I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[Judique]

ITA-when Ivan hit land it was "only" a Cat 3, yet the 118 tornadoes it spawned took roofs off, downed tress and it was months before life was normal again, years before our area bounced back. I don't say this to be an alarmist, but have a plan and prepare and if it looks like you're in the path, reassess, reassess and as @striker1064 says, listen to the local authorities who have lots of information-current and historical.
Each one of these storms behaves differently and the outcome can be anything from a little rain to destruction.

I lived in South Texas during Hurricane Allen in 1980. A tornado took the roofing of our house, knocked down our fence and flooded us out. A tornado came very close to the house and tore up some properties within a quarter mile of us. We were relocated to the base as the storm strengthened and we slept in barracks for about a week. (My ex was military.) All the planes from the training squadrons had been flown elsewhere. To say the least it was a frightening experience. Returning home after the storm was not pretty. No electricity for several weeks, and people rowing their bass boats down the street. I came outside and was speaking across the yard to one of my neighbors and she said to me, 'get back up on your steps. That's a water moccasin swimming over there.' The water eventually subsided and the mosquitos came. Clouds and clouds of mosquitos. We had a summer of 100 degree days.

I could go on and on about how horrible it was. We were lucky in that we had gas and it still worked by lighting with a match. We were about 3 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Water had to be trucked in to us and we brought our containers to get it. No cell phones and no working landline - but one day I picked it up and said hello and someone was on it trying to reach me!

You will not find me trying to be anywhere near Florida (or anywhere else) during a hurricane. We were lucky in that we signed up for flood insurance 6 days before the storm hit, on the advice of people much more informed and experienced - our agent! The cut off was 5 days, and our claims were denied at first, until I submitted the original receipt for the $30!

As others have said, have a plan.

 

[wendow]

Likely coincidence as more recent studies show the opposite. Exposure helps prevent more allergies. AAP used to recommend kids avoiding allergenic foods until age 2, but they reversed that when newer research showed more allergies not fewer.

Eh, I know the most recent suggestions but I also know they went back and forth on their recs throughout my 4 pregnancies and raising infants and I've lost a lot of faith in what 'medical science' tells us to do. My dd's chronic Lyme doesn't exist either according to the medical community. My ds11 had FPIES and lived on Neocate for 3.5yo and ate not a single food until he was 3.5yo. Doctors had no clue why.

I think that there is still a lot to be discovered about the very complex immune system and how allergies are created and why they are increasing today. No matter which way they go on the rec's for what pregnant mothers eat and giving early solids/not giving early solids, allergies are still on the rise.

I also know there is an internet full of women who say they had the same experience...cravings for a specific food, indulged often and now child has that allergy. I just don't believe these are all coincidences.

 

[wendow]

Your MIL was probably subject to the same information that I was growing up. We were not considered baby boomers until much later. I was born in 1953, and was not considered a baby boomer back at the time. It was probably sometime in the last 10-15 years that whoever gets these terms going started implying anyone born between 1945 and 1965 were baby boomers.

My mom was born in 1953 too! I know she has said she is not a baby boomer. Interesting that it has changed.

 

[mmmears]

To all of you who are in the South in the path of the tropical storm / hurricane, please stay safe and dry. Thinking of you all as you go through this storm.

Eh, I know the most recent suggestions but I also know they went back and forth on their recs throughout my 4 pregnancies and raising infants and I've lost a lot of faith in what 'medical science' tells us to do. My dd's chronic Lyme doesn't exist either according to the medical community. My ds11 had FPIES and lived on Neocate for 3.5yo and ate not a single food until he was 3.5yo. Doctors had no clue why.

Seriously? I have a family member with chronic issues from Lyme disease (it was diagnosed too late for the antibiotics to kick in before his many issues did) and he was very young and healthy when it happened. I had no idea that it "doesn't exist." Hugs to you and your DD - I know how debilitating Lyme can be.

 

[MKTokyo]

Wishing everyone in the path of the storm a safe ride through.

Speaking of cats... I'd appreciate some nice thoughts for my cat Lillian Norris today. She has a somewhat rare disorder and occasionally becomes disoriented and hallucinates. She woke up today and is having one of those days, so she got one of her little kitty Prozacs before I left for work and I left her on the bed to try to relax. She snaps out of it eventually, but it has taken a couple days before. I feel so bad for her because she's clearly scared and doesn't know us, but once she snaps out of it she's totally back to normal.

Poor baby... I hope she feels better soon. It's terrible to see your pet like that.

