What have we learned, Post Irma??

I use steel 5g paint thinner cans that are free at most any body shop.

I'd be afraid of condensation from the typical hot and cold in a garage causing rust. I know their coated but a little scratch in that coating and there's the rust point.. Hence plastic for me...
 
I wish I had thought to buy a grill that I can run on propane in case natural gas is turned off - any ideas how to convert a grill from natural gas to propane?

Also, make sure that you CAN change the orifices on your grill before you start. Many grills aren't meant to be switched and have their orifices crimped on not screwed in.
 
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I learned I'm total unprepared.... I thought I had some stuff but man was I wrong. I finally got all my preps together in a side closest ( been meaning to do it a long time) and im not going to lie it scared me..... not enough of any thing but ammo. No water filter, only enough med supplies to fill a ammo can, and enough food for a week.

I spent all my "play $$" on preps and plan to do it till I have what I need.

I bought 2 water filters, one small and light the other is big and for the house. I have enough food now for 2 weeks easy, 3 if I stretched it. I will be getting more batteries, food, canned dog food, another water filter or 2, and I will be printing off the lawless files asap :) I'm also looking into a generator but that's a long way off.

Truly I still have a long way to go but I WILL get there :)

Also does anyone have a good prep forum so I can do more research ;)
 
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That looks cool but I don't think that's Donald Trump.:)
 
I learned to keep the TV turned off. If I hear another word about Irma, I'm going to scream!

I was about ready to shoot the TV as it was "All Irma, all the time" at our house. :confused:
 
Anyway, I haven't taught her how to use a chainsaw yet. It scares me a little, but I guess I need to do that.

Get her a set of Kevlar chaps until she learns.

I learned how to use a chainsaw by OJT. I did ok, but I don't recommend that method...
 
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I'd be afraid of condensation from the typical hot and cold in a garage causing rust. I know their coated but a little scratch in that coating and there's the rust point.. Hence plastic for me...
Never been a problem for me. Have had them a long time and used them in the dealership many years too, much to the dismay of OSHA I am sure LOL

Plastic buckets with the same type of spout can be seen sometimes too and may be just as available. I have not had to get any new ones for several years but saw some when I was a Snapon dealer.
 
Learned to be more aware of my gas container levels so I am not spending an arm and a leg trying to top them off for the generator when gas has gone thru the roof. Other then that I really should get some water filters.
 
Learned to be more aware of my gas container levels so I am not spending an arm and a leg trying to top them off for the generator when gas has gone thru the roof. Other then that I really should get some water filters.

I like to keep my gas I intend to store separate from the gas I use for the mower and such.
 
What have I learned post Irma. Don't own a house on the coast. I did for 10yrs and 2 hurricanes. Was lucky but also had all 3 insurances. If you can't afford the insurance, you don't need to live there. Don't leave your generator sitting for 2.5yrs with same gas in it and or not run it under load for same amount of time. I know better but did it anyway. Always have 2 weeks worth of meds in hand. Easier to do now with my current carrier. Last years carrier would not let you have more than a 30 day supply with refill on the 25th day. Not a new lesson but saying it anyway. Always have a stash of cash. If you have to Bug Out, grab your stash and drive until you can find a safe place that has a vacancy. Everyone takes cash.
 
Well...

We learned that people are STILL dumb*sses and wait until the last minute to do hurricane preps.

We learned that people are STILL dumb*sses and buy frozen/refrigerated bulk goods for hurricane preps.

We learned that people are STILL dumb*sses and don't think to have a basic store of non-perishable food stuffs and water even though they live in a hurricane zone.

We learned that people are STILL dumb*sses and don't evacuate when Mother Nature comes stomping through.

We learned that people are STILL dumb*sses and loot at every opportunity.

We learned that politicians are STILL dumb*sses and will use the opportunity to violate our rights.


And in the coming weeks and months:

We'll learn that people are STILL dumb*sses and will fall for every scam in the books during reconstruction.


There's a pattern here, but I can't quite put my finger on it...
 
I have been planning to get a 55g drum and build a stand to do the same for diesel. One truck and the tractor are diesel.
You looking for poly or steel? I also might be able to hook you up with a manual drum pump.
 
What have I learned post Irma. Don't own a house on the coast. I did for 10yrs and 2 hurricanes. Was lucky but also had all 3 insurances. If you can't afford the insurance, you don't need to live there.

No one could afford the flood insurance if it wasn't subsidized by the taxpayers.
 
Sending PM now.
 
No one could afford the flood insurance if it wasn't subsidized by the taxpayers.
Which is why it wasn't until fairly recently that living on the ocean was in vogue.

If you can afford to build there and take the risk, all the more power to you, but why should I (or anyone else) be subsidizing their lifestyle choice?
 
Which is why it wasn't until fairly recently that living on the ocean was in vogue.

If you can afford to build there and take the risk, all the more power to you, but why should I (or anyone else) be subsidizing their lifestyle choice?

