#@!**&#^ hurricane! I lost 2 gigs.

[Notes_Norton]

#@!**&#^ hurricane! I lost 2 gigs. We were supposed to play at an outdoor but covered restaurant/lounge on the beach Wednesday and Thursday, but we had a hurricane instead.

 

Fortunately, that is all I lost.

 

A couple of tree limbs are down, plenty of palm fronds and leaves to clean up, and that's it.

 

I lowered the storm awnings, put the storm panels on the few windows/doors that don't have awnings, stored drinking water, made sure the generator worked, made sure I had gas for the generator, removed any possible projectiles like bird feeders from the yard, made sure the gutters were clean, and so on, all for nothing. Hooray!!!

 

We got lucky.

 

When it comes to hurricanes, it's best to err on the side of caution. I had a sailboat for years. Sailors know, if you think about reefing the sails, it's time to reef the sails.

 

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[KuruPrionz]

Glad you got through OK!

 

We had rain for 10 days straight, reinforcing my solid belief that you want to live on a slope up here. Flatlands flood. 

We haven't had hurricanes (yet) but there has been one tornado nearby and it is not unusual for gusts of wind to reach up to 70mph.

Lots of tall old cedars here, the roots don't go deep enough. The year before I moved here there was a couple sitting in their car in the parking lot at the Sudden Valley Market and a gust blew a cedar over onto the roof of their car, killing both of them and their dog. 

 

Besides living on a slope, I live a good distance away from all tall trees! They might fall over or they might be part of a wildfire. I could to without either event. 😇

Truly, there is no safe place in this world...

[RABid]

My best friend's son took his family to Orlando this week for a trip that has been booked for over a month. Meanwhile, my yard is brown and fires are breaking out from the drought. 

[Anderton]

I remember my trial-by-hurricane days when I lived in Florida. Unfortunately, I don't have one of those Men in Black magic wands to block out those memories.

 

We do get tornadoes in Tennessee. Luckily, so far there have only been warnings where I live. The tornadoes touched down elsewhere. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but it seems like living next to a lake messes with their trajectory. At least I hope so...

 

The other natural disaster is snow. The snow itself isn't a problem, but people who don't know how to drive in it are.

[KuruPrionz]

23 minutes ago, Anderton said:

I remember my trial-by-hurricane days when I lived in Florida. Unfortunately, I don't have one of those Men in Black magic wands to block out those memories.

 

We do get tornadoes in Tennessee. Luckily, so far there have only been warnings where I live. The tornadoes touched down elsewhere. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but it seems like living next to a lake messes with their trajectory. At least I hope so...

 

The other natural disaster is snow. The snow itself isn't a problem, but people who don't know how to drive in it are.

We have an abundance of "bad drivers in snow" up here. When I moved here a friend told me to wait a couple of days after it snows before driving so the tow truck drivers will be done hauling people out of "the ditch". He was spot on, I leave my car in the underground parking and stay home. Honestly though, ice is worse. 

[Notes_Norton]

I live on the Eastern Sand Ridge in Florida. 32' above sea level, I call it "The Florida Alps". In Florida, I wouldn't buy a house anywhere else.

 

The barrier islands (beaches) get flooded and/or washed away, the reclaimed land that used to be swamp in the rainy season returns to swamp during a big rainstorm, and the few rivers we have here swell and flood their banks. Wind is bad, water is worse.

 

I wouldn't buy a 2x4 frame house with a shingle roof here, either. I've seen too many of them get major damage during the storms. Unfortunately, 90% of the houses built around here are the kind I wouldn't buy. Experience, and watching what happens to others is a good teacher.

 

I have storm awnings and storm panels, good drainage, and a sturdy house built in 1950, when builders respected hurricanes more than profits. I do have trees on my lot. That's my biggest risk factor. But they are a canopy, not individual targets, and that is supposed to be stronger.

 

Am I safe? Almost, but nothing is certain. I know I'm safer than those people who evacuate and face the aggressive drivers trying to beat you to the nearest motel out of the strike zone.

 

Of the natural disasters I can think of, tsunamis, earthquakes, tornadoes, blizzards, fires, floods, volcanoes, avalanches, mudslides and so on, I prefer hurricanes. Why? I get plenty of warning that they are coming, and I think they are more survivable than the others. Plus I have experience with them and know where to live and how to prepare to minimize my personal risk.

 

Nicole passed, and like it is after most hurricanes, it's a beautiful, sunny day today.

 

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