Banking, pets, phone service, preparing to make an insurance claim . . . a million and one things to do. Here is some help.
I'M RIDING IT OUT AT HOME. WHAT'S THE BEST ADVICE?
Clear the yard of potential flying debris. Stay away from windows, skylights and glass doors. Find an interior, reinforced room, closet or bathroom on the lower floor. If you lose power, turn off major appliances, including the air conditioner and water heater, to reduce damage. If flooding threatens, turn off electricity at the main breaker.
WITHOUT POWER, WILL REFRIGERATED FOOD LAST?
Food in a full freezer will stay frozen for about two days. Food in a half-full freezer will stay frozen for about one day. Perishable foods in the refrigerator that have been kept above 40 degrees for more than two hours should be thrown out. Cover the freezer with blankets, but be sure to keep the air vent uncovered. Food will stay cold four to six hours.
HOW CAN I AVOID GETTING ELECTROCUTED?
Shut off power at the circuit breaker panel or fuse box BEFORE water enters your home.
Never replace a fuse or touch a circuit breaker with wet hands or while standing on a wet or damp surface.
Steer clear of all downed power lines and anything in contact with a downed line. Don't drive over a downed power line. Don't get out of your car anywhere near a downed line, because water on the ground can conduct electricity.
I HAVE AIR TICKETS. WILL THE AIRPORTS BE OPEN?
Tampa International Airport planned to continue flights until about noon today. Airsides will be shut down. The main terminal will remain open, but not as a shelter. The airport will be stripped of all but essential personnel. Airlines planned to fly all planes out of the area. It could take several days for operations to return to normal. Check with your airline. St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport closed Thursday night.
WILL FLOODING BRING OUT SNAKES AND ANTS?
Like people, animals seek higher ground. Flooding brings creatures such as alligators and snakes in closer contact with humans than normal. One nasty sight is a floating island of fire ants. The colony will form a loose ball and flow with the water until it reaches a dry area, including unprotected legs.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE TOOK A HIT THIS BIG?
The gale of 1848 opened John's Pass and created many of our current barrier islands; it predated federal record-keeping. Since records have been kept, we've had direct hits by three no-name storms: Sept. 11, 1852, Category 1, 80 mph winds; Oct. 25, 1921, Category 2, 105 mph winds; Oct. 8, 1946, Category 1, 75 mph winds.
DOES TAPING WINDOWS REALLY DO ANYTHING?
Taping windows won't keep them from breaking. Some people say it lessens the amount of glass blowing around, others say it's a waste of time and effort because it provides no protection from flying debris. Storm shutters or plywood are better.
SHOULD I DRAIN WATER FROM MY POOL?
Never empty your pool. It could experience structural problems and even pop out of the ground. If your pool is properly equipped with adequate drains and skimmers and the surrounding area is properly drained, the water level probably can be left as is. Add extra chlorine to prevent contamination.
If the water supply fails, the pool can be a handy source of water for washing or flushing toilets. If you can't store patio chairs, tables and pool equipment inside, put them in the pool.
MY STORE RAN OUT OF BOTTLED WATER. WHAT CAN I DO?
To purify water, add quarter-teaspoon of unscented liquid chlorine laundry bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. Boiling water for 10 minutes is the best purification.
For drinking, before the storm arrives freeze as much water as you can in any container you can find. Store 1 gallon of water per person per day. A three-day supply of water (3 gallons) should be stored for each family member.
For washing and flushing, store water in bathtub or sinks. Sponge the tub with a solution of liquid bleach and water. Use a shower curtain to cover the drain or caulk the drain to make it watertight, then fill.
WHAT ABOUT PHONES? WILL CELL PHONE TOWERS GET WIPED OUT?
Two important things to have on hand are a corded landline phone and a car charger for your cell phone. If you can stay home, a corded landline is probably your most reliable means of communication. A power outage won't directly affect landline phone service, but it will knock out electrically powered cordless phones.
