OT --- HURICANE SEASON FORCAST

i dunno like i said it was a email that was passed to me from the ham radio group. im guessing its a NOAA or weather channel "product". ill have them clarify further as to what's meant by product. but usually the information i get through them is all from reputable sorces. i have been semi inactive in ham for several years but still keep in contact with them.

You have to remember that NOAA doesn't operate in the interest of the US citizens anymore. Its operating in the interest of broadcasters who then in turn make profits selling (advertising) you the weather report that you paid for with your tax dollars.

Anything NOAA 'gives' you at this point is from the kindness of their hearts... They're under no obligation to give anybody anything - but you're obligated to continue paying your taxes.

JS

Actually, you can go into the NOAA Hurricane site and sign on to receive the same email weather statements that they send out to the commercial and governmental weather sites. I signed on well before Ivan kicked the crap out of us in '04 and have been receiving them since. They 'normally' send out 4 per day, but when something nasty is brewing they come out with updates at any time that the system makes changes worth reporting. They do a good job of informing. I'm not a weatherman (though I have learned a helluva lot about weather over the last x number of years) but living in Hurricane Alley keeps me interested in knowing what is going on.

Just a few ideas to share with y'all here...

For hurricane preparedness one of the best cheap "gadgets" you can get is an indoor/outdoor thermometer from someplace like Rat Shack and stick it on your refrigerator and get another one for your deep freeze. Obviously stick the remote probes inside the fridge/freezer. That way if you have a small generator that you're using for a fan, TV and a couple of lights you know -WHEN- the fridge or freezer need to have the generator pay them a visit. Plug in the fridge when its temp goes above 50 and plug in the freezer when the temp hits 30. Keep all meat, poultry and fish frozen until you're ready to cook it. Before you lose power make sure your freezer temp is "0" or below and your fridge temp is 35~37. Some newer freezers will even go down to -20. The colder you can get it before the power goes out, the longer things will stay frozen. Chest-type freezers hold more and don't lose nearly as much cold from opening them as do uprights.

Also refrigerated items that you're apt to want periodically like a beer or soda or water or milk, juice, etc. put those things in -BIG- cooler loaded with ice -BEFORE- you lose power so you can keep the dang door closed on the fridge/freezer. Also make a sketch beforehand of where things are in the fridge/freezer so when you do need to get something out you're not standing there with the door open looking for it. In and out quick and get it all in one trip.