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Discussion Forum

you can’t reason with hurricane season

ProBozo | Posted in General Discussion on September 12, 2003 04:02am

Good client has bought a beach house, and has offered a pretty darn good retainer to be available and ready in case of hurricane damage, gave me the check and a town emergency access placard yesterday.  He has a local service that will screw up the storm shutters, etc.  I’m working now on a ‘packing list’ for what to take with me in case a storm hit, and would like your input. 

I have considered many things, among them self-sufficiency as far as food, water, sanitation; building and temp repair items such as plywood, roll paper, tarps, etc; generator, and plenty of gas (and diesel for the truck).  Would travel down in F250 PSD, towing enclosed 18′ cargo trailer, so can pretty well take the kitchen sink.  Of course I realize the actual possibility of his house getting damage is like .001%, but he’s paying, so I’ll be ready for whatever.

So, let’s hear y’alls ideas.  What would you take?

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  1. User avater
    BossHog | Sep 12, 2003 04:29pm | #1

    Three things come to mind.

    First, I didn't see where you mentioned a tent or someplace to sleep.

    Second, you may need a pump to pump water out of a basement or crawlspace.

    Third would be LOTS of changes of clothes and shoes. May not be able to do laundry if services like electricity and water are off.

    Jim Finks, New Orleans Saints G.M., when asked after a loss what he thought of the refs: "I'm not allowed to comment on lousy officiating."

  2. ian | Sep 12, 2003 04:45pm | #2

    gear to wash yourself and your clothes.  Line to dry clothes on. 

    Mattress and sleeping bag (will you need insect repelent and/or a mossie net.  wouldn't bother with a tent 'cause if the house is too damaged to sleep in then it's almost certainly too damaged to repair. 

    cooking gear.  a week's worth of either tinned or back country rations.  water purification or sterilisation kit.

    Portable fridge for a slab (or 3) of beer.  

    AGREEMENT with client as to what constitutes is a "tempory" repair.  i.e. when do you move from making a damaged building weather tight to doing permanent repairs. 

    contact details for the client's insurance assessor

  3. parrothead | Sep 12, 2003 05:36pm | #3

    CASH, in areas that get hit by storms and the power and or phones are out many places will not take credit cards. Also make sure that you have spares for both the truck and trailer, there can be lots of crap in the roads the first few days. Portable radio to keep track of local news.

    Make sure that you have severial good battries for drills/screw guns, if you are racing the clock to get plywood and shutters up you don't want to wait for a battery to charge. Duck tape, tape big X's across all of the windows even with a plywood/shutter cover. It will prevent/minimize large pieces of glass from flying everywhere if it should break. Portable lighting, both electric and battery.

    Not sure where this is at or the laws of the state, but you might also want to think about something for personal protection. The first few days you could run into some looters.

    Good Luck, and hope that this service is never called on....

    Mike

    We are the people our parents warned us about. J. Buffett
  4. CombatRescue | Sep 12, 2003 08:34pm | #4

    A must-have that isn't on your list a good chain saw with several spare chains.  Chances are, you may have to hack through downed trees just to get to the house.  This may not be as necessary if the guy lives in one of these new tract developments where there aren't any big trees.

    1. User avater
      ProBozo | Sep 12, 2003 10:15pm | #5

      Good points so far.  Plenty of clothes is a good thing.  And cash, didn't even occur to me on that.  The house is ocean front, NC, so no trees/etc to worry with.  Biggest problem to worry with I think is the roof, and preventing subsequent damage.  But from what I've seen in past, it will probably be 1-2 days post-storm before being allowed back in, even with property owner placard from the town, so water damage/etc could be severe if leaking.  Mostly a temp repair would be just to preserve the scene for the adjusters, and start the house drying out to prevent mold/mildew.

      1. User avater
        BillHartmann | Sep 12, 2003 10:58pm | #6

        A camera and maybe compapct tape recorder to document what work you have done. A video cammera whould be good, but provably to big and sensitive to keep around.

        Get a couple of the desposible cammeras.

      2. BKCBUILDER | Sep 13, 2003 03:19am | #8

        If it's ocean front Outer Banks, you'll need to take me. I'll work for free(or for beer) I'll stay from the beginning till the end, work hard everyday, mostly, only surf on breaks, lunch and my free time. You'll need me for the ins and outs of the local dealings, c'mon take me take me take me pleeeaaaasssssseeeeee..............

        1. User avater
          Longhair | Sep 13, 2003 06:05pm | #9

          i lived for about 10-11 yrs on atlantic beach nc.went through fran bertha floyd bonnie cant remember the other ones name.tore up alot of homes,everyone made money (cept for the insurance man lol).ice food genarator,beer smokes etc are fir sure necassary cause there aint none to be had.cash if you can find some place open to spend it oh yeah fuel.when theres no power theres no juice to run the pumps.chain saw  batteries like someone else already said.and whatever building stuff you can tote with you cause its all gone.all in all though its pretty fun to see nature do what it wants and sit on one of the fishing piers while its doing it

          1. User avater
            G80104 | Sep 13, 2003 10:47pm | #11

               bud,

                        Atlantic Beach  nice place, thats the one you take the swing bridge to get their? Hope Isable does not head that way. They think plywood price is high now!

            Would be nice to go out Deep Sea  fishing out of Calabash N.C. Then  beers & seafood @ one of the restaurants in Calaabash. Good eats in that town!