Yes, I used to check my Constitution for the Disaster Aid Amendment but could never find it. It especially concerned me when living in CA and people would talk about rebuilding homes in places that had mudslides, floods or fires every 5 years. You would think the second time your home is destroyed you might take the hint. :confused:
 
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Well...

We learned that people are STILL dumb*sses and wait until the last minute to do hurricane preps.

We learned that people are STILL dumb*sses and buy frozen/refrigerated bulk goods for hurricane preps.

We learned that people are STILL dumb*sses and don't think to have a basic store of non-perishable food stuffs and water even though they live in a hurricane zone.

We learned that people are STILL dumb*sses and don't evacuate when Mother Nature comes stomping through.

We learned that people are STILL dumb*sses and loot at every opportunity.

We learned that politicians are STILL dumb*sses and will use the opportunity to violate our rights.


And in the coming weeks and months:

We'll learn that people are STILL dumb*sses and will fall for every scam in the books during reconstruction.


There's a pattern here, but I can't quite put my finger on it...

Indeed. The biggest thing I learned was that the whole "three days of supplies in the pantry," as well as the notion that there's about 72 hours worth of opportunity to buy stuff if "the trucks stop running" is terribly optimistic (coincidentally, there will likely be plenty of vegan trash food available for a couple days, as that section never looked less than fully stocked) for the vast majority of our countrymen.

We are already a disaster conscious family, but when I found cases of water at normal prices still available days in advance, I picked some up (as did the wife) just to continue to build margin. Even 2 or 3 days before it was supposed to be here, it was amazing to hear folks who had no idea why "water is the most popular item we sell right now."

Two, the Setlzer water aisle was fully stocked at every store I went to before, during and after the non-event. If you have procrastinating semi-adult children at college who don't pay you any mind and wait until all the regular water is gone, buy seltzer water and let it go flat. Doesn't taste great, but it will keep you alive and hydrated (learned that as a scout when I chose water for a camping trip poorly).

Another thing completely untouched - camping fuel cannisters for camping stoves. They're cheap, easy to use AND in addition to camping stoves, the Coleman Travel/Tailgating grills use them - which gives you another cooking option that you can take with you if you need to evacuate. The bins of those were full as hell and at normal prices.

Lastly, even though the storm largely left the region alone, it did bring considerably cooler weather than we're typically blessed with in September. Had power failed for quite some time and that cool weather stayed in place, we would have had to break out some quilts that normally aren't out until late October or early November as the house slowly started to equalize towards ambient temperature. So while we don't have any kerosene heaters or the like, might be worth having to augment the gas logs in the fireplace (I wanted a regular fireplace for Shit like this, wife said asthma and kids, we met in the middle).
 
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This assumes that you still have cell service...

Related: Why social media apps should be in your disaster kit

With floodwaters at four feet and rising, a family in Houston, Texas abandoned their possessions and scrambled to their roof during Hurricane Harvey to sit with their pets and await rescue. Unable to reach first responders through 911 and with no one visible nearby, they used their cellphones to send out a call for help through a social media application called Nextdoor.

Within an hour a neighbor arrived in an empty canoe large enough to carry the family and their pets to safety. Thanks to a collaboration with Nextdoor, we learned of this and hundreds of similar rescues across Harvey’s path.

This story illustrates the power of systems like Nextdoor, an app designed to make communication between neighbors easy. Survivors in Houston have been using social media platforms such as Facebook, Nextdoor and Twitter to connect to rescuers, organize food and medical supplies, and find places for people to stay.

These stories support our findings showing that social ties can save lives during disasters. They demonstrate why social media platforms should have pride of place among our preparations for and initial assessments of disaster damage.​
 
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This assumes that you still have cell service...
A good reason to get into ham radio (but you need to do more then get a license and put an HT in your preps, like actually use it) or even a set of FRS / GPRS radio and pass them around to your family and neighbors.
 
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A buddy evacuated from southern Florida. When he headed back, he topped off the gas tank in his vehicle.

Driving through Columbia SC, his gauge read 120 miles left. No problem.

Going through Georgia, every exit on I-95 had signs saying, "No gas, no power, no water. Do not exit." The signs were accompanied by state troopers just in case you thought the No Exit part was just a suggestion.

He ran out of gas. AAA said they could bring him 2 gallons if they could find it. Not knowing whether that would get him to an open gas station, he inquired about getting the "towing up to 100 miles" benefit before the 2 gallons.

Fortunately, his vehicle is new enough that it was still covered by the original roadside assistance plan. They brought him 5 gallons. Six miles down the road, there was an open gas station.

Lesson learned; it doesn't matter how much your tank holds, fill up and bring every container you can. You are driving through an area that just got hit by a hurricane. For services available, you might as well be driving through the Sahara Desert.
 
Does anyone have any experience with using whole house battery systems like the Tesla Powerwall system?
Thank you.
 
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