Hurricane preparations ...

[RN2MD]

Guys,
What is the school's plan when a hurricane is inevitable? Does everyone take refuge at the school or what? Do they cancel classes, etc.?
Just wondering ... it looks like it will be very active this year. Being from Louisiana, I am used to power outages and extensive wind damage from The Canes. Just curious about the plan and safety.
Thanks for the help,
Ragin Cajun :-flame Josh

[RN2MD]

Guys,
On a lighter side, I forgot to add the party. Maybe, we could just cook a huge Gumbo and ride out the storm and kick back a few beverages.
Josh :lol:

[anencephalic]

...I'm there! :twisted:

Aloha,

[AUCMD2006]

supposedly everyone either kick's it at the school which is built to stand a +5 or they take off. the school hasn't made any plan known.

[anencephalic]

supposedly everyone either kick's it at the school which is built to stand a +5 or they take off. the school hasn't made any plan known.

Can you really "take off" in the midst of a hurricane? Having been through two hurricanes in paradise, I'll stay at the school and "kick back" any day...hopefully they have generator power, decent food, and enough fresh H2O.

Aloha,

[RN2MD]

Anyone have any experience with classes ... How do they handle them with THE STORMS >>>
Ragin Cajun

[Todd Battung]

Hey Josh,

I think the policy is since the school is considered a hurricane shelter that classes will not be cancelled. I dont know for sure but this is what I heard.

Todd

[RN2MD]

Todd,
Preciate the answers and I hope it is Cat 5 proof ... I wonder how they tested it out ... lol
Josh
STORM SURGE ... YIKES!!!!! :shock:

[microphage]

I think the policy is since the school is considered a hurricane shelter that classes will not be cancelled. I dont know for sure but this is what I heard.

Uh, they want us to attend class when the hurricane hits? I doubt anyone will have their attention set on the lecture when a class 5 hurricane hits...

On something very related to this: My former P-chem teacher kept on teaching after the semi-big one hit(earthquake) Seattle 2 years ago. The class was in the basement of this really old chemistry building. What hell is wrong with the teacher!!!! (Luckily, I was at home skipping class that day.....)

[tRmedic21]

The school is built to withstand a Class 5, but I would seriously doubt if classes continue while it is going on. I know ALOT of people will probably leave the island, some have mentioned this to me. I don't see much reason, but that's just me. The school will shelter you well enough.

The school also has its own power and water systems. It might be out for a little while, but I would expect the school's systems back up before the island's.... :roll:

[Art Vandelay]

The school is built to withstand a Class 5, but I would seriously doubt if classes continue while it is going on. I know ALOT of people will probably leave the island, some have mentioned this to me. I don't see much reason, but that's just me. The school will shelter you well enough.

The school also has its own power and water systems. It might be out for a little while, but I would expect the school's systems back up before the island's.... :roll:

I was there a few years ago when the island sustained 2 big hurricanes, including 1 near Cat 5 (it was 145MPH so it's 5 short for a Cat 5). This was the first real test for the campus building and while the building remained intact, there's been a lot of water leaking. Hopefully this is fixed. A lot of the students used the building as a shelter, but unfortunately the school didn't have its own water supply at that time so when the supply was turned off by the authority the sanitation there was horrible with human waste (and its smell) accumulating in the bathrooms :shock: . I heard stories that some students decided to "release" themselve at the grassy area outside the campus as they couldn't possibly stand the smell in the bathrooms. Since then the school built their own water supply and so this hopefully will not be an issue anymore.

and no, there won't be any classes going on as not everyone uses the campus as shelter. The whole island is shut down whenever a hurricane hits.

[lynseystew]

Gosh, what do people do who have pets? I am sure that AUC wouldn't appreciate a dog and a cat hanging out at the school while a hurricane hits! I guess this IS the type of information that I need to know! Does anyone know what to do with pets in a serious hurricane situation? God willing, I won't have to worry, but I won't hold my breath...

Lynsey

[Faith]

We lived through a Cat III while there, before the main campus was completed. We had a very, very secure apartment that was built into the hillside with two rooms that were very far away from any windows... so, we sat it out at home. Listening to howling winds for 24 hours was exhausting, but we had everything we needed there.

What we did to prepare: We had bought bottled water and saved the bottles through the previous months and when the storm was impending we filled them all (I think we ended up with more than 30L of drinking H2O) and even bought an extra case of water prior. We filled mop buckets, and containers as well for other needs. The house had a cistern but the water was a bit gross, however it flushed toilets just fine. Don't flush unless you have to when the water is off, and you can usually flush with 1/2 a tank.
We made a trip to the grocery store and stocked up on canned goods and other non-perishables. You should keep a hurricane stash ready in case you can't get to the store.
We froze/made as much ice as we could to keep stuff cold.
We sunk the pool furniture in the pool
We bought batteries for the radio and flashlights.
We bought candles/matches.
We kept away from windows when the storm was at it's peak. It's amazing how much a solid cinderblock/cement structure can shake during all that wind. Stuff flies quite a long way and can come through the windows.

The school will offer shelter to all students/families. They usually do not have classes when the storm begins.

If you have any doubt about the security of your home/apartment, don't hang out there. You should be well above the water line (we were 50+ feet above sea level and watched the houses on the beach flood at Pelican Key).

Take all the above stuff with you to the campus if you need to hang out there. You shouldn't be absolutely dependent on someone else to feed you, give you water, etc. If a truly big hurricane hits, you don't want to be standing at the end of the line for water when it's scarce.

Lastly, let your family know where you are weathering the storm and that you are safe. They may not be able to contact you for a few days. We did have phone service back the day after the storm - I was impressed.

Faith