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[C.Ann]

Ice cream is the first thing to stock up for hurricane season. If the power goes out, you HAVE to eat it.

C.Ann - you didn't mention water. We bought a few gallons and keep it in the bottom of our pantry. Will it go stale? And I've heard of tablets to make tap water less dangerous to drink - sound familiar to anyone?

TIA!

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Well I have two types of water here - because my well water is not safe to drink or cook with..

I have gallon jugs of water that my son-in-law refills and brings up every weekend.. At any given time I have at least 30 gallons here - I use it as needed - and have never had a problem with it going "stale".. I think the tablets you are talking about are to sterilize your water supply after it has been contaminated somehow.. I would assume they are some kind of bleach, but since I've never had to use them I don't know for sure..

My other source of water is bottled water - such as Poland Spring or the store brand - or whatever is the cheapest.. I use that for my personal drinking water as I just can't force down the water from my DD's house for some reason.. I have never liked water to begin with - and until I was forced to drink it for health reasons - I very, very rarely drank water.. Now that I drink the bottled water, I can even drink it warm!! No more "forcing" it down.. So - I always have 48 bottles "out" of the fridge - and 24 "in" the fridge.. As soon as I have to open one of the 24-packs that is not in the fridge, it's time to get more.. That type of water can definitely be kept forever and ever with no problem - as long as you're not storing it outside in the direct hot sunlight..

So as far as having extra water on hand, I've got that very well covered!

 

[Disneycrazymom]

A water story- I don't buy much bottled water as we like the taste of tap water so - cool. Then last summer while the power was out there was a boil order (flooding related) and I was not really prepared. Had to go searching for bottled. Water is something you really need to have especially if it is summer in StL and you have no power!

 

[C.Ann]

A water story- I don't buy much bottled water as we like the taste of tap water so - cool. Then last summer while the power was out there was a boil order (flooding related) and I was not really prepared. Had to go searching for bottled. Water is something you really need to have especially if it is summer in StL and you have no power!

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Yes - water is extremely important! The first year my brother moved to Florida, he and his GF decided to "ride" out the first hurricane they encountered.. He learned two things: Get out of Dodge when there's a hurricane aiming right at you - and ALWAYS have bottled water on hand!! They had NO water at all - for a few days.. However, they had plenty of ingredients for warm Margarita's - and I think that's what kept the two of them "sane"..

 

[dizluvah]

Along the lines of other things besides food -

I keep an extra month's supply of my RX medications on hand. There is an out of pocket expense if your insurance is picky, like mine, about determining when they will allow refills. However, for me the cost is money well spent since I cannot go without some of medications without serious health consquences.

Also - I gave crank flashlights as stocking stuffers a few years ago to my sister and her DH. I got them at LL Bean for around $15.

 

[Becky2005]

4. Don't forget shampoo, soap, toilet paper, feminine products, medicine, etc..

That was my first thougth TP.

We use a hand held can opener regularly, so things like that I don't even think about but I know if you are used to an electric one, would be good to have.

I'm trying to remember what we did last time when the tornado whistle blew & we had to head to the basement. I do remember at one point my little one was taking a bottle & in diapers when the whistle blew. It dawned on me then it would probably be a good idea to have a seperate emergency diaper bag just hanging out in the basement -- instead of my oh crud, I forgot the wipes...I should probably go get those run back upstairs deals, so if you have little ones in diapers/formula that might be helpful.

I know there are tons of things you should have that we don't.

 

[SamRoc]

I have a mess of Nutrisystem in my basement left over from my diet last year. That stuff will last for years. My ds calls it my MRE's. (meals ready to eat!)

 

[disney kid at heart]

We keep our pantry stocked with canned goods: veggies, condensed soup, chili, beans. I purchase and use large bags of rice, flour, dried beans from warehouse stores. I keep yeast on hand in case we need to make bread the "old fashioned" way. I also keep a couple bags extra bags of charcoal on hand because we can grill even if we dont' have power.

The key to successful stocking up is to be sure and use everything before the expiration date. It requires a little effort to rotate items so you are using oldest first and a bit of restraint to not go overboard buying too much when you find a good sale.

I don't advocate hoarding food but I also don't think it is unreasonable to keep extra items on hand just in case. I also find this can help with my budget, if an unexpected bill or expense comes up, I can always use up more of my pantry items and spend less on groceries for a week or two if needed.

That's what we do. When there is a sale we get tuna, fruits and veggies in cans just in case we don't have electric. I really wish we had a generator since we can only sleep with electric because of our bipap machines. We have cases of H2O and we fill milk jugs with H2O. You need to make sure you have Tylenol, thermometers, non electric can openers, paper products. If there is a pandemic there may not be electric since pepole may be ill and noone be able to help if power is out. Hopefully it doesn't come to that but it is better to be prepared for this or weather related problems.