Similarly, cell towers are less vulnerable to storm winds than utility poles. But a power outage will make it impossible to keep your cell phone charged without extra, charged batteries or a car charger. If you run into network congestion on your cell phone, try sending a text message, which requires less bandwidth and has a better chance of getting through.
CAN I GET MONEY FROM MY BANK TODAY?
Probably through your ATM. Bank of America, SunTrust and other major banks are closing all branches in the bay area today. Others are closing on a branch-by-branch decision. ATMs will be replenished regularly. Banks are urging customers to use telephone or Internet banking.
WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT MY ANIMALS?
If you need to evacuate, don't leave your pet behind. Most emergency shelters don't allow pets, so you might have to turn to friends or family for help. Some local kennels were accepting pets Thursday, but many were booked and others were facing evacuation. Area animal shelters do not accept pets during hurricanes. A partial listing of pet-friendly hotels can be found at www.petswelcome.com
HOW CAN I PREPARE TO MAKE AN INSURANCE CLAIM?
If you evacuate, take insurance papers and your adjuster's phone number with you. Write down the name, address and claims-reporting telephone number of the insurance company.
Make emergency repairs, document the damage and repairs in writing, with receipts and with photos. Immediately report damage to your insurance company.
The state's Department of Financial Services' storm line, toll-free 1-800-227-8676, will operate through the weekend.
WHAT DOCUMENTS SHOULD I TAKE WITH ME?
A list might include: checkbook, safe deposit box key, financial center locations and phone numbers, birth, death and marriage certificates, will/power of attorney, Social Security card/records, military records, medical records (living will or other medical powers), insurance policies, checking and savings account statements, retirement account records, pay stubs, tax returns, car titles and registrations, mortgage deeds or rental agreements, warranties and receipts, credit card records, loan records, and a list of important phone numbers (relatives, bank and insurance company).
SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO?
If you have been ordered to evacuate, go. Be prepared to be gone at least 24 to 48 hours. If you stay, keep in mind that bridges and causeways likely will be shut down when winds reach about 40 mph. Keep your trip as short as possible, to a friend's house inland if you can. Hotel rooms are scarce.
IF I'M ON THE SECOND FLOOR OR ABOVE IN AN EVACUATION ZONE, SHOULD I LEAVE?
Yes, because of security and access to emergency services. In Hurricane Andrew, people died when they were trapped in flooded areas and unreachable by emergency crews.
IS THERE AN EMERGENCY RADIO STATION?
People with weather radios can tune to NOAA Weather Radio, a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information direct from a nearby National Weather Service office. For regular radio listeners, your local news and weather radio stations will have regular updates.
WHAT IS STORM SURGE?
It's the water pushed toward land by the force of the wind. Surge plus normal tides create the hurricane storm tide, which can increase water levels 15 feet or more. The National Hurricane Center's computerized modeling system, SLOSH (Sea Lake Overland Surge due to Hurricane), predicts surge by taking into account elevation, hurricane wind speed, forward movement and size. Emergency managers use SLOSH data to determine which areas must be evacuated because of surge.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF THE POWER GOES OUT?
Notify your electric utility (Progress Energy, toll-free 1-800-228-8485; Tampa Electric, toll-free 1-800-223-0800). Do not follow up with repeated phone calls for the status of power restoration efforts. For updates, refer to radio and TV broadcasts.
WHAT EVACUATION ZONE AM I IN?
Hurricane evacuation maps are reprinted on pages 10A and 11A in today's Times. They also are in the phone book and can be found online at www.sptimes.com
WILL I GET MY NEWSPAPER SATURDAY?
The St. Petersburg Times planned to distribute a "simplified" version of Saturday's paper. Instead of the usual five editions, the newspaper planned to cut back to two editions, with only Tampa having a separate edition from the main paper. Content in some regionals may be combined. The number of papers printed and distribution might be altered depending on which areas are evacuated and which have blocked access.
Reported and compiled by Times staff writer Sharon Kennedy Wynne, with reporting by Scott Barancik, Kitty Bennett, Jeff Harrington, Louis Hau and Jean Heller.
National Hurricane Center
