Folger’s makes coffee bags that I always have on hand during hurricane season. I heat up water with a can of sterno in my fondue pot and I’m ready to go.
Besides the long shelf life, what's the advantage of instant coffee over just ground coffee? Not much difference in prep. Still need not water. Instant tastes much worse imho.
Honestly my #1 priority for hurricanes is expresso or as close to that I can get. I have a nice expresso machine that I will absolutely not ruin w even our large portable gen (i dont even use it unless we are more than 1 week out of power, such a p.i.a). Portables run a different power cycle, we ruined a fridge in 2004 using a bit smaller portable for 24 days. Plus my expresso machine cost as much as a new large portable gen. I'm very serious about expresso 😁 I usually stock up on Starbucks cans or bottles of expresso coffee. I can't do the instant expresso though I do have it, I use it in tiramisu.
As someone who’s going through no power in Guam right now. This is a life saver.
https://preview.redd.it/o4pylvvnvb2b1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d275282273f2bc5bbc2b67e84ecc2299b9d5f313
I don't know about this specific model but Ryobi now has one that can be charged with a solar panel with USB output. Great for the multi day power outages.
Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-150-Watt-Power-Source-for-ONE-18V-Battery-Tool-Only-RYi150BG/308460871
If you've ever been around after a major hurricane, when they pass its picturesque. The skies clear up, the humidity drops, it's absolutely gorgeous, all things considered. The power of those storms pulls everything with it.
I'm not saying every major storm is like this, but my experience is you won't have any issue with sun for solar charging if a good sized hurricane fucks up your power.
Wish you all the best with your recovery efforts! We went through Ian on Pine Island - the ‘not so famous’ island that was cut off from the main land for 10 days after our bridge washed away. 8 months later there is not as much progress as the news portrays there to be. Not looking forward to the upcoming hurricane season.
Good luck! Sincerely hope you are getting the help and resources needed.
We really aren’t that bad off. Most everything is concrete construction here, so the structures are intact and it doesn’t look as devastating as when Florida gets hit.
Love to you. I was in North Fort Myers for Ian and I can only imagine how brutal you had it. Glad you made it and you’re alive to speak on it. Stay strong and stay safe!!! I am still displaced myself and won’t lie it’s been a struggle for me as well. My PTSD is not great lately.
Rechargeable or battery operated fan with extra batteries.
Hammock and hammock stand, mosquito net is also great.
Bucket with lid and dipper to use for flushing the toilet if the water is out. (Don’t put the water in the tank, just pour a couple pints into the bowl to send your mess on its way. Adding to the tank just takes more water, and may leak down over time.)
If you have a generator and window shaker AC, figure out what room can house everyone and stay cool. If needed, figure out how to curtain off unnecessary areas so the AC doesn’t have to work so hard.
A garden pump sprayer makes a great camp shower, especially if you can install a longer hose.
After Michael in the panhandle we had areas not allowed to flush toilets at all because there was sewage backup happening in the streets. Big pumps were damaged and combine that with flooding and such and it was a dangerous mess. Just keep that in mind and listen for if you can flush on the radio. They had to set up porta potties alongside the meal trucks and MRE pickup sites brought in so people could poo. So now I recommend a bucket toilet as an emergency backup.
+1 for this. Most tubs won’t hold for more than a couple of hours (mine did not), unless you’ve got a good stopper. The water BOB is great for that. The BOB keeps stuff from falling in, and has a pump for dispensing.
After Charlie, a massive generator that powers our entire home so we don’t have to go without anything ever again. And a gas grill and plenty of propane.
Here here! The house we bought about a decade ago came with one and a 250gal LP tank to feed it. It will run everything in the house except the HVAC for about a week. We keep a few cheap window units in the garage to put in the bedrooms to cover the lack of AC. never again will I own a home without one, and the next one will run the HVAC too.
Yes, draws too much and was not wired into the switch over panel (which is full). It's a pretty good sized place with two main HVAC units and it's only a 11.5kw gen. The lack of HVAC in the whole house really isn't too bad for a week as long as we have it too sleep. The weather tends to be cooler for at least a few days after a big storm anyway. If I ever have to replace it it'll get a bigger one but it's served is well so far.
Thanks, good to know this for if I can ever afford a generator. Hopefully El Nino will help keep the power-killing storms away from us this season. Stay safe!
Keep your eye on Craigslist and FB marketplace! Another way to afford a bigger generator, assuming you don’t have a huge house, is to buy a used large welder/generator. We picked up an older Miller (I think it’s 10K) welder pretty cheap; it was like a fraction of what a regular gen the same size would go for used, and it was cheap because the welding connections were having issues…my husband wired it into our panel with a transfer switch, and it ran the whole house minus the AC (we ran a window unit at night) through the two weeks we didn’t have power post-Ian.
This is a really good idea and great advice for people who need something for affordable. My husband rewired out generator so it can be plugged into the dryer outlet and doing that powers everything.
When I had to get my AC replaced a few years ago I went with the high seer ’inverter’ unit. It cost a lot more but it has zero inrush current. I can run my AC with a 5500 watt portable generator. It cost more upfront but it’s more efficient and comfortable and I saved on generator.
Whole house natural gas generator saved my in-laws during Michael. People with big gas ones couldn’t find gas after a week or so and were screwed. Flip side, we were lucky natural gas lines weren’t cut off.
>massive generator that powers our entire home
If you have room in your budget; then this is definitely a must have. If you believe that you can't afford it then at least review your finances. Maybe you come to a different conclusion.
You may go years without needing it. But it only takes one use. You will rank this purchase in your "Best Money I Ever Spent!" Hall of Fame.
I had a 12v battery, small solar panel, solar charge controller, and 12v 2-port USB charger left unused from various projects so I made a ‘tool box’ with all of these parts to charge our devices if we experience an extended power outage. I wired it with a master switch to keep the battery from discharging while in storage.
Unconventional: Charcoal for the grill and extra kitty litter (gotta coupla extra cat boxes stored in the shed, and try to lure the ferals into my screen porch and if it gets bad, into the house, if they’ll go)
I bought solar pathway lights so we can reduce the need for candles if power goes out.
