Preparing For Bad Weather

My apologies for the delay in my regular posting schedule! We were without power for a bit and it threw me for a loop. Check out my short list of ways we prepared our home for the most recent storm.

 Sometimes a good storm puts things into perspective. It’s good to be reminded of how many modern conveniences we live with and to learn how to live without them once in a while. We just got our power back on after having been without for about 100 hours. Our swing set took the hit from a falling tree but overall we are very thankful that no major damage happened to our home or vehicles. Also, that it wasn’t super cold temperatures and we have a generator. We are also grateful to have had a heads up before the storm. We just finished reading The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The Ingalls family dealt with some terrible blizzards that threatened their lives because they ran very close to out of food.  I think one of the major challenges in that situation would have been the not knowing when and if you could make a days trip to hunt or find food in a town nearby.  We were fairly prepared for the storm last week. Here is how we made it work to avoid damage to our property and to get along without too much stress in our day to day life.

Put Things Away-

Before the storm hit we took a few minutes to tuck away any toys or furniture that could have easily been picked up by the wind. The sand table and sand box were both things that hadn’t been used in a while so it was a good chance to get them put away before snow hit the ground.

Test Run the Generator-

Mister was able to finish the hard wiring of the generator into the house last weekend. He showed me how to start it and switch over the power. I was glad to know in case we ever lost power while he wasn’t home and we needed to use it.

Fuel Up and Charge Up-

Both the generator and your vehicles.  I also made sure both of our phones were fully charged the night before we anticipated losing power as well as my computer.

Water-

We filled up each of our water bottles as well as a 5 gallon jug for drinking and or flushing toilets. If you don’t have toddlers and babies you could fill up the bathtub and keep a bucket available to flush toilets as well.

Catch Up Laundry-

I knew I could fold it while we were out of power but I did as many loads as I could the night before.  We can run our laundry on the generator but it’s not ideal as far as the outlets that are in our laundry room and on the generator.

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Food-

We have the generator hooked up to run the refrigerator and freezer but I still don’t like to open and close them too often just to save it from fluctuating too much. Keep food simple, things like bagels and cream cheese, cereal, sandwiches. I like to think of as few things from the fridge as possible, quick to put together and not needing a ton of plates and utensils to wash.  I also use my french press and cold brew our coffee on the counter so we dont have to use any power to brew our morning cup.

Entertainment-

When you know a storm is coming it’s a good idea to have some things lined up as far as entertainment. A library trip for new books for everyone and a couple of movies is a great way to keep it in the budget. 

Emergency Supplies-

Batteries, lanterns, medications like Tylenol or other prescriptions are all things to have on hand and filled in case you can’t get out for a bit. Teething toddlers or sick kids are something that would not help stress levels if you are without power or stranded in your home in case of a storm.

I do hope this finds you motivated to prepare for an upcoming storm or emergency in your home. Enlist your kids and family to help prepare and the storm can be less stressful and maybe even a fun adventure and learning experience for your family.