Preparation for Power Outage in a Nutshell

You want WARMTH ! Layers of clothes. Hot Hands products.

You want LIGHT! (Solar devices are the BEST!)

You want a means of cooking or warming your food, and you want comfort foods. (canned soups, ravioli etc.) Hot chocolate. Mac N Cheese.

Power Outage Fun

During a power outage, you can just say you are "unplugged." ...and you can still have fun..the old fashioned way!








During a long term power outage, our charged devices (iPad, iPod, iPod Touch, Smart phone, Kindle, Android, etc.) will eventually run out of power. Consider the old fashioned ways of occupying your mind or of entertaining yourselves.

Have games, puzzles, books, drawing paper, crayons, etc. You will only be limited by your imagination!

This is why you want light...so you can see to play your games, ready your books, draw your masterpieces.

Musicians in the family can play their instruments! (If they are non electrical.) A harmonica would be a good thing to have in the home. And a guitar. Or Ukulele.

A recorder is easy. Create a jugband. Sing. Make up songs. Write.

Becoming unplugged won't be all that bad! I can be lots of fun!

Portable Stoves

One day last October, I was in San Diego walking down a sidewalk near where some Mexican landscape workers were sitting on the ground around a portable stove, laughing and talking and cooking their tortillas.

Now this was eating in style! No cold sack lunch for these guys! Just the wonderful aroma of cooked corn tortillas and whatever else they had. (I did not linger to see.) I want one of those I thought!

And sure enough, I did get one at a swap meet, 2 months later, for 20 dollars. The fuel cartridge -butane -was 2 dollars. Now I am ready for a long term winter power outage. I can cook anything on my portable stove! These little stoves cook as well as your own kitchen stove. One burner at a time is all I need, how about you?
I found an even cheaper model on amazon.com.....

Deluxe Butane Burner Stove & Free Case
by Smart Chef

Price: $13.30 Check it out!

http://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Butane-Burner-Stove-Free/dp/B000BVC4NY

The Power Went Out And....

The house instantly became pitch black dark! But...

I was ready and fearless!

I looked out the window..the neighbors to the back had lights. I went to the front door and peered out. Complete darkness in all the homes across the street. No street light.

I went to out bedroom and got our three solar lanterns and brought them into the kitchen. There! Great! Lots of light! But I sure hoped the electric company would fix the problem soon.

I love our lanterns! Here they are...lighting up the kitchen during that power outage.

(Now you don't have to have SOLAR lanterns: my folks have lanterns that look almost exactly like this, but they are battery operated and sometimes they forget to check the batteries and get caught during a power outage without light. Usually, though, they are fine ready and the lantern is ready and handy.)


I had light, but I had a problem. Our gas oven stopped working! I was baking a turkey breast at the time...about 11:00 at night during the week before Christmas. Why did my oven stop working? It is not an electric stove. True. But the thermostat is electric...and so when the temperature of the oven dipped a bit, the thermostat did not kick in and the oven slowly got cooler.

I started to wonder when the folks at the electric company would get this straightened out.

Wait! Maybe they do not even know about this problem in our neighborhood. I called 9-1-1 (ON OUR LAND LINE because our cordless phones were not working) and told the gal that this particular neighborhood had no electricity. She said they knew about it.

My turkey breast had another hour and a half of baking/roasting....and I did not have any idea when the power would return. If it would not return for four or 5 hours, I would be in trouble.

I needed to get this meat cooked. I couldn't very well take it out of the oven and put it in the refrigerator. I decided I would relax and read for a while.

First, though, I turned off the computer and the power strip it is connected to.

Then I called our neighbor across the street on my cell phone (which was working!) and took a solar lantern over to him to use. He had a flashlight but welcomed the lantern, which he could set on a table and it gave off more light.

I then sat down and caught up on some reading and waited for the lights to go back on.

After 45 minutes, I began to think of that turkey breast again.

The best possible thing I could do, I thought, is to grill it on our outdoor BBQ grill. I went outside to the back patio to see if we had some charcoal. We did. Good! Next step, get the grill and clean it up and get it ready.

As I started to do that, the lights came back on! Yes!

I was set back a little that night and got to bed at 2:30am (had to finish cooking the turkey breast, then cool it off enough to refrigerate it.)

I was so glad I had those 3 solar lanterns! And that I could share one with a neighbor..and that someone out there (some electric company employees)knew how to get the power going again.