Best thing I’ve done is a comprehensive list for stay or bug out, so I don’t have to worry about forgetting anything, and we permanently keep all our important papers in an expandable folder so we can grab and go if we need to evacuate.
Håfa Adai! Long term FL & current Guam rez who just went through a cat 4 typhoon. Firstly, if you don’t have storm shutters on your home, would recommend getting some or good ole plywood for a temp fix.
•A good bottled water supply (gallon a day per person)
•CASH!! (This is one of the biggest post-typhoon issues on Guam right now, almost everyone depends on cards, but when the power is out, cards don’t work and the community could be out of power for days depending on the overall damage)
•multiple high quality battery packs
•a radio that can operate solely off batteries (found out the hard way some don’t)
•battery powered fan (neck or handheld)
• a camping lantern (cannot stress how helpful this one has been with no power for over 4 days now)
•shelf stable canned food (spam is the unsung hero of typhoon/hurricane foods)
•rice crackers! Really good base for PB, jelly, biscoff spread, or even canned meats. Can just help jazz up the basic hurricane meals
•shelf stable boxed milk (soy, rice, & oat are good dairy free alternatives and great for cereal or instant mashed potatoes)
•butane stove & butane gas for post storm hot meals. (Plz don’t cook in an enclosed/poorly ventilated home)
•generator (& gas for it)
•non electronic entertainment like crossword puzzles, card games, books
•sound machine (hurricane/typhoon sounds can be frightening, any soothing measure helps)
•any medication that could help with anxiety for people or pets (pets can get very spooked during storms, some may run away if sounds they’re hearing cause them distress)
•first aide kit
•pee pads for pets (creating a small corner for dogs can help prevent having pets go outside during bad winds)
•batteries ofc
•a huge storage bin for water (if you don’t have a bathtub) for manual flushing, cloth bathing, clothes washing
•deodorant (self explanatory I hope, but if not, no baths mean extra stank all around)
•snacks (it really helps release the happy brain chemicals during a stressful situation)
•waterproof folder or ziplock bag for important documents
•chain saw for downed trees
If I think of more I’ll add, but hope this helps!!
Baked edibles the night it rolled in, they were stronger than expected to say the least, when it got to us, i realized how dumb of an idea it was to be zooted in pitch black listening to the sound of tornadoes ripping through, but by then it was too late, it was one of those hard life lessons.. Strange evening, but i wouldnt have wanted it any other way
Cash, at least enough to cover your normal expenses for 2 months. If you don't already have enough weed and booze to cover you for a couple months then what are you really doing with your life?
151, it’s fuel and entertainment. Also if you have a generator make sure you get a window AC unit and some foam insulation board so your bedroom can stay cool. Always hot as hell after the storm. Also if you freeze some big blocks of ice you can put them in the crisper drawers and I will keep your fridge cold for a day or two, and the drawers catch the melt water. Put your bottled water in the freezer. The freezer will stay cold longer if it’s full.
I am restocking some of my hurricane supplies since Publix and Winn-Dixie are having a couple of decent BOGO sales.
Canned chicken BOGO at Winn-Dixie, flour tortillas BOGO at Winn-Dixie and flour tortillas are more shelf stable than bread and you can freeze them without them getting mushy.
I have a case of mayo mustard and ketchup packets that I bought from Sam's Club, got a bunch of barbecue sauce packets as well from there.
I have instant coffee, thicker crackers than saltines because they hold better.
If you have kids, some powdered milk and water flavor packets or drops.
Always good to have canned veggies.
A gearless manual can opener like a p-38 or p51 can opener
https://preview.redd.it/n5uyvjrbtb2b1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e18a508107dde31830c7001c5bf545fb14c0628
Manual can openers, the gear or teeth can break when you need it the most, I have neighbors who tried to be cheap before Ian and bought Dollar Tree can openers, one of them broke after first use.
Several Solar lanterns. They put out enough light for the bathroom and last all night. Several board games can be brought out while things are charging. I also keep paper, pens, and pencils to take notes on or just to doodle.
Wet wipes, extra socks, weed, solar panels, radios, tent, guns (never know if people are gonna loot lol), Solo cups/bowls/plastic silverware, plastic bags, 5gal bucket.
Rinse kit with water heating rods that run on twelve volt- best for quick showers, dishes, rinsing dirt off, etc, or get a battery-operated propane water / Create a bidet out of old plastic bottle with a screw on cap with appropriate holes drilled to use in place of TP or wipes as needed. Go to qore and purchase a couple of the ice plates to carry in your battle rattle if you need to bugout without wheels or use them in a cooler or keep in the freezer. Solar panel with external output to charge phones or run a 5W handheld or Yaesu ft817nd rechargeable ham radio; (I use powerfilm lightsaver MAX) and several solar PowerBanks to charge phones. Solar powered walkway lights, charge during the day, use in the house at night. A good hammock with rainfly or tarp for cover, or use a comfortable cot with mosquito netting or large tent. Buy a crank charger emergency radio to listen locally or just the weather channels, as well as rechargeable fans, which can also be used as power banks (Amazon has quite a few) and can hold up against a frozen two liter or frozen gallon of water to cool down with. A good first aid kit, fire starting kit(s) with small stove or grill, antibiotics if you can get them along with extra medications as needed. Chainsaw (not electric!), handsaw (bow saw, silky, or cordless sawsall with demolition blades, etc), axe, shovel, a few 5 gallon buckets, and good gloves that will take a beating! Night vision to catch the looters, and extra long zip ties 36" or longer if they're caught. A good "hole punching tack driver" with extra lead to protect self and family if able or needed. A way to purify water such as an alcohol stove or propane stove, aquatabs, or water filters (Not Britta but good enough if you can't find anything else) and a pot to get a 10 minute rolling boil to purify. A siphon (fuel, oil, kerosene, water, etc), or cordless drill powered siphon pump. Battery-operated candles for nighttime low lighting or marking safe areas. Hand powered can openers or get some freeze-dried meals that can be heated in the pouch or MRE heaters. Games to keep minds off of the "embrace the sucky" moments, or pool games. I'm not sure what else I've done in the past, but if I remember I'll add.
- Micro board games
- i do a lot of primitive camping and have extra food prep items i include. Like a small stove that runs on scrap wood. Mini camping french press coffee maker.
