Snowpocalypse 2014 Lessons Learned
Much of the northeast has been crippled by its first major snow storm of the year and some of the images I found online (which I will share with you below) and some of the stories I have heard have shown me how much as a society we live on the brink of disaster on a daily basis. Gone are the days when nearly every family could wait out three feet of snow and no power for a week, today we lose internet for an hour and expect a presidential disaster declaration. This event, like so many others has shown me how much we are depended on a just-in-time delivery system, the power gird and so many other things which never used to have control over our lives even twenty years ago.How many of you believe if this came to your community today you would be ready to be self sufficient and warm for two weeks without power or access to goods and services? So lets just review a few things that went through my mind as I reviewed some of the news coverage.
1) Vehicle Winter Emergency Kit: How many of you keep one of these in your car year round? I keep a jump box (inverter, radio, light, battery jumpstart, air compressor, etc.), snow shovel,small heater regular shovel, wool blanket x2, tent, food, 1 gallon of water, snow chains,sleeping bag, sleeping mat, two sets of spare clothes, +my EDC bag ( EDC Bag Overview LINK) and various bushcraft type items. Would I be able to survive indefinitely I believe with this kit with my knowledge base and skill level but who wants to live out of their car? Just last year in Chicago people were stuck on lake shore drive for over 24 hours due to a snow storm. I have shut down major arteries of travel with the fire department for days due to hazardous materials incidents and people have been stuck as they refused to take the alternate route. How do you keep your vehicle prepared for this type of emergency? Do you always keep your gas tank above 1/2 in the winter? Even when traveling long distance to visit family or for work? Would you survive a night or two in your car if stranded?
2) Dealing with Long-Term Power Outages: When I was growing up in rural West Virginia (The State...... Not just west of Richmond) one or two major snow storms were expected and it was a regular occurrence to get a three foot snow each winter. Power outages were more common (5-10 each winter) and lasted anywhere from six hours to two weeks. We were fortunate/prepared enough to have a backup generator and multiple heat sources built into the house in a pellet stove and a wood stove. Fast forward 20 years and I live in a new construction home that has only one source of heat and it is electric. Gone are the days where a wood burner is a requirement for a home in the North East and those who have them in new homes often are for decoration or for burning candles and have never seen a burning log, let alone heated the home. So what do you have as an alternative heating plan for your home assuming you have a newer construction home without the advantages of a wood burning stove? I personally invested in two options A) a buddy propane heater which can heat a room for about 48 hours on one small propane cylinder and B) A kerosene stove (to go with the lamps). Between these two items I can easily heat both levels of my home to a livable 65 degrees for two days before changing the fuel. Aside from those heating methods I can always add blankets and layers of clothing and have plenty of plastic and wool blankets on hand to cover the windows to ensure maximum heat retention for the house. If all else fails a tent, thermarest and -40 sleeping bag in the living room will always work. Now onto off-grid cooking.... I have the following: A) Propane grill, B) Propane camp stove, C) Fire pit and lots of wood, D) Alcohol stove, and E) Sun Oven. So what are yours plans to heat your home and cook your food in an extended power outage?
***Important Point- If using generators, propane or other alternative heating methods PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be cognizant of the fact that CO poisoning is a high probability and you need to monitor for its presence. Last year my EMS agency responded to over thirty CO poisoning calls due to the polar vortex and extensive power outages. Get yourself an individual CO gas meter that doesn't rely on electricity. These meters can cost less than $50.00 and can save the life of everyone in your family.***
3) Structural Damage or Sheltering In Place: This is something I always took seriously as I remember my first structural collapse with the fire department was due to an excess snow load on a roof. Since that time I have always been concerned with excess snow build up on the roof and also having heavy duty plastic, duck tape, tools, contractor bags and several pieces of plywood on-hand in-case of a structural issue or shelter in place issue (i.e. hazardous materials release- we have a major producer of hazardous materials in our town and an interstate less than a mile from our home). So if you should need to make an emergency repair to your home or remove excess snow from your roof are you confident you have the materials on-hand to do so? Will home depot or Lowe's be open during a state of emergency (hint- nope!).
