Hurricane Evacuation (Jupiter, Sebring, Lake Placid: insurance, hotels, home)

[jh1979]

Im from the north so Erika may be my family's first hurricane experience. We have a CBS home in Abacoa with new accordion shutters. I have most of the supplies we would need to ride out the storm here (I hope) but my question is what happens if we have to evacuate? it appears as though we are not in the evacuation zone for Jupiter but from what I hear it's better to evacuate if the storm is above a category two. It looks like most of Florida is in the cone of uncertainty right now so where are we supposed to go? And what is it like if we do have to evacuate? Will 95 be a parking lot? Is it just a matter of booking a hotel inland? Sorry if my question seems silly to those who've experienced hurricanes but I have no idea what to expect and just want to be prepared to keep my family safe.

[cfbs2691]

95 WILL be a parking lot and the hotels WILL be booked.
Stay put.
Have water, full tank of gas, bleach, canned goods, cash, make sure you do ALL your laundry, and stay away from your windows when/if we get hit.

[jh1979]

Thanks! What if we head west if we can get a hotel? Do cities like Sebring and Lake Placid get hit hard?

[rainroosty]

Originally Posted by jh1979

Thanks! What if we head west if we can get a hotel? Do cities like Sebring and Lake Placid get hit hard?

Stay put! Don't leave! You have been warned...now, don't panic and gather lots of supplies and enjoy the ride. You'll be just fine where you are.

[jh1979]

Will do! Thanks for the advice! I just have no idea what to expect!

[Bobdreamz]

Also find out what your Flood Zone is and if you do come under a Hurricane Warning elevate all of your electronics, store all of your valuable info like birth certificates, passports, home owner's policies, etc. in a water tight container. Videotape / record the interior contents of your home for Insurance purposes as well as the exterior & make sure it is time stamped.

Find out where your local evacuation shelter is or if you do book a hotel room beforehand find out what the pet policies are since most hotels don't permit pets & the same goes for public shelters. Remember to bring your own food to a public shelter and don't forget to stock up on prescription drugs before the storm arrives. Of course cash & gas as well since power maybe out for several days after the storm.
Hope this helps!

[FloridaHawkeye]

Resources: Hurricane Preparedness & Recovery Guide | Abacoa POA

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by jh1979

Will do! Thanks for the advice! I just have no idea what to expect!

1. grocery stores will sell out of bread/water/milk (if you live out west and you don't have a generator your well pump won't run = no water)
2. news media will amp up the nonsense. Coverage will switch to 24 hour repeated nonsense
3. winds will pick up, then rains will come
4. eye passes and you will have 1-2 hours of nothing
5. back wall of the storm will pass through and it will be like step 3 again
6. media will stand in the bad weather screaming about how dangerous it is getting
7. the storm is over
8. media will converge on the nearest damaged trailer park to talk to some toothless bastard about how their trailer home blew apart.
9. media will start ranting about the next storm 3000 miles away.......repeat step one!

Seriously, take in loose items (bbq grills/trash cans/lawn furniture). Storm is nothing to be concerned about. Note: this isn't a category 4 or 5 storm.....that would be a different preparation for sure!

[robert-in-FL]

Originally Posted by jh1979

Thanks! What if we head west if we can get a hotel? Do cities like Sebring and Lake Placid get hit hard?

Well, someday, when the town of Sebring gets electricity, we will be able to tell if it goes out during a storm.

[aridon]

Newish CBS home with shutters? You're fine. You might have damage but its not going to level your home. Hurricanes are one of the easier disasters to live through and Erica will likely spin out into the Atlantic and miss us all together.

Get some bottled water. Flash lights, candles and batteries.

Get a small generator to run a window ac or fridge or both maybe with a computer / TV

Otherwise, freeze many 2 liter bottles 2 nights before. Put them in the fridge and freezer to help keep your food. Power usually comes in in a few days but sometimes can be out for weeks. Just how it goes. First time you go many days to 2 weeks without power you'll run out and buy a genset.

I'd consider running from a CAT4 or 5, otherwise I'd stick through it.

One final thing. Don't stress out about the predictions until they get to 4 days out. 5 days plus is a crap shoot. Watch the models and watch the trends. You'll see them tend to trend a certain way or tighten up over the days and you'll have a good idea where the storm will be heading. Don't wait until the last minute to fill you gas tanks and get water but 3 days out is plenty of time to do that stuff.