Florida hurricane supplies

[Thekid90]

So I am looking for some help in preparing some hurricane supplies. I live in the Tampa bay area of Florida. I live with 2 room mates. We have enough food and water for 2 weeks, a gas generator to run fridge and lights and a propane grill. I have built an extensive medical kit. As far as firearms go, between the 3 of us we have an ar-15, sks, glock 19, sig 2022 (.40), glock 17, Mosin Nagant, and ruler lcp. At least 100 rounds for each always laying around. I am not talking long term SHTF, but more of a possible Katrina type situation. Looking for help with anything we may be lacking. Bugging out is not an option as we all work public safety and will be on our same shift rotations with plus overtime. Thanks in advance for the help

Also we live in a single story house in a nice suburban area and have an alarm system with battery back up and I am planning on getting hurricane windows as soon as money permits.

 

[T Bran]

A complete list is never truly complete but I'll add a few things for you.
A 5 gallon bucket of bull [roofing repair]
A couple big plastic tarps and fastners for those tarps.
Tripple the ammount of gas you think you need.
A way to secure your generator or you wont have it long.
A good working relationship with your neighbors in advance also goes a long way.
Also think about a shallow well with a hand pump for washing /flushing and bathing.
Luck

 

[P5 Guy]

Does your home have "Tankless" hot water system? If so get something to store more water in, 55 gallon drum for storage.

 

[Thekid90]

Good thinking on the roofing supplies. But one stupid question im not sure what u mean by bull.And I have 10 gallons of gas in cans and we always fill up the cars so we could siphon also if need be. We actually live on a lake so if need be we can fill buckets off of the lake and add water purifiers. We have a tanked hot water heater. I only know 3 neighbors but have a good relationship with all of them. Might need to branch out a little more.

 

[T Bran]

Bull is a tar based roof sealer/repair type product it has been around longer than I have.
Any major home improvement store will have it though it may be under a different brand name. It is pretty much a bucket of thick tar and is not very expensive but it is black gold after a storm. A cheap metal trowel to apply it with is also handy. If you get any on you WD40 takes it off pretty quickly.

You can also stretch your fuel supply by only running your generator during the day and shutting down at nite [also makes it harder for theives to locate it]. Just keep the fridge closed all nite. Most generarors dont produce a clean sine wave and are tough on computers and other delicate electronics. You may want to look into an inverter to run your electronics from a 12 volt battery they have gotten to be pretty affordable.

One last thing dont forget spare engine oil for the generator and maybe a spare sparkplug.
Luck
T

 

[oneounceload]

Hurricane windows are nice, but plywood cut to fit perfectly tends to lend a good layer at much lower costs

Remember, you will need water for drinking, cooking, some form of bathing and toilet activities - for the last one, fill up your bathtub before the storm hits.

I would add a few fans - they don't require as much energy as your AC unit, making your generator fuel last longer. Better than a gas generator are whole house ones that run on propane - not as much of a worry about the fuel going bad.

I would also have disposable plates and "silverware" so you don't use water for washing dishes - you might then something to burn trash if this lasts more than a few weeks

 

[T Bran]

Oneounce has a very valid point on window protection. The houses that did the best during Andrew had flush fitting plywood shutters as wind and debris could not get behind them to rip them off.
I also keep some of my pistol ammo vacuum sealed and stored in 50 cal ammo cans so that I know without a doubt that my carry ammo hasnt been compromised by saltwater.
It is not the wind that does the most damage it is the debris and the water.

 

[Telekinesis]

For the power, you may be able to get a power conditioner and use that to plug in any electronics. Might be a good idea for anything you want to plug into the generator, but not really necessary for most things. The power conditioners I am partial to are the ones built for sound equipment and fit in equipment racks, so they are pretty easy to move around. They can be used for your electronics off of normal 120v outlets so it won't go to waste if you never need the generator. If you do go that route, I would recommend building your own rack as they are pretty simple, but the commercial travel racks (that also protect from drops) are expensive.

You also might want to be careful about running the generator. In a typical hurricane recovery, you shouldn't have a problem especially if you're on good terms with your neighbors. But in a rioting/looting kind of aftermath (such as Katrina) people may hear it running (or see lights at night) and think that if you have a generator, you will probably have other supplies worth taking. I'm definitely not saying don't run your generator, just be mindful of the situation surrounding you. Having a bit of fuel stabilizer on hand can also make your stored fuel last longer.

As far as the alarm, in a hurricane or other disaster I wouldn't expect an alarm to help much beyond the immediate siren and warning system. Most police have bigger problems to deal with and won't always be able to respond to an alarm going off.

Sandbags or another way to keep the water out of your house would be a good idea as well. If you live on or near a lake, flooding should be a big concern.

A very long way down the list (and not urgent in the least) could be to try and standardize your collective armament into at least caliber, if not weapon type. It would be easier to store (I hesitate to say stockpile) ammo if it is in only one caliber. You should also think about having extra mags, as loose rounds don't do you much good when you need them.

 

[danez71]

Bull is a tar based roof sealer/repair type product it has been around longer than I have.

Henrys's is another. They have some that can be applied in wet conditions. They also have it in caulking tubes.

 

[hso]

I know this is an firearms forum, but you can't eat guns, drink ammo or keep the place lit/cool with reloading equipment.

The basic security equipment for FL hurricanes is the same as for any natural disaster. Generator to power lights. Fuel to keep the generator running. A fence to make sure 2-legged scavenger know where the boundaries are. Work with your neighbors to keep the neighborhood secure. Short range firearms like shotguns and portable ones like handguns. You're not engaging "Red Dawn" invaders so you need to do what's worked for every natural disaster instead of thinking about long range engagements or fire fights.

As to the much more important FEMA solutions, we're not really equipped here to address those. This page on ready.gov is a great summary about those. http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes/