My Facebook Poll about the Hurricane

I made up this Facebook Poll -- what are you doing to prepare for the hurricane? I'm really curious, so please click on this link HERE and answer the poll! You might need to make friends with the Iselin Times on Facebook first... my page is www.facebook.com/IselinTimes. (I won't blow up your newsfeed with tooo many posts, promise!)

The reason I'm doing this poll is because I'm really trying to figure out, what is the appropriate level of action that needs to be taken to prepare for Hurricane Irene? Although I guess the only way that anyone will be able to answer that question with any real confidence is AFTER the fact.

I am a Boy Scout, so I really believe in BEing PREPARED! And there are plenty of web pages with information on what you should do to be prepared; you can find one HERE, from the National Hurricane Center. As my family will tell you, I'm also a nervous nelly. I worry about everything. But that's what's great about me and my husband; we balance each other out. I worry about everything, and he worries about nothing, and everything works out fine in the end. (And if it isn't fine, it isn't the end!)

The question of how to prepare really started last night, when the weather channel started really talking about Irene hitting OUR area. And like a friend of mine said... New York, now THAT is a city unprepared to deal with a Full On Hurricane!

So - there are little things that I am doing to be prepared, things that certainly won't hurt. I have plenty of canned food (And a non-electric Can Opener!) and bottled water. I have flashlights and candles. I'm going to run to the store to pick up some batteries. I'm going to clean up my yard, and anything that could become a projectile is going to be picked up and put away. I'm going to check on friends and family that live in areas that could be sketchy, and ask them if they'd feel safer at my house - BEFORE the weather gets bad!

But the big question for me is this: How bad does the forecast have to be, for it to be a good idea to board up windows?

I always see those pictures of people boarding up their windows down south. I've never seen anyone board up a window around here. But obviously, you won't want to board them up when the hurricane is ON you. And I guess it isn't really the force of the wind hitting the window that's the problem... it's the force of the stuff that's blowing around. Like the tree limbs, or garbage cans, or whatever. How much lead time do you have? And... will Home Depot have enough plywood? And... will the Home Depot parking lot have already flooded out anyway?

Ah, well, for the answer to these and other questions, come back next week after the Hurricane is over.

But for now, please answer my poll!