 

[pennymom]

There are also crank radios that include a flashlight, NOAA weather radio and cell phone charger...all charged by the same crank. I think they are available on the Red cross store website and maybe other places.

Extra pet food and meds

 

[C.Ann]

There are also crank radios that include a flashlight, NOAA weather radio and cell phone charger...all charged by the same crank. I think they are available on the Red cross store website and maybe other places.

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That might be something to look into for some folks.. Thanks!

 

[portocall]

Well, most things are already covered... I have a camp stove with plenty of propane, as well as a case of MRE's and canned goods. Battery powered fans are helpful...

so is plenty of bug spray...

but generally speaking, if it is gonna be bad, we get out of dodge.

as far as the possible pandemic, if the stores close... I have plenty of canned goods, shelf stable milk, but people who have little ones should have plenty of care items...

 

[barkley]

we have an inexpensive non portable phone. reason being is the portable types won't work if the electricity is out (so we plug in the other one so at least we can send/receive from the home land line). we have our cell phones but if the batteries die we don't nesc. want to be using up the power from the cars to recharge (and sometimes with the snow it's not reasonable to be able to go plug it in and retrieve it several hours later).

our neighbor adored us when the power was out for close to a week, and noone could get in or out for several days (massive snow)-we had an old hand operated coffee grinder we loaned her (she was in desparate need of her coffee fix and about to start chewing on those bags of whole beans she had). between our coffee grinder, her old campstove and camp coffee pot she survived.

we keep extra perscriptions-but also extra otc stuff as well (immodium, excedrin migrane, tylenol AND motrin (in case of very high fevers), pepsid, dramamine-works for quelling nausea...).

extra pet food (and if you have a cat-extra cat litter is a must).

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS!!!!!!!!! when our roof started to collapse due to snow a few months ago, fire and rescue could'nt get all the way to our home and had to walk in to access us. had there been a fire we would have been in a world of hurt.

 

[torinsmom]

My assistant teacher is a Mormon and as we were talking about this flu yesterday, she said that "food storage" is and has always been part of the Mormon culture. They are told to have a year's worth of food stored. WHile I think that may be a little much, I think at least a month is smart. If your area is hit hard with this flu, you may not want to be going out to the grocery store. I know in my town, Walmart is always packed!

She pointed me to the LDS(Latter Day Saints) website. If you do a search for food storage, there are all kinds of links about what to store and how much. Lots of good tips for anyone.

I am planning on getting lots of canned and other easily stored foods tomorrow when I get paid. I will get a few underbed storage bins to store it in. I am also getting distilled water(around 20 gallons) and batteries. I am not in panic mode, but feel like it is good to be prepared for an emergency.

Marsha

 

[java]

So I bought "extra" stuff - like gatorade, water, crackers peanut butter ect. last shopping trip.

Well my 4 kids saw it and have plowed through most of it already! I've got to HIDE the food I want to save.

The big one for me was getting things like the gatorade- ginger ale in case soemone gets sick DEHYDRATION is the issue that I would be most concerned with.

And this was out of a sense of - what do we need if I can't get to the store in a couple days because someone is sick- not "OH WE'RE GOING TO RUN OUT OF FOOD"
It basically was my hurricane preparedness started early along with the addition of the gatorade.

An Item that you might want to add in addition to your crank held flashlight is a battery operated camping lantern- ours lights up our whole downstairs when it's on. And some extra batteries.

 

[TimothyQMouse]

While I think that the notion of food storage for a pandemic is pretty silly, there are lots of valid reasons to be prepared for storms, grid problems, earthquakes, etc.

We're a camping family, so we're well prepared for trouble. We have portable cooking equipment and plenty of fuel. We've always got a well stocked pantry. We've got flashlights (all LED) and we always have enough batteries to last for quite a while. Before a big storm, we fill the tubs with water. We have a couple of water purifier pumps and, thanks to the pool, lots of chlorine if we got desperate.

You'll need water for flushing toilets. We've got a pool full of that. When desperate, don't forget that you can save the toilets for big business. You can do the little stuff in the bushes outside.

Everyone I know has a generator, but no one stockpiles fuel. The risk of having lots of gasoline sitting in your garage isn't worth it. For the first few days after a disaster, getting gasoline for the generators will be the biggest problem. Others have natural gas generators. That's more likely to work.

After a natural disaster, focus on your community. It'll be a stressful time. Neighbors that work together will be much happier than those that fight. We went for weeks without power after a hurricane and having a strong neighborhood really helped a lot.

The most important things are clean water, protection from the elements, and a positive attitude. Don't let fear consume you. Food is great for comfort, but you can get by for several days with little or no food.

 

[swandiverpatt]

We've had mild hurricane seasons since we moved down here in 2006. I usually grab some extra gallons of water to keep in the house, canned items, extra cat food & litter. Fill the tubs up with water to help with toilet flushing. Another good idea I heard was to keep the buckets that cat litter comes in and use them as toilets (lined with garbage bags). Toss as needed.

