My neighbors and I started the hurricane party way way too early... LOL. I still think the storm is going to take a more north turn as it appears on radar. Hope the best for all of y'all!
Hurricane Matthew
- Thread starter Flbeachluvr
- Start date
My neighbors and I started the hurricane party way way too early... LOL. I still think the storm is going to take a more north turn as it appears on radar. Hope the best for all of y'all!
Here we are in West Palm Beach, FL. Luckily no hole in the ground yet. Future pool location:
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The report on WESH here said you guys got hit pretty hard an hour or so ago. Hope you guys are safe!
People have asked in the past about how to prepare for a hurricane. I'm copying my spreadsheet for those who would like to use it:
Once a year at the beginning of hurricane season - June 1
Update home inventory & take pictures of everything
Review Insurance coverage
Check French Door caulking
Check on insect replent and sunscreen
Check fire extiguishers are charged
Check on first aid kit and resupply anything expired
Five days before landfall
Check for batteries
Check on candles
Buy batteries if needed
Buy 7-day candles if needed
Buy Perishable food for seven days before storm - and Water
Ensure we have non-perishable food for five days after the storm
Ensure we have enough cat litter and food for a next ten days
Fill any unfilled propane tanks (at least one full)
Make sure top and bottom of french door is bolted
Ensure enough medication for five days after storm
Three days before landfall
Make Ice
Check all flashlights
Check weather radio
Backup computers and store backup offsite
Two days before landfall
Setup hurricam! for family's viewing pleasure
Gas all cars, motorcycle, and gas cans (use sta-bil)
Drain Pool to an inch above bottom of skimmer
Balance Pool Chemistry
Make sure all windows are closed
Only if Category 3 or above
Tape French door
Put up shutters
Get $300 emergency cash
Day before landfall
Fill containers with water (and freeze)
Fill bathtubs with water
Take in all outside "stuff"
Gas all cars again if needed
Redrain Pool if needed based on amount of rain projected (might need to shut off skimmer if more than 3 inches)
Boost SWG to add additional chlorine
Balance Pool Chemistry
Charge Phones
Charge up laptops and tablets and make sure UPS is charged
Charge all extra phone chargers/batteries
Day of storm
Fill Chest with ice and make sure ice maker is full
Account for Jan (hourly check-in)
Account for Poppy - collared
Account for Ted - collared
Account for John (hourly check-in)
Balance Pool Chemistry (if possible - and don't worry about FC)
Charge Phones
Charge up laptops and tablets and make sure UPS is charged
After the storm
Take down shutters
Untape door
Check for damage including roof, all windows, pool enclosure, truck, trees, and mailbox also inside for electronics and appliances. Take pictures of ANYTHING even questionable.
Empty tubs and ice chest
Put back all outside stuff
Run Pool Cleaner
Balance Pool back to normal
Check on Mom's place
Once a year at the beginning of hurricane season - June 1
Update home inventory & take pictures of everything
Review Insurance coverage
Check French Door caulking
Check on insect replent and sunscreen
Check fire extiguishers are charged
Check on first aid kit and resupply anything expired
Five days before landfall
Check for batteries
Check on candles
Buy batteries if needed
Buy 7-day candles if needed
Buy Perishable food for seven days before storm - and Water
Ensure we have non-perishable food for five days after the storm
Ensure we have enough cat litter and food for a next ten days
Fill any unfilled propane tanks (at least one full)
Make sure top and bottom of french door is bolted
Ensure enough medication for five days after storm
Three days before landfall
Make Ice
Check all flashlights
Check weather radio
Backup computers and store backup offsite
Two days before landfall
Setup hurricam! for family's viewing pleasure
Gas all cars, motorcycle, and gas cans (use sta-bil)
Drain Pool to an inch above bottom of skimmer
Balance Pool Chemistry
Make sure all windows are closed
Only if Category 3 or above
Tape French door
Put up shutters
Get $300 emergency cash
Day before landfall
Fill containers with water (and freeze)
Fill bathtubs with water
Take in all outside "stuff"
Gas all cars again if needed
Redrain Pool if needed based on amount of rain projected (might need to shut off skimmer if more than 3 inches)
Boost SWG to add additional chlorine
Balance Pool Chemistry
Charge Phones
Charge up laptops and tablets and make sure UPS is charged
Charge all extra phone chargers/batteries
Day of storm
Fill Chest with ice and make sure ice maker is full
Account for Jan (hourly check-in)
Account for Poppy - collared
Account for Ted - collared
Account for John (hourly check-in)
Balance Pool Chemistry (if possible - and don't worry about FC)
Charge Phones
Charge up laptops and tablets and make sure UPS is charged
After the storm
Take down shutters
Untape door
Check for damage including roof, all windows, pool enclosure, truck, trees, and mailbox also inside for electronics and appliances. Take pictures of ANYTHING even questionable.
