Disaster Ready

[turbodog]

I know this is an old thread, but the stuff here is so spot-on I decided to add it.

1. Turn off ALL breakers. When power comes back on, it often surges and fries things. Also, house fires are started by stoves/ovens that came back on.

2. Tapcon screws (screw into brick/concrete) are single-use only.

3. Tarps, including roofing nails to hold them on and sometimes 2"x2" strips of wood also.

4. Lock your outside panel when backfeeding. Provides protection against someone throwing the breaker and killing an electrical worker.

[Timothybil]

I'm surprised no one brought up Hurricane Sandy, where many places went without power for a week or more, and some for more than a month.

[Cinder]

Anyone from Japan affected by the storm? Power outage = flashlight time! Hope everyone there stays safe though. Some some photos of the destruction that has been caused.

[hombreluhrs]

I'm surprised no one brought up Hurricane Sandy, where many places went without power for a week or more, and some for more than a month.

Sandy is one of the reasons I got into flashlights.

[DaveG]

Good timing on bring this thread back to life,with the crazy weather and hurricane season here.

[TMedina]

Yup, this year promises to be an adventure.

Be sure to check out the lanterns and headlamps sections as well.

[reppans]

I'm surprised no one brought up Hurricane Sandy, where many places went without power for a week or more, and some for more than a month.

Hehe... only one post ahead of yours in the past 5yrs - Sandy hadn't happened yet

[RobertMM]

My place is currently being hit by a typhoon, some areas have taken a beating. No power failures yet, surprisingly, I am taking the opportunity to recharge all cells I have missed yesterday. It will be a long 3 or so days ahead of us.

[StarHalo]

The Hurricane Sandy thread is over here; a fine example of how CPF handles an emergency weather situation.

[RobertMM]

Well, lights out now in many parts of the PHL. Howling winds and heavy rain everywhere. Glad I bought extra groceries and added an inflatable solar lantern to my collection for guilt free lumens. I have an ammo can full of cr123 and AA primaries, but I guess I won't have to dip into it.

[Hooked on Fenix]

So many potential disasters to prepare for, so little time. What disaster strikes will determine how long we need to be prepared for.

Let's start with the fact that our emergency resources are being used up to take care of those crossing the southern border right now. If a widespread disaster strikes, don't depend on government assistance as they are being stretched to the limits right now. From the border crisis, we also have infectous diseases spreading across the U.S. without any proper controls in place to prevent the spread. These people are getting fasttracked through airports and bus stations and spread across the nation without the local authorities clued in at all. Pakistani to English translation books and prayer rugs have been spotted along the border and major gangs south of the border are getting $50,000 a person to get Middle Easterners and Chinese people across the border. A near future terrorist attack is a definite possibility. Increased gang activity is now a certainty.

In the west, we are dealing with a water crisis from a drought. California is now fining people for using water and encouraging people to narc on each other over their water usage. Lake Mead (which supplies much of our water and electricity) is running low as well as it's source from Lake Powell. If we don't get more water soon, we could lose reliability in the electric grid as well as our sources of water. Try to prepare for living in a state with 50 million people with no electricity or water and most states west of Colorado not doing any better. The mass migration of 50 million people over water would in itself be a disaster.

Recently, it was discovered that a Russian computer virus was in over 1,000 systems of energy companies around the world and had been for 18 months. About 1/4 of those companies were in the U.S. The virus was similar to the Stuxnet virus and could monitor, control, and destroy systems and equipment. If the energy sector of the economy crashed, how long would you need to be prepared for such a disaster?

Then we have the threats of natural disasters. Reports of a road melting in Yellowstone from magma rising to the surface could possibly be signalling activity of a supervolcano. 2 150+ mph back to back hurricanes off the coast of Mexico over a month ago could be a sign of a very active storm season approaching. Increasing earthquake activity around the Ring of Fire such as the 7.9 in Alaska makes you wonder if the West Coast of California is next. Wildfires are popping up across the west due to the drought as well.

I don't know what disaster I'll be preparing for but there are enough of them damaging enough that I would want to be prepared with at least a year of supplies of water, food, fuel, first aid, and power. I think we are past the time when we can rely on 72 hours of supplies being enough before help arrives. At this point, I don't want to my survival to depend on help arriving because if any of these events take place, help might not arrive. Then what?

[Stockhouse13]

Sandy is one of the reasons I got into flashlights.

Me, too.

[StarHalo]

Well, lights out now in many parts of the PHL. Howling winds and heavy rain everywhere.

Hang in there, hope everyone stays safe indoors. Good to see you still have internet..

