Storm!

[Vic Patterson]

Hi Brian, I see you have a rather big storm heading your way! it would appear you are south of the main part, I hope you and yours are all safe, as well as your fellow countrymen.

Please keep us informed as time permits!

[Canny lass]

I sincerely hope you haven'ät been hit by this storm. We found ourselves without electricity and marooned for 5 days, unable to come out on any road after hurricane Gudrun in january 2005.  Looking out of the window it looked as though we were living in the middle of a giant sized game of spillikins. It was a nightmare, even if we were well prepared for it. Here, it's quite common for families to switch off the electricity for a weekend 3 or 4 times a year and practice emergency routines. The BBQ comes in handy for preparing meals, Brian.

Other tips i can give you from our experience:

Keep a box containing the first available requirements in a place where you can easily find it in the dark. It should contain a torch, matches, batteries, candles,a hurricane lamp and a battery operated radio.

Fill any empty space in the freezer with bedding. Duvets go well in chest freezers, pillows go well in upright freezers.

Keep a stock of bottled water at home for drinking and cooking. Snow also works well if it's available. 

Know where your nearest source of river/stream/pond water is for flushing the toilet, a compost heap is a second best but a bit nippy with your drawers down in January!

You can keep one decent sized room (approx 40 sq. metres) reasonably warm by keeping a dozen candles burning.

If you're able to use your car, you'll be able to charge mobile telephones etc.

Stock up with BBQ brickettes at the end of the summer season when they are cheap and you can use the BBQ to cook food during winter power cuts.

Try to have a store of frozen/canned food that will last a week.

You can have a half decent, warm shower standing in a plastic washing up bowl and using 2 litres of water heated on a fire/BBQ

A plastic bottle filled with warm water makes a nice hot water bottle - and you can use the water again.

Give it a bash! Try a weekend without electricity now and then. It's well worth the effort when the real thing unexpectedly comes a long.

Edited March 28, 2017 by Canny lass