Here are some tips on how to deal with flooding in your home:
-Rent a large trash container.
-Take pictures of everything you throw out.
-Wet drywall must be removed a foot higher than the waterline.
-If you move to a hotel ask for a Red Cross Rate.
-Expect to pay out of pocket until Insurance & FEMA payments arrive.
More Info & details from someone who dealt with flooding from a past storm:
Insurance and FEMA will ask you to list the contents of EVERY drawer in your house. Literally. How many tubes of toothpaste did you throw out? How many tubes of mascara. How many pairs of shoes? What brand of mattress did you have? When did you buy it? How many sets of sheets? Your mind is reeling and you can’t remember. Keep a camera in your pocket and take pictures of EVERYTHING – including the brand/style/etc of the item. Every drawer, every cabinet, every closet. You will not remember how many boxes of macaroni and cheese you have – but they will ask about what was in your pantry, fridge and freezer. How many designer items? They will want you to differentiate.
If you have any wet documents you want to keep, freeze them. You can thaw them later but they will start to mildew unless they are frozen.
If there are ANY dry cleaners open, take ALL of your clothes to them. Mildew will start within a day or two and then they cannot save the clothes. Insurance will pay for the cleaning so don’t worry. Just get someone to take the clothes to the nearest cleaners and drop them off.
Obviously the best hotel is one with a kitchenette. If you are staying there for a while you will want that option.
If you have receipts for anything in your house – find them. If you buy anything – anything – save the receipts. You will need this for insurance.
Go to store and buy plastic tubs. Use them to pack the things you can salvage. They stack easily and don’t dissolve if things are wet.
Order a pod. They will drop one in your driveway and use it to store the things you want to keep. They can take the pod away once it is full and keep it until you decide what to do with your stuff.
The space shuttle Endeavour making its way down the streets of Los Angeles, California. It will soon be on public display at the California Science Center.
Plastic Bags! I hate seeing these on the reef. I grabbed it before a sea turtle could try to eat it thinking it was a jellyfish. This wasn’t the only one we saw on our dive in Pompano Beach, Florida today. We all need to do a better job at keeping our beaches clean!
We also saw a big nurse shark, moray eel and tons of fish. It was a great day of diving with Jerry from Parrot Island Scuba Diving. (He’s a High School guidance counselor during the week!)
The most photographed palm tree in Florida. It is often seen in clothing catalogues. It can be found on the beach at The Moorings Village in Islamorada, Florida.
-Restock your family’s Emergency Disaster Kit. (flashlights and NOT candles, canned food, water, batteries)
-Review and list your medical prescriptions. Assess the need to refill.
-Collect insurance papers, take photos of your home, make household inventory.
-Purchase battery powered NOAA weather radio or AM/FM radio – extra batteries.
-Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed. Remove any debris or loose items in your yard. Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
-Utilize permanent hurricane shutters or install anchors for plywood (marine plywood is best) and pre-drill holes in precut half-inch outdoor plywood boards so that you can cover the windows of your home quickly. Taping windows will NOT work.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A STORM:
-Fill bathtub with water, it will be a great help in flushing toilets.
-Get cash, especially on the islands, if power goes out you won’t be able to use a credit card.
-Gas up cars and only drive when absolutely necessary.
-Stay away from windows, if things get really bad you can use a mattress in a room/closet and put it over you for protection of falling debris.
-Do not do what Anderson is doing in the photo, downed power lines in standing water CAN kill you. Let the media be your eyes and ears on what is going on in your community.
-The following persons should prepare to evacuate to a shelter before tropical storm force winds:
Persons living in a mobile or manufactured homes
Persons living in flood prone areas
Persons with Special / Medical Needs
-Emergency crews will be busy call only when absolutely necessary.
-TY Rob Moody for this tip:
If you evacuate turn the power breakers off. You are going to lose power anyway, this allows first responders a safe way to check your home and after the storm & when the power is turned back on you run a far less risk of a fire from allowing power back into a damaged home especially if you are not there when its restored.
*Part of this list is courtesy Seminole County, Florida & my own experience covering too many storms.
I just added the Bora Bora page under French Polynesia. Most people go to Bora Bora and it is a beautiful place but make sure you check out my favorite atoll Fakarava. I hope to post the Tikehau Page soon. I am also posting more videos on our KimsTravelSite YouTube Channel:
A reader of this site submitted an article on fishing around the world. I created the “Worldwide” page since his list includes different countries. If you enjoy fishing please take a look at the page with his article, the best fishing spots worldwide, by clicking the photo below.
If you would like to submit your own trip report for consideration please feel free to contact me.
I posted new pages, there is a generic French Polynesia page with tips, a Rangiroa page and Fakarava. Click the photo below and South Pacific on the menu bar.
I am still working on Tikehau, Bora Bora and Tahiti.
*Here’s a list of things to do & buy.
