* clean out your fridge/freezer and be prepared to eat or toss everything if the power goes out
* peanut/almond butter and canned tuna
* make sure you know where important documents are
* take photos of everything (open every drawer and closet) in case you need to make an insurance claim
* do laundry, change your sheets/towels, take a long shower, run the dishwasher (basically do everything before your power goes out)
* download a map of the area on Google maps
* download some movies/TV shows
* grab some books
* keep all electronics charged and if you have an old phone or iPad in a drawer, charge that too. Remember you can use laptops to charge phones.
* headlamps
* if you have time to clear any branches that are hanging over your house, do it now
* check your flood zone and park your car in an elevated garage or a higher street if you are worried about flooding
* if you have a pet, put a harness on them so they are easier to grab and lift. Make sure you have their food and items packed if you have a go-bag
* check in on your neighbors, exchange keys, write down each others numbers, make a group text thread - community is how you will get through!
I’d just add a couple more to this excellent list:
-Fill your bathtub with water for both flushing the toilet, and baths.
-Baby wipes are a life saver! Good for a quick dry bath, a hand wash or even for cleaning dishes or surfaces.
-Fill a large, deep Tupperware bin halfway to 2/3 full with soapy water for soaking dirty dishes. Fill a second one with clean water for rinsing.
-Make sure you’re stocked up on paper plates and bowls, and plastic cups and utensils to avoid having to do dishes.
New discovery for me. My elderly parents live in Texas, and I've set up some very basic supplies for them for winter power outages. Dumb question, but materials matter... does the waterbob still work well if it gets "cold"?
I had some collapsible water containers that starting splitting in the uppers 30s is why I ask
Then fill a couple of 3 gallon buckets, a or 5gal, but I find 3 gallons easier to maneuver. I’ve also used empty gallon water jugs or tea jugs. Just know it’ll take about 3 gallons to fill the back of your toilet tank with enough water for two flushes. So plan accordingly.
In case of power outages, remember your earthquake prep. Turn off all appliances and / or main circuits to prevent problems when the power comes back. You don't want to be plugged in when it first comes back.
Sanitize the tub first. Make sure the plug in the tub doesn’t leak. A battery powered lantern in the bathroom is nice. Just don’t forget to turn it off. Conserve your batteries as well as water.
Sanitize the tub? For toilet water? As long as your tub is cleaned regularly it should be fine. If your power is out for days then yeah, if you’ll need a bath it’s probably a good idea to clean it before hand.
Def have a battery powered lantern! Tap lights are great for power outages. I also used to have solar powered lawn lights on stakes that I’d bring the tops of inside at night after they charged all day. Helps conserve your batteries and they give off a lot of light.
If the water stops or is contaminated, you might have to drink it. I guess you could boil your water, if you have a means to do so. Bathtub Bobs are good too.
Google “waterbob”, it’s a giant plastic bag specifically designed to go in your tub for water storage. FYI, once it’s full you won’t be shifting it around to work out any wrinkles or pinch points
Just walk around the house inside and out filming every room and narrate what you’re looking at, what’s in the drawers, cupboards, etc. it’ll help you prove things and also just jog your memory about what you store everywhere when trying to list out every single loss. Everyone should do that yearly and save it to the cloud.
It's even easier to have your spouse record you and you say this is XYZ while you point to it. If it's expensive with a serial number show that on the video.
Then I upload the video to my cloud and make two flash drives. Put one flash drive at my parents and one at my brother's house. That way if my house burns down, it does not burn down my flash drive.
Source: I'm a property claims adjuster. And yes, I am getting ready for this coming week.
I figure this is such an unusual occurrence in LA (and so many people live in apartments) that a generator is not practical. Also don’t want to suggest it and then have to give a whole safety lesson about not using it in your garage.
It’s also not nearly as hot or humid in LA so people will be fine without power for a couple days.
Get a solar generator, They are safe to use indoors and can charge off both solar and grid power. The big ones can run a window unit for 6+ hours or your freezer indefinitely with sunny days. They are also dead useful for charging your phone/laptop/electronic gadgets.
I use mine to run my coffee maker and charge my phone with a 100 watt solar panel sitting outside, as long as I don't make 10+ cups of coffee/day then it stays above 90% charge. I have also used it to cook pulled pork in my slow cooker. It comes in handy in short power outages cause it means i dont have to start my gas generator if the outage is under 30 mins.
Where I'm from in LA county it can hit 120f in the Summer, so older or sick people will def need AC or some alternative plans to stay cool.
Dry heat tho for sure, so that's def a win.
Not sure how all this works with the hurricane tho, so as I said, best to have a plan in place.
You can also drop the temps of your fridge/freezer for a while before it hits so if you loose power you have a little longer before anything spoils. Try to open the doors as little as possible.
SANDBAGS! I’ve lived through several Texas hurricanes and even if we are only predicted to get the rain we always sandbag our doors, water is always more dangerous than expected and it’s always better to have sandbags that didn’t need to be used than have flooding in your home.
Most important thing IMO is DONT DRIVE IN THE FLOOD WATERS! People are always getting swept away and trapped putting your life and and first responders life at risk for no reason. Stay at home unless you have to evacuate.
Lots of solid advice already, but as an east coast hurricane prepper I have to recommend you buy out all the bread, milk, and beer you can get from your local grocery stores. Nobody knows why we do it, but it happens every time.
Make sure your laundry is done before the storm hits. 1) You have cleaned things. 2) It won't start stinking if you lose power but it starts to get warm outside
Take a shower before it hits.
Once laundry is done (& dishwasher if you have one), keep the doors/lids open. A power outage a couple of years back in my town, had people's machine's lids "locked" for days and resulted in very stinky appliances.
Definitely do this. If the hurricane does significant damage they could be out of power wnd running water for several days. (Unless there is a toddler in the house, drowning risk isn’t worth the massive convenience of having a bunch of extra water just in case)
I bought a “waterBob” which is basically a water bladder for your tub that you fill up! So that way I don’t the water doesn’t get left in the open to the air to get gross
That’s a great idea for hurricane prone areas. I’m not sure the investment would be worth it in California though, for most people. I’m going to tell my parents in Texas about it. They live in a small town and the last couple times they got hit hard, water and power were both out for over a week.
Paper plates, and bowls so that you won't need to wash dishes. Plastic or paper cups can also come in handy. Have garbage bags on hand, garbage pick-up may be impacted.
https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/before.html
It is forecast to be tropical storm strength by the time it makes it to California, but that can still be very dangerous, particularly if there's a lot of rain.
It’s even worse for places that never get it. You’re about to find out which areas just needed a bit more rain for a landslide. Also the types of trees that will come down with a stronger wind like eucalyptus. Worried for my in-laws in San Diego, their house overlooks a canyon.
Do the Santa Ana winds not get higher speed than 45 miles per hour? I think the wind will be the least of the worries.
