The Hurricane Exchange or "Brother can you spare a 'D' ?"

[Chip]

It's a bit scary how quickly basics flew off the shelves; water, batteries, BUNDLED WOOD (it's not cold and most fireplaces suck out more heat than they throw off).

We'll need a commodities exchange system if this lasts more than a couple days. I'd guess 2 D batteries are worth AT LEAST a 6 pack of beer around here right now, more a bit further south in the path.

Good luck to our coastline, NY & NJ friends. Seriously, let us know if you need anything. I could probably get to Brewster.

 

[sardog1]

The population of BosWash is extremely dependent on a free flow of essential goods and services. If that breaks down, then people might start thinking some pretty unhappy thoughts. Turn off the power for any extended period, and now it gets quite "interesting" for those unaccustomed and unprepared for life without the things they rely on unconsciously. VFTT members are probably among the best prepared to deal with this, in terms of equipment and experience.

 

[Chip]

Just heard Snowshoe, WV has gotten 2 feet of snow . Hopefully all are well there. The way this storm is tracking we may actually have already seen the worst of it.

I think the first thing that would catch up to most in the event of a prolonged outage is water: Both fresh and for flushing. If you're not on City Water, you need to dump a couple gallons (at least) to get the loo to flush. That would deplete most household's storage pretty quickly. Fresh is a matter of filtering and boiling obviously, and many wouldn't be able to do that. We probably all have a week or 2 of food in the fridge, freezer and cabinet.

 

[Maddy]

We are soooo LUCKY! I don't think the vast majority, if not all of us, would have any problem surviving in this kind of storm and worse.
I do love having an IPHONE because I know I can charge it on my car battery and perhaps access a site I might really want info from.
I froze blocks of ice just like for camping. My neighbor was really impressed last year whenI told him he could use snow to help preserve some of his perishable. The thought had never crossed his mind and he is an "outdoorsman". I made really filling soups, froze them, so I could heat them up on my camp stove,and bought and extra lb of Starbucks. Being without my Starbucks is the one thing that would surely finish me off. The dogs have food for several weeks, and gas in the car in the event they had a doggie medical emergency. My vehicle is more than capable of getting me from point A to point B in any kind of weather.

Lanterns, headlights, warm clothes (enough to open a gear store), several stoves, it's all at our beck and woof. And if you're lucky enough to have dog, he/she will certainly help keep you warm.

We take it for granted but we really are survivors and it really isn't all that complicated. Our little secret!
I would sooner be in my tent than on a cot in any emergency shelter. I would feel like I had "failed" if I had to resort to that.
I cannot even tolerate the thought of becoming a whimp!

 

[marty]

Was working in our kitchen and heard a heavy wind gust. Looked out the window and watched two white pines uproot together and fall across our driveway. Thankfully, my neighbor came over with his huge chain saw and we cleared the driveway, but we will need a tree service for the rest.

Our power is likely to go out tonight. Half our neighborhood has no power. We have been spared.....so far.

Marty

 

[roadtripper]

The best picture from the storm so far: http://www.boston.com/news/weather/...bs8eAPXYQj77I/pictures.html?pg=13&t=150&cp=13

 

[marty]

The best picture from the storm so far: http://www.boston.com/news/weather/...bs8eAPXYQj77I/pictures.html?pg=13&t=150&cp=13

That is excellent!!!!

 

[Tom Rankin]

The best picture from the storm so far: http://www.boston.com/news/weather/...bs8eAPXYQj77I/pictures.html?pg=13&t=150&cp=13

Attention, MichaelJ!

 

[RoySwkr]

I was out shopping Mon afternoon and discovered the hardware store had closed at 3 pm, not very enterprising that!

 

[DougPaul]

I froze blocks of ice just like for camping. My neighbor was really impressed last year whenI told him he could use snow to help preserve some of his perishable. The thought had never crossed his mind and he is an "outdoorsman".

That will help to keep the refrigerator cold, but is not cold enough for the freezer. (The food will thaw at a slightly lower temp than the ice.)

