Ida is currently a tropical storm headed into the Gulf of Mexico. However, the conditions are perfect for Ida to quickly become a major hurricane as it heads toward the Louisiana coastal region. Everyone along the gulf coast from East Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and western Alabama should be making preparations right now. Do not delay.
In the background several Civilian Emergency Response Teams (CERT) have been activated. Due to the confluence of events, everyone is taking this storm very seriously. Any Treeper in the coastal area of Louisiana and Mississippi should be taking preparatory action today. Those in the forecast areas are strongly advised to pay close attention to local officials and heed all evacuation orders. [National Hurricane Center]
Check your hurricane supplies of shelf-stable food, water, medicine and don’t forget pets. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Everything is replaceable, except you and your family. We have a lot of Treepers in the path of this storm. If you need assistance, use the comments section of any ‘Ida Update thread’ to reach out, or use the email address in the upper right of the site.
Right now you are in control. Have a solid plan, work that plan – stay busy, and don’t get caught up in the hysteria. Try to avoid national media hype. Stay updated via your local news stations. Sunday morning looks like the key day impact zones will be identified. Reach out to your neighbors; touch-base and check to see if they are okay or need anything. Community restoration begins before the storm arrives. Look out for each-other.
Additionally, I hate to note this, but Joe Biden is in charge of FEMA… So plan accordingly.
Regarding any evacuation plan, please pay attention to your local officials who will be coordinating with state Dept. of Transportation. As the path and impact zone of the storm becomes more predictable your local officials will alert to best route(s) for evacuation.
For those in the cone of uncertainty; remember, planning and proactive measures taken now can significantly reduce stress in the days ahead. Plan when to make the best decision on any evacuation (if needed) consider Sunday morning the decision time-frame. As a general rule: take cover from wind – but evacuate away from water.
DAY ONE (Friday)
- Determine Your Risk
- Make a Written Plan
- Develop and Evacuation Plan
- Inventory hurricane/storm supplies.
- Withdraw cash based on plan/need.
- Get gas and storm supplies
DAY TWO (Saturday)
- Get Storm Update
- Assemble and Purchase Hurricane Supplies
- Contact Insurance Company – Updates
- Secure Important Papers.
- Update/upload your phone data.
- Strengthen and Secure Your Home
- Discuss Evacuation Decision with your Family.
- Fill freezer with 3/4 full water jugs.
DAY THREE (Sunday/ Morning)
- Get Storm Update
- Re-Evaluate your Supplies based on storm update
- Finish last minute preparation
- Plan for a minimum of THREE DAYS without power
- Assist Your Neighbors
- If Needed – Evacuate Your Family
.
Communication is important. Update your friends and family contact list. Stay in touch with family and friends, let them know your plans. Select a single point of contact for communication from you that all others can then contact for updates if needed.
Today/tomorrow are good days to organize your important papers, insurance forms, personal papers and place them in one ‘ready-to-go’ location.
Evaluate your personal hurricane and storm supplies; update and replace anything you might have used. Assess, modify and/or update any possible evacuation plans based on your location, and/or any changes to your family status. Fill car with gasoline. Review prescriptions, refill if needed.
Check your shutters and window coverings; test your generator; re-organize and familiarize yourself with all of your supplies and hardware. Check batteries in portable tools; locate tools you might need; walk your property to consider what you may need to do based on the storms path. All decisions are yours. You are in control.
Consider travel plans based on roads and traffic density. Being proactive now helps to keep any future stress level low. You are in control. If you have pets, additional plans may be needed.
One possible proactive measure is to make a hotel reservation further inland that you would consider evacuating to. Follow updates of the storms’ progress; make reservations tonight or tomorrow if determined; you can always cancel if not needed. It is better to have a secondary evacuation place established in advance. Being proactive reduces stress. Even if you wait until much later to cancel, it is better to pay a cancellation fee (usually one night charge) than to not have a plan on where to go. Trust me, it’s worth it. Protect your family. Make the booking decision in the next 24 hrs.
♦ Look over the National Hurricane Center resources for planning assistance.
♦ Also a great resource – CREATE A PLAN
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Sundance for putting this super informative post up.
Lots of wind means lots of covids blowing around make sure you have a water resistant mask on at all times, even swimming for shore.
(disclaimer: surely no sentient being could mistake this as fact)
Great information to have for any emergency.
Thank You!
