As many long-time readers will know, we do have a little bit more than average experience dealing with the aftermath of hurricanes. I ain’t no expert in the before part; you need to heed the local professionals who guide you through any preparation, and neighborhood specific guidelines, for your immediate area…
…But when it comes to the ‘after part’, well, as a long-time CERT recovery member, perhaps I can share some things you might find of value. Consider this little word salad a buffet, absorb what might be of value – pass over anything else.
If your town, city or hamlet is not underwater, there will be convoys coming to construct a pre-planned electricity grid recovery process. Convoys from every city, town and state from the east-coast to the mid-west. A glorious melding of dirty fingernails all arriving for the meet-up. Depending on your proximity to the bigger picture objectives at hand, you will cherish their arrival.
First, there will be an assessment. The convoys will stage at pre-determined locations using radios for communication. Most cell phone services will likely be knocked out. Recovery teams will begin a street-by-street review; everything needs to be evaluated prior to thinking about beginning to rebuild a grid. Your patience within this process is needed; heck, it ain’t like you’ve got a choice in the matter…. so just stay positive.
Meanwhile, you might walk outside and find yourself a stranger in your neighborhood.
It will all be cattywampus.
Trees gone, signs gone, crap everywhere, if you don’t need to travel, DON’T.
I mean CRAP e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e.
Stay away from power-lines.
Try to stay within your immediate neighborhood for the first 36-48 hours. Keep the roadways and main arteries clear for recovery workers, power companies and fuel trucks.
Be entirely prepared to be lost in your own neighborhood and town for days, weeks, and even months. Unknown to you – your subconscious mind is like a human GPS mapping system. When that raging Ida takes away the subconscious landmarks I guarantee you – you are gonna get lost, make wrong turns, miss the exit etc.
It’s kinda funny and weird at the same time.
Your brain is wired to turn left at the big oak next to the Church, and the road to your house is likely two streets past the 7-11 or Circle-k. You don’t even notice that’s how you travel around town; that’s just your brain working – it is what it is.
Well, now the big oak is gone; so too is the Circle-K and 7-11 signs. Like I said, everything is cattywampus. Your brain-memory will need to reboot and rewire. In the interim, you’re gonna get lost… don’t get frustrated.
No street signs. Likely no stop signs. No traffic lights.
Remember, when it is safe to drive, every single intersection must be treated like a four-way stop…. and YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION. Even the major intersections.
You’ll need to override your brain tendency to use memory in transit. You’ll need to pay close attention and watch for those who ain’t paying close attention. Travel sparingly, it’s just safer.
Check on yourself first, then your neighbors. It don’t matter if you’ve never said a word to the guy in the blue house before. It ain’t normalville now.
As soon as it is safe to do so, make an evaluation of your location. If everything is ok for you and your family, break out of your box and check on the house down the street. In the aftermath of a storm there’s no class structure. Without power, the big fancy house on the corner with a pool is just a bigger mess. Everyone is equally a mess.
The first responders in your neighborhood are YOU.
You, the wife/husband, your family, Mrs. Wilson next door; Joe down the street; Bob’s twin boys and the gal with the red car are all in this together. If you don’t ordinarily cotton to toxic masculinity you will worship it in the aftermath of a hurricane. Git-r-done lives there.
Don’t stand around griping with a 40′ tree blocking the main road to your neighborhood. Figure out who’s got chainsaws, who knows how to correctly use them, and set about safely clearing the road. If every neighborhood starts clearing their own roadways, the recovery crews can then move in for the details.
Stage one focuses on major arteries… then secondary… then neighborhood etc. It’s a process. Oh, and don’t get mad if your fancy mailbox is ploughed-over by a focused front end loader who is on a priority mission to clear a path. Just deal with it. Those same front-end loaders will also be removing feet of sand from coastal roads. Don’t go sightseeing… stay in your neighborhood.
For the first 36-48 hours, please try to stay close to home, in your neighborhood. Another reason to stay close to home is the sketchy people who can sometimes surface, looters etc. Staying close to home and having contact with your neighbors is just reasonable and safer.
