I am under a hurricane warning, with winds of up to 110 miles per hour and nearly a foot of rain being expected in my area. We are now less than 24 hours to the expected arrival of tropical storm force winds. As soon as winds are above 45 miles per hour, emergency services stops responding and we are on our own until the storm has passed. So let’s review my hurricane checklist:
Records
Downloaded all vital records to my NAS. If for some reason your possessions are destroyed, the one thing that is most difficult to replace is data. Make sure that there are scans and backup copies of personal data: your driver’s license, professional licenses, birth certificates, bank information, etc. Then create a HYST file and download the contents of that HYST file to several thumb drives. One goes in the safe, one in the BOV.
Energy
Solar and Powerwalls take care of most of that. Powerwalls are charged to 100% automatically when bad weather approaches. I also charged up all of my rechargeable flashlights, lanterns, and other battery operated stuff. I also have 5 full Bar B Cue bombs that are full and ready for cooking on a portable propane stove. I also have propane lanterns and a grill.
Security
Let’s just say that we are OK there on weapons and leave it at that. I also picked up all of the outside stuff that can blow around, and secured them in the garage. Tested all communications, and updated the comms plan for the radio in the BOV. It’s a Yaesu 400XDR and is programmed with your frequencies by inserting a micro SD card. Done.
Shelter
The house, of course. For backup, we have a tent, and our closest BOL is the in-laws’ house an hour away.
Food and Water
We have an ample supply of both. We even have a good supply of Hurricane snacks, as is traditional in Florida.
Medical
We have our medical supplies laid in. That includes emergency medications, prescription medications, and plenty of first aid supplies.
Recon
Lastly, I did a drone flight around the area and got plenty of pictures for use later to survey damage.
So now I relax for a bit and get some rest for what promises to be a long day tomorrow.
5 Comments
Stefan v. · October 8, 2024 at 12:49 pm
May The Lord be with you and yours, in grace and mercy.
It's just Boris · October 8, 2024 at 1:14 pm
HYST file? Not familiar with that acronym (and web search results seemed improbable(.
Divemedic · October 8, 2024 at 4:01 pm
Have Your Stuff (or Shit) Together. It’s a term for having all of your records in one spot. It’s a term I first learned on a New Orleans nurse’s blog at theplacewithnoname.com
A lot of my theories about prepping came from that blog, but sadly, the blog is gone. His ideas were great. He says that it isn’t enough to merely survive, but you must begin to rebuild your life. The idea is that the point of bugging out (and bugging in), according to him is to…
First, Safeguard your health and wealth by letting you escape from/avoid danger
Second, Help you “Go Home”
Third, Help you profit by using the rebuilding as an opportunity to grow wealth, and to do that, you need to have your shit together- all of your IDs and financial information.
Bob · October 8, 2024 at 1:27 pm
It’s been said that waiting is the hardest part. And having waited for a few hurricanes I agree with that. Stay safe & good luck.
Seamrog · October 8, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Excellent post, thank you.
This storm aside, if one is not prepared to this level, at a minimum, then please prioritize this for your sake and that of your family. There is still time to do this for many / most. Learn from what has happened in Valdosta, Augusta and NC. Learn from what we will likely see in the suffering that follows this storm.
Learn quick, and act accordingly.
God speed to you and yours sir. My prayers are with you, and your neighbors.