Hurricane Sandy

A major hurricane is coming my way and I am a little nervous about it. No I won't get hit as bad as some of you but I am worried anyways. What do all of you do to prepare for major storms like this?

A Cat 1 or 2 hurricane isn't that bad. Just make sure that there isn't anything loose outside and that if possible to cover your windows. (plywood on the outside is preferred but that is a lot of work) I always unplug all of my electronics and move things away from windows. If you have a basement move valuables into it, and stay there during the storm. All in all, it probably won't be as bad as you think it will be.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

A Cat 1 or 2 hurricane isn't that bad. Just make sure that there isn't anything loose outside and that if possible to cover your windows. (plywood on the outside is preferred but that is a lot of work) I always unplug all of my electronics and move things away from windows. If you have a basement move valuables into it, and stay there during the storm. All in all, it probably won't be as bad as you think it will be.

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I truly hope you are right Aaron. Thanks for the reassurance!

I'm in south Jersey, I was planning on starting a post yesterday about storm prep.
They are calling for some nasty weather where I'm at. I have my heat packs ready, and bottles of water.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

A Cat 1 or 2 hurricane isn't that bad.

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Hurricane Irene was pretty bad....

As far as prep goes, I just make sure my generator is ready. It's just a little 5500 volt thing, but it's more than enough to keep the necessities up and running. A sub-pump is a good idea too...if your basement is prone to flooding, putting valuables in it is probably not a good idea. And have plenty of extra water available....not much else you can do.

We went through Irene and were without power for about a week. I have a back up generator for the snakes and essentials. So, we are fine. However, if as an additional back up I keep a full case of 40 hours heating pads normally used for shipping. If worse comes to worse, I can drop a heating pad in each tub to provide some heat.

From the looks of the storm, we will see some of it, but not the brunt - unless the path changes.

With the possibility of losing power and not having a heat source for the animals other then shipping heat packs. Would it be best if I didn't feed them tomarrow so their gut is empty? Our two BP's are right around 100-120g and have eaten for the last 4 weeks.

From what I'm hearing, there is a cold front moving in from the west. This means that if Sandy knocks out power, instead of being warm it will be cold. Temperatures here are scheduled to have a low temp of 39 degrees on Monday. Without power, that means heat will be an issue for people and reptiles. If you not have a way to provide a warm spot for the snakes without power, I would not feed them right before the storm.

This why I'm glad I live inland and hurricanes usually only cause some rain here, usually. For you guys that are in the potential path, please be careful. This storm has already killed 29 people across the Bahamas.

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Originally Posted by BleedingOrange36

I'm in south Jersey, I was planning on starting a post yesterday about storm prep.
They are calling for some nasty weather where I'm at. I have my heat packs ready, and bottles of water.

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Any idea where I can pick heat packs up?

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Originally Posted by Michelle Tonkinson

Any idea where I can pick heat packs up?

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I picked them up at Walmart in the hunting section. 30 pads for 11$ I think. They get hot, I measured 139 degrees.
I try to put all my snakes is snake bags, as many to a 41qt as possible an put the pads under the bin with a piece of polycarbonate in between.

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Originally Posted by Michelle Tonkinson

Any idea where I can pick heat packs up?

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Just make sure it isn't the "hand warmer" kind, those will take oxygen out of the air and suffocate your animals.

You can get 40 hour heat packs from the various reptile shipping supply vendors, SYR, Bean farm, etc (there are more but I can't pull them off the top of my head)

Hurricanes need to be named more menacing names. If someone knocked on my door and said "Hi! My name is Sandy!" I'd open my door. Maybe even let them in to chat. But if someone said their name was "Stalin" or "Adolf" I'd be pretty hesitant about it.

...Up to a foot of heavy, wet snow is possible through the Ohio River Valley and other inland locales...lots of potential power outages...

Having survived every major hurricane since Betsy waaaay back then all the way up until Isaac just recently, here is a link for the Red Cross hurricane preparedness checklist.

http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA..._Hurricane.pdf

Add to that, heat packs for your snakes-enough for at least a week. Trust me, it can take the power companies that long to restore power. Food that is easily prepared without electricity, charcoal for your grill, wood for the fireplace. Animal food and a generator is priceless. don't forget the gasoline and batteries.

Good luck and I hope they are predicting it to be worse than it actually will be.

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Originally Posted by BleedingOrange36

I picked them up at Walmart in the hunting section. 30 pads for 11$ I think. They get hot, I measured 139 degrees.
I try to put all my snakes is snake bags, as many to a 41qt as possible an put the pads under the bin with a piece of polycarbonate in between.

