Our General Store…Hurricane Heads for Hawaii
I had an email last night asking me for any last minute tips for preparing for Hurricane Felicia which is now headed to Hawaii. I have spent so much time focused recently on a pandemic that I haven’t really thought about hurricanes this summer. I realized how amazing it is that we have not had any named storms in the Atlantic yet this year. What a blessing that has been. I thought it was a great question and a good reminder that natural disasters happen with little warning and it is good to examine our preparations periodically. So…since there is a hurricane threatening I am going to combine our General Store purchases for the week with this hurricane info.
As far as preparation,
Bring in everything from the yard that may blow away or blow through a window.
Trim any trees that may be hitting the house especially near a window.
Pick any fruit that may end up flying through through the air causing damage.
Purchase cases of bottled water. You will be so happy you have these should you have to spend time cleaning up, water is a must. Individual bottles are so much better than those large containers when you are trying to work. Paper cut to use water out of a large container is just one hassle you don’t need. Be sure to have a permanent marker to put names on the bottles.
Take precautions in case the electricity goes out. Have plenty of glow sticks and batteries. Also remember that solar landscape lights are great to charge up during the day and bring in for light at night. They are safe and don’t run down expensive batteries. They can be place in hallways and bathrooms for light all night long. Bring them in the house as the storm approaches so they don’t get blown away and then charge them once the storm has passed.
Place blocks of ice in the freezer and in a pan in the fridge to lengthen the time foods will remain safe. Remember the more full the freezer the longer it will keep foods frozen and safe. Should the electricity go out be sure to put a do not open sign on the fridge and freezer as it is a habit to just open the door and look for what you want. The sign will remind you to have a list of items to be taken out. Get in and out fast!
Be sure you have a way to cook without electricity. If the power does go out get the perishable foods like eggs and any uncooked meats you may have and cook them. If you have ice cream in the freezer get it out and eat it before it defrosts.
Top off the gas tank in all your vehicles. If the power goes out so do the gas pumps.
If you have a chain saw be sure you have gas for that also.
Be sure you know where the manual can opener is.
Stock up on clean up supplies such as work gloves, face masks, and sturdy garbage bags.
For our General Store this week we are going work on another department in our store and forget the food for now. This week add plastic trash bags. Add a variety of sizes and weights. Some that are very heavy duty and can be used to clean up after a hurricane, earthquake, fire, tornado, or other natural disaster and some trash can size that can be used for daily kitchen waste as well as during a pandemic when you will be removing trash, that could be germ laden, more often than usual. Store some that are small sizes to line small trash cans in bathrooms and bedrooms, again, especially important during a pandemic or any contagious illness. This week think trash!
Thank you Leslie for the reminder and question and our thoughts and prayers will be with those of you in Hawaii today.
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Additional tips from going thru Hurricane Charley and being without water and electricity for about 4 weeks
1-do all your laundry before the storm hits
2-fill your bathtub with water and use to flush toilet, wash up, do dishes (after transferring to a plastic pan or bucket)
3-use up all your leftovers
4-fix some meals ahead of time that will just need cooking – meatloaf, hamburger patties, etc. and some that will just need heating up like stew, sloppy joes, taco filling and some others that can just be eaten like roast chicken and don’t forget the comfort foods like cookies, quick breads, brownies
5- above all, try to remain calm, in control and keep as normal a schedule as possible
For instance, instead of housework I did yard cleanup; we ate at regular times altho the meals were more like a picnic; we kept as normal wake-up and bedtimes as possible.
Those are great… tips. Thanks!
A couple more points to add… about the water in the bathtub, I recently read a blog entry about a family who had done a weekend experiment using no utilities. They had filled their bathtubs with water only to discover that their plugs didn’t fit properly and the water drained away. So in addition to filling your tubs with water, check to make sure that it isn’t draining away and if it is, fix the plug.
Another thing… be prepared to evacuate if necessary. Make sure your 72 hours kits are ready to grab.
When we lived in Florida, I always had our evacuation bags ready to go at a moments notice but also when we heard about a storm that might be heading our way not only did I do up all the laundry like Bellen suggested, but we also packed suitcases to be ready to evacuate if the order came.
Here is my checklist for winter storms. We don’t get hurricanes – just the flooding rains from them sometimes. But we do have ice storms and snow storms that leave us without power or ability to go anywhere.
Maybe this list can help others.
Winter Storm Preparation List
Outside:
1. Put away all toys and bikes, etc.
2. Salt porch, steps, and sidewalk.
3. Take out all trash.
4. Check wood supply for fireplace or wood stove.
5. Check pet food and livestock feed. Check their water.
Household:
1. Wash all laundry, dry, and put away.
2. Wash cloth diapers and make sure you have enough disposable diapers to last at least a week.
3. Clean house.
4. Wash all dishes and put away.
5. Check trash bag supply.
6. Check flashlight batteries and candle supply.
7. Check propane supply for camp stove.
8. Fill up water jugs and water cooler.
9. Charge cell phone.
10. Make sure everyone gets a bath or shower.
11. Check supply of toilet paper and other paper goods including paper plates.
Food:
1. Make large crock pot of chili.
2. Make macaroni and rice to supplement chili. Don’t forget fritos.
3. Make or buy bread.
4. Make veggie tray.
5. Make enough cookies and treats to last for one week.
6. Check soup supply, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, etc.
Shopping:
1. Buy gas for the generator.
2. Buy groceries and supplies for one week.
3. Buy a full tank of gas for the vehicles.
At our local warehouse store we can get a years supply of kitchen size 13 gallon and large 33 gallon size trash bags for less than $25.00-I think a great deal.you can also get batteries for good prices-regular and re-charge types.
Wow these comments are all great. Remember if you are storing bags for clean up after a disaster you will need many more heavy duty bags than you would normally use in a year. If you live in an area involved in natural disasters involving cleanup like hurricanes and earthquakes, you can never have too many and they will keep in your storage forever you don’t skimp.
Along the lines of trash, I don’t know if this comment works here, but thought I’d add it since we’re talking trash. I was thinking about what would make a good tissue trash holder conveniently located this fall. I was using the container I have baby wipes in for grandkids and realized it would be perfect. It’s the kind made by Huggies. It has a rubber area in the top middle where the wipes come out. It’s kind of like at the medical facilities that they put syringes in. Anyway, I thought that putting a plastic bag in that and having people use it for their used tissues it would be better to contain germs in. Maybe this doesn’t sound logical to anyone but me, but thought I’d share anyway.
I think that is genius!