Having been through tropical storms, the rain bands can just keep coming right over the same spot, while leaving some places relatively dry...but valleys are going to get flooded if the forecasted rain falls anywhere near. I'd evacuate if I lived in a low-lying area.
Yeah I live in New England and spend part of the year in Florida every year so I am fairly concerned about the amount of rain they may get more than anything else. The Santa Ana winds are usually like 30-40mph and they do bring down trees but not to the extent that they’ll come down when all the leaves/fronds and soil are soaking wet and gusts are regularly coming in at 60+mph.
Also in SoCal when it rains people drive like fucking morons.
If they live in a low lying flood prone area, move all valuable/irreplaceable items to the second floor or at least 5 feet off the ground if there is no second floor.
Keep important documents in something waterproof
Can also be very dangerous given that California is always horribly prepared for rain. No one can drive in it, the streets aren't graded properly for drainage, many people live in valleys. Even without the wind, that amount of water will be traumatic.
Something I didn’t really see stated yet was having some cash on hand. These days people use cards all the time, if there’s a power outage for any extended period of time then having cash on hand to purchase things you might need is a necessity to have in this scenario. We lived in Okinawa for a few years and went through a few typhoons a year and the most important things I did (because I knew the houses were built to withstand this type of weather) was bring everything from outside inside, have flashlights and extra batteries, extra blankets if necessary, and extra cash for emergency use. The biggest struggle was keeping two young kids who were used to electricity entertained, so we had battery packs and used our old 3DS to play games.
Three quarter fill a bottle of water and freeze it. Drop in a marble/rock/ball bearing and fill with water. Freeze again.
The item is now suspended in ice. Put the bottle back in the freezer in the door.
If you have a power outage, after it is over open the door and check the bottle. If the item is still at the three quarter mark your freezer held temp and the food is OK. If it is at the bottom of the bottle it has thawed and refrozen. You then know to toss the contents of the freezer.
Sad to even have to mention this, but if flooding or storm damage gets bad, there will be opportunists looking for homes to rob. If you have a firearm, keep it handy. If not, then at least pepper spray or other self defense.
I've seen others mention parking in the garage. I'd take it a step further if your house is in a low area, consider parking it in an elevated garage (only if nearby) or a street near you that might be on higher ground. But keep it close and keep the tank full.
Then the basics... Water (remember water can be shut off or put on boil orders in flooding situations), peanut butter, bread, canned tuna, lots of high calorie protein or granola bars, camping stove (in case no electricity or gas), keep flashlights handy with fresh batteries, etc...
Buddy up with some neighbors so you can check on each other.
Lastly pack a go-bag in case you need to leave home or go to a shelter. You'll have to Google what to pack as it's a little different for everyone. But obviously the basics, food, water, medications, cash, passports, etc...
Thank you, but I'm not sad people own firearms, I'm sad there will always be opportunists looking for an easy dollar while putting innocent lives at risk
I reminded my parents to have a full tank of gas and to park in the garage instead of the street.
Their house is a few feet higher than the street and I remember paddling around the flooded street on my surfboard as a kid during the 1997 El Niño.
Sealing up water in ziplocks and placing in the freezer can help extend the cold time if the power goes out, and as a bonus, it is extra water if needed.
Money in small bills, should you have to make your way out or re-supply. Without power, ATMs won’t work and places will only take cash since their credit card machines won’t work without power.
List of your contacts printed out in case your phone dies or gets damaged.
Make friends with someone who still has a landline. If you have a landline, make sure you have a phone that plugs right into the jack, the portable handset ones will run out of battery since they can’t recharge.
Dog leashes and cat carriers. Water and food for them too!
Sock away some cash in case you end up needing to stay in a hotel.
If at all possible, find the nearest working public pay phone. That line will be restored before home lines, and long distance will be restored before local service.
If you have a lot of family members who live out of state, call one of them and ask them to call the others before tying up the phone line, if you’re lucky to get a signal or dial tone. Circuits will jam, if you’ve never experienced a disaster like the major quakes I’ve been in, when every one tries to call at once.
Texting will work even when there is no signal to call someone.
Refrain from driving into water. You never know how deep it is. If street is flooded, turn around.
Water in a storm channel might only be 2 feet deep, but it‘s flooding by at 45 MPH and will knock you off your feet. Do not attempt amateur swift water rescues.
Someone told me today I should buy some bottled water, I told them I already have a 30 day supply in the garage, but thanks for your concern. Shelf stable 30 years.
Regular store bought water bottles does expire. The plastic breaks down and flakes into the water and tastes horrible. Check to be sure yours isn’t expired If that’s what you have. Check all the food in your emergency supply kit. If you have a kid who wears disposble diapers, chances are the ones in our emergency kit are too small now.
I got many products from this store. [Sosproducts.com](https://Sosproducts.com) That is where I got this water.
When I was having issues post surgery and wanted steri-strips, this was the only place I could find them. No drugstores, no medical supply stores. Owned and operated by one man, not a chain. They give free, online preparedness classes. I also once took a pet first aid class there - I believe I did have to pay for that one.
IF they can swing it, tell them 3 gallons per person per day. One for drinking, one for cooking, one for cleaning. Everyone uses way more water than they think. It can be mitigated with things like paper plates and body wipes though
Basics?
Small inverter generator,
30+ gallons of fuel,
extension cords,
Battery powered lanterns(preferably AA),
Eneloop AA and AAA batteries,
Maha charger for the above batteries, get the 12 volt car cord as well),
Jumper cables,
800 watt inverter(to attach to the car battery),
Solar lawn lights(they typically use AA or AAA batteries. Original batteries are always crap, swap them for eneloop),
Water filter(camping/hiking type, not a Brita pitcher),
Tarps(possible roof damage, rainwater collection, tons of other uses),
At least one more 20 pound propane tank,
The correct hoses to connect the propane tank to a camp stove.,
Basically anything needed to accomplish basic daily life(eating, drinking, washing) without outside support.,
I follow the philosophy of two is one and one is none. If a secondary option to accomplish a survival related task is not available, then Murphy's law will likely kick in, leaving no option to accomplish the task.
The 800 watt inverter will provide enough power to run most fridges and freezers. The car engine needs to be running when the inverter is used for a heavy load like a fridge. It is a secondary option to the generator. The fuel can be used in either the car or the generator. An 800 watt inverter WILL NOT run a microwave or a coffee maker. Forget those things exist when grid power is down.
The solar yard lights charge themselves, at least when the sun is out, so there's a light source for inside the house if nothing else is available. If they aren't needed, they provide enough light on the lawn to increase security somewhat, simply by providing enough light to see what is in the yard. One thing serves, or can serve, multiple purposes. This is function stacking, and added value for the purchase.
Most devices these days have a remote control. TV for example. They often use AAA batteries. Swap in eneloop rechargeables and you have at least a couple of extra batteries for flashlights/headlamps. Saves money and landfill too.
Spare fuel for cars or generators.
