Hurricane prep.

[stubones99]

Can't take my boat that far inland but 10 miles up north of Lake Ponchatrain is about my limit with bridge and depth restrictions...
However, I would not stay onboard during any cat. storm. Not worth putting your life in harms way. Several friends thought this would be a great adventure staying on board their 53ft boat holed up in the ICW during Ivan. Lets just say they won't be doing it again.

I have never talked to anyone who rode out a storm that would do it again.

One guy said 'That's what insurance is for.'

The term "chicken leg in a shake-and-bake bag" was used more than once.

I have not been through a bad one and hopefully will learn from others...

 

[BandB]

Bennett Brothers is great and does offer land storage, but Jarrett Bay may be the best at land hurricane storage there is.

We live just off the ICW but the history here of surge is not that much. We also have access to slips away from our home. They are not far up river, just a bit protected and not in the open. We know one day that big hurricane may hit but hurricanes with major impact on boats here are a lot less common than one might believe.

As to insurance, we have no requirements as to hurricane action. We did present a hurricane plan but it made it clear that we had no obligation to do or even attempt anything in that plan. We'll do what we consider prudent in the given situation but will never risk a life over our boat. The area in which we live was reclassified a year or so ago and is no longer in the high flood zone.

 

[Jetstream]

I have never talked to anyone who rode out a storm that would do it again.

One guy said 'That's what insurance is for.'

The term "chicken leg in a shake-and-bake bag" was used more than once.

I have not been through a bad one and hopefully will learn from others...

I've ridden out two cyclones onboard and would do it again. Once was in a marina where I found the biggest problem was other peoples poorly secured boats. If I hadn't gone out and re-secured the boat next to mine it would have broken free and smashed into mine. The other big problem I have seen in marinas is if the storm hits on the high tide the storm surge will float the marina pontoons right over the tops of the piles if they are not secured properly and then there is not much anyone can do.
My preference would be what I did in the other cyclone onboard and was to go up a smallish creek tied off to the trees or mangroves.

 

[FF]

Lake O now has a dirt berm , which is constantly under repair to not breech...

The level of the lake , its ability to hold storm water is a constant political battle.

Especially since the guessed wrong and put most of the lakes business out of business for a year.

Not much reason to launch a boat if you have to drag it thru 300 ft of mud to get the outboard leg down.

The business at the lake want to stay in business.

On the east side they have the enviros that only want a certain amount if water to keep the brackish level constant.

On the west side id the power co that needs fresh water to not harm the equippment.

The sugar folks just want plenty of free water.

The Everglades folks dont want to see the grass go under 4 ft of water.

The dance is endless.

 

[Hawgwash]

The dance is endless.

Of course.
Interesting the 1928 blow was said to have caused 1700 deaths but 75 years later was revised to over 2500. I wonder how they figured that out and why it took so long.

Must have had some fat gators there for a while.

 

[BandB]

With two feet of tide (our maximum), our maximum surge on a category 5 is 5 to 6'. This is Fort Lauderdale.

Now, I have a cousin who lives near Beaufort NC. Well, back inland and their surge from a Category 2 is more than we've ever had in Fort Lauderdale. His home is quite a bit elevated. The living area itself is over 30' above the water level.

 

[what_barnacles]

If I hadn't gone out and re-secured the boat next to mine it would have broken free and smashed into mine.

coast guard thinks the number 1 thing that kills boaters in a storm is trying to retie a boat.

 

[Ski in NC]

With two feet of tide (our maximum), our maximum surge on a category 5 is 5 to 6'. This is Fort Lauderdale.

Now, I have a cousin who lives near Beaufort NC. Well, back inland and their surge from a Category 2 is more than we've ever had in Fort Lauderdale. His home is quite a bit elevated. The living area itself is over 30' above the water level.

A cat 5 surge is going to be WAY more than 5-6'. It does depend somewhat on geography, coastal shape, storm travel speed etc. But a 5 hauls a big ball of water under it.

I rode out hurricane Hugo in Mt Pleasant SC. I think it briefly hit cat 4. My house on IOP surge was about 15', a bit north to McClellanville it was I think 20'. If that same thing hit Ft L., water is coming up more than 6'.

 

[BandB]

A cat 5 surge is going to be WAY more than 5-6'. It does depend somewhat on geography, coastal shape, storm travel speed etc. But a 5 hauls a big ball of water under it.

I rode out hurricane Hugo in Mt Pleasant SC. I think it briefly hit cat 4. My house on IOP surge was about 15', a bit north to McClellanville it was I think 20'. If that same thing hit Ft L., water is coming up more than 6'.

I was referring to the ICW in Fort Lauderdale. Not other places. And referring to history as well as the charts on the site. Now there aren't a lot of Category 5's to compare to and 3 or 4 is more relevant. Andrew was a borderline 5 but didn't have a lot of surge due to it's speed. Tides in Mt. Pleasant vary 5 1/2 feet. Here our variance is 2' or less.

I'd just tell people to be knowledgeable of their own area and nearby areas, look at history, look at charts, look at flood ratings. Our 100 year flood is under 6'. We are at 0.2 % likelihood of a flood per FEMA. Two house from us on the canal is not even in a flood zone. Now along the beach is higher. But we're not on the beach nor are any marinas. Some marinas and areas like Harbor Island are in higher flood zones. I might say also that our insurance rates reflect the low likelihood of floods.

 

[caltexflanc]

A cat 5 surge is going to be WAY more than 5-6'. It does depend somewhat on geography, coastal shape, storm travel speed etc. But a 5 hauls a big ball of water under it.

I rode out hurricane Hugo in Mt Pleasant SC. I think it briefly hit cat 4. My house on IOP surge was about 15', a bit north to McClellanville it was I think 20'. If that same thing hit Ft L., water is coming up more than 6'.

Look at the maps I linked to, it really does vary due to all kinds of factors.

 

[sbu22]

Hurricane prep is 110% site specific. I’m extremely fortunate in that my marina is probably one of the best hurricane holes on this part of the Gulf Coast. Surrounded by structures on all sides ranging from 2 story to mid rise condos for some wind protection. Complete wave protection due to canal access to lake with 2 opposing 90 degree bends. The marina took a 13’ surge during Katrina, lost 2 boats – one came down on a piling, the other torpedoed by a center console that some yahoo dropped off immediately before the storm and secured with poly ski rope.

Top fuel and water tanks if time, leave the normal dock lines in place, add dedicated storm lines chained to steel/concrete structural pier features and tension, move all tophamper below and/or off the boat, batteries charged, install and secure rope boarding ladder, cross fingers, go home (or go away, depending on the storm).