4) Lack of Goods and Services Due to interrupted Supply Chains: The cities near the great lakes are already having supply chain issues, particularly in NY (Buffalo more so than most). Right now grocery stores are not receiving shipments and many stores shelves are empty or nearing empty. Pharmacies are limiting refill lengths due to lack of new medications coming in and many businesses simply are not open due to lack of power or lack of employees being able to get to work. Are you prepared for a week or two of self-sufficient living? If you are reading this blog I assume you are, but how many of you keep an extra supply of medications or other everyday goods that make life easier? Just a few things to think about, I'm sure most of you have some sort of food storage and water storage but what about everything else you may need?
Conclusions:
Over the last few days I have been rethinking my approach to winter preparedness and have come to the conclusion that I need to revisit the old ways of preparedness. As a society I believe we have become soft and need to get back to our more primitive roots. I would love to just move off-grid and live a more primitive lifestyle, unfortunately daily life will not allow such a move with my job and my wife's job. A cabin with a wood burning stove that also acts as an oven and hot water heater would be the ideal addition for off-grid winter preparedness and have been looking at them for years and would love to add one to the house. What items do you still lack and what would you like to add to your preparedness tool kit to allow you to get throw an extended storm or grid-down emergency?
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I live barely 90 minutes from the center of the heaviest snowfall. The areas has a long history of heavy lake-effect snowfall but no one expected this. It set an all time record for the US for most snow in a 24 hour period. Had power failed in this bitter cold snap we are having there would have been many more than the 8 or so deaths recorded so far. Given that this highlights that the number of possibilities for disastrous events are nearly countless and that most live day-to-day (as Josh aptly points out) it's only a matter of time before there is an event that costs thousands or tens of thousands of lives. Snowed in, freezing, starving in the dark is not how I want to go. Still, the only thing that you can be sure of is that most people will NOT learn from this.
ReplyDeleteit did happen to us twice in just a few months. first a freak snow storm in october without power for 2 weeks and then a hurricane and without power for 10 days. not only did we survive but we powered neighbors with our generator , had lots of food, warmth, lights, and believe it or not ...fun. the only thing i started to miss was a good hot shower but i still could live comfortably without it
ReplyDeleteKeep thinking of that movie. Day after tomorrow
ReplyDeletePeople should stop "Not expecting" and start expecting the worst. These folks live in an area prone to horrible weather and had little to no food and water on hand. This in my opinion is just irresponsible. People need to wise up, our weather patterns are changing and who knows what will happen next.
ReplyDeleteBe sure to stress safe use of propane for heat and cooking. Some people do not realize how unsafe this can be with out proper ventilation. I think we could last a good while in an emergency...we would need to carry wood into the garage if we heard a big snow was headed our way...but we've done it before...we will most likely do it again!
ReplyDeleteEdited the post, thanks for the reminder!
DeletePeople need to practice for times like this on skills. It will save lives. And TY so much Joshua Shuttlesworth
ReplyDeleteI live in the Northeast but not in this snowpocalypse hit area. My wife and I learned the lessons about preparedness and self reliance a long time ago and keep ourselves prepared for just such an event. I feel sorry for those who rely on govt to protect them. They will likely die in a long term disaster.
ReplyDeleteI live in RI.And My wife and I are prepared just for something like that....
DeleteHaving been in the medical field, I think about all the folks on day to day life saving medications or medical treatments. How many elderly who cannot get out and deal with this kind of emergency. Going to the gym on Monday and start weaning myself off the convenient, but I hope unnecessary, drugs I am on.
ReplyDeleteGood advice. Every year I put a reminder on my Facebook wall for all my friends to keep various emergency survival equipment in their cars. I know that very few of them take it seriously, but at least a few have said that they put a blanket, some candles, plastic bags for their feet (to keep them dry on a long long walk), etc in their trunks because of my reminders.
ReplyDeleteIt has happened to us. Between tornadoes and ice storms we have been able to sustain without any help. Can't say it was fun...don't know how well we would do if it was 0 temps, I do have a good generator now that will run the space heater, we could survive in one room. It's just my son and I, two dogs and two parrots. Outside animals would need more fresh water than I could keep up with.
ReplyDeleteThat same generator will run a small water de-icer for the animals, had to do that for our animals in Nebraska. Also look into passive solar water heaters for the farm. Black barrels half buried will still collect uv to help keep from freezing.
