sacp81170a
Member
El Barto, have you guys in CA had problems with power outages due to earthquakes or fires? You don't hear much about that kind of thing on the national news after the fires are out or the earthquake is over, so I'm curious.
When the "Ice hits the fan", lessons learned
- Thread starter RoadkingLarry
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Creature
Member
Wow..really? Did they mention why they liked seeing you with your shotty?
RoadkingLarry
Member
It was nice to see a decided lack of overt lawlessness during our adventures. With large sections of major cities dark and some smaller towns completely knocked out and dark and thousands of people in shelters I have heard no reports of looting, burglary or other major criminal activity.
we lived about 9 houses from a major 4 lane highway... the end of our street had a iron fence with no gate blocking it from the highway... the other side of the highway is crack town... they didnt have to mention why they liked it... i knew...
hell on the night before the 2nd one hit, i was out back smoking a cig... heard someone screaming "OWWWW get off me get off me!!!"
so i grabbed old Bessie and went out front to check it out... as i rounded the side of my house, i saw the blue and red lights... so i dropped my 12ga in the shadows on the side of the house... out front, there were about 2 dozen squad cars lined up, lights a blazin... in the bushes of the house across the street from my house was a young black male, face down with a German Shepard firmly attached to his rear end... and he was screamin bloody murder...
buddy of mine was a OPD officer that patrolled that area at that time, and he was part of the crowd of officers, so i called him over... he told me that the female corporal had made a traffic stop about 2 blocks away on the highway and the suspect took off running... turns out, the guy was wanted on 2 warrants for aggravated assault with a firearm... i thanked the officers and offered em some cold iced tea... told my buddy that i was glad the dog got him, cus i would have hated to have to shoot him for running into my house and threatening my family...
i will say that there was a surprising lack of looting... the 7-11 on the corner a block away (on the corner where crack dealers liked to hang out) got burglarized in the height of the first storm, smashed the glass knowing that no cops would come... oh, and a couple of art galleries got broken into... other than that, i didnt hear of any problems...
Creature
Member
I have always wondered what the reaction from my neighbors would be if I made a short but strategic "perimeter check" of my property during a prolonged recovery from a major hurricane...which is very possible here in the Hampton Roads, VA area.
I live in a very suburban neighborhood with my house on the cookie cutter 1/2 acre, so I suspect that many (if not most) would pretty much panic and demand repercussions.
That is until gangs, which are quite prevalent in this area, started to freely roam the streets and the looting began...
Is there little to no gang presence in your area? If not, could it very well be that the cold had everything to do with the quiet?
As you can surmise, the gang problem in my region is a big concern for me.
I live in a very suburban neighborhood with my house on the cookie cutter 1/2 acre, so I suspect that many (if not most) would pretty much panic and demand repercussions.
That is until gangs, which are quite prevalent in this area, started to freely roam the streets and the looting began...
Is there little to no gang presence in your area? If not, could it very well be that the cold had everything to do with the quiet?
As you can surmise, the gang problem in my region is a big concern for me.
gyp_c2
Member
yup...
wood stove and plenty of water...Toilet paper...
wood stove and plenty of water...Toilet paper...
RoadkingLarry
Member
Mekender - you guys in NC need to work on that issue. Did your legislature consider any kind of gun owners protection act after the New Orleans gun grab abomination?
We passed a law in Oklahoma that removed the states legal ability to prohibit the possession of weapons outside of ones residence or place of business during a state of emergency.
We passed a law in Oklahoma that removed the states legal ability to prohibit the possession of weapons outside of ones residence or place of business during a state of emergency.
JColdIron
Member
I do not remember seeing this in my CCW paperwork. Is this recent? I believe you, considering the politicians here. Do you have a link?
george29
Member
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GlowinPontiac
Member
i use kerosene as well. along with a propane ventless heater. the kero heater uses less than a gallon of fuel a day and keeps the whole upstairs nice and toasty in the mid 70's.
always toasty warm when the power goes out. and i have several coleman lanterns and stoves that run on white gas or regular unleaded gas.
always toasty warm when the power goes out. and i have several coleman lanterns and stoves that run on white gas or regular unleaded gas.
308win
Member
What are these ventless propane heaters and where can they be purchased. I have checked Lowes and Home Depot online and they have portable propane heaters that appear to be infrared type but they don't say anything about ventilation that I could find in the specs.
News Shooter
Member
You can find them on Amazon. Be sure and read the reviews about"ventless"
cracked butt
Member
Looters don't like to go outside in -10 degree weather any more than anyone else.
Bob F.
Member
For the ventless propane heaters check witha large propane dealer in your area.
Bob
Bob
Thin Black Line
Member
Buying a kerosene heater, a few gallons of kero, a blue drum full of water and
some baby wipes now will be far cheaper than booking a hotel room next time.
some baby wipes now will be far cheaper than booking a hotel room next time.
