[Prep] POST- Jeanne, Ivan, Frances & Charley Hurricane Prep Lessons Learned.
- Thread starter A.T.Hagan
- Start date
Frangipanni
Veteran Member
Well, gotta agree with Alan.....1st thing is real hurricane shuttters!!!! The plywood is too hard to deal with, takes too long and is too large to store.
We had plenty of food and water and a gas grill with 4 tanks of propane...cooking was no problem.
Them dang lanterns put off too much heat! DH put ours under the hanging veggie basket, laid in some foil then tortilla chips and topped with cheese and made nachos the night of the storm. No kidding. Need something battery powered.
We've been without electric since 9:21 am Saturday...still out....I can't believe how important ice is. We grilled up everything in the freezer and ate as much as possible before we threw everything out of the frig.
We don't have a generator....we will soon. Only to run the frig and freezer.
I can't believe the gas shortage and long lines. We were fine...all 5 vehicles filled to the brim and our stored gas. No waiting in line for us!
The other lesson I learned is that I really really dislike spending 14 hours in a walk in closet with DH and 2 fat dogs while the wind is screaming by at 84 MHP, shingles are flying off and debris is bouncing off the roof, walls and plywood!!!!
We had plenty of food and water and a gas grill with 4 tanks of propane...cooking was no problem.
Them dang lanterns put off too much heat! DH put ours under the hanging veggie basket, laid in some foil then tortilla chips and topped with cheese and made nachos the night of the storm. No kidding. Need something battery powered.
We've been without electric since 9:21 am Saturday...still out....I can't believe how important ice is. We grilled up everything in the freezer and ate as much as possible before we threw everything out of the frig.
We don't have a generator....we will soon. Only to run the frig and freezer.
I can't believe the gas shortage and long lines. We were fine...all 5 vehicles filled to the brim and our stored gas. No waiting in line for us!
The other lesson I learned is that I really really dislike spending 14 hours in a walk in closet with DH and 2 fat dogs while the wind is screaming by at 84 MHP, shingles are flying off and debris is bouncing off the roof, walls and plywood!!!!
Hi All,
I feel for you down south trying to find a light that is safe and works well without throwing off a lot of heat. FWIW, I just ordered one of these.
www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=128546
It's a 30 LED unit that runs for 400 hours on 4 D batteries.
I feel for you down south trying to find a light that is safe and works well without throwing off a lot of heat. FWIW, I just ordered one of these.
www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=128546
It's a 30 LED unit that runs for 400 hours on 4 D batteries.
A.T.Hagan
Inactive
Frangipanni said:
Just tonight decided that this time around we are going to simply empty the refrigerator and unplug it rather than trying to keep it chilled.
Anything that we normally use will go into the coolers, the condiments that don't absolutely have to be refrigerated will be put on the counter, and anything that we don't use frequently, but won't keep without refrigeration will be tossed. We've been needing to clean the fridge anyway.
The other thing we'll be doing is on Sunday I'm going to cook up pots of stew and soup that we can then chill or freeze in advance and put in the coolers. Then we can simply heat them on the camp stoves rather than cooking from scratch meals. Better than eating out of a can, MREs, or a constant diet of sandwiches. If they're properly chilled or frozen in advance they won't eat up our ice. Ought to be good for four or five days I think.
<strong>WalknTrot wrote:</strong>
<i>I just ordered one of these.
www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=128546
It's a 30 LED unit that runs for 400 hours on 4 D batteries.</i>
Yes! That's the kind of thing I've been looking for. Please do give us a review of yours when it comes in because if it's worth a damn I want at least one for myself. I'd really like to know how much usable light it puts off - like can you read by it?
.....Alan.
Wow! I have to get a couple of those lanterns! I'll bet, if you can't read by them, the light would be good enough to play cards with or cook up some food and generally just get around.
Thanks for the link. When we are in a better financial position, those lanterns are first on my list.
Thanks for the link. When we are in a better financial position, those lanterns are first on my list.
north runner
Inactive
imho
you're sort of being suckered here by the 4 D cells and 400 hours.
The light output won't remain constant. Sure it might run 400 hours but it will only be useful illumination for 50-100 hrs.
Can't wait for a first hand account
you're sort of being suckered here by the 4 D cells and 400 hours.
The light output won't remain constant. Sure it might run 400 hours but it will only be useful illumination for 50-100 hrs.
Can't wait for a first hand account
BaywaterRoss
Inactive
Here are some battery operated lanterns from Coleman. I have a twin tube model that uses 8 D-cells and it works great for area lighting.
Our power was off again tonight for over 6 hours. Some "tree trimmers" got too happy cutting branches as part of the Frances cleanup effort and knocked out the power for my little block.
That lantern certainly works well enough to play cards by, even when it's across the room. I recommend one for each room, and two in each large room. I was glad to have it tonight. Good stuff.
Our power was off again tonight for over 6 hours. Some "tree trimmers" got too happy cutting branches as part of the Frances cleanup effort and knocked out the power for my little block.
That lantern certainly works well enough to play cards by, even when it's across the room. I recommend one for each room, and two in each large room. I was glad to have it tonight. Good stuff.
Charlie
Membership Revoked
I too am interested in real life reporting on the LED lanterns. I have been considering one for a long time......but thought the light quality would suck, etc. LED's are great....but do not produce really good light. I own several flashlights, head lamps, etc.....but find they are dim for the most part.
I wrote this earlier tonight and sent it out as email to my family and friends, maybe you'd like to read?
News from Hurricane Country
Well Im back!! Who knows for how long this time? I need to print some shirts "We survived Hurricane Frances" LOL. It's good to laugh now but this past week wasnt fun.
We were hit about 8 pm Tuesday night. and it was a bit scary at home. Two times I thought I was going to lose my roof with gusts of wind--it grabbed the aluminum and started rolling it back. I decided to leave for a safer location! LOL. No shelters open in my small town . It forced us to ride it out VERY unsafely. (the governor will get an email from me later this week about it). No hotel rooms, evacuees from south florida had filled them already.
I went over to my familys house and we grilled steaks as we watched the sky. The storm was taking forever to buildup (moving slow) getting on our nerves. We had pretty much convinced ourselves it wouldnt be that bad (it usually isnt. We live in the middle of the state and any storm has to cross alot of land to reach us--losing alot of strength as it does.) The problem with Frances was, it was so strong that it still held hurricane force winds when it got here. It WAS bad, much worse than we thought.
WE were playing cards on a screen porch after dark and the wind started to pickup more. Within 2 hours, trees were crashing all around us. You would hear a "crackkkkkk" and try to run before it came smashing down wherever it would fall. Both of my sisters , me and my son crowded into my parents living room. We all live in mobile homes but figured theirs was the safest with a double roof and wood siding. The intensity got strong very quickly. Trees crashed down on my sisters porch, next to their front door. Trees crashed down blocking the driveway and taking the power lines with them. We waited in candlelight, listening to NOA weather radio and WSKY radio. One by one, each radio station went off the air because their towers collapsed. The ONLY station on the air for 3 days (and that LONG night) was WSKY. They risked their own safety to sleep on a mat and take calls from people, giving us emergency information. I dont mind telling you that I was very scared. I watched the roof and we would move around the room, depending on which area of roofing we thought was strongest and where the trees were falling. We heard at least 3 tornadoes and they twisted power lines around trees taking them down in many places. We got a tip on the radio, to turn our radios to AM 540 if we suspected tornado activity--the radio would squeal when a tornado got close. Well it did and I wasnt sure if I really wanted to hear it!
Since the storm was a slow moving one, once it began, it didnt end for almost 34 hours.
I think we all got pretty shell shocked waiting for that storm to end! The next morning we took stock of how bad it was. The storm hadnt left completely so we had to duck more falling trees into the next night. Winds went to 60 miles an hour where I live--The woods arent prepared to handle that kind of wind gusts. Some trees here are completely stripped of bark and sure looks funny.
"Bubbas with chainsaws" started clearing our back country dirt roads-most were impassable with huge trees and power lines laying across them. My sisters driveway still has 4 trees across it. When we finally made it to the small town 5 miles away, it wasnt pretty. People looked like the "walking wounded". They rationed gas, then it ran out. No water, no ice, no batteries. They put us on curfew, no-one out after 9pm or you were arrested with a 6 month jail sentence.
We cooked on propane stoves by lantern light. We took showers using a kiddy pool and sauce pot--one person would pour the water, while the other would get wet, suds up and rinse off in the yard. By day three we took my sister to the hospital with dehydration. Its easy when youre out of your normal daily routine not to realize how quickly you become dehydrated--so we made a point to drink anything clean.
Day four and the rivers are now rising, normal is 20 feet, cresting is 26, its up to 30 and going to about 36 here, so mandatory evacuations along the rivers here are starting.
By day five, the National Guard arrive to hand out water and ice. Limit to 2 per family. We have 99 crews here combing the woods trying to restore power from different states. The heat is horrendous, around 90 during the day and not much better at night. The mosquistos have suddenly bloomed into thousands with all the rain. Tempers are short, people cry easily. National Guard patrols stores, detours on roads to make sure no more fist fights break out. People who have generators are protecting them with guns.
By day 6 some power is begining to come back on. Others are told it will be 3 to 5 more days to replace equipment. My phone was off til this morning. It would come on about 45 min a day then go back off-We laughed and wondered why it was "rationed" too. Tonight, some friends showed up and hookedup a generator for me! We had AC, light and saw tv again like normal people! We celebrated by eating chicken wings and watching Ivan heading towards us--during one announcement, I suddenly noticed my front porch light was on again! WHOPEE we have POWER! We are enjoying it emmensely--with the knowledge Ivan will hit us next Tuesday night--one week exactly after Frances! AND there is a new one brewing in the south warm tropical waters.
I learned ALOT about myself during this past week. I learned Im not even half prepared as I thought to handle these type of things and how quickly a disaster will run a society down to a 3rd world country level. It isnt a fictional story anymore. I learned to get busy this time and make sure I AM prepared. I learned generators are my newest favorite item. I learned family members can REALLY get on your nerves! I learned I will NOT ride out another major storm outside of a shelter!
