A list I made during the TWO WEEKS that I was without electricity after Hurricane Ike hit Texas

[Tx4obama]

Things to do BEFORE the hurricane hits and before the electricity goes out:

Turn on the dishwasher so that everything in the house is clean.

Be sure to wash all the laundry: clothes, sheets, towels.

Freeze as much water in jugs and containers that you can, the extra ice will help to keep your freezer/fridge colder longer.

Fill up your car(s)/truck(s) with gasoline, and a couple of 5 gallon gas cans (if you have somewhere safe to store them).

If you have a gas grill make sure the propane tank is full, and having an extra spare full tank is a good idea.
Most kitchen stoves/ovens down here in Texas are electric, so having an outdoor grill comes in handy. If you have a couple of cast iron skillets many things can be made on the grill other than the usual burgers, etc. such as eggs/bacon, pancakes, and many other things that can be made in the frying pan.

Gather up all the useful things that you can think of that you'll need, such as:

Lots of extra extension cords and a power strip - if you have a generator.
At least two ice chests/coolers to store ice and food in.
Cases of bottled water, jugs of soda.
A couple boxes of powdered/dry milk, cereal, pancake mix (the kind that says 'just add water'), anything you can think of that doesn't need refrigeration.
Fruit: Apples, bananas, pears, any kind that can be left out at room temperature. Also, dried fruit is a good option.
Canned food such as: chili, stew, soup, etc.
A manual can opener.
Battery operated radio, and tons of BATTERIES.
Candles and/or battery operated lights.
Lighters and matches.
Mosquito spray.
Books, crossword puzzles, and other things that will help keep your mind off of the fact the electricity is off during the daytime.
Make sure you have your prescription drugs filled ahead of time, and also gather up other items usually found in a first-aide kit - such as ibuprofen, band-aids, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, gauze ...
Extra dog/cat food if you have pets.
If your house/apartment is missing any window screens - get a roll or two of screen wire and a big roll of duct tape. The screen wire can be cut with scissors a bit larger than the window and duct taped to the opening. It really helps when it's hot and the AC is not working - and it keeps the bugs out.
Yard bags, a rake, and a chain saw if you have trees.

Edited to add:
FLASHLIGHTS (can't believe I left that one off h/t to the person in the comments that posted that reminder!)
Instant Coffee (thanks to the DUer down below in the comments!)

Note: I am sure that a hundred things are missing from my list, but I hope that at least one person finds something on the list that is helpful.

[hedgehog]

1. Thank you - I know how to prepare for a snow storm, but i never

expected to be watching hurricane warnings!

Edit: Just forwarded your list to family closer to the coast. We're likely to only get 40mph winds here, but they're in the path.

[FourScore]

71. AND DON'T FORGET TO CHARGE YOUR CELL PHONES!!!

Sometimes, it's the little things that go unnoticed...

Great list!

[Betty88]

99. Saving my computers UPS battery back up for this

I have a UPS with battery backup on two of our computers. If we loose power I will unplug everything from them and use them to charge the cell phones, I'm not sure how long this will last but I figure I should get several charges out of each UPS. If I'm wrong please let me know LOL

[w0nderer]

101. even a small 300 watt ups

will give a lot of chargers

the battery of my cell is 5.6 Wh

even counting that at 10 watts (losses to charger, battery loosing a little charge)
you'll get close to 30 charges

notice most ups's actually give in VA
but if you know the watt storage of it that's a rough guide line

va is a little more fiddly to calculate but
i just count batteries and what sort of batteries
2 batteries of 12 volts and 10 amp/hours
12*10*2
120*2
240 watts

[Betty88]

110. COOL thanks for the confimation

That makes me feel much better

[w0nderer]

112. i actually used that trick too during a few hurricanes

and posted it earlier this morning

glad to see more people thinking outside the box

the one price you might pay is
run it down hard and it will affect life time of batteries negatively
ie, replace them sooner

they are consumables anyway and i value communication as a higher priority

[NOLALady]

125. Charged cell phones will not work

if the towers are down.

[calimary]

139. Can't tell you how important this one single point is!!!

CHARGE YOUR CELL PHONES WHILE YOU CAN!!!

And charge ANYTHING else you want to have powered for the longest possible time during an emergency. After the crisis has hit is no time to go find the charger so you can plug it in. It might be after dark and you won't be able to see, and there won't be power period. DO IT NOW. I do it every night just by habit, by now. That way I start every morning with a fully-charged phone (and laptop too).

[Rhiannon12866]

2. K&R and bookmarking!

With thanks from New York! :yourock:

[hedgehog]

3. And put that generator some place where the exhaust doesn't fill the house!

Also, try not to electrocute your linesman when he's restoring power to your neighborhood.

[X_Digger]

60. And lock your generator down.

Heavy chain through it to a post / pole that can't be cut easily.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Great list! I'm also washing my people before the storm gets here.

[Ruby the Liberal]

9. "I'm also washing my people"? Eh?

Here I thought burying eggs in salt was the tip of the day.

:D

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. LOL Well, I figure if we're going to be stuck in a warm house for a while, it would be nice if we

started out clean anyway. :P

[Ruby the Liberal]

24. !

:rofl:

[gkhouston]

39. True dat. Our saving grace after Ike was that we still had running water.

Oh, those showers felt good.

[msanthrope]

107. I love that tip!!! I'm so using it at my shore house. That is, if I still have a shore house.

I'm in Cape May. I'm hoping it's still there....

[Ruby the Liberal]

126. I am very close to you. I see Mayor Nutter is closing off SEPTA Saturday night

Hopefully, we don't see much of anything out of this monster.

Stay safe!

[Curmudgeoness]

158. All my neighbors laughed at me when I showered under a rainspout

before the rain stopped. When I realized I had no water, that was my first thought. Lucky for me, I had no water for eight days.

[Renew Deal]

5. This is great.

Thanks!

[texanwitch]

6. I look back at the two weeks of no power after Ike as a good time now.

Time just slowwwwwed down.

No gas and no wheres to go.

Just sit around with neighbors and talk.

Driving was fun, no signal lights.

Going to Krogers and shopping in the almost dark.

Your list is very good.

I would include solar lights, mine came in handy after Ike.

The solar lights are battery chargers for AA batteries.

I found a pancake mix that only needs water, no egss or milk.

Also you need 2 gallon zip lock bags, you can make a cooling pillow with ice for behind you neck.

[Tx4obama]

23. The zip lock bag/ice pillow tip is great, thanks!

I'm adding it to my list that I keep on the front of the fridge.

[texanwitch]

28. It really works.

I was sitting on the front porch after Ike doing guard duty for the block and it was so hot.

