Hurricane Florence Threatens Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, DC, Maryland, and Delaware: DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO PREP!

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Author of Be Ready for Anything and Bloom Where You’re Planted online course

If you live near the East Coast, you should take some time now to start prepping for Hurricane Florence and the storm cells that are right behind her.

Hurricane Florence is currently a Category 4 storm that is gaining power in the Atlantic, although it still about a thousand miles away from any landmass. Florence is aimed dangerously close toward Bermuda and could then hit the Eastern Coast of the United States with a Category 5 fury if the simulations are correct. The Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states would bear the brunt of Florence, but the effects could reach as far as southern Maine.

How sure are we that Hurricane Florence will hit the US?


There are two possible scenarios, according to models found on the Washington Post website. #1, it hits the East Coast and #2, it turns and heads harmlessly back out to sea.

 

(source)

This far in advance, it’s impossible to say which of the two tracks Florence will take. There are a lot of variables…but one scenario bears a chilling resemblance to a devastating 1933 hurricane.

A storm in Florence’s current position has never struck the United States in recorded history. However, the prevailing weather pattern could provide an exception. A giant ridge of high pressure over the North Atlantic has a chance to steer the storm toward the U.S. mainland unless a trough of low pressure is able to capture the storm late this weekend and turn it more out to sea.

Eric Webb, a graduate student in meteorology, pointed out on Twitter that the 1933 Chesapeake-Potomac hurricane took an unusual track over Bermuda into the Mid-Atlantic coast. That storm pushed a massive tidal surge of 11 to 12 feet up to the Potomac River, flooding parts of Washington.  While Florence is positioned somewhat to the north of that 1933 storm, the specter of it taking a similar track needs to be carefully monitored.

Others are likewise concerned.

“Very concerning shift in the EPS ensemble guidance with Hurricane Florence … must now seriously consider this storm a U.S. landfall threat. Still considerable uncertainty about a possible / hopeful turn away from the coast out to sea. Continue to monitor thru the weekend.”

https://twitter.com/RyanMaue/status/1037263088846815232

You’ve got a one-week warning.


If Florence hits the East Coast, we could expect landfall in approximately 8-10 days. That means you have a one-week warning and you’d be wise to use it to get prepared if you live anywhere near the East Coast, from Georgia on up to southern Maine. Even if you are a couple of hours inland, you can expect torrential rain, flash floods, and damaging high winds. This could lead to lingering floods, power outages, and wind damage to structures.

For the love of all things cute and fluffy, do not wait until Florence is guaranteed bearing down on you. USE THIS TIME TO GET PREPARED. If you wait until everyone else is panicking, you won’t be able to lay your hands on supplies like water, batteries, flashlights, etc.

Do you need help getting prepped for a potentially Category 5 hurricane? I’ve got you covered in this thorough guide

You’re going to want to stock up on the following:

  • Water
  • Emergency food and a way to cook it
  • Emergency lighting
  • Supplies to protect your home like plywood, duct tape, tarps, etc.

Spend the week making preparations that won’t waste your time, even if Florence does go back out to sea.

  • Trim any trees that are hanging over your house.
  • Check your supply of batteries.
  • Figure out what might become a projectile in your yard and make a plan to secure it.
  • Clean out your gutters
  • Check your roof to be sure that there aren’t any loose shingles or potential places for a leak.

Get prepped, because if Florence hits, the storm will rival last year’s Harvey, Irma, and Maria. And the way our luck has been going with disasters lately, I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if it does make landfall.

Resource


The Prepper’s Hurricane Survival Guide

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Daisy Luther

Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites.  1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, 2)  The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived, and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. She is widely republished across alternative media and  Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses. You can find her on FacebookPinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter.

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  • We were always taught that if a major storm or threat was happening anywhere in the US it was time to check on our preps. Even though I live in the Midwest, I will go to the store today, pick up more water (we use it continually on the farm) check our battery situation, and pick up a few cans of something my family loves to eat. Then if and when a disaster comes to this part of the nation, we are already prepared and will just have a few things to pick up. Thank you for all your wonderful posts.

  • After last year’s hurricane Irma’s predictions, I would not put any of the Washington Post’s or most of the American dismal forecasts on the top of the list. Rather, check out the more accurate European models and form your own opinion.

    Remember last year’s panic as all roads were congested with a human “locust wave” exodus after confusing weather reports. If the hurricane had made landfall, being trapped on an interstate road with hurricane force winds would not have pretty for tens of thousands of people.

