Florida - Active storm seasons have made some overconfident, and others scared

Sun Sentinel - Birdcage liner supreme! ^ | June 1 2006 | Ken Kaye

[Caipirabob]

Fear is a good thing -- when it comes to hurricanes.

"People need to be more afraid than they have been in the past," said Jay Baker, a behavioral geography professor at Florida State University, noting that more frequent, intense storms could become an annual event over the next two decades.

Yet with hurricane season starting today, emergency managers worry that residents will instead become overconfident after weathering Hurricane Wilma last October or resigned after dealing with two years of tropical turmoil.

"A few years ago, we were talking about hurricane amnesia. Now we're talking about hurricane fatigue," said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami-Dade County.

[Caipirabob]

I hope all of you here in SoFlo with me are ready this year. We have everything except for the installation of new shutters on the sliding doors complete. That's supposed to happen in 2 weeks. Otherwise we've rebuilt/replaced/repaired just about everything that got damaged last year. Not fun at all but I just can't imagine living in some place where it snows or temps drop below 40 degrees. Fergit it, I aint leavin'.

Let's see what happens with insurance this coming year. You thought you heard people scream about the storms? You haven't heard anything yet...

Oh, I know. People are going to post "that's what you pay to live there...". Doesn't cut it for the multitude of retirees on fixed incomes or the family on the edge to see a 200-300% increase in insurance rates tacked onto a mortgage. That's where the real storm will be this year. Ah'm jes' sayin'...

[Caipirabob]

So what did anyone buy for the tax-holiday on hurricane supplies this year? We bought additional crank flashlights and radios. I bought two crank flashlight/radio combos and a third with a tv. It's also doubling as scout camp-gear. That's the beauty of whatever we buy for supplies, and I get the tax discount on top of it.

[Dubh_Ghlase]

I was in HD last night and the generators and gas cans were flying out the door. I've had a "survivor's mentality" for years and am pretty well set. I did move last year and the new house doesn't have the storm shutters (yet), but it's pretty well built otherwise, considering the new building codes...

[browardchad]

We already had what we need: generator, small TV, battery-op radio, cooler, barbeque, flashlights, etc., so the tax break didn't help much. We've spent a small fortune on tree removal, repairs, a new roof and upgraded shutters.

After looking through the Sun-Sentinel's Wilma photo collection, it brought back the headaches of those mile-long gas lines -- or wasting gas trying to find an open gas station -- caused not by a shortage of gas, but the fact that without power, many stations didn't have generators to pump the gas. We've heard a lot about FPL's malfeasance in not maintaining lines and poles, and how they're trying to make up for neglect, but I wonder how many gas stations have added generators.

If the power goes down for any length of time, and those gas lines happen again, it won't be pretty.

[Rte66]

Do those crank radios work - the flashlights, too? I tried a $20 one I saw and it worked for just a second or two, then stopped.

I realize you're supposed to crank them for one minute to equal one hour of power, but I cranked it for a few seconds and it only lasted as long as I cranked it.

Is there some trick to it? I do want to put one of each, or a combo one, in my hurricane kit, but want to hear from someone who has used them successfully. Are there higher-priced ones that work better? I saw one a few years ago at Restoration Hardware that seemed to be better made, but I didn't buy it at the time. Thanks.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Watch out buying battery operated TVs. When HDTV kicks in, they're going to be useless.

[Rte66]

Bumping to see if anyone can answer my question in post #5 about the wind-up flashlights and weather radios. Thanks.

[Caipirabob]

I will test them today.

[Caipirabob]

Watch out buying battery operated TVs. When HDTV kicks in, they're going to be useless.

Good point. It's that combo TV/radio/flashlight so I'll get some use out of it.

You have to wonder if the gubmit will reserve some band or other for emergency broadcasts. Not reserving some bandwidth for conventional broadcast signals seems unfeasible.

[The Working Man]

Walgreen's has a very nice Crank flashlight with Radio built in for $20. I've tested it and it will light up or run the radio for 2 hours plus on one five minute cranking. I was so impressed I bought three of them.

They are also way safer to use in the house than kerosene "Hurricane" lamps or candles. Of which I also have a few.

Hurricane season is a Royal pain. And I have spent several thousand dollars preparing for it. Shutters, Generator etc.

Now I want to upgrade my garage door with a 130 MPH one.

And I still want all of the hurricanes to miss here!! 2004 was a bad year and I had $30K worth of damage on the house due to the storms.

In any case Prepare now and sleep with a sense that you are ready no matter what.

[Ditter]

I am in Houston, well out of the storm surge area but we have some very vulnerable windows and many huge trees. I am going to have plywood cut to fit a lot of windows and I am doing it soon. These will be stored in the garage to be put in place when needed. We did not evacuate for Rita last year, we knew better. I am amazed at the people who did evacuate who should have stayed at home. They actually thought the evacuation info applied to them. They thought they were doing what they were told to do and ended up spending 9 to 12 hours on the freeway and when they turned around they were home in 20 minutes.

[Rte66]

Thanks for the info. That one at Walgreen's is the one I had been looking at, but wasn't too sure about. I will proceed.

For years and years, I was always well prepared for hurricanes or power outages, but I had a "reversal of fortune" in recent years and now have no control over my environment and I panic easily.

All my normal "hurricane kit" tools are in a storage unit that I can't get to, so I'm trying not to duplicate anything, but still have the bare necessities on hand without spending very much.