 

[elgerber]

Well this is current but the one thing about Chicago weather is it’s always changing

Ha I live in MN I know all about changing weather. I like your photo a little better than these, these are icky Saturday is our only full day there

 

[Haley R]

Triple-ditto this!! I know you’re new to hurricane prep, but please talk to your older neighbors for their advice. Stay away from any national weather sites (like TWC) who just sensationalize everything! We joke about Dan Cantore & crew, but they’re just chasing headlines.
County emergency preparedness officials should have a social media presence with reliable info.
You’re ahead of the game w your supply stash & generator. Don’t forget to grab extra gas for the generator soon. It can always be used in your vehicles if not needed.

We talked to our neighbor tonight and she said they’re definitely staying. She said they’ll help us put our shutters up and if we need to drain the pool some. She made me feel a lot better about the whole thing. I think we’re for sure staying now. It’s less stressful to take the cats if we don’t have to. Our generator is full of gas and we have a couple of cans for extra. Dh ordered a switch today to hook up to the generator so it can run on natural gas as well. That way we can just hook it up to the house

 

[Haley R]

I lived in South Texas during Hurricane Allen in 1980. A tornado took the roofing of our house, knocked down our fence and flooded us out. A tornado came very close to the house and tore up some properties within a quarter mile of us. We were relocated to the base as the storm strengthened and we slept in barracks for about a week. (My ex was military.) All the planes from the training squadrons had been flown elsewhere. To say the least it was a frightening experience. Returning home after the storm was not pretty. No electricity for several weeks, and people rowing their bass boats down the street. I came outside and was speaking across the yard to one of my neighbors and she said to me, 'get back up on your steps. That's a water moccasin swimming over there.' The water eventually subsided and the mosquitos came. Clouds and clouds of mosquitos. We had a summer of 100 degree days.

I could go on and on about how horrible it was. We were lucky in that we had gas and it still worked by lighting with a match. We were about 3 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Water had to be trucked in to us and we brought our containers to get it. No cell phones and no working landline - but one day I picked it up and said hello and someone was on it trying to reach me!

You will not find me trying to be anywhere near Florida (or anywhere else) during a hurricane. We were lucky in that we signed up for flood insurance 6 days before the storm hit, on the advice of people much more informed and experienced - our agent! The cut off was 5 days, and our claims were denied at first, until I submitted the original receipt for the $30!

As others have said, have a plan.

Yeah we don’t have flood insurance. Our neighbor said she’ll tell us the name of hers because she thought they got their’s like 2-3 days before a hurricane. Dh doesn’t think we need it because we’re not in a flood zone but I feel like we need to still get it

 

[cajunmommy]

One is worth watching - Weather Underground on TWC every weeknight at 5. They also sensationalize, but Mike Bettis, Alex Wilson, and Dr. Rick Knabb are legitimately brilliant, accomplished meteorologists who do a great job of breaking everything down.

I forgot about the WUG crew. We've pretty much sworn off TWC coverage, but those three help provide another perspective on info gleaned from a few weather geeks I follow.

My anxiety regarding these storms has only grown as I've aged. During double whammies Katrina-Rita & Gustav-Ike with elementary school-aged kiddos at home I was concerned, but calm. This round, my now college-aged young men will be away at school (one leaving right after Labor Day!), and I know if I obsess over coverage, I'll be a nervous wreck.

 

[KPK02090]

A last minute trip has just come up for me and I'm going to use some SW points to book a flight and use my CP for the 1st time!
Planning to fly September 16 or 17. While I've been collecting points for over a year now. This is my first redemption.
I'll get the SW points back into my account if I have to cancel, right?? I know lots of you do this all the time, I'm just nervous to pull the trigger and would love confirmation on this point.
Also while I have the CP, I haven't named a companion yet. Which is good, because I'm going on this trip with my sister and probably wouldn't have named her previously. Do I name her first, then add it? Or will I give her name in the booking process?

Finally, which card should I use for the fees? I was thinking CSR for the insurance, but close timing for that one- I got the CSR last August doing a CSR/CSP DD). I was planning on PC'ing to a CF in September after I double dip the travel credit. My account says the travel credit will reset after statement closing in September - which isn't until the 21st. Isn't it 30 days that you have to cancel and still get the annual fee refunded? If I have to cancel before then, to get it refunded, I probably won't use it for this trip, since I'd probably cancel before the 16th and not have the insurance anyway. Am I making any sense?

I also have SW Plus
SW Premier Business
SW Performance Business

Any reason I should use one of those instead?

 

[disneybirds]

Which dates are you looking at? I can see the AP rates for the end of Sept.