However, if you mix the snow/ice with salt (sodium chloride) or calcium chloride, the mix will become significantly colder than the thawing point of food. (Remember the salt and ice mixture used in old-fashioned ice-cream makers?) And many of us have salt or calcium chloride around for treating walkways and driveways... Table salt will also work.

I put pots and dishes of snow and snow+calcium chloride in my refrig and freezer after last October's storm and lost nothing after a 3-day power outage.

Note: Salt and calcium chloride solutions may corrode metal pots--glass or ceramic dishes will be unaffected by them.


I also picked up a 12-volt inverter so I could power the refrig from my car if need be. (Much cheaper and less maintenance than a dedicated generator.) All I need to do is run the refrig once or twice a day to keep it cold enough. Having an Energy Star (ie well insulated) refrig also helps...

Doug

 

[bikehikeskifish]

We use seawater, salt and ice (making a slurry) to freeze bait all the time. In the spring during the mackerel runs, we do this to toughen the skin and freeze the mackerel - which makes them great trolling baits in summer come tuna time

Tim

 

[Little Rickie]

I also picked up a 12-volt inverter so I could power the refrig from my car if need be. Doug

Didn't know that could be done. Got link for that.

I'm assuming the car is running? Can you run lights or a furnace with that as well if you alternated plugging them in?

 

[Chip]

So we lost power last night about 7pm. Ate prepared food. Cooked sausage egg and cheese on toasted bagels this morning on my camp stove. My parents are on the other side of town and got their power back this morning but we have 2 huge trees down on the lines on our road that have not been touched. Elderly neighbor had 3 large pines down across her driveway so me and my boys cleared an opening so she'd be able to get in and out. At the Y now charging, showers and wifi. No school tomorrow but I'll need to work.

 

[Fisher Cat]

Yea, definitely anyone who is a true hiker/backpacker, is already equipped. We had a large account we were doing work on this weekend while everyone else was rampaging the stores. When I stopped to think if we needed anything, it was already Sunday PM, and the answer was 'no', we've already got everything for the long haul. Both of us are Blizzard of '78 veterans (my wife was in MA, we lived in NH) so we know how to stockpile.

Best memory I will take from this storm came today as me and a friend of mine (he's orignally from CO) went to help a mom & kids who had some trees blocking their driveway, and her husband got stuck in Detroit on business. So we went over and cleared it so they could go stay at her sister's place. On way home I went a different route so I could drive by a EEC (that's a PA abbreviation for Environmental Education Center) that I volunteer at to help clear trails since we moved down here, to see what damage had been wrought. Turns out a blow down white pine (8-9in across) fell into the highway, blocking a lane, and cars were swerving every which way to avoid it. So I hopped out, grabbed my axe, made sure the scene was safe, and then hacked it off since it was still attached to the stump, pulp-hooked it, and dragged it off the road. (How many people, I say, in PA carry such equipment in their trunk?). Its raining, horizontal wind, cold and plain blech-y, just before I get back in the car, a local police officer pulls right up beside me.

I figure I am in for a good chewing-out, he rolls down the window and said 'thanks for making me not have to get out of the car to do something about that'. I said 'no problem sir'. Nice words from a guy who has worked much longer, much harder, and looked like he hadn't slept in about 3 days, cause after all, they have the tough job.

 

[Little Rickie]

Good thing you got skills.

The only thing missing is freezing temp and three feet of snow. Bee safe.

 

[Maddy]

That will help to keep the refrigerator cold, but is not cold enough for the freezer. (The food will thaw at a slightly lower temp than the ice.)

However, if you mix the snow/ice with salt (sodium chloride) or calcium chloride, the mix will become significantly colder than the thawing point of food. (Remember the salt and ice mixture used in old-fashioned ice-cream makers?) And many of us have salt or calcium chloride around for treating walkways and driveways... Table salt will also work.

I put pots and dishes of snow and snow+calcium chloride in my refrig and freezer after last October's storm and lost nothing after a 3-day power outage.

Note: Salt and calcium chloride solutions may corrode metal pots--glass or ceramic dishes will be unaffected by them.


