So it was like being sent on vacation....

[rareboy]

But it started with a Severe Storm Alert while I was planting beets...and by the time I realized that they meant us....I had just got back to the house from the barnyard where I have our garden.

At 2:45 the power faded, came back and then died last Saturday.

A couple of km to the west, over 40 utility poles were snapped to the ground, 2km north of our house there is a trail of wreckage including barns, roofs and whole lines of great maples uprooted.

Late Thursday we finally had power back...in the meantime, no Cell phone for a day or so and then we watched out phone die. No running water of course. And no toilets. We ate our refrigerator first and then treated the upstairs freezer like the fridge. I had barbequed shrimp and scallops for breakfasts, we ate 4 chicken barbequed, 24 pork sausages barbequed...

I should note that 3 years ago, we had a 72 hour power outage in April and were going to get a generator...and of course there were none to be had and then we got lazy and cocky, but this time...what we learned is that no one checks on you. They all assume you can communicate. Or get out to drive. Which we couldn't because our wood garage doors only open with a motor.

And of course, my partner is in some medical distress at the moment and I recently spent a lovely 24 hours in Emerg and ICU.

I have just ordered a 15000kw Generac (on back order (of course)) with Propane back-up...and am getting a charger for the phone we can plug into the car.

I have been filling the water troughs and rain water tanks like mad the past 2 days.

1we really never realized how this is the way the world ends...running out of prescription meds, in the dark, dirty and alone. But this storm has been the life lesson we needed.

How emergency prepared are you?

 

[Peloso]

Not at all.

Actually, no. I'm beginning to look for ways to get the hell out of this city. That's a start. As the cracks in the foundation of society begin to lengthen, I've realized the last place I want to be when things start getting bad is in a major city. But it's going to be tough with no prospects and no money.

So to everyone: I don't eat much and have lovely toilet habits. Surely someone can clear out a corner of their garage for me?

 

[Alistair]

^ would you be bringing the cat?

I have nothing stocked up but should have water until the city’s water towers are empty.

 

[NotHardUp1]

I have a 26,000 gallon pool, so I can probably flush the toilet for a year if need be.

As for food, I'd have to assume the freezer would be unsafe after a week, so would have to give away much.

Cooking? I have firewood and charcoal to last a few weeks.

Dry goods? Probably have enough beans, rice, pasta, and canned goods to last 2-3 months if there were some real crisis like solar flares, etc.

Candles are here and there, and in the Christmas stuff, so could use them for about six weeks maybe, used judiciously.

Only have one pet, a cat, and I could feed her for a month maybe, and then she'd be on her own.

 

[gsdx]

I've lived in Peterborough since 1976 and I've never had the power go out for more than a few house and never for 3 1/2 days. It was never a problem for me before. I could easily spend the few hours reading, but now my hands shake the books so much that I get a headache within a half-hour. I spent most of my time lying in bed and looking out my bedroom window at the people walking up and down the street wondering where they were going. The whole city was shut down.

We lost a lot of food in both the fridge and the freezer. No way to cook anything and leftovers had to be eaten (I can't say 'cold') unheated. One evening for supper, I had a bowl of condensed Bean With Bacon soup made with some of the lukewarm water left in the water heater. It wasn't very tasty or appealing, but hey... when you're hungry...

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

You ever get so tired that you get the giggles and laugh at stuff that's not meant to be funny? That's me and "planting beets" right now. Literally had to stop reading cuz I'm cracking up like I'm at a Dave Chappelle show. Maybe it's residual Dwight K Schrute humor but I'm gonna have to finish this thread when I'm done laughing.

 

[peeonme]

I keep about 5 or 6 gallons of water on hand and have a lot of food put away. Also I have an old fashion hand operated can opener. Oh, I almost forgot that I have a small generator. A number of years ago we were without power for about 8 days, I found myself cooking on the barbecue as well as making coffee on it.

 

[jaysizzles]

Not very prepared.

In the 30some years I've lived here I think the power has gone out maybe 2x, and never for an extended time. Living in the city has allowed me to be somewhat complacent in that I can head to stores to stock up knowing that a storm is coming, although around 8 years ago we had a major snowstorm that seemed to surprise the area and we got dumped with over 5 feet of snow. There was a driving ban...not that I could dig my car out and go anywhere anyways. Luckily I didn't lose power. I had little in my refrigerator and freezer, and I don't have much storage space for dry goods. By day 5 of not leaving the house, other than to shovel, I was close to running out of food and resorted to eating rice and frozen vegetables for a couple meals. Day 6 I was able to get out to shop. Boy did I pig out that day! I did learn not to let my food supply get that low ever again, but really haven't prepared myself for other events more than that.

 

[Harke the Boeotarch]

When the Dream ends, I will either die, or wake up.

 

[Vannie]

Water and food enough for 6 months.

If I eat my partner add a few more weeks.

 

[cityboy-stl]

If it were not for JUB, I would not have known about this. I hope all of you guys are better now.

 

[ShadowCat]

Not prepared for anything!

 

[rareboy]

When I heard our neighbour's generator going last Monday, I was going to drive in on our lawn tractor and asked if he might care to trade some water for a blow job.

 

[Vannie]

if he might care to trade some water for a blow job.

I have Poland Springs, Nestle Pure Life as well as Perrier and San Pellegrino.

 

[rareboy]

I got so fucking tired of drinking Pellegrino after 5 days.

What we needed was toilet flushing water because my partner has Chrohn's and can't make it all the way out to the poop trees.

 

[Vannie]

Oh Damn ^

 

[Kahaih]

Not more than 100 yards from my front door there is a large pond suitable for flushing and bathing. Drinking, too, if boiled first.

Another few yards to the west of the pond is an old wooden barrel in the hillside that someone put there many years ago to make a reservoir for a wonderful natural spring. From that, there is a long pipe where water flows 24/7 making it easy to fill buckets and bottles.

In my main room, I have a huge fieldstone open fireplace for heat and light, and I have plenty of cast iron cookware that works great for cooking over the fire.

I also have well over a dozen large oil lamps. Always topped off, and I could easily blubber a fat neighbour for more oil if need be.

Outside, I have many solar powered yard lights that I could bring inside after they've had all day to charge up, as well. I also have several power banks I keep charged for phones and tablets,etc. Some with built-in flashlights/torches.

I always have enough dehydrated and canned goods on hand to open a mini market. LOL

I could go on, but yes, I'm prepared. LOL

 

[rareboy]

^ Well prepped.

We realized that in some ways, being without power is a bit easier in the winter, because there is usually snow to make water, the food sits in coolers, the indoor wood stove could then be on without baking us to death.

One lesson learned...always have a spare propane tank for the outdoor bbq; we had just picked one up that day.

 

[frankfrank]

Water and food enough for 6 months.

If I eat my partner add a few more weeks.

You'd have to eat your partner first. Waiting for six months before eating him, sans cold storage, I don't think he'd be edible any more.