Hurricane Ida

[Medicine Woman]

I am 55 years old and I have seen some bad storms all my life. I never left except for George. I have now lost most of my house but the floor stayed put. So let me just rant about a few things:
My plan is to close in the downstairs of my house and pile mud around it, essentially creating a cellar so I have something to show for my house. Pretty sure I would be safe enough in a cellar. Turn the floor into a hoop house with a light weight concrete...stairs going down to the cellar.
Insurance.... no thanks . I am hearing horror stories about what insurance companies are doing to people here and if they had insurance then FEMA is denying them. I say stick to my old plan...pay myself the premium and stick it in mutual funds. Amen .
Water...I never had a problem before so I guess that’s why I didn’t put a bunch of water aside but the water was shut off before that crazy cow showed up. Once we manage to escape and break into sisters house we were drinking milk, juice, tea...whatever we could find. Always have a few cases of water somewhere. Even if it’s just you clean up milk jugs and fill with water to make ice for fishing or to save on electricity. We had to use a tarp and clean a drum and catch rain after 3 days. Yeah....have that stuff too. Better than nothing.
If you feel your house might fly apart go to the middle of the house, preferably a hallway and put a mattress over your head.
Keep your shoes on and put your cell in your pocket.
Might want to shut off the gas.
Downsize everything possible as far as livestock and pets...don’t abandon but don’t accept new until you down to just one very old dog or cat and maybe adopt a small mix breed. Less food, mess, medicine, danger of lawsuits but still able to sound warning. We were afraid to leave because of 4 dogs and 70 something birds in the barn. Pretty sure the rabbits were going to be okay. But only keep a little more than your family needs or you tied down. Otherwise....RV and LEAVE!!!
Have lots of batteries, an inverter and a generator. You can back feed into a 220 line and run the whole house if it’s not too big but no electric stove, electric water heater, electric dryer...too much juice. And have a bunch of gas! Like every vehicle totally filled and every gas can as well as chainsaw and generator. You want that stuff checked out and ready and then still have lots of fuel behind it. Check oil after the generator runs out of gas and give it a break. After 100 hours running change the oil. Seriously consider a drum of gas because we were out of power for 3 weeks.
This won’t sound believable but if you ever stuck in the Deep South after a devastating hurricane and you don’t have running water and you need a candle in the bathroom you just might not believe how good a cold shower with a can and a bucket of rainwater feels after the initial shock. Oh and even if you not in the habit of using powder....have some!!
Depression is real. When you sitting down looking at an empty bottle of water, a few wrappers that have fallen on the floor and a can of Spam and they all need to be thrown away and you know all you have to do is grab, get up and toss but you can’t, you might be extremely depressed. Pray. Read scripture if you are that sort of person. Ask your family to please be patient with you. But then get up and get to work because your family is probably stuck out of state and the roads are blocked. No one is coming to help you just yet. It just got real.
Check on your older relatives that don’t have children. We had to collect an uncle because his camper trailer was destroyed. He grabbed some supplies and we all camped out together. Have several pair of shoes and boots at all times. My husband wears a 16 or 17. He passed through his last pair after the storm. He duct taped it to buy a little time but his poor feet got messed up. You need your feet.
To be continued...

 

[CrealCritter]

