Anybody ever covered a hurricane?

Don't take your notes with pens that will "bleed" if the paper gets wet. Take a few sharpened pencils or regular ink pens.

A large supply of batteries, including battery-powered flashlights, will be handy.

You also want to wear boots if possible instead of tennis shoes, which will get soaked and quickly become uncomfortable. Boots will helpful in dealing with debris.

The other tips - particularly cash, bottled water, and so on - are very good.

 

This probably doesn't apply to Jamaica, but for when these things hit the u.s. just remember that parking structures are your friends. Even if it means a couple more blocks to the office and/or a few blocks, if you're going to ride out the hurricane at the office, parking your car in a garage can help provide piece of mind.

 

I was just going to suggest that you might want to hole up in a parking garage. It worked well during Hurricane Andrew, and avoids any flooding problems. Also, I assume all the bridges will be closed, but make sure to stay away.

Good luck.

 

pencil tip... so obvious but not something i would have thought of

 

Crack your car windows. Otherwise, the pressure could cause them to explode.

 

That's a myth. In fact, air rushing in through the crack will create enough pressure to blow out the windows.

 

Damn, you're right. I'm going to have some fun busting a bunch of folks at the office over that one.

 

Gallon of bottled water, bags of batteries, two dozen cans of tunafish. That ought to hold you for a week. Good luck on communications. Make friends with the Coasties. They are your life line.

 

Hope Sir is doing ok.

 

Sounds like the caught a break and had the northern eyewall go south of the island. They had hurricane conditions, but the Cat 3-4 winds stayed offshore. Caymans look to escape the brunt of the storm too. But someone on the Yucatan is in major trouble, because all the computer models have Dean getting stronger and making landfall as a Cat 5, because the waters are deep and warm in the NW Carribean.

 

He was on the side where the circulation is traveling in the same direction as the storm as a whole.

 

Wherever you're staying, fill up your bathtubs and sinks with as much water as possible.
You'll need it to wash plates, yourself and also to flush the toilet. (We went through a hurricane 5 years ago and were without water for three days.)

Hand sanitizer.
Flash lights.
Candles.