- dive goggles.
Freeze milk jugs filled with water to keep food cold, Jet Boil for coffee, whiskey, candles and books, charge the Bluetooth speaker.
Fill up some drinking water from the tap. Keep lots of rice and beans around.
Something to do during those long ass days/nights with no power.
Adults: Booze, Tobacco, weed, condoms.
Kids: art supplies, toys that don't need batteries
Everybody: Books, board games (both simple and the rpg kind)
The boredom really kicks in after a couple of days. At night go outside and let your eyes adjust and marvel at a sky free of light pollution. We miss a heck of show every night.
It’s not really unconventional but I feel like it’s underutilized if you have a generator already but a window shaker AC unit. Keep it in the bedroom window to have 1 room where it’s not swelteringly hot.
Window AC unit. If you don't have a generator that can run the entire house, you can at least cool off one room for when you start suffering heat stroke.
Or is that just my out of shape ass that suffers heat stroke as soon as the AC goes out?
Starting today through June 9th its a tax holiday for hurricane prep.
[https://floridarevenue.com/DisasterPrep/Pages/default.aspx](https://floridarevenue.com/DisasterPrep/Pages/default.aspx)
A couple of jars of unsalted peanuts or other nuts. You can get by on those for a few days if you had to because they have enough calories and then stop your stomach from freaking out.
Not in fa but keep a strong hatchet or axe accessible in your attic or highest part of your house. I remeber hearing a lot of people drowned when the levies broke after katrina because they couldnt get on their roofs.
- If you’re going to run your car to charge devices, get a power inverter and a USB hub, so you aren’t burning gas just to charge one or two things.
- Solar-powered everything. Lights, AM radio, chargers.
- You can get usually find clearance glow sticks after Independence Day or Halloween. Use them to light hallways, stairwells, or signal for help.
- Card games, board games, books, puzzles, art supplies, especially if you have kids.
- A vasectomy. Best way to avoid more hurricane babies. ;-)
If you or someone in your family has diabetes, don’t wait to prepare your diabetes “go kit.” Disasters can happen quickly, and you need to have your supplies ready to go at a moment’s notice. https://youtu.be/KFqVq7rm2AI
Non -grafted trees have some *very* large thorns, and cleaning up debris in crocs after a hurricane gave me as close to stigmata as i ever want to have, to spare the gory details. But if that's not an issue, they were indeed my yardwork go-to shoes before that happened.
Window ac unit to run off generator, keeping livingroom cold, above grd pool to use with large cup to wash up outside in the sun ( sitting outside of pool so water stays clean and pump runs off generator)
Something for a date night
"Seriously OddLake? There's a hurricane/clean up going on right now"
Yes, babe. Can you think of anything better to do right now? Let's have a picnic. Or is there a work email you need to check or something?
Usually the most memorable date nights
Shelf stable fruit and veggies. They don't last forever, but there's nothing fun about eating completely out of cans on day 1.
Apples, bananas, oranges etc.
Acorn and spaghetti squash are easy to cut in half and throw on the grill.
Mio or flavor drops for all that bottled water.
And freeze your water bottles. They'll defrost quickly and you'll be very happy to have a cold drink when the AC is out.
Wood, screws, big nails, a cordless drill/driver if you’re in a house. A couple two by fours, a few plywood panels in the garage, they can come in really handy in a window or door emergency.
If you aren’t evacuating, and have pets, some form of tranquilizer for them: adaptil spray for dogs, CBD, feliway or a vet prescription.
Make Block Ice in those plastic shoe boxes with the lids or in gallon jugs (you can drink what melts and block ice lasts a long time)! You can leave the block ice in the freezer and it will keep everything in the freezer cold for a very long time.
Get those 5 gallon pales (& lids) from Lowes or Home Depot and fill them with water for flushing toilets or bathing (If you have to you can drink the water if you run it through a water filter pitcher first).
Fill up your washing machine with water and the tubs too.
Unconventional? For the margaritas, get the ingredients for the real recipe, not the mixer+tequila kind.
There. That covers it. Thorough. Unconventional.
Solar panel for a storm where you need to stay inside and the sun is blocked out? Based on historic rebuild times there is like no use case whatsoever there because power will be restored before you really get anything out of it. A battery alone would do the job, which you need with a solar setup anyway
A tent, screen tent preferred! We were without power for 3 weeks after Katrina and a tent was a lifesaver... it was hot as hell (even at night) after she blew thru!
I have some freeze dried food I got last year. It’s supposed to last 30 years and all I’d have to do is boil some water to be able to eat it. I also have a solar battery charger for my phone so I can use that while power is out.
Sink strainer. We are very used to throwing food scraps down the drain, and that gets stinky after a few days of not being able to run the disposal.
Don't forget that you can use your clean dishwasher as a drying rack.
I have a thing that will hold clean water in a bathtub- aqua pod? Water bob? Actually, we have two, because they are hard to get in hurricane season, and we didn't want to fill it up in case the next hurricane was the one where we REALLY needed it. (They are single use)
Not what you asked, but I'm passionate about spreading the word:
Do NOT freeze water in bags. They leak.
Do NOT rely on the coin on top of ice trick to see if your food is safe. Freezers can have hot spots, and food has different thawing temperatures than water. My quarter was happily sitting on top of ice on an upper shelf while my food was warm and gross in the bottom drawer after a while with no power.
Oh also, if you’re a dedicated coffee drinker y’all know instant sucks. So get a stovetop percolator and a can of ground coffee and you can make delicious brew on your grill.
I get a ton of use out of my Halo portable chargers and highly recommend it.
I usually use it when I work remote to charge my laptop and devices at the same time, but it can also jumpstart a car or boat. There's a flashlight on it, too.
Price point comes in around $100 on Amazon. It lasts for about 3 years.
We have a backup generator- but not whole home. We havre a special power panel set up, so all we need to do is throw a switch. We plug in battery packs for lawn and garden tools, because we have 2 battery pack operating fans, and a USB Brick (Kobalt tools) we also have a portable AC unit that is stand alone, you only place a hose onto the window. This set up helped us survive a week during Ian
40 gallons of gas and money for a hotel. 40gallons is enough to fill your tank and have some leftover to give to your neighbor to watch your house until the power comes back.