Phase-1 recovery is necessarily, well, scruffy…. we’re just moving and managing the mess; not trying to clean it up yet. It’ll be ok. There are going to be roofing nails everywhere, and you will likely get multiple flat tires in the weeks after the hurricane.
After this storm half of the people living near coastal southeastern LA are going to fit into two categories, two types of people: (1) those with a new roof; or (2) those with a blue roof (tarp).
Keep a joyous heart filled with thankfulness; and if you can’t muster it, then just pretend. Don’t be a jerk. You will be surrounded by jerks…. elevate yourself. If you need to do a few minutes of cussing, take a walk. Keep your wits about you and stay calm.
Now, when the recovery teams arrive…. If you are on the road and there’s a convoy of utility trucks on the road, pull over. Treat power trucks and tanker trucks like ambulances and emergency vehicles. Pull over, give them a clear road and let them pass.
When everyone gets to work, if you see a line-man, pole-digger or crew say thanks. Just simple “thanks”. Wave at them and give them a thumbs-up. No need to get unnecessarily familiar, a simple: “thank you for your help” will suffice. You know, ordinary people skills.
Many of these smaller crews will be sleeping in cots, or in their trucks while they are working never-ending shifts. Some will be staging at evacuation shelters, likely schools and such. The need to shelter people and recovery crews might also delay the re-opening of schools.
Once you eventually start getting power back, if you see a crew in a restaurant, same thing applies… “thanks guys”.
Same goes for the tanker truckers. The convenience stores with gas pumps are part of the priority network. Those will get power before other locales without power. Fuel outlets are a priority. Fuel is the lifeblood of recovery. Hospitals, first responders, emergency facilities, fuel outlets, then comes commercial and residential.
Remember, this is important – YOU are the first responder for your neighborhood. Don’t quit. Recovery is a process. Depending on the scale of the impact zone, the process can take days, weeks and even months.
Take care of your family first; then friends and neighbors, and generally make a conscious decision to be a part of any needed solution.
Pray together and be strong together. It might sound goofy to some, but don’t be bashful about being openly thankful in prayer.
It will be ok.
It might be a massive pain in the a**, but in the end, it’ll be ok.
Keep a good thought.
It will be OK. Promise.
Mother Nature, is politically neutral, it cares not what party you belong to. During times of devastation and destruction, it’s up to each and every one of us to help those affected. Put differences aside, the hurt, the pain, the despair, of the loss of life or property, requires compassion.
In 07, we had a long very cold spell in eastern OK, snow and ice. No electricity for 8 days in my neighborhood. I was out driving along the highway hear my house which goes straight into TX, and here come a long line of beige trucks that said ‘Texas Power’ on them.
Boy were we glad to see them. Within a couple of days, some of them were in my neighborhood fixing power poles and lines, getting things turned back on. God Bless Texas. I know Oklahoma workers go to help out other places when it’s needed.
So God bless all you workers who go where ever you are needed when you are needed, You’re trained and ready to go as soon as you her you need to go. We appreciate you. Lynn
Interesting…. here in California we like to warn Washingtonians: “Give us your power or we’ll send you our liberals..“.
I didn’t know Texas could send electricity in trucks. Awesome Texans.
😉
The raging wildfires in northern Minnesota have been a nation wide fight.
Seeing fire trucks and fire fighters from Colorado to Mississippi head into a battle that is not “theirs”, putting their lives on the line while being far from home and loved ones, makes me grateful beyond words.
No doubt our national heroes are on their way to help with the aftermath of Ida.
Nature may be politically neutral, but don’t you kind of wish Ida had moved northeast and cleaned out the “swamp” in DC? Literally.
Now that would have been not only miraculous, but also fun to watch.
America … please understand … on a clear, sunny & pleasant day … New Orleans “Leaders” are CLUELESS, CONFUSED CRIMINALS … the demonRATS running New Orleans are 100% incompetent and corrupt … it is not a “coincidence” that ACORN’s 1st two offices were in New Orleans & Chicago … with a direst Amtrak line between the 2 cities … like all RAT run cities … RATS never fix anything … they thrive on destruction … it insures their continued control & power.
