Around Orlando? Where are they projecting landfall for Irma, haven't really been watching too closely (thought it was the keys? let me look). Let's see... 2004-5 was twelve-thirteen years ago, the heavy hurricane year tends to fall once every ten to fifteen years. Could be due for it, wouldn't surprise me. If not this year, sometime in the next three most likely.
If she takes that swing north you're done. Forget the chickens. You'll be on the northeast side of the storm that spawns tornadoes and more rain than Orlando can handle. I'd head to GA, some old campground type places in the backcountry where you could hole up a couple of days for cheap, or tiny hotels in equally tiny towns that won't cost you a fortune but could save your life. Stay off 75 for that, take the back roads instead. (But that's worse case scenario. Doesn't hurt to have everything ready to go now just in case. Just remember, traffic will get worse the longer you wait. Much worse.) Better safe than stuck in a flooded out house with no power crawling up onto your roof, or being in a house when a tornado rolls over.
Far as reinforcing the coop, I'd put some bracketing in. Quick and easy worth a shot. Hurricane brackets they used to call them, keep the roof from blowing off in a gale. But they're only good up to so high a wind speed you know. Same with 2x4s they'll snap at a certain point.
Grew up in south Georgia, plenty of hills there to get you out of flood zones if you're north of Tifton especially so. Hurricanes Charlie and Ivan both rolled over us, as greatly weakened storms. Charlie knocked the power out for two days and spawned tornadoes like nobody's business. Ivan just dumped rain. So much freakin' rain our big hill was soggy.
If she takes that swing north you're done. Forget the chickens. You'll be on the northeast side of the storm that spawns tornadoes and more rain than Orlando can handle. I'd head to GA, some old campground type places in the backcountry where you could hole up a couple of days for cheap, or tiny hotels in equally tiny towns that won't cost you a fortune but could save your life. Stay off 75 for that, take the back roads instead. (But that's worse case scenario. Doesn't hurt to have everything ready to go now just in case. Just remember, traffic will get worse the longer you wait. Much worse.) Better safe than stuck in a flooded out house with no power crawling up onto your roof, or being in a house when a tornado rolls over.
Far as reinforcing the coop, I'd put some bracketing in. Quick and easy worth a shot. Hurricane brackets they used to call them, keep the roof from blowing off in a gale. But they're only good up to so high a wind speed you know. Same with 2x4s they'll snap at a certain point.
Grew up in south Georgia, plenty of hills there to get you out of flood zones if you're north of Tifton especially so. Hurricanes Charlie and Ivan both rolled over us, as greatly weakened storms. Charlie knocked the power out for two days and spawned tornadoes like nobody's business. Ivan just dumped rain. So much freakin' rain our big hill was soggy.
