This coming up Sunday and Monday, the National Weather Service plus
several major local utility companies are expecting Hurricane Dennis (The
Menace) to come wallopping in along much the same path and manner that
Hurricane Ivan (The Terrible) did last year...and at much the same or
possibly worse strength, so be sure you MISS this one by evacuating if
you're in a low-lying area and prone to floods or are in a trailer/mobile
home.
 
We're doing our best to try to stock up on neccesaries for Dennis The
Menace for The Ferret And Dove Sanctuary, and have already been lending a
helping several carriers to the folks at nearby Eglin AirForceBase where
the families were just ordered to evacuate for H. Dennis.
 
This is a word to the wise for everyone along the American Guld Coast,
please get ready now.  Another "big one" is coming.  After last year's H.
Ivan, we took in more than 20 ferrets from mostly well-to-do folks who
were made suddenly homeless by tornadoes, storm surges and unbelievably
devastating wind gusts.  (example, Tropical Storm Cindy had sustained
winds of 70 mph, with wind gusts up to 90...but H.  Ivan's sustained
winds were 130 -145, with gusts that Broke more than one wind measurement
device unable to record more than 200).  We've got a great little
shelter, up on a well-drained hill and with pliable trees planted in such
a manner as to help guide most of the heaviest winds around the house as
though it were almost round.
 
Ah!  Another thing, if you're going to stay put, water your nearby trees
the day before the hurricane hits to Keep them bendable and pliant
(you're going to really, Really want that bit of cool shade after the
storm's gone by).  Dry wood breaks, wet bends.  For your ferrets, get
battery-op fans and keep lots of water and some spray bottles handy.  If
your power goes, you've got the basic tools for helping your ferrets stay
cool.  (wet down linen sheets and wring them out to damp, drape this over
the cage (keep them quiet, quiet=cool) and turn the fan on, mist down
your overheated self and furkids with water, too.  You know, I think I'll
just stay on this nice, cool stone floor with them, besides that...
 
Take care, everyone.
http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/ferret_rescuer/index.html
[Posted in FML issue 4931]