Little Sister, I would think sand bags would be an effective water deterrent for you since you live on the coast. I have seen huge sheets of plastic tarps against the outside walls and the sandbags in front of them. Do they work?
Propane: I was at an auction and no one wanted the old rusty propane tanks. I did – two for a dollar. I usually get them at garage sales, too. We have nearly a dozen 20-pound tanks for the grill. When the propane deliver guy came I asked him to check out one tank and he refitted the valve for us. Now we have a fifty gallon, full and ready to go. The paint is peeling, but it works. Most people ignored it at the auction, they probably will here, too.