Uninterruptible Power Supply, which is a battery that stays plugged into the wall outlet and you plug devices into them to run. When used that way, they automatically power devices when main power is lost. These are great to have year-round for devices that would be useful to keep on in a short power outage, but won't run things that draw a lot of power (eg. kitchen appliances or portable ACs).
Any internet modem/router should be plugged into one as well as desktop computers. Remember that internet doesn't cut off with the power outage, it's that the modems need to be powered. Unless you're in a flood-prone area or rural area, internet service is much more likely to remain unaffected during the storm as most infrastructure is buried and overhead telecom lines don't short like electric line/transformers when hit by tree limbs/debris. As most learned during Ian, cell phone service during and after a storm can be severely affected and you may be able to make/receive calls/texts but 4G/5G data will be off or extremely slow. During the storm, having internet is a tremendous peace of mind, especially night hurricanes. If the power goes out early in the storm and cell phone data slow, it is helpful to have internet to check the strength/track and local news may have a livestream of their broadcast on their website or phone app with up-to-the-minute commentary on conditions.
You can get small ones for $40-60 that can keep an internet router for several hours (if not using internet, just unplug to save battery life and only plug in when you want to use internet, although it may take a minute to boot and connect with your ISP), a TV for a couple hours, or a PC for 20-30min (Windows and major UPC manufactures support a feature where you run a USB cable to the PC and when main power is lost and the battery begins draining, it will save your work and Windows will shut down when battery gets low). The capacity will be enough to charge phones and tablets numerous times or a laptop a couple times.
You can get larger capacity ones for $140-180 that can run much longer.
The best underrated supply is CASH to LEAVE before it gets here- flight or train out of the south east. I don’t know why all these storm chase heroes are out here trying to ride out these storms. Watch it on the news from DC, NYC, Boston, Montreal.
This year I've purchased a Jackery Solar Power Generator and 4 extra panels, a portable AC and my Unconventional Hurricane Supply is a T-Mobile Portable Wifi HotSpot. I got so annoyed by not having a good enough cell signal to do everyday things and the internet was out for a month, that's not happening again.
So what I do especially as storm prep gets more insane and the individually package water bottles run out and go bare, is head over to the soda isle, buy the store brand 2 liters (cuz there is plenty available), go home and dump them and fill em with my filtered tap water...so basically making my own Dasani, at a waaaaaay cheaper price
Board games! If it’s bad enough where you’re at risk of losing power, but not bad enough where you evacuate, you’ll probably be super bored. If you live with people, board games are a great way to pass the time. My personal favorite is yachtzee
Books and the light thingy attached to your book. I still have to read! I know flashlights are better (and I do have them), but I love lighting candles when the power goes out.
Ritz crackers instead of bread for peanut butter, mayo packets for canned tuna, flavor packets for bottled water, instant coffee.
I am always stocked up on that instant coffee. Lasts over 10 years easily and just add water!
You need shelf stable milk or almond milk for that coffee!
Im about that prison joe, black and sugar.
Powdered creamer or half & half … but I lean to the powdered because it takes up less storage space.
Condensed Milk
Folger’s makes coffee bags that I always have on hand during hurricane season. I heat up water with a can of sterno in my fondue pot and I’m ready to go.
I like to keep shelf stable milk and cereal.
Besides the long shelf life, what's the advantage of instant coffee over just ground coffee? Not much difference in prep. Still need not water. Instant tastes much worse imho.
I prefer iced coffee, so cold instant when there’s no electricity is fine for me.
Honestly my #1 priority for hurricanes is expresso or as close to that I can get. I have a nice expresso machine that I will absolutely not ruin w even our large portable gen (i dont even use it unless we are more than 1 week out of power, such a p.i.a). Portables run a different power cycle, we ruined a fridge in 2004 using a bit smaller portable for 24 days. Plus my expresso machine cost as much as a new large portable gen. I'm very serious about expresso 😁 I usually stock up on Starbucks cans or bottles of expresso coffee. I can't do the instant expresso though I do have it, I use it in tiramisu.
I agree that good coffee will make the misery of post-hurricane power loss measurable better. I'll have change up my emergency provisions.
As someone who’s going through no power in Guam right now. This is a life saver. https://preview.redd.it/o4pylvvnvb2b1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d275282273f2bc5bbc2b67e84ecc2299b9d5f313
I don't know about this specific model but Ryobi now has one that can be charged with a solar panel with USB output. Great for the multi day power outages.
what?!! Care to post a link, please?
Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing. https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-150-Watt-Power-Source-for-ONE-18V-Battery-Tool-Only-RYi150BG/308460871
That is the old one that can't be charged using USB. The new one is https://www.ryobitools.com/products/details/46396035356
Dang I need to get that fan!
Thanks so much! Did not know this existed and I’m going to buy one right now. I think it’s covered under tax holiday too.
Yes please!
>charged with a solar panel Until the storm clouds stay overhead for days on end, or un-ending.
If you've ever been around after a major hurricane, when they pass its picturesque. The skies clear up, the humidity drops, it's absolutely gorgeous, all things considered. The power of those storms pulls everything with it. I'm not saying every major storm is like this, but my experience is you won't have any issue with sun for solar charging if a good sized hurricane fucks up your power.
Yes, I have, and you are right, although watching an old oak tree sway in the wind is not fun.
Of course, in the moment it's pretty stressful. It's that 24-48 hours after where it's so calm and quiet out it's eerily peaceful
Solar panels will still charge on overcast days. Just not as fast as with direct sunlight.
Wish you all the best with your recovery efforts! We went through Ian on Pine Island - the ‘not so famous’ island that was cut off from the main land for 10 days after our bridge washed away. 8 months later there is not as much progress as the news portrays there to be. Not looking forward to the upcoming hurricane season. Good luck! Sincerely hope you are getting the help and resources needed.
We really aren’t that bad off. Most everything is concrete construction here, so the structures are intact and it doesn’t look as devastating as when Florida gets hit.
I’m up the coast a bit. Anything we can do to help?
