Even Birmingham is expected to get 50-70 mph winds and 90 mph gusts. I bringing in the patio furniture and tying down the smoker. Guess I need to get some ice as well since it expected a large portion on the state maybe without power for days. I will also be filling up the tank and heading to Tallahassee maybe as early as Friday afternoon.
All 4 news networks are calling this a storm of historic proportions! Ivan has to be taken seriously even here in Birmingham. I can only imagine what the Gulf Coast, especially New Orleans are thinking at this moment.
Sheeeeesssshhhh!
Go Blazers!
As someone who just went through Charley and Frances, here are some tips for making it through the hurricane with your sanity ... I have no idea how badly Birmingham will get it, but those windspeed numbers aren't too far below what we experienced inland here.
1) DON'T let James Spann put you into Blizzard-of-93 panic mode. It's gonna be OK.
2) DO stock up on batteries, bottled water and some non-perishable foods.
3) DON'T rush out to buy all the bread and milk. The milk will just go bad in a couple of hours if you lose power, and, well, I guess the bread is OK if you are not on Atkins.
4) DO fill up your car with gas and fill up a couple of extra gas cans. This was a major problem in Central Florida. After the storms, gas stations couldn't refuel for a couple of days. There were long, long, long, long lines at the few stations with petro.
5) DON'T open your windows during the storm. They used to teach this during tornado drills when a lot of us were in school. DON'T DO IT. Doing so could lead to your roof being lifted off your house.
6) DO watch out for tornadoes. Not the big kinds like what tore apart Oak Grove. More like little mini-twisters that linger in the fronts of the hurricane bands and might last only a few seconds on the ground before going airborne again. There could be lots of them, and they do lots of damage. If your trees are blown down in one direction, chances are this was hurricane straight-line winds. If your yard or house looks like a bomb blew everything all over the place, you got zapped by one of these minis.
7) DON'T BE A JERK. People without power tend to get hot, cranky and ill-tempered. Be patient. Help a neighbor. Be nice. Share. The crews will work as fast as they can to return things back to normal.
8) DO stock up on ice. If you lose power, you're going to need it. If power is knocked out for a couple of days, this will become gold. One trick: Fill up your tupperware with water and freeze it before the storm gets there. Then you can use the ice blocks to keep things cold in the freezer or fridge.
9) DONT eat anything perishable from the fridge after power has been out for more than 4 hours. Nothing is worse than being hot, stuck in the dark and, well, gastrointestinally disturbed.
10) DO keep your lighters, candles and handtools where you can find them handy in the dark. Overheard in my house: "Oh, x&#@&! where the &#@& is that &#@&&#@& flashlight!
11) DON'T leave candles unattended.
12) DO be careful if you use a generator. Keep it in a well-ventilated area. Several people in Florida died from carbon monoxide poisoning because they put their generators in their house or basement. And for goodness sakes, don't bring a lantern or any gas-powered cooking stove into your house.
13) DON'T touch the power lines. Period.
14) DO use this time to catch up on this around the house, indoors, such as sorting through the drawers to find things to donate to Goodwill, etc.
15) DON'T leave lawn furniture, etc., in your yard. These can become projectiles or window-smashers for your property -- or your neighbors.
16) DO spend some time with family. Board games or just talking with help pass the time and bring you closer together.
Okay guys, from the looks of things, it's now headed straight for Mobile, Alabama; where my wife and my in-laws are. My wife and my in-laws won't evacuate, preferring to batten down the hatches and tough it out.
Now, I don't agree with this frame of thought at all; as a matter of fact, I think it's very effin' stupid. But, my wife believes that everything will be okay, so I have to be strong for her. Of course, I can't convince her to come up, and she can't make it herself, because she doesn't sleep long at night because she has to take my father-in-law to work, and she's always on the go.
So, basically, what I'm asking is that...if you believe in any kind of God...please pray for my wife and my in-laws; pray that they make it through this storm.
Thanks.
Most definitely UAB FAN. I think we will keep each other in our thoughts and prayers. While I don't agree with you guys staying and tuffing it out, you have to do what you can to make sure you and your family stay safe.