          2. User avater
            ProBozo | Sep 15, 2003 04:39am | #12

            Looks like maybe a few BT'er's will have a hurricane to worry with.  As we learned in NC with Fran, then Floyd, hurricanes do not hit just an area the size of the hurricane symbol on the maps--for example Isable now has hurricane force winds extending 85 miles from the eye -- thats about 170 mile swath of hurricane-force winds....and even bigger area covered by tropical-storm force winds.  And extensive damage can extend several hundred miles inland.   Not to mention the rain.  With Floyd, NC had lots of flooding, eastern NC is right now still pretty saturated, so lots of rain will just be a big problem for everyone.

            Here is the latest forcast path:

            http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200313_5day.html

            Here is four of the dominate computer models of the projected path:

            http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200313_model.html

          3. User avater
            G80104 | Sep 15, 2003 05:48am | #13

                Hope everybody stays safe & dry. With a little help from above, hope it runs north & peters-out in the ocean.

          4. dgarrison409 | Sep 15, 2003 01:26pm | #17

            Thanks for the weather tracking link. That is the most informative I've seen.

            This thread has got me thinking more about my own plans. I will probably go down Tuesday to clean up, board up, take down screens etc.

            We got trapped at the beach by Floyd. Went down to survey the damage the first day people were allowed on the island. Luckily no real damage at our place ( 1/4 mile back from the ocean), but every road inland was flooded by the next day. I didn't bring enough food water etc. and really made me think I'll do better next time.

  5. ccal | Sep 12, 2003 11:37pm | #7

    All good replies so far. I have been through several and one thing that will make things more comfortable is ice. Bring as much as you can carry. It wont be available after a bad storm. If it is a beachfront home access will be limited with checkpoints and long lines so be prepared to wait.

  6. kbjohan | Sep 13, 2003 09:46pm | #10

    As another veteran of numerous Atlantic Beach hurricane cleanups, I can offer a few insights. The main question is whether you are going to be there before, during or after the storm. If you are going there to potentially ride it out, cash, water, food, gasoline, a chain saw, plywood, and propane cylinders are a must. Since nearly all of the modern beachfront houses are all electric, you can cook for a week on a gas grill with a couple of propane cylinders. I wouldn't go nuts with the thickness of the plywood, 1/2" would be sufficient. Most broken windows on the beach are the result of small debris hitting the window at high velocity, not big stuff. You want to prevent this small stuff from contacting the window, but any sheets of ply thicker than 1/2" is creating a lot more work for yourself in increasingly windy conditions.

    If you decide to ride it out (and you have to be ready to bolt until you are sure it won't be a direct hit) have a radio and flashlights with lots of spare batteries. You can probably get storm information from the Weather Channel via cable TV or the internet until just before you have to commit to staying on the island. If it looks like a direct hit or if the storm is going to pass within 40-50 miles west of your position, I would seriously consider getting the hell out. My wife and I bolted from Fran, and would have been stuck on the coast for the better part of a week before US 70 opened up again. We couldn't afford to be stuck there for that long, so we opted to get out. We nearly got stranded in the northern part of the state when every single river in eastern NC flooded way beyond their banks.

    If you go down there after the storm to assess the situation and make initial repairs, I would try to get a statement on letterhead from the actual homeowner stating that you are his agent and have permission to access the house. The police are fairly reasonable, and if you are persuasive and give them the impression that you know what you are getting into, they will let you on the island when homeowners are allowed back on.

    As long as the house is built high enough, it shouldn't be damaged directly by the storm surge, though it can be terrifying to see surf raging all around the house, 12-15 feet higher than normal. Any structural damage to the house would likely come from busted up pier pilings. The empty lot my family's house was built on was created in the mid 60's from pieces of Sportsman's Pier crashing into the house in a hurricane. This is where the chain saw comes in.

    It looks like you might get a chance to earn your retainer next week with Hurricane Isabel. If Atlantic Beach is where the house is, look for me between Sportsman's and Oceanana Piers on a Action 9'6" longboard. Surf's up!

  7. User avater
    Gunner | Sep 15, 2003 06:08am | #14

    Toilet Paper.

    Who Dares Wins.

    1. User avater
      ProBozo | Sep 16, 2003 02:57am | #18

      "Toilet Paper."

      He!!, gunner, who do you think you are talking to?    FWIW, if anything at all is in my truck, if I forget the coffee and dognuts in the a.m., if I have to leave out materials, you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be at least 2 rolls of squeezably soft Charmin in the truck, anytime.   Nothing but the best for my tush!!!

      1. User avater
        Gunner | Sep 16, 2003 03:30am | #19

        Well include it in your list then. You had me nervous.Who Dares Wins.

      2. Piffin | Sep 16, 2003 03:59am | #20

        Us old timers like two ply northern.

        (x)

        LOL.

        Excellence is its own reward!

  8. WillieWonka | Sep 15, 2003 06:38am | #15

    I was going to say toilet paper, but someone beat me to it. Since the money smells so good to you, grab a few cases of toilet paper, stock them in his house, you could make EVEN MORE money while you're at it.

    1. RalphWicklund | Sep 15, 2003 08:05am | #16

      Get a bigger trailer.

      For water damage you might want a large squeegee on a stick for smooth surfaces, mop and pail with wringer, a big wet/dry vac to start on the carpet and a fan to move the air around for faster dying. Plywood, 2x4's and stout fasteners to cover and secure large holes such as blown out doors and windows. Large tarps and tiedowns to cover damaged roof. Many, many, many gallons of potable water just in case sevice is disrupted. An extra 5 gallon bucket to tote water to the commode for flushing (or to sit on if the sewers are not functioning).

      I think a chainsaw was mentioned. You may have to pull a tree off the house to get started. Ropes, chains and a come-a-long to move heavy stuff or to keep it from falling on your head while working. Wear those heavy gloves. Eye protection, maybe even the full face shield. Hard hat??

      A camera to help document damage so you know what to bring when you come back for the real repairs. You also got to post the pics on BT.

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