Home

[Serenity-Now]

I feel for you, we lived through the 'bullseye X' on the FL map back in 2004-5 (I think I have the date right), when 4 hurricanes passed through our county in one season, just a few weeks apart!  We were without power for 1 week, and learned just how spoiled we are by modern conveniences.  Then we moved up to the Blue Ridge Mtns, and got hit with a land hurricane that obliterated the power grid for surrounding cities.  We just can't get away from hurricanes, even in-land!

Products that I learned to have in my E-kit, & tips for those who might want them:

Misting fans (hand-held sizes are fine, but when it is so hot outside that you are cooler inside with the windows closed in FL in August (never again!), you will cherish these little hand-held fans more than a pot of gold.  They help greatly with the heat.

Pre-purchase bags of ice:  you will be price-gouged for bags of ice if your power goes out city-wide.  Be ready to try to save your frozen foods & maintain safety in your refrigerated items, by buying ice before the storm hits.  You can store them in various giant coolers that you hopefully have on hand.  If you have to throw them out or just let them melt, call a few friends over for a "We didn't get hit by the hurricane!" beverage celebration party!

Giant coolers:  Put bags of ice in here, and be ready to save the items you can use if the power goes out.  Pre-plan if you have time, deciding & stacking the items you would salvage from your freezer & fridge in a prominent spot at-the-ready to grab out of there fast, & re-close the door to maintain the cold as long as possible (if it is a quick power outage, and not for a week).  TIP:  shop around for the price of giant coolers . Think ahead if you have to lift & move it, because it will be heavy once filled.  

If your power goes out, FIND OUT WHY ASAP.  It will make a difference in how you use your supplies...if you know it is just a small neighborhood transformer outage & the storm has passed, then you don't have to be as vigilant with supplies as if the entire county is down.  Is there a local weather page you can consult?  Bookmark your electricty website.  Write down on paper the ph-number of your elecrical company, but be prepared for the number to ring busy constantly.  If you can consult a webpage for updates, that is often quicker--so pre-bookmark that website!

A cooler that is also a beverage dispenser:  those giant beverage dispensers that you see construction workers have on their trucks...these are great for filling with ice & water, so your family can have a cool beverage during the power outage in 100-degree heat.  The relief of a cold beverage is enough to make you faint.  

Cooling Towels:  I'm talking about those sports towels that you wet, and they will be cool for a couple hours.  Consider getting a few, you'll want to rotate them out & have enough for everybody to do so.  Here are some examples: Cooling Towels & products

Clean empty jugs, filled with water:  Can't have enough of them in 100-degree heat.  You will use them constantly:  for flushing commodes that are on electricity.  It takes at least 1 gallon of water, sometimes 2.  You'll need them to give yourselves & pets water.  To wash your hair & bodies.  To wash your hands, plates, cups, etc.

Moisturizing hand sanitizers:  set one up in each bathroom.  They dry out the skin, so it helps to find one that is moisturizing.

Paper towels & paper/plastic bowls & plates:  when you can't wash linens, you'll want to have disposable paper towels & dishes on hand, even if you are trying to be Green & not use them.  This is an emergency, & dirty towels harbor bacteria & germs.  This isn't a time to get sick!

Poo-Puri:  nothing is going to help that stink in the bathrooms long-term, but this will help for the first day or so, & that's something!  The whole house will reek soon enough.  

Rubber kitchen gloves:  to clean said commodes.  If you can't flush for days, you'll have to move all that paper waste to a garbage bag.  Oh, how you'll want these gloves!

FIND OUT ONLINE HOW TO FLUSH AN ELECTRIC TOILET WITHOUT POWER!
-I didn't realize there was a way to do this, & that is some valuable info!  Here is one website wit...

http://www.syzygyjob.com/smf/index.php?topic=255366.0

There are also YouTube videos that show you how to flush an electric toilet if the power is out.  Lo...

Flashlights THAT STAND UP on their own:  You'll want lanterns or flashlights that have a flat-bottom that you can place it on, and the light will shine up.  You will be amazed at how pitch-dark your house is at night without a light to see with, but if you have to use your hands (bathroom, kitchen), you can't see light if you can only sit it on the face of the flashlight, which then blocks the light.

TIPS:  to stay cool in horrible heat, wet your clothing.  You'll feel cooler while it evaporates.  Use those cooling towels (Frogg Towels, EnduraCool, Cool-Its, etc).  Park a hand-held misting fan that sits up on its own on your bedside table, to fan your face while you sleep in that heat.  That was the only way we could sleep, it was so oppressively hot.

