I feel like I never have much to contribute to the forum, but I do know a little about prepping for storms. I thought I’d list some of the things we do. You probably know most of this.
--Water storage is an obvious one. If you haven’t purchased or stored any, don’t bother heading out now because the stores are already empty. Just fill containers at home. Fill pots and cover. Fill the glasses and pitchers you have and put them back into the cabinets (just be mindful of the additional weight). Also, drink a lot now. Make sure you’re not dehydrated before the storm even hits.
--I normally don’t use many paper products, but they are useful if you have to go a few days without power or water. You don’t want to waste consumable water washing anything (including yourself). We have paper plates, cups, utensils, bowls (for the dogs), paper towels, baby wipes, and flushable moist wipes. You can still get these things at the store if you don't have them. I also purchase extra garbage bags and ziploc bags (useful for waste disposal if the sewer system stops working or there's no water for toilets.
--We have small LED flashlights on lanyards that I’ve picked up over the years at conferences. Everyone wears one around their neck. They are the most useful lighting when the power is out, and those small LED flashlights last a long time. Having it around your neck is helpful if you need to use your hands, or for things like nighttime bathroom trips.
--Another obvious one is propane or wood for an outdoor grill or stove. This is tough though if you live in an apartment or during a storm. We have sternos and aluminum trays for heating food inside. The cheapest places I’ve found for these are warehouse stores or someplace like Party City.
--Have medication for 10 days. If you aren’t due for a refill, the pharmacy can request an emergency refill from the doctor and/or the insurance company so you can get some today.
--Put together a bug out bag. I’m not a fan of bugging out. I think the only time to do it is if your life is in imminent danger from a fire or flood. That said, sometimes things happen that force you from your home. A family member might get sick. The authorities might decide your neighborhood needs to be evacuated. You get the idea. Having your stuff together makes it easier to leave in a hurry. Don’t forget food, water, and whatever you need for your pets. (our car is already stocked)
--Start eating food from the refrigerator today, then move on to food from the freezer. You shouldn’t be eating anything from the pantry today. I’m also cooking meat in my freezer today and refreezing it so it’s easier to prepare on the grill if necessary.
--Remember to use items like sterno in the bathtub and keep lit candles in sinks to reduce the risk of fire. Sleep in clothes and have your shoes on or right next to you. Have your wallet and keys on you at all times. Program any numbers you might need into your cell phone.
Prepping for Storms
We lost power for nearly 4 days with Irene last year here in metrowest Boston, so I'll add:
* charge all your devices NOW.
* do all your laundry and your dishes now. Keep up on both. Having dirty laundry fester and dirty dishes get gross is not fun or sanitary.
* have birth control handy (unless you are trying for kids)
* get instant coffee or figure out how to make coffee if you're a caffeine addict
* email your house/car insurance agent's/agency's phone number to yourself and write it down. Keep it in your wallet, too.
* check your work email BEFORE heading to work. My employer shut down for the day and I didn't know -- dragged my sorry butt in for nothing!
* charge all your devices NOW.
* do all your laundry and your dishes now. Keep up on both. Having dirty laundry fester and dirty dishes get gross is not fun or sanitary.
* have birth control handy (unless you are trying for kids)
* get instant coffee or figure out how to make coffee if you're a caffeine addict
* email your house/car insurance agent's/agency's phone number to yourself and write it down. Keep it in your wallet, too.
* check your work email BEFORE heading to work. My employer shut down for the day and I didn't know -- dragged my sorry butt in for nothing!
We live in earthquake country so we keep a PacSafe Venturesafe as a go-bag that can be securely locked if necessary while sleeping in a shelter. Inside we've got:
-Cash, some small denomination
-Passport & expired driver's license
-Spare credit card
-A few checks
-Social Security Cards & Birth Certificates
-Spare set of keys
-Encrypted data stick w/copies of important documents & photos of valuables.
-Leatherman's tool
-Pepper spray
-Petzl eLite headlamp clipped to the outside of the bag
-Spare pair of eyeglasses with prescription
-Cipro
-Packet of handi-wipes
I keep the bag locked in a closet. That reminds me, I've got to update the photos on the data stick and install the latest Firefox portable with Lastpass portable.
-Cash, some small denomination
-Passport & expired driver's license
-Spare credit card
-A few checks
-Social Security Cards & Birth Certificates
-Spare set of keys
-Encrypted data stick w/copies of important documents & photos of valuables.
-Leatherman's tool
-Pepper spray
-Petzl eLite headlamp clipped to the outside of the bag
-Spare pair of eyeglasses with prescription
-Cipro
-Packet of handi-wipes
I keep the bag locked in a closet. That reminds me, I've got to update the photos on the data stick and install the latest Firefox portable with Lastpass portable.
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jennypenny
- Posts: 6858
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:20 pm
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irukandjisting
- Posts: 90
- Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 12:58 pm
Very timely now as we are waiting for Sandy here. Who picks these storm names anyway?