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Do you have a brand name for the ones you got?

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Originally Posted by Valentine Pirate

Just make sure it isn't the "hand warmer" kind, those will take oxygen out of the air and suffocate your animals.

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Appropriate packagiing heat packs also use oxygen to work properly, not just hand/foot warmers...

So, as of late, they're saying the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast is more or less screwed...I'd go into more detail, but that about sums it up.

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Originally Posted by RobNJ

Appropriate packagiing heat packs also use oxygen to work properly, not just hand/foot warmers...

So, as of late, they're saying the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast is more or less screwed...I'd go into more detail, but that about sums it up.

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Yep, that pretty much sums it up...... I'm only worried about my animals.... My turtles get pretty nasty without a filter.... And snakes are no good cold. My apt does not allow generators.... Soo I'm pretty much screwed. Let's just hope my female doesn't drop eggs while the powers out. My incubator has been up to temp for the last week. I'm thinking about grabbing a kerosene heater from my parents to help keep my apt warm of the power goes out.

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Originally Posted by babyknees

Do you have a brand name for the ones you got?

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I just ran out to grab some supplies. I'll put a pick up when I get back home. There are 22 in the package, 11pairs. They are hand and boot warmers.

A power outage and some fallen branches are about as scary as most Cat 1s get. lol. Because it's colder up there, I would be concerned about temperatures, but really, I wouldn't fret about the storm itself. Granted, New England homes are not built the same way as Florida homes...aka: Not build specifically to withstand hurricane force winds, but the winds you guys get up there in a normal storm are pretty nasty, so this shouldn't be too different. Like every else has said, heat packs for your animals are important, especially with the cold front coming through. If you are in a low area, you may want to consider a couple sand bags in front of your door. If you have a generator, that would help for sure, but if not, and you lose power, try not to open your fridge or freezer more than you absolutely have to. Perhaps consider having a massive cookout Hurricane bash to get rid of thawed frozen meats. :P Have some candles, batteries, lighters, flashlights, emergency radio, and LOTs of water. It would be advisable to fill your bathtub with water and plug it up. That way you have clean water if you need it. At least for a little while. A good deal of canned foods and things that won't easily spoil in case you're without power for a few days. (Again, if you have a charcoal grill....cookout. ;) ) Oh! And having some basic first aid stuff is always a good idea just in case.

In all seriousness though, a Category 1 Hurricane is not that serious. And I doubt if it will gain strength over the Atlantic. When we had that Hurricane coming through a couple months ago we prepared as necessary, but then had Hurricane parties. Let me tell you...it was an awful, vicious drizzle, but we survived. ;) I would be much more concerned about a snow storm. :O Lol.

lolyou know i been worried about my family in he lower shore than I am about us up hear cause I can always get by on low heat. But my mom and my 4 remaining snakes in lower de are moer worried about cause mom in a wheel chair and my grandmother down ther . I just called my cousin to tell him ot swing by and fire up the chain saw to make sure it runs in case it needed. But up here for the family and such ( upstate( fiance and such ) I not sure what needs ot be done . I know we got a gas grill and I can arrange to create heat with it ( not in the house but i cam make aquick water heater type set up if push comes to shove with it. and my evil thinking lol. plus i can cook on it. I just to figuer out if my fiance will have to work if there no power.. cause ithink most the fish will die at the petstore if off too long .

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Originally Posted by WarriorPrincess90

A power outage and some fallen branches are about as scary as most Cat 1s get. lol. Because it's colder up there, I would be concerned about temperatures, but really, I wouldn't fret about the storm itself. Granted, New England homes are not built the same way as Florida homes...aka: Not build specifically to withstand hurricane force winds, but the winds you guys get up there in a normal storm are pretty nasty, so this shouldn't be too different. Like every else has said, heat packs for your animals are important, especially with the cold front coming through. If you are in a low area, you may want to consider a couple sand bags in front of your door. If you have a generator, that would help for sure, but if not, and you lose power, try not to open your fridge or freezer more than you absolutely have to. Perhaps consider having a massive cookout Hurricane bash to get rid of thawed frozen meats. :P Have some candles, batteries, lighters, flashlights, emergency radio, and LOTs of water. It would be advisable to fill your bathtub with water and plug it up. That way you have clean water if you need it. At least for a little while. A good deal of canned foods and things that won't easily spoil in case you're without power for a few days. (Again, if you have a charcoal grill....cookout. ;) ) Oh! And having some basic first aid stuff is always a good idea just in case.

