Hurricane Irma is barreling down towards Miami and chargers are working overtime...

ChrisGarrett

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
5,725
Location
Miami, Florida
Topping off stuff, but I haven't broken out my li-ions in the fridge, just yet.

Topped off two SLA/AGM mother batteries last week. Topped off a Coleman 6v SLA lantern, last week.

Right now I'm topping off my AAs, so the Opus BT-3400 is on, my LaCrosse BC-700 is working, my Maha C9000 is plugged in, my Xtar VP2 is charging up my LG D1s and E1s right now, my Tenergy 9v jobbie is plugged in, my Xtar XP1 is charging up 16340s/18350s, my Ruinovo Power Bank is plugged in and my 3 LG flip phone batteries are being charged.

So far, so good!

Chris
 

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
5,433
Location
New England woods.
I thought that was supposed to hook out to see. However I haven't watching the news in a few days. Good luck brother! On a side note we lost power for an entire week with Irene and Sandy. Only used a few AAs. It's amazing how long modern LED lights can run for.
 

ChrisGarrett

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
5,725
Location
Miami, Florida
I thought that was supposed to hook out to see. However I haven't watching the news in a few days. Good luck brother! On a side note we lost power for an entire week with Irene and Sandy. Only used a few AAs. It's amazing how long modern LED lights can run for.

Thank you.

The latest models take her right over the length of Cuba, with mountains and then right into the tip--Miami, but we're still 6ish days out, so who knows?

I understand power being out and Andrew only cost me 18 hours and Wilma cost me 15 hours, but I was lucky. Girlfriend lost power for 2 weeks during Wilma, my boss lost power for 3 weeks and my aunt/uncle lost it for a week and came down to stay with me.

It's been 12 years since Wilma, so we're due.

I live on a lake and have plenty of Sawyer/LifeStraw water filters, I have lanterns, propane/alcohol stoves/BBQs, 12vdc/5vdc solar panels, a tent, sleeping bags, 12vdc fans, plenty of batteries/cells and other assorted sundries like FOOD, weapons, ammo, so I'm OK as long as the condo roof (3rd of 3 floors) stays on.

It'll be interesting, but we've dodged plenty of bullets, so I fear our time is up.

This is a flashlight forum, but preps are important.

Chris
 

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
5,433
Location
New England woods.
One thing which has changed for me. I used to buy batteries before a storm now I just charge up the power banks and some extra lithium ion 18650 and some Eneloops just because.... well why not.. With my solar stuff can assure I won't ever be going to the charging centers (the local library with generators) or convention center to charge the phone. Not that my pile of powerbanks will run out. Got enough food and ammo as well cuz that's how I roll. Here is a funny story. About 10 or 11 years ago there was this freak winter storm which took out power for 6 days. The house got really cold so setup my Tipi with wood stove and we cooked/stayed in that during the day and everyone else slept in the cold house with their bags at night though I just stayed outside.
 

irongate

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 17, 2016
Messages
372
Location
Rochester Mn.
This will be one very interesting storm to watch either up the coast to the north or into the gulf more. All I can say is prepare for the worse
 

markr6

Flashaholic
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
9,258
Good luck on the prepping and riding this out Chris! Looks like they're starting to get a little more accuracy on where it will hit the US, but could end up being a big problem for the east coast later on too. Strongest Atlantic storm in 10 years.
 

ChrisGarrett

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
5,725
Location
Miami, Florida
Good luck on the prepping and riding this out Chris! Looks like they're starting to get a little more accuracy on where it will hit the US, but could end up being a big problem for the east coast later on too. Strongest Atlantic storm in 10 years.

I briefly had a roommate back in the early 90s who was a 'printer' and he made up a nice hurricane tracking map to be used with dry erase markers and he left it, so I tend to track each season.

At 11am AST, it's heading dead on and the sustained winds are 180mph!

The good news is is that it's a smaller diameter storm, but bad news is it's 180mph.