Stay tuned for Hurricane Ivan reports from the trenches LOL. Something tells me, winter is too long in coming this year!
News from Hurricane Country
Well Im back!! Who knows for how long this time? I need to print some shirts "We survived Hurricane Frances" LOL. It's good to laugh now but this past week wasnt fun.
We were hit about 8 pm Tuesday night. and it was a bit scary at home. Two times I thought I was going to lose my roof with gusts of wind--it grabbed the aluminum and started rolling it back. I decided to leave for a safer location! LOL. No shelters open in my small town . It forced us to ride it out VERY unsafely. (the governor will get an email from me later this week about it). No hotel rooms, evacuees from south florida had filled them already.
I went over to my familys house and we grilled steaks as we watched the sky. The storm was taking forever to buildup (moving slow) getting on our nerves. We had pretty much convinced ourselves it wouldnt be that bad (it usually isnt. We live in the middle of the state and any storm has to cross alot of land to reach us--losing alot of strength as it does.) The problem with Frances was, it was so strong that it still held hurricane force winds when it got here. It WAS bad, much worse than we thought.
WE were playing cards on a screen porch after dark and the wind started to pickup more. Within 2 hours, trees were crashing all around us. You would hear a "crackkkkkk" and try to run before it came smashing down wherever it would fall. Both of my sisters , me and my son crowded into my parents living room. We all live in mobile homes but figured theirs was the safest with a double roof and wood siding. The intensity got strong very quickly. Trees crashed down on my sisters porch, next to their front door. Trees crashed down blocking the driveway and taking the power lines with them. We waited in candlelight, listening to NOA weather radio and WSKY radio. One by one, each radio station went off the air because their towers collapsed. The ONLY station on the air for 3 days (and that LONG night) was WSKY. They risked their own safety to sleep on a mat and take calls from people, giving us emergency information. I dont mind telling you that I was very scared. I watched the roof and we would move around the room, depending on which area of roofing we thought was strongest and where the trees were falling. We heard at least 3 tornadoes and they twisted power lines around trees taking them down in many places. We got a tip on the radio, to turn our radios to AM 540 if we suspected tornado activity--the radio would squeal when a tornado got close. Well it did and I wasnt sure if I really wanted to hear it!
Since the storm was a slow moving one, once it began, it didnt end for almost 34 hours.
I think we all got pretty shell shocked waiting for that storm to end! The next morning we took stock of how bad it was. The storm hadnt left completely so we had to duck more falling trees into the next night. Winds went to 60 miles an hour where I live--The woods arent prepared to handle that kind of wind gusts. Some trees here are completely stripped of bark and sure looks funny.
"Bubbas with chainsaws" started clearing our back country dirt roads-most were impassable with huge trees and power lines laying across them. My sisters driveway still has 4 trees across it. When we finally made it to the small town 5 miles away, it wasnt pretty. People looked like the "walking wounded". They rationed gas, then it ran out. No water, no ice, no batteries. They put us on curfew, no-one out after 9pm or you were arrested with a 6 month jail sentence.
We cooked on propane stoves by lantern light. We took showers using a kiddy pool and sauce pot--one person would pour the water, while the other would get wet, suds up and rinse off in the yard. By day three we took my sister to the hospital with dehydration. Its easy when youre out of your normal daily routine not to realize how quickly you become dehydrated--so we made a point to drink anything clean.
Day four and the rivers are now rising, normal is 20 feet, cresting is 26, its up to 30 and going to about 36 here, so mandatory evacuations along the rivers here are starting.
By day five, the National Guard arrive to hand out water and ice. Limit to 2 per family. We have 99 crews here combing the woods trying to restore power from different states. The heat is horrendous, around 90 during the day and not much better at night. The mosquistos have suddenly bloomed into thousands with all the rain. Tempers are short, people cry easily. National Guard patrols stores, detours on roads to make sure no more fist fights break out. People who have generators are protecting them with guns.
By day 6 some power is begining to come back on. Others are told it will be 3 to 5 more days to replace equipment. My phone was off til this morning. It would come on about 45 min a day then go back off-We laughed and wondered why it was "rationed" too. Tonight, some friends showed up and hookedup a generator for me! We had AC, light and saw tv again like normal people! We celebrated by eating chicken wings and watching Ivan heading towards us--during one announcement, I suddenly noticed my front porch light was on again! WHOPEE we have POWER! We are enjoying it emmensely--with the knowledge Ivan will hit us next Tuesday night--one week exactly after Frances! AND there is a new one brewing in the south warm tropical waters.
I learned ALOT about myself during this past week. I learned Im not even half prepared as I thought to handle these type of things and how quickly a disaster will run a society down to a 3rd world country level. It isnt a fictional story anymore. I learned to get busy this time and make sure I AM prepared. I learned generators are my newest favorite item. I learned family members can REALLY get on your nerves! I learned I will NOT ride out another major storm outside of a shelter!
Stay tuned for Hurricane Ivan reports from the trenches LOL. Something tells me, winter is too long in coming this year!
Other things I learned;
I learned to have more buckets and a covered kiddy pool for rain water-Its NO fun if you cant flush the toilet!
I learned to have a socket installed on my well/pump to hook-into a generator so we would still have water. We have submerged pumps here and they are too difficult for hand pumps, plus its alot of work and you wont lose your water source.
I learned to NOT loan my Baygen out-- since it didnt work when I really needed it.
I learned that an inverter is great if you dont have a generator. We got contact with the outside world, ran a cooler and a fan for a few hours a day that way.
Deena ---good idea about putting the water in the freezer. Next time I will freeze some jugs and it will be worth gold to me once the power is gone LOL.. I would dream of cold water!
Solar lights wouldnt have helped us since we had 3 days of rain & clouds
I am also experiencing bugs trying to take shelter in my home!
The cheap deck of cards I bought at the last minute was WONDERFUL and we got quite a few hours of laughs from it--plus once the sun goes down, we had something to look forward to.
I did hear some warnings here about displaced snakes moving around out of their usual behavior patterns. I dont swim at night LOL.
Im buying a new generator once everything subsides here---thats the best time. Many people panic and buy a huge new one then want their money back a few weeks after a storm. They sell for less than half price so you can get some darned good deals (much less than a store).
NOTE to people who came here to help from other states--WE APPRECIATE YOU!
I learned to CLEAN THE HOUSE well before the storm hits-its gonna be a long time until I have the chance to do it with power and its miserable without clean clothes, dishes etc.
Seabird I sure agree about that coffee! Its the one thing I really looked forward to everyday.
Mental note--this time Im having my huge propane tank filled ahead of time. It was wonderful not having to worry about cooking on my gas stove.
A.T. my daughter lives in Miami and her house survived Andrew in Cutler ridge--because they used the old style wood hurricane shutters. Some things dont improve
Increase fuel storage is on my list too. Too damn hard to get more once the storm passes.
I lost alot of sleep too...every time rain hit the roof or wind even blew gently, we all jumped--post tramatic storm syndrome!
I learned to have more buckets and a covered kiddy pool for rain water-Its NO fun if you cant flush the toilet!
I learned to have a socket installed on my well/pump to hook-into a generator so we would still have water. We have submerged pumps here and they are too difficult for hand pumps, plus its alot of work and you wont lose your water source.
I learned to NOT loan my Baygen out-- since it didnt work when I really needed it.
I learned that an inverter is great if you dont have a generator. We got contact with the outside world, ran a cooler and a fan for a few hours a day that way.
Deena ---good idea about putting the water in the freezer. Next time I will freeze some jugs and it will be worth gold to me once the power is gone LOL.. I would dream of cold water!
Solar lights wouldnt have helped us since we had 3 days of rain & clouds
I am also experiencing bugs trying to take shelter in my home! The cheap deck of cards I bought at the last minute was WONDERFUL and we got quite a few hours of laughs from it--plus once the sun goes down, we had something to look forward to.
I did hear some warnings here about displaced snakes moving around out of their usual behavior patterns. I dont swim at night LOL.
Im buying a new generator once everything subsides here---thats the best time. Many people panic and buy a huge new one then want their money back a few weeks after a storm. They sell for less than half price so you can get some darned good deals (much less than a store).
NOTE to people who came here to help from other states--WE APPRECIATE YOU!
I learned to CLEAN THE HOUSE well before the storm hits-its gonna be a long time until I have the chance to do it with power and its miserable without clean clothes, dishes etc.
Seabird I sure agree about that coffee! Its the one thing I really looked forward to everyday.
Mental note--this time Im having my huge propane tank filled ahead of time. It was wonderful not having to worry about cooking on my gas stove.
A.T. my daughter lives in Miami and her house survived Andrew in Cutler ridge--because they used the old style wood hurricane shutters. Some things dont improve
Increase fuel storage is on my list too. Too damn hard to get more once the storm passes.
I lost alot of sleep too...every time rain hit the roof or wind even blew gently, we all jumped--post tramatic storm syndrome!
From my notes
Background
Hurricane Frances came through last weekend. Today is Friday, and power was restored here today at 5:15 pm. Hurricane Charley had come through just before this, and power was only out about one day. This is from notes that I made over the past week, and it applies to my own particular circumstances - your situation will almost certainly be different, but perhaps you can find something here to help.
Keep in mind that although being without electricity and air conditioning is a major problem for us, this is how most of the rest of the world lives every day. The problem is that we are not used to it and they are. The goal here is to make the transition as smooth as possible so that we can get adjusted to life without electricity until it is restored.
