Thanks for the tips. We had over thirty inches of rain in less than 2 days for Tropical Storm Allison in Southeast Louisiana. Half of my town had water in their houses, including me (a few inches) for a couple of days. The water was waist deep in my street, but we were built up a couple of feet. My husband and I watched the water rise and we had about 5 hours to pick up everything we could. We unplugged all electronics and put the cords up high. I keep all of the things on my closet floors (shoes, toys, bathroom toys) and under my bathroom cabinets in rubbermaid bins now with lids. Anything valuable is stored higher up. I have all of my pictures in one location. We pulled out our children's trundle beds and popped them up and put things on top of them. We also used large cans (formula cans) to prop some of our furniture on as well as lumber, bricks, etc. We moved several items into the attic, which works when rain and flooding, but not wind are a problem. One of my neighbors put freezer bags around all of the legs of his furniture and zipped them closed. The most important tip if you flood but your roof is intact is to get the wet carpet out asap and run your air conditioner to dry out your house.

Someone mentioned putting together a small tool kit. Last year I found a great one at Sears for about $40 .... But, I noticed that TJMaxx has lots of these home tool kits. They have all the basic pieces in a nice plastic molded carry-case for under $20. They were located in the area where they have all the "mens gifts". You know, those gifts ideas for Fathers Day, etc. Come to think of it, I even saw these kits at Big Lots --- and some of the power inverters too. Don't know the quality, but ....
Oh, and at Big Lots I picked up some collapsible 5-gal water containers from their camping area. Again, not high quality, but they'll work in a pinch!

On the subject of using chlorine to disinfect drinking water. One drop per gallon will not cut it. I'm not sure where you got that information but it is dangerously inaccurate.

From FEMA and the American Red Cross:

"DISINFECTION. You can use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms.

Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, colorsafe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners.

Add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes.

If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes.

The only agent used to purify water should be household
liquid bleach. Other chemicals, such as iodine or water treatment products sold in camping or surplus stores that do not contain 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient, are not recommended and should not be used."

You might want to print that out for reference as the procedure is a little more complicated than just puting a drop of bleach in the jug and drinking it.

On the subject of phones... All cell phones, (other than satellite phones $$$) prepaid or not rely on ground based towers. Most cell towers have only battery backup that's good for a few hours at most. Different providers use different towers, with some overlap. Since the power outages following the hurricane were spotty there were some towers that happened to stay on the air. If you were lucky enough to have the provider who's tower serving your area survived you had cell service. If not...

Cell phone service during and after a major disaster will be unreliable.

Land line phones, if you happen to live in an older neighborhood (pre 1990 or so) that is serviced by copper lines you have a good chance of having phone service. The phone companys have moved most of their lines underground where they are quite safe and older copper equipment is loop powered from the central office where there are almost always adequate backup diesel generators.

Newer neighborhoods served by fiber trunks are not so lucky. Fiber optics come from the central office to a local node. (Big green box) in the neighborhood. Then split off into small copper wires to the individual houses. The big green boxes rely on commercial power to function. They have battery backups but the batteries will only last 24 hours at best.

Since fiber optics cannot carry electricity the local nodes cannot be powered from the central office. And becauce there are hundreds of them scattered in the neighborhoods arround a central office there is no way to put a generator on each one.

I like to share this only for fun. Received this from a friend after all the hurricanes last year. I know that this thread is supposed to be serious but hopefully, some of you might find my response funny.

Here it is.

I hope all is with you.

FLORIDA HURRICANE PREPARATION

You all should be aware of hurricane preparations, but in case you need a refresher course: We're about to enter the peak of the hurricane season. Any minute now, you're going to turn on the TV and see a weather person pointing to some radar blob out in the Atlantic Ocean and making
two basic meteorological points.

(1) There is no need to panic.

(2) We could all be killed.

Yes, hurricane season is an exciting time to be in Florida. If you're new to the area, you're probably wondering what you need to do to prepare for the possibility that we'll get hit by "the big one."

