Gosh PB, I hope and pray you are right. Hugo's destruction is still fresh in my mind. We are pretty clear about what to take from the house should we be evacuated, but the garden has me tearing my hair out. More than hundred rooted cuttings in gallon pots, large container plantings, benches, birdhouses and feeders, etc. If I have to put all these things in the garage, I will be the last one off the coast!
I am breaking my own rule about using chemicals in the garden and spraying everything today to do away with any creepy crawlies in case I do have to move stuff indoors in a hurry. I can't wish a catagory 5 on anyone else but I sure hope you are on target and it misses us PB. Ali M

It looks as if it might be going further up the coast. It's weakening a little. But as you know, those things can fool everyone.

Yeah, I remember Hugo too. That was so terrible for those of you up in that area. We were so lucky.
PB

I'm thinking about putting stuff up now because if it even gets in the Gulf, I'll get water in my yard. I've lost a plastic storage bench full of gardening supplies, an expensive plastic recliner, canoe paddles, etc. It's miserable trying to do this after the water gets up. We had shoulder high water for Isadore and Lili, the worst in 30 years! Aughh!

I'm trying to not be stressed about this, guys, as it's my first real hurricane watch since moving to Savannah.

I'm not real sure about how to prepare - been reading, and thinking about what needs to go.

Compound it with the fact that my 4 parrots would go with me, right along with photos and important documents. Only have 2 carriers, so would have to come up with 2 more carriers. (been waiting for a decent sale). That will about fill my little hatchback.

What do you guys do as a bare minimum?

jeribelle

Jeribelle, the one thing I have been planning to do - but haven't gotten around to - is to scan all my favorite photos and download them to a disc. Then I could just grab the disc instead of hunting for favorites. We did run around the house yesterday with a digital camera and took photos of the interior. We also have a list of things to take like insurance policies, deeds, wills, car title, etc.
Today it looks like we will be spared this time. Hopefully she will blow out to sea and spare all.

Being a veteran hurricane packer, lost everything to Camille. Take only what you can't replace. Take a video of everything else inside and out for insurance purposes. Fill up your tank early. Don't bother with tape or plywood for a class 5 hurricane, it's an exercise in futility. Exchange phone numbers of those you need to keep in touch with, have a plan. You can always cancel motel reservations if you don't need them, but impossible to find a room at the last minute. "Things" can be replaced, your lives can't.

Jeribel, I confess to being one of those that don't do anything. I usually keep a goodly supply of can goods anyway. We have never evacuated or boarded up the windows. We may just have been lucky. I remember one that if we had not been home, we would have had a lot of damage. The wind was blowing directly at the front of the house and it forced rain in around the doors and windows. We were able to keep it sopped up and the floors and furniture were spared.

Our house is a well built older house. If it were one of the new crackerbox construction houses that are springing up like pimples all over the place, I might think more about leaving town if things looked as if they were going to get bad.

PB