Solar Path Lights Save the Night

Do you have some of those solar path lights that you can buy individually for about 3 bucks (or more) and then stick them in your lawn? All day long, these items collect solar energy and when the sun goes down and it is dark, they light up quite brightly! If you need a light, this is a good reliable source...doesn't need expensive batteries:the sunlight is free of charge(so far!)

What I like about these is that they are carried easily from room to room, a solar torch, as it were. Here I am carrying mine down the hall in the darkness. It surely lights my way.


I use it to illuminate the pages of the book I am reading. It does a great job.

Great Use of A Dollar Raincoat

I may have told this story already, but here goes:

This is me one summer at the crest of a hill on a freeway (actually, this is at "the point of the mountain" in Utah...between Provo/Orem area and Salt Lake City.)

What happened is this: It was raining, and a very busy Friday afternoon (this was the day Michael Jackson died 2 years ago)and we got a flat tire. It was the tire on the left side of the car, so it was quite dangerous for my hsuband to be changing that tire, with his backside jutting out into the oncoming traffic on the slick road. I was thinking: I have to warn the cars to slow down as they crested the hill. So I put on my bright yellow raincoat from the 99 Cents Only store that I had in my Car kit. And I stood there with my arms holding the coat out so I would be more visible. I also was praying no one would hit me/us. Our daughter took this picture of me with

her phone. The hard part of this whole thing was that before my husband could jack up the car, he had to remove from the car of the car all the heavy granite slabs he had just purchased! This rain coat must not have had a hood (I can't recall)...not good. I should have been wearing a rain hat!!!

The main point of this post: Have a bright colored raincoat in your car!!! If it night, you can use it many ways. You can wear it so you can be seen (if you have to get out of your car at the side of the road)and not hit by other cars whizzing past. You can wave it over your head for a distress signal. It will keep you dry if you have to walk or work in the rain.

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Keeping Warm in your Cold House

Frosted Window Panes! You think you are cold???? Is there 1 and 1/2 inches of ice on your inside window?

Do you have a nice warm bed with flannel sheets and lots of blankets?

Dealing With the Cold

Here are 2 stories from my life that may enlighten you to the fact that you can survive well if you have no heating in your home/room.

Story Number 1

This goes back to the late 60′s. I was a college student living at home (Central Wisconsin-often the "coldest spot in the nation today" as the radio announcer often told us) and my brother left for the navy. I inherited his bedroom and for the first time in my life, I had my own room. The bedroom was upstairs, across the way from the attic door, which was actually a curtain hanging in the doorway. The attic’s ceiling was just the wood underneath the shingles of the roof. No insulation. In my new bedroom, there were no heat vents coming in from the basement furnace. I lived in this bedroom for 3 years, through all seasons.

This bedroom was my schoolroom for learning how to cope with extreme indoor temperatures. Before I describe my experiences in winter in this room, let me mention that there are 2 kinds of people in this world: people who are usually hot, and people who are usually cold. I am usually cold. I wear a sweater when it is 80 degrees.

In this bedroom, during the month of January and usually half of February or more, you could see your breath! Any time of the day. Frost, as well as being on the outside of the window, was on the inside of the window and usually 1 inch thick or more. We had 3 windows on the west wall. You could not see out the window for all that frost. We never tried to chisel it off…more would come the next day if we did.

Well, I had to sleep and sleep well because I always had early classes (that started at 7am) to walk over a mile to (there are other stories!) This was my strategy:

First I made sure I had flannel top and bottom sheets on the bed. And then I made sure I had at least 5 blankets on the bed including 2 heavy wool army blankets . My pajamas were actually thick sweat pants and a thick sweat shirt with insulated (thermal underwear) top under the sweat shirt. I had thick hunting socks on my feet and a thick knit cap on my head. I can’t recall if I had mittens on…probably.

Now, here is where my brilliance shows up: I jogged in place for 10 minutes or so..until my blood was going strong, my heart was beating fast , my muscles were all working and I was generating a lot of heat. Then I would jump in bed and cover up! The heat from my body would quickly spread to the flannel sheet below me and the blankets on top of me and soon I would be in dreamland…not caring if my breath was visible and the ice on the windows increased through the night.

So do not be dismayed if you home is unheated during a power outage in winter. Just dress warm and do some heavy exercising periodically to keep you body warm. You’ll do fine.



Story Number 2



I am a pansy compared to my former neighbor. She was a single mom, had 5 kids at home, and lived across the street in a big 2 story house. For 3 winters (maybe more) there furnace was broke and never repaired. They could not afford it. So how did they keep warm? They just wore their coats all day and all night. They got used to this and were fine.