I am 55 years old and I have seen some bad storms all my life. I never left except for George. I have now lost most of my house but the floor stayed put. So let me just rant about a few things:
My plan is to close in the downstairs of my house and pile mud around it, essentially creating a cellar so I have something to show for my house. Pretty sure I would be safe enough in a cellar. Turn the floor into a hoop house with a light weight concrete...stairs going down to the cellar.
Insurance.... no thanks . I am hearing horror stories about what insurance companies are doing to people here and if they had insurance then FEMA is denying them. I say stick to my old plan...pay myself the premium and stick it in mutual funds. Amen .
Water...I never had a problem before so I guess that’s why I didn’t put a bunch of water aside but the water was shut off before that crazy cow showed up. Once we manage to escape and break into sisters house we were drinking milk, juice, tea...whatever we could find. Always have a few cases of water somewhere. Even if it’s just you clean up milk jugs and fill with water to make ice for fishing or to save on electricity. We had to use a tarp and clean a drum and catch rain after 3 days. Yeah....have that stuff too. Better than nothing.
If you feel your house might fly apart go to the middle of the house, preferably a hallway and put a mattress over your head.
Keep your shoes on and put your cell in your pocket.
Might want to shut off the gas.
Downsize everything possible as far as livestock and pets...don’t abandon but don’t accept new until you down to just one very old dog or cat and maybe adopt a small mix breed. Less food, mess, medicine, danger of lawsuits but still able to sound warning. We were afraid to leave because of 4 dogs and 70 something birds in the barn. Pretty sure the rabbits were going to be okay. But only keep a little more than your family needs or you tied down. Otherwise....RV and LEAVE!!!
Have lots of batteries, an inverter and a generator. You can back feed into a 220 line and run the whole house if it’s not too big but no electric stove, electric water heater, electric dryer...too much juice. And have a bunch of gas! Like every vehicle totally filled and every gas can as well as chainsaw and generator. You want that stuff checked out and ready and then still have lots of fuel behind it. Check oil after the generator runs out of gas and give it a break. After 100 hours running change the oil. Seriously consider a drum of gas because we were out of power for 3 weeks.
This won’t sound believable but if you ever stuck in the Deep South after a devastating hurricane and you don’t have running water and you need a candle in the bathroom you just might not believe how good a cold shower with a can and a bucket of rainwater feels after the initial shock. Oh and even if you not in the habit of using powder....have some!!
Depression is real. When you sitting down looking at an empty bottle of water, a few wrappers that have fallen on the floor and a can of Spam and they all need to be thrown away and you know all you have to do is grab, get up and toss but you can’t, you might be extremely depressed. Pray. Read scripture if you are that sort of person. Ask your family to please be patient with you. But then get up and get to work because your family is probably stuck out of state and the roads are blocked. No one is coming to help you just yet. It just got real.
Check on your older relatives that don’t have children. We had to collect an uncle because his camper trailer was destroyed. He grabbed some supplies and we all camped out together. Have several pair of shoes and boots at all times. My husband wears a 16 or 17. He passed through his last pair after the storm. He duct taped it to buy a little time but his poor feet got messed up. You need your feet.
To be continued...

I will.be praying for you and your community.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Mini Horses]

My prayers go out to you and the entire community. I remember the devastion in Homestead, FL some 25 yrs ago. Entire place wiped!! While I had left the morning of the hit, fairly unaware, went back less than a week later and lived it for next few months. Better than your situation as I had an RV and supplies. But we had rental properties to rebuild and tenants with nothing! Entire town with nothing! You had to depend on supplies brought in because stores were gone!

We had 4 tractor/trailer loads taken from here in VA to there, full of building materials, generators, etc. Had our own crews to come there to work. It was a different world and I will never forget it!

 

[CrealCritter]

Could I please have the phone number or website of your local church.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

Many prayers to you and your family and the community affected by Hurricane Ida

 

[Alaskan]

