I mean, bread is awesome. I could eat nothing but good bread and be happy. But these people buy the crappy white sandwich bread. The cheapest, whitest, most generic bread always goes out first. Then again, I'm in the South, why am I surprised...
Ok, now onto my actual preparation. I have several gallons of spring water I stock piled a while ago. I also just bought a whole bunch of canned soup and beans. Probably enough to eat for the better part of a week if there's no power. I'll fill the tub with water once the storm starts so I can flush the toilet. Brice is getting more water tonight plus more non-perishable food. And we paid all our bills today so they won't come due during a power outage.
Nuri, thanks for the tip on freezing water in the freezer. Do you leave them in the freezer to keep it cold or use it to chill the fridge?
I always have water frozen in the freezer. Not only is it good as extra water, but it makes the freezer use less energy when it is otherwise relatively empty. That is something that can happen when you are a single person with a full sized fridge.
I always have water frozen in the freezer. Not only is it good as extra water, but it makes the freezer use less energy when it is otherwise relatively empty. That is something that can happen when you are a single person with a full sized fridge.
@Rym: That's why you fill the bathtub with water. (Shut the drain, obviously.) That's water for cleaning, toilet flushing, sponge bathing, etc. You have to be conservative, but you have some water stored up just in case.
@George: in most cases there is air exchange between the freezer and the fridge, so some of the cool will transfer. The night before the storm hits, I usually take anything perishable that I do not think I will eat within a few days out of the fridge and freeze it. The ice gets left in the freezer unless it is absolutely necessary to remove it.
If you have several days warning, fill extra fridge space with containers of drinking water. Freeze as many as you can ahead of time and move them down to the fridge the night before the storm hits. At the same time, move the abovementioned foodstuffs up to the freezer and put new water in to freeze.
If the power does go out during the storm, you will have either cold water or ice water filling a lot of space in the fridge, which will help it stay cool. You will have more time before your food spoils because most of it is frozen. And your freezer will stay cold because you have packed it full of frozen stuff and ice. Try not to open the freezer; put everything you're going to need access to in the fridge before the storm. If the power doesn't go out, great, you did a lot of extra work for nothing. But if it does, you have a very good chance of not losing all your perishable food.
I honestly don't think we have a lot of perishable food, we're bachelors in this house. I think I have a pork loin, but that's about it. Maybe I'll just cook that tonight so it's not raw.
I honestly don't think we have a lot of perishable food, we're bachelors in this house. I think I have a pork loin, but that's about it. Maybe I'll just cook that tonight so it's not raw.
Dude, get that shit rubbed with salt and start baconing it.
Meat curing was developed to help meat keep longer and survive temperature abuse.
I'll probably just crash at my sister-in-law's if I lose power and bring my groceries in a cooler to her place. She happens to have a backup generator. Going forward, I may buy a generator myself, but I'll probably just use it to run my fridge.
My chest freezer keeps meat good around 5 days after power loss, so that's nice at least. I have 35 gallons of lab quality water and 35 gallons of salt water for my aquarium downstairs, so we drink and flush with that. Wells suck in power outages.
My propane stove makes me a little nervous, but it didn't kill anyone last year. The biggest frustration was CL&P's lack of preparedness and general incompetence. Our street only needed a 5 min repair, to boot.
Last year I spent a LOT of time stoking our two wood stoves. It was fucking cold. I've got about 3/4 cord of maple outside so that's plenty for any length outage.
Connecticut Light and Power is quite possibly the most incompetent utility company in the country. They make even National Grid, my company, look good by comparison.
Connecticut Light and Power is quite possibly the most incompetent utility company in the country. They make even National Grid, my company, look good by comparison.
I was livid. I embarrassed them so badly on their social media feeds that I got a personal call from a VP of PR and our repair was done an hour later. They had repeatedly "lost" our service request (6 times) and I was trying to keep my oldest out of the hospital at the time. They still haven't pruned back enough trees to prevent a recurrence.
Florida is laughing at your northerners and your hurricane worry.
Yep. Same here. Bunch of wusses, the lot of you.
Having lived in Florida and Japan, agreed.. although some American houses are built like cardboard boxes. I'm looking forward to staying in and reading books.
Comments
There is no excuse for not having at least a weeks worth of emergency provisions in your home.
Edit: I fething hate this stuff, but it's better than nothing in an emergency.
Nuri, thanks for the tip on freezing water in the freezer. Do you leave them in the freezer to keep it cold or use it to chill the fridge?
@George: in most cases there is air exchange between the freezer and the fridge, so some of the cool will transfer. The night before the storm hits, I usually take anything perishable that I do not think I will eat within a few days out of the fridge and freeze it. The ice gets left in the freezer unless it is absolutely necessary to remove it.
If you have several days warning, fill extra fridge space with containers of drinking water. Freeze as many as you can ahead of time and move them down to the fridge the night before the storm hits. At the same time, move the abovementioned foodstuffs up to the freezer and put new water in to freeze.
If the power does go out during the storm, you will have either cold water or ice water filling a lot of space in the fridge, which will help it stay cool. You will have more time before your food spoils because most of it is frozen. And your freezer will stay cold because you have packed it full of frozen stuff and ice. Try not to open the freezer; put everything you're going to need access to in the fridge before the storm. If the power doesn't go out, great, you did a lot of extra work for nothing. But if it does, you have a very good chance of not losing all your perishable food.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_blackout_of_1977
Meat curing was developed to help meat keep longer and survive temperature abuse.
Option 2: turn it into salami.
Honestly, I'm not expecting to be without power for more than a day.
My propane stove makes me a little nervous, but it didn't kill anyone last year. The biggest frustration was CL&P's lack of preparedness and general incompetence. Our street only needed a 5 min repair, to boot.
Last year I spent a LOT of time stoking our two wood stoves. It was fucking cold. I've got about 3/4 cord of maple outside so that's plenty for any length outage.
Oh wait I'm thinking of West Virginia...
My generator starts and runs well! Now to remember what grade oil I'm supposed to put in there...