What we learn is this: We can survive in a cold house. Be grateful for the walls and roof to keep the wind out, and bundle up with extra clothes, jackets, sweaters, etc. Have on hand a nice thick knit stocking cap for each member of the family and heavy socks! (go to the hunting section of Walmart or sporting good stores for the best socks!) And have some fun exercising.

Another tip:

Use your Sterno stove or propane stove to make hot drinks of herb tea, hot chocolate, hot prune juice (this is a favorite of mine), hot broth, etc. This will comfort and warm your chilled bodies. You will survive and you will have some good stries (like me) to tell your children and grandchildren.

Thanks for logging on. Remember: If you are prepared,you shall not fear. ~Joan Hulihan

Keep Food Safe During Power Outage

KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE FOOD IN YOUR FRIDGE DURING A POWER OUTAGE

Keep Food Safe During Power Outages (Scenario #3)

Power outages may mean your refrigerator, stove, or microwave cannot work. When food is not kept cold or is not fully cooked the food can make you sick. More than 250 diseases can be caused by bacteria found in contaminated raw or undercooked food, such as meat, milk, eggs, fish, or shellfish. Keeping these foods cold and cooking them will help prevent foodborne illness.

Know How to Protect Your Food

If you think your power might be out for a long time, use foods that can spoil fast before foods that keep longer. Find out now where you can buy dry ice to keep your freezer cold, or blocks of ice for the refrigerator. Buy an ice chest.

Keep Food Cold

Keep doors to refrigerators and freezers closed to keep cold air inside. Freezers that are part of a refrigerator-freezer combination will keep food frozen for up to a day. A free-standing chest or upright freezer will keep food frozen solid for two days if it is fully loaded. A half-full freezer will keep food frozen for a day, especially if the food has been grouped together.

Power Outage Expected to Last More Than a Day

It is most important to keep meat, seafood, and dairy products cold. An ice chest packed with ice or snow can keep food cold. Bags of ice or block ice can be purchased and placed in the refrigerator to keep food cold.

Dry ice from a local ice company or grocery store can help save frozen food. Use caution when handling dry ice and follow these tips:

Never touch with bare hands, taste, or put in mouth

Provide good ventilation prior to placing dry ice in freezer and don't inhale gas vapors

Don't place dry ice directly on food or glass shelves and don't use in an operating freezer.

Can't Fit Everything Into the Ice Chest

It is most important to keep meat, seafood, and dairy products cold. In cold weather, other items can be stored in a cardboard box in a garage or shed. Generally, the following items can be kept on a countertop or in the garage:

Jams and jellies, Butter and margarine, Ketchup, mustard, pickles, relish and similar condiments

Fresh uncut fruit and vegetables.

Don't Store Food Outside During Winter

Storing food outside during winter isn't recommended. The outside temperature changes from hour to hour. The sun may thaw frozen foods or warm cold foods so that they grow bacteria. If you store food outside anyway, make sure that animals don't contaminate the food.

Know What Food to Keep and What to Throw Out

If food is cold to the touch, and you know it has not been above 45 degrees F for more than an hour or two, it is probably safe to keep, use, or refreeze. Throw away all meat, seafood, dairy products, or cooked foods that don't feel cold to the touch. Even under proper refrigeration, many raw foods should be kept only three or four days before they are cooked, frozen, or thrown away. If in doubt, throw it out. Never taste suspicious food. It may look and smell fine, but the bacteria that cause foodborne illness may have grown on the food and will make you sick.

SOURCE: http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/food/poweroutage.html

Scenario # 3 Power Outage

Part of being prepared is knowing what to do in a power outage.

When there is a power problem, leave it to the experts to resolve. Never investigate the source of a power problem on your own.

If you see a fallen wire, stay away and call 9-1-1 right away. (This information is from the California Edison Company. )

If there is a power problem in your home:

If you’ve had problems with your power for more than a few minutes, please let us know.

Reporting the outage online is fast and easy.
You can also call SCE at 1-800-611-1911.

Charlie Brown is prepared!

Yes, it is that time of year! This past week, historic Santa Ana winds blew down trees and knocked out power in the Inland Empire...not very far from us at all! Are you prepared like Charlie Brown?