Humid and sticky Houston weather.

I remembered a commerial about a device that was sold on tv that went around the neck.

I think it was sold by Sharper Image.

I grabbed a two gallon bag and filled it with ice and water from my little cooler.

I placed it behind my neck and the air in the bag made a nice pillow.

After a few minutes I started to cool off, saved my butt.

It really did work.

[Tx4obama]

35. I was using one of those thin white cotton flour sack kitchen towels that you can find at Wal-Mart

(they sell them in a 5-pack) soaked in water around my neck.
It wasn't very cold but it did help to stay cool - well not really 'cool', but 'cooler' ;)

[texanwitch]

38. This ice pillow works really fast.

It cools down you blood so your body cools off.

Could save someones life from a heat stroke.

[ChazII]

104. Agree 100%. I use the small bottle

of Gatorade filled with water. Place a few in the freezer and keep them on hand in case we lose power. Luckily, being a desert rat we do not have to worry about hurricanes but we do have the occasional power outages and having the ice helps keep the body temp in check.

Thanks to everyone who is giving tips - they're great.

[AlbertCat]

84. The zip lock bag/ice pillow tip is great, thanks!

We bought a frozen turkey and kept it in the freezer to help keep it cold when the power goes out (as it usually does). Then after it was thawed, we cooked it and eat it. But we've never been without power for 2 weeks.... not even after Fran. (which went right over our heads here in Wilmington, NC)

[texanwitch]

96. I am better prepared now.

I really don't want to go without power again for two weeks, not when it is still hot.

The best thing I had was the solar lights, they charge AA batteries.

I listened to a lot of books on cd I had.

Nothing like sitting in the pitch dark except for a bug candle and flashlight listening to Stephen King.

One night this damn cat of mind scared the hell out of me.

It touch me on the leg, Stephen King is scary in the dark.

[Honeycombe8]

103. Solar lights...like the kind you stick in your yard? nt

[texanwitch]

108. Yep.

Some are brighter then others.

This is a good time of year to buy them, I bought a bunch last year for 50 percent off.

The LED ones are the brighest.

You extra batteries to go with the lights.

I have tall ones, short ones and some that are attached to the walls.

Remember,no power no lights.

It was pitch black here after Ike, solar lights made a difference.

[Honeycombe8]

115. Thanks. I'm hearing to discount store after work (I don't have an emergency coming....

but I want to get some on sale, since they're good to have around).

[texanwitch]

116. Watch out you will get hooked.

I have muti- colored ones, butter fly, birds, and sunflower solar lights.

I don't like to look in catalogs anymore, solar lights are everywhere.

[nickyt]

122. pancake mix, needs water only: Hungry Jack! n/t

[wizstars]

143. after breaking my foot years ago, I've kept a water-soaked bandanna in the freezer....

in a zip-lock bag to use for injuries--but it also works great for cooling down! Keep one handy!

[proud patriot]

169. we do that with sponges at the preschool where I work for boo boos

[wizstars]

187. A lot of camping equipment stores now carry a fold-up solar panel

for recharging small batteries eg cell-phone, camera, flashlight...

[hedgehog]

7. Also, now is not the time to learn how to use a chainsaw.

My kids still talk about watching my parent's neighbor after an ice storm: standing on top of a step ladder, reaching out with the chain saw to cut a broken tree limb.


Someone else suggested having heavy gloves and boots for cleaning up after the storm.

[gkhouston]

34. You'd be surprised at how much you can do with lopping shears.

We have some with extendable handles. Our chainsaw is electric, so it didn't get used for quite a while, but almost all of the tree debris in the yard was amenable to being hacked up with lopping shears. We didn't think that would be the case, at first, but decided to trim away as much as we could. We ended up with enough stuff neatly stacked along the front easement of our property that it looked like we had a hedge, and two 7' sections of tree branch that got sawed up later on.

And rakes are a Good Thing, too. The first job after the storm had passed and we'd checked on our nearby neighbors was to rake the leaf litter out of the gutter so the street would drain.

[PoliticAverse]

8. Store lots of water!

Fill the bathtub if you have to.

[democrat2thecore]

22. Absolutely. Can't have enough. nobody laugh at the bathtub - saved me in FL in the 70's once. -nt

[w0nderer]

105. trash can too

instead of just leaving it around or taking it indoors
double layer it with large contractor bags
drop some chlorine in there and fill it with water from the garden hose
and tie off the bags

makes sure it doesn't move TOO much
and saves some water, for squeamish use it to flush
for everyone else, it's drinkable

[gkhouston]

37. Fill it even if you don't think you have to. I've done this many times,

and if I was unsure about how good the tub stopper was, I'd duct-tape some plastic over the drain before filling the tub.

[RebelOne]

72. You will need that water to flush the toilet. n/t

[Kevin Cloyd]

93. Bucket Flushing Toilets!!

If you are on a well or there's no running water you'll need lots of extra water to "bucket flush" the toilet.

For an older 3.5 gallon per flush toilet fill a 5 gallon bucket 2/3 full and dump it quickly (but don't overflow the toilet) into the bowl and it will flush away the waste. Newer toilets will use a little less than half a five gallon bucket of water per flush and may need to be flushed twice to clean the bowl since most have water pressure assisted flush cycles.

A few years ago after an ice storm I had to carry water in from a creek to flush the toilets and I sure wish I'd have filled the tub.

[Tallulah]

10. 3 to 5 weeks without power

after Andrew.

Saying 3 days of food is not enough. You need more than that.

Something no one thinks about, dry ice. I lost nothing in my refrigerator because my BIL brought me dry ice daily. It kept everything cold. We did cook all the meat we had. I didn't want to throw it out. Better than losing it.

Another thing, when Katrina hit, I had a cable landline phone. I could call out but no one could call in. Check that if you have the cable package. It was strange.

In every hurricane I've been through, we had water and natural gas. I washed clothes in my bathtub and made a clothesline in my laundry room. You do what you gotta do. Have a piece of rope handy just in case.

[texanwitch]

12. You can wash clothes in a 5 gallon bucket.

Clothes lines are easy to put up, just remember to buy clothes pins.

[TheMadMonk]

44. A container with a solid screw top lid makes a very good washing machine.

Left to roll around in a car trunk, or manually kicked around the yard by a couple of kids.

[pnorman]

46. "You can wash clothes in a 5 gallon bucket."

This works perfecto with such a bucket!
Rapid Washer - DIY Manual Hand Washing Machine
http://www.amazon.com/Rapid-Washer-Manual-Washing-Machine/dp/B002QUAPSO

With a surprising low amount of physical effort, clothes can be washed as well as by machine, and using far less water. You'll also find yourself using it frequently, even in non-emergency situations.

