This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Irene's a comin'

Disaster preparedness doesn't have to be terror-inducing. Think of it as going camping in your own home, or just an excuse to buy some cool stuff.

Usually I’m the one around here who demands preparedness for the storms. Now everyone’s getting in the game. Even the Govenor has already declared a state of emergency. Is pre-emptive panic even allowed?

Although it’s not really panic, just good preparedness. Years ago in the same spirit of preparedness I bought a generator from Costco. I always wanted one, the power used to go out at our house three or four times a year. After 18 hours without power in zero degree weather one year, I had all the argument I needed to spend the $350. I think I’ve run it a total of 5 times in the last 6 years.  Oh sure, now JCP&L cleans up their act.

I suppose it’s just like buying a snow blower and then having 3 years of minimal snow. By the time a real butt-kicking snow storm comes along the gas in the blower’s so old it runs like taffy. Still, when the snow is two feet deep and the driveway is 30 feet long, a blower is the thing to have.

Find out what's happening in Morris Township-Morris Plainswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Preparedness is like that as well, you may feel a little silly if nothing happens but the work and the money is an investment. Sooner or later something will happen, and you’ll be the hero, or at least not totally in the dark.

Which reminds me I have a bunch of battery TVs that will be useless now.  Little handheld televisions that don’t work anymore or at least not without a digital converter.  Carrying around a big battery supply and a special “digital antenna” really puts a damper on the description “hand-held.” I guess I’ll have to look into getting one of the little digital ones, but probably not in time for the weekend and Irene.

Find out what's happening in Morris Township-Morris Plainswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

What I will get is bags of batteries, although I’m pleased to note that most of the newer LED flashlights will last for days on a single set of batteries.  Still it never hurts to have some extra. I will also try to collect together all the portable radios we have scattered all over the place. Having the radio on just makes power outages a little less isolating.

Of course having a power outage means baths by candlelight, and dinners cobbled together on the stove or the barbeque. It means the house will be truly dark at night, none of the little lights from clocks, set top boxes or sleeping computers will light up the rooms. It means cards and board games and (gasp) conversation.

What I’ll really miss is the Internet, it sounds ludicrous but the best local news is available instantly on the Internet. I guess we’ll take turns running down the smart phones watching Patch and other sites. The best alternative to that is to have a scanner and listen in to all the the police, fire and utilities. It takes a bit of attention to decipher what’s going on, but you’ll never get your information faster than right from the front lines. In fact If I could only make one suggestion for a disaster preparedness purchase I would say get a scanner and set it up to tune into the local authorities.  I bet Radio Shack in Cedar Knolls has a few, as does Walmart.

We spent this morning covering the boat windows with aluminum flashing. Well, actually the holes where the old windows were.  We ordered new ones and they were going to take 4 to 6 weeks, which has now turned to 9 to 10 weeks. We tried plastic but it didn’t last through the big rain storms or in the incredible heat this summer. I think the boat will stand up to what ever Irene can deliver now.  Next we’ll have to search around the house and deck for anything that’s loose.  Irene may be packing winds up to 75 MPH. That could send our seat cushions to Succasunna and garbage cans to Garfield.

Still, by Sunday we’ll be ready. If nothing else it’s a great excuse to clean up the place.  Maybe we’ll end up cowering in the basement or just suffering the vague disappointment when Irene turns out to sea. No matter how bad it gets though, we can always just put on the ruby slippers, click our heels together and repeat “There’s no such thing as Global Warming, there’s no such thing as Global Warming, there’s ...”

 Things you should do either Saturday night or early Sunday morning:

  • Turn off and unplug anything that’s electronic and expensive.  Tv’s, Set top boxes, Computers, Stereos, Microwaves and anything else you can think of.
  •  Fill a bathtub with water - if the water goes out (highly unlikely) you cant even flush a toilet without water.
  • Put a flashlight where you can find it in the dark, put one in all the bathrooms.
  • Charge your cell phone, your mother’s going to call in the middle of the storm.
  • Figure out a menu you can prepare without power, forget your diet. Think snacks.
  •  Get gas or charcoal if you have a grill.  Make sure you have enough liquor, for medicinal purposes (of course.) 
  •  Stock up on ice. Without power refrigerators need to stay closed as much as possible.
  •  Look up the frequencies for all your local radio stations, Not NYC stations, the stations in the towns here.  If you forget, check the phone book.
  • Think about packing some clothes in case you have to bolt, do you want to be interviewed on National TV wearing your nightie and the neighbor's flip flops or new Papagallos and a "disaster" outfit from Talbots?
  • Mentally prepare yourself for whining, if we get hit hard we won’t even be able to drive anywhere for a day or two.
  •  Prepare to refuse to do any extra work, gardening, laundry, painting the shed ect, due to the current state of emergency.  You have to hold yourself in reserve just in case.

 

P.S. If Irene turns out to sea, don’t worry the season’s just starting.  Good luck, see you Monday!

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?