This article is a continuation to my write-up on creating a basic emergency power outage plan. In that article, I took a very rudimentary approach to basic emergency preparedness, lights, water, food, etc. In this article, I’d like to highlight some more advanced preparations you can make that focus specifically on hurricane or snowstorm threats. This is in light of the approaching Hurricane Irene which is moving its way up the Eastern seaboard on the writing of this article (Aug ’11). This is the first hurricane (or possibly tropical storm by the time it reaches) to actually have a good chance of hitting New England in quite some time. For many of my friends who are now living on their own, it’s their first hurricane to prepare for. The same precautions made for hurricanes in the warmer months can also be applied to snowstorms in the winter months, with a few measures to deal with the cold, of course.
I’m breaking the article up into two main sections, water and wind. These are two major players in any storm so I will give various ways they can cause damage and how you can prevent or clean up damage.
Water
If you followed my precautions for storing up some extra water, you should be all set. However, in the case of heavy rains, one must also deal with the impact of water through flooding and ingress. Flooded basements and first floors are the bane of a homeowner’s existence. During hurricanes, it’s high water levels flooding in. In the winter, its likely pipe freezing during an extended outage and flooding once the power comes back on. It’s a good idea to go outside and survey your property prior to a storm, or even the next time there is a moderate rain storm. Watch where the water moves, look for hills, depressions, and soil types. Is your house situated on a hill? Is it at the top, side or bottom? Obviously, if you live at the top of a hill, the likelihood of flooding is low but still possible. Side and bottoms of hills present more of a problem, with the side being slightly less. In the case of a house embedded on the slope of a hill, you’ll likely have one side of your home entrenched and the other side open. Large volumes of water must work it’s way around or underneath your home, as it flows downhill. There may also be depressions around your home that its likely to collect, these are the areas you must note. For those homes at the base of a hill, flooding should be a higher priority.
Sandbags
No, they aren’t just used by the National Guard for building up levies. And no, they aren’t just put in the trunk of your car during heavy snow (which is actually a great way to get dual-purpose). Sandbags are a great tool for holding water back from doorways, ground floor windows, and garage door seals. These are very easy means for water to enter your home. Empty sandbags are cheap online ahead of time or they can be found at your local hardware supply or feed store. Trash bags can be used in a pinch, as long as the top is sealed. You’ll have to use more trash bags because you can’t fit 50lbs of sand in even the heftiest hefty bag. If you have easy access to sandpits, then you can save on buying play sand – allowing you to leave the sand bags empty until you’ll need them. If you don’t have access to sandpits or clean fill (dirt free of large, rocks, debris, etc) buying a few bags of play sand is your solution. You can keep them bagged in their original packaging indefinitely as long as you can keep them dry. If not, you’ll have to fill them and store them. Use them in the winter, and keep them stacked and somewhere at ground level, preferably on a concrete floor. You don’t want over that much weight centralized in one location on an upper floor, especially if its going to stay there for extended periods of time. You can also buy sandbags prefilled, commonly called “tube sand”. They are usually categorized by pound rating. I keep several 75lb sand bags, but that’s also because I use them in my car for the weight. Weight does not play as huge a factor in preventing minor flooding as it does in something larger scale, like reinforcing a levy against river flooding. And keep in mind you’ll have to lift these! It’s okay to buy less poundage, I won’t tell anyone. What’s more important is determining how many you’ll need according to the dimensions of the sandbags. For flood prevention, get them in tube form, its usually how you find them. Buy enough to stack them at least 2 high, in a C-shape around your doors or windows, aim for about a 1-foot clearance away from the door. For most normal size door thresholds, that’s about 4-6 sand bags. Garage doors will be quite a bit more. Why a C-shape? So you can still use the door! It also provides you with some extra room to add more bags if needed. Continue reading »
The word “fedora” is quite a funny word for a serious hat. It’s widely known, widely worn, but rarely perfectly worn. The best and most popular example (for a reason), was Frank Sinatra. He was known for his fedora and how he wore it. A fedora, in its original form, is made from velvet, with a crease running lengthwise through the crown, a brim pinched on both sides. Nowadays, you can find them in the larger array of colors than the standard black, brown, or gray. You can also find them in a wider range of materials, from straw to paper. These are useful and fitting for summer months, coupled with a lighter fabric suit. I don’t want to get too bogged down in fashion details, like what color matches what.
Often referred to as a “newsboy”, this is a stiff brimmed, rounded Men’s cap. I don’t generally see this working with many formal suits, but it could be paired with semi-formal to business casual outfits. It’s likely pretty warm and stuffy to be wearing during the summer too, if it’s made of a heavier material. It’s often seen as part of the classic golf look, so you can see how it works with different materials.
Springer Mountain Farms is a decent and not too expensive brand that you can find at most grocery stores, it’s got a blue label with mountains on it.
