Hurricane Preparations – Next time

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For roof damage, I will plan to have on hand tarps, visqueen, rolled “ice and water shield” roofing underlayment (the sticky backed kind), 1x4’s to hold tarps down, fasteners, and duct tape. Plan to store any items susceptible to long term heat deterioration in an air-conditioned space. I figure with these items on hand, I can quickly mitigate any roof damage and prevent (or severely limit) water intrusion.

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Not a bad idea to have tarps and hardware on hand to mitigate any issues.

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For water, I’m contemplating getting one or two 275 gallon potable water totes. Can keep them empty, dry, clean, and sealed when not needed, fill them before a storm, are trailerable, drain and store again after storm. Could somehow connect to my house with a pump or use buckets.

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What’s the purpose here? Are you using it for drinking water? Just for showers and toilets?

I like the idea, but if for drinking water I’m not sure how safe it would be over time. Plus prepping the storage tank, etc. If just for showers and toilets, maybe look at rainwater collection into these tanks as well. Could use for irrigation year round, and supplement for freshwater during a weather event. Drinking water could be provided by bottled/packaged water.

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For power, in addition to my whole home, I want to wire in an interlock switch and a connection point to my house for a portable generator.

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Great idea and very affordable. This is what I have on my house and it was great.

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I also want to get 3ea. 55 gallon drums for gasoline along with a hand transfer pump. Will keep them empty, dry, clean, and sealed when not needed, fill with gas for a storm, and either use gas for the generator if needed or transfer to my vehicles once it’s all over. Clean and seal again for future use.

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This is a a lot of fuel. They’d also need to be stored on a trailer if the plan is to bring them to a station and fill up. Unless you have an overhead hoist or forklift and can strap them to a pallet.

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Also want to purchase 2 rolling ac units that we can have ready for use and move around inside my house if we’re on portable generator power.

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Why not window units? Much easier to store and do a great job of cooling.

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Extra generator oil, oil filters, and air filters on hand.

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This should just be normal event prep. Don’t really need to keep a bunch of these long term.

If you wanted to provide for additional potential options (perhaps in lieu of the gasoline), you could have a propane storage tank installed. Have it filled well before the storm and use it to power the generator, burners, etc. If you’re not using it for anything else, this should be able to provide some significant use without degrading over time.

I’m also going to install a concrete pad near my generator inlet. This will allow me to run it on a level, impervious surface. Would also like to build some type of enclosure, but may just settle for a gentent or something similar

Funds are not an issue. Also, I had no issues with my family. They helped clean up limbs and branches, helped around the neighborhood, etc and when that was done my baws spent time hammering the fish in the neighborhood pond. I’d rather have them here all things considered, than hundreds of miles away. We welcomed in extended family as well that couldn’t (and still can’t) live in their house. The answer isn’t always to leave.

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3ea. 55 gallon drums for gasoline along with a hand transfer pump. Will keep them empty, dry, clean, and sealed when not needed

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Someone's gonna whoop your arse at the pump if you roll up to a station right before a hurricane.

as someone that had close to 6 weeks without power after laura....frick that list. only one I would want is #1. other then that put in a cummins lng whole home and be done with it.

if I dont have water...im not staying.

do the above and then set aside a hurricane emergency fund that will allow you to go stay somewhere else for a month and work from home.

In Thibodaux now, not Houma. Just passed through a cat3/4, may be false bravado but I may never leave at this point. The biggest problem that people who’s houses survived are facing is water damage due to roof damage. They weren’t home, were too far away/couldn’t access their house or didn’t have access to materials quickly to stop water from coming in. If you can stop the water quickly, you can prevent a lot.

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as someone that had close to 6 weeks without power after laura....frick that list. only one I would want is #1. other then that put in a cummins lng whole home and be done with it.

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In this case I’d have a primary and secondary means of generator power. And if I didn’t have enough gas pressure to run a small whole home, what will the cummins do?

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Make certain you buy a pump that is for GASOLINE. Many diesel pumps are not acceptable, since gas is more explosive than diesel.

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Thanks for the tip, the one I was looking at did say gasoline. But I will confirm if/when I do.