Batteries:  you already know you can't have enough of them!  Get them BEFORE the bad weather hits, because the stores will be emptied FAST.

Phone & ipad charging cords AND chargers:  hope you have those on hand, you'll want them!  

Try bookmarking helpful tips sites ahead of time, to save the time-consuming search & battery usage during an outage.  BUT realize that if local power is down, you won't be able to use your wifi or cell towers to get you to those sites, or use your printer.

CHARCOAL or PROPANE:  if you have an outdoor grill, do you also have the fuel to use it?

 If you need E-guides, first aid guiides & tips info etc, print out a hard copy ahead of time!

BOOKMARK THIS SITE: EatByDate.com  - it will tell you when the latest is to eat each type of packaged food.  Ever wonder "Is this still good?"  This site will save you $$$!  Familiarize yourself with how many hours you can save fridge food after a power outage.  I think it is 4 hours max, but you need to recheck that because I'm not certain.  Make note of the time during a power outage every time, for this reason.  After 4 hours, it gets moved to a cooler on ice, cooked immediately somehow & eaten (outdoor grill, those little sterno stoves), or thrown away.

Also, pre-bookmark sites such as '5 Must-Have Bookmark Sites for Emergencies!"

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-must-bookmark-websites-for-emergencies/

Why pre-bookmark?  To save your device batteries.  For in case you need that info ASAP, and not waiting to do a long search.

EMERGENCY FIRST AID GUIDE ONLINE:  WebMD First Aid

http://www.webmd.com/first-aid/default.htm

Another First Aid Guide Online:  also has CPR!  Familiarize yourself beforehand, print a picture-guide for quick reference for when you need it the most, not when you are trying not to panic during an emergency!  Then keep it all in an easy-to-find location for everybody:

http://www.firstaidreference.com/

Paper list & print-out  your must-have phone numbers!  You will be amazed how often you reach for the computer, e-device or cell phone to look up a number.  But what if they are all down?  What if the tower is taken out by the weather?  Have these numbers stored ahead-of-time in paper form, as well as bookmarked.  Such as Fire, Rescue, EMT, (individual numbers, not just 911--EVERYBODY calls 911 when they can't find a number, and that means somebody won't get help when they need it desperately)...your vet, your pharmacy, Gas/Propane business (what if you have a gas leak after bad weather, & need help ASAP?), tree trimmers (what if a tree is about to fall on your house? Happened to us!  "Where's the number?  We don't get phone books anymore.  Computer down.  Cell tower down.  Who do we call?!"  See the problem?) you name it, you may need that number.  If you don't have all your famliy & friends' numbers memorized, print out a list in case you cannot access it online.

Bookmark your area local community pages, especially if all you have is an outdated phone book!  Also, ask around & find out where people tend to gather during an emergency.  In my experience, they gather at our local fire station to obtain emergency water or sand bags, for example.  Your area may have a different plan.  What is it?  Try to find out, by visiting local news & websites, and local newspapers online.  

Your local newspapers can be a very important life-line during power outages--know how to access the info they put out!  Local radio stations may be down.  Find & 'Friend' their Facebook pages ahead of time, & bookmark their webpages!

TIP::  your local cell towers may go down in a power outage, making it hard to check on loved ones.  Alert everyone you know that has Facebook that you can do status & well-being checks on Facebook, because that is usually still up since that info is stored in various locations, not locally to the individual.  Tell them to meet & gather there for status checks, or if you cannot, arrange to call someone who can then post for you & check info for you.

MEDICATIONS:  if you don't already have a medicine stash for emergencies, it is quite time-consuming & everyone should start now.  You can only get a refill on meds about 3-5 days before each refill date, but if you do this EVERY month & put a few pills in an old bottle with the same label as the medication (for safety), then after 6 months or so, you'll have a month's supply built up for each med, for emergencies.  Do this for every family member, & rotate these meds twice a year (April & October Time-changes are ideal) to keep them fresh.  During a city-wide power outage, pharmacies close.  Do you have enough meds? Get refills as early as possible, and pre-plan!

BUY E-SUPPLIES ahead of time.  What do you want in your med & OTC kit?  I was horrified when I was snowed-in, a blizzard was imminent, & I suddenly came down with a horridly painful UTI infection.  Oh no!  Now, I include cranberry supplement, natural supplements such as Olive Leaf & Tea Olive/Neem capsules, and GSE / Grapefruit Seed Extract tablets.  Why?  Because they are natural antibiotics, and if I can't locate any real ABT, at least I'll have something on hand.  They work so well, I now reach for those supplements first, rather than go to the doc & get a script. 

