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@colmcb

Agree I follow him also for the last several years. Really good

Good to start a thread on this years activities.   We are expecting a more active than usual season this year so preparation is critical.

Here is a site I watch:

Its full of good info for you.   You can also follow   he is on facebook and has a private group.  Like the above,  no hype just real information.

I find the weather prognosticators here less than useful. 

This week I will post a list of things to  have and to do  when  one of these babies is headed our way!

    This week I will post a list of things to  have and to do  when  one of these babies is headed our way!        -@planner

Great idea!  We certainly learned a lot living through Fiona. That was really our first hurricane experience. Quite freighting....

Darlene, yes, Mikes Weather Page is fantastic. I've been following him for years. He's definitely more accurate than many of the other forecasters in the South East U.S.

And a list is a great idea. I always do my prep in April for hurricane season. Lessons learned from Andrew, Wilma, etc. I know it sounds a bit premature but I can't take the last-minute crowds fighting for items. It's always chaos. I just make sure I have everything I need in advance and then get gas when I can, as it gets closer. Everyone should have a good hurricane prep plan.

@Christopher David56 - I agree he's really is good. I wish I'd come across him a few years ago. :-) And so mild-mannered which is nice. Nobody needs over-the-top drama when a storm is forming/approaching.

Dave, yes, they can certainly be unnerving. And, you learn something from each one. Based on yours and Denise's posts over the past few years, at least it sounds like you've done a great job building a solid house which is so important. :-)

@planner

List would be great and if you have any local DR links, phone numbers, etc for any areas of DR that would also be of great value.

(PS: we know a majority of how helpful those numbers are with assistance) but doesnt hurt to have numbers and links..just a thought

Obviously the most important item in any crisis is toiletpaper

@Papito. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Following along because this is something we do need to be aware of. Our current plans would actually have us off island for half of the hurricane season, but the storms will have an impact on where we choose to live. But having most of what you would potentially need long before a storm hits does make a lot of sense.

@Papito NL as I see it.... drinkable water, food then TP

Here is a list  I copied from an online source: 

Basics

Water (one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation)

Food (at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food)

Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert

Flashlight

First aid kit

Extra batteries

Whistle (to signal for help)

Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air)

Plastic sheeting and duct tape (to shelter in place)

Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation)

Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities)

Manual can opener (for food)

Local maps

Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery

Soap, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes to disinfect surfaces

Prescription medications.  An emergency can make it difficult for them to refill their prescription or to find an open pharmacy. Organize and protect your prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and vitamins to prepare for an emergency.

Non-prescription medications such as pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication, antacids or laxatives

Prescription eyeglasses and contact lens solution

Infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream

Pet food and extra water for your pet

Cash

Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records saved electronically or in a waterproof, portable container

light blankets

Complete change of clothing appropriate for your climate and sturdy shoes

Fire extinguisher

Matches in a waterproof container

Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items

Mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels and plastic utensils

Paper and pencil

Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

I recommend taking photos of the contents of your house in case of any insurance claims.

Have a list handy of all emergency numbers, your doctor, dentist  etc. 

What have I missed???

Make sure you have fuel for your generator and that it has been recently maintained!

Check your batteries as well.

Yes, definitely take photos and video of everything in your home, inside and outside. In the past we've needed that as proof of damage/leaks. Once I year I go through the whole house. I open every closet and cabinet door/drawers to get photos/video of the contents, all the drawers in my husband's toolboxes, every angle of the cars, each room, the patio and it's contents, etc. I also make sure to get a photo of the serial/model number on the back or bottom of items such as printer, televisions, generator, etc. I do that every year in the winter, and then delete the previous year's photos/videos.

I'd also add:

Fill your car with gas (that is usually our biggest headache - trying to get gas!)

Get gas/charcoal/wood, for your grill, depending on the type of grill you have.

If you have food in the freezer, fill a few ziploc bags with water and stick them in there to fill in "gaps". It will keep the food frozen longer if the power goes out.

Having no power for a while can be stressful so, we also make some food to heat on the grill just in case we lose power. I'm sure people may think that's "over preparing" but it's come in handy a few times and we haven't had to live on tuna/crackers for days. It gives me something to do waiting for a storm anyway. :-) We make at least one or two full meals and store them in the fridge, in those aluminum tins that we can just throw on the grill to reheat if needed. We've done chicken parm with pasta, a locrio, etc., And we make pancakes and just keep them in the fridge. We throw them on the grill in foil, to heat them up if need be. If we don't lose power, we just heat the food in the house and eat it. If we have indeed lost power, and it's still out a couple of days later, we start cooking whatever is in the freezer as it will go bad anyway. There's always someone around who's grateful for some hot food.

And, because we would not be happy campers without coffee in the morning, we keep a pour over filter in the house so we can heat water on the grill if necessary and make real coffee.

It's important too, to let family/friends know your plans for during and after a hurricane because cell service may be lost and you don't want them to panic if they can't contact you after a storm.

@planner

Also would purchase a couple of pints of oil 10w whatever you generator requires.

Also if you live in a house and have a lot of trees or palm tree , fruit trees, coconut, etc remove all dead branches and the coconut if they call for a Cat 1 or higher for your area of the island.

Anything that can be projectiles..

Remove and store all outside lawn equipment.

If you have a water tank on top of the house get it secured

If one is renting is it on the landlord to install things like hurricane shutters or the tenant? Is this something that is usually spelled out in the lease?

@sparks1093

Could be but here in the DR even with a landlord, you sometimes will have to make a decision to handle yourself to protect your internal own property.

If your renting, I would recommend having those conversations now.

Here in DR we know things are done last minute by many , and can create problems of shortage of many supplies, long lines, basically uncessary headaches.

My opinion

Get your contents insurance now too. Once a storm is on the way no one will issue a policy

A solar charger for your phone is great to have on hand! When Fiona came through, the power was out in most of Las Terrenas for a full week!

Speaking of solar, does anyone have any experience with portable solar systems for the home? We anticipate renting so having an installed system probably won't work (I am sure that the landlord wouldn't mind us installing one, but we'd be loathe to leave it behind).

    Speaking of solar, does anyone have any experience with portable solar systems for the home? We anticipate renting so having an installed system probably won't work (I am sure that the landlord wouldn't mind us installing one, but we'd be loathe to leave it behind).
   

    -@sparks1093

It's funny you ask about "portable" in the Hurricane thread.  Anything portable will likely be disappeared in anything close to hurricane-speed winds.  You absolutely do not want a large surface area, light-weight, non-secured solar panel(s) in your property with strong winds.  If you are renting, a better bet would be batteries and an inverter, or a small generator if your rental will allow it.  Just my opinion, of course, but I'd hate to see your panels flying away in a strong wind.

        Speaking of solar, does anyone have any experience with portable solar systems for the home? We anticipate renting so having an installed system probably won't work (I am sure that the landlord wouldn't mind us installing one, but we'd be loathe to leave it behind).        -@sparks1093

It's funny you ask about "portable" in the Hurricane thread.  Anything portable will likely be disappeared in anything close to hurricane-speed winds.  You absolutely do not want a large surface area, light-weight, non-secured solar panel(s) in your property with strong winds.  If you are renting, a better bet would be batteries and an inverter, or a small generator if your rental will allow it.  Just my opinion, of course, but I'd hate to see your panels flying away in a strong wind.
   

    -@UncleBuck

I'm envisioning something that would be stored until after the storm passes that could be deployed if power is lost.