As far as the pandemic, I'm not sure if I'll do any extra stockpiling. It's about time next month to start thinking about pre-hurricane supplies.

 

[C.Ann]

we have an inexpensive non portable phone. reason being is the portable types won't work if the electricity is out (so we plug in the other one so at least we can send/receive from the home land line).

Yup - I have one of those here (there is NO cell phone service - ever) - and my DD and her family have one at their house as well..


FIRE EXTINGUISHERS!!!!!!!!! Excellent reminder! I have one of those here as well..

She pointed me to the LDS(Latter Day Saints) website. If you do a search for food storage, there are all kinds of links about what to store and how much. Lots of good tips for anyone. Great tip! Would have never thought of looking there..

While I think that the notion of food storage for a pandemic is pretty silly, there are lots of valid reasons to be prepared for storms, grid problems, earthquakes, etc.

Precisely.. But there are others that are worried, so I thought it would be nice if they had a place to get info - regardless of "how" of "why" they're going to use it..

You'll need water for flushing toilets. We've got a pool full of that. When desperate, don't forget that you can save the toilets for big business. You can do the little stuff in the bushes outside.

I'm lucky in that respect.. I have well water (non-drinkable though); jugs of water (that are replenished weekly by my son-in-law); cases of bottled water; and my neighbor ended up with an overflow from the well he had drilled so he installed a continuously running hose for anyone to obtain water that needs or wants it..

The most important things are clean water, protection from the elements, and a positive attitude. Don't let fear consume you. Food is great for comfort, but you can get by for several days with little or no food. I agree with this 100%.. There was a time when I would have leaned in the other direction, but no more..

Anyone else? Still looking for some "storage" solutions for those here with limited space..

Thanks for all the replies so far!

 

[ilovejack02]

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Just remember it's a "crank" flashlight.. I know several people who got the ones that you "shake" and they weren't all that pleased with them..

Yeah my shake flashlight didnt work.. threw it away!

I will get one of the crank ones I had not idea these were out there.. hurricane season is coming up and I spent a fortune on batteries the 10 days with out power after Gustav.

 

[katlas&kids]

Battery operated fans, tons of batteries, jarred candles, matches or lighters, charcole (sp) & lighter fluid for OUTSIDE ONLY use.

If your kids are afraid of the dark, charged up night lights like Oogz or glow sticks. Had to have something here in case they woke up in the middle of the night...! Yikes, talk about waking the neighborhood!!

Also a well packed first aid kit, some cash on hand in case you can't run credit/debit cards at stores or gas stations or get any form banks/ATM's. Or if you need to move/travel quickly. Always know where important paperwork is in case you do have to go quickly.

I know there is more... I'll post if I remember..

Oh, ear plugs. When the power goes off, so do a lot of businesses/peoples alarms systems. And if you have to have the windows open, it blocks the "outdoor" sounds you aren't use too.

 

[ilovejack02]

Battery operated fans, tons of batteries, jarred candles, matches or lighters, charcole (sp) & lighter fluid for OUTSIDE ONLY use.

If your kids are afraid of the dark, charged up night lights like Oogz or glow sticks. Had to have something here in case they woke up in the middle of the night...! Yikes, talk about waking the neighborhood!!

Also a well packed first aid kit, some cash on hand in case you can't run credit/debit cards at stores or gas stations or get any form banks/ATM's. Or if you need to move/travel quickly. Always know where important paperwork is in case you do have to go quickly.

I know there is more... I'll post if I remember..

Oh, ear plugs. When the power goes off, so do a lot of businesses/peoples alarms systems. And if you have to have the windows open, it blocks the "outdoor" sounds you aren't use too.

lol Ear plugs keep the sound of the generators running out too.
My neighborhood sounds like it is humming like a swarm of mad bees when the electricity goes out.

 

[minkydog]

And this was out of a sense of - what do we need if I can't get to the store in a couple days because someone is sick- not "OH WE'RE GOING TO RUN OUT OF FOOD"
It basically was my hurricane preparedness started early along with the addition of the gatorade.

Me, too. We started storing food and supplies when we lived in Miami. Kept it in a large clean garbage can under the stairs. We never had to use it, but it gave us peace of mind to know that if we had to evacuate(or stay) that we could pick up that can and be out the door in a matter of minutes.

Now we live in north Georgia. The few hurricanes we get are usually tropical storms by the time they get to us. However, we do have severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and ice storms which can cause us to lose power from a few hours to a week. I keep a small pantry in the basement stocked with food that doen't need preparation, mostly canned goods. There's shelf-stable milk down there, saltines, instant oatmeal, canned fruit and vegetables, soups, toilet paper, and water. Probably not stuff we'd *love* to eat, but we wouldn't starve.