[FedUpWithIt All]

59. A dollar store toilet plunger works nearly as well in a pinch

You simply place to clothes in the water and agitate the load with the plunger.

[pnorman]

68. That should work satisfactorially (sorta)

But this will do the job far better. Trust me!


Visualize the complex water flow patterns through it as you plunge it up and down several times. I was startled at how dark the water soon turned, although the clothes were worn only in the apartment. Also, read through all the Amazon reviews. For me, the only pain in the ass was hand-wringing jeans. But just draping them (still dripping) over the shower curtain for just a few hours longer did the trick.

Full disclosure: I live alone in a downtown Seattle apartment, and that device has been my sole "washing machine" for the past 3 or 4 years. That included sheets, towels, as well as down jackets.

[FedUpWithIt All]

74. A mop wringer works really good for wringing large and heavy items.

I've been hand washing a portion of my family's clothes for a couple of years. We've just used the basic plunger, a mop wringer and a 1918 hand crank roller wringer. I do think the Rapid Washer works better and they sell them at Lehmanns but i've also heard that drilling holes into the rubber part of a plunger has a similar affect. :)

[JDPriestly]

117. These washing instructions remind me of the old tub washer (manual of course)

that my grandmother used. It works quite well. Think of it. They washed white cotton garments with a method very much like the plunger, wringer method being described here.

[wizstars]

186. a 5-gal. bucket w/ a lid, and a bathroom plumber's helper

through a hole in the lid for an agitator--great easy way to do laundry! It really works!!

[Ruby the Liberal]

13. Someone else here reported the same issue after Andrew ('92)

Could make outbound calls, but not receive.

After the EQ Tuesday, I was unable to use text on my cell for several hours.

[hedgehog]

11. How about a small home fire extinguisher?

It might also be a good time to introduce the kids to board games!

[JDPriestly]

118. A few good jigsaw puzzles.

If you are a jigsaw puzzle fan, it is a good idea to trade puzzles with friends every once in a while. That way you don't have to keep storing puzzles you have already worked, and you can work a puzzle that is new and surprising without spending a fortune.

[democrat2thecore]

14. And tuna, tuna, and more - tuna. Be careful w/ peanut butter in case water is in short supply -nt

[texanwitch]

16. I always have canned meat on hand.

I have always had a gas stove so all I needed to do was light the burners.

Another thing is buy the bbq lighters, great for candles.

[SwampG8r]

18. and dont forget

the takeout squeeze tubes of mayo,mustard and relish require no refridgeration and help make tuna more palatable
always get the squeeze containers of condiments they store forever and they are free at 7/11 as long as you get a taquito or something

[Tx4obama]

21. Mayo/MiracleWhip that is in a jar MUST be refrigerated.

Be sure if Mayo is being used for tuna or anything else it MUST be kept COLD in an ice chest if there is no electricity.
If it gets warm for too long of a time period THROW IT AWAY.

[politicat]

41. Not true for commercial mayo or miracle whip.

Mayo is highly acidic and is pasteurized. A closed container of commercial mayo can be left at room temp for months. The food poisoning issue in things like potato salad is the other food that is generally covered in mayo-bed sauces. The mayo emulsion creates an anaerobic environment that e. Coli loves. yes, e Coli likes potatoes -- lots of easily converted starch and highly absorbent.

In theory, other food contaminants in the mayo jar can be a breeding ground for food poisoning, but the acidity makes that unlikely.

However, the best solution, if one cannot give up mayo even in a disaster, is the squeezable mayo. Note that the squeeze bottles note quite clearly that no refrigeration is needed, before or after opening. When making salads with mayo in a low or no refrigeration situation, consume the food as soon as it is prepared and do not store it.

Homemade mayo is a completely different beast.

[w0nderer]

111. :-) good for killing off the mayo food poisoning myth, thanks n/t

[Tx4obama]

150. It is always best to READ the LABEL. My jar of Miracle Whip says 'refridgerate after opening'.

I think that it's not worth taking the chance of getting sick.

[SheilaT]

166. If the jar of mayonnaise has never been opened

it can be at room temperature forever. Once opened, if you don't refrigerate it spoils in a few hours. I know from personal experience.

[kestrel91316]

17. Buy a box or two of powdered milk. Don't be drinking it if you don't like the

taste, lol. But it will at least be available for cooking. So you can make pancakes from a mix that needs you to add more than just water......

[Tallulah]

19. Instant coffee

For the coffee lovers. Boy if you forget that, SOME people get cranky.

[dddem]

174. I've already brewed a couple of pots and refrigerated them

if we lose power, we can still have iced coffee.

[MADem]

20. You are a prince! Most of this I know from past experience, but the memory jog is priceless! nt

[texanwitch]

25. A cooler with extra thick walls that will keep things really cold for severa days.

They cost more but are worth it.

Ice will be hard to come by so you want to keep it for as long as you can.

I have two big chest like this, both are on wheels.

[onestepforward]

77. Get plenty of ice!

You'll go through it faster than you think and you may not be able to get any for days after the storm. It is critical for staying cool and preserving cold food items.

If you have a fish tank, watch the temperature if you go days without AC. You may need to add some ice to it if the water gets too hot.

[w0nderer]

109. if the filter is biological

remember batteries for a pump or alternate way to run a filter
or just remove the filter

30 minutes to an hour without water circulation/oxygenated water and the bacteria start dying off canceling that beautiful balance

[hfojvt]

26. that's a decent list

however, I would note

clothes CAN be washed by hand and put on a line to dry

also, make sure your rechargeable batteries are all fully charged up AND you can find a flashlight in the dark.


Even for refrigerator in normal times, I generally fill up all my unused space with jugs of water. It helps to keep cool what would ordinarily be the nearly empty refrigerator of a single guy.

Just saying, if you have empty space in your fridge, consider filling it with a bottle of water. If nothing else, this will give you plenty of cold drinking water.

For sawing, I use a 36 inch bow saw. Like my bicycle, it is much slower, but it gets great gas mileage.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

62. We get blackouts during thunderstorms here a couple of times a year

and my friendly local hardware store cued me into an emergency flashlight that stays plugged into the wall during normal times and glows with a red light during a blackout so that you can find it.

[hfojvt]

91. yeah last Saturday the power went out at 1 am

and I was fumbling around in the dark for about five minutes, yelling "where the fu$% is my fu$&ing flashlight!!" before I finally found one in a kitchen drawer.