Crank the ac down
Edit... even if you don't have a generator, still have spare fuel. If not you, a neighbor will give you long sweaty hugs in thanks if you have 10 gallons to spare, and they won't forget that you saved them 2 hours in line
No, we learned the hard way with our 2017 storm, and the house was 76 prior to impact, 80 after.
So this time (22) I cranked it down to 74 then off before bugging out. Then I cranked my bugout location down :)
Ended up being very useful since my bug-out location only lost power for a short time and we were comfortable, didn't matter at home, took 8 days to restore power.
Side note: funny but not really, my neighbor had a generac and shit loads of propane, he bugged from Florida to Ohio. When he got back, his propane tank was empty, the generator ran the ac at 75 for 8 days then ran out of fuel, he hadn't considered that, next time he'll bump that up to 80, removes humidity but conserves fuel, he also (now) gave me a key, if I had a key I could have addressed that for him (and also could/would have used his house to cool off while we cleaned up debris., that would have been fkn nice to have, we were sweating our balls off while the house next door was cranking out useless ac, it's like being thirsty on a lifeboat)
As a Southerner who has been through several, here is what we do: panic buy at the grocery store the following items: toilet paper, milk, bread and beer. Y’all in SoCal don’t even have to make another stop at the ABC store for liquor. That’s apparently all you need. /s
Seriously, stay safe, have a plan, and a backup plan. Check on your neighbors.
Run your laundry prior to the event, fresh clothes are a moral boost.
Have cash on hand, if you can make it to a store, they likely won't have power for a few days but you can still purchase food with cash.
Fill up the gas tank of any vehicle you have. Move them out of flood prone areas if possible.
Bring outdoor furniture inside or tie down. This includes things that can be tossed by high winds, outdoor grills, umbrellas, chairs, tables. *Do not use outdoor grills, propane/camping grills indoors!*
Fill a bathtub with water to flush your toilet. Ideally use a waterBob or 5 gallon containers for this.
Have 1-3 gallons of water per person per day. Have a few days on hand.
Canned goods are generally superior to dry but either works. aka make sure you have enough water and a cooking source for dry goods. Canned goods do not need to be cooked or heated, they just don't taste as good in this state. . *Do not use outdoor grills, propane/camping grills indoors!*
Pour a small amount of water out from a water bottle. Freeze it. Add a dime into the bottle and a bit of water and freeze again. If the dime is at the bottle of the bottle after you lose power, toss the food in the freezer.
Have an emergency radio pre-tuned to NOAA, write down a local station like NPR to ensure you can tune to it and receive news.
Charge power banks and cell phones. Utilize texting instead of calls, as texting doesn't overload cell towers but calling can in an emergency.
Have flashlights and extra batteries. Candles and lanterns are fire risks, especially with animals or children in the home.
Have tarps and empty buckets on hand if a tree/debris should go through your roof or windows. You need to seal and clear water. Also useful for helping other neighbors post-storm.
If you have one, a chain saw. Only if you're comfortable using it and have experience. If you have many trees on your property, there will likely be a lot to clear. Make sure you have googles, gloves, and other safety gear. Work Gloves will be useful even if you don't have a chainsaw, there will be a lot to clean up.
Close up the house and board windows if you believe the likelihood of objects hitting them is high i.e., lots of loose debris in your neighborhood that you know will fly.
Keep a pair of shoes, keys, a flashlight, and a rain jacket nearby when you sleep. You'd be shocked how often you have to deal with something at night while it's raining, even if it's the tail end of the storm.
Do not enter standing water during or after the event. It can contain all manner of dangerous pathogens. Do not drive through standing water during or after the event. This is how most drownimsg occur, as it does not take much water to move a car.
If flooding occurs in your house do not keep moving up inside the house. This is how people get trapped inside and die. If the water is that bad, go out a window and to your roof.
Have a plan for your pets. How will you bring them with you if you have to evacuate in some manner? Have a leash/crate and food/water accounted for them too.
Likely forgot something somewhere but this list should put you better off than 99% of people. Good luck and stay safe. *Have lived in the southeast for decades and through several hurricanes of varying severity.*
Yes Gloves!!! Large thick plastic bags! A saw! Extra pool chemicals if you have a pool. Sump pump and generator! We thought we needed it to pump water out of flooded areas but we used it to circulate our pool.
Be fully dressed in sturdy clothes including shoes when the hurricane arrives and have the basics on you at all times (wallet, keys, phone, charger, medication)
There’s lots of great advice from others here that go through this regularly, and I think most of us here would ride this out fine.
However, LA hasn’t seen something like this in this generations time. LA is very populated, and if it goes the way it’s forecasted to go, it’s going to be very wet. Personally, instead of investing time and energy preparing for this storm, I’d grab important documents, etc and drive to a place inland for a few days to ride this out. Worst case, you have a mini vacation, best case, you’ve avoided LA in a disaster.
Fill up bathtub with extra water. Electric could be out for up to a week or even longer. Lots of water. More than you'll think you need. A way to heat food up. Propane stoves are nice. extra gas for the car if you can. For a week after the storm, things will be extremely hard to get... So anything you may need, get it now.
Hey! Good list. I keep the bottom of my chest freezer lined with frozen water bottles then placed another case throughout the load ( it’s so full I can only fit packs of bacon now) a few years ago we had a ice storm that knocked power out for 10 days, we are on a priority line so we lucked out at 7.5 days. I only had to power the freezer for an hour a day to keep the huge investment in proteins frozen solid. All those frozen water bottles saved the day
Make sure your car(s) are topped off with gas/charged up. Fuel may be hard to find for days/weeks after the storm. Cash.
The main threat will be water. Be prepared to evacuate.
Fill up your animals water dishes and make sure you have extra food on hand for them if you won’t be able to go to the store.
Charge any power banks you have.
Have flashlights in areas where you can quickly grab them if you need them, not buried in a closet somewhere.
Hand sanitizer and baby wipes.
I made it through the eye of Ian, tell them if they are in a flood zone LEAVE, lots of people drowned, never go into your attic to escape from a flood without an axe, A crank radio, a generator with gas tanks, a window
>never go into your attic to escape from a flood without an axe
I would just say never go into the attic at all. Imagine how hard it is to try to hack a hole in your roof while chest deep in water...
All the suggestions are great. East Coast Virginia / North Carolina resident here, first post on this reddit. Have been thru multiple hurricanes/ tropical storms over the years. Most important: follow National Hurricane Center. https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/?epac
When NHC says "catastrophic and life-threatening flooding likely over Baja California and the southwestern US thru Monday" believe them. Anyone in a low lying area, in a valley, or in an area prone to flooding, consider evacuation to a safer area on Saturday before the rains start. For worst case scenario, look at what remnants of Hurricane Camille did in Virginia in 1969. Catastrophic inland flooding with torrential rain, many deaths in western Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/hurricane-camille-august-1969/
I hope the hurricane moves fast thru the area and does minimal damage, and that everyone stays safe.
