Surviving the Storm

Jul

Being organized, having your “Ducks in a Row” and being prepared took a new twist for a lot of people this week. It wasn’t as if the storm that just came through a majority of the U.S. was unexpected (at least here on the East Coast) – unless you had been totally disconnected from the outside world for a while. But its fiery still took us by surprise.

I remember, looking off of my deck and seeing all of my patio furniture woosh 30 feet from one side of my deck to the other. I felt like I was in the Wizard of Oz Movie! That’s when I stepped away from the sliding glass door and to a safer place in our home.

We were one of the fortunate homes in the area that didn’t lose electric over the last 5 days. Some families are still without electric and it is taking its toll since we are still in the middle of a major heat wave. But, we did already have plans to travel to the mountains to spend the day with some friends and do a little work on their cabin. Who would have thought that after driving for two hours and leaving the cool of our home they wouldn’t have electric! So we adapted, improvised and overcame the situation! We even used the water from the creek right behind the house to wash windows and stay cool. It was actually fun and relaxing! What can we do to be prepared and organized in situations like this if you don’t have a babbling creek in your backyard?

Of course, the biggest problem with no electric is no heat or air conditioning. But do you have a back-up plan for situations like this? I think society is equally divided with those who are really prepared and those who aren’t prepared at all. I read on Facebook that a friend was heading to Lowes to buy a generator. I hope that she was able to find one because they were probably sold out – or the price jacked up really high!

There are three things that I think are the most important to be able to locate in case of an emergency. An alternate light source is my first pick. We have oil lamps, lamps that can be cranked to generate light and wood spare wood that can be burned.

Camping equipment is my second choice. Earlier last month when our air conditioner quit working – the temperature inside our home got up to 93 degrees. It was cooler outside the house. Camping equipment came in handy to sleep outside and catch the evening breeze.

The third thing that is extremely handy in an emergency is cookware. It is great to just pull out our cast iron cookware to cook on. Cast iron pots and skillets is one of the best investments that we made! They can be used to keep everything. Cast iron can be used indoors and outdoors – on your stovetop, gas grill and an open camp fire. They are a little bit of an expense initially but they will last forever and ever and are very versatile.

Keep all of your emergency supplies organized and convenient. You’ll save lots of time and frustration. I’m willing to bet this won’t be our last storm for the season. Be prepared.

Linda Clevenger, Organization Direct

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