Here comes the rain!
It’s that time of year again and we find ourselves expecting a tropical storm. Here are a few suggestions that may help you in case you lose electrical power during or after the storm.
- When it’s stormy outside, don’t grill inside. A portable butane stove is a good option to have available if you are out of power for several days. It is also nice to have a grill on standby outside for when the weather clears in case you need it. Just be sure that anything you burn inside is adequately ventilated.
- If you have an infant, be sure to have plenty of ready-to-eat premixed baby formula on hand. If there are challenges with the water after a storm, you will be glad you don’t have to mix baby formula.
- Clean out your freezer so that you don’t lose expensive foods during a power outage. Use the extra space to freeze water in jugs. Clear out the leftovers and outdated stuff in your refrigerator, then fill the empty space with more containers of water. If you lose power, they’ll continue to stay cold inside the refrigerator.
- Don’t open the refrigerator during the storm. You can buy dry ice for inside the refrigerator, or a better idea may be to use a cooler/ice chest to store foods. Again, dry ice will last longer and keep the food colder.
- Any perishable item that is over 40°F for more than 2 hours should be disposed of; you can go here for a list of refrigerated items that can be used if they are at a slightly higher temperature (such as jelly).
- Prepare a storm kit, including a food kit (see link below). This should include non-perishable foods (such as canned foods) and a can opener that does not require electrical power.
There are many other details and more extensive information at these links:
- http://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan
- http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/
- http://www.chiff.com/a/hurricane-tips.htm