Here in southern Alabama .
My wife name is Ida!!?
Seriously?
🙂
Indeed
Then you know what a storm this can be!!!
Is she pissed at something??
With names like Stewart or Sundance we’re not likely to get our own hurricanes! There should be someone we can sue?
They got to the Greek alphabet last year.
Still … how often does that happen? When they get to my name I won’t be smelling very good.
My MIL’s name is Ida. I’ll just leave it at that.
?
Those are the worst hurricanes! The eye moves onto your sofa and never wants to leave.
I feel your pain. ;-(
So was my mother’s, and her mother’s. 🙂
Additionally, I hate to note this, but Joe Biden is in charge of FEMA… So plan accordingly.
“Heckuva job, um…um…what was your name again?”
Biden’s chance to shine….
His shoes.
they will get shiny spots as his forced tears wet them
FEMA is absolutely worthless anyway. The last couple of hurricanes in Texas the governor didn’t even invite them in. As they said in N.O. after Katrina – FEMA = Fix Everything My Ass.
Ever see the “X-files” movie? If I remember correctly, there was a scene where a guy told Agent Mulder that FEMA was the most powerful federal agency in the US gov’t. Could that be true? They were talking in a back alley behind a bar that Mulder got thrown out of. I know it was only a movie, but that conversation gave me the creeps.
That means get you and your valuables including firearms OUT of there well ahead of time.
There is no “well ahead of time.” And you need firearms b/c there’s no phone to call 911,and no cops to help. Until they go door-to-door to collect legally owned firearms, as happened after Katrina. They finally gave up, nobody complied. Coos felt it was unlawful… Will that happen this time?
Not in the impact zone at all, but saving this article as a great overall guideline for disaster prep.
God bless and keep you all!
My son was just driving to work by the River in New Orleans. He said on the GNO bridge there was a much larger amount of traffic in the opposite lanes. Many people are heading out of state already.
Those hurricanes that come straight in cause me to pay attention.
Survival food… I’ve never bought any and I see many companies offering this. Does anyone have suggestions as to which company to buy from? It appears that most of the foods are 99% carbohydrates, which is fine for me. But might be tough for diabetics, but that may be the only option. Thanks.
Do an internet search for survival food for diabetics and you will get a lot of hits with ideas and resources.
Thank you.
This is interesting… love chickpeas
. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/non-perishables-for-people-with-diabetes#1.-Dried-or-canned-chickpeas
For a short duration event like this, canned goods taste better and you can find many with lower salt content and better nutrition. Three to five year shelf life. Readily available.
Really salty freeze-dried foods with 25 year shelf life. The salt usually is added for taste. It’s not bad for a diverse emergency food supply. Many emergency food distributors are low or out of product, plus it takes some time to reach you.
Local grocery store for canned or dried goods is a better option.
I was just reading some of the ads for survival kits. I think buying my own stuff from the grocery would be better, as you say. Canned meats, fruits, veggies, etc. We have freezer, Generac generator. The dried foods in the kits doesn’t sound very good. I read one review where a wife said: “What’s the point of living if this is what we have to eat!” ha
Deborah,
Rolled Oats AKA oatmeal. Carb but much better than other carbs and as a grain it is already cooked so all you have to do is soak it for a bit. Has protein and fiber. Hard to beat as a survival food. If you can buy it in a bag it is waterproof.
Nonfat dry milk. Carb and protein. Unopened, a bag keeps forever because the fat has been removed and will not turn rancid over time.
Flavorings Cinnamon, nutmeg, peanut butter or powered peanut butter work good for oatmeal, you can even use chocolate.
Protein powder, flavored or unflavored.
Beef Jerky is always good for survival but you have to look at the use by date and rotate. Fats are good because they make you feel full so anything with fats watch the use by dates.
That is all you need plus water. Above that anything is a luxury.
Thanks for that. Protein powder is a good idea, as well as the oatmeal and peanut butter. Dried fruits would be good too. Probably better that dehydrated fruits.
You are correct. Canned beans are cooked already so you do not have to use up water or fuel resources.
Don’t forget lentils in a can. High in protein. They are legumes, not beans.
Hi Deb,
YouTube channels for CityPrepping and CanadianPrepper may have some videos and recommendations.
Survival food is usually dehydrated and will last eons. There are also MRE’s available with 5-7 year shelf life.