They reassessed Andrew's inner eye-wall wind speeds, upwards to 200+ mph, but for Atlantic hurricanes, I've never seen 180mph listed out over the water.

If you've every wanted to visit the Florida Keys, you have four days left.

Chris
 

markr6

Flashaholic
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
9,258
Are you planning on staying put Chris? Looks like some areas is the Keys are being evacuated...not sure if that is mandatory yet.

I wonder if people still have "hurricane parties"? Or did that end with Katrina? I still remember watching the news before Katrina where some guy told reporter Shepherd Smith "it's none of your f------ business" on live tv when he asked why he was still there partying.
 

ChrisGarrett

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
5,725
Location
Miami, Florida
Are you planning on staying put Chris? Looks like some areas is the Keys are being evacuated...not sure if that is mandatory yet.

I wonder if people still have "hurricane parties"? Or did that end with Katrina? I still remember watching the news before Katrina where some guy told reporter Shepherd Smith "it's none of your f------ business" on live tv when he asked why he was still there partying.

I plan to stay, just in case the roof goes, but it's pretty solid since the complex redid it 9 years back.

My GF is in a high rise condo in Midtown, Miami (a mile north of downtown) facing Miami Beach, so we have to figure things out. She's on the 19th floor, so if the power goes out, the building has a diesel generator to run the elevators at 5 hour stints, so that might be problematic for her, even though she's safe from flooding and wind damage that high up.

I had people over during Andrew and we partied like drunken sailors, so I imagine stuff will be going on, but it all depends on how 'bad' bad is going to be.

I now have all my NiMH and li-ions charged, as are my phone batteries. I just brewed a cup of coffee using one of my Swedish Trangia alcohol stoves, so I can heat up canned goods and boil water for pasta. I may go and get a refrigerator extension cord to run off my Harbor Freight Storm Cat 900w generator, but I don't have much frozen stuff to lose, if/when the power goes out.

I'll fill up some buckets I have, with water for the toilets and for drinking, in the event that we lose power at the municipal water pumping stations.

This is my complex after Wilma in '05:

36651554350_fde4e6db2e_z.jpg


36907359391_9a4c62218b_z.jpg


Not mine, or his car, but a neighbor's:

37048257685_701fe7ab90_z.jpg


37048246745_0faee43d59_z.jpg


It'll be an experience either way.

Chris
 

markr6

Flashaholic
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
9,258
Cat Five 175 mpr winds....WOW....

Pretty crazy! Looks like moving over the islands will knock it down a peg before Florida, but really, comparing 175mph vs 155mph is probably a textbook example of splitting hairs.
 

MAD777

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 31, 2015
Messages
4,443
Location
White Mountains, NH, USA
I'm just north of Miami, about a mile from the ocean. All my batteries got charged today (about a hundred).

I'm having my hurricane party catered by Chef-boy-r-dee. Magic tricks by Dinty Moore and music provided by vocalist, Little Debbie!
 

Going_Supernova

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
249
Location
The Free State of Kansas, USA
Topping off stuff, but I haven't broken out my li-ions in the fridge, just yet.

Topped off two SLA/AGM mother batteries last week. Topped off a Coleman 6v SLA lantern, last week.

Right now I'm topping off my AAs, so the Opus BT-3400 is on, my LaCrosse BC-700 is working, my Maha C9000 is plugged in, my Xtar VP2 is charging up my LG D1s and E1s right now, my Tenergy 9v jobbie is plugged in, my Xtar XP1 is charging up 16340s/18350s, my Ruinovo Power Bank is plugged in and my 3 LG flip phone batteries are being charged.

So far, so good!