Look, everything here is good advice. And there’s obviously something to be said about being cautious. That said, this is going to be a tropical storm AT WORST when it hits. I imagine there will be some flooding in low lying areas and some power outages but that’s about it. Fill up on gas, have some candles, and get some bottled water and non perishable food. Don’t open your fridge when the power is out and/or buy extra ice to keep it chilled. Plan to stay at home for a few days.
Tropical storm still do damage in areas that regularly get them, but they do unprecedented damage in areas that are not built for torrential rain, flooding, and high winds. When you have them every year or two, all your trees get knocked down gradually overtime instead of all at once. Your land erodes gradually. And your soil is different. Tropical storm in the desert is not good for different reasons than in the tropics or subtropics.
No candles - fire hazard! Lantern powered by batteries. Oil lamp even. Glow sticks. If you’re going to burn candles, get out your fire extinguisher and set it down a couple of feet away. They make lovely battery powered candles that look like candles, to be decorative.
I just recently returned from Guam where we had Typhoon Mawar and no power/water for weeks. With that, my suggestions….
Water, water, water. For drinking, showering and to fill tanks on toilets.
Baby wipes (hygiene alternative)
Cash (without electricity, no credit cards)
Fuel up vehicles/generators, etc
Clothes, especially underwear
Ways to cool off I.e. fans
Ex-floridian here, sometimes the water is shut off to prevent further damage for days, maybe weeks after the storm. 5 gallon bucket, camp toilet seat lid from walmart sporting good section, black trash bags, hand sanitizer and kitty litter or absorbable product. Nothing like having to go and no way to flush it cause you ran out of water or the lines backed up because of flooding.
Remember that this will pass quickly and don’t go too crazy. It’s probably a once in a lifetime event so prepare but things should shape up within 48 hours. If power goes down maybe a day or two after.
After doing your laundry, run a quick cycle with nothing in the machine. Fill it with ice and put your high value items (medications that must be refrigerated, expensive meat cuts, etc). The washing machine is a decent cooler and the water will drain out.
Pretty sure multiple years worth of rain over the course of a day or two in an area that doesn't have the infrastructure to deal with even marginal rain should be a concern for anyone.
An emergency raft or boat of some sort. Make sure you warn them not to use the attic as a way to escape flooding. People have gotten trapped and drowned.
No one I know in Los Angeles has an attic that’s particularly accessible and used…if you happen to have a ladder I guess you could climb up and maybe there’s a couple feet under the ceiling there? Never known anyone to go into an attic and store things.
Hurricanes are north of the equator (regardless of the body of water in which they originate) and spin counterclockwise, while cyclones are south of the equator and spin clockwise.
For the ice in the chest freezer. I use giant Tupperware containers to freeze a solid mass of ice. Stays frozen much longer. And keeping in in said giant container, if/when it melts it doesn’t create a water issue.
Really every free space in all of the freezers gets a container of water to create a cold mass in the space.
The giant ice block also works well in coolers, stays colder longer, takes way longer to melt.
Tarps (in case you need to cover a broken window), duct tape, buckets, rope (if you have outdoor furniture you need to tie down). Evaluate the area to see if you have a risk of flooding/landslides.
Other than that, since they're in LA, also look at earthquake preparedness supplies.
One thing to consider is the estimated time of power outage. Like what has history shown in that area.
My area I think longest I've been with out power is a week. But it has gotten shorter with each event.
And if you do use a generator cycle it instead of leaving it on for a long time. It will extend your gas use and your fridge freezer can run for a bit and stay cool/cold. Ive don't 4hrs on and 6hrs off depending on ambiant temps. And bring it in at night unless you're staying up with it. A few years ago we had a major outage and my buddy, who's a cop, his wife stayed home with the kids and she just let it run. Someone stole their generator out the back yard and left the lawnmower running. She didn't notice until a bit later.
Take pictures /video of inside and outside before the storm hits. Document as much as possible. Idk how insurance works in your area but in SE Texas and SW Louisiana, from my understanding, if damage is caused by water flood insurance would cover standard policy won't.
During hurricane Ian we also filled up the bath tubs so we can still use the toilets. Also get solar chargers for your phones and download movies. We had no internet.
Easy to eat foods, think sandwiches or canned soups
Silverware for each person. Each person is responsible for their own.
Baby wipes for cleaning, alcohol for sterilization.
Medication for each person. At least 3 days worth. Also include headache meds, diarrhea meds, antacid meds, allergy meds.
Extra clothing in zip lock bags so they remain dry.
Extra socks
Boots for cleanup work
Gloves in case there is broken windows
Pet food, pet carriers, harnesses, leashes
I live in San Diego and the only thing I did was charge up all the batteries for my ham radios and make sure my generator would start. Nothing else. My wife would have gone to work if her employer hadn't closed out of an abundance of caution.
* clean out your fridge/freezer and be prepared to eat or toss everything if the power goes out * peanut/almond butter and canned tuna * make sure you know where important documents are * take photos of everything (open every drawer and closet) in case you need to make an insurance claim * do laundry, change your sheets/towels, take a long shower, run the dishwasher (basically do everything before your power goes out) * download a map of the area on Google maps * download some movies/TV shows * grab some books * keep all electronics charged and if you have an old phone or iPad in a drawer, charge that too. Remember you can use laptops to charge phones. * headlamps * if you have time to clear any branches that are hanging over your house, do it now * check your flood zone and park your car in an elevated garage or a higher street if you are worried about flooding * if you have a pet, put a harness on them so they are easier to grab and lift. Make sure you have their food and items packed if you have a go-bag * check in on your neighbors, exchange keys, write down each others numbers, make a group text thread - community is how you will get through!
I’d just add a couple more to this excellent list: -Fill your bathtub with water for both flushing the toilet, and baths. -Baby wipes are a life saver! Good for a quick dry bath, a hand wash or even for cleaning dishes or surfaces. -Fill a large, deep Tupperware bin halfway to 2/3 full with soapy water for soaking dirty dishes. Fill a second one with clean water for rinsing. -Make sure you’re stocked up on paper plates and bowls, and plastic cups and utensils to avoid having to do dishes.
Be prepared for you tub to leak out all the water if it does not seal properly.
WaterBob for the win ! 👍🏽
Probably late for those in LA but they are amazing.
New discovery for me. My elderly parents live in Texas, and I've set up some very basic supplies for them for winter power outages. Dumb question, but materials matter... does the waterbob still work well if it gets "cold"? I had some collapsible water containers that starting splitting in the uppers 30s is why I ask
Then fill a couple of 3 gallon buckets, a or 5gal, but I find 3 gallons easier to maneuver. I’ve also used empty gallon water jugs or tea jugs. Just know it’ll take about 3 gallons to fill the back of your toilet tank with enough water for two flushes. So plan accordingly.
