Good ideas for storm prep

So when a larger storm is scheduled to blow through, what preparations do you under take?
I made 3 lists: 1) things I do a week + out, 2) things to do a few days out, and 3) things for day of.
Each of us will have a different time frame as to when we complete the items, so this is more of a "what" question, less of a "when" question.

Things that make the list:
Do all laundry
Tidy house (so we have clean surfaces and floors when power is out, & possibly using candles)
Secure doors and windows not regularly used
Top off various food and water supplies
Charge all battery items: phones, headlamps, laptops, dewalt tools


Have at it!

 

If a winter storm -

• Gas up snowblower
• Reload close wood rack
• No tub, so fill a few 5gal buckets of water
  
• Fill 2 7gal water jugs for drinking

 

Make sure all the gas cans are filled , if I think it may get real bad I may ensure boat tank has some fuel or full cause I can siphon it out...just a fuel storage vessel really. Make sure the old truck is full cause there is another 32 gallons. This gives me close to 100 gallons of fuel storage without even pulling the 21 and 24 gallons out of the daily drivers.

 

If I haven't run the generators recently I might get at least one out start it up and let it warm up putting a load on it during that period as well to exercise the generator head as well.

I say if I haven't used it in awhile cause I actually use mine as portable power sources from time to time, when welding around the yard or if I need power away from the house for something and don't want to or can't stretch out hundreds of feet of cord .

 

I run out for bread & milk!

 

Thats right! Nothing beats french toast during a storm!!!!

(don't forget the eggs)

 

My needs are very simple. I make sure all small electronics are charged (2 phones and Kindle). Make sure I have batteries for LED laterns (and make sure the laterns are working), make sure I have plenty of cat food and water. I'll fill pots of water just in case, but being on town sewer and water it is highly unlikely that I will have to use a manual method (the habit is from living so long on well and septic). Make sure I have a pot of coffee in the fridge.

Actually I usually don't worry about any of that, except water and coffee, since I tend to keep way more than enough on hand of stuff anyway. I may go to the store to top off my banana supply but that is it.

 

Warm weather storm (hurricanes, tstorms):
secure outdoor furniture
fill up 5 gallon jugs with water
crank the AC shortly before it hits so the house is nice and cool

Winter storms:
fill up 5 gallon jugs with water
make sure there's plenty of wood in the garage
crank the heat shortly before it hits so the house is nice and warm
make sure plow is on my truck
check to see where the snow shovels are because the kids leave them all over the property

 

When I was a teen I was at my gfs house and it started to snow. My dad called and said to come home before it gets bad, but he wanted me to stop at store. I smartly said, let me guess, milk and bread. He said no smartass, we need the good stuff, chips and soda!


As far as preparing for winter storms:

Woodbox filled in house
Shovels ready
Gas in cans and quad
Snowblower at the ready ( first year I'll have one)
Sleds and toboggan out
Check propane for grill
Water in 5 gallon jugs for toilet/ washing
Jugs filled for drinking.
Have cell phones charged
Flashlights and candles at the ready
Restock beer and adult beverages!

 

The usual's. Generator, flashlights, food, water, wood on hand for stove, franks and beans, beer.

I've done 9 days without power with no generator over the ice storm in February many years ago. Really didn't bother me that much. Biggest issue is normally food in fridge, which wasn't an issue as I had a multi acre refrigerator outside.

Us woodstove guys have a distinct advantage over most folks. Heat that can be used with no power, and a way to cook with no power.

 

Now's as good a time as any to do any inventory of your essentials safe.

 

As Backwoods Savage said, in maintaining these lists, developed into a preparedness life-style....never letting laundry pile up too high, or too much trash accumulate in the house .
But there are a few items I would not do normally.

Cranking the heck out of the AC
turning the chest freezer and fridge down to "kill" (makes a difference)
Closing off rooms not used (to conserve heat or AC)
pull the plug on expensive electronics in the case of electrical storms (anyone do that any more)?
Do all dishes asap

On the day of, we'd make a big pot of soup. (Less cooking and dishes to do once the storm hit).

 

Only thing I need to do is stop at the store and grab an extra 30 pack just in case. Everything else is always on the ready no matter what.

 

I have been hoarding 30 packs due to potential supply chain issues so I'm all set if there is a storm.

 

I survived the 2007 Valentine’s Day storm that dropped 36” of snow in 1/4 mile drive.. Day 3 took snowmobile to store 3 miles away.. just to get out..

 

Ms. buZZsaw and i were "stranded" in her apartment during and after Winter storm Nemo, the blizzard of Feb 2013. The cul de sac was plowed the next day but long driveway was four days later. Nearly 40" of snow plus drifts. One for the record books. Folks freak out around here when 6" is forecasted!

 

I remember that storm well… I was watching the satellite images from the safety of my air conditioned apartment in Florida 4 months later I moved back to Connecticut and the following winter I wasn’t laughing anymore

 

That was a good time. We “only” had about 2 feet in Bristol, and were stuck in our apartment for 3 days. Eventually a Caterpillar pay loader came and excavated our driveway I’d be okay with another storm like that this winter