The storm
Frances was a slow moving storm. High winds started here on Saturday afternoon. The highest winds were on Sunday, with rain bands and high gusts continuing into Monday. This location is surrounded by large oaks which serve as a wind screen - unless they are blown over. The highest gust measured at 30 feet here was only 46 MPH, but it was obvious from the movement of the oaks, that the winds were much higher above the trees. On Sunday, a tornado touched down a couple hundred yards from here. I could not see it, but I heard it. A tornado sounds just like what it is described as - the sound of a freight train, only without the “clacking” of the rails. When I first heard it, my thought was “why in the world would they be running a train in the middle of a hurricane?” It took a few seconds for it to sink in that it was a tornado. After the storm had passed, I saw how it had shredded huge oaks and destroyed the utility lines. The road was completely blocked, and I could not see the house that I knew was behind the debris.
Before the storm
In addition to the usual stuff, turn the air conditioning down as low as you can to cool the house down. If you’re careful, and you have a shady location, you can keep the house reasonably comfortable for quite a while with the windows closed. Keep the shades drawn, cook outdoors, and keep things as dry as possible.
Water
In the movie “The Matrix”, Neo is asked what he needs. He replies “Guns. Lots of guns.” After something like this, the reply would be “Water. Lots of water.” Having an abundant supply of clean water can make a huge difference in comfort. Having a minimum supply of clean water is critical. Lots of water means you can take a bath or shower, and that means more than most folks will ever understand until they have been in steaming hot weather with no air conditioning while doing heavy physical work to clear debris and make repairs. You MUST have water, and lots of it.
I learned that when my well pump is without power for a while it will lose its prime. That’s a scary feeling. Fortunately, I also learned how to prime the pump. Remember that you have to have water to prime a pump (it may take several gallons), so don’t wait until you’re out of water to crank up the pump. I’m pretty sure the well can be fixed so that it doesn’t lose prime like that, but that’s another subject. Also, know that when the water goes down, and interior parts of the pump and well are exposed to air, rust will form very quickly. When I pumped water after losing prime, the water was a rust brown for a while.
I have a hand pump well that I need to pay more attention to so that it is always in good working order. That’s something easy to put off, but very important.
Everyone knows that you need to fill up your bathtub with water. The problem is that most modern tubs have built-in stoppers that are OK for keeping the water in if you’re taking a bath. They will NOT, however, keep water in for the long term. If you trust the built-in stopper, you’re likely to have an empty tub the next day. Remove the metal stopper and replace it with an old-fashioned rubber stopper from the hardware store. They come in different sizes, so make sure you get the right size. You can replace the fancy metal one after things return to normal.
A big Igloo water cooler filled with ice water is extremely handy and keeps you from having to go into the refrigerator or into an ice chest for cold water. I wish I could find one. My sister used one for her family, and it worked great. It’s on my list of things to get.
Another water container that I will try to find for next time is a 5 gallon container that has a valve that can be turned on and left on like a water spigot. Most water containers have a spring-type valve that you have to keep holding to get water. I want something to set at the bathroom and kitchen sinks so that I can have running water when needed. Again, it’s on my list.
Cooking
Gas grills are slower than cooking on an electric stove. A lot slower. Take that into consideration when planning. I imagine most folks already knew that, but I didn’t.
Those little “George Foreman Grilling Machines” work great if you have a generator. Try to use it outside so you don’t heat up the house any more than necessary.
The first night without power, I grilled a steak. It was one of the best I’ve ever had. I had planned to do that before the storm hit, and picked up some potatoes to go with it. Try to cook some really good meals like that once in a while. It’s a real morale booster. Besides, you’ll need the red meat for all the work that follows the storm. If you’ve got them in the freezer, now is the time to use them. (Also, I took it out of the freezer and stuck it under my shirt to cool me down and thaw it out. Worked great!)
Hazards
Unless you are trying to ride out a major storm in a mobile home, or you are in a storm surge or flood area, the most serious hazards are after the storm has passed. Chief among the hazards is the mixture of working, non-working, and sort-of-working traffic signals. Many people don’t know to treat non-working traffic lights as a 4-way stop, and they barrel right on through. Others come to a sort-of-working traffic light and treat it as a 4-way stop. They stop, then when it’s clear, they go through the intersection. I did that one time only to discover that I had just come to a stop and then proceeded right through a red light. Big time stupid, and almost big time fatal. There is also the hazards of trees and utility poles in the roads, or hanging just above the road at windshield-level. Flooded streets can hide all sorts of debris under water, so cross water with caution.
Judging from what I saw and heard while buying some last-minute supplies, there are a lot of people trying to wire generators who are accidents waiting to happen. There are also a lot of people buying chain saws who hope to learn how to use one while stressed about that tree fallen on their house. Bad time to learn. I also never saw any of the chain saw buyers getting any safety equipment at the same time. I never use mine without a helmet-hearing-protection-face-shield combination, along with leather gloves and heavy pants. Again - accidents waiting to happen.
Be careful of ordinary hazards also. I tripped over a support cable from a solar panel that I had taken down to protect from wind damage. I just ended up with a sore arm, but could just as easily have ended up with a fracture or nasty cut if things had been slightly different. That’s the last thing you want to have to deal with at a time like this. If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure during normal times, it’s worth a ton of cure during bad times. Be careful!
Sleeping
After two nights to get used to it, sleeping in even the hottest weather can be reasonably comfortable if you can cool off with a shower just before going to bed, and if you have a fan running. I was able to run a fan with the battery/inverter combination (described later), and it worked very well.
My plan had originally been to sleep on my screened-in-porch, but I didn’t consider the fact that the floor would be flooded. I ordered a cot from Cabela’s, and it arrived on Friday - the day power was restored. It will come in handy the next time.
When there is no power, one quickly gets into the habit of going to bed shortly after dark, and then waking up at dawn. Sleep patterns can change pretty quickly under these circumstances.
Without air conditioning, and working outside all day long, allergies can act up and make sleeping even harder than it already is. Nasal decongestant spray or Benadryl in your first aid kit will make it easier to sleep.
Showers and washing
I started to build an outdoor shower, but power was restored before it was completed. I found a sprayer in the garden section of Lowes that will be the main part of it. It is basically an adjustable shower head attached to a pipe with a garden hose connector on one end and a gate valve in the middle. I had planned to run the generator to pump water, and then use it on the garden hose. Some 8’ posts planted in the ground with some 4’ wide black plastic would provide privacy. I bought some 12” square patio pavers and laid them down to form a 2’ x 6’ floor so I wasn’t standing in mud. I think it will work out well the next time. Yes, I could just as easily shower inside, but without air conditioning, you end up with 100% humidity in the bathroom. The key is to keep anything that produces heat and moisture out of the house as much as possible.
For general face-washing type stuff, a regular dish pan works great. Next time, I’ll have two of them so that one can be for clean water to rinse with. They work much better than using the sink. If you’re short on water, use the water for flushing toilets after you’re finished washing up.
Shaving is a real pain if you insist on hot water. I gave up and just shaved using cold water. It worked OK.
Clothing
A surplus sun helmet (pith helmet) worked very well to keep the sun off while working outside; I’ve used them for years. It also worked well to keep the rain off when I had to go out during the storm to lower an antenna to keep it from being destroyed when a branch threatened to fall on it. It finally fell about an hour after I lowered the antenna. I used a rain suit with the pith helmet, and it allowed me to go out in the middle the hurricane, do some work, and remain relatively dry. Carhart work pants aren’t very cool, but I’ll take the added heat for the protection they offer from cuts and scrapes when clearing debris. Leather gloves are an absolute necessity. Plain cotton gloves are cooler, and can be used for some things, but leather is the best way to go most of the time. A sweat band will make it a lot less miserable working outside. Sunglasses are a must - especially when working around brush where the possibility of getting poked in the eye is pretty high.
Electricity
I used a Honda generator (4500 watts rated, 5000 watts max), and it performed flawlessly. It will run approximately 8.5 hours on a tank of fuel with enough left over to make sure the tank is not run dry. In the time the power was off, I went through approximately 26 gallons of gasoline. At today’s prices, that’s just a bit over $50 worth. If I had it to do over again, I would not run the refrigerator, and maybe not the freezer either. It takes far more power to keep them cool than I had estimated. Even running the generator all day long and shutting it down at night left the refrigerator just barely cool the next morning. I would probably go with a large ice chest and hope that I could find ice. Eat up whatever you can from the refrigerator and toss the rest out. A good chest freezer will hold the temperature pretty well, but if power isn’t restored quickly, you’ll have to decide what to do about that food. Frozen food isn’t cheap, but neither is gasoline. I would probably save the generator just to run the well pump and I wouldn’t scrimp on the water (remember: Water. Lots of water.)
In addition to my generator, I have an inverter connected to two large 12 volt batteries that used to back up a cell phone tower (they are replaced regularly, and if you can locate a source of those that have been rotated out, they are an excellent bargain). If the sun is out, this is charged with three 45-watt solar panels. Since I was running the generator anyway, I just charged them using a regular battery charger. At night, I disconnected the generator from the house, and connected the inverter. I turned off everything except where I would be running a fan. One fan running all night would draw the batteries down to 85% - 90% of full charge, which is quite acceptable for a deep discharge battery. This worked out very well.
While generators were scarce at some points, there was usually some place they could be found. I didn’t hear of anyone this time who wanted one but couldn’t find one with a little looking and driving. What could NOT be found though, was cable and connectors if you wanted to do anything other than just plug in an appliance directly to the generator. The 30 amp twist lock connectors and the flexible 10 gauge cable to go with them was in very short supply or was non-existent. Don’t try to use romex or other solid wire. It doesn’t work with a connector that is designed for stranded wire. Be sure you have the needed connectors and pre-wiring well before it will be needed. If you are back-feeding your house, be sure to talk to an electrician friend first so you’ll know how to do it safely. It can be done safely if you do it right. If you do it wrong, you can kill or seriously injure someone. There is no excuse for back feeding into the utility lines - always disconnect from the utility line, and then put a padlock on the panel so that no one but you can open it. Never unlock it until after the generator has been shut down and disconnected.
