Severe Weather Forecast: 70% chance of Perfect Storm

Prep Blog ^ | 10/25/12 | Thoreau

[Kartographer]

The 1991 Nor’easter that hit New England in late October was termed “the Perfect Storm”. A book and a popular movie were made, based on that storm. The more general term perfect storm refers to a rare combination of meteorological circumstances that turns an ordinary storm into a much more devastating event. It happened in October 1991, and it may happen again in October 2012. Here’s what the news and weather sources are saying:

“The Perfect Storm” was a movie about one of the worst storms to hit the east coast of the U.S. and today forecasters are describing what’s on its way to New England as the “perfect storm.” (New England may see ‘perfect storm’ with Hurricane Sandy: Likelihood increases)

[JRandomFreeper]

I know someone that spent over $500 on a genset, billed it to a specific contract to cover his costs and then went on to bill it several more times on other contracts.

If you let a useful asset sit unused, you are burning money.

Side benefit is that you get to use the equipment during emergencies.

I make sure to run Stabil(tm) in it, change the oil regularly, and run it out of fuel when I'm done with it.

/johnny

[SVTCobra03]

3. Generator (very expensive so weigh your options)+fuel

You can purchase a 10k generator for under $3k. That is not "very expensive."

[RegulatorCountry]

It's the rare winter here that it wouldn't get used for at least a day or two. Between winter ice storms, which are more common than snow storms, and the occasional hurricane remnant that makes it inland this far, it's a practical inclusion to have a generator panel wired in when the house is built. A little more complicated to retrofit an older house. I've meant to do it here but didn't get around to it, now money is a lot more dear than it was prior to 2008, so it will have to wait for better times. I can make do like I always have. There have been protracted outages in very cold weather that eventually drove me into renting a room in the closest area that still had power, though.

[1_Rain_Drop]

How about adding wasp spray by the pepper spray at #7.
Wasp spray has a further distance spray and no one pays attention to it if you have it by the front door.

Thanks for the list.

[driftdiver]

Fortunately I don’t have to worry about cold weather here in Tampa.

[JRandomFreeper]

Just FYI, oven spray cleaner kills attacking dogs very quickly, but you have to be close to use it. It requires timing. One inhale, and they pretty much close up shop.

Or so I've been told. Me, I'm just a cook.

/johnny

[bgill]

When I was in hs, I had two chickens that would ride on my shoulders as I walked around town. I have over a hundred that year. Some weren’t so nice and would dive bomb me when I went into their shed.

[Ellendra]

Be aware that if the chickens eat enough acorns, it can turn their yolks green. I’m told it doesn’t effect the flavor, but it can put you off if you’re not expecting it.

[metmom]

Thanks for the ping.

We here in CNY got the worst of that Perfect Storm in ‘91. We got the highest snowfall rates from the nor’easter itself and then the next day, as the storm pulled off the coast, we got nailed with as much lake effect snow, doubling the snowfall amount for the storm.

Funny thing is, my son was watching the forecast and is coming home tomorrow to put his snow tires on his car. I taught him well. :)

Anyway, I’ll be making sure we’re well stocked with supplies for this. I do for every winter anyway, but may run out to the store for perishables instead of waiting until the last minute.

You’d think that in snow country like we are here, people would plan a little better but every year, people wait until the snow is flying and conditions are deteriorating to go out and strip the shelves of bread, milk, and eggs.

Morons......

[metmom]

Ping.

Considering how NYS got nailed in 1991, this might be of interest to the NY ping list.

[Marcella]

As you know, I don't do generators, but won't need one. I went low tech to provide what I need for years. When your generator stops due to no fuel, come on down and be cool and have power for the necessary things.

Due to Kart telling me about his Rocket stove, I now have one I bought which guarantees when the other cooking methods I have run out of fuel, I'll always be able to cook on the Rocket stove. I wrote about that stove on the other website where I write articles, and at least one lady bought one and she really needed that method due to where she lives. She wouldn't have that stove if Kart hadn't told me about them. That's an example of spreading the word from one prepper to another. We may have saved that lady's life and that's no an exaggeration.

[11th_VA]

You both left out one thing - CASH !!!

[JRandomFreeper]

If I can feed a rocket stove, I can feed a wood-gas generator to provide fuel for a genset. It's WWII technology, and the government has pamplets on how to make one.

I've built one as a demo, so as to have the skill sets, T-shirt, and scars (hint... the screen over the top is to stop backfires from doing the volcano thing with charcoal down the back of your shirt).

Texas is blessed with stuff that burns. So that shouldn't be a problem.

I don't require a genset, I insist on one, because I won't do without those nice little things. I can. I have. It sucks. I don't have to. So I won't.

It is good that folks spread the word about being prepared for whatever life throws at them. We used to call that school, but nowadays, school isn't teaching much that is useful.

[steve86]

I haven’t bothered to test our new rocket stove because my wife says it is very similar to a type of stove they use in India, so she already is expert at cooking with it (I’m not a cook anyway).

For the milder or shorter term type of outage the generators (gas and solar) and various camp stoves are still there along with the house’s 100G LPG tank.

[Marcella]

Right - you burn your back making/using a genset- I'm not into scaring my body.

“I don't require a genset, I insist on one, because I won't do without those nice little things.” But I have those things without a genset. I can't run a fridge but my preps don't need a fridge. I guess our preps will never meet - pity.

Hope you have a restful night tonight.

[Ladysmith]

LOL Good point.

[JRandomFreeper]

The wood gas generator for fuel for tractors or gensets was just yet another science experiment that had to be done. Government instructions were available. I learned lessons. ;)

Lektrikity is nice. I'll have it, one way or another.

My preps don't require 'lektrikity, but I want it, and I can have it. So I will.

I'm good at hermit-like privation for long periods of time. Those skillsets, anyway. Having mastered those, I'll push past them into civilization. The parts that I like, anyway.

/johnny

[Marcella]

“I haven’t bothered to test our new rocket stove because my wife says it is very similar to a type of stove they use in India, so she already is expert at cooking with it (I’m not a cook anyway).”

I haven’t tested mine, either. I have enough canned heat (and several Sterno stoves to put them in) to last a year (that can be used in the house). Also have a portable gas grill with two propane tanks. Also have a Japanese grill that cooks with eight charcoal briquettes. When all that is gone, the Rocket stove will cook forever using small sticks of which there are plenty around me. Oh, forgot about the outdoor fireplace that allows for cooking with charcoal or wood, has a cooking grill in it.

Even with all that, the Rocket stove is the for sure cooking stove that will still cook when the rest won’t.

[Kartographer]

I would fire up your rocket stove it it hasn’t been used and let it burn of an oils or over spray paint, before I used it to cook with. Just my thought.

[JRandomFreeper]

Untested equipment is useless equipment. Everything has a learning curve. From minutes to days.

Fire it up.

/johnny