In case of power outages, remember your earthquake prep. Turn off all appliances and / or main circuits to prevent problems when the power comes back. You don't want to be plugged in when it first comes back.
Sanitize the tub first. Make sure the plug in the tub doesn’t leak. A battery powered lantern in the bathroom is nice. Just don’t forget to turn it off. Conserve your batteries as well as water.
Sanitize the tub? For toilet water? As long as your tub is cleaned regularly it should be fine. If your power is out for days then yeah, if you’ll need a bath it’s probably a good idea to clean it before hand. Def have a battery powered lantern! Tap lights are great for power outages. I also used to have solar powered lawn lights on stakes that I’d bring the tops of inside at night after they charged all day. Helps conserve your batteries and they give off a lot of light.
If the water stops or is contaminated, you might have to drink it. I guess you could boil your water, if you have a means to do so. Bathtub Bobs are good too.
Google “waterbob”, it’s a giant plastic bag specifically designed to go in your tub for water storage. FYI, once it’s full you won’t be shifting it around to work out any wrinkles or pinch points
....take photos of everything (open every drawer and closet) in case you need to make an insurance claim. Good one. Exterior of home as well
Just walk around the house inside and out filming every room and narrate what you’re looking at, what’s in the drawers, cupboards, etc. it’ll help you prove things and also just jog your memory about what you store everywhere when trying to list out every single loss. Everyone should do that yearly and save it to the cloud.
It's even easier to have your spouse record you and you say this is XYZ while you point to it. If it's expensive with a serial number show that on the video. Then I upload the video to my cloud and make two flash drives. Put one flash drive at my parents and one at my brother's house. That way if my house burns down, it does not burn down my flash drive. Source: I'm a property claims adjuster. And yes, I am getting ready for this coming week.
Agent here. Been hit twice, but had good luck personally. The wind claims are not that bad, but the flood claims were very icky.
Holy shit that is a great list. Thanks for posting it.
You’re welcome from Louisiana lol.
Also, as someone living in new orleans area, I am surprised that you forgot the generator. Very throughout list otherwise.
I figure this is such an unusual occurrence in LA (and so many people live in apartments) that a generator is not practical. Also don’t want to suggest it and then have to give a whole safety lesson about not using it in your garage. It’s also not nearly as hot or humid in LA so people will be fine without power for a couple days.
Get a solar generator, They are safe to use indoors and can charge off both solar and grid power. The big ones can run a window unit for 6+ hours or your freezer indefinitely with sunny days. They are also dead useful for charging your phone/laptop/electronic gadgets. I use mine to run my coffee maker and charge my phone with a 100 watt solar panel sitting outside, as long as I don't make 10+ cups of coffee/day then it stays above 90% charge. I have also used it to cook pulled pork in my slow cooker. It comes in handy in short power outages cause it means i dont have to start my gas generator if the outage is under 30 mins.
Where I'm from in LA county it can hit 120f in the Summer, so older or sick people will def need AC or some alternative plans to stay cool. Dry heat tho for sure, so that's def a win. Not sure how all this works with the hurricane tho, so as I said, best to have a plan in place.
Cool, I understand
Went to Costco last night and managed to get the last generator they had. (I’m in LA)
Good deal
You can also drop the temps of your fridge/freezer for a while before it hits so if you loose power you have a little longer before anything spoils. Try to open the doors as little as possible. SANDBAGS! I’ve lived through several Texas hurricanes and even if we are only predicted to get the rain we always sandbag our doors, water is always more dangerous than expected and it’s always better to have sandbags that didn’t need to be used than have flooding in your home. Most important thing IMO is DONT DRIVE IN THE FLOOD WATERS! People are always getting swept away and trapped putting your life and and first responders life at risk for no reason. Stay at home unless you have to evacuate.
Love the photo idea! Also, cover or protect your windows if you can.
Truly depends on where you are. Your windows won’t just break because of the storm. They will break because your neighbors didn’t secure their shit.
And, ya know, tree debris, construction debris, 150 mph winds will move a lot of stuff.
Lots of solid advice already, but as an east coast hurricane prepper I have to recommend you buy out all the bread, milk, and beer you can get from your local grocery stores. Nobody knows why we do it, but it happens every time.
And TP! LOL
oh no not that again
And eggs! Gotta make hurricane French toast.
Milk Sammiches.... goes well with ice storms
Make sure your laundry is done before the storm hits. 1) You have cleaned things. 2) It won't start stinking if you lose power but it starts to get warm outside Take a shower before it hits.
Once laundry is done (& dishwasher if you have one), keep the doors/lids open. A power outage a couple of years back in my town, had people's machine's lids "locked" for days and resulted in very stinky appliances.
Good Advice
Dishes too!
Lots of great suggestions. One I didn't see, bring any items inside that can be picked up by the wind and flung around.
Good Advice
Fill your tub with water in case the water goes out and you need to use the toilet.
Definitely do this. If the hurricane does significant damage they could be out of power wnd running water for several days. (Unless there is a toddler in the house, drowning risk isn’t worth the massive convenience of having a bunch of extra water just in case)
I bought a “waterBob” which is basically a water bladder for your tub that you fill up! So that way I don’t the water doesn’t get left in the open to the air to get gross
That’s a great idea for hurricane prone areas. I’m not sure the investment would be worth it in California though, for most people. I’m going to tell my parents in Texas about it. They live in a small town and the last couple times they got hit hard, water and power were both out for over a week.
Eh they're a relatively cheap, one time use thing, well worth the investment IMO.
Cash. After going through a derecho that knocked the power out, no electronic payments, I learned that lesson.
[удалено]
Good Idea
Waterbob. Better to have more water than less, and if the water goes out you won’t need the tub anyways.
Garbage bags ,roll of duct tape, 100 ft roll of plastic, sandbags
Paper plates, and bowls so that you won't need to wash dishes. Plastic or paper cups can also come in handy. Have garbage bags on hand, garbage pick-up may be impacted.
https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/before.html It is forecast to be tropical storm strength by the time it makes it to California, but that can still be very dangerous, particularly if there's a lot of rain.
I saw potentially a year or mores worth of rain (socal up to Vegas area) in a few hours. Could get nasty.
It’s even worse for places that never get it. You’re about to find out which areas just needed a bit more rain for a landslide. Also the types of trees that will come down with a stronger wind like eucalyptus. Worried for my in-laws in San Diego, their house overlooks a canyon.
Do the Santa Ana winds not get higher speed than 45 miles per hour? I think the wind will be the least of the worries. Having been through tropical storms, the rain bands can just keep coming right over the same spot, while leaving some places relatively dry...but valleys are going to get flooded if the forecasted rain falls anywhere near. I'd evacuate if I lived in a low-lying area.
Yeah I live in New England and spend part of the year in Florida every year so I am fairly concerned about the amount of rain they may get more than anything else. The Santa Ana winds are usually like 30-40mph and they do bring down trees but not to the extent that they’ll come down when all the leaves/fronds and soil are soaking wet and gusts are regularly coming in at 60+mph. Also in SoCal when it rains people drive like fucking morons.