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Someone's gonna whoop your arse at the pump if you roll up to a station right before a hurricane

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Meh, people were doing this the Friday and Saturday of the storm, there wasn’t a gas rush BEFORE the storm. 55 gallons isn’t that extreme. My truck holds 36 already. Plus if not need, I would go through that in a few weeks through normal fill-ups.

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This is a a lot of fuel. They’d also need to be stored on a trailer if the plan is to bring them to a station and fill up. Unless you have an overhead hoist or forklift and can strap them to a pallet.

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We went through probably 50 gallons of gasoline the week my whole home wasn’t working. Three drums would allow me to keep one in my truck to fill then I could transfer to one on the ground, eliminating the need to unload them with fuel inside.

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What’s the purpose here? Are you using it for drinking water? Just for showers and toilets?

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Would just be for toilets and showering. Bottled water was plenty available after the storm. Could make do there. The water tanks would be the last piece of the plan. Not sure about the rainwater tank, wouldn’t be stored near enough to my house. Could maybe pump it but the plumbing would get costly. Honestly, if it got to this point, i'd probably have the house secured and not taking on any more damage and would probably relocate until water was back on.

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Why not window units? Much easier to store and do a great job of cooling.

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Easier to relocate room to room. We had one of these and two window units when everything was set up. The rolling one kept up with the window units.

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This should just be normal event prep. Don’t really need to keep a bunch of these long term.

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I had one set of filters and oil. I didn’t do the math to think that you’re changing everything every 4.5 days. Will be more prepared here.

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If you wanted to provide for additional potential options (perhaps in lieu of the gasoline), you could have a propane storage tank installed. Have it filled well before the storm and use it to power the generator, burners, etc. If you’re not using it for anything else, this should be able to provide some significant use without degrading over time.

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I was pissed initially and first thing I thought was I’m going to sell my NG generator and get a diesel one. This would end up costing 5 figures. Then I thought about propane. Dropping a huge tank underground would be great but that’s several thousand dollars then several thousand to fill it. And it may never get used. Not feasible for my plan. That’s why I came up with the gasoline plan. Worst comes to worst, I can drive somewhere a few hours away for a refill if I burn through 110 gallons. Or use it in my truck.

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I’m also going to install a concrete pad near my generator inlet. This will allow me to run it on a level, impervious surface. Would also like to build some type of enclosure, but may just settle for a gentent or something similar

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I just used a pop up tailgate tent. I like the idea of a small concrete pad. Just think of other things you can use it for not during a hurricane emergency so it can play double duty.

The only thing I'm getting for storm prep is a new house in another state. Screw this place.

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• For water, I’m contemplating getting one or two 275 gallon potable water totes. Can keep them empty, dry, clean, and sealed when not needed, fill them before a storm, are trailerable, drain and store again after storm. Could somehow connect to my house with a pump or use buckets.

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Do you have your own water well and pump? If so, your generator should run it.

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Imo the #1 prep is a financial emergency fund. Get your wife and kids out

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this is 100% truth. its amazing how little folks are prepared to have a hotel stay for a few days to get sorted out.

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this is 100% truth. its amazing how little folks are prepared to have a hotel stay for a few days to get sorted out.

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And another point on this, I’ll use it to chastise you. This board is made up of mostly college educated people that have means to do things. That’s a very small minority of the world we live in. Yes, I can pull out my credit card and pay for a hotel or get on a jet to wherever and work remotely for months or miss a few paychecks worst case and not really move the needle. There’s a lot of people that aren’t on that level. I’m not saying we need to give them free things but that’s the world they live in. What do you think “get sorted out” means? I’ve see that a lot with go to a hotel for a month and let this thing sort out. How do you think this works? Who’s meeting with adjusters, who’s lining up contractors, who’s moving all the shite covered in mold to the street? You can’t just throw money at everything. You think and old couple from Chauvin or Larose can just leave? People need help. Don’t be so jaded and recognize the world around you.

Let the downvotes flow.

I cut the power line to the water pump and hooked up a socket and plug. So I can plug the pump directly into the generator and have cold water. It is nice.