Securing guns during a disaster

[spacecoast]

I live about 25 feet above sea level. In T.S. Fay (2008) we had 26 inches of rain in 36 hours (storm moved very slowly) and the water stayed just below the level of our slab foundation. The house was an island. So I figure that we are pretty safe from anything less than a 500 year rain event. My main concern would be that the roof blow off in a hurricane so covering a safe with plastic or taping it up against wind-blown rain might be a reasonable precaution.

[Don P]

I'm in central Florida and 90 ft above sea level.

Doesn't mean squat if we here in FLA were to receive the rain fall that Houston has from this storm

[Doyle]

Doesn't mean squat if we here in FLA were to receive the rain fall that Houston has from this storm

It has more to do with terrain than actual elevation. When I lived in Manatee county, my house was in one of the highest neighborhoods in the county. If I recall, it was somewhere around 55-60 ft above sea level. There was probably a 25 ft drop between my house and Lake Manatee only about 1000 yds away. No flood since Biblical times would have ever been able to reach that neighborhood. Yet, other areas further inland with an actual higher elevation above sea level have been flooded when local creeks overflowed.

[FrankenMauser]

The natural lay of the land matters a lot. But so does what man does to said land.

The last annoying tropical storm that I dealt with in Florida came through while I was living at the end of a 1/2 mile dirt road, with my house above a natural drainage that ran down the back property line. (In all, I was only about 3/4 mile from the Gulf, and my elevation was about 32 feet.)

I prepared nothing for that storm season, because I felt safe from flooding and anything big enough to cause damage would wipe me out completely, anyway.

But for that tropical storm, the drainage barely had any water in it.

...Because some new housing construction about 300 yards up the hill from me (on a different road) had temporarily blocked the drainage with fill that was removed for running utilities.

So, the water was unintentionally diverted into an undeveloped, elevated, roughly six-acre, wooded 'bowl' in front of my house, where over 2 feet of water remained for about three weeks (partly due to additional storms and rain). I had water lapping at the front door for about four days, followed by about five weeks of only decent 4-wheel-drive vehicles or tractors behind able to churn through the deep mud of the road, and tapering off to basic AWD/4WD vehicles and my neighbor's 2WD tow truck (with chains on) being able to get down the road as the water finally started draining.

It was about three months before the road returned to normal, and most of the residents could actually get to their own driveway. ...All because of a pile of top soil.

The area never would have flooded naturally.
But it sure did with a little help from man...


Always be prepared (at least mentally) to encounter problems in getting home, and actually trying to save firearms that may have been wet or waterlogged, as well.


This photo was taken about two months after the storm, with the water down far enough that it isn't even in view. Crap photo, I know. But it's all I could find.
Two months, and still a slimy, soupy, nasty mess.
It doesn't look like it from the angle provided, but the established ruts in the road were still about 14" deep at that point.
My room mate actually bought that crappy 4x4 Blazer just so he could drive home, rather than parking his 2WD car on the highway and walking 1/2 mile through the mud.

Note the red staining all over the driveway from previous water levels, as well as mud that was washed off the driveway daily, once the water retreated:

[Shenna9220]

Florida law allows you to take your firearms with you when you evacuate.

SB 290

http://www.guns.com/2015/05/22/gov-s...ed-carry-bill/

[Shenna9220]

And Tampa is the only city in Florida to prepared for such an event. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampa_Bypass_Canal
an event like Houston would quickly turn the Green Swamp into it's name sake. This is the headwaters for the Hillsborough River and what feeds Tampa's drinking water. The river runs in protected wetlands until just north of Tampa. A flood control plane constructed along with a diversion dam to route all the flood water to the bypass canal.

Houston needs something like this for Buffalo Bayou

[WW2]

44AMP's idea works. But put the gun(s) in sealed bags first so you won't have to clean the wax from the guns!

[Doyle]

FrankenMauser brings up something that I realized. There is ONE and ONLY ONE cause of flooding. That being more water entering an area than leaving that area (I know, you say DUH! but that general concept tends to elude some people). You can have a virtually unlimited supply of water coming into an area and never have flooding as long as that water has a place to escape. That is what has happened to so many areas (like Houston). Urban sprawl has removed the water's natural path to escape. That means, it has no choice but to pile up somewhere.

[billcarey]

For hurricanes here in Florida I put my guns in a car trunk for protection...assuming flooding wont get that high. Otherwise I take them in the car and evacuate far far away.

My cousin had a huge safe and kept about 80 guns in it during Hurricane Andrew. It didn't flood but when the house roof came off the 160+ mph winds blew hard enough to get the guns wet. The safe never moved. The next day he dried and oiled them. Some still rusted badly before getting them oiled (saltwater blew in from Biscayne Bay) and he sent them to S&W and Ruger. Both companies refurbished the guns to new condition and wouldn't take a dime for payment. He also sent 550 & 650 Dillons in and they did the same.

[JohnKSa]

...weapons are banned in the shelters.

Keep track of things like that for the aftermath, take photos and see if you can get recordings of officials making statements. TSRA will want to know about it to insure that what was done was legal or to push for new legislation/changes to the law if there's a need.