We should be doing that always. Not just after hurricanes.
While we wait on daylight to view damages, here’s a retrospective from Cat 5 Hurricane Andrew’s impact on Homestead Air Base … basically everything’s scoured …
.
Homestead was flattened by Andrew. I was in Kendall for the hurricane. We drove past homestead a few weeks later when the roads opened up a little bit. Turns out the entire community was built during the corruption of the early 80’s and that’s part of why it all fell apart. Skipping on nails and other foundational hardware, drive thru “inspections” where inspectors were just given an envelope of cash. The aftermath was devastating.
No doubt, the aftermath was one of total destruction to Homestead. I think it still ranks as the third costliest disaster, monetarily, in US history behind Katrina and of course 9/11.
Andrew was like a giant EF 4 tornado.
in some of the locations in new orleans, that is how its done now or not even an inspection.
Three words: Hard Rock Hotel.
Nola is ultra-corrupt and city employees specialize in cutting corners.
I remember going on a business to NC. I noticed some YUGE oak trees down with full roots exposed. The guy told me it was from Hugo the year prior and they were still cleaning up. Respect Mother Nature and pray for our neighbors and help where you can.
But remember all the Habitat for Humanity houses were still standing in other areas because the volunteers used too many nails when building?! The Lord provides!
Those winds…wow! Praying!
Re “#HurricaneIda where she made landfall”
WOW! That brings back memories of driving my 1968 440 cu. in. Plymouth GTX at top speed (143 mph). The trees, telephone poles, fence posts, other cars, etc. would be flying past like all the debris in that video; only it was me moving, not them.
The difference is, Lord willing, I could simply press the brake pedal and stop any time I wanted to. The poor souls caught in the eye of a hurricane have minus zero personal control. But, they CAN still pray; and, sometimes, that’s better than brakes… 🙂
Certain there was no CNN weatherman out there in that , with someone spraying him with a hose.
I watched some guy from FOX get smacked into a wall when he tried to show how strong the wind was.
Sounds like the wind showed HIM how strong it was… lol
Sounds like the rage of a thousand bangees. I’m sort of confused though. I thought all the hurricanes during Trump’s four years in office was due to him. Isn’t this a Biden’s?
If you wait long enough it will come! This like everything else will be blamed on him.
That is crazy wind. It’s as if he opened a window on a plane to look out(without being sucked out of course).
Our son was born a few days after Hurricane Andrew.
( We live in Southern California, so, no, not a story of hardship on our side. ).
We were gonna name him Andrew.
We didn’t. My mother in law said it was terrible karma on the child.
Wow, just devastating. This picture brings back a lot of memories, I was stationed at Homestead AFB from 1984-87 and still frequented the base in 92. This storm’s impact was life changing. Prior to Andrew, the attitude of many of us was celebratory whenever a big storm was approaching south Florida. We would fly all the planes out to a safe place, usually Barksdale AFB in Louisiana, clear the flight line and then sit back and party for a few days because shop was closed so to speak. After Andrew we realized these storms are life threatening monsters. Hurricane Andrew came through on a bee line right over Turkey Point and it sounded like a freight train was in your front yard running at full speed. From then on, mine and everyone else’s attitude changed, scared straight we were. Preparedness became your duty, lives depended on it and you better take every storm seriously.
I was stationed at Homestead as well. Luckily long gone before Andrew. I had friends who lived in Homestead one who was home holed up in her bathroom scared to death hearing all kinds of banging and dreadful noises and her husband working at the hospital who couldn’t find his way home because he said there were no landmarks! They lost everything but their lives which in the end is everything! I am praying for those in harms way! JMJ
That”s miraculous.
Yea 31st TFW! Return with Honor.
That looks like the mobile home park. My cousins owned a place there until the year before Andrew. I had other cousins living in the area. It was a mess!
We’ve experienced that in a few summer trips with our Fire Crews.
