Plumbing Emergency

Update: The plumbers did not shut water off today. They could not find the proper valve to stop water flow to do their needed fix. They will try again tomorrow (Thursday), again from 12-2 p.m. Apologies for the inconvenience. They are trying to minimize the impact on us as much as possible.

Apologies for the short notice. We just learned about this. A plumbing emergency will require that water to the entire community shut off between 12-2 p.m. today. If you can, please alert neighbors who might be affected.

Keep Going West, Isaac!

This is the 11 a.m. forecast track from the National Hurricane Center. It shows Tropical Storm Isaac going a little bit west of us. Remember that all of Florida still remains within the forecast "cone of probability" of where the storm could go. Also, storms can be hundreds of miles across so even if it stays on its current track, we will see strong winds.

Here are some tips from the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) on things to do to get ready.

Prepare Your Family

• Review your family emergency plan. Be sure to review and update any evacuation plans.
• Ensure your family emergency kit is complete. Your kit should include, at a minimum:
• Enough food and water for all members of the family, including pets, to last at least 72 hours
• Extra cash on hand since an extended power outage may prevent you from withdrawing money from automatic teller machines or banks
• A battery powered and NOAA weather radio
• First aid kit and toiletries
• Flashlights and extra batteries
• Blankets, pillows, extra clothes, toys and games to keep the family comfortable and occupied
• Special needs items for babies, family members with special medical needs and pets
• Fill your gas tank; gas stations rely on electricity to power their pumps.
• Gather and store important paperwork like insurance papers, mortgage documents, marriage certificates, etc. in waterproof containers.

If the Power Goes Out

• Do not run a generator inside a home or garage. Use gas-powered generators only in well-ventilated areas.
• Connect only individual appliances to portable generators.
• Don't plug emergency generators into electric outlets or hook them directly to your home's electrical system - as they can feed electricity back into the power lines, putting you and line workers in danger.
• When power comes back on, it may come back with momentary, "surges" or "spikes" that can damage equipment such as computers and motors in appliances like the air conditioner, refrigerator, washer or furnace.
• When power is restored, wait a few minutes before turning on major appliances to help eliminate further problems caused by a sharp increase in demand.

For more hurricane preparedness tips, visit www.flash.org or call 877.221.SAFE.

Isaac Taking Aim

Click on image to enlarge

It looks increasingly less likely that we're going to dodge Isaac. It could be a hurricane when it reaches our latitude Monday. If the current track holds, and the eye stays to our west, it will impact us more as the storm continues to draw power from the Gulf waters.

If we take even a glancing blow from this system, it could knock out power for days. Widespread power loss could also mean that water stops running too. This happened during your humble bog author's previous hurricane experience. No air conditioning was one thing. No flushing toilets was another.

I do not know that that's what would happen. But I will prepare for the possibility, and I hope you will too.

Storm Warning

Tropical Storm Isaac has formed in the Atlantic Ocean and its forecast track takes it toward Florida. One computer model puts the storm smack dab in the middle of Florida in the early part of next week.

It's obviously early, and the storm could change course, but you should take precautions in case it doesn't. Bottled water, canned food, a NON-electric can opener, batteries and a radio are among the things you should stock up on, if you haven't already.

Also, check your front and rear patio areas for any loose items that could become projectiles in high winds. With any luck, this is just a drill, but we did see effects from Tropical Storm Debby earlier this summer, even though that one struck Florida well north of us.

Stay safe.