As Virginia Beach seems to be in the sites of Arthur, consider what precautions that you should take. Storm forecasting is still an art and not totally a science. It is possible to be told that it will be “mostly a rain event” with tropical storm winds of gale force, but storms and their tracks change quickly. Sometimes the last minute shift in course or intensity is to our advantage, sometimes not so. Consider the following preparations:
1. Do not leave your car in an area that floods easily. You can relocate your car to North Great Neck Road to one of the school parking lots. The Great Neck area is high enough so it should not flood.
2. Put some water in containers in your freezer in case power is lost. It helps keep things cold if power should be lost, and will also serve as drinking water if needed.
3. Check your flashlights and battery supply. The new LED type flashlights are 4 times brighter and the batteries last 10 times longer. Great source for light. Know where your flashlights are located.
4. Look at the areas around your house which could flood and make sure nothing valuable or potentially hazardous could get wet (lawn fertilizer, pool chemicals, tools etc.). And don’t forget to bring in all the lawn furniture.
5. If a room floods and the wall board gets wet, the wet wall board should be removed quickly so it will not damage more wall board. If the insulation gets wet remove it also, BUT wear gloves as this stuff itches. If you have to remove a lot of insulation, wear a face mask to prevent breathing the insulation fibers.
6. PERSONAL SAFETY. Don’t drive in water that comes to the bottom of your car’s doors (8 or more inches). You can’t plow through it and the water will come up over your hood. If you get water in your engine (sucked into engine intake), you may have to buy a new engine. When you don’t know how deep the water, go around or go back. Don’t use a BBQ grill in the garage or house as the the carbon-monoxide fumes can kill you and your pets. CO fumes are heavier than CO2, so CO fumes will sink and collect in the lower parts of your house. BE careful. Keep a fire extinguisher handy. If there are down power lines, consider them HOT and LETHAL. Tree branches CAN conduct electricity, as can metal fences, so don’t touch them if your neighborhood has a power outage.
7. Watch out for one another. BE GOOD Neighbors and don’t create wakes on your road. These wakes can do damage to adjacent homes. If you are going away from the area, let your neighbor know in case of damage to your house.
Let us all hope for the best. Our lawns need some rain, but let’s hope the winds are mild and the rains are only refreshing.