Deletewe lost power for just a little over a week a couple of years ago due to an ice storm. I had a wood furnance and could keep somewhat warm but without power the blower didn't work. And it gets dark dark at 5 oclock and candles are not much help, luckily I had and old kerosene lantern and coleman propane light. The biggest problems were the stuff thawing out in the freezers, It was cold enough to put stuff outside, but then the varmits would be a problem. I had a well but without power I had to haul water from town. A backup generator expertly wired into my electrical system would have been nice, but these are expensive and you would have to do monthly maintanance so they would work when you needed it. If you think you are going to loose power it is a good idea to fill up everthing you can with water.
ReplyDeleteand without the internet or tv there was nothing to do and it gets dark at 5. You have lanterns but they only put out a yellow light and they are smoky especially the kerosene lantern, guess I did not know how to trim the wick, lol Well after trying to read a little under lantern light which is not very satisfying as it gets harder to read fine print with age, end up following the chickens to bed around 7. Laying in the strangely quite house with no lights and all you could hear all night was limbs and trees snapping and crashing to the ground covered by thousands of icles, It sounding like there would be no trees left and you kinda held your breathe waiting for the next thunderous crash. Anyway it was along night, lol
DeleteIf this happened here in Mississippi there would be major problems. This state nor the people are prepared for such a thing. As for us, we'd be okay, have food, plenty wood available for heat and cooking, back up charging power for phones and/or laptops, Joe has a cb radio also and would be okay with no power. We do try to plan for whatever but I don't think very many people are ever fully prepared. The only problem we'd have would be water for our animals, I keep a supply of water for us. Guess we could melt snow for water for them. There are several families that would panic in a couple days, know this from when katrina hit and everyone had no power, no water, no food and no gas in vehicles. We keep a supply of diesel on hand ourselves. I pray this never happens, but we do not know what the future holds. I feel sorry for those folks in NY.
ReplyDeleteThis event fortified my resolve to stay prepared for a month without help from the outside modern world. Since we no longer live in an agricultural society, our dependence has shifted to a source shared by thousands of our own neighbors. This streamlined infrastructure that makes a select few very rich is also solely dependent on the availability of environmental resources and properly functioning financial systems either of which are not reliable.
ReplyDeleteI guess I am an old soul.....people need to get back to a human experience- not an electronic one. People no longer need people. They use to pass while walking thru town or on a dirt road and acknowledge the others presence. They used to have to borrow a cup of sugar. They used to share time doing chores with a glass of lemonade. People are hard now. Always looking to get ahead. We need to be more present. Live in clean air. Eat home grown veggies. Less Chemicals. Take from the earth and give back to the earth. Nature is so nurturing. I am different than most city people. I love being part of this site....most people I know do not even think of the things posted on this site- even I dont. I am amazed, and a forever student. Blessings in city life, which I have. You all have other blessings....glad to experience them vicariously :)
ReplyDeleteI am always baffled by new homes with electric fireplaces and the sealed gas ones that you can't even sit a can of water in to heat up. Every home should have a working fireplace/woodstove or a stand alone gas emergency heater. Not to mention at the minimum a weeks worth of solid grocery items that produce real meals. We live on a tiny farm. I cook on a wood stove in the winter. Everything I grow that we don't eat I can. We are as prepared as we can be at all times.
ReplyDeleteIf we lost power I wouldn't have heat of cooking - I got some flashlights with extra batteries (can always use more), I have some blankets and sleeping bags. I have some food, but not enough for the whole family for a month - at the outside a month if the adults skip meals. I have tried but I have kids who inhale food!
ReplyDeleteI would KILL for a wood stove, but there is no where to put one. I worry constantly about being able to take care of my family. Sometimes it just seems easier to quit and give up. Being a widow only makes it harder.
I realize this is an older post, but maybe this will help. A charcoal grill used outside, with a griddle plate and folding camp oven will work as a cook surface. My sons and I fixed up an outdoor kitchen for my wife, which served well. we also made a rocket stove out of bricks, for boiling. Very good info on this site. Children need direction, involve them in your plans, and let them see what struggles you face in trying to prepare for their sake. My sons are both very helpful now, as they grow older, in helping me to keep our stores up to date.
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