Lessons learned from Hurricane Sally.

My mother and brother in law live in Ft Morgan AL and got a bullseye hit from the hurricane. It came in as a cat 2 with winds around 90 to 100 so not a total monster but I learned a few things I did not know.

First even with weather reports hurricanes can take you by surprise. BIL (brother in law) had to scrabble to get all his shutters in place, move everything into the house that could be tossed by wind or flooded. Lot of work under stress.

They evacuated. My thought was it probably wouldn't be too bad but BIL works for FEMA processing claims. He made the point that if you don't go you might lose your vehicles to wind or flooding. They had evacuated a couple times before for lesser storms and went to the same place, just a little bit more inland but still on Mobile Bay. Bad move. Motel lost power, roads flooded. Nothing to eat. Only place open was Buckies, a huge truck stop, but getting there and back was hellish. Roads flooded, trees down, lots of other people with food really picked over. Lessons learned would be to drive a little further outside of the area that might be effected. Another might be to bring some food and other things like flashlights. Basically they spent a miserable night in the dark with 2 dogs dining on Cheetohs.

Part of BIL reasoning for not going to far is he wanted to get back to the house ASAP. Like said he is FEMA and he was worried about looters and gypsies. He says gypsies are shysters will immediately swoop down on an area and claim you hired them to do repairs. If you don't pay them they will put a lien on your property or be as much of a nuisance as they can hoping for a payoff. BIL was happy to see sheriff was blocking entrance into their neighborhood and only letting residents in or out. BIL drives a big Ford SUV but water was up to the middle of the doors. Lesson is if you have a car you need to wait until the water subsides. In their case their house is about half a mile from the Gulf but on an coastal island with Gulf on one side, Bay on the other. House came through the wind great with only one window broken. Only had about 1 foot of flooding but that had drained by the time they got there. Didn't get high enough to trash golf cart or appliances on that level. House was like a little island with water still all around. All in all some damage but got off light.

So you are home but without water and electricity. For how long? Friend in Lake Charles LA just got his back on after 3 weeks from another hurricane. Can you handle that? Saturday we are sending our 2 sons from Atlanta. Leave one to help clean up and have the other bring granny back home to us. Now this mission has questions too. Sons first thought was how to keep phones charged. Car duh. About a six hour drive and it will be done in a VW Passat. What about gas? Will the local stations be closed and how far away are open stations? We can get there on a quarter tank left. Think if can fill up about half way or more should be no problem. Will the water subside enough in 3 days for sedan to get to house? BIL will let us know. BIL want us to buy him a generator but what kind that would fit in a trunk? What about gas? Luckily they seem happy with level of food and drinking water on hand. Good too he has a camp stove and canisters. All in all could be worst. He will have help and company of a big young man and granny will be vacationing in comfort in Atlanta.

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Lessons learned from Hurricane Sally.