Based on our insurance industry experiences, we recommend that you follow this simple three-step hurricane preparedness plan:

STEP 1: Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at least three days.

STEP 2: Put these supplies into your car.

STEP 3: Drive to Nebraska and remain there until Halloween.

Unfortunately, statistics show that most people will not follow this sensible plan. Most people will foolishly stay here in Florida. We'll start with one of the most important hurricane preparedness items:

HOMEOWNERS' INSURANCE: If you own a home, you must have hurricane insurance. Fortunately, this insurance is cheap and easy to get, as long as your home meets two basic requirements:

(1) It is reasonably well-built, and

(2) It is located in Wisconsin

Unfortunately, if your home is located in Florida, or any other area that might actually be hit by a hurricane, most insurance companies would prefer not to sell you hurricane insurance, because then they might be required to pay YOU money, and that is certainly not why they got into the insurance business in the first place. So you'll have to scrounge around for an insurance company, which will charge you an annual premium roughly equal to the Replacement value of your house. At any moment, this company can drop you like used dental floss.

SHUTTERS:

Your house should have hurricane shutters on all the windows, all the doors. There are several types of shutters, with advantages and disadvantages:

Plywood shutters: The advantage is that, because you make them yourself, they're cheap.

Sheet-metal shutters: The advantage is that these work well, once you get them all up. The disadvantage is that once you get them all up, your hands will be useless bleeding stumps, and it will be December.

Roll-down shutters: The advantages are that they're very easy to use, and will definitely protect your house. The disadvantage is that you will have to sell your house to pay for them.

Hurricane-proof windows: These are the newest wrinkle in hurricane protection: They look like ordinary windows, but they can withstand hurricane winds! You can be sure of this, because the salesman says so.

He lives in Nebraska.

Hurricane Proofing your property: As the hurricane approaches, check your yard for movable objects like barbecue grills, planters, patio furniture, visiting relatives, etc... you should, as a precaution, throw these items into your swimming pool (if you don't have a swimming pool, you should have one built immediately). Otherwise, the hurricane winds will turn these objects into deadly missiles.

EVACUATION ROUTE:

If you live in a low-lying area, you should have an evacuation route planned out. (To determine whether you live in a low-lying area, look at your driver's license; if it says "Florida," you live in a low-lying area.) The purpose of having an evacuation route is to avoid being trapped in your home when a major storm hits. Instead, you will be trapped in a gigantic traffic jam several miles from your home, along
with two hundred thousand other evacuees. So, as a bonus, you will not be lonely.

HURRICANE SUPPLIES:
If you don't evacuate, you will need a mess of supplies. Do not buy them now! Florida tradition requires that you wait until the last possible minute, then go to the supermarket and get into vicious fights with strangers over who gets the last can of cat food. In addition to food and water, you will need the following supplies:

23 flashlights. At least $167 worth of batteries that turn out,
when the power goes off, to be the wrong size for the flashlights.

Bleach. (No, I don't know what the bleach is for. NOBODY knows what the bleach is for, but it's traditional, so GET some!)

A big knife that you can strap to your leg. (This will be useless in a hurricane, but it looks cool.)

A large quantity of raw chicken, to placate the alligators. (Ask anybody who went through Andrew; after the hurricane, there WILL be irate alligators.)

$35,000 in cash or diamonds so that, after the hurricane passes, you can buy a generator from a man with no discernible teeth.

Of course these are just basic precautions. As the hurricane draws near, it is vitally important that you keep abreast of the situation by turning on your television if you have a generator that's working to keep the TV going and watching TV reporters in rain slickers stand right next
to the ocean and tell you over and over how vitally important it is for everybody to stay away from the ocean.

Good luck and remember: It's great living in Paradise?

Ah , yes- good ol' Dave Barry . This was very popular last year .
Keeping a sense of humor might be the most important thing to have during hurricane season . Thanks for reminding us of this pinakbet .