[Fumesucker]

27. I have a 350 watt inverter that will run TV, computer and refrigerator (barely)..

Only one at a time from your 12v car battery..

It will also run other small things that work on regular house current..

If you plug in the refrigerator for a couple of hours twice a day you can keep it cool enough that your food will keep a lot longer.

You'll have to make sure not to let your car battery get so low that the car won't start though, inverters can draw a lot of current from the battery.

If you do get an inverter and want to watch TV then make sure you have an antenna that will pick up your local digital TV and a converter box if your TV does not have the tuner for digital.

I also have a lot of rechargeable AA batteries, it's amazing how fast you can go through disposable batteries when a flashlight is the only light you have at night. A small 12V AA charger is part of my kit too, plug it in the cigarette lighter socket in your car.

Someone mentioned the Maglite LED flashlights on another thread, I'll second that, the Maglites are bright, don't use the batteries too fast and they have a "candle" mode where you unscrew the reflector, turn it upside down and put the butt of the flashlight in it, you can then set it on a table and use it as a very bright electric candle that will light up a room better than you might think..

On low power mode my Maglite will put out a reasonable amount of light all night on just two rechargeable NiMH AA batteries.

[texanwitch]

36. Those are great.

I have one with clips that will attach to a free standing car battery.

You can run a box fan with it for hours.

Or a little tv.

[Honeycombe8]

106. Where do you get those? nt

[texanwitch]

123. I got mine from Radio Shack.

It is a 350 watt dc to ac power inverter.

I bought it after Ike, never used it yet.

It comes with those clips that hook on to a battery posts.

I wanted something to run a fan with.

[CoffeeCat]

29. Also, collect all of your water bottles...

and fill them up with water now. Put them in the freezer and freeze them. If the power goes out, they'll thaw and you'll have fresh, cold water for a while. Fill up any container--such
as empty milk jugs or 2 liter soda bottles.

Also, get some cash from the ATM before this hits. You might need cash.

As others have said, fill the tub with water--when you need water for other uses.

I like the idea of having the grill and propane ready to go. GREAT suggestion.

I've also heard that turning up your freezer to its coldest setting will get everything rock hard. Then, if the power goes out, it will take several days (not one or two) to thaw
everything--and you'll be able to keep your freezer items frozen longer.

Best of luck to everyone dealing with Irene!! I hope she isn't as bad as the media is suggesting!

[w0nderer]

114. milk jugs can be iffy

milk being a little bit fatty and protein-y, getting those jugs clean can be a real pain

[kcass1954]

144. Clean them with hot soapy water as soon as you empty them, and don't put the top back on.

Store in a big garbage bag with the tops off. I start saving at the beginning of hurricane season, and put them out for recycling at the end.

My dad had to evacuate his beach home in central Florida for Frances in 2004. He asked what he needed to bring to my home in south Florida, and I told him nothing. He laughed when he walked in my door - I had 72 gallons of water lined up against a wall in the dining room.

[w0nderer]

149. i use gatorade gallon ones instead

i get them from the local highschool coaches for free

i know how to get them clean (milk)
the standard recommendation is 'don't use milk jugs' because most people won't wash them
as hot, and as long as they need to be washed

obviously you do :-)

south fla here too and was here for Francis

sounds like your dining room looked like my kitchen

[bertman]

157. We have at least 50 used, gallon, plastic milk jugs with their little snap on lids

in the crawlspace of our house. They're filled with water and just sit there waiting to be used to flush the toilet. The toilet flushing water doesn't need to be potable water, so you can store the jugs a loooong time before using them. If they are in a dark spot they don't grow algae.

Having those jugs saves the water in the tub for other purposes that require cleaner water.

We went through Hurricane Fran in '96, then a major ice storm in '02, so we've learned about the value of toilet-flushing water.

Great idea to post this list, Tx4obama.

REC.

[defendandprotect]

160. Wait ... re bathtub water for flushing John -- do you put the water in the tank ... or in the bowl??

I would have thought the tank, but someone seems to be saying into the toilet?


Thanks -- :)

[Tx4obama]

161. A long time ago I had to do it and I put the water into the tank.

Not so sure what everyone else is doing.

[defendandprotect]

163. Thank you -- from NJ--!! Presume some here from NC may be reporting soon ... !!

[bertman]

162. Just dump it directly into the bowl. You get a lot of GLUBS and a weak flush

but it clears the bowl. Sometimes it takes two jugs.

We have the "If it's YELLOW let it MELLOW. BROWN--flush it DOWN!" policy in effect for water conservation at our home every day, so it means we are already conditioned to use less water for flushing toilets.

[defendandprotect]

164. Thank you -- !! Never experienced a hurricane before that I remember ... !!

Ironic that we had people in Cape May who wanted to ride out the storm!!

Mayor told them to put an index card in their left shoe with ID info so they

could identify them easily! How often we've watched Southerners prepare for

hurricanes and wanting to stay and think them nuts!! And now here we are

thinking the same way!



:)

[Kevin Cloyd]

179. I bucket flush the toilet

by pouring the water into the bowl, 2/3 of a five gal. bucket for older 3.5 gpf toilets and about 1/2 a five gallon bucket for newer 1.6 gpf toilets.

If it's yellow, let it mellow.
If it's brown, flush it down.

[Tx4obama]

30. Here's a link below to another DU list with some excellent info on it

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1811229

[texanwitch]

31. I save the empty milk jugs with the lids for hurricane season.

We filled them up and put them in freezer before Ike hit.

The freezer was full of frozen milk jugs, the ice jugs came in handy.

First ice and then water.

This was old big chest type freezer, a really big one.

[SwampG8r]

32. lol you post a list at peril on DU

[DURHAM D]

33. Cash

[Hardrada]

43. Smaller denoms too.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

40. I went through Hurricane Ike in Houston.

Fortunately I had a gas range. I would heat up two teakettles full of water and put them in a barf bucket (large rectangular plastic thing you get in hospitals) in the bathtub, stand up and give myself a warm washrag bath.

If my house had been all-electric....I don't know what I would have done, since I can't stand cold showers.

[Tx4obama]

42. I'm in Houston too. My house is the opposite of yours.

Electric stove, but gas water heater.
I think I would have rather of had your gas stove! :)

I would wouldn't have minded heating water on the stove in big pots to put in the bathtub - also boiling water for coffee would have been easier,
but cooking on a grill for two weeks was a pain in the arse :(

[tkmorris]

45. We have a camp stove for hurricanes

Seemed a bit silly when acquired, but man was I glad we had it! Coleman makes it, a two-burner model that runs on those mini propane tanks. About 1 liter apiece I believe. We have tons of em.