Fuel
When South Florida evacuated, they went through here and sucked up all the gas. The storm came along and knocked out the electricity needed to pump gas if there was any left to pump. People were using generators that need gasoline. When the storm was over, evacuees came back through again, only this time there wasn’t any gas left. Not a good situation. Gas containers were non-existent in any of the stores at any price. If they appeared on a truck, they were gone within a few minutes. Be sure you have a good supply of gas containers (the 6 gallon Rubbermaid containers I use work very well). If you’ve got a safe place to store them when full of gas, be sure to have a good supply on hand. If you don’t have a good place for regular storage, at least have the cans so you can improvise when the situation calls for it. Never store gasoline in your garage or anything attached to or close to your house. Also, if gas is really scarce, it’s nice to have a way to lock up your stored gasoline.
Sunburn
Be sure to use sunscreen and/or wear a hat and clothing that protects you from sunburn. If you think trying to sleep without air conditioning is miserable, see what it’s like when you add a painful sunburn to the situation. I know someone who felt so good soaking in a pool to cool off, that they ended up with a nasty sunburn. Others got pretty red while cleaning up debris and working on repairs.
Keeping things dry
Without air conditioning, little spills and puddles just stay there. Keep an old towel handy in the bathroom to clean up excess water. There will be plenty of it around as you fill the toilet tank with buckets of water scooped out of the bathtub. Also, without air conditioning, a house with carpeting can start to smell bad pretty quickly.
Neighborhood
As I talked to the folks who live along the same dirt road that I do, I found that no one knew all of the other neighbors. I carried around a pad of paper and asked each family to write down their name, address, phone, cell phone, email, or whatever of that they felt comfortable with. I then compiled it all into a half sheet size, printed them out on heavy card stock, and distributed the list to all who are on the list. That’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, but this hurricane gave me a good reason to do so without anyone having to wonder why it would ever be needed.
If you have a generator and can pump water, and you have a neighbor who doesn’t, you can supply their house with water by running a garden hose from your water spigot to theirs. You will need a double-female adapter (pick one up from a hardware or garden supply store). You will also need to make sure that the neighbor does not have any kind of anti-backflow valve on the spigot. Following Hurricane Charley, two of us in the neighborhood supplied others with water. This time, only one was needed because my neighbor bought a generator. I’ve seen it work over a pretty long distance if you’ve got enough garden hose.
Security
With generators in short supply, and the fact that you can’t hide a noisy generator, theft is always a possibility - even in a rural area. I kept my generator padlock and chained to the house at all times. I also kept the front gate padlocked so that no one could drive down to the house to load things up.
If you normally carry a concealed weapon, working where you end up soaked with sweat means you have to make a choice. I chose to leave mine at home locked up in the safe. It depends on your circumstances.
Lighting
One of the handiest things through this whole time without power was the little “Infinity” flashlight that I carry with me at all times. I keep it on a lanyard (I use the lanyard from my Surefire lights, since it is a lot better than the el cheapo lanyard that comes with the Infinity light) and it is looped around my belt with the light hanging in my pocket. It is quick and easy to get to, and was in constant use. Infinity lights are powered by a single AA battery, and use a very bright LED. I use a Lithium AA battery in mine for slightly more power, longer life, and lighter weight. They are currently made by Gerber. They use a twist on/off switch with an O-ring seal, and are practically bomb-proof. Highly recommended!
For general lighting, I used a Coleman camp lantern with two fluorescent bulbs and 6 D-cells. I’ve had this for years, and it has always performed very well.
Organization and Information
I was constantly referring to my “Preparedness Organizer” during this time. It has lists of how many amps different appliances use, what circuit breakers control what, generator information, contact phone numbers, how much bleach to add to purify water, radio frequencies and codes, and a ton of other useful information. It also has a notes section where I write down things I need to change for next time. Many folks have that information available, but not all organized in one place.
I need to get a better radio for something like this. I keep a small short wave radio in a pack in my car, and I’ve got my ham radio gear, but I’ve got nothing in between. My brother in law has a nice battery powered table top multi-band radio that worked great. It was just the right size, and the batteries lasted long enough to be perfect for listening to the news in the evening. That’s one my list of things to get.
Background
Hurricane Frances came through last weekend. Today is Friday, and power was restored here today at 5:15 pm. Hurricane Charley had come through just before this, and power was only out about one day. This is from notes that I made over the past week, and it applies to my own particular circumstances - your situation will almost certainly be different, but perhaps you can find something here to help.
Keep in mind that although being without electricity and air conditioning is a major problem for us, this is how most of the rest of the world lives every day. The problem is that we are not used to it and they are. The goal here is to make the transition as smooth as possible so that we can get adjusted to life without electricity until it is restored.
The storm
Frances was a slow moving storm. High winds started here on Saturday afternoon. The highest winds were on Sunday, with rain bands and high gusts continuing into Monday. This location is surrounded by large oaks which serve as a wind screen - unless they are blown over. The highest gust measured at 30 feet here was only 46 MPH, but it was obvious from the movement of the oaks, that the winds were much higher above the trees. On Sunday, a tornado touched down a couple hundred yards from here. I could not see it, but I heard it. A tornado sounds just like what it is described as - the sound of a freight train, only without the “clacking” of the rails. When I first heard it, my thought was “why in the world would they be running a train in the middle of a hurricane?” It took a few seconds for it to sink in that it was a tornado. After the storm had passed, I saw how it had shredded huge oaks and destroyed the utility lines. The road was completely blocked, and I could not see the house that I knew was behind the debris.
Before the storm
In addition to the usual stuff, turn the air conditioning down as low as you can to cool the house down. If you’re careful, and you have a shady location, you can keep the house reasonably comfortable for quite a while with the windows closed. Keep the shades drawn, cook outdoors, and keep things as dry as possible.
Water
In the movie “The Matrix”, Neo is asked what he needs. He replies “Guns. Lots of guns.” After something like this, the reply would be “Water. Lots of water.” Having an abundant supply of clean water can make a huge difference in comfort. Having a minimum supply of clean water is critical. Lots of water means you can take a bath or shower, and that means more than most folks will ever understand until they have been in steaming hot weather with no air conditioning while doing heavy physical work to clear debris and make repairs. You MUST have water, and lots of it.
I learned that when my well pump is without power for a while it will lose its prime. That’s a scary feeling. Fortunately, I also learned how to prime the pump. Remember that you have to have water to prime a pump (it may take several gallons), so don’t wait until you’re out of water to crank up the pump. I’m pretty sure the well can be fixed so that it doesn’t lose prime like that, but that’s another subject. Also, know that when the water goes down, and interior parts of the pump and well are exposed to air, rust will form very quickly. When I pumped water after losing prime, the water was a rust brown for a while.
I have a hand pump well that I need to pay more attention to so that it is always in good working order. That’s something easy to put off, but very important.
Everyone knows that you need to fill up your bathtub with water. The problem is that most modern tubs have built-in stoppers that are OK for keeping the water in if you’re taking a bath. They will NOT, however, keep water in for the long term. If you trust the built-in stopper, you’re likely to have an empty tub the next day. Remove the metal stopper and replace it with an old-fashioned rubber stopper from the hardware store. They come in different sizes, so make sure you get the right size. You can replace the fancy metal one after things return to normal.
A big Igloo water cooler filled with ice water is extremely handy and keeps you from having to go into the refrigerator or into an ice chest for cold water. I wish I could find one. My sister used one for her family, and it worked great. It’s on my list of things to get.
Another water container that I will try to find for next time is a 5 gallon container that has a valve that can be turned on and left on like a water spigot. Most water containers have a spring-type valve that you have to keep holding to get water. I want something to set at the bathroom and kitchen sinks so that I can have running water when needed. Again, it’s on my list.
Cooking
Gas grills are slower than cooking on an electric stove. A lot slower. Take that into consideration when planning. I imagine most folks already knew that, but I didn’t.
Those little “George Foreman Grilling Machines” work great if you have a generator. Try to use it outside so you don’t heat up the house any more than necessary.
The first night without power, I grilled a steak. It was one of the best I’ve ever had. I had planned to do that before the storm hit, and picked up some potatoes to go with it. Try to cook some really good meals like that once in a while. It’s a real morale booster. Besides, you’ll need the red meat for all the work that follows the storm. If you’ve got them in the freezer, now is the time to use them. (Also, I took it out of the freezer and stuck it under my shirt to cool me down and thaw it out. Worked great!)
Hazards
Unless you are trying to ride out a major storm in a mobile home, or you are in a storm surge or flood area, the most serious hazards are after the storm has passed. Chief among the hazards is the mixture of working, non-working, and sort-of-working traffic signals. Many people don’t know to treat non-working traffic lights as a 4-way stop, and they barrel right on through. Others come to a sort-of-working traffic light and treat it as a 4-way stop. They stop, then when it’s clear, they go through the intersection. I did that one time only to discover that I had just come to a stop and then proceeded right through a red light. Big time stupid, and almost big time fatal. There is also the hazards of trees and utility poles in the roads, or hanging just above the road at windshield-level. Flooded streets can hide all sorts of debris under water, so cross water with caution.
Judging from what I saw and heard while buying some last-minute supplies, there are a lot of people trying to wire generators who are accidents waiting to happen. There are also a lot of people buying chain saws who hope to learn how to use one while stressed about that tree fallen on their house. Bad time to learn. I also never saw any of the chain saw buyers getting any safety equipment at the same time. I never use mine without a helmet-hearing-protection-face-shield combination, along with leather gloves and heavy pants. Again - accidents waiting to happen.
Be careful of ordinary hazards also. I tripped over a support cable from a solar panel that I had taken down to protect from wind damage. I just ended up with a sore arm, but could just as easily have ended up with a fracture or nasty cut if things had been slightly different. That’s the last thing you want to have to deal with at a time like this. If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure during normal times, it’s worth a ton of cure during bad times. Be careful!
Sleeping
After two nights to get used to it, sleeping in even the hottest weather can be reasonably comfortable if you can cool off with a shower just before going to bed, and if you have a fan running. I was able to run a fan with the battery/inverter combination (described later), and it worked very well.