Dustinthewind
Member
I too went through this same ice storm. South Central Kansas was one of the hardest hit areas, recieving 3 1/2 inches of freezing rain. It was like a spring thunderstorm with lightning and thunder and the temperature hovering around 29 degrees. Before I went to bed on the night of the ice storm I filled the bathtub, water jugs, pitchers and a few buckets with water. I live out in the sticks and am on a well. No power = no water.
When the power had been off for a couple of hours I emptied the freezers and the fridge and placed the food out on the back patio. I am surprised how many people lost all of their food because they didn't take advantage of the cold temps outside.
For heat, I have a vent free fireplace in the basement and I also have one in the living room. These I picked up at Lowe's and Home Dopey during the spring a few years ago for less than half of the original price, around $300 in each.
I did manage to pick up a generator but could not find the 220 plug I needed to wire it in to the house. One thing that I learned after talking to some heat and air guys is the high efficiency furnaces shouldn't be run off a generator. I was told that the power fluctuation will fry the cricuit board.
My inlaws were out of town during the storm so my wife and I went and cleaned their house of valuables, guns, checks. It sems the thieves around here were out in force stealing generators, wiring from the power company trucks and pretty much anything that wasn't tied down.
When the power had been off for a couple of hours I emptied the freezers and the fridge and placed the food out on the back patio. I am surprised how many people lost all of their food because they didn't take advantage of the cold temps outside.
For heat, I have a vent free fireplace in the basement and I also have one in the living room. These I picked up at Lowe's and Home Dopey during the spring a few years ago for less than half of the original price, around $300 in each.
I did manage to pick up a generator but could not find the 220 plug I needed to wire it in to the house. One thing that I learned after talking to some heat and air guys is the high efficiency furnaces shouldn't be run off a generator. I was told that the power fluctuation will fry the cricuit board.
My inlaws were out of town during the storm so my wife and I went and cleaned their house of valuables, guns, checks. It sems the thieves around here were out in force stealing generators, wiring from the power company trucks and pretty much anything that wasn't tied down.
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Thin Black Line
Member
Dust, this text is coming to you from a laptop that ran exclusively off generators
in the sandbox where voltage was anything from 100-240V and the plug was
mated to wall-sockets that looked pre-British. Except for the occassional LCD
screen blink, she still works fine.
sacp81170a
Member
TBL:
I think the difference is that your laptop's power converter is built to handle pretty much any voltage whether US or Euro. It gets converted to DC which then charges the battery. Any real fluctuations are dealt with by the battery circuits. There's no such protection on the circuit board for the furnace.
This brings up a completely different subject, that of battery backups on essential equipment, i.e. medical support gear like IV machines and whatnot. I'm not an expert on the gear itself, but I would imagine that it would be nice to not have it burn out or go down because you had to switch to a generator. Anyone have that issue?
I think the difference is that your laptop's power converter is built to handle pretty much any voltage whether US or Euro. It gets converted to DC which then charges the battery. Any real fluctuations are dealt with by the battery circuits. There's no such protection on the circuit board for the furnace.
This brings up a completely different subject, that of battery backups on essential equipment, i.e. medical support gear like IV machines and whatnot. I'm not an expert on the gear itself, but I would imagine that it would be nice to not have it burn out or go down because you had to switch to a generator. Anyone have that issue?
Thin Black Line
Member
True. I've used the same power box/battery for nearly 3 years on the
laptop. However, we had TVs, satellite receivers, and other electronics
(such as computer networks) running off gens. The only thing we had get
fried in Iraq was someone who had their Xbox shipped to them from home
who plugged into a 240....
I still opt for the woodstove/kero heater rather than a furnace anyway.
laptop. However, we had TVs, satellite receivers, and other electronics
(such as computer networks) running off gens. The only thing we had get
fried in Iraq was someone who had their Xbox shipped to them from home
who plugged into a 240....
I still opt for the woodstove/kero heater rather than a furnace anyway.
Fast Frank
Member
Stole the generator and left a lawn mower running?
Hear the generator from blocks away?
Burned up the control boards in your furnace?
What are you guys using for generators?
My Honda is as quiet as a mouse, and makes smooth, clean electricity. Google "Honda EU3000IS".
Here's a pic of it running my stuff during hurricane Rita. (Ice storms aren't a problem here)
While everybody else was freaking out, I was eating ice cream and watching a DVD on my entertainment system. It will run my refrigerator, several light bulbs, my TV/DVD/audio system, and a teeny tiny little window unit that cools the smallest bedroom in the house pretty good. All at the same time. The only time I need to worry about load is when I use the big microwave. I can't do that and the window unit at the same time.
Yes, it was pricey, but what an investment! It was worth every penny when our lights were off and on for a week after that storm. A motel room for a week, restaurant food for a week, and replacing all the food in our 'frige would have cost half the price of this gen...
If I use it one more time I break even!
Hear the generator from blocks away?
Burned up the control boards in your furnace?