I also picked up a 12-volt inverter so I could power the refrig from my car if need be. (Much cheaper and less maintenance than a dedicated generator.) All I need to do is run the refrig once or twice a day to keep it cold enough. Having an Energy Star (ie well insulated) refrig also helps...

Doug

YOu are right on. I use them in the freezer to keep some soup, casseroles etc. cold. I freeze those to and hope that I slow the thaw down enough with my block ice that it last me the 5-7 days it takes to get the power back on. I jam it all in the freezer.

I will try the snow/ice, with salt.

How much salt do you add?

 

[DougPaul]

I also picked up a 12-volt inverter so I could power the refrig from my car if need be.

Didn't know that could be done. Got link for that.

I'm assuming the car is running? Can you run lights or a furnace with that as well if you alternated plugging them in?

I got the idea from the article "Power Inverters offer backup in a blackout" in the June 2012 issue of Consumer Reports. I can't find the article online, but here is a similar (and more detailed) article: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...-power-inverter-replace-a-generator/index.htm.

I picked up a PowerBright PW1100-12. (There are other brands.) This produces a stepped waveform which is less efficient than a sine wave. (Normal AC power is a sine wave.)

* Yes, you will have to keep the car running--otherwise you risk discharging the battery which will both prevent you from starting the car and may also damage the battery. (You should use a deep-discharge battery for battery backup service, not a car (starting) battery.)
* Motors require up to 10x the running power to start. The inverter must be capable of supplying the starting surge. For my refrigertor:
~120 watts from AC lines (sine wave)
~ 150+ AC watts from the inverter (~350 Volt-Amps)
~ Assuming the worst-case 350 VA, this requires 40-50 amps at 12V
- My car alternator is rated at 90A (and the car motor will require some current).
- (All these numbers are my recollection of actual AC measurements. I couldn't measure the starting surge or the DC currents, but a 400W inverter could not start the motor.)

* You will have to check the ratings to see what else you can run and don't forget the starting surge if motors are involved. (Use hiking headlamps rather than AC lights--much more efficient.) Also, some electronic devices don't like stepped waveforms.
* If you want to run multiple devices, you may have to run them one-at-a-time.

Personally, I wouldn't use inverter for a house heater--it likely has big motors and is permanently wired into the house wiring . If you want to run your house off a generator, get a 5-10KW stand-alone generator and get it professionally connected into your house wiring.

Safety Note: You cannot just connect a generator or inverter into your house wiring--you may shock linemen working on the power lines, lose power out to the grid, and/or have your generator destroyed when the power comes on. (Professional installation uses a switch which disconnects your house wiring from the power lines when using the generator.)

Doug

 

[DougPaul]

YOu are right on. I use them in the freezer to keep some soup, casseroles etc. cold. I freeze those to and hope that I slow the thaw down enough with my block ice that it last me the 5-7 days it takes to get the power back on. I jam it all in the freezer.

You may have missed my point that pure ice may be of limited benefit in the freezer--the food will thaw before the ice melts. (The thawing food will help to protect the ice...) Use snow/ice plus salt or calcium chloride in the freezer.

I will try the snow/ice, with salt.

How much salt do you add?

I don't think it is critical--I just chose reasonable amounts. Check out a recipe for hand-cranked ice cream. (Forget the ice cream--just use the proportions of salt and ice... )


Another trick is to turn the refrigerator and freezer thermostats down before the storm put a little extra cold in the "bank".

Doug

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I got the house wired and bought an emergency generator after the 2008 ice storm. I've used it in the 2009 ice storm, Hurricane Irene, and the Halloween snow storm, plus my parents used it (via extension cords, but they've since gotten their house wired) during the tornado last summer. It cost about $1800 total for a 5800-watt generator + 10 breakers. I run

2-well pump (220)
1-septic pump
1-furnace
1-fridge
1-bathrooms
1-basement
3-downstairs lights + outlets

I can't run the stove or the dryer and the washing machine would probably work, but strain the overall load. I can run the toaster oven and microwave. I should probably get one of those one-burner hot-plate thingies.

Tim

 

[hikingmaineac]

I should probably get one of those one-burner hot-plate thingies.

You mean a Whisperlite?