How Much Advance Notice Is There Usually to Know a Storm including Hurricane/Tornado Will Be Coming?

We were told last week that Harvey would produce record rainfall in East Texas, in excess of 30 inches. Some prepared, most did not. Some evacuated, most did not. Some lost homes, most did not. Some drown, most did not. The death toll in this storm is extremely light. Some had flood insurance, most did not. The financial cost is going to be enormous. It will be the American taxpayer that bears the lion's share of the cost. Most people know that FEMA is will bail or buy them out..

 

Funny thing about hurricanes. I've been here on the beach for 40 years, been a home owner for 30. First hurricane here that I can remember was Bertha in 1996. I talked to lots of old timers who were in their seventies and lived here all their lives. It was the first one for them too. This really makes me wonder if we'd been having them all along, and without live weather radar, just considered them part of the normal weather. ha Farmers Almanac probably warned of them anyway.

If you think the 24 hour news cycle hasn't made us soft, or at least overly cautious, consider things like two hour school delays because it might rain, or "Might snow days" when the kids stay home, even though it was 60 the day before and there is zero
chance of snow accumulation.

Take away the news and for most of us on this part of the coast it's just a matter of watching the water come in and go out. Some folks watch from homes that are ten feet higher now than during Hurricane Floyd. I feel for the people who have been flooded in Texas, but I suspect they'll be back to normal far faster than most anticipate.

 

Looters: reason No. 374 to own a firearm . . . Gun group, others react to report of suspect shot in head as Harvey struck

Also saw report where looters were posing as DEA, po-LICE (probably WERE po-LICE) and other gov't agencies to tell people to leave so they could loot the houses.

 

Just don't forget, NO is also an answer to a prayer.

 

Wow Thanks for letting me know about this. I just assumed that it was part of my renters insurance. I'll follow-up with my AllState Agent and ask my sister tomorrow about her home. That changes my thinking a lot though I'd still just get the hell out of Dodge after seeing what I saw on 2020 which is probably over sensationalized. I've always taken a rather safe than sorry approach to life.

 

Floods are often scarier than they show on footage...it's not just the interstate being under 20 foot of water, but the water being EVERYWHERE and how little it takes to mess everything up.

 

I'm lucky as I took an early retirement at 50 but the good thing about my job was that I could always call in sick for 3 days, no questions asked even though they knew I was lying and not have to give a Doctor's note. For 5 Days I could always lie and say my mother is dying and I need to be home now! I'm not above that but I guess there are only so many times a person can be dying!

 

I didn't hear of any looting in Houston. Was there?

 

What they haven't really discussed on TV is the stench and disease left from the flooding after it subsides,

 

Did you watch the 2020 episode last night? I wonder what your opinion was of it. They gave the worst impression possible. ANother reason I no longer trust the Media

 

Interesting point but still who in their right mind goes to school when they are expecting a Hurricane that day even in 1960! I was too afraid of my parents to say no!

 

Yes.

Some dead looters, too.

 

Do the folks at Home Depot go to work on the day that they are expecting a Hurricane? Remember that TV commercial when the Home Depot truck comes to a stop and turns toward the storm? Wonder how many folks from how many states are mobilizing to man the Home Depots in and around Houston?

 

Awww there ya go nit picking the little things lol

 

I did not. I do not watch, read or listen to liberal media because I don't have to.

 

I was watching some news revealing the E.coli and other water borne pathogens contaminated the water every where.
This means shelves and floors and walls need to be washed down with disinfectant ,every single thing that has been exposed to that water is suspect.

 

I live in flood prone wetter Washington. We generally get a day or 2 notice of storms with potential to cause flooding. Having said that we were aught flat footed in 2007 when a storm stalled on top of us overnight and dropped 20 inches of rain.

 

Just thinking ,
5 gallon buckets and lids are a good storage tool.
being water proof you can throw a lot of things in them not necessarily food related , electronics and paper and other water sensitive things you might have to move in a moments notice.

 

FL is was put on notice, they have at least a week to get their stuff together, but millions will still be totally unprepared and won't evac.