High wind preparedness, leave windows open or close them up?

Noymira

Songster
8 Years
Mar 9, 2011
978
5
121
Chittenden County, VT
I am curious as we are preparing for the storm this weekend what I should do. We are in the high danger area, up in VT, and while I know it's very unlikely we will get full on hurricane conditions, it is still supposed to be very bad this weekend.

I have a 10'x10' shed converted to a coop that will be housing my 20 birds for the duration of the storm. There are windows on three sides (one side has 3 large windows that are only covered in hardware cloth), and soffet vents on two side. Should I try to close any or all of the windows for the storm? We get Nor'easters every winter and some good wind gusts, but this weekend could be worse than anything we've seen in years.

Does leaving windows open help the wind pass through and be less likely to cause damage? Or will it just give the wind a better path to get in and rip the roof off? Are solid walls more at risk of being blown over from the outside than walls with open windows?

I was thinking about leaving some chickens in my quarantine coop there, but that's really not secure against this kind of weather and I'm not sure it would stand up to massive wind gusts. Even if it does, that combined with the rain would result in soaked miserable chickens.

My thoughts and prayers are with anyone who will get a direct full force hit from this storm!
 
I think I would close them up as best as possible, I think having the wind blow through could tear the coop apart faster- but maybe other folks have a different opinion. I hope that you and your flock, and everyone else in the storm comes through okay!
 
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Being one that lives in areas prone to tornados I can remember as a youngster that when we had tornado warnings we would all run around and open every window and then head for the basement. The belief was that the pressure in the home would not build up with the windows open and the house wouldn't "explode"!!! In reality all it did was ensure wet curtains and floors.

There is no benefit in leaving the windows open, close them.

For all you waiting nervously for Irene I just have a gut feeling she is going to drift off out to sea.
 
Close all the windows, leaving them open will only stop the protection that the coop can provide....

I'm hoping she takes a stroll out to sea also
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I was wondering the same thing? I think that we are going to shut the windows and pop door. There is still full ventalation in our coop even with the windows shut. I am just thinking that when it rains it may be rainning sideways at times blowing right in the windows and soaking both the chickens and the interior coop. They are going to be mad enough to be locked inside for the day. I don't want to add, soaking wet to the mix. Praying that perhaps this storm will go out to sea!
 
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I certainly hope so as well! I'm still going to do some preparation, but I'm not panicking by any means.

The most worrisome thing would be losing power for days and not having running water. If we get a lot of wind/tree damage it's a slow process to restore power to some areas.

But I'm filling up my large stock tank next to the house this weekend with water in case we need it for the chickens and toilets. We'll get the usual drinking water, flashlights and such ready- but no more so that we worry about during winter storms.
 
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I certainly hope so as well! I'm still going to do some preparation, but I'm not panicking by any means.

The most worrisome thing would be losing power for days and not having running water. If we get a lot of wind/tree damage it's a slow process to restore power to some areas.

But I'm filling up my large stock tank next to the house this weekend with water in case we need it for the chickens and toilets. We'll get the usual drinking water, flashlights and such ready- but no more so that we worry about during winter storms.

On April 22 of this year I was hit by a F3 tornado, lost every tree, power for 5 days and it took three months just to clean up the tree damage and get rid of all the debris (actually still finding small pieces of shingles in the yard). The house survived with only shingle, soffit, fascia and gutter damage so was very thankful for that.

We did have water so flushing toilets wasn't an issue.

Keep your fingers crossed and prepare like you say you are and you'll make it, trust me. I can't tell you how over whelmed I was when I emerged from the basement and took a look outside. Keep in mind you can't clean it all up in one or two days it's a process. Prioritize and work from there.

The good thing, if there is a good thing, about hurricanes is you have plenty of lead time. I had like a minute and a half to get my rear end and my dogs to the basement and just hope for the best.

Good luck and prayers.

Ken
 
Seems as though everything we were taught as a child doesn't work today. I was just watching a special on TV about hurricanes and tornado's. The entire show contradicted everything I was told to do when I was younger. Yeah, I was younger at one time. It said when the windows are open that "lets' the pressure build inside and will cause the home of chicken coop to explode. Keeping the window closed stops that from happening.

Oh yeah, coffee will kill also unless it's good for ya.
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I know, I've seen the same things about opening the windows, but since we don't live in an area prone to tornadoes we've never drilled or prepared for them!

Scooter147- I'm glad you made it through, tornadoes scare the socks right off me. Give me 3 feet of snow any day, that I know how to cope with!

Luckily we do have plenty of time to get ready, and I'm much more worried for friends on Cape Cod and people who will be taking this storm on the chin. This will be devastating to many, especially those who have to choose between their lives and homes/animals.

My family was vacationing on Martha's Vineyard when hurricane Bob hit years ago, and I remember it clearly- not something I'd want to relive if I could help it!
 

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