We had our large trash cans clean and ready for rain runoff

Tub was filled with water for the toilets

lots of furbaby food in plastic jars (from pretzel binges)

lived in bathing suits, more skin area and easier to bathe outside in

Now we are getting a generator, for a window air unit and fridge

Gas grill with side burner and 3 tanks of propane

lots of card games, dice, and 'let's talk about when we were young' so kids will hear stories about family

extra water delivery form bottled water company

Dollar General got a lot of business from me in canned goods

Good sense of humor (this is at the expense of neighbors, they were awesome last year)

long story, can't evacuate, but for those who can I suggest a full tank of gas and a map

Cheri

pinakbet-Thanks for that Dave Barry reminder. A sense of humor and well being is so necessary. I have to say we are breathing easier after our new addition! We ordered a generator from place hubby son works with delivery for June1. However, they were running out of room with everyone preparing ahead of time and told us to take it without charge until the tax saving went into effect. The guys have the relay switch installed. We did a test run the other night to decide what circuits to run and what to eliminate on a necessity value. I am amazed!! We will be comfortable should we loose power. God bless ya all. We are soon stepping into the "H Zone". This post has been wonderful in reminding us all the importance of being PREPARED!

CindeeA, how much did it cost you to have the transfer switch installed? I got a quote of $1,420 to wire in the switch (that I already paid $400 for), plus adding outlets in my new shed (right next to the house and power box).

Seems REALLY high to me.

Anyone else have transfer switches professionally installed for a generator?

Lisa

Lisa, my next-door neighbor is an electrician with the local union. Since last September, he's done hundreds of those transfer switches when he's between jobs. I think he charges $200 plus materials but I'm not 100% positive.

I do know he's not getting $1420 per job! I would do come checking because that seems outrageously expensive.

The side burner on the gas grill was a savior, as was the camp type coffe pot! Dish soap, for all the dishes ( I used the dishwasher racks to dry clean dishes). At the $$ store bought those round battery operated "slap it" lights to stick all over the house.Clothes line and pins are a must! 5 gallon "pickle buckets" with lids from the restaurant I work at came in handy, to store and move water and debris for clean up. I ran out of clean wash cloths in a hurry after ivan so I plan to stock up on LOTS of them!!

The transfer switches cost about $200 and there's not much work involved for the electrician. $1420 for this job is way too high.

Pet carriers for all your pets in case you have to evacuate.

Last year we really suffered (like everyone else) during the times the storms were on us, with no power, and all boarded up. The dogs were miserable, the air stifling. This year I'll have battery powered fans and lanterns. I found reasonably priced fans today.

I'll run fans for the dogs blowing over bowls of ice to cool them. After loosing my best Champion in August to heatstroke, keeping the big guys cool is a priority.

We should be fine after the storms, have two generators, plenty of supplies, will have a small A/C. If someone here needs a safe place to stay, feel free to contact me. We are in Jupiter Farms.

Lisa

Speaking of dogs. Don't forget to get them some valium for the stress. I had to medicate the dogs, my Mom and my MIL. LOL The vet was scrambling the day before the storm so maybe I will follow my own advice and get them a few pills to have on hand.

Lisa, I picked up a small window AC last year the day after the second storm. The little generator ran it just fine at night. We ran out of gas about 6am. Its not central air but it made a huge difference.

Good advice JoanM! But people should be sure to try the sedatives on their pets prior to the storms to see how they do. Some pets are zonked on a very low dose, others are almost immune or get *more* stressed and hyper. On sedatives, they are unable to regulate body temps, scary!!!!

A window A/C is what we will have. Possibly two, one for the dogs, one for the bedroom. They are cheap! Depends on how much our generators can handle. Will hook everything up and do test runs ahead of time so we know. Has anyone here tried a portable A/C unit? One that you can roll, that stands on its own? What BTU is your A/C unit? I don't care if the house/room is not cold, I just don't want condensation running down the walls again.

I'm so worried about hurricanes this year that my husband and friends are teasing me. They think it is funny to see me scurrying to get everything ready. I don't care. I was so stunned by last year that I won't allow myself to be without water/refrigeration/a breeze again.

