Hurricane Prep in The Villages
 

As this is my first summer as a resident here in The Villages, I was wondering what (if anything) people do to prepare for hurricane season here in The Villages. I know we are usually out of harm’s way, but Ian was initially forecasted to track right over The Villages last year, before deviating south. Most people I ask, sorta laugh it off, and don’t really do anything to prepare. I keep canned goods and water on hand as a contingency measure, having lived through the Loma Prieta earthquake of San Francisco in 1989, and the Waldo Canyon fire of Colorado Springs of 2012. I’m thinking I should buy a battery operated radio. Would keeping some empty sandbags or inflatable water barrier protection be prudent? Interested on what some of the “old-timers” who have lived here for years do. Thanks!

Should be an interesting thread.

You will hear..........yes, no, maybe.
Also, we have incurred "a direct hit" a few years ago........not much damage.

Probably wise to do the "supplies side" of the preparation.
Food, water, batteries, gas, medications, etc.

Few Villagers have generations.............not sure if they have used them.
(I have one, but I brought it down from the North)

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

Food, water and meds are pretty much all we have.

A gas (CNG) stove , candles, and be glad you don’t live on the South end!

Fill your bathtub up with water. It's main use would be to flush the toilet, in the event something happens to the water supply.

It wont be wasted; you can always take a bath when its over. Or use it to water your landscape.

Keep an eye out for a Hurricane Expo. They usually have them at the rec centers. Lots of good information.

There are several web sites for storm prep. Most will sell or recommend an emergency bag. Or you can see what is in the bag and custom make your own. I have a emergency kit and I breakit out beginning of the season make sure everything is working and charged.
Best advice is if you think one is coming your way "Get out of dodge". Go visit a friend, mini vacation and try to leave before a warning to leave is issued. Roads get super packed.

I lived on the coast of Florida for 23 years. If you have a direct hit, there is no amount of planning that will help. Pack your small prized possessions, mementos, and important papers and get the hell out! Do not stay if you are under mandatory evacuation. It is a fool's game! You can not compete with Mother Nature.

The absolute WORST thing that happens if you are not directly hit is your electricity may be out for days and even weeks. Your house is hot as hell, you have no way to keep food, you can't do laundry, keeping a charge on your phone is a chore...etc etc.

I have learned to keep small battery or solar operated lanterns which can also charge your phone. And to make certain my gas tank in vehicle is full. There have been times we needed to sit in it just to get some A/C. When purchasing a vehicle, I buy one that I can easily pack items valuable to me. I have never gone to a shelter. Always drove inland to friends /family home. Make sure you have an evacuation plan! We had a routine set. Take perishible food with you and plan on eating that keeping it on ice for as long as you can. We fill the washer with ice. It was something we learned while watching hurricane prep. And, fill your bathtub with water so you can flush the toilet. No bathtub? Fill large buckets or containers. Also, fill containers that you can use for drinking or cooking.

Many will say we are out of harm"s way here in the Villages. To tell you the truth, it was a primary reason I chose this location. Tired of packing and taking care of the home every hurricane season.
But, NEVER feel 100% safe! Stay off the streets and hunker down during the hurricane! People have died from falling trees, debris, and just the inability to see clearly through the heavy rains.

Once everything has settled, if you live within 100 miles of a city that was destroyed by a hurricane, you will find your grocery stores short on supplies. This is when you will be glad you have an extra supply in your home. The shortage can last for months! Just adjust and buy what is available. Do not be THAT PERSON who hogs the supplies. Then everything must be placed on a limit purchase of one. Annoying for everyone!

I can not completely describe the absolute discomfort of "when the storm had passed.'. PLEASE! Keep supplies in your home for this reason. You will be glad you did!

Have any houses in the villages ever put up sandbags to prepare for a hurricane?

If so, where you get the bags and the sand!

And did it work?

To me, the most frightening part of a hurricane is all the hype before it actually gets to it's destination. Days of weather people telling you where it is going and when, unfortunately it never seems to end up where they say it will. If it goes over TV it really does sound like a freight train.

Yes, get in bread, stuff like peanut butter that does not need cooking or heating, any of the usual every day foods which you would not cook.

If you lose power try to keep the refrigerator and freezer closed to help hold in the cold. Only once in 18 yrs did we lose power for more than a few hours.

When I was living on the coast, sand was made available for free in pick up locations. The information was given on every newscast. We were advised that only homeowners who lived near waters that may rise ( usually rivers where I lived) should take these bags. They keep the water, or at least some of it, from entering your home.

Is there a reason to have sand bags in the Villages? Not sure! I do not live close enough to water to know. I believe at one time some homes in Spanish Springs got flooded. But, again not sure!

There a lot of houses close to retention ponds. I know the villages is “designed” to flood the golf courses. But will the design work if we get hit with a major hurricane? Or will the retention ponds flood the houses?

A few months ago Fort Lauderdale was flooded by a storm - not even a hurricane and on today’s news it looks like West Point was badly flooded!!

potentially having a hurricane come anywhere near TV, grocery stores become a mob fest.

Worst part is every TV channel will only have hurricane coverage. So one needs a dvd and some movies to pass the time.

The drainage system in TV is excellent and carries much of the torrential rains away. Also, on my road our driveways are sloped towards the road to take water to the drains. My home is on a golf course and we have a long retention type drain behind all our homes. I have watched it fill almost to the top and it has never yet flooded out. However, the ground water in my back yard will take days to dry out.

Completely agree with most of this post but bread gets moldy. Especially, in a hot home that has no electricity for days or weeks. You have to purchase non-perishable goods. Learned this the hard way! Never made that mistake again!