Posted on 10/28/2012 4:27:40 PM PDT by eastexsteve
I hope none of you folks are in the path of Sandy. But, if you are, there are some things you need to consider.
It's only a cat 1 storm. There will be some high wind. But, nothing you can't ride out in a STURDY building. But, you WILL lose power. Perhaps for days. If you live on the coast, all bets are off. Get out now.
What you will see out of this storm is torrential rains and flooding. Prepare for it. Even if it means evacuating. If you decide to stay, make sure you and your car are on high ground. You will see water in places you never imagined.
If you invest in a generator, make sure you have enough fuel to last you for several days. Even a 5000 watt generator can use almost a gallon of fuel per hour under a full load. Plan on running it sporadically during the power outage. A few hours on and off will keep your fridge and freezer cool enough. And, small generators are also known to consume engine oil. Have a couple of spare quarts on hand. Remember, electricity and water are a bad combination.
Have plenty of food on hand that you don't have to cook. You might be without power for days. The power company will not begin repairs until after the storm has passed.
You will need water, and plenty of it. Drinking water is just part of it. Fill up every bathtub in the house. You may need to dip water out of it to manually flush your toilets. Make sure everyone in the house takes a bath/shower before the storm hits. Make sure all the laundry is done.
Batteries, flashlights, lanterns, and candles. 'nuff said.
Make sure your vehicles are full of gas. Even if you don't go anywhere, you may need them to recharge cell phones, listen to the radio, and even get in out of the cold. But, for gosh sakes, don't sit in a running car inside a garage! And, don't cook on a camp stove in the house!
I don't know about the northeast, but after a torrential hurricane down here in the south, the mosquitoes and flies are merciless.
Protect yourself. Disasters like hurricanes bring out the vermin (both two and and four-legged variety.)
Thank you. I took additional notes from your post and post 47. :~)
I think it’s going to be pretty bad. My truck yard is behind Montrose Electric just east of 109. The first thing I see on PIX 11 this AM was “Main St Babylon village under water” at high tide. We have something like 4 high tides to deal with in the course of the storm and the first made it to Main St.! Good luck to you and yours!!
Well, I found out about this idea a bit too late. Looks like plenty of others in this area know about it and stores are most likely sold out. (I only went to 2. I wasn’t driving all over Fairfax in the wind and rain.) Perhaps I can get one a few days after the storm. :~/
Some of the new stuff will fool you I got a 450 watt that will fit in your hand and it will run a power drill with ease. Also want to say keep plenty of at least 90% rub alcohol on hand you can pour some in a small can and cook or boil water.
I was joking, lighten up.
what kills most folks is the flooding...make sure you can get upstairs and carry an ax to get out if it goes higher..
Just ordered a 2500W inverter (Whistler). Got a great price on Amazon. plus cables, extra fuses, extra connectors, etc etc. will be here prior to the election results ;-)
BTW - a great reason to use an inverter is that a portable generator is NOISY. Whether a SHTF scenarino and you WANT to be quiet from an OPSEC standpoint, or you just don’t want to listen to it ... your car will idle quieter than ANY generator.
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