My plan had originally been to sleep on my screened-in-porch, but I didn’t consider the fact that the floor would be flooded. I ordered a cot from Cabela’s, and it arrived on Friday - the day power was restored. It will come in handy the next time.
When there is no power, one quickly gets into the habit of going to bed shortly after dark, and then waking up at dawn. Sleep patterns can change pretty quickly under these circumstances.
Without air conditioning, and working outside all day long, allergies can act up and make sleeping even harder than it already is. Nasal decongestant spray or Benadryl in your first aid kit will make it easier to sleep.
Showers and washing
I started to build an outdoor shower, but power was restored before it was completed. I found a sprayer in the garden section of Lowes that will be the main part of it. It is basically an adjustable shower head attached to a pipe with a garden hose connector on one end and a gate valve in the middle. I had planned to run the generator to pump water, and then use it on the garden hose. Some 8’ posts planted in the ground with some 4’ wide black plastic would provide privacy. I bought some 12” square patio pavers and laid them down to form a 2’ x 6’ floor so I wasn’t standing in mud. I think it will work out well the next time. Yes, I could just as easily shower inside, but without air conditioning, you end up with 100% humidity in the bathroom. The key is to keep anything that produces heat and moisture out of the house as much as possible.
For general face-washing type stuff, a regular dish pan works great. Next time, I’ll have two of them so that one can be for clean water to rinse with. They work much better than using the sink. If you’re short on water, use the water for flushing toilets after you’re finished washing up.
Shaving is a real pain if you insist on hot water. I gave up and just shaved using cold water. It worked OK.
Clothing
A surplus sun helmet (pith helmet) worked very well to keep the sun off while working outside; I’ve used them for years. It also worked well to keep the rain off when I had to go out during the storm to lower an antenna to keep it from being destroyed when a branch threatened to fall on it. It finally fell about an hour after I lowered the antenna. I used a rain suit with the pith helmet, and it allowed me to go out in the middle the hurricane, do some work, and remain relatively dry. Carhart work pants aren’t very cool, but I’ll take the added heat for the protection they offer from cuts and scrapes when clearing debris. Leather gloves are an absolute necessity. Plain cotton gloves are cooler, and can be used for some things, but leather is the best way to go most of the time. A sweat band will make it a lot less miserable working outside. Sunglasses are a must - especially when working around brush where the possibility of getting poked in the eye is pretty high.
Electricity
I used a Honda generator (4500 watts rated, 5000 watts max), and it performed flawlessly. It will run approximately 8.5 hours on a tank of fuel with enough left over to make sure the tank is not run dry. In the time the power was off, I went through approximately 26 gallons of gasoline. At today’s prices, that’s just a bit over $50 worth. If I had it to do over again, I would not run the refrigerator, and maybe not the freezer either. It takes far more power to keep them cool than I had estimated. Even running the generator all day long and shutting it down at night left the refrigerator just barely cool the next morning. I would probably go with a large ice chest and hope that I could find ice. Eat up whatever you can from the refrigerator and toss the rest out. A good chest freezer will hold the temperature pretty well, but if power isn’t restored quickly, you’ll have to decide what to do about that food. Frozen food isn’t cheap, but neither is gasoline. I would probably save the generator just to run the well pump and I wouldn’t scrimp on the water (remember: Water. Lots of water.)
In addition to my generator, I have an inverter connected to two large 12 volt batteries that used to back up a cell phone tower (they are replaced regularly, and if you can locate a source of those that have been rotated out, they are an excellent bargain). If the sun is out, this is charged with three 45-watt solar panels. Since I was running the generator anyway, I just charged them using a regular battery charger. At night, I disconnected the generator from the house, and connected the inverter. I turned off everything except where I would be running a fan. One fan running all night would draw the batteries down to 85% - 90% of full charge, which is quite acceptable for a deep discharge battery. This worked out very well.
While generators were scarce at some points, there was usually some place they could be found. I didn’t hear of anyone this time who wanted one but couldn’t find one with a little looking and driving. What could NOT be found though, was cable and connectors if you wanted to do anything other than just plug in an appliance directly to the generator. The 30 amp twist lock connectors and the flexible 10 gauge cable to go with them was in very short supply or was non-existent. Don’t try to use romex or other solid wire. It doesn’t work with a connector that is designed for stranded wire. Be sure you have the needed connectors and pre-wiring well before it will be needed. If you are back-feeding your house, be sure to talk to an electrician friend first so you’ll know how to do it safely. It can be done safely if you do it right. If you do it wrong, you can kill or seriously injure someone. There is no excuse for back feeding into the utility lines - always disconnect from the utility line, and then put a padlock on the panel so that no one but you can open it. Never unlock it until after the generator has been shut down and disconnected.
Fuel
When South Florida evacuated, they went through here and sucked up all the gas. The storm came along and knocked out the electricity needed to pump gas if there was any left to pump. People were using generators that need gasoline. When the storm was over, evacuees came back through again, only this time there wasn’t any gas left. Not a good situation. Gas containers were non-existent in any of the stores at any price. If they appeared on a truck, they were gone within a few minutes. Be sure you have a good supply of gas containers (the 6 gallon Rubbermaid containers I use work very well). If you’ve got a safe place to store them when full of gas, be sure to have a good supply on hand. If you don’t have a good place for regular storage, at least have the cans so you can improvise when the situation calls for it. Never store gasoline in your garage or anything attached to or close to your house. Also, if gas is really scarce, it’s nice to have a way to lock up your stored gasoline.
Sunburn
Be sure to use sunscreen and/or wear a hat and clothing that protects you from sunburn. If you think trying to sleep without air conditioning is miserable, see what it’s like when you add a painful sunburn to the situation. I know someone who felt so good soaking in a pool to cool off, that they ended up with a nasty sunburn. Others got pretty red while cleaning up debris and working on repairs.
Keeping things dry
Without air conditioning, little spills and puddles just stay there. Keep an old towel handy in the bathroom to clean up excess water. There will be plenty of it around as you fill the toilet tank with buckets of water scooped out of the bathtub. Also, without air conditioning, a house with carpeting can start to smell bad pretty quickly.
Neighborhood
As I talked to the folks who live along the same dirt road that I do, I found that no one knew all of the other neighbors. I carried around a pad of paper and asked each family to write down their name, address, phone, cell phone, email, or whatever of that they felt comfortable with. I then compiled it all into a half sheet size, printed them out on heavy card stock, and distributed the list to all who are on the list. That’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, but this hurricane gave me a good reason to do so without anyone having to wonder why it would ever be needed.
If you have a generator and can pump water, and you have a neighbor who doesn’t, you can supply their house with water by running a garden hose from your water spigot to theirs. You will need a double-female adapter (pick one up from a hardware or garden supply store). You will also need to make sure that the neighbor does not have any kind of anti-backflow valve on the spigot. Following Hurricane Charley, two of us in the neighborhood supplied others with water. This time, only one was needed because my neighbor bought a generator. I’ve seen it work over a pretty long distance if you’ve got enough garden hose.
Security
With generators in short supply, and the fact that you can’t hide a noisy generator, theft is always a possibility - even in a rural area. I kept my generator padlock and chained to the house at all times. I also kept the front gate padlocked so that no one could drive down to the house to load things up.
If you normally carry a concealed weapon, working where you end up soaked with sweat means you have to make a choice. I chose to leave mine at home locked up in the safe. It depends on your circumstances.
Lighting
One of the handiest things through this whole time without power was the little “Infinity” flashlight that I carry with me at all times. I keep it on a lanyard (I use the lanyard from my Surefire lights, since it is a lot better than the el cheapo lanyard that comes with the Infinity light) and it is looped around my belt with the light hanging in my pocket. It is quick and easy to get to, and was in constant use. Infinity lights are powered by a single AA battery, and use a very bright LED. I use a Lithium AA battery in mine for slightly more power, longer life, and lighter weight. They are currently made by Gerber. They use a twist on/off switch with an O-ring seal, and are practically bomb-proof. Highly recommended!
For general lighting, I used a Coleman camp lantern with two fluorescent bulbs and 6 D-cells. I’ve had this for years, and it has always performed very well.
Organization and Information
I was constantly referring to my “Preparedness Organizer” during this time. It has lists of how many amps different appliances use, what circuit breakers control what, generator information, contact phone numbers, how much bleach to add to purify water, radio frequencies and codes, and a ton of other useful information. It also has a notes section where I write down things I need to change for next time. Many folks have that information available, but not all organized in one place.
I need to get a better radio for something like this. I keep a small short wave radio in a pack in my car, and I’ve got my ham radio gear, but I’ve got nothing in between. My brother in law has a nice battery powered table top multi-band radio that worked great. It was just the right size, and the batteries lasted long enough to be perfect for listening to the news in the evening. That’s one my list of things to get.
cvk said:
Honestly Im not sure--IF we dont get a direct hit, I will probably spend the night in a shelter then come home. (I raised some hell with the county and theyre gonna make sure the shelters WILL be open in a timely fashion this next week) If it looks like its gonna be a direct hit, I may just make a run for it!
Thanks - I hope it helps. I'm in DeLand (Volusia County). Actually, I'm North of DeLand - closer to DeLeon Springs.Riverwn said:Stephen you have some excellant suggestions and Im gonna take them!
A.T.Hagan
Inactive
Riverwn,
That puts you maybe an hour north of me to the southwest of Gainesville.
The covered pool is an excellent idea if you can secure it tightly enough. We have a ten foot soft side pool that holds a bit more than twelve hundred gallons of water. I gave it a good dose of chlorine then tied a tarp over the top and it survived our winds from Frances just fine. We didn't need to use that water, but it would have been just fine for bathing or flushing the toilet had we needed it.
Just don't let it be the only large store of water that you have in case a tree branch or some such should poke a hole in it.
Stephen,
We've decided we're not going to run the refrigerator this time around either. It doesn't make a lot of sense since we move everything into a five day cooler anyway to keep from having to open the fridge. This time around the stuff that we use a lot will go into the cooler, the stuff that can stand being at room temperature will go onto the counter, and everything else will be tossed. I can run the gen-set two to three hours a day to keep the chest freezer frozen and be charging the batteries at the same time.