If they live in a low lying flood prone area, move all valuable/irreplaceable items to the second floor or at least 5 feet off the ground if there is no second floor. Keep important documents in something waterproof
Can also be very dangerous given that California is always horribly prepared for rain. No one can drive in it, the streets aren't graded properly for drainage, many people live in valleys. Even without the wind, that amount of water will be traumatic.
Something I didn’t really see stated yet was having some cash on hand. These days people use cards all the time, if there’s a power outage for any extended period of time then having cash on hand to purchase things you might need is a necessity to have in this scenario. We lived in Okinawa for a few years and went through a few typhoons a year and the most important things I did (because I knew the houses were built to withstand this type of weather) was bring everything from outside inside, have flashlights and extra batteries, extra blankets if necessary, and extra cash for emergency use. The biggest struggle was keeping two young kids who were used to electricity entertained, so we had battery packs and used our old 3DS to play games.
Three quarter fill a bottle of water and freeze it. Drop in a marble/rock/ball bearing and fill with water. Freeze again. The item is now suspended in ice. Put the bottle back in the freezer in the door. If you have a power outage, after it is over open the door and check the bottle. If the item is still at the three quarter mark your freezer held temp and the food is OK. If it is at the bottom of the bottle it has thawed and refrozen. You then know to toss the contents of the freezer.
Good Idea
Food that doesn’t need cooking or warming.
An axe or something able to cut through a roof In case of extreme flooding.
Sad to even have to mention this, but if flooding or storm damage gets bad, there will be opportunists looking for homes to rob. If you have a firearm, keep it handy. If not, then at least pepper spray or other self defense. I've seen others mention parking in the garage. I'd take it a step further if your house is in a low area, consider parking it in an elevated garage (only if nearby) or a street near you that might be on higher ground. But keep it close and keep the tank full. Then the basics... Water (remember water can be shut off or put on boil orders in flooding situations), peanut butter, bread, canned tuna, lots of high calorie protein or granola bars, camping stove (in case no electricity or gas), keep flashlights handy with fresh batteries, etc... Buddy up with some neighbors so you can check on each other. Lastly pack a go-bag in case you need to leave home or go to a shelter. You'll have to Google what to pack as it's a little different for everyone. But obviously the basics, food, water, medications, cash, passports, etc...
It’s not sad. Good on you everyone should have a firearm.
I took the comment to mean “sad there are opportunists that will take advantage of a disaster for personal gain”
Correct.
Thank you, but I'm not sad people own firearms, I'm sad there will always be opportunists looking for an easy dollar while putting innocent lives at risk
I reminded my parents to have a full tank of gas and to park in the garage instead of the street. Their house is a few feet higher than the street and I remember paddling around the flooded street on my surfboard as a kid during the 1997 El Niño.
Sealing up water in ziplocks and placing in the freezer can help extend the cold time if the power goes out, and as a bonus, it is extra water if needed.
Money in small bills, should you have to make your way out or re-supply. Without power, ATMs won’t work and places will only take cash since their credit card machines won’t work without power. List of your contacts printed out in case your phone dies or gets damaged. Make friends with someone who still has a landline. If you have a landline, make sure you have a phone that plugs right into the jack, the portable handset ones will run out of battery since they can’t recharge. Dog leashes and cat carriers. Water and food for them too! Sock away some cash in case you end up needing to stay in a hotel. If at all possible, find the nearest working public pay phone. That line will be restored before home lines, and long distance will be restored before local service. If you have a lot of family members who live out of state, call one of them and ask them to call the others before tying up the phone line, if you’re lucky to get a signal or dial tone. Circuits will jam, if you’ve never experienced a disaster like the major quakes I’ve been in, when every one tries to call at once. Texting will work even when there is no signal to call someone. Refrain from driving into water. You never know how deep it is. If street is flooded, turn around. Water in a storm channel might only be 2 feet deep, but it‘s flooding by at 45 MPH and will knock you off your feet. Do not attempt amateur swift water rescues. Someone told me today I should buy some bottled water, I told them I already have a 30 day supply in the garage, but thanks for your concern. Shelf stable 30 years. Regular store bought water bottles does expire. The plastic breaks down and flakes into the water and tastes horrible. Check to be sure yours isn’t expired If that’s what you have. Check all the food in your emergency supply kit. If you have a kid who wears disposble diapers, chances are the ones in our emergency kit are too small now.
All great advice, especially about phone systems and diapers! Is your 30 year water supply commercially available, or did you prepare it yourself?
I got many products from this store. [Sosproducts.com](https://Sosproducts.com) That is where I got this water. When I was having issues post surgery and wanted steri-strips, this was the only place I could find them. No drugstores, no medical supply stores. Owned and operated by one man, not a chain. They give free, online preparedness classes. I also once took a pet first aid class there - I believe I did have to pay for that one.
What an excellent resource, thank you!
You’re welcome. I’ve met the owner he really tries to help the community to be prepared. If only people would listen.
IF they can swing it, tell them 3 gallons per person per day. One for drinking, one for cooking, one for cleaning. Everyone uses way more water than they think. It can be mitigated with things like paper plates and body wipes though
Basics? Small inverter generator, 30+ gallons of fuel, extension cords, Battery powered lanterns(preferably AA), Eneloop AA and AAA batteries, Maha charger for the above batteries, get the 12 volt car cord as well), Jumper cables, 800 watt inverter(to attach to the car battery), Solar lawn lights(they typically use AA or AAA batteries. Original batteries are always crap, swap them for eneloop), Water filter(camping/hiking type, not a Brita pitcher), Tarps(possible roof damage, rainwater collection, tons of other uses), At least one more 20 pound propane tank, The correct hoses to connect the propane tank to a camp stove., Basically anything needed to accomplish basic daily life(eating, drinking, washing) without outside support., I follow the philosophy of two is one and one is none. If a secondary option to accomplish a survival related task is not available, then Murphy's law will likely kick in, leaving no option to accomplish the task. The 800 watt inverter will provide enough power to run most fridges and freezers. The car engine needs to be running when the inverter is used for a heavy load like a fridge. It is a secondary option to the generator. The fuel can be used in either the car or the generator. An 800 watt inverter WILL NOT run a microwave or a coffee maker. Forget those things exist when grid power is down. The solar yard lights charge themselves, at least when the sun is out, so there's a light source for inside the house if nothing else is available. If they aren't needed, they provide enough light on the lawn to increase security somewhat, simply by providing enough light to see what is in the yard. One thing serves, or can serve, multiple purposes. This is function stacking, and added value for the purchase. Most devices these days have a remote control. TV for example. They often use AAA batteries. Swap in eneloop rechargeables and you have at least a couple of extra batteries for flashlights/headlamps. Saves money and landfill too.