Oh, and tiedowns for trailers/motorhomes are a must. Got those today for the cargo trailer.

Lisa

Forget the dang dogs...get me some sedatives!!! Last year I was a miserable mess. I am not clostrophobic, and I am trained in emergency rescue and emergency diving rescue and first aid. But that is other people!! When we were in a state of emergency and closeted up under the shutters, no air no lights, I lost it! Thank gawd Dennis is also trained. After a few beers I could not stand the news anymore and went to bed and put a pillow over my head as the Islands and Charlotte County was ravaged. I needed the sedatives! LOL If someone is hurt I ACT when it is me in danger I REACT!!

I haven't read every post so sorry if this is a repeat - several years ago when hit in NW FL, we needed dry ice for the freezer. Kept things frozen from the bottom of the ice down so we lost things on the shelf where the dry ice was. Seems it only lasted about 3 days - not opening freezer. Needed gloves to handle of course.

I don't remember the BTUs but it was he biggest they had at the time. I'm thinking it was about 5000 - 6000 range. It didn't make the room cold but we had everyone, 5+ people, in the same room and it was cool enough to sleep. I was surprised our little generator was able to handle it. It was also a built in alarm clock as you heard the generator surging as it ran out of gas in the morning.

You are right about the valium. The normally scared hound dog just sprawled out on the bed totally zonked and the Rottie played with her little ball like a nut. Luckily she is not the scared type :->

I am having the opposite reaction to storm season. I normally would be replenishing my supplies as soon as the season gets here but I have myself convinced that last year was a freak of nature and we are good for another 20 years without getting hit. Maybe I am just an optomist. I'll pick up a few extra flash lights and batteies this weekend just in case I am wrong.

DH was at home holding down the fort--and 3 of our elderly neighbors who refused to leave---but due to medical condition I had to go--even though I got out early, called ahead and got special permission because of Ivan, (pet friendly hotels were full) Hampton Inn gave me a really hard time about taking a small dog (he was crated inside whole time) for one night...on my road trip odyssey with 2 teens and a dog I would say for those of us that have to leave get reservations before you go---like at Cat. 2 stage!!! just in case--- at pet friendly hotels en route and then cancel them as you go if you don't need them. After driving 14 hours then getting crap from a night manager when I was only going to be there for 7 hours to sleep and get the heck out it was not fun. In my experience of 3 towns and 10vets to Chicago and back, only one vet would take an out of town animal overnight. I am too old to sleep in rest stops! ;)

Winn-Dixie has the crank-up radio for only $10 with the preferred card. It's with the other seasonal items.

If you have long hair, make sure to get plenty of clips, rubber bands, and scrunchies to tie it up. Also, to share with other neighbors who didn't think of it. Long hair in no a/c is torture!

Better yet, have all your hair cut off as soon as a major storm approaches your area. Saves shampoo and time.

for those of you who got an electrician to come out for the transfer switch and wiring, what questions should I ask when getting quotes. I am looking at generators 5500-8000 watts to power my fridge, microwave, tv and a window a/c unit. I have space behind the wall where the panel is. Also, how do I prepare my generator to NOT be stolen. Should I buy the transfer switch for my electrician and just get quotes for installation? what other things do I need other than the generator, transfer switch, etc?

thanks

Bump

beachmama check out the thread below for generator tips. i posted there that i was in the market for a stand-by generator but i have not yet bought one. instead we are going to see if we can get by w/ our large portable but we are picking up a small window A/C unit tomorrow at homedepot. the large portable will run a few lamps, fans, small tv, fridge and the small A/C unit good enough for the first storm i hope! then we'll see how the season goes.

Here is a link that might be useful: fl ready for hurricane season...

disposable plates, cups, etc.

Beer-stock up now!

Print this out and put it on the frig. It's well worth the paper and ink - might not be able to get to it for reference if we have no power.

bump

Good idea, Lynne, to bump this up. Let's keep it on the first page. I have a feeling we're going to need it...