If you don’t need super long term storage, I recommend a flat of Dinty Moore Beef Stew and a 20lb bag of Himalayan Basmati Rice. Make sure you have plenty of water on hand and a Rocket Stove or similar for cooking.
– Super Baby El
I will check those links out. Thanks. I think I will stay away from the kits, most of them haven’t gotten good reviews.
Deborah: Check out Mountain House Adventure Meals. They sell a variety of freeze-dried meals in a range of different quantities and packaging. Used widely for camping and emergency situations. Carbo content is not too bad and there is a decent amount of protein in most items.
The benefit of freeze-dried foods is light weight and relatively low volume. Packing and lugging around cans, jars or MREs (Meals Ready To Eat) quickly becomes bulky and heavy. Mobililty and storage are important consideration for emergency supplies. Should cost about $9 per 2-serviing package, unless you buy larger quantities in pre-packaged bundles. Sealed, unused packaging lasts for years.
All one needs to prepare is to add hot water to the foil pouch, wait a few minutes, and you’ve got a meal.
Availability of common choices may be tight right now, because we are heading into the heart of hurricane and hunting seasons. The time to buy is when you don’t need it!
light weight and relatively low volume — something to think about for sure. I did check out some brands that were supposed to be for diabetics (hubby is diabetic). They were mostly carbohydrate too but many claimed to have high protein content. I think supplementing a kit with canned meats and fruits for him would be good.
Don’t forget a can opener in your survival stash!!
I stock up with several brands. Thrive Life is great because there is a ton of variety and you can basically cook as usual. Minimal processing, freeze dried, and lots of non-GMOs. Con is that they store in pantry and family cans so not great if you need to take with you. And pricey.
https://www.thrivelife.com/
Valley Food Storage is good, too. Also minimal processing and limited ingredients. Great if you need to bring with you.
https://valleyfoodstorage.com/
I’ve heard of this one, Numanna, but have not tried it yet.
https://numanna.com/
Hope that helps!
Thank you. I will check out all of them. Appreciate the links.
Found this – 18 Great non-perishable foods for diabetics.
Non-perishable typically are short-medium term prepper foods. As someone mentioned, chick peas are at the top. Other great items are canned chicken and canned salmon.
Here’s the article. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/non-perishables-for-people-with-diabetes
Thanks for the links. I think I read the one ’18 great non-perishable foods for diabetics’ or one similar. Yes keeping some of the canned chicken, tuna, etc. would be a good idea.
Depending on what you can purchase this stuff is not bad at all
https://mypatriotsupply.com/
I’ve seen that one advertised a lot. I’ve noticed big price differences from one company to another. I like to read the comments and recommendations from actual users and My Patriot Supply seems to be very positive.
The good actually tastes good.
I personally like Thrive Life because I am on a no salt diet and my wife is allergic to like everything. There are literally no MREs we can eat. They give you very plain simple food like Ingredients: bananas or Ingredients: Chicken. They don’t come with prepped meals though, just plain items.
Others have suggested Thrive so I will check it out.
Consider where such food will / may be used. Dried is lighter and will last longer than canned, which still may be good for a shelter in place plan. Dried is far more expensive.
Date all stored items so that you can rotate them as you buy some new each month.
In planning a reserve, maybe get with friends or family to buy a Costco card. Also look at resturant supply houses like GFS or SYSCO, though the large sizes may not be as useful as smaller units.
Get basic supplies first, and as close to primary food as possible, like meat, rice, beans, etc.
Have a way to cook it.
Secure your water supply. A few survival filtration units are always useful.
Read lots. There are many resources out there, and after a few, the reasonable ideas will stand out.
Look at the Mormon guidelines for food storage.
Good luck.
John in Indy
Dating and rotating. Water seems to be the main thing. We live on a river, … but the idea of drinking that water turns my stomach… no matter how much filtration or boiling happens. ha
My Patriot Supply
Any one remember Camille August 1969? Was in Mississippi at the time. Unbelievable devastation. Saw a 120 foot long boat atop a levee 40 high 150 ft from the shoreline. Everything else was obliterated. Went thru Donna in Florida in 1960. That was fun till it wasn’t.