Keeping the inside of the house cool and dry is a big deal as we have all found out or have relearned. I took to bathing outside myself. Wouldn't have been so hard had we not wanted to leave the wood on the windows because we knew Ivan was coming.
Fuel wasn't a problem for me, but then I keep a fair amount of fuel storage and I didn't run my gen-set for long periods of time. I have decided to expand my storage though since I'm becoming active in my county emergency management and will be driving more in the immediate aftermath of the storm.
Time to go refill the empty fuel containers from Frances.
.....Alan.
That puts you maybe an hour north of me to the southwest of Gainesville.
The covered pool is an excellent idea if you can secure it tightly enough. We have a ten foot soft side pool that holds a bit more than twelve hundred gallons of water. I gave it a good dose of chlorine then tied a tarp over the top and it survived our winds from Frances just fine. We didn't need to use that water, but it would have been just fine for bathing or flushing the toilet had we needed it.
Just don't let it be the only large store of water that you have in case a tree branch or some such should poke a hole in it.
Stephen,
We've decided we're not going to run the refrigerator this time around either. It doesn't make a lot of sense since we move everything into a five day cooler anyway to keep from having to open the fridge. This time around the stuff that we use a lot will go into the cooler, the stuff that can stand being at room temperature will go onto the counter, and everything else will be tossed. I can run the gen-set two to three hours a day to keep the chest freezer frozen and be charging the batteries at the same time.
Keeping the inside of the house cool and dry is a big deal as we have all found out or have relearned. I took to bathing outside myself. Wouldn't have been so hard had we not wanted to leave the wood on the windows because we knew Ivan was coming.
Fuel wasn't a problem for me, but then I keep a fair amount of fuel storage and I didn't run my gen-set for long periods of time. I have decided to expand my storage though since I'm becoming active in my county emergency management and will be driving more in the immediate aftermath of the storm.
Time to go refill the empty fuel containers from Frances.
.....Alan.
Doc1
Has No Life - Lives on TB
High ceilings
This Gulf Coast heat can be a killer. All of the old homes here and in Louisiana have ten or twelve foot ceilings for that reason. Additionally, the slow turning ceiling fans which have become so popular over the last decade or so were staples in the South a long time ago.
Thanks for all the input on this and other threads. It's reminded me of a few things I want to get in order, as well as prompting us to load up our freezer with ice, just in case Ivan heads this way.
Best regards
Doc
This Gulf Coast heat can be a killer. All of the old homes here and in Louisiana have ten or twelve foot ceilings for that reason. Additionally, the slow turning ceiling fans which have become so popular over the last decade or so were staples in the South a long time ago.
Thanks for all the input on this and other threads. It's reminded me of a few things I want to get in order, as well as prompting us to load up our freezer with ice, just in case Ivan heads this way.
Best regards
Doc
A.T.Hagan
Inactive
Here's another good thing to keep in mind.
If you've got another hurricane following on the heels of one that just went over you then refill your gas cans as soon as possible.
I stopped off yesterday afternoon to refill the cans I'd emptied with Frances. Myself and a guy at another pump who was filling a drum got the last gas that station had. The owner came and bagged the pumps as I finished. They'd been out of diesel for several days already.
Noticed today another station in the area was out of gas. One other station in town has been out of diesel for several days as well.
Better still, if you can do so safely, keep a good fuel storage on hand. I've always kept between twenty five and thirty gallons on hand, but this winter I think I'm going up to fifty.
.....Alan.
If you've got another hurricane following on the heels of one that just went over you then refill your gas cans as soon as possible.
I stopped off yesterday afternoon to refill the cans I'd emptied with Frances. Myself and a guy at another pump who was filling a drum got the last gas that station had. The owner came and bagged the pumps as I finished. They'd been out of diesel for several days already.
Noticed today another station in the area was out of gas. One other station in town has been out of diesel for several days as well.
Better still, if you can do so safely, keep a good fuel storage on hand. I've always kept between twenty five and thirty gallons on hand, but this winter I think I'm going up to fifty.
.....Alan.
hand crank charger for mobile phones
I was able to purchase a hand crank charger for my cell phone, it works similar to the dynamo type crand radio, it is about the size of my nokia cell phone and I used it originally for tenting/remote camping to assure I always had a communication device with me, but it would be good for a prep item.
I found mine on the internet and it cost under $15.00.... of course it is made in China. The brand is Xin Tong Li.
I was able to purchase a hand crank charger for my cell phone, it works similar to the dynamo type crand radio, it is about the size of my nokia cell phone and I used it originally for tenting/remote camping to assure I always had a communication device with me, but it would be good for a prep item.
I found mine on the internet and it cost under $15.00.... of course it is made in China. The brand is Xin Tong Li.
Charlie
Membership Revoked
Lots of good REAL STUFF here. I hope this gets archived for review long after these storms are forgotten.....to prepare for the next ones! The double female garden hose adapters have helped me several times in the past at our resort when we have had a pump/well failure in one of our cabins. The guests never knew the difference except for the garden hose running across the grounds. Our disasters here in Siberia are normally related to snow and ice storms and an occasional tornado. Still.....the majority of what you talk about here will help in a cold climate as well. Our biggest thing in a winter storm is keeping everybody's houses from freezing up. Years back......everybody had woodstoves or at least the older style propane free standing heaters that did not require electricity. Now even the darn kitchen ranges have the electric starters and most are too stupid to know you can light them with a match.....at least the burners......the ovens will not light, but you CAN keep some heat in your house with the burners going. Anyhow.....this is great stuff and I am learning how to react if we get zapped during our rare hot summer days.
A.T.Hagan
Inactive
<strong>BaywaterRoss</strong>
<i>Here are some battery operated lanterns from Coleman. I have a twin tube model that uses 8 D-cells and it works great for area lighting.</i>
Baywater, what sort of real-world battery life do you get with your lanterns?
I may pick one up myself if they don't gobble batteries too fast.
.....Alan.
<i>Here are some battery operated lanterns from Coleman. I have a twin tube model that uses 8 D-cells and it works great for area lighting.</i>
Baywater, what sort of real-world battery life do you get with your lanterns?
I may pick one up myself if they don't gobble batteries too fast.
.....Alan.
BaywaterRoss
Inactive
A.T.Hagan said:
Well, I bought the lantern 6-7 years ago and it still has the original batteries inside! I've used it only periodically over the last few years. It's still as bright as new. Those little flourescents don't use much energy at all. I'd say I have maybe 10 hours on those old batteries. Still works.
Like I said after Charley, we learned that prepping to evacuate is a whole lot different from prepping to stay put.
This time with Ivan we had time to get our personal papers in order. We have dedicated a nylon briefcase to keep these in. DH used our foodsaver, and vaccumpacked all important papers: education, employment, mortgage, and retirement records to name a few.
I also discovered that I had 3 address books plus my computer address book, and all were different. I consolidated the 3 books into one (small enough to fit in purse), then made sure computer was in agreement. If we have to evacuate again on of the things on our list is to print out and vacuumpack the computer list.
One thing we still need to find is an adaptor to convert a propane bottle for use with a camp stove and lantern.
We also learned to have a backup site for evacuation. DH's brother was talking about leaving town if Ivan came our way. We could use his house, and bil installed a hardwired generator over Labor Day weekend when he was without electricity for almost 4 days.
We learn more each time; but I really do think we've practiced enough this year. Tampa got absolutely crazy Friday & Saturday. It was like everyone was in a total panic!
This time with Ivan we had time to get our personal papers in order. We have dedicated a nylon briefcase to keep these in. DH used our foodsaver, and vaccumpacked all important papers: education, employment, mortgage, and retirement records to name a few.
I also discovered that I had 3 address books plus my computer address book, and all were different. I consolidated the 3 books into one (small enough to fit in purse), then made sure computer was in agreement. If we have to evacuate again on of the things on our list is to print out and vacuumpack the computer list.
One thing we still need to find is an adaptor to convert a propane bottle for use with a camp stove and lantern.
We also learned to have a backup site for evacuation. DH's brother was talking about leaving town if Ivan came our way. We could use his house, and bil installed a hardwired generator over Labor Day weekend when he was without electricity for almost 4 days.
We learn more each time; but I really do think we've practiced enough this year.
Tampa got absolutely crazy Friday & Saturday. It was like everyone was in a total panic!janswizard
Inactive
After being without power for 9 days, I have to agree with Stephen that water - lots and lots of water, is essential. We rely on electric to get our water and I probably could have gotten used to the lact of power but not having a water supply was a huge problem until we were able to get a generator. We would fire the generator for the pump long to get whatever water we needed and then unplug the pump to free up the generator for other electrical appliances.
On Thursday, Sept 2, we stocked our garage-housed deep freeze with approximately 12 bags of ice. On Tuesday, Sept 7, we transferred that ice to the coolers we were living out of - I couldn't believe it had lasted that long. We did not have access to a generator until Tuesday or Wednesday when some friends got their power back and lent their generators to us. We, too, opted to forego plugging the refrigerator into the generator and instead lived out of our coolers. We couldn't see any sense in cooling a refrigerator just to keep drinks in it.
One thing I learned is if you know ahead of time (as in the case of Frances) that you could be without power for an extended period of time, cook and eat as much as possible ahead of time. We live paycheck to paycheck and it made me sick to throw out hundreds of dollars worth of food. I would suggest that you start using any of the frozen foods in your freezers well before a storm approaches.
I've learned that next time something like this is heading to us that I have to get to a vet ahead of time and get something for the dog to keep him calm. Wizard was one of our major problems - if he wasn't neurotic before the storm, he certainly is now. During daylight hours he would calmly lay on the cool ceramic tiles but once we turned on the flashlights and used alternative sources of light, he would become spooked. My greatest fear was that he would find a way to slip through a door.
