Emergency preparedness

[David Bowen]

Sitting here in the aftermath of Debby, I'm thinking that maybe I need to be better prepared for when hurricanes roll through. I'm home and cannot leave due to roads being washed out and flooding. Yes if I want to get out and away from danger I would need a Bugout bag, being stuck here I would need equipment that far exceedes my budget like large earth moving machines, truck that's got lots of clearance etc. House is stocked, I won't go hungry or need anything, just can't go to work. That hurts more their feelings not mine lol. What do you folks do to be prepared in times like these?

[G-Dizzle]

Very glad you are OK David!

[G-Dizzle]

It would be hard to prepare for movement after a situation like that. I have a jeep, but you don’t know what condition the road is in under that moving water. Driving on it could be dangerous.

[IMR4198]

   Now that's some road damage.  If that is the only route out for you, that make take some time to fix.  Probably need two types of prep.  Power outage and emergency items for home use.  Bug out items for when/ if you might have to leave in a hurry.  Might need to think of more than one bug-out bag since you have a family situation.  There are guidelines out there for preparation.  I would look into alternate cooking arrangements for at-home use too.  Best wishes.  G
 

[Alan K.]

The standard calls for having 3 days' worth of supplies including 1 gallon of drinking water per person per day and non-perishable foods that can be eaten without needing to be cooked including snacks.  Gloves, tools, first aid supplies, medications, etc.  I think a week is more like it and if you can stockpile supplies to last a month or longer that's even better.  You should gather all your important documents and photos into waterproof containers along with cash and valuables so that you can grab everything quickly if you have to evacuate, or so that it isn't destroyed if you leave it. Back up your computer and bring the backup copy with you if you evacuate.  If you evacuate the first things to gather are people and pets. The last thing is possessions.  If you don't preposition your stuff to bring with you if you have to evacuate, you may panic and bring stupid stuff like pots and pans and silverware.  I saw it all the time when I was a Red Cross Hurricane Shelter manager in the 1990's.  You can get information on hurricane preparedness from the Red Cross or your state government and most of the TV stations in Florida put out Hurricane guides every year.  Don't know if you have those resources in other states, but pretty much the same supplies apply if you're preparing for other disasters such as blizzards.

[Farmer X]

Very glad you are OK David!

X2.

Some solid advice has awlready been given. I can add this: if that's the only road that leads to your property and nobody sends a helicopter for you and yours, you'd be bugging out by boat or on foot. Both of those means of travel mandate a lightweight bug-out bag.

I don't know how y'awl in hurricane country manage it.

[Alan K.]

Pantry's full. I batten the hatches and rig for weather and then I don't leave the house.  You don't evacuate without having someplace specific to go, a shelter or a friend or relative's house in a non-affected zone.  You don't want to get caught on the road during the storm so I probably wouldn't evacuate until after the storm.  At least hurricanes are polite enough to give you a week's notice that they're coming.  They don't just show up unexpected like an earthquake or a fire. 

[Farmer X]

Hurricanes are polite enough to give you a week's notice that they're coming.  They don't just show up unexpected like an earthquake or a fire.

I don't think tornadoes are quite that considerate, either.

[AzteCypher]

Glad you're safe after that downpour.

One weird thing my in-laws have are kayaks that they use during flooding.  Their house is built up pretty good so it takes a lot for the water to start reaching the house.  If the water gets that close, the roads are impassible.  My in-laws use their kayaks to check on their neighbors to see if they need anything.  Luckily there is no fast moving water near them that would put them in danger while they're out kayaking.

[Vidar]

I don't think tornadoes are quite that considerate, either.

I've been snowed in a few times for up to 2-3 days at a time. Nothing dramatic though just annoying for any plans made to go elsewhere. We knew that could happen so always extra food and so on around. Sometimes we would park a car some distance away by major roads where the chances of it staying available for use were better. Maybe possible on the other side of that broken road too if it is otherwise possible to cross somewhere safe?

[Farmer X]

I've never seen enough snow that I have worries about being trapped by it. That possibility made me reconsider a couple of areas I was thinking of moving to.

[MadPlumbarian]

A good 10+ years ago we were living in Connecticut and we got hit with a good storm, funny thing was our water heater cut out that day, so I replaced it and then it started snowing, it hit so hard that the whole state got knocked out, so no electric for a whole week, kids didn’t have school for two weeks because the schools were closed out because of the amount of snow on the roofs, anyway, we used camping equipment to live, the chest freezer which was outside was so frozen that stayed good, the fridge/freezer inside I kept getting shoebox size containers and packing them with snow to keep cold, as far as us we had a mini propane heater and we closed off two rooms to pretty much live out of, also used a camp stove to cook along with the grill outside, and kept the foods to a very simple menu, the one plus we did have was running water, but taking a shower with like 45° water is so not a plus! But yeah being prepared is a big plus, if it happened now we’d be so screwed, no heat besides that little heater we have, we’d have to cook on the grill, the only plus is that the water heater is gas and uses no electric so we’d have plenty of hot water for showers!
JR

[Vidar]

I've never seen enough snow that I have worries about being trapped by it. That possibility made me reconsider a couple of areas I was thinking of moving to.

Trapped and trapped - unless you are disabled or elderly you will always get out of the house. From a window or second story if need be. The trap is typically getting from there. Proper snowstorms (not the Hollywood jokes) are next to impossible to navigate as you might only see a meter or two ahead. At worst your stretched out arm might be about as far as you can see. Combined with winds and cold the risk of getting lost and worse is real - people do die from this. (People out and about when weather shifts, say driving certain exposed stretches, can get properly trapped. Rarely for more than a few hours though as it is a priority to get people out of such situations).

Once the actual storm is over you can go out and about, but if you depend on a car all the roads will typically be snowed down and closed - including any private road to the public roads. But at that point snowmobiles and skis can be used if available.

For fun a little clip from the record snow winter of 1997 in the coastal city of Tromsø. Official compacted snow depth that year was 2.4 meter or about 7.9 feet. The uncompacted daily snow falls from day to day added up to well over 6 meters or about 21 feet. (Normal snow years are less than half). People were busy clearing roofs that winter as few building were made to hold that weight.

[IMR4198]

      You might want to check out your meters to feet conversions again, but I liked the post anyway.  Best wishes.  G
 

[Vidar]

 

Fixed Thanks!

[Farmer X]

That's just insane! I've never seen such a level of snow, and I hope it stays that way.

[AzteCypher]

Wow!   

That's just nuts.  I've never been anywhere near that level of snowpacalypse.

[Vidar]

... that level of snowpacalypse.

That is a big city (by Norwegian standards) and quite used to snow. So apart from a few elders that had to be tunneled out, and roofs that had to be resqued, it was all business as usual that winter. There are worse snow places inland and higher up. Actual snow issues happens in remote areas or if you are caught out and about as a snow storm starts. Without a shelter or car that can be very serious trouble. Thus we have some almost cultural guidelines for winter hiking, and one on those is to "dig in before it is too late". With "too late" meaning both before the storm is full force and crucially also while you still have the energy to do so. (And do bring a shovel...)

[mfturner]

Great video and accompanying music.  Living in Colorado for twenty years, the worst I saw was maybe a third of that depth.    Tahoe can get pretty deep snow once a decade or so when the cold fronts and moist pacific air coincide.