[RobertMM]

Hang in there, hope everyone stays safe indoors. Good to see you still have internet..

Thank you Sir.
Toppled trees everywhere, main power transmission lines heavily damaged so it would take quite a while to restore electricity. No casualties near my area but some areas totally ravaged, some houses roofless or toppled completely.
Internet is spotty, I have a solar powerbank though so I can use my smartphone at will.
I guess I have to bring a few loaners to work later when I get to graveyard shift. Hospital has monggoso generators though so I can recharge the cells I used(two 3400 18650s down to 4.08V each LOL). That Solarforce M9 is really frugal on battery power.

[DaveG]

So many potential disasters to prepare for, so little time. What disaster strikes will determine how long we need to be prepared for.

Let's start with the fact that our emergency resources are being used up to take care of those crossing the southern border right now. If a widespread disaster strikes, don't depend on government assistance as they are being stretched to the limits right now. From the border crisis, we also have infectous diseases spreading across the U.S. without any proper controls in place to prevent the spread. These people are getting fasttracked through airports and bus stations and spread across the nation without the local authorities clued in at all. Pakistani to English translation books and prayer rugs have been spotted along the border and major gangs south of the border are getting $50,000 a person to get Middle Easterners and Chinese people across the border. A near future terrorist attack is a definite possibility. Increased gang activity is now a certainty.

In the west, we are dealing with a water crisis from a drought. California is now fining people for using water and encouraging people to narc on each other over their water usage. Lake Mead (which supplies much of our water and electricity) is running low as well as it's source from Lake Powell. If we don't get more water soon, we could lose reliability in the electric grid as well as our sources of water. Try to prepare for living in a state with 50 million people with no electricity or water and most states west of Colorado not doing any better. The mass migration of 50 million people over water would in itself be a disaster.

Recently, it was discovered that a Russian computer virus was in over 1,000 systems of energy companies around the world and had been for 18 months. About 1/4 of those companies were in the U.S. The virus was similar to the Stuxnet virus and could monitor, control, and destroy systems and equipment. If the energy sector of the economy crashed, how long would you need to be prepared for such a disaster?

Then we have the threats of natural disasters. Reports of a road melting in Yellowstone from magma rising to the surface could possibly be signalling activity of a supervolcano. 2 150+ mph back to back hurricanes off the coast of Mexico over a month ago could be a sign of a very active storm season approaching. Increasing earthquake activity around the Ring of Fire such as the 7.9 in Alaska makes you wonder if the West Coast of California is next. Wildfires are popping up across the west due to the drought as well.

I don't know what disaster I'll be preparing for but there are enough of them damaging enough that I would want to be prepared with at least a year of supplies of water, food, fuel, first aid, and power. I think we are past the time when we can rely on 72 hours of supplies being enough before help arrives. At this point, I don't want to my survival to depend on help arriving because if any of these events take place, help might not arrive. Then what?

Amen,brother tough times ahead for sure.

[scout24]

Bump.

[Burgess]

Very interesting thread here !

[turbodog]

Not to toot my own horn, but post #34 is pretty good.

[Poppy]

Not to toot my own horn, but post #34 is pretty good.

I'll toot it for you, I think it is well written.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...=1#post1669070

[idleprocess]

Observations about the Snowpocalypse 2021 in the DFW area:

• The DFW area remains unprepared for ice and snow - TXDOT might put down brine solution to accelerate ice removal and sand the highways but any substantive plowing of snow or removing ice are out; localities are generally less-prepared than TXDOT
• The average structure in DFW is not really designed for prolonged sub-freezing temperatures nor any stretch of temperatures below the 20s F
• The Texas power grid and natural gas distribution system is vulnerable to the same issues as structures in DFW - a reality that seems likely to continue
• Local water systems are similarly vulnerable to prolonged cold snaps
• Most businesses/retailers have no provision whatsoever for loss of commercial power
• DFW area residents are neither materially nor mentally prepared to handle prolonged cold weather nor utility service disruptions

My personal experience:
Better than most in my city. Save for one 15-minute power outage (where the UPS on my comms decided to beep ineffectually but not provide power) I lost no utilities. Given that the local power distribution company was unable to implement rolling blackouts due to a limited ability to switch loads without impacting grid stability I do wonder if any similar circumstance (statewide power shortages) means I can count on power staying up again - thus I'm uncertain if a portable backup generator for critical 120V circuits is necessary or if I should just improve my UPS game.