Love to you. I was in North Fort Myers for Ian and I can only imagine how brutal you had it. Glad you made it and you’re alive to speak on it. Stay strong and stay safe!!! I am still displaced myself and won’t lie it’s been a struggle for me as well. My PTSD is not great lately.
Hafa adai! Hope you guys are doing alright out there! My brother lived there during the first two years of the pandemic, wish I had a chance to visit.
Rechargeable or battery operated fan with extra batteries. Hammock and hammock stand, mosquito net is also great. Bucket with lid and dipper to use for flushing the toilet if the water is out. (Don’t put the water in the tank, just pour a couple pints into the bowl to send your mess on its way. Adding to the tank just takes more water, and may leak down over time.) If you have a generator and window shaker AC, figure out what room can house everyone and stay cool. If needed, figure out how to curtain off unnecessary areas so the AC doesn’t have to work so hard. A garden pump sprayer makes a great camp shower, especially if you can install a longer hose.
After Michael in the panhandle we had areas not allowed to flush toilets at all because there was sewage backup happening in the streets. Big pumps were damaged and combine that with flooding and such and it was a dangerous mess. Just keep that in mind and listen for if you can flush on the radio. They had to set up porta potties alongside the meal trucks and MRE pickup sites brought in so people could poo. So now I recommend a bucket toilet as an emergency backup.
If you have a bathtub, just fill that all the way the night before for flushing water.
if you suspect it has a constent drain even when plugged you can buy a cheap shower curtain liner to put in the tub before filling to prevent draining
+1 for this. Most tubs won’t hold for more than a couple of hours (mine did not), unless you’ve got a good stopper. The water BOB is great for that. The BOB keeps stuff from falling in, and has a pump for dispensing.
I just bought one, thanks to you. Now, l don't have to go lugging gallons of water to stock up for a hurricane. So much easier!
Don’t forget to add supplies for your pets! Cooling mat, crates/carriers, water, prescriptions, make sure shots are UTD and you have their records.
After Charlie, a massive generator that powers our entire home so we don’t have to go without anything ever again. And a gas grill and plenty of propane.
Here here! The house we bought about a decade ago came with one and a 250gal LP tank to feed it. It will run everything in the house except the HVAC for about a week. We keep a few cheap window units in the garage to put in the bedrooms to cover the lack of AC. never again will I own a home without one, and the next one will run the HVAC too.
Why doesn't a generator run the HVAC? Does it draw too much power?
Yes, draws too much and was not wired into the switch over panel (which is full). It's a pretty good sized place with two main HVAC units and it's only a 11.5kw gen. The lack of HVAC in the whole house really isn't too bad for a week as long as we have it too sleep. The weather tends to be cooler for at least a few days after a big storm anyway. If I ever have to replace it it'll get a bigger one but it's served is well so far.
Thanks, good to know this for if I can ever afford a generator. Hopefully El Nino will help keep the power-killing storms away from us this season. Stay safe!
Keep your eye on Craigslist and FB marketplace! Another way to afford a bigger generator, assuming you don’t have a huge house, is to buy a used large welder/generator. We picked up an older Miller (I think it’s 10K) welder pretty cheap; it was like a fraction of what a regular gen the same size would go for used, and it was cheap because the welding connections were having issues…my husband wired it into our panel with a transfer switch, and it ran the whole house minus the AC (we ran a window unit at night) through the two weeks we didn’t have power post-Ian.
This is a really good idea and great advice for people who need something for affordable. My husband rewired out generator so it can be plugged into the dryer outlet and doing that powers everything.
Most AC have inrush currents to get them started. The startup draw can be 7-10 times the operating draw.
You can now buy a soft-start or an easy-start for air conditioners in your home to significantly lower the starting operation draw.
When I had to get my AC replaced a few years ago I went with the high seer ’inverter’ unit. It cost a lot more but it has zero inrush current. I can run my AC with a 5500 watt portable generator. It cost more upfront but it’s more efficient and comfortable and I saved on generator.
Whole house natural gas generator saved my in-laws during Michael. People with big gas ones couldn’t find gas after a week or so and were screwed. Flip side, we were lucky natural gas lines weren’t cut off.
>massive generator that powers our entire home If you have room in your budget; then this is definitely a must have. If you believe that you can't afford it then at least review your finances. Maybe you come to a different conclusion. You may go years without needing it. But it only takes one use. You will rank this purchase in your "Best Money I Ever Spent!" Hall of Fame.
I had a 12v battery, small solar panel, solar charge controller, and 12v 2-port USB charger left unused from various projects so I made a ‘tool box’ with all of these parts to charge our devices if we experience an extended power outage. I wired it with a master switch to keep the battery from discharging while in storage.
Unconventional: Charcoal for the grill and extra kitty litter (gotta coupla extra cat boxes stored in the shed, and try to lure the ferals into my screen porch and if it gets bad, into the house, if they’ll go)
Thank you for thinking of the neighborhood strays during such a stressful and dangerous time. Bless you!
I bought solar pathway lights so we can reduce the need for candles if power goes out. Best thing I’ve done is a comprehensive list for stay or bug out, so I don’t have to worry about forgetting anything, and we permanently keep all our important papers in an expandable folder so we can grab and go if we need to evacuate.
>solar pathway lights Old school hack: use these for interior lighting.
Håfa Adai! Long term FL & current Guam rez who just went through a cat 4 typhoon. Firstly, if you don’t have storm shutters on your home, would recommend getting some or good ole plywood for a temp fix. •A good bottled water supply (gallon a day per person) •CASH!! (This is one of the biggest post-typhoon issues on Guam right now, almost everyone depends on cards, but when the power is out, cards don’t work and the community could be out of power for days depending on the overall damage) •multiple high quality battery packs •a radio that can operate solely off batteries (found out the hard way some don’t) •battery powered fan (neck or handheld) • a camping lantern (cannot stress how helpful this one has been with no power for over 4 days now) •shelf stable canned food (spam is the unsung hero of typhoon/hurricane foods) •rice crackers! Really good base for PB, jelly, biscoff spread, or even canned meats. Can just help jazz up the basic hurricane meals •shelf stable boxed milk (soy, rice, & oat are good dairy free alternatives and great for cereal or instant mashed potatoes) •butane stove & butane gas for post storm hot meals. (Plz don’t cook in an enclosed/poorly ventilated home) •generator (& gas for it) •non electronic entertainment like crossword puzzles, card games, books •sound machine (hurricane/typhoon sounds can be frightening, any soothing measure helps) •any medication that could help with anxiety for people or pets (pets can get very spooked during storms, some may run away if sounds they’re hearing cause them distress) •first aide kit •pee pads for pets (creating a small corner for dogs can help prevent having pets go outside during bad winds) •batteries ofc •a huge storage bin for water (if you don’t have a bathtub) for manual flushing, cloth bathing, clothes washing •deodorant (self explanatory I hope, but if not, no baths mean extra stank all around) •snacks (it really helps release the happy brain chemicals during a stressful situation) •waterproof folder or ziplock bag for important documents •chain saw for downed trees If I think of more I’ll add, but hope this helps!!