Fill your motorized vehicle full of gas. Often the best solution to no power is to drive to somewhere with power.
Be prepared to cook all of your meat or other perishables at once and then put the cooked food on ice and eat it over several days -- I agree that propane is king in blackout land. Having a grill with a burner is a plus.
And stock up on wine. I can't emphasize that enough.
Fill your motorized vehicle full of gas. Often the best solution to no power is to drive to somewhere with power.
Be prepared to cook all of your meat or other perishables at once and then put the cooked food on ice and eat it over several days -- I agree that propane is king in blackout land. Having a grill with a burner is a plus.
And stock up on wine. I can't emphasize that enough.
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George the original one
- Posts: 5406
- Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:28 am
- Location: Wettest corner of Orygun
All good points.
This is slightly off topic, but it seems the news cries wolf too often. I read a study recently where local weathermen automatically add a 20% likelihood to any potentially bad forecast. This creates a false sense of security when they seem to be wrong a large portion of time, so when it is really serious you may think its their usual BS.
This is slightly off topic, but it seems the news cries wolf too often. I read a study recently where local weathermen automatically add a 20% likelihood to any potentially bad forecast. This creates a false sense of security when they seem to be wrong a large portion of time, so when it is really serious you may think its their usual BS.
Many years of living in the projected paths of countless hurricanes (most of which never arrived or caused any significant damage) lead me to this set of preparations, in this order:
1. Full tank of gas in the car.
2. Fill a bathtub with water. You do have to figure out how to plug up the drain so that it doesn't slowly leak out over a few days. Most tubs will hold over 40 gallons of water. Many people have a tub that isn't used much. If this is maintained in a clean state, all you have to do is fill it up when the storm starts.
I figure that those are the two most important things to do, and if the storm changes course in 6 hours, you didn't waste a lot of time, money, or effort.
Propane is great too. Since I always have some on hand, I don't have to think to store it. It can be hard or time-consuming to get in the panic-buying spree before a storm. If you have a grill with a 20lb tank attached, keep a full spare around so that when the grill tank is empty you simply rotate and fill the empty. This means that at all times you have a full tank minimum. Also, there are 16.4oz tanks for camping stoves. Since I have a camping stove, I usually have some of those on hand too, as well as an adapter to allow me to use the 20lb tank on the camping stove-- boiling water on the BBQ can seem very inefficient (I don't know if it is or not, just seems to be).
This plan has served me well for years, though as I think it through, I guess I do a lot of other things to prepare as well-- like looking at flood maps before choosing a residence, buying diapers and batteries in bulk, etc.... but these things are just part of daily life, not special prep for a storm.
1. Full tank of gas in the car.
2. Fill a bathtub with water. You do have to figure out how to plug up the drain so that it doesn't slowly leak out over a few days. Most tubs will hold over 40 gallons of water. Many people have a tub that isn't used much. If this is maintained in a clean state, all you have to do is fill it up when the storm starts.
I figure that those are the two most important things to do, and if the storm changes course in 6 hours, you didn't waste a lot of time, money, or effort.
Propane is great too. Since I always have some on hand, I don't have to think to store it. It can be hard or time-consuming to get in the panic-buying spree before a storm. If you have a grill with a 20lb tank attached, keep a full spare around so that when the grill tank is empty you simply rotate and fill the empty. This means that at all times you have a full tank minimum. Also, there are 16.4oz tanks for camping stoves. Since I have a camping stove, I usually have some of those on hand too, as well as an adapter to allow me to use the 20lb tank on the camping stove-- boiling water on the BBQ can seem very inefficient (I don't know if it is or not, just seems to be).
This plan has served me well for years, though as I think it through, I guess I do a lot of other things to prepare as well-- like looking at flood maps before choosing a residence, buying diapers and batteries in bulk, etc.... but these things are just part of daily life, not special prep for a storm.
Now that you are prepared, and sitting and waiting for the storm to pass, I want to assure you the world is watching and is ready to act as required.
If you are able to, rest your body, and when the sound of the storm is too much, concentrate on your breathing.
Sorry if this sounds pathetic, but it truly helped me.
You are strong, you can cope, you are not alone.
If you are able to, rest your body, and when the sound of the storm is too much, concentrate on your breathing.
Sorry if this sounds pathetic, but it truly helped me.
You are strong, you can cope, you are not alone.
Not to sound like a jerk here (and I already do looking at the emotion of the previous posts), but... I don't understand the fuss for most of the population... I know some [beach?] homes will be swept away. I hope they knew the risks, are insured and evacuate. Same with anyone who will be flooded.
Out of Maslow's physiological hierarchy of needs only water is critically threatened.... And it's raining/rained drinkable water... I guess it will get kinda cold. In an above freezing kind of way, which could potentially be hard for some. But I can't see how it's life threatening for 99%.
Read books, chill, enjoy... Is that crazy?
