What Do You Do When....????

[sapphire_moon]

Sorry about the vague title, but I didn't want to put the corny "what do you do when severe weather strikes?" thing up there.


We just spend the last 2 hours in the basement because of tornadoe sirens going off left right and backwards, actual touch downs and formations coming from almost every city around us.

I want to know what the people who have small collections (or aren't insured, lol) do when something like this threatens the lives of not only your reptiles, but all your animals?

[Oliverian]

... I don't know for sure, but I would suggest getting off the computer before you're fried.... don't want a toasted herper. ;)

-TammyR

[Oliverian]

:( But that really is scary... I hope you and everyone else will be all right....

-TammyR

[Big_V]

Thankfully I live in Southern Ontario where nothing really happens...but you may want to think of moving your animals since you are in a high tornado density area. Or if not just pray that nothing happens. Or if you cant move them into the basement fully move the animals that are more permanent as in tanks and such into the basement, or have a temp rack system you could house them in just incase.

[mykee]

Big; Not true, on Saturday evening, a tornado 'touched down' in Kitchener. Though I don't live in Kitchener, still MUCH too close for my comfort.

[creepiecrawlie]

I know what you mean, I live smack dab in tornado ally. (Oklahoma)

[drewlowe]

I would go with bigv's suggestion, if they are not set up downstairs already try and get temp homes to set up in the basement for this time of year.

That's probly the only thing i'm happy about where i live, since i live in the basement and we have tornado scares quite frequently we are all ready set up down there. I would probly only have to move 2 cages away from windows.

Jamie

[sapphire_moon]

We can't set up in the basement.

My step dad lets his dog down there, can't remember the breed, but she is medium sized, and would kill all the snakes, if not pee on the racks/cages.

Plus, the basement floods,lol.

I was on the computer after the threat of a tornadoe had passed. I wouldn't even come up stairs until they cancelled the warning.

*guess it's just another reason to say I want to move out of kansas!*

[Big_V]

You could always set something up for emergencies that is on a shelf or something. Just make things higher up so water or a dog cant get at them.

[sapphire_moon]

Wish we could. But we can't afford to have 2 seperate housing units for the snakes (even if one is temporary). We are moving in june and need the money, plus when we leave we need the space!

plus, there are all kinds of spiders and such I would worry about biting the snakes, I don't want to put them in unnecessary danger. our basement is just that, a basement, it's not fully built for anything to live down there. I don't even go down there by myself (bad expierence)

This is what we do,

we bag the snakes (except the w.hognose, we put him in his feeding bowl, and THEN put him in the bag.)I put a dog leash around the tops of those under the knot (easy to cary with one lead instead of juggling 5 bags), rabbit in carrier, cat & dog in carrier, the other 2 dogs will follow us.

I was just wanting to know how OTHERS deal with threats like that.

[marisa]

We don't really have any "threats" here in Ontario too often. Last year during the 2 day power outage I ended up doing nothing as the temps were hot enough on their own to sustain my colubrids.

I am really not sure what you could do for tornado aside from what you already stated.

Marisa

[lolaophidia]

You could always keep some rubbermaid tubs set up in the basement as temp housing. They're cheap, seal up well and can be stacked in a closet for easy access to pack your snakes in if you hear the sirens. I wouldn't worry too much about heating or even water for the duration of a watch or warning. Not a happy thought, but if a tornado takes your house you'll be dealing with replacing the snakes permanent housing anyway. I've had to deal with power outages about once a year here in VA (ice storms, hurricanes, and the occasional tornado) and the snakes end up brumating for a few days if it's cold. I keep mostly colubrids, so I'm lucky. I keep my smaller snakes in a rack system, so all I'd have to do is snap a lid on their tubs and stack them up in the safer portion of the house. With the big snakes, I'd bag them. We don't have a basement so I'd be in the interior hallway. The trick would be catching and crating the cats!