    I heard we still use the forty-year-old computer Fortan language for forecasts. While still used by industry, not many people are familiar with it so contractors are bought in. This is not the first time the politically-biased Washington Post has been referred to in an Organic Prepper article. A change of guard during an emergency topped off with questionable reporting, doesn’t inspire confidence deciding to bug-out or in.

    Article from last year,

    “Here’s what the world’s most accurate weather model predicts for Irma
    A potentially catastrophic hurricane will approach southern Florida this weekend.”
    Eric Berger – 9/6/2017, 3:10 PM

    Article quote, “Now, you may be wondering, “Why is the official forecast so far to the left, when all of the other models had moved east?” The answer is the European model. This forecast system has superior hardware to run its calculations. But more importantly, it has a method by which it better assimilates real-world data—observations from weather networks around the world, atmospheric soundings, reconnaissance aircraft, and much more—into its calculations.”

    https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/09/heres-what-the-worlds-most-accurate-weather-model-predicts-for-irma/

  • There are two more potential waves behind Florence for us to watch in Florida. I’ve been through five of them now and the next to last one is the one that started me prepping.

  • Don’t take doom and gloom reporting from the WaPo too seriously. They are invested in predicting bad hurricanes, because they are a sign of “We told you so!” global-warming.

    If you live in FL, or the Gulf states, anywhere along the Eastern Seaboard, you should be prepared for a hurricane. Super Storm Sandy should have convinced everyone of that. And I don’t mean you should have prepared yesterday, or last week, you could be been prepared in March. Or last September.

    Contrary to popular belief, water doesn’t go bad. It goes flat. (Though if not stored properly, algae can grow.) Canned goods have a shelf-life of a couple of years. When Sandy hit NYC – even though they had days (weeks?) of notice – there were people with NO food, or stored water. Good job! Ditto, on every storm that I have ever been aware of. (Katrina was one of the largest storms I have ever seen satellite photos of. And yet people didn’t prepare OR evacuate.)

    That’s the other thing. If a Cat 5 hurricane is bearing down on you. Leave. Don’t wait for the last minute, you will be caught in a traffic jam with everyone else who was sure the storm was going to miss them. Oh, and pack NOW. Don’t try to ride it out, because the last Category 1 wasn’t that big of deal.

  • Daisy, thank you for your good job again! Having lived through hurricanes for the past 40-plus years, I have seen the models’ inaccuracies. Irma was an interesting storm to try to out-guess, and she decided to ride up Florida. What most people do not understand is that evacuation is best done a week ahead of projected landfall. First, it gets you out ahead of the crowd. Second, you have a shot at hotel/motel reservations if you do not have family or friends with whom to stay. Be sure the place you choose can withstand weather and flooding. Third, you can evacuate in a sane manner, not last minute. The closer the storm gets, the more fear people have, the more fights at gas stations to fill the vehicles and gas cans, the less food and supplies available, etc. We had people who tried to leave Tuesday before Irma’s arrival on Saturday. They drove two hours north … to find no gas. They turned around and went home. Be aware that hurricanes spawn tornadoes. They now call them ‘microbursts’. When you see the tops of trees literally twisted off all in the same direction and height, it is eye-opening. Also, take enough with you for a couple weeks. This three day business is stupid and absurd, obviously promoted by those who never have been through a real storm. Why two weeks? It takes time to get roads open again from downed trees and power lines. It takes time to get petroleum supplies rolling out to the gas stations so you have gas to drive home with. It takes time for electric power to be restored. My understanding is that electric power is necessary for many gas stations to operate. Also, expect the electricity to go out. I witnessed two spectacular arcs of sparks when wires snapped at night during Irma! Cell towers require electricity to operate. Land lines often work when the power goes out. One year later, we still have blue-tarped roofs, missing signs, including street signs, and other visible damage. And we were lucky!
    So, good luck to all! Maybe we will get lucky and Florence will not come.

  • Also, please, please, please take your animals with you!!!! Do not expect an animal shelter or animal group to take your animals. They have the responsibility for the ones already in their care. Your animal is not their job. You should have thought about how you would take care of and protect them when a problem arises. Please note, I said when, not if. I just found out that people were calling local cat societies asking them to take their cats because ‘they couldn’t take them with them’ just before Irma! Make sure you have all the supplies you may need for them, food, water, bowls/feeding equipment, medical supplies even if they are healthy because they can be injured during the situation and right after the situation. They deserve love and care also.

  • On the news there was a long line for propane to run generators after Hurricane Gordon.
    However this would be wise to stock up to cook foods on gas grill. Any semi-frozen veggies could be put in pots on grill.

    ***Wrapping sleeping bag around your fridge and freezer will contain coldness as well***

  • You Need More Than Food to Survive
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