Tropical Storm Hanna & Hurricane Ike Map 09.04.2008 5:00 PM EDT
Not sure if you heard or not. I went to the supermarket on my lunch hour to stock up on some non-perishable items ad there was plenty of water and no elbowing or pushing, so I know people are not quite in emergency mode yet.
Disaster management experts recommend that you have at least three days of water and food per person socked away at home, in case you have to shelter in place for a while. Figure on two gallons of water per person per day for all things – drinking, cleaning and hygiene products from wastefreeproducts.com.
I know it’s still early in the day but it’s Friday, which means the boss is probably gone to hit the links before the storm ruins his golfing weekend. Take this opportunity to visit the supermarket before the elbowing and pushing start.
You likely won’t need all that you buy, but it’s better to be prepared. Having been through a hurricane in the past, I can tell you that a bit of preparedness really does pay off.
Just a couple of tips from your neighborhood IT Professional… this is what I sent to my clients:
By now we’re sure you’re aware that Tropical Storm Hanna is rapidly approaching the DC area, and while it looks that we’re going to get only brushed by the inner bands, there’s a danger that there will be flooding with a 3-5′ storm surge and upwards of 4″ of rain in the greater DC metro. This is just an email to give you a couple of tips:
– Check your Server UPS before leaving today, make sure it’s on and functioning.
– Take a set of backups to an off-site location, just in case
– For extra security, in case of electrical storm, shut off computers (not servers, please!) before leaving today and unplug their power sources from the wall.
We don’t expect Hanna to approach the level of Isabel from 2003, or other recent storms, but we want folks to be aware that power outages are not unheard of in these situations.
Tom, thanks for the technical side of this. I had forgotten all about it.
Another angle to think of – driving. Don’t be aggressive; try to be patient and cooperative. If there are traffic lights out completely or even flashing, stop and treat the intersection as if everyone has a stop sign.
Don’t be like the woman at the supermarket I encountered during Hurricane Fran who insisted that she be at the head of the line for rationed ice. She was self-important and a douchebag. Wait your turn and be polite and helpful, or at least one of these.
Another driving tip – never ever, please, never drive through water – you really don’t know how deep it is or how fast it’s moving and next thing you know you’re drifting down the current (cars float easy) and waiting for someone to come rescue you.