Empty tubs and ice chest
Put back all outside stuff
Run Pool Cleaner
Balance Pool back to normal
Check on Mom's place
Thanks. We are fine. A few bands but nothing close to a cat 4. We are about 8 miles inland so it hasn't been reaching us. Honestly we had worse mid day thunderstorms a few weeks ago. It seems to have turned up the coast with the eye sitting out in the ocean.
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Surf_ox
0
It would be good if your employer would allow part cash and part check for eminent emergencies like this. Banks could be closed.
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Glad you're safe. The Orlando area didn't get much either. A bit of wind and only two inches of rain so far. I may have to refill with tap water. Let's hope this guy doesn't loop back for a second try.
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Looks like the storm is just north east of us now and not really much impact here, Winds did not reach what was forecasted or expected.. They were projecting 80 mph here at 8am but that was downgraded and we only saw 40 to 50 mph through the night and expected to continue through the day.. no damage to the house and only a few branches down in the yard. Glad to hear others are safe as well..
borjis
LifeTime Supporter
Well so far so good for us. Nasty winds all morning and no power. Even though I drained the pool down to the bottom of the tile it's full up to the top. It's also been sloshing over and has lots of debris on the bottom. I know several people in our neighborhood have lost trees and fences. Clean up will start tomorrow and fingers crossed we get our power back soon.
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FLbeachluvr: I smiled when I read that you were new to hurricanes but didn't expect much debris because you don't have many trees in your yard. Isn't amazing how stuff can blow into a pool during a big blow? I've sat on my porch and watch the tops of trees fly over the house and waaaay out into the swamp! And while bringing the pool up to slam level might be good advice, by the time we get 10"+ of water without cya in it (or salt, either) I'm saving my chlorine for after the storm passes and I get the water level back down to normal. We're in the crosshairs here, hunkered down with plenty of fuel, food and beverages.
Flbeachluvr, looking at the wind area map online it looks like the hurricane force 75 mph barely touched land as the storm passed by your area, so most of what you had was likely only tropical storm strength winds. Overall probably a good introduction to minimal hurricane force winds, which are far less than the forecast 140 mph Cat 4 if it were to have held strength and turned left just a bit. Remember with wind force as wind speed doubles the force multiples roughly by 4, so 140 mph wind has 4 times the force of 70 mph wind.
Nice spreadsheet, ITR! I would add a few things, like keeping a folder with pet vet records, updating micro chip info if needed, etc.
We used our pool to cool off in and as a bathtub 
Nothing a lot of chlorine can't take care of!
Hoping you get power sooner rather than later!
Kim
Nothing a lot of chlorine can't take care of!Hoping you get power sooner rather than later!
Kim
Surf_ox
0
Hurricane Nichole is right to the east now.
Hopefully she will behave herself.
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Hopefully she will behave herself.
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Thanks!
Jan's cat is microchipped but Teddy is not. What do you have to "update"? It's something she did and I'm not sure what it even does except open her special food feeder so Teddy can't chow down on it. Luckily our records are electronic and off-site, so we're good there.
In Lake Mary, we got over 8" Thursday night; another 2" today - regardless what the official totals are, I drained over 12" (3 sessions) out of the pool - now at about 1" above mid-tile! Good guess on my part. Dumped in about 2 gallons after the initial draw down to skimmer prior to storm - have yet to test - tired out from boarding up and then, watching gusty wind until the last band came through about 3:00pm Friday. See ya!
There are a couple of chip registries that have the contact info for the cat's human. If you have recently moved, contact the vet who inserted the chip if you don't know which registry. That way you can update the phone # and address.
Power is back on and the cleanup begins. Lots of leaves in the bottom of the pool and I'm not sure of the best way to remove them as I normally never get leaves. I don't have a leaf rake and netting isn't working as they've all sunk to the bottom. Would it be okay to turn on the pump to help them swirl up to be netted? I don't want yo clog any lines. Main drains on or off? Skimmer? Help!
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