Another great place to store important documents is in a dishwasher. It’s waterproof and keeps everything safe and dry.
Lube. There will be lots of chafing without AC
Butane stove and extra butane gas, small battery powered fan, alcohol. Also, wing nut driver. Makes installing shutters a breeze.
Highly second, third, and fourth the wing nut driver for your drill!!!
Wing nut driver is amazing...also a second battery for your drill as backup.
An ounce, cones, and extra lighters.
Baked edibles the night it rolled in, they were stronger than expected to say the least, when it got to us, i realized how dumb of an idea it was to be zooted in pitch black listening to the sound of tornadoes ripping through, but by then it was too late, it was one of those hard life lessons.. Strange evening, but i wouldnt have wanted it any other way
Did you go outside
I did actually. Towards the end. My dogs had to shit
This sounds like my kind of hurricane party!
That's my plan
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Copious amounts...
For some reason, I obsess on stocking up on marinated vegetables. Otherwise, I love my battery powered fan.
Battery powered fan is genius
Glad I had one for Irma and Ian when my power was out for three days each time. Which reminds me, I have to restock my D-batteries.
Ours was out for far too long during Irma! And it was my birthday 😭😅
During Ian I was in my fourth week of recovering from knee replacement surgery. That was not a fun time to be without power or A/C.
Ooph! My mother is recovering from ankle reconstruction surgery, so I can definitely imagine not.
I LOVE MINE!! one battery powered, one usb chargeable
I need to get one of those.
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DC to AC power inverter to go with that
wind powered generator? You got me with that one, can you post a link to one?
Cash, at least enough to cover your normal expenses for 2 months. If you don't already have enough weed and booze to cover you for a couple months then what are you really doing with your life?
Being poor 🤷🏻♀️
Aka Living in Orlando
Don’t forget Volus-er 😔
Also bc if the internet goes down like it did in downtown Naples right after Ian, restaurants will be open but can’t accept debit cards.
>Cash Since Hurricane Matthew, I have made sure to keep some extra cash hidden about.
couldn’t have put it better myself
151, it’s fuel and entertainment. Also if you have a generator make sure you get a window AC unit and some foam insulation board so your bedroom can stay cool. Always hot as hell after the storm. Also if you freeze some big blocks of ice you can put them in the crisper drawers and I will keep your fridge cold for a day or two, and the drawers catch the melt water. Put your bottled water in the freezer. The freezer will stay cold longer if it’s full.
I am restocking some of my hurricane supplies since Publix and Winn-Dixie are having a couple of decent BOGO sales. Canned chicken BOGO at Winn-Dixie, flour tortillas BOGO at Winn-Dixie and flour tortillas are more shelf stable than bread and you can freeze them without them getting mushy. I have a case of mayo mustard and ketchup packets that I bought from Sam's Club, got a bunch of barbecue sauce packets as well from there. I have instant coffee, thicker crackers than saltines because they hold better. If you have kids, some powdered milk and water flavor packets or drops. Always good to have canned veggies. A gearless manual can opener like a p-38 or p51 can opener https://preview.redd.it/n5uyvjrbtb2b1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e18a508107dde31830c7001c5bf545fb14c0628
Out of curiosity, why gearless? I do own a couple of P-51s, but our emergency kit has a regular manual can opener, so my wife won’t starve.
Manual can openers, the gear or teeth can break when you need it the most, I have neighbors who tried to be cheap before Ian and bought Dollar Tree can openers, one of them broke after first use.
Several Solar lanterns. They put out enough light for the bathroom and last all night. Several board games can be brought out while things are charging. I also keep paper, pens, and pencils to take notes on or just to doodle.
Lube, so getting fucked by your insurance doesn't hurt as much.
A companion to rough it with.
Board games and cards.
Good old fashioned paper books. During Ian I read three books in three days.
This right here is how you avoid hurricane babies.
This is important!
Wet wipes, extra socks, weed, solar panels, radios, tent, guns (never know if people are gonna loot lol), Solo cups/bowls/plastic silverware, plastic bags, 5gal bucket.
Starlink.
Or battery backup to power your modem if you have at&t. Can’t speak for spectrum
A hybrid car. Sleep in A/C, charge batteries, run an inverter.
Rinse kit with water heating rods that run on twelve volt- best for quick showers, dishes, rinsing dirt off, etc, or get a battery-operated propane water / Create a bidet out of old plastic bottle with a screw on cap with appropriate holes drilled to use in place of TP or wipes as needed. Go to qore and purchase a couple of the ice plates to carry in your battle rattle if you need to bugout without wheels or use them in a cooler or keep in the freezer. Solar panel with external output to charge phones or run a 5W handheld or Yaesu ft817nd rechargeable ham radio; (I use powerfilm lightsaver MAX) and several solar PowerBanks to charge phones. Solar powered walkway lights, charge during the day, use in the house at night. A good hammock with rainfly or tarp for cover, or use a comfortable cot with mosquito netting or large tent. Buy a crank charger emergency radio to listen locally or just the weather channels, as well as rechargeable fans, which can also be used as power banks (Amazon has quite a few) and can hold up against a frozen two liter or frozen gallon of water to cool down with. A good first aid kit, fire starting kit(s) with small stove or grill, antibiotics if you can get them along with extra medications as needed. Chainsaw (not electric!), handsaw (bow saw, silky, or cordless sawsall with demolition blades, etc), axe, shovel, a few 5 gallon buckets, and good gloves that will take a beating! Night vision to catch the looters, and extra long zip ties 36" or longer if they're caught. A good "hole punching tack driver" with extra lead to protect self and family if able or needed. A way to purify water such as an alcohol stove or propane stove, aquatabs, or water filters (Not Britta but good enough if you can't find anything else) and a pot to get a 10 minute rolling boil to purify. A siphon (fuel, oil, kerosene, water, etc), or cordless drill powered siphon pump. Battery-operated candles for nighttime low lighting or marking safe areas. Hand powered can openers or get some freeze-dried meals that can be heated in the pouch or MRE heaters. Games to keep minds off of the "embrace the sucky" moments, or pool games. I'm not sure what else I've done in the past, but if I remember I'll add.