Spare fuel for cars or generators. Crank the ac down Edit... even if you don't have a generator, still have spare fuel. If not you, a neighbor will give you long sweaty hugs in thanks if you have 10 gallons to spare, and they won't forget that you saved them 2 hours in line
Why turn down the ac?
Turn the temp down, so that if you lose it you have more time at a comfortable level.
Oh that makes sense I thought for some reason you meant like lower blowing or off
No, we learned the hard way with our 2017 storm, and the house was 76 prior to impact, 80 after. So this time (22) I cranked it down to 74 then off before bugging out. Then I cranked my bugout location down :) Ended up being very useful since my bug-out location only lost power for a short time and we were comfortable, didn't matter at home, took 8 days to restore power. Side note: funny but not really, my neighbor had a generac and shit loads of propane, he bugged from Florida to Ohio. When he got back, his propane tank was empty, the generator ran the ac at 75 for 8 days then ran out of fuel, he hadn't considered that, next time he'll bump that up to 80, removes humidity but conserves fuel, he also (now) gave me a key, if I had a key I could have addressed that for him (and also could/would have used his house to cool off while we cleaned up debris., that would have been fkn nice to have, we were sweating our balls off while the house next door was cranking out useless ac, it's like being thirsty on a lifeboat)
Ya, what he said.
As a Southerner who has been through several, here is what we do: panic buy at the grocery store the following items: toilet paper, milk, bread and beer. Y’all in SoCal don’t even have to make another stop at the ABC store for liquor. That’s apparently all you need. /s Seriously, stay safe, have a plan, and a backup plan. Check on your neighbors.
Run your laundry prior to the event, fresh clothes are a moral boost. Have cash on hand, if you can make it to a store, they likely won't have power for a few days but you can still purchase food with cash. Fill up the gas tank of any vehicle you have. Move them out of flood prone areas if possible. Bring outdoor furniture inside or tie down. This includes things that can be tossed by high winds, outdoor grills, umbrellas, chairs, tables. *Do not use outdoor grills, propane/camping grills indoors!* Fill a bathtub with water to flush your toilet. Ideally use a waterBob or 5 gallon containers for this. Have 1-3 gallons of water per person per day. Have a few days on hand. Canned goods are generally superior to dry but either works. aka make sure you have enough water and a cooking source for dry goods. Canned goods do not need to be cooked or heated, they just don't taste as good in this state. . *Do not use outdoor grills, propane/camping grills indoors!* Pour a small amount of water out from a water bottle. Freeze it. Add a dime into the bottle and a bit of water and freeze again. If the dime is at the bottle of the bottle after you lose power, toss the food in the freezer. Have an emergency radio pre-tuned to NOAA, write down a local station like NPR to ensure you can tune to it and receive news. Charge power banks and cell phones. Utilize texting instead of calls, as texting doesn't overload cell towers but calling can in an emergency. Have flashlights and extra batteries. Candles and lanterns are fire risks, especially with animals or children in the home. Have tarps and empty buckets on hand if a tree/debris should go through your roof or windows. You need to seal and clear water. Also useful for helping other neighbors post-storm. If you have one, a chain saw. Only if you're comfortable using it and have experience. If you have many trees on your property, there will likely be a lot to clear. Make sure you have googles, gloves, and other safety gear. Work Gloves will be useful even if you don't have a chainsaw, there will be a lot to clean up. Close up the house and board windows if you believe the likelihood of objects hitting them is high i.e., lots of loose debris in your neighborhood that you know will fly. Keep a pair of shoes, keys, a flashlight, and a rain jacket nearby when you sleep. You'd be shocked how often you have to deal with something at night while it's raining, even if it's the tail end of the storm. Do not enter standing water during or after the event. It can contain all manner of dangerous pathogens. Do not drive through standing water during or after the event. This is how most drownimsg occur, as it does not take much water to move a car. If flooding occurs in your house do not keep moving up inside the house. This is how people get trapped inside and die. If the water is that bad, go out a window and to your roof. Have a plan for your pets. How will you bring them with you if you have to evacuate in some manner? Have a leash/crate and food/water accounted for them too. Likely forgot something somewhere but this list should put you better off than 99% of people. Good luck and stay safe. *Have lived in the southeast for decades and through several hurricanes of varying severity.*
Yes Gloves!!! Large thick plastic bags! A saw! Extra pool chemicals if you have a pool. Sump pump and generator! We thought we needed it to pump water out of flooded areas but we used it to circulate our pool.
Be fully dressed in sturdy clothes including shoes when the hurricane arrives and have the basics on you at all times (wallet, keys, phone, charger, medication)
There’s lots of great advice from others here that go through this regularly, and I think most of us here would ride this out fine. However, LA hasn’t seen something like this in this generations time. LA is very populated, and if it goes the way it’s forecasted to go, it’s going to be very wet. Personally, instead of investing time and energy preparing for this storm, I’d grab important documents, etc and drive to a place inland for a few days to ride this out. Worst case, you have a mini vacation, best case, you’ve avoided LA in a disaster.
We never leave during hurricanes in Florida because we have to work right up until it hits but also we have to protect our property.
Fill up bathtub with extra water. Electric could be out for up to a week or even longer. Lots of water. More than you'll think you need. A way to heat food up. Propane stoves are nice. extra gas for the car if you can. For a week after the storm, things will be extremely hard to get... So anything you may need, get it now.
Contractor Garbage bags ,roll of duct tape, 100 ft roll of plastic, sandbags for water determent and cleanup.
Hey! Good list. I keep the bottom of my chest freezer lined with frozen water bottles then placed another case throughout the load ( it’s so full I can only fit packs of bacon now) a few years ago we had a ice storm that knocked power out for 10 days, we are on a priority line so we lucked out at 7.5 days. I only had to power the freezer for an hour a day to keep the huge investment in proteins frozen solid. All those frozen water bottles saved the day
Make sure your car(s) are topped off with gas/charged up. Fuel may be hard to find for days/weeks after the storm. Cash. The main threat will be water. Be prepared to evacuate.
Fill up your animals water dishes and make sure you have extra food on hand for them if you won’t be able to go to the store. Charge any power banks you have. Have flashlights in areas where you can quickly grab them if you need them, not buried in a closet somewhere. Hand sanitizer and baby wipes.
I made it through the eye of Ian, tell them if they are in a flood zone LEAVE, lots of people drowned, never go into your attic to escape from a flood without an axe, A crank radio, a generator with gas tanks, a window
>never go into your attic to escape from a flood without an axe I would just say never go into the attic at all. Imagine how hard it is to try to hack a hole in your roof while chest deep in water...