Have I committed a huge sociopathic faux pas? :\
edit: Read 1400+ died during Katrina... I'm sure I read that before, but now I definitely feel like a monster.
"We present that a lesson learned is about those left behind due to lack of physical or financial means," said Dr. Dana Troxclair when the LSU research was presented in August 2007."
from here: http://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/ ... 589464.php
Out of Maslow's physiological hierarchy of needs only water is critically threatened.... And it's raining/rained drinkable water... I guess it will get kinda cold. In an above freezing kind of way, which could potentially be hard for some. But I can't see how it's life threatening for 99%.
Read books, chill, enjoy... Is that crazy?
Have I committed a huge sociopathic faux pas? :\
edit: Read 1400+ died during Katrina... I'm sure I read that before, but now I definitely feel like a monster.
"We present that a lesson learned is about those left behind due to lack of physical or financial means," said Dr. Dana Troxclair when the LSU research was presented in August 2007."
from here: http://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/ ... 589464.php
JohnnyH
As far as I'm concerned you're not making any faux pas
I knew when I wrote it some people would read it and think it was over the top.
I guess I've been in too many scary situations and understand how nature is so unreliable. That storm could have obliterated densely populated areas. There are so many unexpected scenarios and only those who experience them will understand.
As far as the aftermath and insurance goes, It all sounds so simple, but for us it will take at least 10 years before we are back to "normal" And even then the land is forever changed.
We are ok, and in the future we'll be even better but I can't ignore my experience and pretend that there will not be times when people will be scared.
There have been a lot of surveys done around here and its the emotional impact/ stress of a disaster that is the hardest to deal with, particularly survivor guilt.
And as I write this, there goes another aftershock, well over 1000.
As far as I'm concerned you're not making any faux pas
I knew when I wrote it some people would read it and think it was over the top.
I guess I've been in too many scary situations and understand how nature is so unreliable. That storm could have obliterated densely populated areas. There are so many unexpected scenarios and only those who experience them will understand.
As far as the aftermath and insurance goes, It all sounds so simple, but for us it will take at least 10 years before we are back to "normal" And even then the land is forever changed.
We are ok, and in the future we'll be even better but I can't ignore my experience and pretend that there will not be times when people will be scared.
There have been a lot of surveys done around here and its the emotional impact/ stress of a disaster that is the hardest to deal with, particularly survivor guilt.
And as I write this, there goes another aftershock, well over 1000.
As a society we are having trouble distinguishing between life-and-death and loss of property.
For many of us, our things have come to represent who we are. They represent everything we've worked for. They've become everything we've become.
When they are threatened, we are threatened. Many find it impossible to separate the two.
For many of us, our things have come to represent who we are. They represent everything we've worked for. They've become everything we've become.
When they are threatened, we are threatened. Many find it impossible to separate the two.
While I think of it, for many, its not losing your house, its losing your shelter from nature and suddenly you are displaced along with many others. its realising how you could go at any moment, that those around you could go and its losing your foundation, especially when you lose your land. Its suddenly being dependant on the authorities before you can return, or if you can ever rebuild on the land etc
Its hearing people try to justify why its you and not them. Its when people who haven't been through it judge your community. Its when they say you should have known a one in 6000 year event could occur even when the geologists didn't, and you start to doubt yourself.
Its hearing people who haven't been through it saying its only a house.
Its hearing and seeing terrible stories as you walk around the community, feeling that you have the opportunity to open peoples eyes, but knowing that for many it will come across as moaning and they will simply shut their ears and label you instead.
People will be suffering from Hurricane Sandy. They will have their own story to tell. The media does not get the whole picture.
I'm sorry Jennypenny, and anyone else effected, if when you have the time to read this portrayal it contradicts your experience.
I'm trying to help others understand what you might be going through by sharing my experience.
I hope one day you'll add yours.
Its hearing people try to justify why its you and not them. Its when people who haven't been through it judge your community. Its when they say you should have known a one in 6000 year event could occur even when the geologists didn't, and you start to doubt yourself.
Its hearing people who haven't been through it saying its only a house.
Its hearing and seeing terrible stories as you walk around the community, feeling that you have the opportunity to open peoples eyes, but knowing that for many it will come across as moaning and they will simply shut their ears and label you instead.
People will be suffering from Hurricane Sandy. They will have their own story to tell. The media does not get the whole picture.
I'm sorry Jennypenny, and anyone else effected, if when you have the time to read this portrayal it contradicts your experience.
I'm trying to help others understand what you might be going through by sharing my experience.
I hope one day you'll add yours.
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Spartan_Warrior
- Posts: 1659
- Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2011 1:24 am
If anyone is in the area, and is wondering how they can help.
Heres the site of a student volunteer army.
A co-ordinated effort which really has made a difference
Perhaps someone in America has something similar
http://www.sva.org.nz/
Heres the site of a student volunteer army.
A co-ordinated effort which really has made a difference
Perhaps someone in America has something similar
http://www.sva.org.nz/