When necessary, we'll quickly set up a new and separate storm category at the top of the forums list on the forum home with links from the SoWal.com home page when an event happens in SoWal.

Please help with suggestions, tips, or advice for what we need on this site during tropical storms or hurrricanes. Some of the preparations can be made in advance to determine structure, format, and info we need to help people find out what's going on in SoWal or nearby.


Some ideas:

• A sticky thread for media and other info links,
  I've started one here
  **Internal Linking (Threads)
  . Please add to it.
• A sticky thread for tracking and landfall info.
• A sticky thread for news and reports from official sources
• A thread for businesses that are open or closed, food and gas availability, etc.
• A subforum for requests, and reports & photos of specific properties after the storm.
• A subforum for photos and video.

What do you remember that was helpful or useful during past years on SoWal.com when we had storms?

I think in the subforum for photos and video, or reports after the storm, it would be good to have it broken into specific areas of SoWal. eg - Seaside, WaterCooler, Seagrove, WaterSound, etc. so that people could update others with general information on those areas. It may eliminate the need to check on specific houses, if we are not directly hit by a storm.

Great ideas on putting all of this together!

__________________

How about a thread for folks needing or offering help with preparation to connect up with each other?

That could be helpful if it were done now. In the past it's been a real problem because there hasn't been enough labor to go around. If you own property you need to board up and secure, you need to have that arranged in advance with someone trustworthy.

If you are with a rental agent who claims to have it covered you might find yourself unprotected because there is only so many houses that can they can get labor and materials to in crunch time.

It really is a problem trying to secure things. Everyone is trying to get done and get out of the area, they have their own stuff to take care of, and then they are trying to help friends and clients with their preparations. It really gets a bit crazy as you try to get it done and get across that bridge before it is closed and you end up stuck.

__________________

I know that most rental companies will pull in outdoor furniture, grills, etc. and if you have either roll down storm windows or something that can be pulled close and not assembled, installed, etc. you are probably good. If you have plywood, panels, or other such items it's probably not going to happen.

I know that south Florida has services that will build, store, and install hurricane shutters. Do we have any locally?

__________________

Call the Canuck.

I think it would also be helpful, following SJ's comments, to have people from different areas designated ahead of time that can look at specific areas and assess the conditions.

__________________
Anthony

I'm still happy to moderate, help manage the board and post updates from down here should our favorite SoWallers have to evacuate. It seems scientifically impossible that I would have to evacuate too.


I like the idea of a separate forum ...

__________________
Proud to practice indoctrination
at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION

Are what we are experiencing now a tropical event?

I thought this was a thread about Jimmy Buffett concerts.

Seriously, grayt idea Kurt.

__________________
If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow.-Rachel Carson