The worst was the time we had to cross the Siskiyou Pass between Oregon and CA. The fires were on both sides, they had just opened the interstate, 5, a few hours before, it was closed the day before. We had the BIG planes deployed along the freeway ( a DC10, a 747, 737 sized…) dumping long orange clouds of phoschek while helicopters were doing water dumps left and right, it was a huge fire…
… when we got to Yreka to spend the night, half our motel was filled with fire crews and the restaurant too. So we gave them a thumbs up… the fellows at the table next to us wouldn’t accept a free beer ( on duty they claimed ).
rule 450 for “after”
under every pile of debris… every recently hurricane air conditioned roofless structures..inside all vehicles with blasted windows..
there are water moccasins and cotton mouths.
watch where you put your hands.
rule 451 for “after”..
find water… dependable water sources… mains will be broken…do not drink pipe water. locate where water is being distributed and make sure you get cases of it
rule 452 – you are going to get eaten up my mosquitoes..even though it’s hot hot hot hot, wear long sleeves and use repellant.
rule 453 – you are going to get exhausted…take breaks, conserve your energy and sit down and relax frequent
rule 454 – everybody is gonna be a little bit angry and pissed off…avoid confrontations
rule 456 – generators and fuel are gonna get stolen… protect them by chaining them together…I obviously keeping the generators away from where you live and sleep (CO poisoning) and fuel away from generators and other spark sources
rule 457 – at some point, you are gonna want to quit and give up…so, quit and give up two times a day to get it over with, then get back to work
rule 458 – quickly figure out how many people in your immediate area can start working together as a team to solve problems…cooking, getting water and fuel and who can lead and be good decision makers…
rule 459 – help might not come for several days, maybe not at all…it’s up to you to fund help and get it…don’t assume some responder knows your situation…locate help and get it.
rule 460 – of you are okay and in good shape, join with responders to help others…this will give you purpose and meaning in this extraordinary crisis… helping others raises morale… good morale saves the day
rule 461 – start finding and then securing valuables and none replaceable items…like financial documents, insurance paperwork, contact info, wills, cash, jewelry..looters are gonna find then if you leave them behind..get this stuff in a box and secure/secret it away.
rule 462 – if your car is damaged beyond mobility, siphon the fuel out as needed for other uses
rule 463 – make temp repairs to damaged roofs asap. even if it’s just partial…use bed sheets, plastic shower curtains, window curtains, large pieces of flat debris…this way you can dry in at least a part of the house and have dry shelter and protection from the risk of heat exhaustion…
rule 464 – you are without electrical power…so your day night cycle is going to be impacted…go to bed and wake up at the sane time every day to adjust quickly…taking naps during the hottest part of the day is recommended.
rule 465 – keep your socks and underwear clean and dry . ..use rain catch to launder these clothing…getting crotch or foot infections will be a big problem
rule 466 – always a buddy system…no matter what work with and travel with at least one other person…
rule 467 – buckets…find them, collect them, as many as you can find. buckets are essential for so many things
rule 468 – if you don’t know where to go, or your are in a serious problem, you still have options. ask a responder to take you to a recovery site…once there, talk to someone and find out how you can get to a church. churches are better at handling short and long term needs than non profits and state agencies… find a church and ask for help… you’ll find the best help there.
rule 469 – animals will be everywhere… domesticated and wild…they are looking for the same refuges you are counting on. be careful… yesterday’s neighbors dog might bite you if it’s traumatized… on the other hand, most dogs will be eager to have a good human contact… dogs can be very helpful for lots of purposes…just having companionship with an animal can be very helpful…just make sure to protect your food.
rule 470 – always wear shoes and gloves…hand and foot wounds are to be avoided.
rule 471 – you ARE going to run out of toilet paper…now you have to get very creative. be sanitary with your creativity
God Bless America
AMEN.
Impressive list there. Very helpful, thank you for sharing.
Very true about the generators. In the Thanksgiving (Canadian) Manitoba blizzard of 2019 we lost power for almost two weeks. Someone tried to steal my generator. The big German Shepherd I had at the time was even less impressed than I was. If the generator hadn’t been chained up he might have been able to grab it and beat the dog to his truck with it. As it was… well she was a good dog. She didn’t actually hurt him … very much. And she did quit when I called her off and let him go…. after I let her have some fun.