Links for natural antibiotics:

GSE (Grapefruit Seed Extract):

 http://www.amazon.com/Nutribiotic-Gse-Tablets-125-Count/dp/B000I4C0H4/ref=sr_1_2?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1...

Neem Capsules:

http://www.amazon.com/Natures-Way-Neem-Leaves-Capsules/dp/B000293X4E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=14407825...

AZO Standard for UTI PAIN:

http://www.amazon.com/AZO-Standard-Maximum-Strength-Tablets-12/dp/B004RRGAU6/ref=sr_1_13?s=hpc&ie=UT...

Clear Tract Urinary Tract health supplement:

http://www.amazon.com/Cleartract-D-Mannose-Formula-Capsules-Count/dp/B0007DHM9M/ref=sr_1_12?rps=1&ie...

--those can help during an emergency, but are not usually enough to fully recover from an infection.  But I won't be without them, and if you worry this could happen to you, you may want to have them in your E-kit, too.

You also may want things in your E-Med-Kit such as Hurricaine (note spelling, it is a play on words) or topical anisthetic for painful dental issues; & topical blood-clotting sprays or powders, various types of bandaids/bandages, pain sprays & ointments, things like that.  Definitely have baby asprin on hand for you & your pets, then look up which type of pet may be able to use asprin, and which ones dare not have it.

 Please note;  I am only giving those links as a quick location info guide for you; please research on your own & determine if you want or need those supplements on hand for you & your family, & to find a brand that you trust.  I urge you to read customer reviews for more tips & hints. 

Make a list of each family-member's allergies & diagnoses.  In case you need that info & have to leave suddenly, or call for a medic.

EMERGENCY SUPPLIES for your PETS:  have at least a month's supply of pet food, litter, extra water (you'll need more if the power is out & heat causes dehydration risks), get any of their meds refilled ASAP, & also flea & tick preventative etc.  Have all their supplies at-the-ready in case you have to grab & go, including a collar, leash, & pet carrier-especially needed in the case of fire or flooding, because I don't think they allow you to go to a shelter without those things, to prevent people getting hurt by a frightened dog biting/cat clawing, etc.

Think you'll just book a hotel room if you lose power?  So does everybody else, my friend.  Good luck finding a vacancy for many, many cities surrounding you!  Don't count on this as a option unless you can drop everything suddenly & get farther away & wait it out.  But most people have jobs or pets or loved ones nearby, or want to guard their home against looters, so they don't leave even if they don't have power etc.  If that sounds like you or someone you want to stay with, plan for it or be really miserable without supplies.

DIABETICS:  they must have proper medications & food on hand.  Focus on protein-rich foods that are lower in carbohydrates, & have a blood sugar monitor with fresh batteries & fresh test strips.  Search online for a food list of non-perishable foods you can pre-purchase.  Reserve those for the diabetics, they will have a medical emergency if they don't maintain proper food intake, & can't just eat a bag of chips or a snack bar.  Buy cans of soup in cans with pop-tops, or have a NON-power can opener available.  We didn't.  Ours is electric.  Get any insulin that must be refrigerated out of that fridge at the 4-hour mark, so it doesn't spoil!  Transfer it to a cooler on ice.

TIP:  you can use a portable power charger (the bigger ones) to cook in a crock pot.  Or to plug a box fan or radio into, or recharge a different recharger.  Think ahead, & plan ahead so you utilize that precious power to your best advantage, for what means most to you!

Go through a mock emergency.  Do you have supplies you need?  Do you have tools that you'll need to use those supplies, such as NON-electric can openers?  Try to put all emergency supplies in an easy-to-reach & find box or duffel bag that you can carry around with you.  It will be harder once the lights are out, to find things.  

OUTDOOR SOLAR LIGHTS:  clean them off & get ready to bring them in, if you need extra light.  Use them to save your batteries in other things, such as lanterns & flashlights.  You can use them by filling small flower pots with dirt, and sticking them in it.  Or clean them & tie them to something else, such as a work-bench in the kitchen, or in the bathroom.  They'll give you a few hours of free renewable non-battery power each day.  Remember to put them back out in the sun each day, to recharge!

There are many more better E-lists & guides out there, and I encourage everyone to prepare one for their own weather & unique needs.  I've been without power in icy cold weather, & in 100 degree heat.  Both have their miseries & dangers.  Be prepared for each type.