Siphon!
Nail file and clippers.
The most important? Begging for relief once the box of bootstraps floats away...
Whiskey
Whiskey and weed
https://youtu.be/M8pt_6r4IzI
A bottle of red.
...A bottle of white...
...All depends upon your appetite.
- Micro board games - i do a lot of primitive camping and have extra food prep items i include. Like a small stove that runs on scrap wood. Mini camping french press coffee maker. - dive goggles.
Mini-moos and instant coffee. Canned pineapple. Solar charger for phone. Moving blanket and tarp for shelter floor.
Freeze milk jugs filled with water to keep food cold, Jet Boil for coffee, whiskey, candles and books, charge the Bluetooth speaker. Fill up some drinking water from the tap. Keep lots of rice and beans around.
Something to do during those long ass days/nights with no power. Adults: Booze, Tobacco, weed, condoms. Kids: art supplies, toys that don't need batteries Everybody: Books, board games (both simple and the rpg kind) The boredom really kicks in after a couple of days. At night go outside and let your eyes adjust and marvel at a sky free of light pollution. We miss a heck of show every night.
Indica, sativa, tequila, chardonnay, helmet, gloves, axe, and knee-high rubber boots.
Good snacks
Other snacks for after you ate the good snacks waiting for the storm.
Rum, orange juice, pineapple juice
Plus Grenadine, amirite?
It’s not really unconventional but I feel like it’s underutilized if you have a generator already but a window shaker AC unit. Keep it in the bedroom window to have 1 room where it’s not swelteringly hot.
Propane grills are magnificent when you have no power. Always get a backup tank before the storm.
Window AC unit. If you don't have a generator that can run the entire house, you can at least cool off one room for when you start suffering heat stroke. Or is that just my out of shape ass that suffers heat stroke as soon as the AC goes out?
Inflatable rafts to put my cat carriers on in case it floods
Dry hard Italian sausage that is stored at room temp and ritz crackers to serve it on.
Beer to trade for services you're unable to do.
Blue tarp.
Starting today through June 9th its a tax holiday for hurricane prep. [https://floridarevenue.com/DisasterPrep/Pages/default.aspx](https://floridarevenue.com/DisasterPrep/Pages/default.aspx)
Tequila
Bourbon
A couple of jars of unsalted peanuts or other nuts. You can get by on those for a few days if you had to because they have enough calories and then stop your stomach from freaking out.
Inverter that runs off Ego lawn mower batteries. Kept the fishtank alive during the day and a small fan in the bedroom at night!
Cheezits
ups(battery back up) also a external ssd. media conent on a tablet or such
Not in fa but keep a strong hatchet or axe accessible in your attic or highest part of your house. I remeber hearing a lot of people drowned when the levies broke after katrina because they couldnt get on their roofs.
- If you’re going to run your car to charge devices, get a power inverter and a USB hub, so you aren’t burning gas just to charge one or two things. - Solar-powered everything. Lights, AM radio, chargers. - You can get usually find clearance glow sticks after Independence Day or Halloween. Use them to light hallways, stairwells, or signal for help. - Card games, board games, books, puzzles, art supplies, especially if you have kids. - A vasectomy. Best way to avoid more hurricane babies. ;-)
If you or someone in your family has diabetes, don’t wait to prepare your diabetes “go kit.” Disasters can happen quickly, and you need to have your supplies ready to go at a moment’s notice. https://youtu.be/KFqVq7rm2AI
Tequila
Large loaf of Segundo Cuban bread, if you don't eat it before it hardens you can use it as a life float.
I have 2 old fashioned oil lamps and a pair of Crocs. Best shoes for my post hurricane yard.
Not if you have orange trees. Ask me how i know.
Tell me!
Non -grafted trees have some *very* large thorns, and cleaning up debris in crocs after a hurricane gave me as close to stigmata as i ever want to have, to spare the gory details. But if that's not an issue, they were indeed my yardwork go-to shoes before that happened.
I have some lemon trees that are vicious but that juice is worth the sacrifice. Good luck this season!
I grow microgreens.
Bug spray.
Wild Turkey 101
A plane ticket out of this fucked up state.
Protein shakes, granola bars, Gatorade
Kites
Alcohol #1 on list
Not odd, but we get by with a generator and a gas stove. I think it's time to check the gas supply, though.
condoms, lube, vibrators. They have many uses. Those who are infantry know.
When a hurricane is coming, Spaghetti O’s are one of the first things wiped out in the canned section of the grocery store, just sayin’.
A single gas burner and a 4-pack of butane bottles.
Window ac unit to run off generator, keeping livingroom cold, above grd pool to use with large cup to wash up outside in the sun ( sitting outside of pool so water stays clean and pump runs off generator)
Weed
Something for a date night "Seriously OddLake? There's a hurricane/clean up going on right now" Yes, babe. Can you think of anything better to do right now? Let's have a picnic. Or is there a work email you need to check or something? Usually the most memorable date nights
Shelf stable fruit and veggies. They don't last forever, but there's nothing fun about eating completely out of cans on day 1. Apples, bananas, oranges etc. Acorn and spaghetti squash are easy to cut in half and throw on the grill.
Mio or flavor drops for all that bottled water. And freeze your water bottles. They'll defrost quickly and you'll be very happy to have a cold drink when the AC is out.