What are you guys using for generators?
My Honda is as quiet as a mouse, and makes smooth, clean electricity. Google "Honda EU3000IS".
Here's a pic of it running my stuff during hurricane Rita. (Ice storms aren't a problem here)
While everybody else was freaking out, I was eating ice cream and watching a DVD on my entertainment system. It will run my refrigerator, several light bulbs, my TV/DVD/audio system, and a teeny tiny little window unit that cools the smallest bedroom in the house pretty good. All at the same time. The only time I need to worry about load is when I use the big microwave. I can't do that and the window unit at the same time.
Yes, it was pricey, but what an investment! It was worth every penny when our lights were off and on for a week after that storm. A motel room for a week, restaurant food for a week, and replacing all the food in our 'frige would have cost half the price of this gen...
If I use it one more time I break even!
Sir Aardvark
Member
Road king Larry -
You mentioned that you have a gas stove. Have you looked into getting a Natural Gas powered generator?
They are just like a regular generator but run off of Natural Gas. They are big enough to power your whole house.
Unfortunately, because I live in California, I do not think this would be a good backup emergency generator. If the big earthquake hits, I doubt that the gas lines would survive the incident - but it might work in Oklahoma.
You mentioned that you have a gas stove. Have you looked into getting a Natural Gas powered generator?
They are just like a regular generator but run off of Natural Gas. They are big enough to power your whole house.
Unfortunately, because I live in California, I do not think this would be a good backup emergency generator. If the big earthquake hits, I doubt that the gas lines would survive the incident - but it might work in Oklahoma.
OK, Just to add what some of the others have said, from a first hand basis.
I too was hit buy power outages, not three days, but a day and a half. Preps that helped us make it through. 1) one of the biggest selling points was the wood stove in the basement, it's one of the old Ben Franklin style which lends to many applications. Not only did it keep the house warm, but we were able to cook and heat water on it.
2) in anticipation of natural emergencies, I got my wife and daughter interested in "camping" which allowed me to buy several emergency prep items which came in handy. first was a $4.95 dual fuel lantern (oil and Kero) from Walmart Nice aluminum construct, the glass globe is semi-protected and has a nice carry handle. the second is a white fuel/ unleaded gas mantle lantern from Coleman, costs a little more, but puts out more light. So ours was one of the few/ only in the area with both heat and lights. and the only one I know eating home cooked food.
3) some "comfort" camping items, including a solar heated shower bag. Had things got worse, we'd still have warm showers. two 6 gal Jerry cans of water, always full and treated with bleach to ensure it's safe (didn't need them this time). as a back up to those (learned the hard way on the last camping trip) one collapsible 5 gal jug, marked NP (Non-potable) and a Katadyn camp filter for water purification.
4) food, Plenty of Non-perishable Items like canned soup, large bag of rice ($10) and ramian noodles in the pantry, keep it stocked and rotated. had things gotten too bad, I've a pellet gun, and plenty of tree rats running around the suburban neighborhood. No one would hear or miss two or three of them shot with the pellet rifle.
5) never under estimate board games and cards, they can keep the mind off the troubles and be fun in the near dark.
My wife occasionally comments on the Junk or crazy stuff I buy, but she don't argue when I say it's for "Camping" thus giving it a dual purpose.
I too was hit buy power outages, not three days, but a day and a half. Preps that helped us make it through. 1) one of the biggest selling points was the wood stove in the basement, it's one of the old Ben Franklin style which lends to many applications. Not only did it keep the house warm, but we were able to cook and heat water on it.
2) in anticipation of natural emergencies, I got my wife and daughter interested in "camping" which allowed me to buy several emergency prep items which came in handy. first was a $4.95 dual fuel lantern (oil and Kero) from Walmart Nice aluminum construct, the glass globe is semi-protected and has a nice carry handle. the second is a white fuel/ unleaded gas mantle lantern from Coleman, costs a little more, but puts out more light. So ours was one of the few/ only in the area with both heat and lights. and the only one I know eating home cooked food.
3) some "comfort" camping items, including a solar heated shower bag. Had things got worse, we'd still have warm showers. two 6 gal Jerry cans of water, always full and treated with bleach to ensure it's safe (didn't need them this time). as a back up to those (learned the hard way on the last camping trip) one collapsible 5 gal jug, marked NP (Non-potable) and a Katadyn camp filter for water purification.
4) food, Plenty of Non-perishable Items like canned soup, large bag of rice ($10) and ramian noodles in the pantry, keep it stocked and rotated. had things gotten too bad, I've a pellet gun, and plenty of tree rats running around the suburban neighborhood. No one would hear or miss two or three of them shot with the pellet rifle.
5) never under estimate board games and cards, they can keep the mind off the troubles and be fun in the near dark.
My wife occasionally comments on the Junk or crazy stuff I buy, but she don't argue when I say it's for "Camping" thus giving it a dual purpose.
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