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01-22-2016 10:44 AM
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.
01-22-2016 10:53 AM - edited 01-22-2016 10:55 AM
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
01-22-2016 11:06 AM
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.
01-22-2016 11:15 AM
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!
01-22-2016 11:15 AM
Be prepared and do not panic
01-22-2016 11:26 AM
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
01-22-2016 11:34 AM
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.
01-22-2016 11:35 AM
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?
01-22-2016 11:54 AM
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!
01-22-2016 12:08 PM
@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
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.
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