Gee! Two Manitobans lurking the treehouse site… what IS the world coming to? lol
NIce job, regitiger! A survivalist’s mini-guide…..and I hope people really pay attention to your last but not least important Rule 471!! “Be sanitary with your creativity” is a smart yet humorous slogan. A little humor goes a long way at times like these.
Hang tough, Hurricane survivors.
“…keep your socks and underwear clean and dry . ..use rain catch to launder these clothing…getting crotch or foot infections will be a big problem…”
While volunteering in Mississippi after Katrina I “picked up” toe fungus in a communal shower.
Been trying to get rid of it since then, but in a way I see that ugly toenail as a good thing. It reminds me that the cost we pay to help others is nothing compared to what is often total loss by many in a community.
Loved my CERT training, if any of you have the chance to attend please do!
Good stuff here… highly endorsed. I’m two decades in EMS, published author in mass casualty incident training, advocated for use of computer/ simulation-based training.
Can you explain why in this day and age and in our country we still have above-ground utilities? I lived in a developing country and with all the issues there they had underground utilities.
Our infrastructure was developed in the early 1900’s, and overhead power was the only way to get the nation electrified. Most new developments (at least in Washington State) are required to be underground. That said, converting our overhead power to underground would be a massively expensive undertaking, which is why we still have overhead power.
It’s not simple to put high-voltage transmission lines underground in a swamp (or an area with a high water table). Pure water doesn’t conduct electricity, but, with tiny amounts of impurities, it conducts **very** well. Also, take a look at the spacing between the towers (grounded structure) and the wires (how long are the insulator strings?). That distance is necessary if you’re depending on air as insulation. Imagine what you’d need for insulation if you had to pack those wires right next to each other in an underground pipe. They do a lot of that in NYC–and they use pressurized SF6 (Sodium Hexafluoride–a gas at ordinary temperatures) to prevent arcing. Do you really think that’s an easier maintenance issue than towers in Louisiana?
Sundance, Thank you for this article, can be used during the aftermath of many different calamities.
Thank you for reminding us that we are the first responders in our neighborhood. Making a Conscious decision of being part of the solution. Most importantly to PRAY, being thankful for what you have.
Wear a mask.
-Biden Admin
And remember the best preparation is to get
the slow-death jabvaccinated.Yep, roofs are a strange non evolving technology.
The same designs get blown off as the one they replaced last time.
Doesn’t have to be, for a bit more money for steel, strapping and replacing nails with bolts etc.
I wonder if FEMA is directing them into the superdome again where whites were targeted by blacks?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-361322/We-feared-lives-hell-Superdome.html
That was Mayor Ray “Chocolate City” Nagging who did that.
BEST POST I’VE EVER READ!
Thank you for taking time to write this Sundance!
Beyond Phenomenal!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL!
Oh and GODSPEED!
Outstanding info.
Hurricanes are a natural occurrence or so I’ve been told. But Ida on the exact same day in history as Katrina stretches credibility for me. Ever heard of the weather wars? There is a Defense Department official giving testimony that the weather can be controlled, and that they do it.
For all I know, IDA could be another False Flag (that has REAL and DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES on HUMANS). Methinks humans are just mere kindling for a good fire as long as there is a GIANT DISTRACTION CREATED in the minds of humanity. Namely the MAJOR FAIL IN AFGHANTISTAN.
I am quite contrary in my thinking. I KNOW I AM. Sometimes it feels like a curse to be a person who questions everything.
I am also not immune to distasters. Back in 1985 the first F5 tornado measured in the US went through the backyard of where I now reside (the next was in Oklahoma). I was not here at the time. But I’ve heard the stories from the Amish of how many came out with their chainsaws to clear the twenty foot high pile of trees blown over.in our yard on the streets. You had to have a driver’s license PHOTO ID to get in these parts due to all of those preying on the disaster scenario.
We could not contact my parents by phone for four days.
The trauma of that storm I now recognize is when my Father began to succumb to Non-Hodkins Lymphoma (chemically induced by pesticides). The loss of the beautiful, natural grove of trees was just to much piled on his after the loss of his daughters in years prior.(my siblings).