Otherwise, I suffered no burst pipes, was sitting on enough dry goods and water to sit tight for weeks, and was not forced to venture out onto icy roads at the risk of being caught up in a flashmob performance of Texans on Ice™. I did learn that the insulating caps so popular in the region for hose bibs are not adequate during a prolonged / colder-than-normal freezing spell, however I was able to defrost them using a hair dryer without further drama and subsequently ran them briefly daily. The furnace ran uninterrupted, however the gradient between downstairs and upstairs was pronounced, suggesting my insulation problems are significant.

A small fraction of the city was on a boil water notice due to water main pressure drops in that area of town. I do not have a decent backup means of cooking or heating water if required other than a charcoal grill (with a small amount of charcoal onhand) or a tiny wood-wired Solo Stove w/ backup alcohol burner.

[turbodog]

Well if we are going down the list of what happened... a lot of this knowledge was paid for dearly by living through Katrina back in 2005.


I got scared about the faucet covers also. Wrapped the plastic cover with a bath towel and applied tape to hold it in place. Then I wrapped that huge bundle with a plastic trash bag and applied more tape. We got down to about 6F on the coldest night (we were pre-chilled to 20F the day before), but nothing froze.

Many people I know lost water. We had filled up a bathtub, 10gal laundry sink, 15 gal utility sink, and a 5 gallon bucket.

Vehicles were filled the day before, and 20 gallons of gas was available in jugs also.

(2) 250w heat lamp bulbs were purchased but NOT used. They are cheap and handy for thawing stuff out, as well as an efficient way to use generator power to stay warm without heating the whole house/room up.

A small amount of extra food was bought, but nothing big. Mainly some snacks.

We are covered on the generator front, 14kw nat gas unit w/ auto crank/transfer. Then 2 older eu2000 units that get loaned out as needed.

Chainsaw, chains, fuel/lube, and so on were ready. But using these in an emergency, with limited transportation to the ER dept, while ice covers everything... not such a good idea. They were for emergency use only. General cleanup can wait till the ice is gone and things are back to normal.

[scout24]

So, after watching what happened and is still going on in Texas, I've made a small list of "wants" for our preps. One is a water bob for the tub, another is a Mr. Heater indoor rated propane heater with the requisite hoses and adapters/regulators to run off of bbq tanks and our bulk tanks alongside the house.

[Poppy]

scout24,
It is amazing how often I find myself thinking along the same lines as you.

After seeing the problems in Texas, I find myself thinking about what else shall I do to be better prepared?

The tub, water bob is a good idea. Years ago, I discounted it for myself, because I am on city water, and I doubt that I would ever be concerned enough about a potential loss of water supply, with enough warning, that I would actually USE it, so I never bought one. More likely than not, it would be a "Oh SNAP! I should have filled that bob up!" I suppose that I could always use garbage bag lined garbage cans. I do have a box of 50 gallon bags.

Regarding toilet flushing: One of my Christmas presents a few years back was a "Luggable Loo" it is a seat that sits on top of a five gallon bucket. You can line the bucket with a plastic bag, and dispose of it as needed. Recently I thought, that one can line his home toilet with a plastic bag and toss it after use, if there wasn't a water supply.

One of the things that came to mind is that plumbing supplies, disappeared from the shelves. So today, I checked my house. I found that I have a 3/4" copper supply, that drops down to 1/2" supply to the sinks and tub. I have two zone hot water heat. One zone is 3/4" copper, and the other is 3/4" plastic. I am considering getting a short length of each type of pipe, and sweat fitting couplings in 1/2 and 3/4" copper, and whatever couplings for the plastic.

I had a Mr Heater 15,000 BTU on top of the tank radiant heater, that I gave to my son, when he was on all electric. I suppose that if I get desperate I can bring in the propane grill. I'd have to double check my CO sensor. Being on Natural gas, things would have to be dire enough that bugging out may be a better solution.

I just checked my boiler, and it is 120,000 btu unit. It cycles on and off, so I don't know how many btu's I'd need on really cold days, but the 15,000 btu Mr. Heater pales in comparison. There's a 30,000 btu unit available, maybe I should have gotten that.

[bykfixer]

We have a setup for a mini home if needed. Pick a small room to hunker down in. The Mr Heater sounds perfect for that. Nice n quiet so roving bandits won't hear the generator to steal.
A friend of mine who owns a construction company has a 120 gallon propane tank hooked to his gas grill. They use it in winter to heat the shop and in summer to have large cookouts.

[orbital]

scout24,
It is amazing how often I find myself thinking along the same lines as you..