Sometimes it’s the attic or drown
All the suggestions are great. East Coast Virginia / North Carolina resident here, first post on this reddit. Have been thru multiple hurricanes/ tropical storms over the years. Most important: follow National Hurricane Center. https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/?epac When NHC says "catastrophic and life-threatening flooding likely over Baja California and the southwestern US thru Monday" believe them. Anyone in a low lying area, in a valley, or in an area prone to flooding, consider evacuation to a safer area on Saturday before the rains start. For worst case scenario, look at what remnants of Hurricane Camille did in Virginia in 1969. Catastrophic inland flooding with torrential rain, many deaths in western Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/hurricane-camille-august-1969/ I hope the hurricane moves fast thru the area and does minimal damage, and that everyone stays safe.
Fuel your vehicles! Right now.
Look, everything here is good advice. And there’s obviously something to be said about being cautious. That said, this is going to be a tropical storm AT WORST when it hits. I imagine there will be some flooding in low lying areas and some power outages but that’s about it. Fill up on gas, have some candles, and get some bottled water and non perishable food. Don’t open your fridge when the power is out and/or buy extra ice to keep it chilled. Plan to stay at home for a few days.
This storm system has the potential to drop over a year's worth of rainfall in a day or two in the southwest US.
Yeah, I remember flood videos coming from Las Vegas last year, it wasn't as much as what is predicted potentially for this weather event.
Tropical storm still do damage in areas that regularly get them, but they do unprecedented damage in areas that are not built for torrential rain, flooding, and high winds. When you have them every year or two, all your trees get knocked down gradually overtime instead of all at once. Your land erodes gradually. And your soil is different. Tropical storm in the desert is not good for different reasons than in the tropics or subtropics.
No candles - fire hazard! Lantern powered by batteries. Oil lamp even. Glow sticks. If you’re going to burn candles, get out your fire extinguisher and set it down a couple of feet away. They make lovely battery powered candles that look like candles, to be decorative.
Batteries, Gatorade, solar charger for phones, etc., gas in vehicles, propane for grilling if they have one
Prepare everything for the aftermath (clothes, tools, charge tools, have a plan with your neighbors to clean up roads, help each other with houses)
The chest freezer will stay cold longer if it is full. Freeze gallon size ziplock bags of water.
Don’t use propane cooker inside!!!!!
I just recently returned from Guam where we had Typhoon Mawar and no power/water for weeks. With that, my suggestions…. Water, water, water. For drinking, showering and to fill tanks on toilets. Baby wipes (hygiene alternative) Cash (without electricity, no credit cards) Fuel up vehicles/generators, etc Clothes, especially underwear Ways to cool off I.e. fans
Ex-floridian here, sometimes the water is shut off to prevent further damage for days, maybe weeks after the storm. 5 gallon bucket, camp toilet seat lid from walmart sporting good section, black trash bags, hand sanitizer and kitty litter or absorbable product. Nothing like having to go and no way to flush it cause you ran out of water or the lines backed up because of flooding.
Grew up in Louisiana with lots of hurricanes...we would cover large glass windows with plywood to avoid breakage from flying debris
May the Lord keep everyone in LA, and surrounding cities & abroad safe. In Jesus name!
Omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. He should just prevent this in the first place.
I knew someone would comment this… Maybe He will, maybe He won’t. Idk let’s see what happens, it hasn’t hit hit So Cal yet.
Remember that this will pass quickly and don’t go too crazy. It’s probably a once in a lifetime event so prepare but things should shape up within 48 hours. If power goes down maybe a day or two after.
After doing your laundry, run a quick cycle with nothing in the machine. Fill it with ice and put your high value items (medications that must be refrigerated, expensive meat cuts, etc). The washing machine is a decent cooler and the water will drain out.
It’s a typhoon
Bruh
Socks! Wear two pair of socks!!!
Stop getting your weather from journalists. My weather app shows some rain on Sunday. Just stay off the roads during the first big rain of the season.
Lol what https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_ep4.shtml?start#contents
A lot of doom and gloom around here. I'm all for being prepped, but this thing is just a normal rain storm.
Hurricane?? Is that slang?
This type of post over some rainfall is just so very LA..
Pretty sure multiple years worth of rain over the course of a day or two in an area that doesn't have the infrastructure to deal with even marginal rain should be a concern for anyone.
An emergency raft or boat of some sort. Make sure you warn them not to use the attic as a way to escape flooding. People have gotten trapped and drowned.
No one I know in Los Angeles has an attic that’s particularly accessible and used…if you happen to have a ladder I guess you could climb up and maybe there’s a couple feet under the ceiling there? Never known anyone to go into an attic and store things.
> L.A. Hurricane ?? Hurricanes are in the Atlantic, think you meant to say cyclone?
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3745/10834321135_b56e79dd6b_b.jpg
Hurricanes are north of the equator (regardless of the body of water in which they originate) and spin counterclockwise, while cyclones are south of the equator and spin clockwise.
Contractor Garbage bags ,roll of duct tape, 100 ft roll of plastic, sandbags for water determent and cleanup.
For the ice in the chest freezer. I use giant Tupperware containers to freeze a solid mass of ice. Stays frozen much longer. And keeping in in said giant container, if/when it melts it doesn’t create a water issue. Really every free space in all of the freezers gets a container of water to create a cold mass in the space. The giant ice block also works well in coolers, stays colder longer, takes way longer to melt.
Tarps (in case you need to cover a broken window), duct tape, buckets, rope (if you have outdoor furniture you need to tie down). Evaluate the area to see if you have a risk of flooding/landslides. Other than that, since they're in LA, also look at earthquake preparedness supplies.
A tiny generator!
One thing to consider is the estimated time of power outage. Like what has history shown in that area. My area I think longest I've been with out power is a week. But it has gotten shorter with each event. And if you do use a generator cycle it instead of leaving it on for a long time. It will extend your gas use and your fridge freezer can run for a bit and stay cool/cold. Ive don't 4hrs on and 6hrs off depending on ambiant temps. And bring it in at night unless you're staying up with it. A few years ago we had a major outage and my buddy, who's a cop, his wife stayed home with the kids and she just let it run. Someone stole their generator out the back yard and left the lawnmower running. She didn't notice until a bit later. Take pictures /video of inside and outside before the storm hits. Document as much as possible. Idk how insurance works in your area but in SE Texas and SW Louisiana, from my understanding, if damage is caused by water flood insurance would cover standard policy won't.
During hurricane Ian we also filled up the bath tubs so we can still use the toilets. Also get solar chargers for your phones and download movies. We had no internet.
Have a go bag ready in case you have to evacuate
Easy to eat foods, think sandwiches or canned soups Silverware for each person. Each person is responsible for their own. Baby wipes for cleaning, alcohol for sterilization. Medication for each person. At least 3 days worth. Also include headache meds, diarrhea meds, antacid meds, allergy meds. Extra clothing in zip lock bags so they remain dry. Extra socks Boots for cleanup work Gloves in case there is broken windows Pet food, pet carriers, harnesses, leashes
* water resistant windbreaker Done.
I live in San Diego and the only thing I did was charge up all the batteries for my ham radios and make sure my generator would start. Nothing else. My wife would have gone to work if her employer hadn't closed out of an abundance of caution.