I am 55 years old and I have seen some bad storms all my life. I never left except for George. I have now lost most of my house but the floor stayed put. So let me just rant about a few things:
My plan is to close in the downstairs of my house and pile mud around it, essentially creating a cellar so I have something to show for my house. Pretty sure I would be safe enough in a cellar. Turn the floor into a hoop house with a light weight concrete...stairs going down to the cellar.
Insurance.... no thanks . I am hearing horror stories about what insurance companies are doing to people here and if they had insurance then FEMA is denying them. I say stick to my old plan...pay myself the premium and stick it in mutual funds. Amen .
Water...I never had a problem before so I guess that’s why I didn’t put a bunch of water aside but the water was shut off before that crazy cow showed up. Once we manage to escape and break into sisters house we were drinking milk, juice, tea...whatever we could find. Always have a few cases of water somewhere. Even if it’s just you clean up milk jugs and fill with water to make ice for fishing or to save on electricity. We had to use a tarp and clean a drum and catch rain after 3 days. Yeah....have that stuff too. Better than nothing.
If you feel your house might fly apart go to the middle of the house, preferably a hallway and put a mattress over your head.
Keep your shoes on and put your cell in your pocket.
Might want to shut off the gas.
Downsize everything possible as far as livestock and pets...don’t abandon but don’t accept new until you down to just one very old dog or cat and maybe adopt a small mix breed. Less food, mess, medicine, danger of lawsuits but still able to sound warning. We were afraid to leave because of 4 dogs and 70 something birds in the barn. Pretty sure the rabbits were going to be okay. But only keep a little more than your family needs or you tied down. Otherwise....RV and LEAVE!!!
Have lots of batteries, an inverter and a generator. You can back feed into a 220 line and run the whole house if it’s not too big but no electric stove, electric water heater, electric dryer...too much juice. And have a bunch of gas! Like every vehicle totally filled and every gas can as well as chainsaw and generator. You want that stuff checked out and ready and then still have lots of fuel behind it. Check oil after the generator runs out of gas and give it a break. After 100 hours running change the oil. Seriously consider a drum of gas because we were out of power for 3 weeks.
This won’t sound believable but if you ever stuck in the Deep South after a devastating hurricane and you don’t have running water and you need a candle in the bathroom you just might not believe how good a cold shower with a can and a bucket of rainwater feels after the initial shock. Oh and even if you not in the habit of using powder....have some!!
Depression is real. When you sitting down looking at an empty bottle of water, a few wrappers that have fallen on the floor and a can of Spam and they all need to be thrown away and you know all you have to do is grab, get up and toss but you can’t, you might be extremely depressed. Pray. Read scripture if you are that sort of person. Ask your family to please be patient with you. But then get up and get to work because your family is probably stuck out of state and the roads are blocked. No one is coming to help you just yet. It just got real.
Check on your older relatives that don’t have children. We had to collect an uncle because his camper trailer was destroyed. He grabbed some supplies and we all camped out together. Have several pair of shoes and boots at all times. My husband wears a 16 or 17. He passed through his last pair after the storm. He duct taped it to buy a little time but his poor feet got messed up. You need your feet.
To be continued...

As a kid I lived in Galveston, and weathered many a storm. We lived in one of those houses up on stilts so the flood waters could surge along and hopefully not take you with them

I never had to live through something like you just went through.

Horrid storm and impressive destruction.

 

[CrealCritter]

I wanted to say Thank You for PM'ing me MW.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[baymule]

Been through many hurricanes, but further inland than you. You are lucky to have anything standing at all.
I always bought 2 new plastic garbage cans with lids, filled with water, duct taped the lids down, put them on the porch. 5 gallon buckets of water in bathrooms for flushing toilets. Filled every big pot in kitchen. Gas for generator. Bake pan of brownies and have cheap wine in a box. Peanut butter. Make bread because stores are stripped. After hurricane, make flour tortillas, cooked over fire in back yard. Took in friends that lived in mobile homes, we had a solid brick house. Go 3-4 weeks with no power. Windows and doors open trying to catch a breeze in the heat, slapping sparrow sized swamp skeeters the storm blew in.

Had a huge oak tree fall on house in hurricane Ike. Standing in line in rain outside of Lowe’s, they only let a few people in at a time, dark inside. Buy tarps, roll of 8 mil plastic. Grocery stores closed, no power, all cold/frozen food ruined. They have to clean up, dump spoiled food. Not much left in stores anyway.

House was damaged, but we still had a house. Blessed by the providence of God.

Your house blew away. I admire your spirit and determination. You aren’t giving up, you are taking what you have and making it work.

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

I just heard the south east is getting hit the worst by inflation right now and that food banks are struggling and feeling the impact. I can't even imagine how this will impact your community. My love and prayers are with you.

 

[Medicine Woman]

I would kinda like a steak but I will just eat raccoon, roosters and drakes before I pay prices like that for beef. I am in a rather small house and some of the food that was donated I will have to make an effort to prepare because it’s not exactly something I normally eat. I will be cooking pasta several times a week for a while. I normally don’t care for beans but I can accept it in soups so I will make sure to make a lot.
I just got a message from my cousin. Her house was also destroyed and she thinks she will be selling her yard soon so she asked me to take two olive trees, two apple trees, one Japanese Plum and a satsuma from her yard.