Prep Tips for Storms – Or any day the lights go out in NOLA…

Ready or not, our best laid plans are about to change. Summer is HERE, and it’s hot, everything is wilting, the kids are out of school, and we are hunkered down for the next few months, no matter what. Hurricanes? Or just the heat? Let’s just say that New Orleans gets ready for anything, because any random day can be interrupted with a power outage, boil water advisory, a random flood, or escaped convicts. We stay ready for whatever comes. Now you can, too.

In seriousness, property owners, our visitors are not used to this, so we have to help them get organized, then teach them to be calm and soldier through the season. Like Mardi Gras, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

If you’re new here, hurricane season is possibly new to you; and if it scares you, the only way through it is to understand the challenges, the things you’ll need to have on hand, plans you’ll need to put in place, and after all that… simply stay aware and get to know your neighbors. We’ll have plenty of notice before a storm, and the better the community comes together, the better the outcome.

So, a checklist is in order, and some reasons for the items on the list. Your main problem is going to be power outages, possibly for days, even weeks, during and after a storm.

Sounds like no big deal… until the storm clears, temperatures are deadly, flies and garbage are everywhere, water needs to be boiled (because the SWB water pumps have lost power at some point, too), and services can be slow to be restored.

You’re going to make it through. You could even evacuate. The reason many of us don’t is because of the many “false alarms” and minor storms that precede real ones. Leaving, packing, spending for hotels, etc. creates evacuation fatigue. We tend to find a way to just get through each storm, sheltered in place.

The checklist will help you make it safely and more comfortably; so here are some things you will need to keep ALWAYS on hand during the season – don’t wait until there’s a storm warning. Everything you need will be sold out, even if you are able to get through the endless lines and traffic that will be piling up. There’s no need to join the panic during a time when you could be home, cooking out with your neighbors like a pro – so get ready now:

WATER: The estimate to have on hand is one gallon per person per day, plus, add for pets. Remember that you will not just need water to stay hydrated, it’s very likely city water will experience problems, too, so you’ll need water for flushing toilets, bathing, brushing teeth, and cooking.

WATER HACKS: At the start of summer, I buy two cases of individual bottles of water and start two processes: first, we start eating everything in the freezer, systematically using up our frozen meats, meals, etc. to clear space for the water. I have a standing freezer, so one entire shelf is dedicated only to water, and the frozen water will sustain the freezer through brief power outages, and keep things edible and cool for about a week if the power is out that long. It’s also REALLY nice to have cold water available after a storm when there’s no AC, no ice, nothing cool anywhere.

You can fill in the rest with gallons of water, which do not need to be kept cold.

Also worth mentioning – baby wipes or sanitary wipes of any kind (cleaning wipes, too), can save you tons of water and give you some relief from grime without requiring running water.

** Don’t do dishes – just get plenty of paper plates, cups, etc. and throw them out after use. Don’t waste precious water doing cleanup.

ICE HACKS: If you’re really on your game, you will have all your laundry done before the storm. Consider it one of your preps – it may be a while before you can do it again. Pour a bag of ice or two in your washing machine. Add drinks, then cover with more ice until it’s full. Now you have an ice chest that will clean itself and drain as the ice melts, plus lots of cold drinks for a while.

BATTERIES and SOLAR CHARGERS: Get LOTS of batteries for your flashlights, charge every single thing in your house that operates on battery, (tools, your Roomba – everything) grab some rechargeable / solar chargers for your electronics, the kids Ipads, etc. You can buy these throughout the year and keep them handy. They’re very convenient in general, and you can use them for travel, time at festivals, or whatever other uses you’ll come up with. I have about ten of them, so we can stay “online” for about five days without blinking an eye. They will stay charged via solar on a windowsill, and can charge slowly from sun alone.

This one actually has a 110 plug-in, so we can run our TV for about 2 hours, casting news from our phones, or watch a movie on the screen… pricier, but nice to have a few on hand.

KEEPING COOL: Assuming you have no generator or a way to air condition, I’ve found that using these little fans, plugged into one of my solar chargers, really helps. They’re amazingly strong, and I also use my ice water to wet down one of these cooling cloths. I like those particular ones because they come with the little pouch and clip, so you can take them with you if you evacuate, or just use after yoga year round.

LIGHTS: I’ve found a couple things over the years that make lighting very nice after a storm. Flashlights are great to use while outside or checking on things, but it’s really nice just to have real lights around the house. I found some bulbs that I use year-round, which charges them for use when the power goes out. Then you can unscrew them and hang them anywhere… Also… solar garden lights are SO bright. I buy new ones each year in May, stick them in with plants on my patio and near my doors, so if the power goes out, I just bring the potted plants in with the lights and it adds some lighting around the rooms – plus, my plants are safe!

FOOD: Simply put, you want to stock about a week’s worth of non-perishable foods. We joke that SPAM is nostalgic as hurricane food, and you can certainly stock canned meats, tuna, ramen, and packaged snacks. And leave a few things in the freezer that can be thawed and eaten if you have no power – just remember, you’ll need some way to heat things, or plan to eat things cold.

I kind of take it as a challenge to have some delicious things to eat when we are going through misery post-hurricane. I love to have gumbo frozen, meatballs and sauce, cooked rice, red beans… you can make a little frozen stash of some of your favorite things, because it really is a treat to have some decent food that can be heated on the stove (ours is gas), or on a butane camp stove.

You’ll find your favorite “hurricane snacks.” Beef jerky, popcorn, all those ridiculous Little Debbie cupcakes we shouldn’t eat. Chips and dip. Go ahead and buy the junk food. It’s not like it’s a lifestyle – it’s just a hurricane.

MEDICATION & PET MEDS, FOOD: Super important not to wait until after a hurricane to refill a prescription for yourself or your pet. Most of the time, we will be back to normal in a few days, but there’s no guarantee. There can be problems with deliveries for weeks, stores and pharmacies may be closed. The best policy is to pretend you will be on an island for a month – would you have what you need to survive?

A BUG-OUT BAG: You may need it, even if you don’t plan to evacuate. There are many reasons you may decide to leave after all – rising water, no electricity, damage to your home… So pack a bag for each person in your home with a three day supply of clothes, shoes, pajamas, toothbrush and emergency documents. You do not want to be out of town without ID and what you may need, in the worst case scenario, to open a bank account, put your kids in school, or find yourself without insurance papers to file a claim.

A FULL TANK OF GAS AND SOME CASH: This can’t be stressed enough. After a hurricane, there is USUALLY no electricity. Beyond making life inconvenient at home, this will also mean that banks cannot make transactions, ATMs will not be online, credit cards cannot be processed, and gas pumps will not be able to operate. It could be a while before things are back up and running, and many people have had serious accidents, heat stroke, and more while trying to evacuate and find gas on the way out of town. IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO USE A GENERATOR, THIS ALSO MEANS FULL GAS CANS FOR RUNNING IT.

THESE ARE MY PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS. CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE PREPAREDNESS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS.

Be safe, heed the warnings, and be calm. For 300 years we have survived, and will continue. You will be fine, and you’ll soon have your own tips and hacks for newcomers – it’s a family tradition. Welcome to the family!