Hurricane survival tips and prep info!!!

If you have youngish kids... candy.

Relatively trivial, but it sounds likely that Halloween will be knocked out, and having a plan to deal with that particular disappointment isn't a bad idea, though sugared-up, cooped-up kids may well be :)

Hey Cowgirl! One thing that works really well when the wind is blowing through your outside doors and the windchill is too low, is to take an old blanket and use a dinner knife or screw driver to push the blanket between the door frame and door. My dad told me about it when we lived in Chicagoland in '83. The windchill was -40 something and it really did help. He said they also used to use newspaper, back in the day. It also helps to hang sheets or blankets over doorways to keep heat in a room. That's my gram's old trick.

Thanks for doing this thread, it will help keep people safe. We're just going to cold this weekend, out here in W.Texas. Please, everyone, be smart and stay safe.

Sleep in a tent, if you have one. It's a great way to keep warm.

Pitching a tent in the house is a great idea! Never thought of that..

Good Ideas Buckeye..I hear putting plastic over your windows works too.

There is something moving into Dallas right now. It's 58 degrees and the wind is blowing. I feel fortunate that all we have facing us is a bit of cold weather.

I'm praying for the people on the East Coast! Looks like they are in for some trouble.

FYI...You can freeze milk. I do it all the time. I put the jugs in the freezer and set them on the counter to thaw when I want to use it. The milk tastes just like it came from the store.

If you have kids or you are just a big milk drinker, don't forget to throw a jug in the freezer while you are getting ready for the storm.

We're getting the western edge of the cold front. Denver got snow yesterday, don't know about today. We're supposed to stay dry here after all. They took out the precip. It wasn't much of a chance anyway.

I'm also worried about Ohio. My family and lots of friends live on the western side of Lake Erie. The weather report here showed the arctic front with Sandy bumping together. I'm afraid of lake effect snow. It could even turn blizzardy. I'm going to call my folks tomorrow, it's too late to tonight.

edit I can't spell today!LOL

Last Edited by Texan Buckeye on 10/25/2012 10:15 PM

This is for emergencies and not the long term, an excellent but unappreciated point.

This video has a few very helpful tips. In the case of Sandy, I guess you should turn your heat up instead of the AC like in the video.


Home Preparation - Hurricane Preparedness


[link to youtu.be]

This woman does a good job with basic hurricane prep info.

WeatherHelp How to Prepare For A Hurricane



[link to youtu.be]

wait...MIO?

^^best advice EVAR! :)

Do you know anyone's phone number? If you are like me, the answer is NO... Every number I need is in my cell phone. If your battery dies and you do not have power to recharge your phone, you wont have any way to access important phone numbers.

So...go old school and write down on a piece of paper all of the phone numbers that are important to you.

Landlines are usually the one thing you can count on in a storm that will not go down. Even if you do not have a landline, maybe a neighbor or friend has one that you can use to make a call.

I live in manhattan so shit is really gonna hit the fan on tuesday

I have a years worth of paper plates, plastic cutlery, and syroform cups of various sizes so I don't have to worry about washing dishes. I have a clean cup for coffee and a second cup for water or juice every day.

I didn't buy these right now.........I have had them in preps for several years.

Be safe and prep the best you can. Here is an article that may interest you..

A New York Hurricane Could Be a Multibillion-Dollar Catastrophe

>>>Apart from the potential loss of life in the most densely populated part of the country, history suggests that the economic damage could run into the tens of billions of dollars, depending on the severity of the storm and how close it comes to the city. Unlikely but theoretically plausible scenarios could have the damage entering the realm of the costliest natural disasters of all time, and perhaps being large enough to have a materially negative effect on the nation’s gross domestic product<<<....read more of the article at:
[link to fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com]

"IF" the storm hits for most the biggest problem for most will be a LACK OF ELECTRICITY.

The second biggest problem, but for a smaller number of people, will be NO FRESH WATER.