Chris

Hmmmm. No mention of chest waders, PFD or a boat! Got bags to put all that stuff in to bug out? By the way, the American Red Cross is not allowing weapons into their shelters, so if you have to go to one, be sure you have an e-tool so you can bury them somewhere so they don't get confiscated. Some MREs might be a good thing to stock, too, with the chemical heaters, no flame required, which could be a game changer. Hope you don't flood too bad, I have a brother in Tampa that I'm worried about. He has a hole in his roof now, and I don't think he is very prepared for a hurricane at this time!
 

Going_Supernova

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
249
Location
The Free State of Kansas, USA
Thank you.

The latest models take her right over the length of Cuba, with mountains and then right into the tip--Miami, but we're still 6ish days out, so who knows?

I understand power being out and Andrew only cost me 18 hours and Wilma cost me 15 hours, but I was lucky. Girlfriend lost power for 2 weeks during Wilma, my boss lost power for 3 weeks and my aunt/uncle lost it for a week and came down to stay with me.

It's been 12 years since Wilma, so we're due.

I live on a lake and have plenty of Sawyer/LifeStraw water filters, I have lanterns, propane/alcohol stoves/BBQs, 12vdc/5vdc solar panels, a tent, sleeping bags, 12vdc fans, plenty of batteries/cells and other assorted sundries like FOOD, weapons, ammo, so I'm OK as long as the condo roof (3rd of 3 floors) stays on.

It'll be interesting, but we've dodged plenty of bullets, so I fear our time is up.

This is a flashlight forum, but preps are important.

Chris

If the sewer backs up, you're not going to be able to use your flush toilets, anyway. I'm glad you have all that equipment and supplies, I hope you don't need them, and if you do, that you can use them. I'm just thinking about the folks in Texas that got flooded out. Even if they had equipment and supplies, they couldn't take them with them, the flooding came on too fast. Keep some plastic buckets with lids for your raw sewage, in case of back-up. You being on a lake...hmmm, not good, I think. Be prepared to bug-out, in case of evac. order.
 

Timothybil

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Messages
3,662
Location
The great state of Misery (Missouri)
What is going to be fun is those areas that are 10-20ft above sea level. My ex used to live south of Tampa/St. Pet, and the whole neighbor hood showed an elevation of around 7 ft above sea level. Given a good storm surge from those winds, I think there are a lot of areas like that that are going to be having problems.
 

ven

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 17, 2013
Messages
22,533
Location
Manchester UK
Certainly sound prepared Chris (would expect nothing less!) Stay safe guys, thoughts with you all for the weekend and ahead.
 

markr6

Flashaholic
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
9,258
Almost looks like SC may be the main target now. The technology and effort going into forecasting these is amazing, but still seems like you're flipping a coin.
 
Last edited:

scout24

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 23, 2008
Messages
8,869
Location
Penn's Woods
I know this started about batteries and chargers, and Woods Walker already swung by to post. Since the tone seems to have shifted to other preps and checking in, I'm going to move this to the Cafe.
 

moldyoldy

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
1,410
Location
Maybe Wisconsin, maybe near Nürnberg
The eyewall of Hurricane Irma passed over St. Marten this morning, 6 Sept 2017.

The French Interior Minister reports that 4 of their "most solid" Gov. Buildings on St.Marten (The French side of the island) were destroyed. they expect that their other buildings were also destroyed.

The only confirmed word from Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the island, is that the AUC Campus Building 2 survived relatively intact. All communications with buildings on their campus was lost for a few hours, but by mid-morning a satellite phone was used to confirm that the building was intact.

That AUC building 2 was designed and constructed to withstand a Cat 5 Hurricane. AUC (the medical school) buildings were destroyed by an hurricane some years ago, so the campus was moved to the leeward side of the island and their buildings were constructed with an understanding of the destructive force of Caribbean hurricanes.

Historical note: My older daughter attended medical school at AUC on Sint Maarten. Shortly after arriving on the island for the first time, the island was locked down for a hurricane. Welcome to Sint Maarten! for that hurricane, the wind drove the rain thru all of the weatherstripping in the doors/windows of the windward-side apt.
 
Last edited:
Top