This is often overlooked by people who have generators but realize too late that their generator cannot supply the 220V needed to run their stovetop (some do, some don't). You'll be sitting there with all the food in the world and no way to cook it.

[gkhouston]

75. Yeah, we've got one of those, too. Sat in the top of a closet,

unused, for years (we keep the propane in the breezeway), but it was wonderful to have when the need arose. Same goes for our crank radio/light.

[calimary]

47. A lot on this list is applicable to other disasters besides hurricanes.

After a big earthquake, you need most of this stuff also, the nonperishable foods, enough water, pet supplies (don't forget your best friends!), batteries and flashlights and a first-aid kit and a battery-powered radio.

Basically, think of what you'd need to sustain life and SOME measure of comfort and normalcy - for THREE DAYS WITHOUT ASSISTANCE.

Good list! And it's well worth getting everybody thinking. Don't assume help will come. Besides, the roads may be impassible, so nobody may be able to reach you in a worst-case scenario.

[nenagh]

48. Also remember that newspaper is a good insulation for cold/frozen stuff..

If you are really stuck.. wrapping your cold/frozen stuff in heavy layers of newspaper keeps the interior of the bundle cooler for much longer.

Every Christmas, when the fridge is loaded, I wrap the large frozen turkey in multi layers of newspaper & keep it in the basement often in a plastic bin, the basement is cool at that time of year, and defrosts very slowly that way.

[Lochloosa]

49. If you have a generator....a turbo fan. Not a little wimpy thing

One that will MOVE some air.

[JBoy]

50. And print out the list before the power goes out.

:)

[TBF]

51. A few tips I just thought to mention -

We evacuated for about a week with both Rita (right after Katrina) and Ike. On your drive home fill up with gas BEFORE you get into your city. Mine is Houston - I've got to fill up in the outer suburbs on the way home because the gas stations where I live (in a mandatory evacuation zone) will all be out of gas until the trucks come around again. Same with food - the stores will have empty shelves where non-perishables used to be, and empty freezers where they've had to take out the perishables. They can't restock until the trucks get to them.

Your own refrig/freezer will need to be cleaned out if your house lost power for a week. Not a bad idea to buy groceries on your way back so you have something to eat until the stores restock.

Here is my journal from a few days ago. Pretty basic - but might help if you've never gone through this: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/TBF/54

[Manifestor_of_Light]

185. Rita was just a big media hype to make everybody panic.

The people on TV were whipping people into a frenzy that they HAD to evacuate Houston. I was watching TV and I refused to leave, because the hurricane wasn't going to Houston, it went East.

I stayed home and refused to leave, because it was nothing but mass hysteria. Several people died while they were evacuating because the roads were totally inadequate.

[snooper2]

52. Make sure your Pot stash is loaded up from your "guy" beforehand

:smoke:

[malaise]

53. Add trail mix and lots of cereal

crackers, nuts and loads of peas. Potatoes store well.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

63. Little individual size boxes of rice milk or soy milk can be used on cereal

in an emergency. They're safe without refrigeration till they're opened.

And I'd be inclined to make instant coffee palatable with sweetened condensed milk. :-)

[malaise]

76. LOL

I haven't used condensed milk in at least 30 years :D

[Lydia Leftcoast]

82. But it's what makes Thai/Vietnamese coffee so delicious

:-)

[mnhtnbb]

54. Thanks, Posted a link on my fb page for friends on east coast.

We aren't expecting anything more than showers and winds of 25-35 mph since we are over 100 miles inland
in NC.

[Name removed]

55. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[hedgehog]

56. Kick

[Chorophyll]

57. This is the most helpful post I've seen in days.

Especially the instant coffee! Gahhh! But really, thanks. Especially for the reminder about getting all the dishes and clothes clean in advance. Such a simple thing, and no one ever thinks of it.

:hi:

[malaise]

58. Get a car charger for your cell phone n/t

[X_Digger]

61. Crank radio / shake flashlights.

Somehow we never had enough batteries after every hurricane I went through in Florida.

[FedUpWithIt All]

64. Outdoor solar yard lights work better and are safer than candles.

We have lived the entire summer with an average of 6 hours of power a week. We have been building a home off grid and only recently began using the solar panels for power. Previously we used a generator a couple of hours a week. Gas is EXPENSIVE when running it through a genny so we learned lots of ways to live in relative comfort.

First, the outdoor solar lights can be found nearly as cheaply as candles and they run through the night and provide a more consistent light. It helps to have a small area where they can be placed out in the sun during the day. The best is a coffee can where you can set the path lights in like flowers in a vase.

Clothes are easiest washed with a 5 gallon bucket and a cheap (NEW, of course) toilet plunger. Clothes and water in bucket, agitate. We used a mop wringer for wringing out some of the larger clothes and it worked really well. Wring, add rinse water and re agitate.

Keep LOTS AND LOTS of books on hand. Anything that helps you zone so your not thinking about the lack of power constantly. I like to crochet and can zone into a project for hours. This is invaluable because days are much much longer without all the noise that accompanies power supply. Books, yarn, games, puzzles. Keep extra batteries on hand for limited use of small electronics. Again the dollar stores usually have batteries pretty cheap. We used and could not have made it through some of this summer without a small battery operated fan. Remember, batteries are often accepted by metal scrap yards. ;)

Extra water is a given, even cooking a small meal can easily consume a clean gallon of water. Try and save grey water and use it for things like flushing the toilet. Old pasta water, old bath water = grey water.

Baby wipes are INVALUABLE and it is wise to have some type of wet wipe on hand.

Another surprisingly valuable thing is a wind up alarm clock.

We also make use of a 15 gallon gas can and it has really made a difference from the typical 5 gallon when using a genny.

Washing dishes uses a TON of water so it is extremely helpful if you are able to collect rainwater for bathing and things like dish and clothes washing. A small rainwater collector can be made using 33 gallon garbage pails under a downspout. If you want to get even more fancy, some silicon and a small hose faucet can be attached to the bottom to run a hose. We keep three and each storm gives us near 90 gallons which we use for cleaning and bathing. we use bought water for cooking and drinking.

I will keep thinking of any other helpful things and add to this. I hope it helps. Good luck, stay safe everyone.

[FedUpWithIt All]

65. A little about food when living without power for a long period of time.

Processed American cheese slices CAN be kept for a week or so unrefrigerated as long as it is wrapped in individual slices.

Powdered milk is great for cooking and much of the boxed foods require milk.

