A Family of Geeks

I’m always a little surprised by the people who don’t know how to outlast a storm. Even growing up in an area where storm issues were extremely rare (I can think of only two times in my childhood where it was a major problem) my family always kept at least partially prepared.

So while I sit here waiting for nature to start smiting the Mid-Atlantic coast, here are some tips for staying sane.

The time to prepare for an emergency is long beforehand. Anyone who has ever had to go the grocery store the day before a blizzard can testify that there is very little left as everyone descends like locusts.  Keep at least the basic supplies (Food, Water, Blankets, Medicines) ready.

Figure out what losing utilities means for you. Gas and sewage/water services usually continue in suburbia throughout a storm, but heavy, wet snow or ice can mean losing electricity if a power line goes down and it may not be back f or some time if they cannot get a repair person out.

For us, losing electricity for a few days would be really annoying, and we’d lose the ability to cook, but we could still heat our house. If your heating system is electric, you could be facing a major issue if you’ve got small children or elderly in the house because they don’t regulate their body heat as well as adults.

Store your food and water intelligently. Regularly take stock of what you’ve got in the way of food and water and use and replace anything that is approaching the expiration date. Make sure you have foods that can be eaten cold or room temperature in case you lose the ability to cook. If you choose to bottle and store your own water, make sure it is a food safe and BPA free storage container.

Fortunately, if your electricity goes out or if you run out of water, you do have nature on your side. While you may feel silly doing it, you can package up the contents of your fridge and freezer and place them outside to keep them cold. A pan full of snow (fresh, not stuff on the ground) can be melted and purified into drinking water in an emergency.

Double check medications and special needs: 2 days into a blizzard is a horrible time to realize that you don’t actually have another can of infant formula, or that you have one anti-depressant left.

Technology is awesome, but remember that many older inventions are time tested. Keep an radio on hand with batteries (or invest in one that runs on kinetic energy by crank) in case you lose cell and internet coverage (or you can’t recharge your gadgets). Flashlights are quite handy, but keep some emergency candles in case you need to conserve batteries or you just want to sit and read a book. And keep a pack of matches just in case you run out of lighter fluid.

Don’t forget entertainment. Waiting out a nasty storm can get excruciatingly boring. Even normally pleasant people can get snippy after 3 days of staring at the wall if the power goes out, so make sure you’ve got plenty of entertainment available, whether it be books, board games, a new toy, condoms, whatever…

Don’t be an idiot. After big storms, there’s usually a report or two of some idiot asphyxiating himself because they tried to cook indoors with a grill or propane stove. There’s very little ventilation in your house if all the windows are closed. Don’t be a freaking idiot.

Also, don’t try to leave your house unless it’s an emergency. Not only will everything be closed, but you could create a potential hazard for the rescue services as they come to unwrap your car from around that telephone poll.

Learn to drive in the snow/on icy roads. It’s not that hard, I swear. And remember that having 4-wheel drive doesn’t mean anything in terms of braking.

Anyone have any other tips?

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