Sept 27 - 29. How are you seeing them? Thanks!

 

[ten6mom]

And my drink of choice on Main Street is a frozen green tea chai latte....I get looks and comments so now I just wrap a napkin around it.

I get it non-frozen. My coworker jokingly (she told me about it) calls it "boogie tea"

 

[Jax1023]

My car got a flat tire and a dead battery today! That was a fun surprise in the parking garage trying to leave work. And I’m not currently working on an msr. Boo.

Guess I’ll put it on my plat to keep the RATs happy.

 

[PolyRob]

Yeah we don’t have flood insurance. Our neighbor said she’ll tell us the name of hers because she thought they got their’s like 2-3 days before a hurricane. Dh doesn’t think we need it because we’re not in a flood zone but I feel like we need to still get it

Always listen to your inner voice! Better safe than sorry!

 

[speedyfishy]

get the SW points back into my account if I have to cancel, right?? I know lots of you do this all the time, I'm just nervous to pull the trigger and would love confirmation on this point.
Also while I have the CP, I haven't named a companion yet. Which is good, because I'm going on this trip with my sister and probably wouldn't have named her previously. Do I name her first, then add it? Or will I give her name in the booking process?

You will get the points back if you cancel. You name her as a companion and then book the companion flight. You can book your flight now though.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Yeah we don’t have flood insurance. Our neighbor said she’ll tell us the name of hers because she thought they got their’s like 2-3 days before a hurricane. Dh doesn’t think we need it because we’re not in a flood zone but I feel like we need to still get it

Flood insurance is centralized in Florida. Ask your agent for the number and call them. We aren't in a flood zone but I pay for the insurance -- it costs us $407.00 / year, but the amount varies based on a number of factors.

Here is link to the website: https://www.floodsmart.gov/

 

[Alexle2007]

Sept 27 - 29. How are you seeing them? Thanks!

I am going to the annual passholders home page on Universal Studios site.

The $179 is Cabana Bay and the $304 is RPR. It looks like SF and Adventura also have availability. PBR is undergoing some room Renos which is probably why there is nothing.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Our generator is full of gas and we have a couple of cans for extra.

Your generator is so EXTRA!!

...sorry I just had to!

I hope you guys and everybody in the storm’s path remain safe and make the best decisions for your situation!

 

[3 DD love princesses]

A last minute trip has just come up for me and I'm going to use some SW points to book a flight and use my CP for the 1st time!
Planning to fly September 16 or 17. While I've been collecting points for over a year now. This is my first redemption.
I'll get the SW points back into my account if I have to cancel, right?? I know lots of you do this all the time, I'm just nervous to pull the trigger and would love confirmation on this point.
Also while I have the CP, I haven't named a companion yet. Which is good, because I'm going on this trip with my sister and probably wouldn't have named her previously. Do I name her first, then add it? Or will I give her name in the booking process?

Finally, which card should I use for the fees? I was thinking CSR for the insurance, but close timing for that one- I got the CSR last August doing a CSR/CSP DD). I was planning on PC'ing to a CF in September after I double dip the travel credit. My account says the travel credit will reset after statement closing in September - which isn't until the 21st. Isn't it 30 days that you have to cancel and still get the annual fee refunded? If I have to cancel before then, to get it refunded, I probably won't use it for this trip, since I'd probably cancel before the 16th and not have the insurance anyway. Am I making any sense?

I also have SW Plus
SW Premier Business
SW Performance Business

Any reason I should use one of those instead?

you will get your points back but the $5.60 each flight is not refundable unless you cancel within so many days. When you cancel it will ask how you want the refund if the option is to refund cc then I always choose that otherwise it will give you a credit to use within a year of original date of booking using the confirmation number

 

[kmc8826]

I am thinking about renting a car this time...gasp. Is there parking close to the LM buildings at AofA?
I can't deal with standing around at the airport rental counter on arrival. Who has the handy go-straight-to-the-car program like Hertz? I can do Hertz for $160, but want to try to beat it if another company has skip-the-counter.

We always rent a car. It is one of the non negotiables for my husband. And the reality is that it really is so much easier to have it. I always rent through Costco (check back frequently) and always do Alamo. Alamo is usually the cheapest and it's Fast Break program means you skip the counter. It is also nice because you pick out which car you want in the reserved category. From baggage to pulling out of the garage it is usually tops 20 minutes.

Keep checking as it changes constantly.

You can do it! I was nervous to rent a car when it was just me and one of the girls but it was worthwhile. Getting there is fairly easy and once there driving is not hard. Parking will be right by the buildings at Art of Animation.