I know exactly those in my neighborhood I will need to assist if another weather event occurs. Here, it could be a blizzard when the power goes out. Thank you for your post Sundance, my heart is aching tonight for all in the path of this storm. And I mean ACHING.
Agree with everything you said.
Thank you Petra. More than you know. Life has been a real learning experience for sure. Glad I came back and read your comment:
I came back to post this song:
The Call – Oklahoma
I’m glad you read my post.
It’s tough to read what you’ve been through, and the fact that you shared it.
I wish you Well, with Great Health, Peace and Healing!
I’ve heard of HAARP. I don’t want to believe it but I won’t discount it entirely.
It wasn’t HAARP. The sun decided to send off some CMEs and a few C and one M class flare. Those intensify existing storms. The huricane was originally supposed to be a cat 1 max until the sun got involved.
I thought the CME wasn’t supposed to arrive until today??
I feel almost glad to read that I wasn’t the only one thinking it rather amazing how Ida happened on the same date as Katrina. I have been reading about weather wars for awhile now and it is so hard to understand the mindset that can conceive of such evil. But these days I am in awe every day of the way our world has gone mad. Thanks so much for sharing. My heart is aching, too.
Yes. HAARP is to hurricanes what Wuhan is to plandemics. My mind went there too, as it did when Sandy destroyed my neighborhood.
Deep State may destroy our towns and rip our communities right down to the studs. But no man can ever hope to destroy the human spirit. Ha.
Help each other, pray and take it one day at a time.
??????
IG, I would normally agree this is a welcome distraction for this administration, but the reality is, this is another disaster in the making for this administration to demonstrate their evil, ill will on our citizens.
Plus, it puts covid restrictions out of commission. Vax pass totalitarianism began in NO, it’s over for now, and will become another data point that the overreach is unnecessary. Covid was a first-world problem.
thank you, Sundance . . . really appreciated that
Don’t worry people of New Orleans, the Black mayor said there wasn’t enough rime to evacuate people of Friday and she said to hunker down. Now the entire city of New Orleans is without power and no sewage system. Those poor people who listened to her are now paying the price for months to come. Typical D RAT response to a dire situation, no plans what so ever.
When we had weather bearing down, I had the van packed up (full gas tank of course) with water and emergency supplies, plus medicine, important documents and family pictures in sturdy containers.
The van was backed up to the garage (in case of flying debris) and ready to roll. That made it easier for me to leave quickly, in the event the weather was too much to handle.
Some people have a big problem leaving all their possessions behind. Sort that out ahead of time so you will be ready to evacuate should the time come.
If I were anywhere near those fires out west, this is definitely what I would do! You don’t get much time to make those life and death decisions, so planning ahead is the key to making it out safe and sound.
The path to life is narrow, and only a few find it.
I just assumed the mayor foresaw that the power would go out & didn’t want her citizens to try to evacuate in the dark for fear of them having an accident. /sarc
If anyone had an ounce of common sense, they would never listen to any Democrat, especially the one who’s your mayor. I would have thought the pandemic taught everyone that lesson.
Democrats talk a good game but they prefer you dead if you’re going to think for yourself, IMHAO.
Many prayers, said. Many more to be said. Thank you, Sundance. You offer wise counsel.
I will never forget the story you told of the pool cleaning man praying against the bed of his truck. You and your wife took his rig and did his job, after lending him a generator. Just about as inspirational as it gets.
God working through men and women, his servants to their fellow man.
Don’t get in a big hurry.
Take your time to check out your damages.
Electrical lines are a major hazard. Stay away.
Its gonna be hot and humid, drink plenty of water.
Help your neighbors.
Electrical restoration takes a while, be patient.
Any of you not used to manual labor be careful, medical care will be limited. Take breaks.
