CNN just reveal a recent poll that showed many people along the coast line aren't prepare for hurricanes this summer.
Are you guys prepared for severe hurricanes for this season?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/31/hurricane.preparedness.ap/index.html

Yes, I am prepared BUT there are always improvements to be made.

Check out the Hurricane Condition Checklist.

I have received some feedback and have already instituted some changes. I have found that if I am prepared for a nuclear incident, then I'm prepared for anything.

I can't speak about the rest of the country, however most in PBC "Palm Beach county" arn't prepaired, or there not prepaired correctly. I have seen people focus on one thing, but not paying attention to anything else. I.E. They will buy shutters, plywood, or some sort of window covering, but they will forget however that they are in a 30 year old woodframe house, which is nowhere near code. Or they will have a modern concrete home, shutters, and food, but they won't stock any water. Some people don't bother doing anything, they still have the mentality that since no major hurricanes have hit Palm Beach since 1949 none will in the future. It's kind of the "it'll never happen to me" mentality. Thats the mentality that usually causes disasters. Unfortunatly there is no real way to get people to prepare, if you tell them they need to be prepaired, they call you a fear monger. It seems the only real way to inspire people to get ready is for it to happen to them.

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

If they don't want to be prepared then the only thing to be done is.............Let them meet their mortality, if they survive, they will forever endeavor to be prepared, otherwise, they will never worry about it!!!!!!

Thats JUST THE POINT!
They are not, nor has the past taught them a thing.

Just remember: it's going to be the Federal goverments fault, never theirs.

picard120, I don't mean to be rude but the only thing that suprises me about that is the fact that you seem kinda suprised about it. I have lived near the gulf off and on all my life, and it's always the same when a hurricane is headed toward you section of the coast. Mass run to wally world, home depot, with ripples spreading out to all the smaller mom and pop stores as the supplies are depleated at the bigger stores. Then there's a lull and just before it makes land fall 80% of the folks all try to cramm onto the road at the same time. 5% having been at least semi prepared and left early, and 15% being to stubborn or unable to leave.

Well, I'd like to reenforce my roof trusses with some 2x4s and also reenforce my garage door, then I'm set. Two years ago I had custom plywood covers made for all my windows. The plywood was painted with exterier paint to waterproof them. It'll be a heck of a job putting them all up.

As for food, water, power, etc... we are ready.

-Blast

I was here in Cayman when Ivan hit. Nothing, and I mean nothing prepares you to see a ~40' shipping container flying through the air, by your window when your on the fourth floor of an office building.

Since then, I've moved from a crappy condo to one that is 7' off the ground, all concrete and as hurricane proof as any building can be down here. My hurricane supplies fills my second bedroom closest (its not small). Last season, we had so much stuff that my wife and I were eating hurricane supplies till last month (still think we have some stuff kicking around). We figure that where we live, its probably the safest home for all our friends, therefore its deemed the hurricane shelter and all of our closest friends have keys to get in.

I should inventory what we have for our hurricane supplies, its quite extensive. Food and water is 1/6th of the kit. Everything else is for the clean up, patch jobs till a professional can do something, survival, and tools to get into homes incase there is an issue (or better yet, to get you out of your home in an emergancy).

We figure 8 people staying there for a month, maybe 2. Its a good figure cause you never know what buildings will survive, and its amazing to see where you'll end up for the clean up afterwards.

And I've added some extra insurance for the last two years... Signed up for the company's evac flight. If a cat 3 or higher comes within a certian range of Cayman, the company has a chartered jet that will fly down, pick us up, and drop us off at an international airport somewhere not in the way of the storm.

And one more piece of necessary equipment... battery operated fans!!!!! I have a 6 of them, and 30lbs of D batteries to run them. For during and after the storm. Generator running all night has a good chance of getting stolen.

Man, you and Blast are READY!!!

That sure is the way it looks by watching TV...