Posted on 01/22/2012 8:48:55 AM PST by djf
I lived!!!
As anybody who doesn't live in a cave probably knows, the Seattle Pacific Northwest this week was hammered by winter storms - knocking out juice to what amounted at the high point to over 300,000 households, which affected around 1.2 million people!
In this case, it was actually predicted that there could be scattered power outages. News on Wednesday evening had pieces about people stocking up in stores. IN A NUMBER OF CASES< THE STORES WERE ALREADY SOLD OUT OF THE DESIRED ITEMS!!!!
Flashlights, batteries, generators, stuff like that were already either unavailable or a premium item.
The snow started falling late Tuesday evening, and continued into early Wednesday morning. Local news was predicting a wide variety of amounts, Seattle has alot of microweather because some areas are closer to the Sound which is warmer, and some areas are at much higher elevation, which (usually, but not this time!) are colder.
I made no advance preparations right then with the exception of digging out some small propane bottles and my little Century Primus single mantle lights. Well, except for making sure that my flashlights were out in the open in readily available places.
Now I say I made no advance preparations but in a way I lied. Because over the years, I have accumulated things, some because of immediate need, some as a planned activity in cxse of a SHTF scenario.
I have two generators, a Champion 3500 watter (quite new) and a Coleman 1800 watter. Every summer I move them to the front of the shed they are stored in and fire them up. Make sure the oil is clean and full. Put a bit of a load on them and let them run until they are warm just to make sure they are lubed good. Hit them with a touch of carb cleaner. General small engine maintenance things.
I also have LOTS of extension cords, not just household type cords, but serious shop type cords. And power strips.
Food and coffee. One of the things people were stocking up on were ingredients for soup. Soup is good food. In an emergency, soup can warm you and keep you alive!
Having been up almost all Tuesday night, with it still snowing, Wednesday morning I slept.
Later on that evening, it started getting bad (according to the news). I am at 600 feet, and only had had about 6 inches fall, now every single year I have at least once when I get way more than 6 inches - so I was concerned, but not overly.
I heard a few branches fall, but not many.
About ten PM, my lights flickered and went out. I started my propane lights and turned on my BATTERY POWERED!!!! radio of which I have about 3, but rarely use.
I didn't start the generator, it didn't seem so bad and my house was still warm (I had had the foresight to make a pot of coffee beforehand and put it into my thermos. My juice goes out enough that I've learned to do that, if the juice stays on, I just pour the coffee from the thermos and use it that way.)
A click and a ping and the power came back on about 2 AM. So I went on my porch. That was when I got scared.
Air temp was about 28 degrees. And it was raining...
Power was on, my heat was on, so I had a drink and went to sleep for a bit.
Awake at 6:30 AM Thursday, I went on the porch and was astounded. A lilac tree near my porch was covered with ice and bent over my porch. A cherry tree that grows nearby had it's limbs almost touching my porch. It was still pre-dawn, and I had a cup of coffee and a smoke, suddenly a big blue flash, and my lights flickered. They came back on. Second blue flash, they went out. Came back on once more and the final blue flash killed em for good. It really was spectacular standing on my porch and watching the flashes in the distance. And there was almost a roar of sounds of tree limbs and even whole trees coming down.
Now I'm not the greatest housekeeper in the world and I soon realized that you do not want to have alot of clutter lying around when you are in anything like survival mode! So keep the paths to your important items/resources CLEAR if possible.
My house was still warm so I didn't worry about the generator, but I could tell then that it was going to be an extended event.
About ten in the morning I got one of my shop extension cords and a power strip and headed out to start it. I looked at the road and just did a general look of the neighborhood and saw no lights, heard no generators, not even a car engine, everything was coated in ice.
I tried to start the small one, even gave it a shot of starter fluid, no dice. It was cold out. It is no secret that when you are cold to the point of being uncomfortable, you RAPIDLY lose your effectiveness. So I came back in and got gloves and a hat, went back out. Didn't want to waste time, so I moved the small one towards the back and rolled the other one up (the Champion), gave it a shot of starter fluid, and yanked on it.
First pull, it started.
