This article highlights the key points in the above titled article on the “We Us1e Coupons” forum. Whether you may or may not be impacted by the upcoming hurricane, storm preparedness is something that we should all pay attention to.
With a large hurricane currently in the Atlantic, I thought I would share some basic suggestions for storm preparedness from a couponing perspective. We all want to prepare for natural disasters but often times preparing costs MONEY. So for those on the Gulf and Eastern Seaboard, this article is designed to help soften the financial cost of preparedness.
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Have 3-5 days of nonperishable food
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Stockpile high energy foods
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Don’t forget your vitamins
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Special food needs
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Water
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Let there be light
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Gotta have gas
Dale Bader, a Broadcast Meteorologist with WAAY-TV in Huntsville Alabama, was kind enough to answer some of our questions about storm preparedness and what couponers (and non couponers) can do in the event something does happen!
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What is your number one tip for people in disaster zones? Be prepared with food, water, fuel, and a light source that will last for 3-5 days without electricity.
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What should people do after a storm? Stay calm and wait. Even though you may not have much damage in your immediate area, you don’t know what lies beyond.
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What is one thing people need the most after a storm? Communication is vital. Radio is still the most reliable form of communication after a storm. Many newer corded phones won’t work without electricity.
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What is one thing people would be surprised to learn about hurricane predictions? Hurricane prediction isn’t an exact science. Pay attention to the weather forecast and prepare.
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How did the tornadoes in NE Alabama change your outlook on storm preparedness? Stay prepared and stay aware.
This information came from a thread that I posted to several months ago, after the tornadoes in the southeast and midwest:
Mr. Heater Hunting Buddy Propane Heater
I have Mr. Buddy heater, I thoroughly researched it before I bought it and can honestly say that nothing else on the market compares to it. I bought it several years ago and THANKFULLY haven’t ever needed to take it out of the box! I stocked up on the small propane tanks at the end of winter and was able to get them a little cheaper that way. I have my heater and enough tanks stored in my garage (under my utility sink so that they’re NEVER in the way) to last for a couple of days. I have the rest stored in my storage shed. When the forecast was bad this winter, I took the tanks from the storage shed and put them in a 5 gallon bucket on my covered patio just outside my back door, under my table to keep them dry. I’m sure that people would benefit from knowing that they have a fresh air/carbon monoxide sensor built in as well as using D batteries to blow the heat. Since D batteries are expensive and little used, at least in my home, I stock up on them when the weather starts getting “ugly.” I keep my receipt with them and then return them if I don’t need them.
Rectangle Pizza Stone with Wire Frame / 15.2″ x 12.1″
I bring my BBQ grill up to my back door, close enough to use without stepping out very far. I keep a second propane tank filled year round and bring it within a few feet of my back door. I’ve learned that I can cook all kinds of things on/in my Pampered Chef stones on my grill, in addition to being able to grill meats and veggies. We eat lots of rice and I’ve learned that I can soak my rice dishes/mixes with the given amount of water throughout the day so that it only needs to be heated when all of the water has been absorbed into the rice. This cuts down cooking time, even when I’m microwaving it. We rarely use dried potatoes (like AuGratin), but this should work the same for those sorts of things. I cook my hamburger meat as soon as I buy it and then freeze it in plastic storage bags. So, I could easily make hamburger helper type mixes this way, too.
InstaBulb Battery Operated Light Bulb, 2 Pack
I have a supply of battery operated “light bulbs.” They look just like regular light bulbs in a socket, but they’re battery operated with AA batteries. Although I prefer rechargeable batteries, I buy AA batteries to keep on hand any time I find them on sale. We also have lots of candles that we can use for lighting if needed. We have two old-fashioned oil lamps that I only burn those if we REALLY need to because they tend to leave a soot type coating on lots of things. YUCK!
Sangean MMR-77 Emergency Radio Tuner, Dark Gray
My daughter has a pillow that’s actually a battery operated radio. We keep an OLD landline telephone that’s a VERY simple, with no bells or whistles. I found out the hard way that newer phones don’t work when there is no electricity. We charge the cell phones up and use them only when necessary. I’ve even thought about charging the older cell phones just in case the current ones die. Then we’d just have to switch over the SIM cards. So, if worse comes to worse, I think we’d survive for a few days. We might have to resort to reading a book for entertainment, we’d get grouchy with one another, but we would survive!
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