2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season Preperations

cavedog

Well, it's almost that time again. Has everyone in the strike zone done their prep work?

Here are a few tips that I have gleaned over the years.

-Water: Rinse out and store 2 liter bottles. Fill on approach of tropical system. Run through a Brita filter for drinking. You still should buy bottled water. The 2 liter is a backup, or for sponge baths, or lastly, drinking; Figure a gallon per person, per day, minimum of seven days, ten days is better.

-Food: Buy a couple of cans each time you go to the store. Nothing fancy. Ravioli, stew, hash, veggies, tuna, Jar of peanut butter. Box of crackers. Powdered milk for the kids and pregnant women. Don't bother with the MRE's. The price has gone through the roof on them.
Again, seven to ten days worth. You may be able to cook on your gas grill, but I plan on just using it to heat things up. And a manual can opener.
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-Sundry items:
Toilet paper. Get a months supply. It won't go bad. If you are on sewer system, get a five gallon bucket. And a shovel. If you are on septic, your golden. Use the 2 liters to fill the toilet. Or get water from a neighbors pool.
Paper plates and plastic bags. You probably won't be washing the dishes much.
Insect repellant. Expect a bumper crop of bugs. Coils are good.
Oil for the oil lamps (candles just won't last). I prefer liquid paraffin, less odor and soot.
Butane lighters. Matches may not work in the humidity.
A couple of boxes of shells for your shotgun. Some four legged critters may get aggressive looking for food, and don't expect the dog catcher to show up. (I am not advocating shooting of animals, but it could get ugly.) If you have pets, increase your water requirements and have enough pet food on hand.
Meds for a month. And a good first aid kit. Get a box of alcohol wipes.
Rechargable batteries for flashlights, radios and such. And a charger. You are not going to run your generator all the time.

-Generator: Do a runup before the season. I run mine once a month for twenty minutes at 50% load. To figure your wattage, look for plates on your appliances. Volts times amps will give you your watts. I have a 3600 watt generator. It will run my fridge ( a new one 18 cu ft, 500 watts), a small window a/c (bedroom), a small tv, a fan, a battery charger, and a couple of lights, at 50% load. DO NOT figure your surge capacity into your requirements. Save that for the start up surge on your appliances.
(I know I mentioned buying canned food. If you have a generator, you still should buy canned goods. You may have a freezer full of food, but how are you gonna cook it? And what happens if and when you generator breaks? Have a plan, and a backup plan.)

-Fuel. As much as you can afford. I usually get five days worth, figuring a 11 hour run each day. 25 gallons. You can always put it in your car. Also, spare air filter, spark plug, and extra oil.

-Extension cords. Keep you cords as short as possible, but do not run your generator in an enclosed area. I have two 25 foot 12 gauge cords. I put a 6 outlet power strip on each. I plug the appliances into the power strips. The 240 cords with the 110 outlets are better still. I do not recomend "back feeding", running power through your dryer plug. When the power comes back on, you could have another disaster on your hands.

-Bikes: If you have panniers, they may be handy to get ice and water from FEMA when and if they show up.

This is just a partial list. When the storm is inbound, your gonna want to get your home secured, and if your in a flood zone, leave early. If you are on the high ground, in a new home, stay off the roads. Get cash, remove all loose items from your yard, and if you have kids, stay upbeat and confident. Check with your neighbors, even that butthead who lives across from you. You need each other. You can go back to squabbling after the storm passes.

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Logic is a way of going wrong with confidence

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