Rosieo- I don't know where you live, but if you decide you want to evacuate more inland but don't want to leave the area completely you're more than welcome to bring your toddler (and pets?) and ride any storms that come this way with us. We lost power last year with Charley only for about half a day and whatever they did to repair that kept us from losing power again with any of the others. We're in Orlando and our house is very hurricane resistant shall we say No old weak trees hanging over us, protected neighborhood, solid construction, etc.
Also, if we decide to evacuate we have a car with a GPS system in it so we don't get lost and it seats 8 people so we've got room to take you with us- and we have somewhere to go!
All these reminders/suggestions are great, especially the ones that aren't on the hurricane lists that are passed around all the time.

I may have missed it if it was mentioned above but another idea if you have sturdy vehicles is to park them in front of any large windows you may have if you're not boarding up. Our windows are made to withstand the winds and such but *JUST IN CASE* something should happen to come flying at our sliding doors we park an SUV in front of them.

Lori

Lori, that is an incredibly nice and generous offer, thank you very much! Our next hurricane I'm just going out of state, I'm a little jumpy after watching the Katrina horror stories.

I wanted to add one more thing. PLEASE dig out your homeowners insurance policy and review it. Some people in New Orleans are surprised to find that even though their houses are a total loss they are still responsible for the mortgage payments. Before a hurricane threatens you need to review your insurance coverage and make sure it's enough to cover what your house is worth in todays market. If you took out an $80,000 policy when you bought your house 8 years ago and your house is now worth $200,000 you need to hotfoot it over to your insurance agency. Especially now because we're apparently in a weather cycle where they are predicting bad storms for the next few years. I'd sure hate to have to depend on FEMA. And ask your agent about whether you might want flood insurance. If the hurricane causes a flood your basic homeowners insurance may not cover it. Nice, huh?

If you are renting, your landlords insurance DOES NOT cover anything belonging to you. Not your furniture, your car, your clothes, nada. You need to buy renters insurance which is pretty cheap.

If you lose your home, having a big wad of cash from your insurance will help you feel better about being homeless. And it will enable you to make a fresh start in Montana, where I hear they don't ever have hurricanes!

I got a flashlight that runs off a magnet when you shake it -no batteries- from JCPenny -works great! I also got a storm tracker type radio from home depot, too expensive really, but I was glad for the crank radio and light and it has a t.v that runs off batteries. We lost power here during katrina but not too much wind damage except a few houses lost some roofing and a few trees down- coulda been alot worse. I thank you all for this thread.

Here's my tip...MOVE to a place where they don't have hurricanes! I grew up with them, but the last two years have been too much for me. I'm outta here.

Folks,
I've been reading your tips, because we bought a small house in Port Isabel, Texas for when we retire and move from earthquake country to hurricane alley. Some of your ideas are great and would work here in the San Francisco area. Earthquakes don't give any warning.
One thing we did to prepare for the Big One was to go through all of our belongings and disperse photos and mementos to our grown children who live in other states (we color xeroxed the ones we wanted to have with us). Heirloom furniture was parceled out to who ever wanted it, my grandmother's china, the silver, etc. Now we are pretty much down to fighting weight. It took a year, involved some trips to move the furniture, but in the end it was fun. Now all we have to think about is ourselves and the animals.
We also sent copies of all of our important papers to out of state children for safe keeping.
I know this can't apply to young families, but it worked for us. Maybe we'll dodge this bullet and get to Texas.

Texas doesn't look like a good place to be right now. :(

CindeeA, my husband is an EMT and he is the same way. Also, don't forget the wine.

Someone said about using those plastic pretzel jugs for pet food, but they're great for charcoal, too. Keeps it nice and dry.

I love Dave Barry and miss his column.

Last year, I got the photo albums up on a higher shelf, then I met a lady at the dollar store that was buying those plastic totes to put all of hers into. I would take it one step further and buy those huge ziplock baggies and put your photos in them and then in the totes. Don't forget your family videos and dvds.