Keep in mind that many natural disasters will mean that roads are often impassable, due to fallen trees & downed power lines that could electrocute people & animals.  Your safe neighborhood will have new safety risks if it gets hit, so please be aware.  And as commediene Ron White jokes, "It's not THAT the wind is blowing...it's WHAT the wind is blowing!"  Meaning, the wind won't get ya, it's the things the wind carries that will hurt or kill you, such as flying debris.  Be mindful of that wind, or risk a terrible injury or death, even if the weather seems mild after the worst of the storm.  It often isn't, due to wind gusts that get pretty intense.

Good luck during the severe weather, sorry this was so long, but I hope these tips help a little!

[Serenity-Now]

Also important to have in E-kit:

Extra garbage bags, including industrial garbage bags & ties for waste & stinky garbage of all types.  Remember that if downed trees = impassable road conditions, you won't have garbage pick-up for quite some time.  Gather all the plastic bags together that you can, because you'll use them!

Extra household bleach, for disinfecting surfaces.  Disinfectant sprays, too.

If you have more than one commode: cConsider designating different toilets for #1 & #2, if you know what I mean.  Better to have 1 commode on the opposite side of the house to be the stinkier toilet, than all of them reeking.  Make sure everybody in the house understands when to use each one!  

Also this is a big tip, sorry it is gross but in an emergency, you'll be thankful:  assign each household member their own waste bags for used toilet paper.  It needs to be as leak-proof as possible--but you don't want anyone putting the tissues in the commodes!  Otherwise, are you the one who will be putting on rubber gloves and emptying the toilet you cannot flush every day, because too much paper product is in there after a few days?  I definitely never want to have to do this again!  It depends on how much you've pre-planned, as to how easy & efficient you can make this chore.  Either have extra boxes of baggie-sized Ziplock type baggies available for each time, or use grocery bags etc. But longer power outages mean you need to be as frugal with your supplies as possible, because restocking is rarely possible if at all.

Some people use designated buckets with a garbage bag lining the inside of it, then put the lid down to anchor it in place.  One for liquid wastes, one for solids. You'll need additional bags for this, too.  I bought a product called, "Porta-potty" to store in the garage, for emergencies.  2 actually.  1 for me, and 1 for the men.  

[StylishLady]

We'll be fine. I expect a lot of rain and gusty winds. We have aluminum accordion shutters and DH can close up all house openings in a half hour. I'll be removing all objects from my lanai that could be affected by wind. We have extra water and plenty of food. Worst issue as someone mentioned would be loss of power for any extended period. We've been through these before. I have most empathy for those folks who live in tornado prone areas. They get little or no warning. 

[MTH]

Those of us in So. Fla. will have a messy weekend but as others have said, we have been thru this many times and hopefully most people have paid attention to the instructions being given and have stocked up on the items they may need.  Our city always sends out a Hurricane Guide each June at the start of Hurricane Season so most folks maintain some sort of "storm box".  Those of us who have gotten some really awesome lanterns, etc. lately will have plenty of light inthe house even if the power goes out.  Be safe everyone!

[MTH]

---

@SHOPR wrote:

Hoping Erika dissipates and doesn't strengthen before reaching FL.  I am not in the path at the moment, but I am sorry for those who have been and those who may be.

Thank goodness for flameless candles, right? 

---

@SHOPR Thank goodness for those flameless candles for sure.  I'm so glad I have them right now.  I told DH he should be happy I did all that CIJ shopping on the Q.  Not sure he bought that, but he'll be happy when the power goes and he has light!!

[vacc]

I have a lot of relatives in Florida and will be thinking of you all.  Please do post after the storm is over to let us all know that everyone is okay.  Serenity -- great job.  If folks are that prepared I think they will be able to weather (no pun intended) the storm. 

[Spurt]

The news this morning said Erika was down graded to a low pressure system that's GOOD news , but still LOTS of rain predicted ...... prayers going out to everyone---and hope there's no flooding...STAY SAFE those in the path of this storm!

[CaliKat]

SerenityNowMyndi,

Thank you very much for posting this valuable information!  You've included many good tips and resources to help in emergency situations.

I personally don't have to worry about hurricanes, (I live on an earthquake fault) but a lot of this information is very good to know for any kind of natural desaster.

Everyone stay safe!

Thanks again!

[Serenity-Now]

@CaliKat, thank you  You're very sweet to say so.  If I can help someone else avoid the misery we went through & realized that we could have avoided with a little bit of planning, then I'll be thrilled.  Glad this storm calmed down.