Was there, did that. Worked in broadcasting at the time, and drew the short straw for on-air shift that night. NOTHING was recognizable the morning after. Unfortunately most people focus on the wind strength as posted by the NHC, but the real danger is the water. Serious danger. As usual, Sundance does an excellent job in these postings being a pro at surviving these things and the aftermath. Cannot stress enough to be proactive if in the path, and especially in proximity to the coast or large bodies of water.
water moves mountains literally…look at the wonder of the Grand Canyon carved bu the receding Great Flood waters of Noah….NOT eons of “erosion” as can be seen by the BENT sandstone NOT broken….when sandstone layers are folded upon one another they were wet when the erosion occurred and not over many years
Anyone whose worked in excavation knows the power of H2O…..well at least they should if they’re competent.
You obviously have seen the destruction and your post SHOULD be broadcast far and wide.
Hope you’re not in the path (I’m far away from any effects) but thanks for reminding PEOPLE about the effects of H2O.
YES, THE WIND IS BAD BUT AS SUNDANCE HAS CONVEYED MANY TIMES IT’S THE WATER THAT CAUSES CATACLYSMIC EFFECTS.
I was nine when Camille hit land. My stepmother, baby brother and I were visiting her family in Lafayette, Louisiana while my father was in Pensacola (where we lived) working. He left Pensacola with Camille chasing him all the way up the coast to join us. We followed the coastline on the way back to Pensacola and images of the devastation I saw as we traveled coastal Mississippi is still vivid in my mind even after five decades. Tugboats and barges thrown inland, huge trees ripped out of the ground, mobile homes flipped over on their ends and leaning against each other like a teepee, lovely homes of which nothing remained but a set of concrete steps, a child’s teddy bear hanging from the topmost branches of a huge tree and, most frightening of all to my child’s mind, huge chunks of the coastal road that looked like a goliath had punched up from under the earth and sent pieces of the roadway….huge pieces….akimbo and tilted and tipped all helter skelter.
I was 9 yo in 1969 and we spent a week with my aunt in Long Beach at the end of July. We watched the news from our home in Florida as Camille devastated the Mississippi coast. My mom was beside herself and when she finally heard from my aunt she wept with relief for the rest of the day. I remember driving along the coast later that year and hardly recognizing a thing. My aunt’s house was gone and she went to live in Jackson with the rest of the family. She never went back to the coast again.
If you live in the path of this magnitude of a storm, my advice as a lifelong Floridian is evacuate NOW!
Leave now for sure. Stranded in traffic is a true nightmare.
Remember Camille. Lived thru Hazel and had to evacuate our home in the middle of Donna when she hit the coast of NC.
My grandma from Alabama used to say New Orleans keeps getting hit because that is where voo doo made its entrance into America. She was a very wise woman.
In Tennessee last week, one county looks line New Orleans after Katrina. A freak weather/flooding event sent a wall of water washing everything away. Recovery will take a long time. Thankfully people are responding in great ways providing food, washing clothes, providing showers, everything. One individual is paying for all the funerals (I think 20 people dead). Weird things like this can happen.
Thank you Deborah. Haven’t seen much news of that and have been thinking of them. Was swimming with family in the Great Smokies as a child when a flash flood came through all of a sudden. Will never forget it, fortunately mom got us out of the water and up the riverbanks in time
Friends of ours lived west of Nashville till they got flooded out about three years back. Tennessee folks are tough they will rebuild. Remember the fires a few years back? There is a great sense of community in Tennessee. The Volunteer State
Came back from Joe Dan Gorman’s (Intellectual Froglegs) cookout in Franklin, TN about 2weeks ago and it is some beautiful country. Did a little hike up the Natchez Walker Trail near Leiper’s Fork while I visited and told the locals that it looked kinda dry around there.
I was impressed with the camaraderie of the locals and it wasn’t even raining then so I’m happy to hear they are responding in mass.
You know the current illegal Gubment ain’t gonna help for sure.
NOLA and Haiti have the same problem. Moved away from Jesus to voodoo. Calamity after calamity.
Hey Keystonekon, make a Biden doll and stab it twice a day. Maybe it’ll help.
FYI, you a former PA resident? Keystone and all.
capital of Madi Gras as well..scene of modern debauchery
My MomMom said that drugs would be the downfall of America and that China would be the power of the East that would destroy all things.
This was in 1968.
She was a Wesleyan Methodist, a very strict religious group and I was raised to believe their teachings. No dancing,no drinking, no smoking , no etc etc.
She and my PopPop never pushed any of this on us. They just followed their beliefs and I, of course, did…for a while.