In all seriousness though, a Category 1 Hurricane is not that serious. And I doubt if it will gain strength over the Atlantic. When we had that Hurricane coming through a couple months ago we prepared as necessary, but then had Hurricane parties. Let me tell you...it was an awful, vicious drizzle, but we survived. ;) I would be much more concerned about a snow storm. :O Lol.

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It's not soo much the hurricane that has my area ( southern new jersey) worried.... It's the combination of the nor'easter moving in, with the cold front. They are saying the storm will last about 3 days. With me being in the fire department, I know I won't be able to be home trough the entire ordeal to watch over my animals. I have 10hr heat packs. I would be able to get back home every few hours to swap them out and check on my animals. Before I had all my animals to look after, I would of stood outside and welcomed the storm.... Now I would rather see if go out to sea.....

Everyone in an area where natural disasters can occur should have generators, extra water and food. Sounds like the "obvious" but yeah. I knew a guy who was stuck on his roof for 3 weeks because of Katrina and his family did ok because he had a lot of emergency things packed in "go bags" for everyone in his family (including his dog!) I would also keep some water purifiers or a microfilter around just in case...

I just ordered some heat packs from TSK.
Can't speak to how well they work, though.
http://www.tsksupply.com/categories/Heat-Packs/

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Originally Posted by WarriorPrincess90

A power outage and some fallen branches are about as scary as most Cat 1s get. lol. Because it's colder up there, I would be concerned about temperatures, but really, I wouldn't fret about the storm itself. Granted, New England homes are not built the same way as Florida homes...aka: Not build specifically to withstand hurricane force winds, but the winds you guys get up there in a normal storm are pretty nasty, so this shouldn't be too different. Like every else has said, heat packs for your animals are important, especially with the cold front coming through. If you are in a low area, you may want to consider a couple sand bags in front of your door. If you have a generator, that would help for sure, but if not, and you lose power, try not to open your fridge or freezer more than you absolutely have to. Perhaps consider having a massive cookout Hurricane bash to get rid of thawed frozen meats. :P Have some candles, batteries, lighters, flashlights, emergency radio, and LOTs of water. It would be advisable to fill your bathtub with water and plug it up. That way you have clean water if you need it. At least for a little while. A good deal of canned foods and things that won't easily spoil in case you're without power for a few days. (Again, if you have a charcoal grill....cookout. ;) ) Oh! And having some basic first aid stuff is always a good idea just in case.

In all seriousness though, a Category 1 Hurricane is not that serious. And I doubt if it will gain strength over the Atlantic. When we had that Hurricane coming through a couple months ago we prepared as necessary, but then had Hurricane parties. Let me tell you...it was an awful, vicious drizzle, but we survived. ;) I would be much more concerned about a snow storm. :O Lol.

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The biggest concern with storms like this isn't so much the force of the wind, but flooding. When there are hills/mountains stretching for miles and miles, water from rainfall is always moving. 5+ inches of rain over a day's time is a ton of water that has to go somewhere... Hurricane Irene(Cat 1) tore out roads, collapsed bridges, flooded entire towns, etc... And the worst of it was in the higher elevation areas, not coastal(from New Jersey and northward anyway)...though with the storm hitting during a full moon, coastal areas are under closer watch.

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Originally Posted by BleedingOrange36

It's not soo much the hurricane that has my area ( southern new jersey) worried.... It's the combination of the nor'easter moving in, with the cold front. They are saying the storm will last about 3 days. With me being in the fire department, I know I won't be able to be home trough the entire ordeal to watch over my animals. I have 10hr heat packs. I would be able to get back home every few hours to swap them out and check on my animals. Before I had all my animals to look after, I would of stood outside and welcomed the storm.... Now I would rather see if go out to sea.....

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I wonder if the Nor'easter might push Sandy back out to sea? When I was in Mass last year in December the winds were crazy in a regular old thunder storm.

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Originally Posted by RobNJ

The biggest concern with storms like this isn't so much the force of the wind, but flooding. When there are hills/mountains stretching for miles and miles, water from rainfall is always moving. 5+ inches of rain over a day's time is a ton of water that has to go somewhere... Hurricane Irene(Cat 1) tore out roads, collapsed bridges, flooded entire towns, etc... And the worst of it was in the higher elevation areas, not coastal(from New Jersey and northward anyway)...though with the storm hitting during a full moon, coastal areas are under closer watch.

