Disaster Preparedness

As you are probably well aware, the Southeast got hit by a weather event this week.  I know that other parts of the country have had their own share of disasters this winter, but we in the CSRA–Central Savannah River Area, for those who don't know–are not prepared for an ice storm in February like the one we experienced.

I learned quite a lot from the storm and its aftermath and I want to share some of that with you in this column.  When you are suddenly thrust from the 21st Century lifestyle back into the 19th Century in less than 24 hours, it is traumatic to say the least, and can be fatal in some cases.  Getting prepared up front, before disaster strikes, is essential.

What follows is my list of problems associated with the storm and methods to combat them.  Some of them are tied to others; electricity to food and communication, for instance.  Lots of these tips can be used in other disasters, such as tornado or earthquake.

1) Loss of electricity

The first thing I learned is that those solar lights that I wrote about back in November of last year really do work!  I only had one light, my prototype that I had used originally to test their efficiency.  It has been stuck in the ground out back and ignored, but I lost power Wednesday night and didn't get back on the grid until yesterday afternoon.  Some here are going to be without power for several more days.

An investment of $20-30 in solar lights of the kind you see decorating sidewalks and driveways in your neighborhood, will pay off when you lose your lights.  Buy a good set of large lights, not the mini lights, and see if you can find reference to the lumens on the packaging; the higher the number, the better the lighting.  The lights probably won't provide enough light to read by, but they sure will keep you from stumbling over your furniture in the dark of night.  The light will last through the night, and can be further enhanced by placing the light next to a mirror, making two lights out of one.  When not in use, and daily during the power outage, place the lights outside to charge.

Any electronic devices that must be recharged, cell phone, iPad, laptop PC, reader, etc., will only last until the battery runs down.  Communication is essential in an emergency, so invest in a car charger for each of those devices.  If the outage lasts several days, you will definitely need to recharge your technological world. 

2) Communication

Medical emergencies seem to occur during times of stress, so keep some lines of communication open.  A dead cell phone is of no help when time is a factor.  If your land lines are down, you still need to be able to dial 9-1-1. 

A battery-operated radio is good to have, or you can buy one of those crank-type radios. I personally prefer my little MP3 player, which has an FM radio built in.  It holds a charge for a long time, and the headphones or ear buds enable me to hear other sounds that might be important.  Once again I'll stress the importance of having a car charger for any device like this though.  Your car battery is a ready resource during a power outage.  You also want to make sure you have a full tank of gas or diesel in the car so you can keep that battery charged.  (Sorry, electric or hybrid cars are at somewhat of a disadvantage in this respect)

During our just-completed storm-related outage, one of our local stations kept us well informed on what was happening, where roads were hazardous, what stores and restaurants were open, where to go for public shelter and all nature of information on the duration of the power outage.  The service was invaluable - I mean priceless!

3) Food and water

We had plenty of warning that an ice storm was imminent, and there is a good maxim to keep in mind when you have time to prepare: "There is strength in numbers!"  A freezer will keep food frozen for at least 48 hours if you don't open it,  However, another factor that can add time is a full freezer.  Items tend to keep each other frozen in proximity.  So, when you know an outage is on the way, gather all freezer items in one section as close to one another as possible.  Even if the freezer isn't completely full, placing everything like that will definitely help.

For the duration of the outage, try to confine food items to non-perishables.  If you have a gas stove or a barbeque grill, you can do some cooking, but there is nothing wrong with good old PB&J, sardines, canned tuna or SPAM for a few days.  make sure you have plenty of these items stocked for emergencies.  If you do cook with the BBQ grill, please don't ever bring it inside the house or garage.  Do the cooking in an open space, like your patio or deck to prevent fire or propane explosion.

It is pretty nasty to have nothing but clothes and blankets to keep warm while the power is out, but one nice treat that you might not even think of is a hot shower.  Even with an electric water tank, a 40-gallon one will keep water hot for up to 48 hours.  It will still be warm for several days after that, too.  If you can stand drying off in a cold bathroom, try the shower - you'll like it!

Make sure you have plenty of bottled water available in case you lose your water supply. Fill a bathtub or laundry tub with water and keep a bucket handy.  That water will serve for drinking as well as for flushing toilets.  You might not like drinking water from the tub, but it's better than nothing if you don't have any bottled water left.

4) Travel

First and foremost, confine travel to absolute necessity.  Do not drive or walk in any hazardous area and that includes on icy or snow-packed roadways.  Downed power lines are always dangerous, and falling trees and limbs are a problem in winter weather. if you must drive, give emergency vehicles the right-of-way, even if it means pulling completely off the road to allow them to pass.

If you are out on the road, and you get stuck, that full tank of gas night help you to keep warm until help arrives, but be careful of carbon monoxide poisoning in heavy, drifting snow.  Try to make sure your tailpipe is clear of the snow to allow proper venting.

These are my tips for you, and I hope they have been helpful.  I know that I was ignorant of several of them.  You learn a lot when you're suddenly without the conveniences of life.