How to prepare for the coming weather?

Submitted by travelbug1984 t3_zrr181 in vermont

I'm a little paranoid about the large tree that's partially overhanging our house— we're going to have it taken down but no one can do it till March.

We're expecting gusts over 50mph on Friday this week and my worry is that the large branch breaks and crashes through our roof.

What should we be thinking of in preparation?

Here's my list:

  • Cross my fingers and toes and hope nothing bad happens. But if it does,
  • Keep cat litter + spare litter box + dog bed in the car (1 cat, 2 dogs) + cans of pet food.
  • Have a go bag with the essentials packed.
  • Have our passports etc in the go bag.

We have a pet gecko— not sure how to prep to move him in an emergency.

Besides our insurance company, what other phone numbers do we need to have on hand? Oh and we also don't have internet currently from last weekend's storm.

I hope I'm totally overreacting here but the tree is definitely on its last legs.

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Fantastic_Painter_15 t1_j14bga7 wrote

This sounds like…overkill to say the least. Passports? Are you fleeing the country?

Honestly the best thing would be to identify any potential widowmakers on the tree and cut them down now. 50mph gusts isn’t all that strong when we’re talking about taking down a big mature tree. Remove the widowmakers and the threat of anything disastrous happening is super minimal if not nonexistent

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travelbug1984 OP t1_j14c3h3 wrote

Haha you're right on the passports count. Makes sense not to carry those.

Initial plan was just to remove the widow maker but the arborist also said the tree is dying, so we're going to do the whole thing.

Timeline is still March tho.

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whooobaby t1_j15050h wrote

I read it more as not leaving key documents behind in a house that might be compromised which sounds smart to me!

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Fantastic_Painter_15 t1_j151jcn wrote

Again, the house will not be compromised. Gusting winds are different than sustained winds. There’s no significant threat to the house

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stanky-hanky-panky t1_j14l383 wrote

If you’ll have a way to heat water, move your gecko into a smaller, well insulated container with hot water bottles. Better to have heat than worry about light for a short period!

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hotseltzer t1_j14b2lx wrote

I feel like it's pretty unlikely that it's going to do so much damage that you have to evacuate, but it's hard to say without seeing the tree. It also depends on the structure of your house, too. I grew up with hurricanes and watched a pine tree fall on our house during one. It damaged the roof but not so disastrously that we had to leave.

You can find some articles online about what to do if it happens - who to call, what documents you need on hand, and other safety tips if it falls on a power line.

I'd just be prepared to keep everyone (especially your gecko!) warm. Having stuff set aside where it's easily accessible if there is extensive damage is not a bad move, either.

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drew13m t1_j14ajrf wrote

In an emergency, remember its a gecko, and geckos can be lost and replaced unlike the safety of your family

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eye-brows t1_j15bjyx wrote

With the gecko, I have a bearded dragon. Bulk-buy those hand and foot warmer things, they help in a pinch.

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travelbug1984 OP t1_j15brk6 wrote

As it happens I have those— would you just toss them into a temporary container with the gecko if need be?

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eye-brows t1_j15c9rd wrote

Yup. It's not ideal, but it generates heat without electricity and it's safer than heated blankets or other options.

Poke some holes in a large tupperware, line it with a towel, and concentrate the heat on one side so the dude can move around to thermoregulate.

Beardies and geckos are a bit different, you may want to reach out to others with geckos, but that's always been our back up plan with our dude.

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PiermontVillage t1_j14ay56 wrote

If it happens I’d call 911 and report it. Fire department could remove branches and put up a blue tarp, depending on your town. Repair at your leisure. If wires are involved, call the power company, and they can start work on restarting power.

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travelbug1984 OP t1_j14cai3 wrote

Thanks— totally didn't think of 911. Luckily the wires are on the other side of the road so it shouldn't be touching them, and if it does then that's a separate issue.

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whaletacochamp t1_j14b9j8 wrote

Do you plan on leaving the county should there be an issue? If not, I probably would leave my passport in a safe and secure spot but then again I lose shit when I travel.

You’ve got a good start but I would also have a game plan for WHERE you’re going to go if something happens. We live in a rural area with well water which means when the power goes out we are 100% down and out with no water even. Makes the house pretty much unlivable. Should the power go out for an extended period we will head to my mother in laws house.

What kind of tree? Some are surprisingly resilient despite looking awful, while others can appear totally healthy and totally fall apart in a storm. A pic would help assess the threat too.

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travelbug1984 OP t1_j14bxn3 wrote

Luckily there's a hotel a mile away so that's likely where we'd head. We also have several friends within minutes that would take us in.

It's an oak tree FWIW.

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whaletacochamp t1_j14cer1 wrote

Oak do tend to fall into the “looks awful but is surprisingly hardy” camp. There’s one by me where the massive tree was entirely hallow - trunk broke in half vertically after the middle filled with water and froze, now it’s literally just half a hollow tree trunk with a beautiful and luscious canopy.

BUT, oaks can send big branches flying as well.

Best of luck. Might be worth making sure the hotel has backup power

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zombienutz1 t1_j14f7me wrote

You're probably fine. I doubt it'd completely destroy the house. If you're paranoid enough then I'd just move things out of the area the tree may fall on. Trees look great and provide cooling when next to a house but I took a couple down when I moved in just for the peace of mind. Good luck!

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bibliophile222 t1_j14l6sn wrote

I think you're stressing unnecessarily. Yes, branches can fall off and go through the roof, but the chances are small, and 50mph gusts really aren't that bad. Chances are huge that the worst that will happen is a few smaller branches in the yard.