+

Logic is inevitable

___________________________

Think of all the worst things that could happen:
Fire
Freezing
Flood
Hurricane / Tornado
Earthquake
ect..

Making a short list of everything you must do in sequence & have preparations of each.
Laminate that list for each, have them in a safe place.

If some of the steps overlap,, then you're on the right track.


btw: walking around filming the disaster with your phone is the exact opposite of what you should be doing at that moment.

[turbodog]

After coming through the recent storm and seeing people try and heat their home with a generator...

(2) 1500w space heaters (burning about a gallon an hour) kept a 1500sqft great room pretty comfortable.

I would pickup a heat lamp. Good way to deliver heat right to you even if you don't have enough power to heat the whole area.

[idleprocess]

So, after watching what happened and is still going on in Texas, I've made a small list of "wants" for our preps. One is a water bob for the tub, another is a Mr. Heater indoor rated propane heater with the requisite hoses and adapters/regulators to run off of bbq tanks and our bulk tanks alongside the house.

After living through it - untouched by little more than an incredible stroke of luck - I'm also rethinking my disaster prep.

I've certainly rambled on at length about procuring and making my electrical panel ready for a generator in other threads, but certain other gaps were made apparent during this event.

• The UPS running my ONT (fiber terminal) crumpled during a brief power outage. Not sure if the battery was kaput or the thing didn't care for the nearly single-digit temperatures in the garage. Swapped it out with another that was sitting idle that it tested good and I insulated a bit. But I probably need to find a way to run the ONT from DC backup power, which will surely be more efficient than the DC-AC-DC of a UPS.
• I had no means to boil any significant quantity of water. I've got no small amount of water onhand in the form of bulk storage and bottled water, but if I had to boil water I'd either be using a backpacking-sized wood/alcohol stove or futzing around with a small Weber charcoal grill.
• My water storage is a bit ... haphazard and needs retooling
• I've got shelf-stable foods a-plenty, but haven't really worked them into meals I can prep easily and routinely

[turbodog]

...[*]The UPS running my ONT (fiber terminal) crumpled during a brief power outage. Not sure if the battery was kaput or the thing didn't care for the nearly single-digit temperatures in the garage. Swapped it out with another that was sitting idle that it tested good and I insulated a bit. But I probably need to find a way to run the ONT from DC backup power, which will surely be more efficient than the DC-AC-DC of a UPS.[*]I had no means to boil any significant quantity of water. I've got no small amount of water onhand in the form of bulk storage and bottled water, but if I had to boil water I'd either be using a backpacking-sized wood/alcohol stove or futzing around with a small Weber charcoal grill.
...

The power usage is so low for that equipment I would not worry about conversion losses.

The eu2k... all hot air exits back and DOWN. I don't know about boiling, but you could set some metal containers back there are have TONS of hot water for bathing/etc. The yamaha ef2800i that I fixed the other day provided tons of hot air, but you could not harness it.

If you are concerning about conversion efficiencies... start with the water angle first. A 5 gallon propane tank, with adapter, will run a 2 burner camping stove for days. This handles all the cooking/boiling needs very conveniently, efficiently, and cheaply.

[idleprocess]

The power usage is so low for that equipment I would not worry about conversion losses.

I'm more concerned about runtime and reliability during an outage during the minutes until I switch over to generator power. A bigger/better UPS will do the trick, but I still have to swap SLAs every <24 months due to their crummy charging circuits and still pay the DC-AC price at the UPS then AC-DC price in the ONT's PSU. A ~18AH SLA on a decent battery tender powering the PSU's 12V aux port only pays the DC-DC penalty within the PSU which is apt to be more efficient than the previous cycle and removes a lot of complexity even if I put a simple 12V regulator on the SLA's output. The UPS has no other job and I expect I could run the ONT for at least 24 hours with such an arrangement.

If you are concerning about conversion efficiencies... start with the water angle first. A 5 gallon propane tank, with adapter, will run a 2 burner camping stove for days. This handles all the cooking/boiling needs very conveniently, efficiently, and cheaply.

Given that I'm likely to develop a modest propane infrastructure, this is pretty reasonable.

[Stress_Test]

.............

Making a short list of everything you must do in sequence & have preparations of each.
Laminate that list for each, have them in a safe place.

If some of the steps overlap,, then you're on the right track.
.......................

That is excellent advice about the list. In my line of work we have written procedures (for pretty much everything) that we're supposed to follow. The procedure serves as a checklist to make sure you don't forget anything; it's easy to forget or miss steps when you're highly stressed and under pressure.

Same reason pilots have checklists that they supposedly follow.