Tropical storm Irene approaches

[Jiro]

Thanks Jiro

I probably should have said in my post where I first asked the question. I am in an area of Southern Illinois where evacuation for anything is unlikely. Head for a basement locally in the event of a tornado is the most likely.

oh lol ok. be sure that your basement is structurally sound so that it can hold up in case your house collapses from ground above. and also make sure your window vent is safe.

 

[Reba]

I had a privilege to learn from this professor with extensive experience in this field.

I had the "privilege" of experiencing sitting with my family in that long evacuation line for almost two days, including no bathrooms, and watching the armed convoys of prisoners go by. The closest hotel reservations we could get before we left were in Tennessee.

 

[Reba]

oh lol ok. be sure that your basement is structurally sound so that it can hold up in case your house collapses from ground above. and also make sure your window vent is safe.

What is a window vent? Is that in a basement?

 

[Beowulf]

I had the "privilege" of experiencing sitting with my family in that long evacuation line for almost two days, including no bathrooms, and watching the armed convoys of prisoners go by. The closest hotel reservations we could get before we left were in Tennessee.

I suppose you are becoming rather good at living off the land?

 

[Jiro]

I had the "privilege" of experiencing sitting with my family in that long evacuation line for almost two days, including no bathrooms, and watching the armed convoys of prisoners go by. The closest hotel reservations we could get before we left were in Tennessee.

 

[Jiro]

What is a window vent? Is that in a basement?

a little rectangular window in basement.

 

[naisho]

Especially now, we are all so used to being instantly connected by phone or text. When we can't get in touch with our loved ones, it's a very disconcerting feeling. We take for granted how fragile the communication system can be.

Do you or TCS have experience with shortwave radios? I imagine you two would have some.
Citizen's band shortwave are still used in the event of emergencies where communications are blocked or down... in fact I think it's the only source of communication available to the immediate public when that happens.

 

[Reba]

I suppose you are becoming rather good at living off the land?

All except the no bathroom part. When you're stopped on the side of a road with no close-by tree line with thousands of other people, it's not easy. I found out that an empty Big Gulp cup can come in handy inside a car. It's a good thing I was rather flexible.

 

[Reba]

a little rectangular window in basement.

Oh, OK. I just call that a basement window.

Does the one in the picture open? If not, then that's a fixed window, not a vent (no ventilation), right?

We don't have basements here (Lowcountry) but we had them in other states where we lived growing up. I miss them.

 

[jillio]

Oh, OK. I just call that a basement window.

Does the one in the picture open? If not, then that's a fixed window, not a vent (no ventilation), right?

We don't have basements here (Lowcountry) but we had them in other states where we lived growing up. I miss them.

In TN, they call that a "winder vent". But they call any window that can open a "winder vent".

 

[Reba]

Do you or TCS have experience with shortwave radios? I imagine you two would have some.

Believe it or not, for about three years while I was in the Reserves, I had to laterally convert to Radioman, then convert back to Journalist.

Citizen's band shortwave are still used in the event of emergencies where communications are blocked or down... in fact I think it's the only source of communication available to the immediate public when that happens.

We used to have mobile and base CB radios but we don't have them now. If we evacuate again in a family convoy, we will take our walkie talkies with us. The cell phones weren't reliable last time. (Our little convoy was my car, TCS's van, daughter's family car, and her MIL's car; sometimes we got separated.)

 

[dogmom]

many people have glass block basement windows but ideally there should be at least one "exit" window in a basement <newer homes> where you can get out of.
most folks in Midwest have basements and I personally wouldn't want to live in a house in this area with no basement - the first time we were looking for houses <to move from husband's apt.> we actually did see a couple of places that had no basements, just crawl spaces. That took those places off the list.

 

[dogmom]

hubby did have CB earlier before HAM and we occasionally used it in the car, especially asking about traffic conditions...there were many other interesting conversations we came across on it

both of us have HAM licenses.

 

[Beowulf]

hubby did have CB earlier before HAM and we occasionally used it in the car, especially asking about traffic conditions...there were many other interesting conversations we came across on it

both of us have HAM licenses.

I have a couple radios you crank up by hand. I wonder if HAM radioes have that feature.

 

[dogmom]

I haven't seen any new ones that have that but am really not techie so I don't know.

 

[whatdidyousay!]

I had the "privilege" of experiencing sitting with my family in that long evacuation line for almost two days, including no bathrooms, and watching the armed convoys of prisoners go by. The closest hotel reservations we could get before we left were in Tennessee.

I got stuck on an airplane runway for 4 hours because of a storm and ended having to stay in a hotel. IT would not been so bad if I wasn't so sick! I took some pills and was not able to piss for 24 hours! I had to go to the ER as soon as I got home!!

 

[Reba]

I got stuck on an airplane runway for 4 hours because of a storm and ended having to stay in a hotel. IT would not been so bad if I wasn't so sick! I took some pills and was not able to piss for 24 hours! I had to go to the ER as soon as I got home!!

Ouch!

 

[Jane B.]

Believe it or not, for about three years while I was in the Reserves, I had to laterally convert to Radioman, then convert back to Journalist.


We used to have mobile and base CB radios but we don't have them now. If we evacuate again in a family convoy, we will take our walkie talkies with us. The cell phones weren't reliable last time. (Our little convoy was my car, TCS's van, daughter's family car, and her MIL's car; sometimes we got separated.)

I am going way back as it was before I started wearing a hearing aid and that was in the 1970's; but there was a time when the construction company I was bookkeeper for used CB between the office and construction sites. We gave up on that because of the number on the same channel and went to business band radios. I still come up with the 10-4 from those days at times.

 

[Jiro]

Oh, OK. I just call that a basement window.

Does the one in the picture open? If not, then that's a fixed window, not a vent (no ventilation), right?

We don't have basements here (Lowcountry) but we had them in other states where we lived growing up. I miss them.

yea most basement windows open but a small gap. For those living in tornado alley, it's recommended for one to upgrade one's basement window to tornado-rated.

 

[LoveBlue]

All except the no bathroom part. When you're stopped on the side of a road with no close-by tree line with thousands of other people, it's not easy. I found out that an empty Big Gulp cup can come in handy inside a car. It's a good thing I was rather flexible.

If you have a 4 door then open both doors on the side of the shoulder and squat between them.