Storm prep

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

For Somerville and Boston, other than wet basements and potential power outages, do we have anything else to worry about?   In particular, broken windows, how likely is that? 

This page on the city's website is a little alarming:
http://ci.somerville.ma.us/alerts/important-hurricane-information

It is saying we should board up our windows, but I'm assuming this is some generic info they pasted.  Still I'm a little frustrated by not being able to find specific information about Boston.  Most of the news is faced on the Cape/Springfield.   I understand that is where the drama is but I want to know what prep I need to take here too.   

Comments

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

The advice is the same statewide. It's wise to board up your windows especially in light of the strength of this storm and I know that from where I'm working (I'm an Emergency Manager so we're activated for this right now), we're advising that all residents secure all loose objects around their properties; disconnect propane from grills and store them in a secure location; turn your fridge all the way up - in the likely event that you do lose power, this will ensure that your food is kept cooler longer; board up your windows or close shutters as the storm approaches.

What more specifics do you need? A hurricane is a hurricane and currently, it's expected to hit the entire state with sustained winds of almost 70 MPH, stronger in some places. Flooding in urban areas such as Somerville is also expected. Although the western portion of the state will see more flooding, the east will see a lot of hurricane force winds.

To that end, expect communications loss as the winds take out cell towers and phone lines.

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen any houses with boarded up windows. Are you boarding up yours? If it is necessary to board up windows, then the whole city is going to be full of broken windows.

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

I'm not boarding up my windows primarily because of the way the house is situated and the predicted wind pattern. I am, however, plasticking them up, locking them, and then drawing all blinds and curtains. Plastic won't stop them from getting blown in, but it will contain glass and keep rain out. I just don't have a ladder to board them and based on predictions, figured it would be more trouble than worth at this point.

But that's a judgement call. Most people don't board up unless they live right on the beach and I did see homes in Revere yesterday who had boarded windows.

What I am doing? Filling my tub with cold water for washing and cleaning; Filling available containers with cold water for potable water; turning my fridge all the way up; charging all of the re-chargeable flashlights; securing all barrels, grills, toys, outdoor furniture (and disconnecting the propane from the household grills, capping the tanks and putting them away from the house).

[ron_newman]

I understand preparing for a likely electrical outage, but why would anything interrupt the (generally gravity-driven) tap water distribution system?

[pklemica]

The distribution will probably continue, but if enough damage is done to some pipe (or if there's flooding that flows straight into the treated supply), the distributed water could be tainted.

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

Because flooding often times causes potable water systems to become tainted with non-potable (or worse) water - and though I have potable water stored separately from tub water, I ain't cleanin' my shitz in poop-water.

And the contamination can happen WAY downstream where the worst of the flooding is expected in the state, so, even if the system isn't breached at this end...yeah. I'm good.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

The only place I've seen with boarded up windows is some insurance agency on the corner of Harvard & Main in Medford. They do have a lot of window frontage and a flying trash can would make a big mess.