Article by Wendy McCance
So with Hurricane Sandy barreling through the U.S. I started to think about the people who had to bunker down in their homes. Not the people who needed to evacuate, but the people who knew they would be stuck at home with the family while the storm blew through their town.
I started to do the mental checklist of things I would want to have in the house to make the time spent at home as comfortable as possible.
Below I have written my list of what I would want to have in my home.
My storm list:
1. Generator
2. Jugs of water
3. Candles and Flashlights
4. Wood for the fireplace
5. Extra big supply of food (making sure there was a lot of food that didn’t need to be heated, just in case). Also, ingredients for the crock pot would be perfect.
6. Cards, Puzzles, Board Games
7. Books and Movies
8. Craft projects
9. Batteries (whoops, almost forgot about them)
10. Tons of blankets and pillows on the sectional to snuggle up with
I’m sure you have thought about this as well over the years during different storms that had you caught in the house for a while. What would you want in your home?
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Wendy McCance
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After enduring a 52-hour power outage in September 2008 from Ike’s trek north to here in Ohio, another 52-hour outage in February 2010 due to an ice storm, and another 13-hour outage Labor Day of 2011, we installed a 17kw ‘whole house’ Generac natural gas-powered generator with automatic transfer switch. So now, if the power goes out (especially meaningful when you live on a well = no water too), our new generator restores power within about 10 seconds, and automatically switches us back over to DP&L service once power is restored to the local grid. It’s a great thing!
Thanks for the advice. We used to have a sump pump and a backup system was necessary to prevent flooding.
I live in Earthquake country and this is standard operating practice because you just never know when it will hit.
I guess I’m really lucky. In Michigan we have no hurricane or earthquake worries.
That’s a great list. Keep your important papers handy and in a plastic zipped bag. If you know your power is going to go out, turn down the fridge, freezer and a/c or turn up the heater as much as you can. It will keep your food colder longer and your house cooler or hotter longer. Charcoal and/or propane for the bbq grill. If you have no electricity for a while, that’s going to be your life line. Add a manual can opener to that. Can’t get the food if you have an electric can opener and no electricity. You’re going to need to fill some gas tanks for the generator. Beware of the candles - they may be a hazard if you are in an enclosed space or if they tip over and burn your house down or if it’s just plain ol’ hot outside. Keep a first aid kit and refill any medication you may need. Shop in the camping section. Use lanterns (battery-operated) with flashlights. They give off more light when it’s dark. Also if you might be getting flooding, have some kind of life jackets or inflatable devices. It sounds like a bit much but if it’s deflatable, how much space will it really take up? Even a blow-up mattress might work. I also like to bake something scrumptiously yummy. It keeps me calm before the storm and happy if the power goes out. Even if the power doesn’t go out, it still keeps me happy that we dodged it.
Wow, I’m coming to your home. You are impressively prepared.
Thank you. I went through Andrew. They told us to get charcoal and ice. That’s it. I learned since then to be prepared in any kind of storm. You are more than welcome to come over. Everyone does. We have blueberry pancakes and sloppy joes with no electricity. It’s awesome.
Well that sold me, I’ll have to stop by for sure.
I love the idea of baking something as a diversion! It’s like the gift that keeps on giving — a distraction before the storm and a yummy way to pass the time during the storm! Brilliant!