Just what are you going to do with that milk when there is no electricity? And bread? Just how many loaves can you eat? is there a special hurricane recipe i am unaware of?

 

[doxdogy]

You are correct in one theory the infrequency of being hit by a hurricane. It has been 33 years since Jacksonville has had one. The last scare was a couple of years ago. It was headed dead at us when I went to bed the night before. Woke up the next morning turned on the news and it at turned away from us.

 

[skuttle]

I agree w/ doxdogy..it's the infrequency. We do not get hit by a hurricane every year...we do not even get hit by a tropical storm every year...especially not one strong enough to require the buying of supplies. Batteries, water, etc won't last for years. Plywood won't last forever, either. My mom lives south of New Orleans and she boarded up her windows...she won't keep the plywood. She doesn't have any place to keep it and doesn't really want to bother finding a place to keep it since hurricanes don't hit us every year.

 

[RUDisney]

See, that makes sense. Not living in hurricane territory and being a complete weirdo about preparedness always, to me, when I hear about hurricanes hitting land, its always near Willmington, NC, Biloxi, and Houston. Not living there, it just seems like they are constantly hitting these places year after year. 33 years is a good stretch of luck... far longer than I would have ever thought the wait would be and far longer than the lifespan of plywood.

When I think of batteries, I think of how fast a supply of them is used in my house with gameboys, flashlights (the kids like to play with them), etc. I'm forever in Sam's Club buying more.

This is exactly what I was looking for. You're really giving me a good education on this.

Thanks and hopefully, no one will have to shop for supplies for this purpose for a very long time.

 

[brerrabbit]

Number Four.

We procrastinate. However we also go to the store to buy bottled water and of course you never have enough batteries when you need them. When Isador looked like it might head towards Galveston I started the generator to make sure it worked and checked to make sure I had enough batteries. However, if it had come this way I would have been looking for plywood. It's hard to keep it around and since these things are infrequent you just don't keep it around all the time. In 1983 when Alicia hit I boarded the windows bought batteries and water and filled the bathtub the night before it hit. The worst part of the aftermath was no electricity and no water since all the pumps for the water supply run off electricity. We were without water and lights for four days. That was no fun.

 

[Galahad]

Another thing might be the number of newcomers that are constantly in hurricane prone areas. We have only lived in Florida for 3 years. We got hit by a Tropical Storm/Hurricane last September, but it wasn't nearly enough to justify plywood. Us newbies (and there are a lot) haven't been here long enough to have a stockpile even if we had a place to put it.

 

[danacara]

Dudes, let me tell you this. I do not live in the track of this hurricane, but if I did, I'd be at the supermarket right now stocking up on the necessities. Ice cream! Little Debbies! Tostitoes! Salsa! Got to have those necessities.

As for lack of supplies for a hurricane - look at how many men are running to the 7-11 for condoms in the middle of the night. Some fail to prepare even for the pleasures of life, much less for the disasters.

 

[Poohbear123]

Well, I AM PREPARED!! Sort of......it took DH about 8 Years After Hurricane Andrew to have "Special Shutters" Made for the House. They are ON the Back windows NOW! Have been since 2000. My front Window has an Accoridan type Shutter, all together we spent about: 2,300.00 buck a roos! However, when and IF we sell this house it will be a nice selling feature! By the way, in June a woman bought her first house in Broward County. She moved in and was unpacking stuff in her garage, she bumped against something, and ALL her Plywood came down, and KILLED HER INSTANTLY! She never got to enjoy her new house.