WARMTH

I love this product! I opened one up 2 Sundays ago at about 3:15pm to show to the RS sisters at the 3:40 meeting. I passed it around, it was warm, and I told everyone it was not too hot because it was old. I stand corrected. yes, it was kind of old... a year old...maybe 2...but it got hotter and hotter after I came home from church! I kept it with me...even at 9pm at night it was so nice and hot. Even at 11:00 it still was active...not as hot as 9pm, but still very warm and comforting. Truckers wear these in their shirt pockets. Women can tuck them in their bras. Just holding one between your hands is nice. You simply rip open the package, take out the pouch and shake it. The pouch is made of some kind of fiber that lets the air in to mix with the powdery ingredients inside and this activates it to produce heat. There are 2 sizes. Don't buy the small hand warmers... they are too tiny...buy the bigger pack. Keep them in you car's glove compartment so you can find them easily. They will be a comfort to you if you are stranded in a car in cold weather!
Using hot hands with a blanket is the best thing to do if you end up spending many hours in your car.Warm hats, gloves, scarves: keep extras in your car. Actually, mittens are warmer than gloves.

Is Your Car Ready For Winter?

To Winterize Your Car, Attend to the Following:

1. Battery and ignition system should be in top condition and battery terminals clean.

2. Ensure antifreze levels are sufficient to avoid freezing.

3. Ensure the heater and defroster work properly.

4. Check and repair windshield wiper equipment, ensure proper washer fluid level.

(Our son recommends bringing an extra gallon of wiper fluid along in case of heavy blizzard.)

5. Ensure the thermostat works properly.

6. Check lights and flashing hazards for serviceability.

7. Check for leaks and crimped pipes in the exhaust system: repair or replace as necessary. carbon monoxide is deadly and usually gives no warning.

8. Check brakes for wear and fluid levels.

9. Check oil for level and weight. Heavier oils congeal more at low temperatures and do not lubricate as well.

10. Consider snow tires, snow tires with studs, or chains.

11. Replace fuel and air filters. Keep water out of system by using additives and maintaining a full tank of gas.

A Possibility For You

Hi ! I just wanted you to picture yourself driving in the snow....if you cannot, maybe this video will help...(Elvis fans will enjoy this!)

Scenario #2 You are Stranded In Your Car

"Tis the season!
It is November...and fast approaching December and W I N T E R !

Here in the high desert we have had snow and we have had roads closed and people stranded.

Scenario #2 is
You are Stranded in Your Car
Snowing or not...it will be cold...and you need to be ready.
You may be driving along fine and then something happens and your car won't go.

You may be on a lonely road...you will have to keep warm to survive!

IF A BLIZZARD TRAPS YOU IN THE CAR OR IF YOU AR STRANDED IN VERY COLD WEATHER, KEEP THESE GUIDELINES IN MIND:

1. Pull off the highway. Turn on hazard lights and hang a distress flag from antenna or window (This is where a brightly colored bandanna comes in handy!)

2. Remain in your vehicle where rescuers are most likely to find you. Do not set out on foot

unless you can see a building close by where you know you can take shelter. Be careful. If it is snowing, distances are distorted by blowing snow. A building may seem close, but be too far to walk in deep snow.

3. Run the engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour to keep warm. When the engine is running, open an upwind window slightly for ventilation. This will protect you from carbon monoxide poisoning. Periodically clear snow from the exhaust pipe.

4. Exercise to maintain body heat (isometric exercises,etc) but avoid overexertion. In extreme cold, use road maps, seat covers, floor mats for insulation if you do not have blankets. Huddle with passengers and use your coat for a blanket.

5. Take turns sleeping. One person should be awake at all times to look for rescue crews.

6. Drink fluids to avoid dehydration.

7. Be careful not to waste battery power. Balance Electrical energy needs-the use of lights, heat, and radio-with supply.

8. Turn on the inside light at night so work crews or rescuers can see you.

9. If stranded in a remote area, stomp large block letters in an open area spelling out HELP or SOS and line with rocks or tree limbs to attract the attention of rescue personnel who may be surveying the area by airplane.

10. Leave the car and proceed on foot-if necessary- once the blizzard passes.

Scenario #1 No Water Flows From Your Tap

5 years ago, in our Relief Society, I began a project with the aim to teach and inspire the sisters of our ward to be prepared in the event of an emergency scenario.

I am now going to re-visit those scenarios (I had posted most of them on an old blog:www.survivalmode.blog.com) which you can still go to.

The first scenario.....




Scenario #1

You have no usable water flowing from your faucets.



This can happen if the city’s water pipes break during a big earthquake, or something can just happen in your neighborhood that wipes out your water supply. Or somehow the city’s water supply can become harmful.

Do not take a shower in bad water, by the way.

We prepare for this scenario best by purchasing bottled water in the amount of one gallon a day per person in your family for 2 weeks. If this is too much, do as much as you can…for 4- 5 days, for example. I find that having water in one gallon containers such as you purchase at the grocery store is a very handy way to obtain, and to use emergency water.