Great advice. I would add, keep a sense of perspective and marvel not just at what was destroyed, but what, for reasons only God could explain (but even he maybe not) was left untouched. Over a decade of living and cruising on our 35 ft sailboat we experienced 4 hurricanes and 3 tropical storms. One hurricane and two TS were at sea. Stories for another time. But hurricane Florence made landfall in New Bern NC 12 September 2018. We and our little boat rode it out in a marina. It came ashore @1900 and by 0200 the next morning the surge was 12 feet above the docks. Lines snapped, boats broke loose, docks snapped into pieces like toothpicks. The entire marina was destroyed. Dozens of boats sank. A hundred others were damaged, many beyond repair. But one dock survived, virtually unscathed. That would be the one we were on. The liveaboard dock. Some of it was luck. But a lot of it was prep. For a full week before the storm two dozen liveaboards of all ages, races, and political thought worked together to install extra cleats, rope all boats together so a boat breaking loose could not go far, and we would all rise and fall together. We reinforced weak boards, the list of the things we did is very long. Hundreds of hours went into planning, prep, and work. But it was the collective wisdom and effort of a couple dozen “crews” off sailboats, most of us had been through it before. Only one boat on our dock sank. A powerboat who chose to not participate in the effort. And after the storm passed and the water receded, we all had water, food, heat, electricity (12 volt), generators, etc. while the surrounding area had none of that for days or weeks. The measure of destruction was surreal. But for the couple dozen of us who choose a different lifestyle and are “home” no matter where we sit, it really was just another day that was different than the day before. We helped with clean up for a week or so. Then once they pulled the sunken boats out of the entrance to the marina we slipped out early one morning, nomads again.
Planning ahead makes all the difference. In another lifetime, I would like to be a nomad. ?
Amazing story.
Such wisdom. Wisdom + planning = you get to stay safe
God is absolutely good. Remember that!
Houston here. Here’s some word salad. Good advice by SD. Without power 12 and 5 days during recent hurricanes. Scrambling for gas, ice, food always wishing I had gotten a generator, ‘before next time’. Some neighbors never losing power, angry and jealous until they let you run an extension cord across street. You do get to know your neighbors, most are good. You listen for those power trucks, you hear them in the distance. ‘Come to my street/transformer. Please!’ You go to bed early. It’s dark and hot.
Chin up it will end.
Like after Katrina many of the ‘poor’ from New Orleans will come here and not go back. With out Soros backed DA, crime will be going up.
I feel ya. We have a small circle of neighbors here that support each other during good and bad times. Good neighbors are a blessing and we got lucky.
We just happened to be the ones with the generator, now they all have them ?
Thanks Sundance! As ever, you put worrisome circumstances in perspective.
“If you don’t ordinarily cotton to toxic masculinity you will worship it in the aftermath of a hurricane.”
Toxic masculinity; a glorious design of God.
Sundance, if there is anything we can do — those of us who live far from where the crap is everywhere — please let us know.
Thank you, stay safe, and as always, praying for you and your family, in this storm and all others.
Thanks for posting, Sundance. I live in WI but work remotely for an insurance agency in Metairie (New Orleans metro area). Coworkers say that the wind was much worse than Katrina, but not as much water. They are all without power. Shared this as well as some other tips from the comments with them.
Dang fine post, Sundance. 100%. Thank you.
Having worked for Entergy for a period some 35+ years ago, what you have posted applied then and now. Those line crews and service personnel are incredible Americans. We have a nephew who works contract out of the NE that is probably headed that way now. Be appreciative and support them any way you can.
Having been through and worked recovery from major ice storms, floods and tornadoes – the job is similar, the conditions are different than hurricanes. Hurricanes have the damages of all of them. I have worked as a volunteer with hurricane rebuild and know what the destruction looks like during that phase. Have rode out a couple on the periphery.
This is not something one can unsee and should not be something one blows off and forgets about. Get involved and help in whatever way you can from wherever you are.
But it will be OK.
Having experienced Hurricane Michael in 2018, I would like to suggest: Keep your feet dry. It’s easy to overlook, but walking around in wet shoes/socks can lead can lead to some bad health problems.
Very, very good information. Thankfully it rarely applies where I live but this is great info to keep in mind for all sorts of situations that may come to pass in these uncertain days we are facing.
Thank you Sundance.
