Irma - How Prepared Are You?

[MadManofBethesda]

One item of preparation is too late to acquire now: flood insurance. I hope that everyone here has it already, regardless of whether you're in a flood zone or not. As Harvey/Houston demonstrated, one doesn't need to be in a flood zone in order to get flooded.

Flood insurance is only $450/yr if you're not in a flood zone, which is incredibly cheap for the coverage you get. It covers up to $250,000 for damage to your house plus an additional $100,000 for any personal property damaged or destroyed. Coverage that is well worth the roughly $38/month cost.

If you don't have flood insurance already, and you make it through Irma, I urge you to get it before the next hurricane comes.

[harry chickpea]

"So, I was wondering...how prepared are you??? What items do you have that you know will help you after this passes through? What do you wish you had?"

I prepared by moving out of hurricane country back in 2007 after Wilma. I'm good.

I still am prepared for just about anything. Eleven days without power after Wilma was a breeze for my wife and me, even as our neighbors were having it rough. Up here I could literally go for months without power or other utilities and be fine. I always have a plan B and usually plan C and D as well.

A lot of people are going to be wanting ice and battery operated fans. I could give advice, but most folks need to have their own experience and learning. I suppose if I was back there my freezer would be crammed full of bottled water, wherever there was space. I would also be on the phone to my insurance agent paving the way to being first in line for any adjuster. My other preps would have been considered months or years ago.

[Eldemila]

Originally Posted by Immerse

By the time it gets to Atlanta, it will be Cat 1...cranes will easily stand. Now the ones in Brickell/Downtown Miami, I don't want to even think about.

Unfortunately the image in my mind goes to a whirlybird

[Marc Middleton]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

I prepared by moving out of hurricane country back in 2007 after Wilma. I'm good.

SO you moved? Wow, congrats..no one cares...yet your back on a Miami Locals forum? Miss it much??

Anyways, you gotta make sure you have a full tank of gas in your other car so if it gets bad, you can drive some place else for a little while.

Have some cash on hand in case you can't buy something with credit.

Water / Batteries obviously. If you can't get water, dump out some cheap 2-liter bottles of soda from Aldi (50-75 cents) and fill with purified water from your fridge or publix.

If you have 2-3 bathrooms, fill one of the tubs tomorrow with water so you can flush your toilets for a few days if you lose power & water.

Obviously if the aftermath was bad, you should just get on a plane and go some where else for a few days/week to avoid it all once the airports open back up.

If you're going to board up your windows, make sure you put in 6-8 screws, not just the 4 corners. Clear off your patios and any potential items that could become 'missiles'.

Then sit tight on Sunday, it'll be over when you wake up Monday morning

[citizensadvocate]

Originally Posted by TravelingBoat

What percentage of people in Miami are staying?

Originally Posted by boxus

Canned food, chips, water, beer...that is all I need. I also have powercells for the cell phones and candles. I am in the evac zone in a high rise. But not leaving, rather stay. I do not mind climbing stairs if the power is out for a long period of time.

Originally Posted by popcorn247

Just an fyi, higher elevations (such as upper floors in a high rise), receive stronger winds. Be safe!

I am always curious what the situation in Miami, I know that in the far eastern cities such as Hong Kong, Taipei, Shanghai, etc which gets some pretty big typhoons sometimes supertyphoons of category 4 or 5 just like Hurricane Irma. Generally people living in those coastal cities would never evacuate unless are in a place where they will be inundated by storm surge or flood waters and its pretty rare for people to live in such situations these days. Its mostly the poor farming communities or fishing communities next to the water. Many now live on high rises and always stay put in their building even if the lobby gets inundated by storm surge. Hong Kong has plenty of very tall residential buildings along the coast and been through plenty of super typhoons and they survive all right maybe with a few broken windows and balcony items and signs falling off. These cities are also generally pretty fast to get on their feet after a storm usually with just a few days of road and building cleanup.

Though I am surprised any one would live in a Hurricane/typhoon prone area without backup water/rain buckets and back up power. As in these places its not only tropical storms that would cause power and water outages and they occur several times a year on averfage

[harry chickpea]

"SO you moved? Wow, congrats..no one cares...yet your back on a Miami Locals forum? Miss it much??"

To tell the truth, not so much. The hate in south Florida and even the forums was great. If you are in that group and don't care, good for you. Here's yer sign.

Sh*theads aside, my intent was to give informed help. Take it or leave it. If you take it and have a little less of an experience because of that intent to help, great. I moved out of North Miami to another area of south Florida after a murder within 200 yards of my front door. What happens in North Miami... happens there. Best of luck.

[Z.Far.Side]

Originally Posted by popcorn247

Just an fyi, higher elevations (such as upper floors in a high rise), receive stronger winds. Be safe!

Just to put your mind at ease... all of the high-rises built since Andrew have to go through miles of red tape and regulation in order to get built. They are all rated for Cat 5 hurricanes, and generally solid as a rock. Windows and glass are all impact rated and secured according to the pressures generated by +/-175mph winds.