Hopefully however, she'll reconsider and two will get the hell up outta there.
Go Blazers!
Hey Mouse,
Thanks man.
Puff
Done
& Thanks
Be careful everybody!
Crap. I'm flying into Bham tonight and driving down to Dothan. I'll be there through Sunday because I have drill.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
can't you just get a note from a doctor?
UAB Fan Wrote:Okay guys, from the looks of things, it's now headed straight for Mobile, Alabama; where my wife and my in-laws are. My wife and my in-laws won't evacuate, preferring to batten down the hatches and tough it out.
Now, I don't agree with this frame of thought at all; as a matter of fact, I think it's very effin' stupid. But, my wife believes that everything will be okay, so I have to be strong for her. Of course, I can't convince her to come up, and she can't make it herself, because she doesn't sleep long at night because she has to take my father-in-law to work, and she's always on the go.
So, basically, what I'm asking is that...if you believe in any kind of God...please pray for my wife and my in-laws; pray that they make it through this storm.
Thanks.
If that were my wife, I would be driving down there and dragging her back to Birmingham. I won't let my baby suffer through this alone.
As of 10AM on Wednesday, classes are cancelled at UAT starting at 1PM today and going through the weekend.
I'm sure UAB won't be too far behind.
Flying Mouse is right, but I'd like to add one thing that I learned during The Great Black-Out of Aug 2003: Definitely fill all your automobile tanks AND get a charger for your cell phone that works off of your car cigarette light or alternate power source. If the power is off for several days, you will still be able to use your cell phone by charging it in your car, thereby keeping it available for use in an emergency (God forbid).
Everyone use your head and stay safe.
MC Blazer Wrote:Flying Mouse is right, but I'd like to add one thing that I learned during The Great Black-Out of Aug 2003: Definitely fill all your automobile tanks AND get a charger for your cell phone that works off of your car cigarette light or alternate power source. If the power is off for several days, you will still be able to use your cell phone by charging it in your car, thereby keeping it available for use in an emergency (God forbid).
Everyone use your head and stay safe.
A lot of good a cell phone will do if the pwer grid is offline, thus knocking out the cell phone towers
Cell phone towers normally have backup generators and battery backups that can hold them for at least 24 hours without a refill. They shutdown certain services so that just the core voice service remains.
I work for an oil company now, and use to architect wireless networks, and we have been topping of diesel and kerosene tanks since Sunday morning at cell and other critical infrastructure points.
screaminblazer Wrote:Cell phone towers normally have backup generators and battery backups that can hold them for at least 24 hours without a refill. They shutdown certain services so that just the core voice service remains.
I work for an oil company now, and use to architect wireless networks, and we have been topping of diesel and kerosene tanks since Sunday morning at cell and other critical infrastructure points.
Well, you know Cingular wireless and their antics...they are the cheapest mother______s I've ever seen when it comes to cellular services. $10 says they'll have donkeys working a turntable at the base of each tower to generate electricity.... :laugh:
BlazerSax, grow old and learn young dragon. While most of Ontario, NY, Mich, Pa, etc was knocked off the real power grid last Aug, 90% of the cell phone carriers in these areas stayed operational 100% of the time.
However, last July, 03, when straight line winds knocked out power to most of Memphis, cell phone usage was iffy. It wasn't the grids being out, the system was overloaded, and getting a call through was about 50-50
Now that's a good point. Good common sense should be used in any emergency, so lay off the social calls to the affected area. Check on your friends and kinfolk, then clear the lines.
cell phones were spotty here in Central Florida. It took me two days to get a signal. ... usually had to try several times. ... but was able to get through eventually. Right on about the charger pack, though.
Great guide on hurricane prep.
<a href='http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/NEWSV5/storyV5graphic.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/NEWSV5...ryV5graphic.htm</a>
Flying Mouse Wrote:cell phones were spotty here in Central Florida. It took me two days to get a signal. ... usually had to try several times. ... but was able to get through eventually. Right on about the charger pack, though.
Thank you MOUSE
*glares at MC*