Margarine can be left, for a time, unrefrigerated, it will separate but is usable. A better alternative for use in boxed meal recipes, is to use the butter flavored oil sold for popcorn. It can be used as a butter substitute in things like instant mashed potatoes, mac and cheese and other, easy to prepare, non perishables.

The easiest, but certainly not the cheapest, food options are prepared canned items like soups. To cut costs, powdered soups are often a better option.

[FedUpWithIt All]

85. Just to clarify...the outdoor path lights make great indoor lampsin the evening

they are also safer indoors than candles, they do not need frequent replacement, the light is more even and brighter and the cost is nearly the same as many types of candle.

[Flora]

88. Outdoor solar lights

These lights came in soooo handy after Katrina when we were without power for 3 weeks! Don't expect to read by their light, but the soft glow was enough to brighten a dark room. And, next morning, just put them back in the yard to re-charge for the next night.

[w0nderer]

140. good list n/t

[Alameda]

66. solar flashlight, solar charger ad rechargable batteries

I have a solar battery charger and it's great. I also have a couple of solar flashlights that are very useful.

[Gold Metal Flake]

67. Spare Internets so you can retrieve this list.

Better, compile this list on your own document stored on your hard drive and print a copy and laminate it. Store that copy on the wall of your garage or inside of a kitchen cabinet door.

[w8liftinglady]

69. Thank you for reminding us. I forwarded it to my folks in Ct and Fla

[Paladin]

70. Great List. Just Sent It To A Relative In Philly.

Thanks so much.

[LynneSin]

73. Cellphone Battery Charger. The Energizer XP1000 works for most cell phones

http://www.energizerpowerpacks.com/us/products/xp1000/index.html

It was $20 but I figured it's good if I need to get the cell phone recharged plus I could always recharge the battery pack on my laptops (I'll have both fully charged).

I plan to read books when the power is out.

[onestepforward]

78. If you have a fish tank

Get extra ice. A tank in a hot house raises the water temperature and you may need to add ice. If fish are lacking oxygen, they will swim near the surface. To help add oxygen to the water, use a slotted spoon to circulate the surface water. During Ike, I had a battery operated hand fan hanging over the tank to help circulate the water.

Feed your fish minimum to help the water stay fresher while without a filter.

[w0nderer]

141. they make the battery operated air pumps

for bait buckets as well as fish transport

with an 'air stone' you can circulate water
or even run a small filter

they tend to be battery hungry though

a good bicycle pump can also pump air into a fishtank, if you use airpowered filter and similar
using a regulator to trickle air from an air pressure tank or even a home made coke
bottle depot pumped up with a bike pump

but again that's preparation that takes time to run down
and set up

[onestepforward]

172. Good information. Thanks! n/t

[nolabear]

79. Windup radio and a hose to siphon gas for the generator from the car.

Best place to store gasoline is right in the car. And those windups are realy pretty cool.

[a2liberal]

80. K&R (n/t)

[nolabear]

81. Get those prescriptions filled, folks!

Don't want the meds to run out and power outages are not your friends.

[LiberalArkie]

83. I always make sure the propane tank is full before storm season starts

so my generator will keep everything running.. Whole home generator is the best thing I ever purchased.

[SusanaMontana41]

86. Excellent! This is useful in tornado country, too. nt

[hedgehog]

87. kick

[Peacetrain]

89. We went over a whole list of stuff last night

with our son out in Baltimore.. But I think I am just going to copy and email this to him.. I did not think about freezing the water in containers.. that is a heck of a good idea.. I did tell him to fill the bathtub with water so he could use it to flush and take a quick sponge bath as needed.

[diane in sf]

90. Black plastic solar shower bag or three, solar oven=stuff I used at Burning Man

A solar oven is made of chunks of cardboard you can line with aluminum foil, you can put a black pot in it with stuff like beans that take well to slow cooking. Real Goods has them and you can also make them pretty easily.

Charge your phones and iPods, have at least one old clunker phone around that runs off the phone line, if you still have a land line--the phone lines often stay functional. (What I USED DURING THE BUSH SPONSORED ENRON POWER OUTAGES HERE in CA--sorry for shouting.)

[Tallulah]

92. When there's an emergency like this

and you have no money, that's the time to contact friends and family. Everyone stay in one safe place and bring from home what you can. The ones that can afford it should feed everyone.

That's what we did. You put aside politics and personal feelings for safety. You can continue whatever AFTER the storm passes.

Don't wait until the last minute for anything.

Believe it or not, it's better with people around and staying busy. You don't have time to stress.

[NOLALady]

128. This is what we did as well.

Actually, we still do. We call them hurricane parties.

Since my house is a bit large, I usually have a house full of family,friends, extended family.

[yellerpup]

94. This is a wonderful help!

I just loaded my freezer with containers of water and will continue to work my way down your checklist as the hour comes closer. Thanks so much!

[ThoughtCriminal]

95. Tip for powdered milk

For me, a dash of imitation vanilla makes it more drinkable. Mostly, I use it on cereal, where the taste is less noticeable anyway.

Another tip - get a cigarette lighter DC to AC inverter. Your car engine is also a generator. The current that it can handle is limited and you don't want to keep your car running all the time, but for emergency use and to recharge critical items, I think it would be useful for people who do not have a portable generator.

[gateley]

97. EXCELLENT suggestions! nt

[Enthusiast]

98. K&R!....nt

[Submariner]

100. You DU'ers are VERY BORING - I hope not to get trapped in a hurricane with you

Not one mention of Doritos, Devil Dogs, Hershey kisses, a box of Krispy Kremes, and canned sausages. You know...the major food groups. Keg of beer with dry ice to wash it down.

Come on Irene, I'm ready for ya.

[gateley]

120. ONE box of Kirspy Kremes? Lightweight. nt

[Ruby the Liberal]

127. Those don't need a list.

They are givens. :D

The liquor store was packed here this evening. I started for the grocery store, but then I saw the parking lot. I am surprised they hadn't set up a shuttle.

Settled for the bodega by the house. A little more expensive, but no lines (and it is locally owned by a young couple trying to make ends meet).

[DinahMoeHum]

129. Heh heh. You can share a bottle of rum or good red wine

with me anytime!

Those are the last items on my check list. After topping off the car with fuel and getting some
cash from the ATM.

:evilgrin:

Only thing is. . .I'm a Yankees fan!

:evilgrin:

[Honeycombe8]

102. K&R. ADD: camping drip coffee pot. (Make sure your freezer is FULL...

the more frozen stuff you have in it, the longer it will stay frozen/cold).