Now I look back and say….Hmmmmm
Being a Research Scientist for 30+ years and authored many papers I have to admit…..she may have a point or ten.
Sundance, you went all out this post, great plan I believe you must’ve cover every contingency.
SD lives in FL and is well aware of hurricanes and their dangers..IIRC he is a part of their emergency response civilian force there too (CERT)
Stay safe Treepers
Clearly this is Trumps fault. If he didn’t live on the East Coast of Florida the hurricane clearly would not have had to go around into the gulf.
???
Prayers for everyone in its path. I grew up in Florida and I’ve been through a few of these. Batten down the hatches and check on your neighbors.???
Brian Williams is, no doubt, prepping to show us bodies floating by him in the French Quarter. Meanwhile Biden* has his writers working to weave the tragic loss of his son into his Hurricane aftermath comments. He will tell us 15 times how he is in constant touch with……uh….come on, man, you know he/she/it’s name.
And that the Trump administration planned it.
Given what we’ve heard for years, that could actually happen.. TDS is a real thing
Weather modification anyone?
I knew a fairly brilliant inventor once upon a time. He had come up with an idea about how to steer hurricanes. Ookay . . . Might work, actually.
Responsive thought number 1: If you could, and did, wouldn’t everybody in the path you steered it on immediately sue you?
Responsive thought number 2: If you could, that tech would be a major national security risk and the government would let you have control of the tech for about a nanosecond. And then it would disappear the tech from any public knowledge.
Possible? Dunno. Weird, though, how California has gone completely dry recently. While China has suffered tremendous rains and dam collapses.
Shoot! Just a week ago I finally had my roofing replaced due to damage made by Hurricane Sally & Storm Zeta. Eight months fighting w/ Insurance company to cough up the $s to repair.
And they cancelled my insurance (as they did to everyone in my area.) So I am temporally with out insurance coverage.
But my home was built & certified “Fortified Home: , Gold Standard” which should minimize damage from up to 130 mile winds. (I believe that’ a Cat 3 hurricane )
Katrina made landfall 08/29/05.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina
Sundance – Excellent info for everyone at risk to follow. I’m in Morgan City, La, which unfortunately could be ground zero. Headed west tomorrow if track remains unchanged.
Good luck David stay safe!
Thanks.
Hell, Biden’s not even in charge of his bathroom breaks, let alone FEMA.
The whole of the bureaucracy is and has been on autopilot, with no direction from the top, other than each agency head; Biden’s just the useful idiot, so inept that he’s liable to be replaced by Harris any day now.
The Gulf coast can take care of their own much better than any Washington idiot.
Oh C’mon Leon. Let the Gubment do its thing…..which, as you know, is destroy anything that could possibly save American lives. /sarc
On your second point I’m not sure they are ready to pass the” Destroy America” baton to Heels Up just yet. But to me it really doesn’t make much difference.
I’m a Welch/Irish/German/ descent American and my in-laws who I admired as much as my bloodline were Polish- Sosnoski,Kapushinski. My Father in law was in the 82nd Airborne under General James Gavin (he actually grew up with Jim in Mt. Carmel,PA) landed in North Africa, then Sicily where he got wounded and was awarded the Honorable Discharge before D-Day so he never got to protect the most important bridges (2) La Friere that his companions of the 505 did along with their leader General James Gavin did. “No Better Place to Die” is an excellent book that tells the story of those who gave their lives to protect ours. God Bless Everyone Of THEM!
Great service Sundance, terrific info which all should heed. I was in N.O. in 1965 when Hurricane Betsy hit the city….and didn’t evacuate. We had 150mph winds in the French Quarter, it was one SCARY night. No major flooding as in Katrina, but it still killed 80 souls. My advise and what I would do right now, is get the HE Double L out of there!!
This could be Joe Biden’s, George Bush moment.
Is Brownie still on the job?
No. We have the new, improved version.
This is precisely what the Xiden admin needed. Just in time to change the news cycles away from the mess in Afghanistan…..
All good info and it’s better to do it early than late. Batteries fly off shelves, as do little portable lights.
Don’t forget to pray. Prepare and put yourself in God’s hands.
Agree with the great information regarding preparations .
As far as government responsibility, the states should have had their stuff together a long time ago.
Idaclare, and that boots still got a big hole in the bottom.
But is it a racist hurricane?