But, if I saw Rita coming at me, my only advice would be - run!

Extra long extension cords for outdoor use come in very handy. Last summer some houses had electric and some didn't. Our neighbors were great with letting you take extension cords and plug into their electricity.

Ditto on the gas grill idea or you can get a cheapo charcoal one. We did lots of cooking last year on the grill during the 3 hurricanes. I love the ice in the washer idea!

Above all don't depend on the government/FEMA to be able to handle all the problems. They just do not have the capacity to take care of everything and you really have to depend on yourself. I'm not criticizing, I am just making an observation:) Great ideas everyone!

Don't laugh but..... I shaved my cat. Yes, I shaved my cat before the hurricanes last year and i have kept him shaved this year. He is perfectly darling. He looks like a curly little lamb. I did this because it gets really D#%n hot when the power is out. I don't mind the heat but I am not wearing a fur coat.

Otherwise I just made sure I had perscription medicine, first aid, food and water. I kept protein bars, electrolyte powder, dried fruit, sugar candies, choclate and nuts. Thats what I have now. Its healthy, cheap, easy and I use it when I hike anyway so I dont spend money on things I won't use again.

Oh yeah... I did do something else not on the list. I was near the Hernando/Pasco county line on the Withlacoochee River. Ultimately, I ended up in- the Withlachoochee River. It was grand. I was flooded completely out. My house was full of water for literally months. I couldnÂt get back in until almost December. Before things got bad I got as much sentimental stuff out as possible but I knew I couldnÂt get my electronics or furniture out. I couldnÂt save much furniture but I wrapped my electronics.

I wrapped them first in towels, then in plastic wrap then I did it again so that I had 4 layers. I stacked the things I could high up on counters. The inner layer stayed dry even months later and so did my electronics. This was important to me because I already knew I was going to loose almost everything and the electronic items would be the most expensive to replace.

At the risk of offending or sounding crass, here's my advice:

(I mean to do neither)

Think about NOT living on the coast or (worse) below sea level. You can live half an hour from the beach and only have to deal with wind damage from a hurricane (which IS covered by your insurance company). If you live where the water can flood you, you'll have much more risk, much more expensive insurance, and many more problems should "the big one" hit you.

Also-- If you rent, shell out the $30 a month or so for renter's insurance to cover your belongings. It's worth it just for your peace of mind, and it'll also cover these crazy lightning strikes and electrical surges we have so often 'round here.

bump

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Got hit by Rita here in S. LA, not so much wind damage but the flooding... Had huge storm surge and when the tide came in, it flooded our town badly. Our house is up 3 ft off the ground and we still got water inside. Saved our photos and all by placing in ziplocks/plastic bags then plastic totes and putting them on top of the table. Kids saved video games/systems by wrapping them in garbage bags and putting them up on top of the fridge. Put most electronics up high and wrapped them in plastic. Guess we fared better than most people here but the mold is disgusting. I agree with brug girl the best advice is to go to hurricane-less areas lol! Drove a few miles south the other day to looky-loo. Many houses down there completely moved off thier foundations or just shredded.
Hope you all are ok with Wilma there in FL.
~SJN

I just read all the post and there are some great ideas . I would like to add a few. After a conversation I had with my allstate agent , we plan on doing something new. We are going to photograph the house with plywood / shutters in place over the windows, HOLDING A CURRENT COPY OF THE PALM BEACH POST IN FRONT OF IT. That way there will be no argument about our attempt to cover the windows. Also in the future , checks to repair your roof could be pro - rated. If a tree comes crashing through you roof, that is one thing. If you got water damage inside you house because your 20 year old roof needed to be replace and you didn`t , that is something else. In 2003 my husband Steve went up on the roof to inspect it . Even thought the roof was only 14 years old....he said it was like walking on potato chips. Thank God we replaced it then. Moldy drywall just isnt worth it.
My parents and Grandparents lived in Broward county when the great labor day storm hit the keys in 1935. They always said to keep your shoes on at all times during a huricane.......even at night. Make sure you ARE UP TO DATE WITH YOUR TETNUS SHOT lol :)

We invested in a plastic 55 gallon drum just before Katrina. Good move, we never were short of water.

