Food
1. Coolers: Doctors' offices usually get vaccines in super thick (1 - 2" walls, and triple lined lids) Styrofoam containers. I picked up three of them a year ago. They are not the cheap ones you get at the store, and are way better than the plastic-lined ones you get at camping stores.
2. Water: There are a lot of creeks and rivers in Huntsville, Alabama. The water towers and purification plants are run by electricity. I have two 55-gallon water barrels in my backyard, but did not need to use them. Purification tablets or bleach is useful, too.
3. Food: We had lots of cereal, but keeping the milk cold was a problem. Kroger wouldn't sell milk because it had lost refrigeration overnight. We bought some that afternoon at a pharmacy. It too, had not been refrigerated, and was room temperature. We put it on ice, and hoped for the best. The thing with milk, as long as it has not expired, you can save it in this situation if you act quickly. We used it for three days after that, and it was fine.
3. Dutch oven: I used a small wire screen in the bottom of a dutch oven to keep pizza off the bottom and was able to cook pizza in the oven. We also had souper chicken: 1 package of chicken tenders, 2 cans cream of mushroom soup, 1 can milk and 20 minutes with about 8 charcoal briquettes under the oven and 8 on top. During the last 5 minutes, boil water on top of the oven - just set a pan on top of the coals on top - for instant rice. I also appreciated having a two burner Coleman campstove: These are neat. I think you can even use gasoline for fuel, but don't quote me on that. Make sure you have enough fuel.
Clothing
I washed clothes by hand in a tub outside, then hung them on the fence to dry. It was nice to still have hot water because of our gas water heater.
Shelter
Keep the windows open during the cool part of the day, shut them when it gets hot.
Transportation
1. A good bicycle with a rack on the back is what was really helpful those first days when I had no gas. Even after I had gas, it was nice to conserve it by riding a bike. A great little item that is not expensive is a power inverter. I was able to keep batteries charged, and my wife's phone charged. She doesn't have a car charger. Harbor freight sells a solar charger for $12.00- that would have been nice.
2. Getting gas: Consistently: the lines were always longer in the morning. I found if you waited until 3 pm, the lines shortened up nicely. The guy on the radio said: figure 5 minutes for a fill up. That means every 12 cars is an hour wait. 75 cars were waiting at one station I went to.
Thoughts on gas generators:
Nice. But they take gas. And a lot of people said they hadn't used it in ten years. I helped a guy clean up his yard who had one. He said it used about 5 gallons per day (24 hours). They are easy to hook up:
1. turn off your main breaker
2. find the breaker for your dryer or some other big appliance (not your fridge- you want to use your fridge, right?)
3. disconnect those wires from the breaker.
4. Plug a 12 gauge extension cord into your generator (your generator is off, right?)
5. Cut off the other end of your extension cord. The white wire goes to your bus, and the black one goes to your breaker. Ground the other wire.
6. Choose the appliances you want to use and turn on only the breakers for those appliances.
7. Get an amp meter to measure your output, or just don't use many appliances.
If you had to go buy gas for it (40 miles one way) that's a 2 hour trip. That's if you can get gas. We did ok without power. If you want to get one, now is the time to buy. Now that the storm is over and the power is back on, I've found 5 on Craigslist already.
I'm looking into solar panels and an extra line just for the fridge. I'm found a kit online for about $300. Then I'll need batteries- the whole thing will probably cost $600.00. I know it sounds like a gas generator would be more convenient, but I'm figuring that the solar will pay off daily- even when there is no power outage, it will save on the electric bill. I figured it will pay for itself (at most) in two years. 6.5 amps at 110 volts means you need about 80 watts of solar (this figures in the cycling of the fridge, of course- i.e.: your fridge doesn't need to run constantly!).
Light:
Don't use those dinky little tea candles, if you can help it. I got some big 55-hour emergency candles, and they are nicer and brighter.
Neighbors:
Check on your neighbors. Every one I checked on and tried to help actually had info or equipment or transportation that ended up helping me, too. We looked out for each other. Until you've experienced it, it gets very dark without street lights and a moon. The curfew (dusk to dawn) only works for law-abiding citizens. Criminals don't pay attention to laws, and I'm glad our dog is a ferocious looking thing that b a r k s h i s h e a d o f f ! You need one with plenty of teeth on the business end of him, or a gun. I'm sorry, that's just how it is.