Of course. They ALL are.
IIRC wasn’t it the Army Corp of Engineers the put the Blacks in NO in danger from their shoddy levees?…an unsatisfactory response in Homestead, Fl by FEMA when they were hit also caused increased casualties
No, it wasn’t. It was the crooked (but it’s in NOLA, so I repeat myself) NOLA Levee Board that took the money that should have gone to levee maintenance and blew it on other things, including payoffs and bribes. Katrina’s damage to NOLA was strictly due to NOLA political corruption. Ray Nagin, along with most of the Board members, should have been hanged for murder.
I can see the headline. “Coastal Region, with a lot of Trump supporters, participates in a racciss climate change event.
Circle Back said that FEMA is mobilizing doctors. Why? From where are they being pulled?
There are doctors on the coast who how mostly will be hunkering down as essential personnel. There are doctors wherever evacuees may be going. There are networks through which physicians sign up to volunteer for these events. A neighbor volunteered for Harvey but was told that the locals were handling things.
No need to drain resources from where they are already working unless the situation on the ground so dictates.
Circle Back = Propaganda
They think us rubes in the south don’t have any real doctors, maybe??
Was Katrina always predicted at Cat 5 or was it 4 then upgraded on landfall?
My recollection is they thought it’d be a 4 and then was predicted at a 5 as landfall neared. I’m just wondering if this could do the same which would be devastating.
I think it was down to a CAT 3 when it hit NO and backed up Lake Ponchatrain to overflow the levees
Right. Katrina was a 5 when it was in the Gulf. They downgraded it as it came ashore, but Katrina was still pushing that 18 or 20 foot tidal wave when it came in at Pearl River, just West of New Orleans.
“East” of N. Orleans
Since this post is a bit of an action item kind of post, I’m going to put this here:
These are such dark and desperate times. I wonder if TCH could have a daily post that isn’t a report or a connect-the-dots deep dive, but rather an action item. For example, having all the necessary contact info for folks to push for an election audit in PA. Most people don’t take or have the time to do this kind of research and it seems that conservative sites or podcasts could use their platform to effect change in a somewhat focused and organized way.
Hate to be an alarmist, folks. But water temps in the Gulf appear to be in the 80s and other than the western side of Cuba, there isn’t much of a land barrier to effect the intensity of the hurricane. Weather Channel says it will be a Cat 3, possibly getting close to a Cat 4 when it approaches Louisiana coast. I don’t always trust the Weather Channel, but this might be a bad one.
Be safe, Treepers, especially if you live near the Gulf Coast. Don’t want to lose any of you.
Yep! Gulf is hot.
My local meteorologist here in NC said it could easily become a 5.
“Additionally, I hate to note this, but Joe Biden is in charge of FEMA… So plan accordingly.”
So it’s time to leave the country and make plans to leave the planet?
now predicted to be a cat 4….maybe higher
my church will have all those who may be affected by Ida in prayer….may He be gentle with those in this storm’s path
Prayers to all Louisianans….
Having lived right on hurricane alley all my life I’ve learned it’s always best to get out of the way. Trust me when I say this, “When the going gets tough, the tough go on vacation…” All material things are just that… and not worth losing your life for them.
Go early.
Make sure to have all vital contacts on your phone (including your home insurance) and pertinent legal docs with you (such as the deed to your house).
That said, don’t count on cell service.
I know you already know this but…..if you use a CPAP or other positive pressure machine make sure you have a way to power it.
And note that some of them (ResMed) are 24 volt, which will require a different battery / charger setup.
Great list by SD. I would add one more thing. If your family is traveling in multiple vehicles it is imperative to have bubble pack FRS (Family Radio Service) radios. I’ve been in dire post hurricane situations, wife running out of gas, no cell service and getting visually separated. After that episode I now have radios for all involved.
FRS radios require no licensing. That said, we use GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) radios. Those require licensing but reach out a lot further. Licensing is cheap and immediate over the internet through the FCC. Some GMRS radios can talk to repeaters, increasing range to over 15-20 miles. They can receive and transmit to FRS radios as well. Both types are available as hand helds and are very inexpensive.
Don’t depend on Cell Service. I know from real life experience…..
I assume the Cajun navy is being activated. Time to break out the credit card.
They’re loaded up. And they need all the help they can get – thank you for mentioning them, Justin.
God bless the Cajun navy. This group has been a blessing to thousands.