Plugged in the cord, came back inside and plugged the power stip in, then from there I hooked up various items starting with my pellet stove to try to keep the place warm.
One of the lessons: Over the next few days I used 4 shop type extensions cords (two of them 50 footers), two power strips, and about five household type extension cords. Better to have too much than not enough.
My power finally came on 6:30 PM Saturday making for 60 hours without juice.
I lost Internet. the phone worked for a while, but after about 6 hours, there was no dial tone, just white noise. Phone system totally powered down about 3 in the afternoon, I concluded from that that many of the small phone substations you see around are running off of UPS's and if the local juice goes, they can only last for so long.
I was unable to get out because the snow was so bad I couldn't get my chains on. Next time, if I know or hear about this in advance, my chains are going on BEFORE it happens.
It was OK though because I have plenty of food and coffee and propane for my lights (when the generator was off). My routine was to run the generator for about 8 hours, warm my place up good, then cycle it down and let it cool off. Wait (sleep) for 5 hours or so, gas up the generator and restart it for another 8 hours.
It was Thursday afternoon before I heard anybody else running a generator, about 4:30, right before dark. After dark fell, it was totally obvious who was prepared and who was not!
Fewer than one out of six had a generator, most places were completely dark, or very dimly lit as if by candles.
Temps in my house would get up to about 63 degrees with the pellet stove, but after 5 or 6 hours when the generator was off, it would fall to about 55 degrees. I quickly learned that SOCKS ARE GOOD FRIENDS!!
I have a small propane cooking setup so was able to feast on scrambled eggs and ham, carbs will give you short term energy, but if you are going to do heavy work while trying to stay warm you need something more substantial.
Over the years when it gets cold (and it has gotten to zero in the Seattle area, I will fill up plastic bottles (like Gatorade bottles) with hot water from my faucet and put them at the foot of my bed. This worked very well for me this time, it's important to be warm when you sleep and not fight the cold, you will be much more rested and ready for the next day when you wake up.
So I used this approach, it's kind of a toss up because ny the end of the second day I really, really, really, really wanted a shower, messing with gasoline, oil, my tire chains, snow shovel, etc.
I was scared I wouldn't have enough hot water left, but turned it on and in a minute or so it was steaming so I relished what might have been the last shower I could ever take!
Saturday morning it had warmed significantly, and I was finally able to get the chains on my truck. I was approached by a neighbor and she asked if I could charge her cell phone, hey, no big deal so I brought it inside and put it on the charger. At this time, the power was still out and there were estimates that some limited areas might not have power until mid-week.
Talking to people on Friday I had heard rumors of some people being around who basically didn't live here or belong here. So I started on Saturday if I was outside carrying a small .22 mag revolver I have. But I want to stress I heard of no break-ins or gunshots or anything like that. I have ZERO doubt that if the situation went on like that for another three days or so, that would change, and desperate people would do whatever it takes.
Now at one point in time in the past I had told someone I had two generators. I bumped into him walking around, and he WANTED that generator! I'm not really sure what the solution to that problem would be if the outage was more long-term.
Another lesson: KEEP YUR LIPS ZIPPED ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE!
One thing that struck me is that if there was a general SHTF power outage type thing, do you know who would be the richest man in town? The guy who owns a LAUNDROMAT!!
Gas was already becoming an issue, fellow I know has a 4K generator and he flat out told me he would be out of gas today. Now does it make any sense at all to spend many hundreds or even thousands of dollars to have a generator and be OUT OF GAS on day 3?
Power came on here at 6:30 PM Saturday. Didn't hear any shouts or yells but I am sure everybody was relieved. I had a fairly daunting task of just cleaning things up (still need to wash the dishes I let pile up).
So, thought FReeper preppers might find this interesting. If somebody asked me what the most important thing was I would say "Keep it simple". Simple things like propane lights, canned foods that need little prep, stuff like that won't make you feel like the Waldorf Astoria, but it might keep you from getting so frustrated you don't go out and start shooting from your front porch!
I'd be worried others would hear your generator running and be beating down your door.
I can vouch for that from a more humorous perspective. I was in Warrenville at a Superbowl party in ‘85. (Da Bears)
There was a power outage during the game. We quickly pulled the small generator off my bro in law's boat and got things running. We packed the room with neighbors until the power came back on!