DOG FOOD--I worried about possibly having to shoot my pets because we didn't have a new bag of food for them. Fortunately we were able to buy some just before we ran out.

Ammo for rifles and handguns--I never thought that we would have looters in Long Beach, MS but we did. "You Loot, We Shoot" signs were common. I had to get my shotgun out one time.

Gasoline storage. you can buy a gas tank for the back of your pickup that looks like a toolbox but holds 90 gallons. Our lowest point came the day we were down to about an eight of a tank in the truck.

Generator--we are trying to put a whole house generator by our new house.

Gatorade--you sweat buckets after a storm and can quickly cramp up. Gatorade is like magic.

BEER--when you are faced with something like the devastation we had it helps.

Maxcold cooler--Mine held 200 pounds of chunk ice that I bought the day before Katrina hit. The ice lasted about 6 days, which wasn't bad.

Extra chains for the chainsaw.

Rope to attach to my garden tractor to pull limbs with.

A safe and easy way to burn candles indoors- Buy candle sticks in bulk. Like boxes of fifty or a hundred. Then find tall glass jars, such as pasta canisters, etc,... (even canning jars will do.) Pour in about 3" of sand, gravel, or whatever's handy. We used cat litter. stand the candle in the sand. The flame is no longer exposed and is even wind proof if you're sitting outside. It's actually kinda charming. I still do this long after Ike.

Buy rechargeable batteries and a charger that will run off your car. You will never run out of batteries this way. Besides, it much greener and will save money in the long run.

Don't forget to look for non-electrical forms of entertainment. Books, board games, puzzles, even a kite. Booze, whatever. The boredom strikes harder than one might think.

Two thumbs WAY up on the ideas of canned or powdered milk, and cleaning your house and doing your laundry before hand! After Ike we were dead in the water, but what a relief that everything was clean!!!

SHARE SHARE SHARE! If you are able to make coffee, make some for your neighbors. Any luxury you can afford to pass around is not only a wonderful thing, but you will find it comes back to you. Like when a neighbor offers a line to his generator. There is strenght in numbers. Try to work as a team.

I went on a camping web site and got recipes using canned and nonperishable food, lots used tin foil on the grill even desserts. I also got 6 collapsible water jugs and I bought the convertor box for battery tv.

Just wanted to let everyone know that we did, in fact, put a guardian generator next to our new house. It is a 16 kw powered by natural gas. Since we use gas for our dryer and stove the generator can basically power the rest of the house. Our electrician wired it directly into the breaker box, so when it comes on the transfer switch disconnects from the grid and you can run the circuits you want in the b-box.

I have test run it and it handles the freezer, fridge, lights and the central air conditioner (3 ton unit). Our house never lost gas during Camille, Frederick, Elena, Georges or Katrina. It's always a possibility but I feel pretty confident on this score. At current prices it costs about 2-3 dollars an hour to run. Not cheap, but believe me, after Katrina I would have paid a lot more than that for a cool place to stay and some lights.

Once installed you set it to test run once a week. I ran mine for several hours under no load, then light load, medium load, and full load. Once you've done that you change the oil and button her up. I will change the oil at the beginning of each hurricane season and have already purchased enough filters for 20 days worth of running. They got the power back here after 14 days in Katrina, so that should be enough. Access for changing oil is a snap and I've stored the wrenches necessary in the enclosure. It is very quiet when test running, much louder under load.

I would suggest buying online--we saved quite a bit on the purchase price. It is much easier to install one of these with new construction--but a good electrician should be able to install one in an older house without too much trouble.

For what its worth.......................

This old thread was extremely useful these past few days with Hurricane Matthew. Thanks to all who posted these great ideas!

Carol in Jacksonville