Hurricane Ike. Becoming concerned?

Question

We moved to Central Florida little over a year ago and I don't feel like we are prepared. The only storm close to a hurricane we've been through is Fay. We don't have any plywood and don't know how to work our generator. My dad is out of town so he usually does that stuff. Ike is forcasted to become a category 4 hurricane and to hit florida head on. I know that hurricanes are unpredictable and it can totally miss us but should I stress on my mom that we need to get plywood and start preparing? I'm starting to freak out slightly!

Answer 1

better to be safe than sorry!

Answer 2

don't buy plywood, use that money to rent a hote room in north ms.   even if you use plywood on the windows.  if the storm is a category 4  it won't matter.  save some money, get a hotel room.

Answer 3

I am a Florida Native and lived in South FL 30 years before moving to Central Florida (Treasure Coast) 5 years ago -- take it from someone who has been through Andrew, Frances, Jeanne, Wilma and many many others in my lifetime -- PREPARE NOW.

SECURE your home by protecting windows and doors.

MOVE everything that is outside - inside - including vehicles if you can garage them.

GATHER your most important papers, phone numbers, medicines, etc into large plastic storage bags and have them ready to go if you have to evacuate.

LEAVE if you are told to -- "Riding out the storm" is NOT a safe option for you and your family if you are in an area within 6 miles of the cost, or a low-lying, flood-prone area.

PETS can be boarded at a vet's office if you take them early enough.  DO NOT leave them in cages/crates inside your home if you leave -- they will be safer if they are able to escape a destroyed home than they will be if they are trapped inside.  

This page provides the most complete list of safety measures you and your family should take once a storm is sure to hit your area:  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/dis...

I have lost everything - home (came in around us after a tornado in the eyewall of Frances snapped boards off our roof and then attic like they were toothpicks), car (flooded), belongings (destroyed with my house, everything inside it), even pets lives (when we could not get back into the area and the building was unsafe after Jeanne) - in 3 hurricanes over the past 5 YEARS -- they are nothing to play with.

Answer 4

You should be preparing to evacuate; saving lives (including your pets) is more important than saving property.

Yes, there is a danger; I can't tell you how much because even the experts don't know exactly what will happen.  But your entire family should be preparing now.

Answer 5

It's too soon to panic, but it IS time to prepare.  Ask your neighbors who've been through this before what they do.  Contact your local Red Cross if you really need help--they can probably put you in contact with someone.  There are also lots of good tips online, including at http://www.ready.gov

An easy way to track Ike is with http://www.USAMediaGuide.com.  It has a special section of links to Ike's projected path, National Hurricane Center and local news coverage, hurricane preparation tips, live streaming webcams, and other Ike-related stuff.