[Tx4obama]

113. Also, make a list of phone numbers that you 'might' need after the storm passes.

Useful phone numbers:

Tree removal service
Electric company
Telephone company
TV Cable company
Insurance company
Roofer
ELECTRICIAN - Note: in some areas if a tree falls knocking down the electric line and IF the electric line pulls the 'electric service box' off of the side of your house then an 'electrician' will have to reinstall the service box before the electric company will reattach their line.

It is much less stressful to prepare a list of phone numbers beforehand and stick the list on the front of the fridge than it is to round up all the numbers after a storm when stress levels are already elevated.

[WillyT]

119. Most Excellent List !!! - Thank You !!! - K & R !!!

:yourock:

:bounce:

:hi:

:kick:

[jeff47]

121. If you have a generator and want to run your electronics or a computer....

...do not plug them directly into the generator. The power coming out of most portable generators is awful, and that can do nasty things to your electronics. Run the power through a UPS and then into your electronics.

[Tx4obama]

124. I had a generator the last week of my two week electrical outage....

I ran two connected heavy duty extension cords running from the generator (which was placed behind the garage so the fumes would be far away) and plugged it into a surge protector power strip in the kitchen.
Then into the power strip I plugged the Wi-Fi cord, an extension cord running from a laptop, a light, a fan, and a TV cord.
Didn't have a problem doing it that way.

When charging up the freezer plugged the freezer cord directly into the extension cord coming from the generator without the surge protector - guess I got lucky on that one - the freezer still works :)

[jeff47]

173. Things with motors are basically unaffected

Your freezer's motor can withstand a wide variation in voltage and frequency. So plugging it straight into the generator isn't going to be a problem.

Many electronics are much more sensitive to variations in voltage or frequency. A surge suppressor can't fix those, but a UPS can.

At the same time, one can also have a generator that's producing great power. It's just hard to know unless you happen to have the right tools to measure it.

[trud]

130. meds for your pets. n/t

[MellowDem]

131. I was in Ohio, without power for 8 days...

after the remnants of Ike got up here with a giant wind storm, blowing over tons of trees and powerlines. All of the electric repair people in Ohio were... down in Texas.

So just beware of where the remnants of a storm will go. Most of our electrical grid is above ground, so any sustained winds around 70 mph causes major problems.

[texanwitch]

137. Yep, we had half the countries power people down here.

We were really happy to see them.

We took good care of them.

Ike was one hell of a storm to go that far,

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

132. I'm surprised nobody mentioned ammo

for those areas with dangerous and/or delicious wildlife. But I guess in that part of the world, either you don't own a gun or you don't need a reason to stock up.

[DeSwiss]

133. I believe this is the first time I've ever rec'd one of your posts!

- You give sound advice. Who knew?????

K&R!!!

[blue neen]

134. This is such a valuable resource. Thank you for all of the great ideas,

and those of other posters in the thread.

Mods...maybe it would be a good thing to keep this thread at the top of the Greatest Page for a couple of days...DU'ers could refer to it when needed.

:patriot:

[Godot51]

135. A few more to add...

I've lived in southern Japan (Kagoshima-ken) over 30 years and have lived through many typhoons.
I recommend:
large vinyl sheets (various uses but covering your broken, leaking roof is one)
a few basic, non-electric tools (hammers, handsaws, screwdrivers)
a few basic nails, screws, fasteners, etc.
a few basic, non electric gardening tools
rainwear (for working outdoors during the storm)
kerosene lanterns (and a few liters of kerosene)
all camping gear has many uses (canned heat, camping stoves, foods, tents)
a hibachi (can be used indoors with proper ventilation)
candles (and matches)
wind-up flashlights (some I've seen even have a cell phone charger)
wind-up radio
books, magazines, board games, card games, etc.
an acoustic piano or guitar (or any other non-electric musical instrument)
hand fans
solar water heater; unusual, even in Japan these days but strong (ours is 25 years old and hasn't budged despite category 4 storms) and nothing beats a hot or even lukewarm shower when you're tired and dirty after cleaning debris.
What else have I forgotten?

[blue neen]

136. Did anyone mention charging up their I-Pods?

Get those headphones lined up!

[totodeinhere]

148. And charging cell phones and iPads if you are rich enough to have those. n/t

[blue neen]

181. Many people have the capacity to help in times of emergency:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleynewsdispatch/s_753594.html

[calimary]

138. I hope you don't mind - I posted your thread in the Natural Disaster Survival Group here.

Just a whole bunch of really good points I thought were worth repeating.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=360

[KoKo]

142. A VERY COOL LIST...for folks of us who've been through it..to impart to those who HAVEN'T!

Thank You! And, a BIG :kick:

[oldbanjo]

145. I have total electric so I keep a gas single burner

stove and a single mantel lantern in the house, both use the small bottles of gas from walmart. I have an adapter so I can refill the small bottles from a 20# bottle. I also keep a small heater (1500 BTU) in the car in the winter time in case of a brake down and its cold. About a month ago the power was off all night and in the morning, I made a pot of coffee with the burner and a SS coffee pot that I bought.

[totodeinhere]

146. That's a good list. And I'm sure that you posted it with good intentions. But...

with today's economy who can afford to do all that? A lot of things you listed cost money and many people don't have money. You suggest filling up your gas tank and getting extra gas cans, getting an extra full tank of propane, buying an extra ice chest (most people probably have only one,) and buying cases of bottled water and jugs of soda, and tons of batteries among other things. That would certainly run into hundreds of dollars.

Thank you for the list but it won't do poor people much good if they can't afford those things.

[Tx4obama]

154. Well there is something called borrowing, not everything has to be 'bought'

If you have a family member or a neighbor that has a gas stove and won't be needing their gas grill tank and if you have an electric stove (with no electricity) then the family member or neighbor will probably let you borrow their tank.

We had a neighbor across the street that has many igloo coolers because they go fishing and camping etc a lot and we borrowed one of the their coolers that they were not using so that we would have two instead of just our one.

We have another neighbor that has their house 'wired' for their generator so they didn't need to using any extension cords, so I borrowed a couple extra heavy duty ones from him.

In some cases it is not too hard to round up things that are needed, it just takes time to find out who has things that you need that they aren't going to be using and that are willing to share.

As far as bottled water, a few jugs of soda, and some Gatorade those are not really all that expensive.

Buying some extra batteries, when there's a chance the electricity will be off, is worth the money spent.

[texanwitch]

155. I always try to buy stuff when it is like 50 per cent off like solar lights.

Some things everyone should have like flashlights.

I keep my stuff in a hurricane box, so I know where everything is.

It can get expensive buying stuff but it is hell with out it.

I like the handcrank flashlights, saves on batteries.

I buy a little at a time, watch for sales.