Truer words have never been spoken.
Thank you Sundance for the common sense approach to the storm that just hit Louisiana. To all those folks that can help with money please donate to the needs of others. Help anyway you even if it’s prayer God is mighty and can do miracles.
God bless America and thank all those common folks that help anyway they can, In Jesus name we Pray. Amen
Loved:” If you don’t ordinarily cotton to toxic masculinity you will worship it in the aftermath of a hurricane. Git-r-done lives there.”
This was a great article! I’m in the Mid-Atlantic but I’m downloading this article – to remind myself later in the event I’m in the middle of a disaster such as this. I want to thank any emergency responders and you as well for all the times you have helped in the past. God bless you!
Interesting. How much at risk are renewable energy sources in hurricane prone areas? How resilient? How long to replace?
Sundance, you described the experience exactly. Especially the part about getting lost in your own hometown! And seeing the hundreds of utility trucks and other first responders. Reading your piece brought tears to my eyes. We lived through Hurricane Laura one year ago in SW Louisiana. Prayers for our fellow “cajuns” in SE LA.
I sent this to a few people. Good reading–and advice.
Thank you, Sundance, for your heads up encouragement.
My younger brother left Jacksonville FL yesterday morning with a convoy of Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) trucks headed to Mobile AL. They waited there yesterday afternoon until the storm moved on through and then started working downed Circuits where ever directed by the local Power Companies. Alabama, Mississippi, Louisianan. He’s and the JEA crews have worked power outages all over the eastern seaboard and southern states for the last twenty years.
We are very proud of these hard working Americans
All sound advice. My experience is electric utility. Stay clear and let the linemen do their job. They will always appreciate a wave, some water or a place to take 5.
Folks appreciate information such as this. Thank you!!
God Bless the survivors of this storm. It boggles the mind to think there are many spots in the State of Louisiana that STILL have destruction and debris from Katrina that has not been addressed 16 years on. Where are the billion dollar evacuation plans and storm proofing that were earmarked and doled out after Katrina? A a Native born Floridian, I am accustomed to hurricane destruction being handled ASAP.
I think CATTYwampus is spelled…..CADDYWAMPUS
On a side note, notice that all the Cuban protests disappeared from the news as soon as the Olympic Bore Fest was on 24/7. Now they got pummeled by Hurricane Ida a few days ago. There will be no coverage. The derelict crumbling buildings in Havana sometimes collapse in light rain storms killing poor families consigned to live in them out of no real choice. Another chance blown to push the heat up on Raul Castro and his goonsquad to give up to the People. (Just like the first big revolution in Iran in 2009 that was building in strength only for Western Media to suddenly lose interest in the one chance for Aminejad and the Ayatollah to be overthrown because of the month-long 24/7 coverage of the predictable OD death by a washed-up pedophile (Michael Jackson).). We should be dropping little drone-supplied small arms and ammo to the Cubans when the weather is too poor for their air force to take off. After each Hurricane, the water supply and sewage system become one in the same. Pray for these forgotten freedom fighters. Pray for the Women in White.
Hopefully the WWII docents at the World War II Museum on Magazine Street will keep looters at bay like they did during Katrina when they pointed .30 cal machine guns at them when they tried to loot their gift shop. The looters were too stupid to realize the weapons were inoperable display pieces! (But then again they did not want to mess with combat vets who were in a bad mood).
On a side note, when you are in New Orleans, make it a point to visit the Museum. It started out as the brainchild of the late historian Stephen Ambrose as the “D-Day Museum”…but grew and grew into encompassing the ENTIRE War. 450,000 Charter members have contributed $350,000,000 in private funds since 2002 to get it built. It is fitting since the Andrew Jackson Higgins Boat Factory was based in New Orleans and he designed the low-draft landing craft that made amphibious assaults more effective.
Drove from Mobile Bay to Lake City Fla on Sat. There were massive convoys of electric utility trucks and fish and game vehicles towing boats on I 10 moving towards the area. Florida always goes all out in helping out other nearby states as we know we will need it in sometime in the future, and have received it in the past.
Thanks. Wise advice.