Thanks for sharing your experience! I have paper plates and also a camp shower (it’s black and can absorb heat from the sun) on hand.
Over here in the boonies west of you we have lost power up to 2 weeks, and 3-4 day stretches are common and expected.
I actually enjoy them - we’re prepared and it’s a chance to live the life we’re prepared for and see if we’ve got it all down and can do it comfortably for a slightly extended period. It’s also very peaceful without the usual gadgets and contraptions, more like the simpler life I grew up in.
‘Course, if it went on for years, and if there were gangs of zombies, it might be a bit less enticing, but we and the neighbors in our little enclave are ready for that as well - we hope. :)
“There were (and might still be) alot of gas stations out there maybe with full tanks underground but which are unable to pump even a quart of gas! All modern gas stations use electric pumps on the tanks.”
Yea, we’ve dealt with that here in Houston after Hurricanes pass through, and power is out. Plenty of gas...no way to pump it.
The thing about prepping is that you never really know just what you’re prepping for. There are simply a lot of scenario...from a 2-hour blackout to an EMP. In my case, I keep about 40 to 50 gallons of gasoline stored away, and, of course, I fill up my cars if I know something is coming. I only have a very small generator - not enough to run even a refrigerator. I’ll simply let that food go bye-bye. But I do have stoves and lamps that run on unleaded, large propane burners for cooking crawfish, water purification hardware, inverters, a propane-powered flow-through water heater, a boatload of canned and dried food, and lots of other fun stuff.
Seeing people scrambling for gasoline to run their generators here was enough to tell me that generators are pretty useless if power is going to be down for a while. And they’re not needed for rolling blackouts (which may become very common here).
Lots of stuff to think about.
Bookmark as good advice for those of us in the hurricane prone areas. Thanks :)
***You know the definition of a flashlight?
A place for storing dead batteries.***
LOL! How true! During the big ice storm that shut down this area only one radio station was able to stay on and broadcast.
They mentioned a woman who listened to her battery powered radio in the day, then removed the batteries and put them in a flashlight so she could see at night.
Talk about unprepared!
POWER OUTAGE - User experience
Generac 18,500 WATT fixed-in place generator. Runs three houses.
We were out for 5 days during the Halloween freak storm in New England. There were pockets for miles in MA/CT where you couldn’t find gas (no power/ran out)for a day or two - at the best - sit in lines for hours (like the 70’s:>) - if you could drive out 50 or so miles away from the storm damage area you could fill up.
Generators came in from other areas - they were being snapped up quickly (many sold after power came back up - had a ‘be-prepared’ vibe in the areas weeks after the storm)
We survived nights (even with the generator) listening to my Y2K purchased BeyGen crank radio - WTIC-AM radio out of Hartford, CT. Only decent information source for those out of power.
I plugged my computer,etc. into a power strip-to the generator once and blew up my modem, computer and fax machine (don’t do that)low voltage fried them. The pellet stove didn’t like the generator either -fried the motor.(ended up using space heaters)
We still had the kitchen gas stove top (propane gas - open stove top burners - lighter)Oven ignitor was closed- couldn’t light it.(I special ordered this open cooktop burner stove)
Lessons learned:
Get a wood stove (for back up - just leave it in the shed)We like our pellet stove.
Buy more crank appliances - flashlights-radios (batteries degrade and eventually run out)
Always fill up the vehicles before storms
Make sure there’s enough ‘fresh’ fuel for the generators (have 2 now)
Soundproof the generators (as best as can be done)
Keep a good stock of Sterno and Candles.
(be mindful of CO poisoning - people did die from that during the outages)
We’re hoping to change over to Natural Gas appliances, may expand to our area. The new products are closed systems - power goes out - you’re out of luck. Would like to find as many ‘pilot open’ appliances as possible to not use generator power. (keeping propane tanks for back-up, flop over if SHTF)
Redundant systems are a must - as technology advances redundancy decreases...leaving you cold and in the dark.
Back in the day, when the power went out, your gas water heater still worked - the new ones now -won’t.
My experience is, if the power outage lasts a full 24 hours or more, the material in the freezer will start to thaw.
