Outlasting Superstorm Sandy

Analyze your vulnerabilities and needs
What do you lose if power fails? Certainly lighting and refrigeration are among the most universal. If your kitchen includes either a propane or natural gas stove, cooking will not be a problem, however food preservation, and possibly water supply will be. If you have an electric stove, then meal preparation is impossible. It is also possible that you might be “locked in” by fallen trees and debris in the roads, and unable to travel to stores when they reopen. The stores can easily be out of stock of essentials for days, because the transportation system is disrupted.

Obtaining gasoline will also become problem, as happened here on Long Island. Lighting and entertainment will be challenges as well, but only if you are unprepared.

Food preservation
In the days leading up to the storm’s arrival, empty your refrigerator and freezer compartments of all items not likely to be consumed before the storm’s arrival. Most supermarkets stock 1.5-liter bottles of water, some in square bottles. These are preferred, since they fill their allotted space with no wasted space. Buy as many as you can fit into the freezer, plus some for the refrigerator. Water isn’t perishable, and gets used faster than you might think.

After the water, fill the freezer with bags of frozen fruit and vegetables, and a smaller amount of meats such as ground beef or turkey. If you have space still available, freeze a small amount of milk. Your objective here is not the menu, but these items will serve double duty. You’re going to use these frozen items to keep non-freezable food cooled. Just make sure these are in the freezer in time to be thoroughly frozen before the storm’s arrival. You can’t be certain of how long the power will available after that.

If you don’t have one already, get a good-quality, well-insulated picnic cooler. The size you want is determined by the number of people in your home. This will become your working refrigerator once the power is out.

Immediately after the power has failed, and depending on the size of the cooler, place two or three bottles of the frozen water into the cooler, move perishables such as milk, cheese, and cold meats into the cooler, then add a bag or two of the frozen fruit and vegetables or meat on top. Don’t forget to include any medications such as insulin, that require refrigeration.

The only time that the freezer compartment should be opened is to replenish the defrosted items and melted water when they are no longer keeping the other items in the cooler cold enough. You then have fresh water for consumption, and part of the day’s menu. Be sure to consume the perishable items in the cooler first. If you are uncertain about the freshness of any food item, discard it. You don’t want a food-borne illness under any circumstances, because it may be impossible to get to a hospital, or for an ambulance to get to you.

Food supply
As the storm nears, bring in a supply of the food items that do not require refrigeration. These include certain preserved meats, root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, or turnips, fresh fruits such as apples, oranges, and bananas.

Include dry grains like instant rice, couscous, and instant oatmeal, and dry breakfast cereals. Noodles and pastas can also be included. Your choice will depend on the ability to boil water. Of course, canned fruits and vegetables are a good choice, along with jars or cans of sauces. In short, you want it only if it doesn’t have to be refrigerated.

Tea, coffee, and instant cocoa will work out well, along with dry packaged foods such as instant soups. As an undergraduate, I lived on ramen noodles, and somehow never lost my taste for them.

Making coffee may be a bit difficult, but the use of a French press will make that task as simple as the making of a cup of tea. French presses can be had from a number of different sources.

And yes, potato chips, pretzels and the like are acceptable, as are dried fruit snacks. Your rule should be that whatever it is, it doesn’t require refrigeration.

Cooking
Your choice of food items will depend on your ability to cook while the power is out. If you have a propane or natural gas stove in your kitchen, you’re in good shape. But what if your stove is electric?

Outdoor stores and some hardware stores carry a line of propane-fueled stovetops and grills. I have one of each, but the stovetop with two to four burners is preferred. The grill may be fun, but you’re unlikely to be able to boil water on it, and that should be your criterion. Make certain that the fittings are the correct size for the propane bottle you’ll be using.

Be aware that burning propane produces carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas that can be lethal. If possible, do the cooking outdoors, or at the very least, with adequate ventilation. If you are must use it indoors, it may be wise to have a carbon monoxide detector placed nearby. Safety should be primary.

Lighting
Adequate lighting after nightfall is not just desirable, but critical to safety. Fortunately, there are a number of options available.

Candles are romantic, but dangerous and practically useless in disaster survival circumstances. A pleasant alternative are oil lamps, but again, safety is most important. Be sure that they are not left unattended, place them where they will be stable and not likely to be touched, and extinguish them before going to sleep. When filling them with oil, try to do it outside the building, using a funnel to avoid spillage.

Better still are battery powered light sources, notably light-emitting diodes (LED). They have the advantages of being inexpensive, low power consuming for long battery life, and are available in a surprising array of configurations. They cast a very white light, with the intensity dependent on the number of LEDs.

One such style is sometimes called a touch light. It is a small, flat item with multiple LED “bulbs.” I purchased several at two dollars each, and placed them around my home. Though these particular lamps are not a powerful light source, they provide ambient light to allow easy movement without walking into any furniture or doors.

LED lights are also available in the common flashlight shape. I highly recommend what are called head lights or head lamps. Powered by AAA batteries, these lights use flashlight bulbs or multiple LEDs in a small palm-sized unit. These lights are worn on the head using an attached elastic strap, and are hinged so that the light can be directed where needed. They give you the distinct advantage of lighting your way while allowing you to have both hands free.

Energy
At the earliest indication of an approaching storm, take an inventory of all the battery-powered devices you have on hand, or plan to purchase before the storm, and stock up on the appropriate batteries. These should be obtained as early as possible, because they are usually among the first items to sell out.

One thing that has puzzled me, and something I’ve seen repeatedly before a major storm, is the sold-out status of rechargeable batteries and chargers. Unless you already have a sufficient inventory of charged batteries, these are useless, since they cannot be charged or re-charged until power is restored.

If you have a laptop computer, make sure it is fully charged, but avoid using it. Charge your mobile phone, since this will likely be your sole communication device, and when it needs recharging, charge it from the laptop. This should be the only time the laptop is powered on.

There are also a range of battery-powered mobile phone chargers available, averaging around twenty dollars in price.

Make certain you have a sufficient supply of propane if you are using it. Depending on your use, one 14.1 ounce (400 gram) bottle should last at least two days, so you’ll want to have four or five bottles on hand.

If you’re using oil lamps, be sure you have sufficient oil.

When the storm is imminent, fill the fuel tanks of your vehicle or vehicles, and park them where they are least likely to be struck by a falling tree or limb.

Miscellany
Some items that you’ll want to make sure you have supplied are plastic trash bags, particularly large sizes, paper towels, toilet tissue, paper plates, and plastic flatware.

Lastly, depending on the extent to which your property is treed, you may want to consider having tools to remove fallen tree limbs and branches.

If you don’t already have such tools on hand, consider purchasing a small collection, such as a machete, bow saw and possibly a hand axe. It’s often easier to move fallen wood when smaller branches are removed, and the piece is cut into smaller pieces.

Make sure to have a sharpening stone, and optionally, a honing stone, and have a good, sharp edge on the tools. A sharp tool is safer than a dull one, because it is less likely to bounce out of control and cause an injury.

Summary
Following these simple steps, and doing an easy analysis of your own situation and the vulnerabilities and threats you face, will point you in the direction of the best course of action to take in preparation for an impending disaster.

By identifying these vulnerabilities, and taking appropriate action to mitigate them, you assure safety and survival.

You might even find that you’ll look back on the “powerless” days with nostalgia once you resume your normal worklife.

Mark Zablocki is the administrative editor of the Homeland Security News Wire