Do you have a link so the rest of us can send something that way, too?
Good advice. Thanks for sharing. From St Augustine FL.
If you decide to ride it out, a chainsaw with extra blades, bar oil and fuel can be a life saver for you and your neighbors.
Do NOT ride a cat3 or cat 4 unless you live in a poured concrete house, with the same applying to the roof. Spelled “BUNKER”. I know this from experience. Also, the bunker better be 5~10 feet above the storm surge so you can have a vehicle (in a bunker garage) to use afterwards.
Some other structures can survive a cat4 but only if the storm is flying by causing a short lived impact. if they hang around for any length of time nothing beats a “bunker”.
I say this from experience….
When I said from experience I meant it. I was only 6 years old for Hurricane Donna in 1960. That was my first and I remember it like it happened yesterday. You can read about it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Donna
I’ve lost count of how many since then, mostly a lot of really close near misses but still bad enough toknock power off for days and make roads impassable.
I remember one night around 11:00 pm in the 80’s seeing my sliding glass doors separating from each other, letting the rain and wind into my condo, on the ground floor and right on the water. I could see the big boats in the marina lifting up with the waves, propellers exposed and landing squarely on the docks, destroying both. That was the November no-name storm on the West coast of Florida.
I could go on….. Charley was really bad as well…
Thank you for sharing your experiences and first hand wisdom.
We built an ICF home in the panhandle and we still evacuate when a big one heads our way. It’s meant to survive the storm for when we return, NOT to ride it out.
Check the site at bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com
Peter has a good after-event article from Katrina and Rita, detailing what worked, what didn’t, why, and how to avoid such problems.
Good site in general, as well.
John in Indy
Never enough thank you’s to you, Patriot Sundance for giving us the real news. If I ever make it to heaven….I’m giving my pass to you cuz you have done so much more to carry the torch of Freedom, Liberty and Truth to all of us that listen.
Tell GOD I said, “Thanks for the memories”.
And the incompetent mayor of NO can’t evacuate the city.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/08/democrat-new-orleans-mayor-says-isnt-enough-time-evacuate-city-hurricane-ida-makes-landfall-video/
Ida will make landfall on Monday. The media will take Afghanistan, the border, the inflation…off the table and replace it with jihadjoes Superman response in saving the Gulf Coast
Biden will no doubt ensure that, this time, FEMA debit cards will be valid at strip clubs and COVID vaccine clinics, and they can also be redeemed for FIVE mail-in ballots per card in 2022
We’re going to get hammered here in Louisiana. We were without power for two weeks after Gustav in 07 and this will probably be just as bad. All of my friends who live on the coast or in New Orleans are describing this as a life-changing storm. Please pray for us as while we know its coming – it’s like a freight train heading in your direction and you’re tied to the tracks. Nothing you can do but ride it out.
No when it is Cat 4 to Cat 5 you get out of it’s way. Trust me riding it out in a storm like this will be like an Andrew experience in the costal Gables by the Sea and Homestead area. Be prepared to open your door to a 12 ft wall of water finding 40 ft Morgon Sail Boats in your yard after it passes, no roof and if you are lucky you may have a wall in the safe area of your house if it is higher than that 12 ft wall of water. Now is the time to get out. Make reservations for motels that are inland at least 100 miles away. Een then Motels in the path will lose electricity but you will not lose your life. Take important papers when you evacuate if possible. If you can’t take them take digital photos on your cell phone and upload to cloud if possible. Take pictures of belonging for insurance later. We live in NC now and we are already getting calls for our rental cottages. Unfortunately most are already booked for Summer travelers to the mountains.
Please get out now. Prayers for you.
I’m right in the mix, have to go to New Orleans for my grandson’s baptism tomorrow afternoon, I can’t not go and as of now the church hasn’t cancelled.
Father God is always with me, I know we’ll be okay.
It’s posts like this. Sundance and team… you are the best and I would trust our family’s lives to you and the folks who comment on these threads. You are our Patriot family. God bless you and keep you all safe. In Jesus’s Holy and Saving Name, AMEN
Amen!
You know, you guys don’t know how “lucky” you are with hurricanes. You have time to prepare.
Out here in SoCal, we have to be prepared at ALL times because we never know when we’ll get the Big One.
You can relax, we can’t.
BTW: There goes New Orleans again? Do you think they are prepared?