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Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,019
Registered: ‎08-08-2010

With the big storm moving through much of the east.....

care to share tips for preparing and being ready for loss of power especially?

 

We aren't in the path, but when we are, here are some things I do ahead of time.

 

In addition to the normal food purchasing and filling gas tanks, I tend to:

 

catch up on all laundry, in case we go days without power

 

run the sweeper really good throughout the house

 

ready the generator and make sure there is gas for it

 

If you don't have a generator, have old blankets to throw over the freezer if power is out, will help insulate it.

 

fill two liter bottles three quarters full of water and freeze. Then place in the freezers and in the fridge if the power goes out to help keep things cold.

 

draw water (if you need power for your water), you can fill a bathtub, and will have water for flushing, or washing dishes, bodies etc. 

 

Draw water in to several large pans or pitchers to have on hand even if you are on a city water system, in case something goes wrong with the system. Many systems will only work so long if the power is out to the pumping stations, and the generators fail, so some extra water never hurts.

 

Share your ideas for preparing for a big storm.

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,006
Registered: ‎06-09-2014

Re: With the big storm moving through much of the east.....

[ Edited ]

Charge up the electronics including the backup chargers

 

(strongly recommend car adapters since you can always charge some of your devices by turning on your car battery if the power is out for a long time)

 

Have batteries for flashlights or candles and matches 

 

Firewood if you have a fireplace

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,654
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: With the big storm moving through much of the east.....

Go to the bank and get cash in case its needed-- no power to registers so unable to use charge cards.

 

Make sure you have all the equipment you need for snow shoveling-- a decent broom, working shovels and if needed the snow blower functioning.

 

Make sure you have all your prescriptions up to date.

 

Put your windshield wipers in the up position on your cars so they do not get stuck to the car windshield if your cars are parked outdoors. Make sure your cars are off the street so the plows can do a clean job of clearing the snow.

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼
Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,111
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: With the big storm moving through much of the east.....

If your door opens outwards, be sure to prop it open if you can (I had to do that with my storm door).  I opened my storm door part way and affixed a bungee cord from the handle to my railinng, so that hopefully the wind won't "abscond" with my storm door!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,101
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: With the big storm moving through much of the east.....

Be prepared and do not panic

Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being positive what could go right.
Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,583
Registered: ‎06-25-2012

Re: With the big storm moving through much of the east.....

I hear of nor'easters hitting the east coast every single year. Sometmes a few times every single Winter. So why does everyone get in a tizzy? You'd think they'd be use to it by now. JMO Woman Happy

"Pure Michigan"
Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,143
Registered: ‎04-18-2012

Re: With the big storm moving through much of the east.....

What we did last month in preperation for our blizzard was:

 

fill up a bunch of containers with water. We used a mix of a 5 gallon coleman water cooler, a couple smaller water coolers and 1/2 gallon canning jars. They say 1 gallon a day per person, plus if you have pets they need water too. 

 

Put votive candles around the house with lighters nearby

 

Made sure I was stocked up with canned cat food and raw food for the animals

 

emptied all trash around the house, they didn't pick it up for 3 weeks after the storn but at least we got ours into the dumpster before it was full

 

Did laundry

 

Went to the store to pick up a few things we were low on, which was a good idea since we didn't leave the house for a week due to bad roads and large snow drifts

 

Got out the battery powered lantern, coleman lantern ( checked mantles), flashlights and emergency radio so we didn't have to look for them

 

No need to worry about keeping food cold if the power goes out. It's winter, our unheated garage is a walk in refrigerator and I already have a fridge and freezer in the garage so they will stay cold. 

 

Pick up any rx refills that may be waiting. 

 

Not really anything to do regarding keeping warm. When we had a woodstove we would lay in wood for the winter in fall anyway. We already have many blankets and sleeping bags. 

 

I also charged up all my devices, my halo charger, kindle, cell phone, tablet

 

My husband made some space heaters, because if power goes out we have no heat. He's a master camper/backpacker and survival guy. Don't ask me how they work, we didn't need them and I never even looked at them or how they were made. 

 

No need to worry about cooking, we have a gas stove, multiple propane and coleman fuel stoves and a couple bbqs and smokers. 

 

Put the shovel by the door so we could shovel the snow for the chihuahua to do her business. My other dogs can get through the snow fine. 

 

Protected or brought in some outside items since the wind was supposed to be high. 

 

 

Don't Change Your Authenticity for Approval
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,616
Registered: ‎10-01-2014

Re: With the big storm moving through much of the east.....

I heard that the President will be hunkered down at the White House through the storm. I wonder what special measures have to be taken. Helipad kept clear so it's always ready for a quick departure? Secret Service having sleepovers at the WH? Backup generators for the backup generators?

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. - Aesop
Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,520
Registered: ‎03-04-2012

Re: With the big storm moving through much of the east.....

Charge your phones! 

 

A few years ago here in Indiana, my electricity went out (I have an all electric home).  I had never experienced this before.  I bundled up on the couch or in bed with my two dogs with lots of clothes on and a down blanket over all of us - it was HORRIBLE!  It was out for about 1 1/2 days.  Never so happy in my life to have electricity! 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,111
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: With the big storm moving through much of the east.....


@ID2 wrote:

I hear of nor'easters hitting the east coast every single year. Sometmes a few times every single Winter. So why does everyone get in a tizzy? You'd think they'd be use to it by now. JMO Woman Happy


I'm in the metro-DC area. I've lived here since 1965.  I can't recall ever having received blizzard warnings, with accumulations of 20-30 inches.  No, in the metro-DC area, we are definitely NOT used to this kind of a storm.  So yes, I find myself in somewhat of a "tizzy".

 

 And they just announced that the power company feels that if "only" 50,000 people lose power, they'll feel lucky.  And we are all told to have 72 hours of food and water, etc.