Anything can happen, there a few things that are good to have.

[jerseyjack]

147. Get money out of ATM. Atm's dont work if electricity is out.

[Bluesbreaker]

151. Thank you! Great list.

Good stuff to have for any natural or man-made disaster.

[prete_nero]

152. cash

I logged in to say "wow no one has mentioned getting CASH out of the bank"...but someone beat me to it. Really though, just because there isn't electricity doesn't mean businesses shut down...I rarely have cash so have to really remember to take some out before a big storm or whatever.

To respond to the person with concerns for those who cannot afford lots of this stuff. There are many ways to prepare for a big storm or time without electricity. The example of having extra gasoline on hand I would personally say is a survival "extra"...if it comes between extra food and extra gasoline (not fuel for cooking food, thats different) buy the food. If you are 'stuck' at home but comfortable and fed then shoot for that.

Generally it seems like people can figure out what they might need if they just adjust their view on the world for a while and think of alternative ways to live...well before a disaster happens.

[rbnyc]

153. I'm washing clothes and dishes right now.

I'm going to pick up a radio in the morning.

This is actually useful. Thanks so much.

[Tx4obama]

156. To everyone ....

To everyone that added tips to this thread: THANK YOU
and
To everyone that said thanks for the OP: You're Welcome

Now let's just hope and pray that not too many folks will be without electricity and that those who are won't be without for too long of a time period.

Peace and good luck!

[bertman]

159. If you have an old rotary dial phone (or can find one to buy) they work when the power is off.

We keep one old rotary phone plugged into a wall jack. Just in case.


In the summertime if you are using a camping lantern that runs off of propane it can attract a ton of bugs, so spray paint the globe yellow and you will have a softer light that does not attract bugs. It still provides excellent lighting.


Also, in hot weather, close the windows and close the blinds as soon as the cool, outdoor, morning air starts to get even a bit warm. This will keep the interior of the house cooler during the day. Of course, open the windows on the shady side of the building first once the heat of the day cools down below the indoor air temp. Take advantage of the cooler outside temps as the nighttime temps drop.

[man4allcats]

165. A good list! As a Houstonian, I wish I'd had it when Ike struck.

I also went without power for 2 weeks. After the first week, I bought a generator. It cost a small fortune in gasoline to run but was worth every penny! :hi:

[Tx4obama]

170. Hey, me too, I wish I had had a list too before Ike hit ;)

It was the first time living without electricity for more than a day.

Now that I lived through it I'll be more prepared next time, and not so stressed out as last time.

To have access to a generator is awesome, I didn't have one for the first week either.
Then after the first week the electricity came on for the folks on the 'other side of the street'.
So, the fellow across the street brought his generator over here for us to use for the remaining week.
Just being able to have the laptop, a light, and a fan on made all the difference.
It was like coming out of the 1800s back into modern reality :)

We ran it each day from mid-afternoon to midnight, around midnight we'd turn it off and lock it in the garage.
The gasoline to run it was costly, but well worth it under the circumstances.

[sad sally]

167. A stock of toilet paper and/or paper towels is also good to have.

[Tx4obama]

171. And paper plates and disposable cups too.

Anything that helps cut down on the dirty dishes helps.

[man4allcats]

168. BTW, might want to add a car charger for your cell phone to the list.

As I was scurrying around like crazy trying to get ready, a DUer (unfortunately I don't remember who now) mentioned to me that I should make sure I had a car charger for my cell phone. I immediately went out and got one just hours before the last stores were shutting down. It was a wise investment.

[Beacool]

175. Thanks for the great advice.

I lived in FL, so I'm used to hurricanes. My mother always insisted on a gas stove and it saved us more than once because it ended up being the only stove in the block that could be used in a power outage. Which meant that a parade of neighbors would borrow it because they had electric stoves. It also meant that we never ran out of food because as a thank you they always insisted on sharing whatever they cooked. LOL!!!

I'm all set for this hurricane. I have food, water, batteries, flashlights and I'm on high enough ground not to worry about flooding. Although I'm a little concerned about the windows, no shutters like the house in FL.

:-)

[Left Coast2020]

177. GOOD ADVICE FOR EARTHQUAKES TOO!

And we know now, earth shakers are not limited to the west, excuse me, Left Coast :)

Lots of good info here.

[Beacool]

180. Yep, I work on the 31st floor and the building shook plenty that day.

Crazy natural events lately. I'm in NJ and last week we felt an earthquake and now a hurricane.

What's next, famine and pestilence?

:crazy:



:7

[Zoigal]

176. Candles that operate on batteries are useful for any emergency.

And they last a long time.....z

[AnnieBW]

178. Good ideas!

I took your advice and started off a load of white laundry, just so we'd have clean underwear. Hubby and I can both shower at the gyms at our respective workplaces, but clean underwear is a must for me.

[BiggJawn]

182. I have Aladdin mantle lamps

Run on kero, put out about as much light as a 60W bulb. Unfortunately (for the summer) they put out quite a bit of heat, too, but that's a plus when the ice storm hits.

The only thing worse than sitting in the gloomy light from a candle or oil lamp is sitting in the dark.

[Catlover827]

183. This is fantastic - thank you for sharing

We moved to Sugar Land in February and haven't experienced anything really yet except drought. I will bookmark this in case we ever need it. Wonderful job.

[shanti]

184. bookmarked

thank you!

[texanwitch]

188. This tme of year is a good time for buying hurricane related stuff.

The stores are switching over to winter and holiday items.

Solar lights will be 50 percent off.

Bug candles will be on sale also.

A little battery powered tv is great also.

I buy all year long, I will be prepared for another Ike.

Also some freeze dried type food will keep for years, just add water.

A good stong storage box with a lock is a good thing to have.

Buy batteries thought out the year.

I have a latern that will burn for seveal days on eight D batteries, really bright.

A roll of heavy duty plasitic and duck tape is a must for broken windows.


I kept a journal after Ike so would not forget what to have on hand.

Once the power comes back it is easy to forget what you needed.

Extra gas cans if you have a generator.

Get to know your neighbors, this the most important thing of all.

We had a lot of clean up to do in the morning after Ike.

If you have battery powered tools like drills charge them also.

You will need to remove boards from your windows, a cordless drill makes it easier.

LIfe goes on without power, just prepare for it.

It was nice to sit the front porch and have nothing to do.

[Tx4obama]

189. In NC and VA there are 670,000 without electricity.

My heart goes out to them and all the folks that are in the path of the hurricane.


Edited to update numbers

670,000 without electricity in North Carolina, Virginia from Hurricane #Irene

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/27/tropical.weather/index.html