With that in mind one should plan accordingly for most likely scenario for most to less likely:
In order of importance:

*Emergency Lighting + Batteries (if battery powered) or Lamp Oil (if oil fueled):

*Water for drinking (min of 2 gal/day/per x 5 days x no in household + extra)

*Radio (battery, solar, or crank up)

*Nonperishable Food for at least 5 days (10 is better)

*Way to cook food + fuel for whatever system you use

*Paper supplies (toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, plastic utensiles etc.)

*Baby Wipes (for cleaning yourself up with without having to take a shower)

*Full tank of gasoline in EVERY vehicle

*Extra gasoline (since without power service stations can't pump and sell gasoline) (store OUTSIDE of house)


extras if one has time and money:

*Tarp in case of roof or siding problems (and nails to tack it down with)

*Plastic Sheeting and Duck Tape

*Way to Heat your shelter: One way is a Keroscene Heater + fuel to run it for at least 5 days (3 gal/day for a 24,000BTU round one - the best all round inexpensive emergency heating source imo)
(if it is new or hasn't been used for awhile run it outside for AT LEAST 3 hours BEFORE using it inside - 6 hours is better ... btw MOST noticable fumes come from heat caused fuel evaporation at shutdown, so as soon as shutdown for any reason take outside so as to keep fumes out of house)

*Chain Saw - gasoline powered only

*Camping Toilet (with the biggest holding tank you can get) (Be sure to "Precharge" Flushing Tank) (easier and cleaner to deal with than using regular toilet if no water available)


extra extra's

*Camping style Perkolator Pot (plus the small round filters they use ) for making coffee!!

*Snacks

*Several Decks of cards

*Battery powered TV

If you have a pool...this is something else to consider.


- Drain a few inches of water from your pool in anticipation of large amounts of rain which may cause the pool to overflow. When the power goes off, you cant run your pump. You may also want to shock the pool before the storm hits.

- You can throw your patio furniture in the pool to keep it from blowing away.


ALSO...

Know where your extra set of car keys are. If things get crazy and you are given an evacuation notice, the last thing you need is not being able to find your car keys.

GREAT LIST! Thank you....

Be sure to get cleaning and laundry done before the storm hits.

Start cooking! Make a meatloaf, big pots of stew and chili, lasagna, casseroles, etc. Wrap and freeze. Have a two burner propane stove that you can heat up your food. Those with a woodstove or wood-burning fireplace can cook meals on or in them. For a fireplace, make foil pouch meals. Wrap up hamburger patty, onion, carrots, etc and cook in coals.

Roast weiners and roast marshmallows in the fire. Comfort food!

Have plenty of instant oatmeal, grits (oh y'all may not eat that up there) cream of wheat, pudding mix, instant coffee / tea, hot chocolate that can be mixed simply with hot water.

Granola bars, trail mix, peanut butter crackers, candy, nuts, chex mix good for snacks to give comfort and energy.

Get light sticks for children - they are fun and a great security to them that they have their own 'light'.

Water, water, and more water!

Good Luck, my prayers are with every soul facing this storm.

hmmm

Great advice. Thanks!

two stroke oil is one of the more overlooked things in these situations... no sense in having gas and a chainsaw if you don't have that. it's cheap, stock up on it.

the rest has been covered mostly, my big thing is fire starting, b/c there can be life with fire. Get a fire stick, or grab a couple handfulls of lighters. Fire is a big deal for survival.

Very Good Advice! Thanks...

Stocking up on fruit is a good idea too. It doesn't need to be refrigerated.

For real?

Hope this doesn't knock the WV grid off again, That sucked.No internet is not kool.

Yes...I went through Hurricane Omar on Guam in 1992. We made sure the car windows were closed real tight because we didn't want any water to get into the cars. The barometric pressure dropped so fast that the car window imploded. It's the same thing in the house. You want to keep a window cracked slightly. If you don't you will end up with one heck of a headache.

This might be helpful for anyone who is going to be using a generator for the first time.

Portable Generator Safety Tips




[link to youtu.be]

[youtube]

[link to www.youtube.com]

hell yeah!