Another thing I learned was to NOT listen to the radio 24/7. Local radio stations pre-empted their regular formats and dedicated their time to storm warnings and post-hurricane problems. While their intentions were good, the amount of bad news was overwhelming at timea and I found it interfered with restful sleep.
Pre-hurricane tree trimming and yard cleanup is essential. We had cut most of the dead wood off our trees and mowed the lawn prior to the storm as part of our regular yard work. When shingles and other flying debris landed in our yard, it was much easier to see what was out there instead of looking for it in high grass. At the same token, we have a canal that runs behind the house and one of my fears were critters, especially snakes, making their way up the yard to get away from the rising waters. Keeping the grass cut short before the storm made is much easier to see these creatures looking for high ground.
Our county requires all general contractors to keep a dumpster at each property under construction. Although it may not have been the right thing to do, we took advantage of some of these construction dumpsters in our neighborhood to dispose of the bags of food that we were forced to throw away. In this heat, maggots quickly became a major problem and we did not have to deal with them because our trash was not in our yard. My neighbors have been dealing with issues such as the smell of rotten food and picking up maggot-infested bags that the wild animals have been tearing up. The county was pretty good at getting out waste management as soon as possible but there were some areas of the county that were neglected because of downed poles, wires and trees.
Luckily, we did non-stop laundry prior to the storm. Can't tell you how much this saved our butt. During the height of the storm, my son was in and out so much trying to check on the house and quickly exhausted his supply of dry socks and t-shirts.
Because we are on a well that is non-drinkable, we have a refrigerated water cooler that holds those 5 gallon bottles of water. We stocked up on 15 or 20 prior to the storm and as we emptied them, we would fill them with water from the pool and let them sit in the sun after the storm. At the end of the day, we would use the warmed water to wash dishes or replace the water in our bathtub - the heat from the sun warmed the water enough making it much more tolerable than ice-cold baths/showers.
As someone mentioned earlier, one huge problem was the lack of traffic signals at major intersections. I can usually drive my local roads blindfolded but without those signals, the entire area looked so foreign. Each intersection needs to be treated as a 4 way stop and I even found myself blowing through an intersection and almost creating what could have been a fatal accident by not paying enough attention to what I was doing.
And although this doesn't belong here, I want to state how grateful I am to the reciprocating electric companies from other states that came to Florida to help restore the power problems. It's been 10 days since power went out and I have yet to see a Florida Power and Light utility truck. I heard earlier on the radio that there are still approximately 200,000 people without power in the state - when this is finally over, you can bet that I am going to be one of the most vocal people while complaining to the utility commisioners in this state.
On Thursday, Sept 2, we stocked our garage-housed deep freeze with approximately 12 bags of ice. On Tuesday, Sept 7, we transferred that ice to the coolers we were living out of - I couldn't believe it had lasted that long. We did not have access to a generator until Tuesday or Wednesday when some friends got their power back and lent their generators to us. We, too, opted to forego plugging the refrigerator into the generator and instead lived out of our coolers. We couldn't see any sense in cooling a refrigerator just to keep drinks in it.
One thing I learned is if you know ahead of time (as in the case of Frances) that you could be without power for an extended period of time, cook and eat as much as possible ahead of time. We live paycheck to paycheck and it made me sick to throw out hundreds of dollars worth of food. I would suggest that you start using any of the frozen foods in your freezers well before a storm approaches.
I've learned that next time something like this is heading to us that I have to get to a vet ahead of time and get something for the dog to keep him calm. Wizard was one of our major problems - if he wasn't neurotic before the storm, he certainly is now. During daylight hours he would calmly lay on the cool ceramic tiles but once we turned on the flashlights and used alternative sources of light, he would become spooked. My greatest fear was that he would find a way to slip through a door.
Another thing I learned was to NOT listen to the radio 24/7. Local radio stations pre-empted their regular formats and dedicated their time to storm warnings and post-hurricane problems. While their intentions were good, the amount of bad news was overwhelming at timea and I found it interfered with restful sleep.
Pre-hurricane tree trimming and yard cleanup is essential. We had cut most of the dead wood off our trees and mowed the lawn prior to the storm as part of our regular yard work. When shingles and other flying debris landed in our yard, it was much easier to see what was out there instead of looking for it in high grass. At the same token, we have a canal that runs behind the house and one of my fears were critters, especially snakes, making their way up the yard to get away from the rising waters. Keeping the grass cut short before the storm made is much easier to see these creatures looking for high ground.
Our county requires all general contractors to keep a dumpster at each property under construction. Although it may not have been the right thing to do, we took advantage of some of these construction dumpsters in our neighborhood to dispose of the bags of food that we were forced to throw away. In this heat, maggots quickly became a major problem and we did not have to deal with them because our trash was not in our yard. My neighbors have been dealing with issues such as the smell of rotten food and picking up maggot-infested bags that the wild animals have been tearing up. The county was pretty good at getting out waste management as soon as possible but there were some areas of the county that were neglected because of downed poles, wires and trees.
Luckily, we did non-stop laundry prior to the storm. Can't tell you how much this saved our butt. During the height of the storm, my son was in and out so much trying to check on the house and quickly exhausted his supply of dry socks and t-shirts.
Because we are on a well that is non-drinkable, we have a refrigerated water cooler that holds those 5 gallon bottles of water. We stocked up on 15 or 20 prior to the storm and as we emptied them, we would fill them with water from the pool and let them sit in the sun after the storm. At the end of the day, we would use the warmed water to wash dishes or replace the water in our bathtub - the heat from the sun warmed the water enough making it much more tolerable than ice-cold baths/showers.
As someone mentioned earlier, one huge problem was the lack of traffic signals at major intersections. I can usually drive my local roads blindfolded but without those signals, the entire area looked so foreign. Each intersection needs to be treated as a 4 way stop and I even found myself blowing through an intersection and almost creating what could have been a fatal accident by not paying enough attention to what I was doing.
And although this doesn't belong here, I want to state how grateful I am to the reciprocating electric companies from other states that came to Florida to help restore the power problems. It's been 10 days since power went out and I have yet to see a Florida Power and Light utility truck. I heard earlier on the radio that there are still approximately 200,000 people without power in the state - when this is finally over, you can bet that I am going to be one of the most vocal people while complaining to the utility commisioners in this state.
A.T.Hagan
Inactive
In one of the Hurricane Ivan related threads Swampthing mentioned the undesirability of buying gas from the bottom of a station's tank.
This is a good point. When the rush is on it's entirely possible that you could be pumping off the bottom of the tank and may get some water in your gas. For this reason I think it's a good thing to spend five bucks and buy some bottles of fuel treatment for just-in-case. I keep a half dozen bottles here at DunHagan and use it in all of my genny fuel as a precautionary measure and I keep a bottle in the tool box of the truck for the same reason.
.....Alan.
This is a good point. When the rush is on it's entirely possible that you could be pumping off the bottom of the tank and may get some water in your gas. For this reason I think it's a good thing to spend five bucks and buy some bottles of fuel treatment for just-in-case. I keep a half dozen bottles here at DunHagan and use it in all of my genny fuel as a precautionary measure and I keep a bottle in the tool box of the truck for the same reason.
.....Alan.
night driver
ESFP adrift in INTJ sea
Stephen, dude,
Why fill the tank to flush??
You took the water 12-14 inches too far and needed a LOT more accuracy than you actually needed to.........
Dump that gallon or less of water directly into the bowl. It'll flush. You'll save 50% or better per flush. UNless of course you have MY lower anatomy.....
Why fill the tank to flush??
You took the water 12-14 inches too far and needed a LOT more accuracy than you actually needed to.........
Dump that gallon or less of water directly into the bowl. It'll flush. You'll save 50% or better per flush. UNless of course you have MY lower anatomy.....
A.T.Hagan
Inactive
We're beginning to see the Ivan survivors return to the board now so I want to bring the hurricane lessons thread back to the top.
Would one of the moderators please be so kind as to change the thread title to read:
<strong>[Prep] POST-Ivan, Frances & Charley Hurricane Prep Lessons Learned.</strong>
I'd appreciate it.
What have our newest storm survivors learned from their experiences?
.....Alan.
Would one of the moderators please be so kind as to change the thread title to read:
<strong>[Prep] POST-Ivan, Frances & Charley Hurricane Prep Lessons Learned.</strong>
I'd appreciate it.
What have our newest storm survivors learned from their experiences?
.....Alan.
Okay, this time I learned that I cannot bake bread on top of my stove (oven has electronic ignition and the electricity was out) in my cast iron Dutch oven. I thought I'd been told that it would work, but it does NOT. It does, though, fry up nicely when rolled out like tortillas.
Also learned that it's a good thing I have plenty of food as we ended up with three extra young adults that I hadn't planned on. I realized that we will probably have this happen whenever something major happens.
Also learned that it's a good thing I have plenty of food as we ended up with three extra young adults that I hadn't planned on. I realized that we will probably have this happen whenever something major happens.
A.T.Hagan
Inactive
Every once in a while I'll bake biscuits in a frying pan on top of the stove.
This consists of using a fairly low heat to cook the biscuits on the bottom then easing them out en masse onto a plate then flipping them over upside down into the pan to cook on the other side. Once you get a feel for the temperature you can get both sides cooked just fine.
.....Alan.
This consists of using a fairly low heat to cook the biscuits on the bottom then easing them out en masse onto a plate then flipping them over upside down into the pan to cook on the other side. Once you get a feel for the temperature you can get both sides cooked just fine.
.....Alan.
Ravekid
Veteran Member
A.T.Hagan said:
I did not survive Ivan, as I am in the midwest..but I can offer some advice for folks:
#1: Check out this article, just posted today on TB2K:
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/10954990358100.xml
Three women dead due to carbon monoxide poison from running a generator and other woman dead from a candle setting her house on fire.
What can this teach us:
A: Know what the hell you are doing.
B: Never keep an open flame unattended. NEVER sleep with candles lite just to be able to see if you wake up.