If you have friends or relatives with power I would give them the food from your freezer, or let them store it for you, if it looks like the power is going to be of more than a day. - Tom
I picked one up on Amazon for about $700.00 bucks. Since we heat with propane I have a giant tank of fuel that's always being replenished. I had the propane company install an outlet that my generator could hook up to if needed.
The result is that I'll have power without having to buy or store gasoline. Propane generator maintenance is also much much easier than maintaining a gas generator.
When VA had its "SNOWMAGGEDON," I had plenty of firewood chopped and ready for the wood burning fireplace and the generator on hand. I lived on a dirt road that didn't get plowed (well normally about three days after snowfall, someone contracted by the county would use a farm tractor to clear the road)
Anyway, I would drive my truck down the driveway (driveway was 1/8 mile long and I didn't have a plow), down the road, and to the highway to keep the road open in case of emergency. The neighbors across the street were overweight and the husband wasn't in good health. So, like any good neighbor, I shoveled the several feet of snow from the road to their door and told them to call if the needed anything; they were fine.
Well, the power went out. They ran out of water because the well pump was electric, so they put snow in the toilets to flush them. Snow doesn't melt when there isn't heat. So, like any intelligent group of people would do, they closed off a room in the house and lit a propane heater. This idea worked great!!! When they were falling asleep, the CO detector went off and kept them all from dying.
To vent the house, they opened the windows, which caused a whole bunch of snow to call into the house....my cell phone rang.
I drove down the driveway to pick them up and bring them to my house; I had a 9 month supply of food for a family of four and about 50 gal of water on hand (and four feet of snow to melt). They arrived with several large bags of food that HAD TO BE EATEN, because of course, their freezer defrosted.
4 feet of snow outside and no way to keep frozen food frozen? Don't worry, she's a public skrewl teacher.
Shortly after this, a neighbor down the way walked up my driveway. He was crying and obviously upset. They were low income with no tv, and no internet. They didn't know it was going to snow. They had a deaf autistic kid and no heat. They were trying to keep a fire going in a burn barrel in order to cook hotdogs, but weren't having much luck.....would I give them a ride into town to the grandmother's house?
When I returned, some idiot in a 2wd pickup was goosing the gas pedal and driving like an idiot behind me (pickups are invincable and should be driven as such BTW; even when there is no weight in the back, chains on the tires, etc).
He was arriving to "assist" another neighbor that panicked and tried to drive his Civic down the unplowed road and now of course was stuck. The idiot in the 2wd truck hooked up the car (nose to nose with a chain) and floored the truck in reverse.....into the ditch and almost snapped the rear axle. I offered to move the car back out of the way and then retrieve the pickup.
"No." They wanted me to pull the car further along, which if something went wrong would trap me between the Civic and the F150. I told them it was my way or not at all. It was their way (so, in other words I didn't bother with them). Before drivng up to my nice warm house, I informed them that I had spent quite a bit of effort and time keeping the road open for emergencies...any cars blocking the road would be pushed into the ditch. Anyone that posed a danger to me or my family would be shot.....
Folks this was after 24 hours. They say it takes 72 for social order to break down. 24 hours in a small farm town where everyone knows everyone and panic already ensued.
Keep your powder dry.
that's why i have a diesel generator... i have a fuel oil furnace as a backup to my coal stove and always have at least 200gal in the tank i but a couple 5gal cans worth of fresh diesel from the gas station in december in case i need the generator but can switch to the fuel oil if the station is out of power, then i pour it into my fuel tank in the spring if i don't need the generator
I’m about 97% convinced that my next item will be a simple wood stove. I can move the pellet stove out of the way and use it if I need to.
http://www.antiquestoves.com/general%20store/generalstore.index.htm
You can cook on them too!!! I definitely can't wait to get one.
A cat, two comforters, and a blanket (preferably wool) will keep you so hot the cat will bail on you.
LOL I know exactly what you mean. I love Sam’s club, my problem is where do I put all the stuff I want to buy when I go shopping there.
LOL I know exactly what you mean. I love Sam’s club, my problem is where do I put all the stuff I want to buy when I go shopping there.
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