[ATN082268]

Originally Posted by Doyle

FrankenMauser brings up something that I realized. There is ONE and ONLY ONE cause of flooding. That being more water entering an area than leaving that area (I know, you say DUH! but that general concept tends to elude some people). You can have a virtually unlimited supply of water coming into an area and never have flooding as long as that water has a place to escape. That is what has happened to so many areas (like Houston). Urban sprawl has removed the water's natural path to escape. That means, it has no choice but to pile up somewhere.

Houston is considered urban sprawl?

[Doyle]

Houston is considered urban sprawl?

Development on the outskirts has gone absolutely nuts in the last couple of decades. All that land that used to absorb water is now hardscaped so the water has to go somewhere.

[the possum]

Some time ago I came across this blog, written by a guy who bugged out from Katrina. His take home lessons and plans seem like some of the best advice I've seen on the subject, though of course I've never had to deal with a hurricane here. (many ideas would also apply to our tornadoes.)

http://theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/index.html

[ShootistPRS]

Possum,
The blog you point to is a great reference. It reminded me of another blog or journal from a guy who lived through the Kosovo "war" and what it took to survive.

[curt.45]

i thought of the zip lock bag thing and also maybe sealing the safe with silicone, it will make it hard to get the door open later but if it keeps the water out its worth it

[FITASC]

Quote:
I'm in central Florida and 90 ft above sea level.
Doesn't mean squat if we here in FLA were to receive the rain fall that Houston has from this storm

Where I am, we have some elevation and varying terrain. Living on a sandspit does mean water drains quickly through lawn and as long as there is that bit if slightly rolling hills, it's OK. For those not familiar with how flat FL is, they place signs when approaching an overpass that says "Caution Hill Blocks View"...............

[Shimpy]

Has anyone mentioned dishwasher yet? Put in your guns and important papers and close the door.

[Mainah]

The guns I could handle, but all the ammo? Any idea if insurance would cover ammo?

[FrankenMauser]

Has anyone mentioned dishwasher yet? Put in your guns and important papers and close the door.

That only works until the water reaches the level of the air vent in the door, the drain tube running to the kitchen sink, or the circuit board that shorts out and starts the dishwasher while that stuff is in it -- whichever is lower.

Not a terrible idea. But, as with everything else, it has its limitations.

[ARqueen15]

Going through this right now actually thanks to, what else, yet another hurricane.

Honestly I brought my entire stash with me....rifles, shotguns, pistols, and ammo. I couldn't bring other things like all the cleaning gear, targets, etc, but I consider those to be ancilliary.

Thankfully I'm in a friendly state ATM where CCW has reciprocity. Seeing police kicking people out of hotels whose reservations ran out and they don't want to leave.

[Reader850]

I live in Sugar Land (SW of Houston) in what became an evacuation zone, so when the river was predicted to jeopardize the levee system, my wife insisted that we evacuate. I took the hand guns and AR with us, hid the other rifles upstairs without magazines (to prevent quick use by looters), and left the less expensive shotguns in the safe downstairs expecting insurance would be adequate to cover those losses. We had a couple of hours to pack the car the night before leaving early morning. (Don't drive at night during flooding rains and high wind - you can't see flooded roads, downed trees or debris in the road - we detoured around or dodged all of the above.) Actually, our first attempt to leave was not successful due to flooded roads and clueless officials; we returned home after 90 minutes of high stress exploration. We made it out the next morning, no thanks to poor and erroneous official road conditions information.
I would have sheltered in place if alone. The drive was the most dangerous part of the event.
As others have said, grocery shelves for many items were bare even before the bad weather hit, gas was quickly unavailable, and as soon as roads offered a route out (or back in afterward), they were clogged with slow traffic. Local officials discouraged evacuation prior to the arrival of the bad weather. The rain was unprecedented and when it became apparent that many areas should have evacuated, they couldn't. Dire predictions of failing levees and massive flooding had everyone frightened and stressed to the max. Another foot of rain would have been truly catastrophic.
It turns out the river didn't get as high as predicted, and water did not get into our house. But it did flood hundreds of houses in our city and thousands across the Houston area, and boats on the streets were rescuing less fortunate people from homes half a mile away. 50 inches of rain will do that. My church alone had 1200 volunteers muck out 130 flooded homes this week.
Most of Sugar Land has very low crime. The police did a great job protecting the city from looters.

[Hal]

I wonder if you were to stick the guns inside a cardboard box, then stick the box in a heavy contractor plastic garbage bag - - - then spray it with some of the expanding foam insulation?

[Danoobie]

Just dodged Irma.
Left 1/4 in safe. Stored 1/4 of them. Buried some of them.
took some with me when I evacuated. The rest were secured
in a lockbox in a vehicle trunk. The approach ensured only a certain
amount of loss, if something went south.
Downside is getting them all back in their regular places.

[TrueBlue711]

Lots of good ideas for hurricanes and flooding. What about fire? A lot of the west is dealing with that. A good gun safe is the obvious choice. Is there a way to make your safe "more fireproof" (i.e. handle higher temperatures)? Like a certain paint or coating or something to cover it with?

[mikejonestkd]

TrueBlue711, several friends have built their gun safes into enclosures that are lined with multiple layers of drywall to supplement the safe's fire lining.
Think of it as building a lined closet around your safe.