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True. So sandbags are probably advisable then. Like I said, things are built differently in the northeast, so I could easily see how a storm that we Floridians would consider a bad thunderstorm essentially could cause more damage. Things in Florida are built specifically with the necessity of withstanding hurricanes in mind. :P

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Originally Posted by Marduk

I just ordered some heat packs from TSK.
Can't speak to how well they work, though.
http://www.tsksupply.com/categories/Heat-Packs/

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Those are your standard UNI-Heat heat packs used for packaging/shipping...they work well.

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Originally Posted by WarriorPrincess90

I wonder if the Nor'easter might push Sandy back out to sea? When I was in Mass last year in December the winds were crazy in a regular old thunder storm.

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Looks like it'll be 3 systems meeting up all at once and making things worse if anything...guess anything's possible though, not like weathermen are right all the time.

I live basically on the top of a hill in northeast Philadelphia so no need to worry about flooding for me. Went out tonight and grabbed some bread, water, batteries and heat packs along with some bones to occupy the dogs. Other than that Im good!!

There is a high pressure system in eastern Canada that is rotating clockwise pushing towards the east coast. This is the system that is supposed to push sandy back towards the coast. In a perfect scenario that system could loose some power and allow sandy to drift off..... We will know come Sunday night....

Whenever we lose power i cuddle with my snakes for warmth to survive. Im glad everyones keeping this thread so serious. Hurricanes arent something to joke about.:D

This was just posted on Facebook :

"I'm getting a lot of, "What are you doing with your animals," messages, so I thought I'd post here. With power out for up to a week, I have taken some precautions. Sorry if any of this is too late for you.
1) I stopped feeding my animals and will not feed them until power is assured. While it's not ideal for them not to eat, I fear food rotting undigested in their stomachs far more than a lack of... food. Those of you who brumate any of your reptiles know what I mean.
2) I am making sure my cages are CLEAN. Cold, dark, and humid are good breeding grounds for bacteria and mold, and trying to clean cages with now power or hot water SUCKS.
3) I am making sure all my animals have water, and that I have a 10 day supply of water set aside and ready. I use 3+ gallons each watering in the reptile room, so I have all that filtered and dechlorinated now.
4) When the power goes out, I'll be unplugging all my heaters, lights, and heat tape. I'd rather make sure nothing is damaged by a surge, which can be deadly. Unplugging when it gets bad is also a good plan.
5) I'm pulling all the racks away from outside walls. The storm will chill my walls, which will in turn chill my animals.

Excluding the reptiles:
1) Make sure all clothes are clean, so no laundry for a week will be no problem.
2) Freeze blocks of ice and put the in the fridge and freezer. They will help hold temps for quite a while. I'm using empty reptile bins. Use as many as your space will afford, and don't forget to leave room for the ice to expand!
3) Budget about a gallon of water per person, per day. If you don't use it, better safe than sorry.
4) Have LOTS of water to pour in the toilet. Business will still need to happen, and filling the bowl will be to only way to flush.

Please tag/share/link to any and everyone this may help. Let's keep us and our animals safe!"


http://www.facebook.com/ThatWeirdGeckoGuy?ref=stream

Damned Storm is Still Far in Atlantic and NYC already experiencing some Flooding.. This gonna be far worse that Irene... :-/

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...84736702_n.jpg

Heads-up to anyone planning to ship near the East coast - I spoke with Andy at SYR this morning and they are recommending everyone hold off shipping in case flights are grounded, power outages, etc. This applies to Fedex hubs and airline routes in the path of the storm, not just the to/from locations.

Definetly do NOT ship to anywhere east of the mississippi right now lol. For like a week or so

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Originally Posted by Aes_Sidhe

This gonna be far worse that Irene... :-/

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Agreed...I'm about 2 and a half hours northwest of Atlantic City where it's supposed to make landfall around 6:00 pm and it's already real nasty here. Definitely not gonna be "just a Cat 1" hurricane.

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

Heads-up to anyone planning to ship near the East coast

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I called off a couple outgoing shipments a couple days ago...

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Definetly do NOT ship to anywhere east of the mississippi right now lol. For like a week or so

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Yep, I tried to wait it out until this morning to see if it would blow through in time, but there's just too much risk.

Yikes guys, sounds like it's gonna be pretty bad. Given the situation, definitely not just a "Cat 1" situation. I've been following the storm on the news and the pressure levels make it a whole different story. Not to mention, the construction and general layout in the north east aren't generally equipt to deal with hurricanes. Keeping all you Northerners in my thoughts and please be safe!

