What is the best way to prepare for a dead-on hurricane strike in a big city?

Question

Hurricane Edouard into Houston, to be exact.

Answer 1

Um ya im on the computer obviously in the middle of this tropical storm... tells you what kind of storm it is. LOL  

Answer 2

I don't think this storm will be bad -- you just need to have enough food to stay in for a day. If you have small items like wind chimes on a balcony or patio, you may want to remove them.

In general, though, when a hurricane makes landfall, you need to have one gallon of water per person per day. It took FEMA half a week to get to the needy in New Orleans, so you should probably have four gallons per person in your home. That's 30 half liter bottles of water!

Remember that water pressure may go out, so fill your bathtub and buckets with water. No water pressure means you can't flush your toilet like you normally do, but if you pour some water from a bucket in fast enough, it still works. If it's just urine, just don't flush.

Power may go out, so you should have batteries for flashlights and a battery-powered radio. Candles or propane torches or stoves are generally not a good idea because natural gas pipes can rupture and lead to explosions.

Charge your phone and and fill up your car beforehand, if you have a chance. Should the power go out, unplug bigger appliances like fridges, and turn the air conditioning off -- when the power comes back on, all the appliances in the city drawing power again could lead to a brown-out of the power grid.

Make sure you have enough of the prescription drugs you need before it gets bad. Also get some bandages, anti-biotic ointment, medication against diarrhea, bug spray, and sun lotion. Also go to the ATM to get some extra cash.

For food, you should mostly depend on canned food. It will last the longest. However, if power goes out, start eating your food in the freezer and the fridge. It will go bad the fastest. I personally go for pork'n'beans. Make sure you have a can opener.

Keep your window blinds closed and stay away from the windows -- the biggest danger in a moderately strong storm is that something smashes your window, and you cut yourself on broken glass. If you know that it will be a strong hurricane, try to get plywood and nail it to the outside of your windows, but in my experience, once you realize it's bad, the plywood is all sold out. Some cardboard and big trash bags taped to the window can also help minimize the risk of broken glass flying into your rooms.

You may want to put expensive items like computers or TVs in plastic bags and move them to an internal room. You should also have a list of things you own for your renter's or home-owner's insurance. Take pictures of your belongings.

Pack a bag with a change of clothes, something to eat and drink, and some of your medical supplies in case you need to leave. However, you should really only evacuate if an evacuation was ordered for your flood zone. What the mayor of Houston did with Rita, encouraging everyone who could leave to leave just lead to gridlocked highways. The most destructive force of a hurricane is the storm surge, the water that gets pushed onto land and then rushes back. That usually determines if an evacuation is ordered.

If you stay in your home and it gets bad, also go into an interior room. Often, a bathroom is best. In the worst case, drain your bathtub (if you put water in it), lie down in it and put a mattress on top of yourself.

All of this may sound scary, but it's really mostly common sense. You should have most of the supplies anyway.

Answer 3

I live in Louisiana and when Katrina hit the only thing you can do is evacuate.  So, leave town before you are trapped there.

Answer 4

I am in Houston (Katy actually) and Eduardo should really only be a tropical storm not a hurricane.

The key thing you should plan on is not leaving home for most of tomorrow or at least from 11:00am onwards till the next day.  This implies having enough food and related things at home.  Ideally have at least some food that does not require heating just in case electricity (or what ever you use to cook) goes out. .  Have flashlights & candles & matches for the same reason. Make sure you car is filled up with gas. If you don't have a car then locate the nearest friend who has a car and can help you out in a pinch.  

In the remote event that you have to evacuate you might want to do some planning as to what you would have to do if you had to leave either just your house or the city altogether.

Answer 5

This is not that bad of a storm.  But for a city like Houston, the topography would suggest the possibility of surge flooding, particularly if the storm moves in during high tide in areas around the bays and rivers but that should not affect Houston so much.  The usual flood prone areas need to be prepared.  The winds are not particularly bad.  However, everyone should be stocked with fresh water, food, candles, battery powered radio and flashlights if the power goes out or the city water becomes contaminated.  Figure on being holed up for two or three days due to flooded streets, downed trees and power lines.

Make sure anyone who has special needs has all the prescription meds and other supplies they need.  Make sure pets have food, water and a place to relieve themselves.  Stock up on food that does not require refrigeration such as bread, crackers, pasta, cans or jars.  For small children, Parmalat milk does not have to be refrigerated until it is opened.  Have non-dairy powdered creamers for coffee.

*