Since you won’t be able to flush your toilets, you need to have on hand packages of those white 13 gallon kitchen trash bags. You lift the lid of your toilet and place an opened 13 gallon trash bag down in your toilet, letting the sides of the bag flow out over the rim of the toilet and then put the seat down and the toilet is ready to use. Then you tie up the bag of human waste and dispose of it somewhere. Go potty in comfort… No need to squat over a bucket!

Some folks like to store extra water in those big blue 55 gallon water barrels (which I wrote about in a separate post previous to this one.) You can use the water in your water heater, also.

One of the best things you can do is to have a water filtration system. I use the Seychelle system ...please see my post on that.

Blue Water Barrels and Accessories

This is the 55 gallon Water Barrel that is offered on many preparedness sites and range in price from $55 to $75. The arizonabarrels.com sells them for $18 !

Our ward is now able to buy them for $15 from a special dealer. You do need other equipment, though. Hence, this post. Please read on. Thank you.

I was able to get the screwed on caps off with my fingers, but only because they were not screwed on tight. I highly recommend getting one Bung wrench as they are called...This one sells for $6.95 at beprepared.com.
You need to fill your barrel with water with a food grade hose...available at Walmarts. Regular hoses have lead in them and are not to be used for drinking.
This is a pump for you to use to get the water out of your barrel.

Portable Water Filtration System

Here's the story: I love water. Fresh tasting clear water. When I go to other cities, often the water taste bad, feels bad in my mouth. I believe we here in Victorville have pretty tasty water. I drink it from the tap. I , though, am aware of the chemicals they put in water here-we get a report from the Water Department regularly. Sometimes it scares me to see that long list of chemicals.

I am aware that when I am traveling, there may not be a source of clean good tasting water. Or we might have a natural disaster that will prevent us from having clean water.

To be a more prepared person, I have decided to purchase a portable water system.

Why?

Well...I don't like buying and using all those clear plastic water bottles: Long story for another post.

Also..another thing that motivated me was listening to my son who, for his work, had to do some survival activities up in the mountains which included using a portable water filtration system. They had to use water from a lake, some streams.

So, curious to see if the LDS Church Distribution Center offered something like this, I checked it out.

I bought the Seychelle Water Filtration Kit (my son used a different name brand system) from the online LDS store and was pleased to find it was a lot cheaper on that site than it was on other sites. I paid $16.50 about 6 months ago and the price recently went up to $22.00. On other sites, this same item costs $59.95!

Here it is...very nice .The plastic bottles Seychelle uses are environmentally safe, re-usable, can be recycled. They will not leach and are BPA free. Yippee! I'm in!

Water Filtration Bottle Kit

This advanced bottle removes up to 99.99 percent of pollutants and contaminants found in drinking water. Produces up to 100 gallons of filtered water. Kit contains one 28-ounce water bottle and two filters. Bottle includes an insulator sleeve and clip.

Water Filtration Kit

(1 Each)

$22.00 USD Item # 08381000

Purchase this item from... store.lds.org

This would make a great Christmas gift, don't you think?

A Prophet Speaks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhIQZGxeY6E&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Prepare Yourself For The Great Day of The Lord

Fiery accident on the 110

Girl, 2, dies in fiery accident on the 110 Freeway in Highland Park

This story has consumed me most of the day. I kept trying to think what could have been done?

Doors were locked so no one could open them to get the girl. Someone broke the window to try to get the girl. Flames kept people from getting the girl. What if it was me? What if I was the mother?The car bursts into flame. This is so hard to deal with. Maybe have good sharp scissors handy to cut the straps and get her out of the car seat fast and drag her to the front of the car and out the door with you. Split second timing. But you are in shock. Whta if there was a fir extinguisher handy?

But everything is on fire. This is just a tragedy.

I believe every car should have a fire extinguisher.

And a good heavy sharp pair of scissors to use to cut child's seat belt in a hurry.

Girl, 2, dies in fiery accident on the 110 Freeway in Highland Park

This story has consumed me most of the day. I kept trying to think what could have been done?

Doors were locked so no one could open them to get the girl. Someone broke the window to try to get the girl. Flames kept people from getting the girl. What if it was me? What if I was the mother?The car bursts into flame. This is so hard to deal with. Maybe have good sharp scissors handy to cut the straps and get her out of the car seat fast and drag her to the front of the car and out the door with you. Split second timing. But you are in shock. Whta if there was a fir extinguisher handy?

But everything is on fire. This is just a tragedy.