I've been through a lot of hurricanes living in Florida but all you northerners be careful! Its not just a hurricane for you, its a nasty cold storm! All the advice has been pretty good so far. Just make sure to pick up furniture or stuff laying around outside so nothing comes through the windows and keep kids on the interior walls of the house. Know where you are going to go if a tornados start spinning off the hurricane! Be safe everyone!! Make sure vehicles aren't parked under trees and if possible in the garage or parked in the driveway to where the front or back is facing into he wind. If you park so that the wind hits from the sides its easier for the wind to roll it if it gets strong enough. That's what we always did anyways...

Well its about 7pm and I still have my lights and all on. Its windy like you wouldnt believe and hasnt been raining for a while . Luckily I do not live around a body of water so I am not really worried about flooding. Only problem I am having is taking the dogs out. They want nothing to do with this.

I'm finding sandy quite pitiful. We closed school early and have been in flood/wind watch for 2 days already and all I'm seeing is nothing more than a bad thunder storm minus the thunder. Definitely not deterring me from driving to work an hour away tonight.

I'm in NC and it's freeeeezing cold and insanely windy. Seriously. My 4 lb chihuahua almost blew away... Not funny :/
I also have my WHOLE family up in MD, right on the water :( I'm staying in touch with all of them, praying they're all okay!
I also have some extended family up in NJ...
I hope everyone is keeping their animals safe and making sure they are all prepared!!!!

It's no the storm itself that is the bad part, it is the flooding and the wind blowing trees down. I have already seen three or four big trees fall. Most of the road around me are covered in water, the creeks and rivers are all flooded and still rising. Being in southern PA the real flooding won't happen for awhile, after all the rain and runoff goes into the rivers and creeks and comes south, the real bad flooding happens.

I feel for you guys! I'm in Toronto and they are calling for winds at 110 km/hour. We've had A LOT of rain so the ground is saturated. They are expecting mass power outages and our temperatures are sitting close to 35 degrees F. Im worried I can't imagine what you guys are going through.

Good luck to everyone that has to deal with this! I hope you all make it through safely!

Its not too bad here in northen va right now. they are calling for the worse of it throughout the night. depending on what i wake up to will determine if i will go to work tomorrow. Still have power as of now making sure the phone is completely charged to have if i need it.

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Originally Posted by KThnxBye

I'm in NC and it's freeeeezing cold and insanely windy. Seriously. My 4 lb chihuahua almost blew away... Not funny :/
I also have my WHOLE family up in MD, right on the water :( I'm staying in touch with all of them, praying they're all okay!
I also have some extended family up in NJ...
I hope everyone is keeping their animals safe and making sure they are all prepared!!!!

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Kinda funny about the chihuahua, only because I can picture it. The rest isn't funny at all. I really hope everything is okay for you guys!

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Originally Posted by EAC Reptiles

It's no the storm itself that is the bad part, it is the flooding and the wind blowing trees down. I have already seen three or four big trees fall. Most of the road around me are covered in water, the creeks and rivers are all flooded and still rising. Being in southern PA the real flooding won't happen for awhile, after all the rain and runoff goes into the rivers and creeks and comes south, the real bad flooding happens.

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Best of luck mate! Thanks for keeping us posted.

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Originally Posted by decensored

I feel for you guys! I'm in Toronto and they are calling for winds at 110 km/hour. We've had A LOT of rain so the ground is saturated. They are expecting mass power outages and our temperatures are sitting close to 35 degrees F. Im worried I can't imagine what you guys are going through.

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Yeah, the winds are super strong. The worst that can happen for us is power outages, and I hope that won't because I have a lot to do: read, study, write a mid-term and a couple papers.

Agh!

(PS: I don't know what 35 F means. How dare you cater to their strange language! ;))

Jeez, this is serious..I hope Everyone and their snakes are able to stay safe, warm and dry..:(
And 35 F (ferenheit) means COLD...Almost cold enough to snow.:O

Im in CT along the shoreline. We lost power for about an hour from 9-10pm. Other than that, nothing too special. A couple trees were down on the way home from work but NOTHING compared to irene last year. Sandy, youre weak.

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Originally Posted by CatandDiallo

Yeah, the winds are super strong. The worst that can happen for us is power outages, and I hope that won't because I have a lot to do: read, study, write a mid-term and a couple papers.

Agh!

(PS: I don't know what 35 F means. How dare you cater to their strange language! ;))

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hahahah XD yeah.. Every time I say it in Celsius people act like I'm from MARS haha. I actually have to use a calculator to change it to F so that 90% of people online know what I'm talking about. LOL