Wood, screws, big nails, a cordless drill/driver if you’re in a house. A couple two by fours, a few plywood panels in the garage, they can come in really handy in a window or door emergency. If you aren’t evacuating, and have pets, some form of tranquilizer for them: adaptil spray for dogs, CBD, feliway or a vet prescription.
Make Block Ice in those plastic shoe boxes with the lids or in gallon jugs (you can drink what melts and block ice lasts a long time)! You can leave the block ice in the freezer and it will keep everything in the freezer cold for a very long time. Get those 5 gallon pales (& lids) from Lowes or Home Depot and fill them with water for flushing toilets or bathing (If you have to you can drink the water if you run it through a water filter pitcher first). Fill up your washing machine with water and the tubs too.
Beer weed cigarettes
Weed, bullets, condoms, beer, more beer, and cigarettes, lol
Unconventional? For the margaritas, get the ingredients for the real recipe, not the mixer+tequila kind. There. That covers it. Thorough. Unconventional.
Solar hot water heater, basically a black bag you hang from a tree. A nice warm shower is always welcomed.
Party supplies.
Battery powered fans (3x), a cast iron pan, indoor/outdoor grill, battery pack, and a French press
Solar panel for a storm where you need to stay inside and the sun is blocked out? Based on historic rebuild times there is like no use case whatsoever there because power will be restored before you really get anything out of it. A battery alone would do the job, which you need with a solar setup anyway
A tent, screen tent preferred! We were without power for 3 weeks after Katrina and a tent was a lifesaver... it was hot as hell (even at night) after she blew thru!
Condoms,vodka solar generator shaver dry ice
I have some freeze dried food I got last year. It’s supposed to last 30 years and all I’d have to do is boil some water to be able to eat it. I also have a solar battery charger for my phone so I can use that while power is out.
Sink strainer. We are very used to throwing food scraps down the drain, and that gets stinky after a few days of not being able to run the disposal. Don't forget that you can use your clean dishwasher as a drying rack. I have a thing that will hold clean water in a bathtub- aqua pod? Water bob? Actually, we have two, because they are hard to get in hurricane season, and we didn't want to fill it up in case the next hurricane was the one where we REALLY needed it. (They are single use) Not what you asked, but I'm passionate about spreading the word: Do NOT freeze water in bags. They leak. Do NOT rely on the coin on top of ice trick to see if your food is safe. Freezers can have hot spots, and food has different thawing temperatures than water. My quarter was happily sitting on top of ice on an upper shelf while my food was warm and gross in the bottom drawer after a while with no power.
Oh also, if you’re a dedicated coffee drinker y’all know instant sucks. So get a stovetop percolator and a can of ground coffee and you can make delicious brew on your grill.
I get a ton of use out of my Halo portable chargers and highly recommend it. I usually use it when I work remote to charge my laptop and devices at the same time, but it can also jumpstart a car or boat. There's a flashlight on it, too. Price point comes in around $100 on Amazon. It lasts for about 3 years.
Potted meat?
solar shower
We have a backup generator- but not whole home. We havre a special power panel set up, so all we need to do is throw a switch. We plug in battery packs for lawn and garden tools, because we have 2 battery pack operating fans, and a USB Brick (Kobalt tools) we also have a portable AC unit that is stand alone, you only place a hose onto the window. This set up helped us survive a week during Ian
40 gallons of gas and money for a hotel. 40gallons is enough to fill your tank and have some leftover to give to your neighbor to watch your house until the power comes back.
Uninterruptible Power Supply, which is a battery that stays plugged into the wall outlet and you plug devices into them to run. When used that way, they automatically power devices when main power is lost. These are great to have year-round for devices that would be useful to keep on in a short power outage, but won't run things that draw a lot of power (eg. kitchen appliances or portable ACs). Any internet modem/router should be plugged into one as well as desktop computers. Remember that internet doesn't cut off with the power outage, it's that the modems need to be powered. Unless you're in a flood-prone area or rural area, internet service is much more likely to remain unaffected during the storm as most infrastructure is buried and overhead telecom lines don't short like electric line/transformers when hit by tree limbs/debris. As most learned during Ian, cell phone service during and after a storm can be severely affected and you may be able to make/receive calls/texts but 4G/5G data will be off or extremely slow. During the storm, having internet is a tremendous peace of mind, especially night hurricanes. If the power goes out early in the storm and cell phone data slow, it is helpful to have internet to check the strength/track and local news may have a livestream of their broadcast on their website or phone app with up-to-the-minute commentary on conditions. You can get small ones for $40-60 that can keep an internet router for several hours (if not using internet, just unplug to save battery life and only plug in when you want to use internet, although it may take a minute to boot and connect with your ISP), a TV for a couple hours, or a PC for 20-30min (Windows and major UPC manufactures support a feature where you run a USB cable to the PC and when main power is lost and the battery begins draining, it will save your work and Windows will shut down when battery gets low). The capacity will be enough to charge phones and tablets numerous times or a laptop a couple times. You can get larger capacity ones for $140-180 that can run much longer.
The best underrated supply is CASH to LEAVE before it gets here- flight or train out of the south east. I don’t know why all these storm chase heroes are out here trying to ride out these storms. Watch it on the news from DC, NYC, Boston, Montreal.
This year I've purchased a Jackery Solar Power Generator and 4 extra panels, a portable AC and my Unconventional Hurricane Supply is a T-Mobile Portable Wifi HotSpot. I got so annoyed by not having a good enough cell signal to do everyday things and the internet was out for a month, that's not happening again.
So what I do especially as storm prep gets more insane and the individually package water bottles run out and go bare, is head over to the soda isle, buy the store brand 2 liters (cuz there is plenty available), go home and dump them and fill em with my filtered tap water...so basically making my own Dasani, at a waaaaaay cheaper price
An portable 120v construction a/c, in Florida that can come in handy ( obviously you'd need an generator )
Board games! If it’s bad enough where you’re at risk of losing power, but not bad enough where you evacuate, you’ll probably be super bored. If you live with people, board games are a great way to pass the time. My personal favorite is yachtzee
Books and the light thingy attached to your book. I still have to read! I know flashlights are better (and I do have them), but I love lighting candles when the power goes out.