Some advice I can offer:
Instead of candles, try something that can at least contain the flame. An oil lantern is the best. Better would be camping lanterns...I would suggest propane lanterns that screw onto propane bottles. Again, _any_ open flame should be used only when you are up and always in the general area. In addition, have at least 1 large and 1 small ABC fire extinguisher. Do not have them in their normal areas. Have them sitting in the open ready to grab. Make sure _everyone_ knows how to use them. On top of that, it might be wise to have some buckets of water set-up.
The best advice for light is the following: Battery powered lantern. These would be the best option. They are the _only_ option for night time use (outside a fire going in a fire place/woodstove) as far as I am concerned. For small lights, I would look at the Krill Lamps http://www.kriana.com/. They are better than chem light sticks...but both work well for a night light.
If one is worried about light at night due to looting/home invasions, don't worry about having the house lit up. Use door jams to give doors more strenght. Keep windows boarded up until things calm down and cops get things under control. Since you are in a low light situation, try to have a defense weapon (shotgun or pistol) with night sights and attached flash light.
A.T.Hagan
Inactive
You make a good point about fire hazards.
In years past we've always used hurricane lamps (flat wick oil lamps) for the most part and some candles.
I've never cared for the heat they put off at a time when more heat was the last thing we wanted, but now that I'm a parent the fire hazard they represent is a major concern as well.
We've gone over to 15 watt 12 volt compact fluorescents for our main emergency lighting and as soon as I can find one of the battery operated Coleman lanterns I'll probably pick up at least one of those for portable area lighting. That's all in addition to the usual flashlights.
We got through Frances with no ignition sources in the house at all. I set the propane camp stove up on the carport.
Unless we get another winter time Storm of the Century I don't know when we'll use our Alladin lamp again. Maybe for our disaster drill this Fall, but I don't see using it in the summertime ever again if I can help it. Lots of light, but even more heat.
.....Alan.
In years past we've always used hurricane lamps (flat wick oil lamps) for the most part and some candles.
I've never cared for the heat they put off at a time when more heat was the last thing we wanted, but now that I'm a parent the fire hazard they represent is a major concern as well.
We've gone over to 15 watt 12 volt compact fluorescents for our main emergency lighting and as soon as I can find one of the battery operated Coleman lanterns I'll probably pick up at least one of those for portable area lighting. That's all in addition to the usual flashlights.
We got through Frances with no ignition sources in the house at all. I set the propane camp stove up on the carport.
Unless we get another winter time Storm of the Century I don't know when we'll use our Alladin lamp again. Maybe for our disaster drill this Fall, but I don't see using it in the summertime ever again if I can help it. Lots of light, but even more heat.
.....Alan.
We bugged out for Ivan (from Birmingham AL to Huntsville AL). Most of the things that I learned are probably useless:
1. There are 2.5 gallon ziplock bags that are great for electronic equipment. It would have been nice to have the "REALLY large" bags that moving companies use for offices. One of the ziplocks will hold a small bag of ice very easily - make sure you go ahead and store ice from the ice maker in these and freeze so you're not ripped off at the store and don't waste valuable time scoring ice before the storm.
Because I had purchased ice and filled my "freezer holes" I didn't have to worry about checking for foods being good/bad (power was only off around 12 hours so may not have had to worry anyway). however, the estimated time to restoration was 4 days and I would have had a "water problem" due to ice i had put in the freezer in their "normal bag". Put all ice in a zip lock bag if you can and try not to punch a hole in them while you're in a hurry...
2. Do not leave the white guinea pig all alone even though everyone proclaims to hate him. They really don't and you don't need excess guilt. (Yes he was fine upon return.)
3. Do not assume that you won't have power when you return and pop the garage doors to manual when you've opened the inside door and the alarm has sounded. Taking a teenager with you to point out these obvious things is probably a good idea. Or not. Depends on your ability to handle stress.
4. Do not eat all of the sweets that your grandmother puts before you. You will have to deal with the extra person that you return home with and most likely won't need the extra energy to clean up.
5. Talk sweetly to all the teenagers you know so they will be willing to help you clean up any yard junk. Yes, you will still have to pay them.
6. Unless trained at a young age, your cat will NOT walk on a leash even if it is an emergency. Tidy Cat (I believe) makes disposable trays that sell for around $3 and come with their own litter - easy to travel with and get rid of.
8. Cats will howl unmercifully on their way to anywhere - stopping with 14 minutes left in the trip - "are we there yet, are we there yet, are we there yet?" Get tranquilizers now. Perhaps for the cats also.
7. Most Florida evacuees do NOT pack their cars with everything they own and will laugh at you on the interstate because you look like the Clampett Family on vacation.
8. It is probably more expedient to acquire a hotel room - IF the hotel has a generator if you want to bug out. This will save YEARS on your Grandmother's life if she thinks all animals should be in a barn rather than in the house. It's probably a bad idea to show up with two cats, two dogs and the "favorite" guinea pig if you want to remain in her will.
9. DO let your neighbors know where you're going (tell them it's a planned vacation if they think any preparation is stupid or laugh at you when you fire up a chain saw.) so that they don't break the glass in your door to see if you're dead.
10. Be sure to remember to take some of the prep food with you. Chocolate left in your home location does not calm your nerves when you're at your bug out location.
11. Do not brag to your friends that did not bug out that you have air conditioning and cable tv - your popularity with these folks will plumet.
12. Don't worry that your home will be intact when you return. It either will be or it won't be and there is no sense in wasting time wondering/worrying. It won't matter anyway.
13. After all your worldly goods have been reduced to two large rubbermaid containers you will discover that there isn't a lot of stuff that really matters. Get rid of your excess crap NOW while you have the time.
14. Be sure that you have a something worthwhile to do if you do not have internet service at your bug out location. There is STILL nothing to watch on TV.
15. Enjoy your trip!
1. There are 2.5 gallon ziplock bags that are great for electronic equipment. It would have been nice to have the "REALLY large" bags that moving companies use for offices. One of the ziplocks will hold a small bag of ice very easily - make sure you go ahead and store ice from the ice maker in these and freeze so you're not ripped off at the store and don't waste valuable time scoring ice before the storm.
Because I had purchased ice and filled my "freezer holes" I didn't have to worry about checking for foods being good/bad (power was only off around 12 hours so may not have had to worry anyway). however, the estimated time to restoration was 4 days and I would have had a "water problem" due to ice i had put in the freezer in their "normal bag". Put all ice in a zip lock bag if you can and try not to punch a hole in them while you're in a hurry...
2. Do not leave the white guinea pig all alone even though everyone proclaims to hate him. They really don't and you don't need excess guilt. (Yes he was fine upon return.)
3. Do not assume that you won't have power when you return and pop the garage doors to manual when you've opened the inside door and the alarm has sounded. Taking a teenager with you to point out these obvious things is probably a good idea. Or not. Depends on your ability to handle stress.
4. Do not eat all of the sweets that your grandmother puts before you. You will have to deal with the extra person that you return home with and most likely won't need the extra energy to clean up.
5. Talk sweetly to all the teenagers you know so they will be willing to help you clean up any yard junk. Yes, you will still have to pay them.
6. Unless trained at a young age, your cat will NOT walk on a leash even if it is an emergency. Tidy Cat (I believe) makes disposable trays that sell for around $3 and come with their own litter - easy to travel with and get rid of.
8. Cats will howl unmercifully on their way to anywhere - stopping with 14 minutes left in the trip - "are we there yet, are we there yet, are we there yet?" Get tranquilizers now. Perhaps for the cats also.
7. Most Florida evacuees do NOT pack their cars with everything they own and will laugh at you on the interstate because you look like the Clampett Family on vacation.
8. It is probably more expedient to acquire a hotel room - IF the hotel has a generator if you want to bug out. This will save YEARS on your Grandmother's life if she thinks all animals should be in a barn rather than in the house. It's probably a bad idea to show up with two cats, two dogs and the "favorite" guinea pig if you want to remain in her will.
9. DO let your neighbors know where you're going (tell them it's a planned vacation if they think any preparation is stupid or laugh at you when you fire up a chain saw.) so that they don't break the glass in your door to see if you're dead.
10. Be sure to remember to take some of the prep food with you. Chocolate left in your home location does not calm your nerves when you're at your bug out location.
11. Do not brag to your friends that did not bug out that you have air conditioning and cable tv - your popularity with these folks will plumet.
12. Don't worry that your home will be intact when you return. It either will be or it won't be and there is no sense in wasting time wondering/worrying. It won't matter anyway.
13. After all your worldly goods have been reduced to two large rubbermaid containers you will discover that there isn't a lot of stuff that really matters. Get rid of your excess crap NOW while you have the time.
14. Be sure that you have a something worthwhile to do if you do not have internet service at your bug out location. There is STILL nothing to watch on TV.
15. Enjoy your trip!
Meemur
Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
>Cats will howl unmercifully on their way to anywhere
In my experience, cats that vocal will meow/howl themselves hoarse in about 35 minutes. Play a music tape and ignore them until they quiet down.
Some kitties will calm down more quickly if you quietly explain to them *before* you cage them what you are doing and why. Merely tossing them into their carriers when you're upset and worried sets them off even more, I think.
In my experience, cats that vocal will meow/howl themselves hoarse in about 35 minutes. Play a music tape and ignore them until they quiet down.
Some kitties will calm down more quickly if you quietly explain to them *before* you cage them what you are doing and why. Merely tossing them into their carriers when you're upset and worried sets them off even more, I think.
Laurane
Canadian Loonie
Here in Canada we are only contending with and early frost.....and a few snowflakes..
but I read somewhere that you should always take your phone books with you when you bugout.....put them under your car seat - you may have to call ahead for reservations, service, road help, or someone to fix your house while you are still away, or insurance people etc.
And always have a cellphone connection for your cigarette lighter with you in the car to do all this calling.
but I read somewhere that you should always take your phone books with you when you bugout.....put them under your car seat - you may have to call ahead for reservations, service, road help, or someone to fix your house while you are still away, or insurance people etc.
And always have a cellphone connection for your cigarette lighter with you in the car to do all this calling.