Winter Storm Threatens East Coast? Batten Down the Hatches

I was able to rent a generator from the local hardware store just to keep the refrigerator going. I'm also planning on getting an extra propane tank for the grill. Last year when we got hit with that snowstorm, my car was on empty and no one had power to fill the tank. Not doing that again.
 
Medium sized trash bags that fit into your toilet bowl are REAL nice to have since the toilet will empty after a few flushes if the power is out. Instead of wasting water to flush, just line the dry bowl with a trash bag, hang the edges over the side of the bowl, then put the seat down on it. Just tie it up and throw it outside when it's full.
 
If external gas for heating/cooking is required, be vigilant of confined spaces - ventilate.
 
Candles might be a good thing to have on hand as well.
Also Sterno and a snow shovel for your car, as well as a full tank of gas.
 
This storm looks like it could be bad, even for some of the surrounding areas. When Hurricane Hugo came through here in 1989 we were stuck without power for two weeks. Hugo caught us off guard because we live so far inland in NC but if you add ice and snow, it may be worse. Don't forget your pets!

Great Tip!!!
Guardian said:
Medium sized trash bags that fit into your toilet bowl are REAL nice to have since the toilet will empty after a few flushes if the power is out. Instead of wasting water to flush, just line the dry bowl with a trash bag, hang the edges over the side of the bowl, then put the seat down on it. Just tie it up and throw it outside when it's full.
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Guardian said:
Medium sized trash bags that fit into your toilet bowl are REAL nice to have since the toilet will empty after a few flushes if the power is out. Instead of wasting water to flush, just line the dry bowl with a trash bag, hang the edges over the side of the bowl, then put the seat down on it. Just tie it up and throw it outside when it's full.
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Excellent point Guardian. The aspect of human waste removal is often not considered or even thought about.
AND don't forget the toilet paper.!.!.!
 
Thank you for the great advise Laura and Guardian and everybody! :)

I'm heading to the store right now and getting more batteries, distilled water, candles and more flashlight.

Also gonna go the the butcher get more meat. :cool: :cool2:
 
I wish I could think of something helpful to add - but I can only give my sincere best wishes and hope everyone makes it through ok.

Perhaps stock up on some long-life or dried fruit/vegetables? Hot water bottles! Maybe some thermos flasks to keep liquids warm for longer to save on your fuels.
 
Soluna said:
I wish I could think of something helpful to add - but I can only give my sincere best wishes and hope everyone makes it through ok.
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Me too! I have nothing to add, but I hope everyone makes it through okay. I hope everybody has also a basic medical kit. At least some vitamin C. Hey, did you all know that according to this site, people using DMSO even up to 24 hours after frostbite showed total recovery? I hope no one will ever need DMSO as that remedy though! But I also read of people using industrial DMSO 50% as an anti-freezer for their cars FWIW.

Guardian, that is a great tip.
 
I think I've got most of the stuff listed already. Organization has been one of my key weaknesses so hopefully this impending weather will be a sufficient motivator to get some sort of workable system/plan in place over the weekend. I did serendipitously pick up some nice rubber boots earlier in the week after seeing them fashionably utilized on the "Survivors" series.

I apologize for posting this too late to be of much use this time around, but there is a device called a WaterBOB that acts as a sort of bathtub bladder and lets you store 100 gallons of clean water in your bathtub. It comes from heavy hurricane territory in Florida. Maybe Laura and others have some experience with them.
http://www.waterbob.com/
It seems like things would have to be pretty serious in order to fully deploy it since it would mean no bath or shower while it was there but this could be the time, or next time. Mine was only $35 with shipping. Even if you ordered it now it would probably arrive the day of the hurricane so sorry about that, but it could certainly be useful in the future. Saw it on National Geographic's Doomsday Preppers.
 
meta-agnostic said:
http://www.waterbob.com/
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The problem with tub bladders is that you can only use them once. Food grade plastic bags work just as well in the tub, and you can reuse them if you dry them good.
 
Thanks Guardian, I was wondering about that. On the box it gives no indication but buried in the instructions it does say the bladder should be disposed and recycled after use. I guess you can't expect much for the price. Surely it wouldn't be totally useless as long as you tried to dry it out and didn't let it get mildewy? I guess this is one more item that's going to have to wait for the real apocalypse to get used, or not at all.
 
meta-agnostic said:
Surely it wouldn't be totally useless as long as you tried to dry it out and didn't let it get mildewy?
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There's no way to open the cheap ones to dry them, so they get nasty.

I guess this is one more item that's going to have to wait for the real apocalypse to get used, or not at all.
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Ordinary 1 or 2 gallon ziplock storage bags will store emergency water for cheap, just keep a pitcher handy and empty a gallon bag into it as needed. When you're done with them, you turn them inside out and hang them on the line to dry. Once dry, you can roll them back up, store them in a small space, and use them again if needed.
 
I'm just north of Boston...depending on the final track of the storm, this should be an interesting next few days. Thanks for the great tips, all.
 
Try to park your car(s) away from overhanging trees to avoid their being smashed by falling branches or trees being uprooted. I know plenty of people's cars have been damaged that way during intense storms of every kind. I will probably have to park my car a few blocks from where I live because I am surrounded by trees, but it will be well worth it to avoid damage.
 
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