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SomeConstructionGuy t1_j14ir17 wrote

Holy shit people ARE becoming less self sufficient.

If it happens call a contractor and get it fixed. Having a branch come through the roof isn’t the same as taking a direct hit from a tornado. It can probably be watertight within one day.

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travelbug1984 OP t1_j14kykt wrote

I'm confused— did you mean I should be prepared to go out on a 40 deg pitch roof myself and push a branch weighing 1000+ pounds off myself (i.e. self sufficient) OR call a contractor (i.e. not self-sufficient)?

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SomeConstructionGuy t1_j14ljh9 wrote

Based on your posts I’d say the latter.

But hey you didn’t even state that as an option. You seem more ready to bail on the structure for the rest of the winter and flee the country.

Toss a tarp on it and call someone to deal with it.

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travelbug1984 OP t1_j14lv0p wrote

Lol fair. The passports will remain in their usual spots. No bailing on the home. Thanks for your advice :)

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SomeConstructionGuy t1_j14mvi1 wrote

Seriously if you’re that worried try calling a few contractors ahead of time. Ask if you get in a bind if they’ll come help.

Also if you think there’s actually a good change it’ll happen grab a tarp, some 16’ pieces of strapping and a couple ladders and a roof hook. You can cut the tree enough to get the tarp on and toss down trapping vertically on top of the tape with screws fairly easily from a roof ladder. It’ll suck to do alone and won’t last forever but it’ll get the house 99% water tight quick.

It’s the water damage that’ll really cause the extensive damage.

Edit: buy it all at Home Depot and if you don’t use it you can return it Monday.

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Unique-Public-8594 t1_j1fghgq wrote

How’s it going? Did your tree fall and damage the house? Hoping all is well.

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travelbug1984 OP t1_j1fp4cp wrote

Hah no not yet and I don’t think it will but we had to evacuate nonetheless!

Lost power and eventually backup power battery as well. Moved everyone to a friends a mile away. Gecko too!

Now hope we get power back tomorrow.

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Unique-Public-8594 t1_j1fp96o wrote

Yikes. Glad you found shelter for everybody.

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travelbug1984 OP t1_j1fqfxr wrote

Yup! Multiple friends offered up their homes while out of town.

This is one of many reasons I love VT.

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Unique-Public-8594 t1_j14bstv wrote

Sounds stressful. I’m sorry.

Not a direct answer to your question but I hope this helps.

If you would like to mention what county you are in, maybe there is a chance someone here can get that tree down for you - or knows someone else who can (safely).

I’m guessing you’ve already reached out to your local community Front Porch Forum asking for an arborist?

Otherwise it sounds like you have taken excellent precautions.

Maybe add phone numbers of nearby lodging so (if you have cell service) you can call ahead to verify vacancies?

Maybe 7 days worth of any prescription meds.

Best of luck to you. I hope all goes well.

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travelbug1984 OP t1_j14cujb wrote

Yes- we've had an arborist take a look and got 2 quotes for removing the tree— 4k and 8k!

8k can do it in January and 4k in March. I don't see a reason to pay double other than the peace of mind, which from the sounds of most replies here I shouldn't worry too much.

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JaxBratt t1_j14r6ar wrote

So the silver lining is if the tree falls insurance will likely offset much of that cost and as long as nobody gets hurt, other than the hassle it’ll be a win in the long run.

I lived in hurricane country for some time and lost trees in storms. Mine never took out my house but damaged other structures on my property and I knew others who sustained house damage including one person who was in bed and woke to see a tree limb through their ceiling. Shit happens in life. Be safe and don’t panic and no sense really losing sleep over what ifs.

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Unique-Public-8594 t1_j154vk5 wrote

If you’d like to mention what county you are in, I can’t promise but someone here might know an arborist who can get this tree down for you before the bad weather comes (without ripping you off). Vermonters are famous for helping their neighbors in a pinch. The longer you wait to give that info, the slimmer the chances are someone can do it.

And have you already tried Front porch Forum? It’s not too late to put a post on there today.

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CardinalPuff-Skipper t1_j15p249 wrote

Ouch. Sorry about the tree. What part of VT are you in? I’ve gotta tree guy if you’re in my area… I think the winds are going to be most intense during the daytime hours on Friday. If it’s really bad, just get a hotel or a friends couch. Who doesn’t need a little extra company for the holidays?

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Hyroponic t1_j15zqvm wrote

Add some booze to the list.

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andrews301xrd t1_j166cru wrote

Honestly I wouldn't be worried, but if something were to happen my biggest concern would be your gecko. I would consider getting a power inverter or heavy duty power bank that could power a heat lamp or heating pad for transport. I would reach out to your veterinarian and inquire if they do boarding, even if it's not something done normally they might make an exception in dire circumstances. It would be very difficult to provide adequate habitat for an exotic in a vehicle or motel room without relocating your whole enclosure setup.

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travelbug1984 OP t1_j1fph1v wrote

We’ve got him in a Tupperware container with water and heat mat under at a friends place. His normal cage lid for ventilation on top, weighted down so he can’t push it off.

Should be ok for a day or so?

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OkVeterinarian219 t1_j16co2j wrote

Don't leave car parked under the dead tree. Or any sketchy tree for that matter

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VTGREENS t1_j18iw5d wrote

unless the car is old and shitty and you want insurance to buy a new one!

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ResponsibleExcuse727 t1_j18ccnd wrote

Should be fine. Do stuff like this in the summer. We have limited services. Most services are backed up months just from sheer volume. Gotta be prepared

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