I know it is still hot in some places and it has finally cooled down some here in Oklahoma. This evening I was walking around some on the creek by my house and it just really had the feeling of early fall in the air. While I was walking I got to wondering what our winter is going to be like this coming year. Is it going to be like last year! Last year was a real doozy for us. We really had some bad ice storms last winter and although I survived. It made me wonder just what could I have done that would have made it a lot easier and less worrysome? I think there at one point we had no electricity for about 3 days. I had to hall water from the creek to use the toilet and I live with a wife and 3 daughters. So I halled a lot of water! So anyway I got to thinking about putting some type of an emergency supply together and storing it for just such an occasion and was wondering just what all you people do or should do when preparing for a winter storm?

-- R.H. in Okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), August 31, 2001

Answers

R.H.,

This is a terrific question for forum discussion. Living up here in the frozen North, I'm always looking for new ideas about preparing for winter.

We stay stocked on at least three months (preferably six months) of food stuff. All the stuff from the garden goes into the freezer (we keep a generator on hand), plus I buy flour and rice in 25 lb bags, cases of canned stuff, etc. I make up menus by the month so I know exactly what I'll need at least on a monthly basis. I get my animal food in 50 lb. bags.

We don't have to worry about water but perhaps you could convence the girls to only flush went necessary and if that doesn't work, suggest they each take a turn hauling the water. Remember that old mantra: "If it's brown, flush it down; if it's yellow, let it mellow."

Don't forget some games and puzzles for when the electricity is out. DH and I sit up a 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle on a card table in late fall and kinda work on it all winter. We know spring is coming when we finish the puzzle. Oh, and don't forget some extra lamp oil and emergency candles.

The standing rule (joke) around here is: If there is a snow storm predicted on the radio, it is against the rules to go to the store for anything except NON-emergency stuff. The reasoning is that we should always be prepared. I once read a joke that when a snow storm is predicted, many people get a sudden urge for french toast (eggs, bread and milk). When we hear of an impending storm, my children ask me if I need oven liners (a non-emergency item).

I believe a snow storm is Mother Nature's way of saying "Relax! Enjoy my wonders and don't sweat the small stuff." (Of course, she's not feeding outside animals or hauling water.)

Wishing you enough.

-- Trevilians (aka Dianne in Mass) (Trevilians@mediaone.net), August 31, 2001.

In the past few years we have survived the big "Ice Storm" in Maine and last winter's snow. During the ice storm we were with out power for 12 days. Last winter we had 2 different storms that took out the power for 3 days each.

Do you have an alternative heat source? (We heat with wood, no problem) Do you have a way to cook meals? (We have a gas stove, no problem) Do you have water stored? (We have 3- 6 gallon containers and 4 - 5 gallon containers in the basement at all times. I change the water in them 2 or 3 times a year. This water is used for cleaning and washing, not drinking) Do you have canned food? (Shouldn't be a problem if you are a homesteader!) Batteries. Lots of them. For flashlights and radio's. I have a radio with a CD player in it. It really doesn't use a lot of batteries but during the ice storm there weren't any batteries to be found...anywhere. So I keep a good supply on hand now. The radio was good for information and the CD player kept me sane!) Candles and matches. Camping lantern. A phone that doesn't run on electricity.

Hope this helps.

-- Mary R. (cntryfolk@ime.net), August 31, 2001.

Living in Fl., we don't have to worry so much about the winter cold..but we try to stay prepared for hurricanes i.e...no power. My husband has a large plastic tool box that contains several flashlights, extra batteries, matches, lighters, emergency candles and first aid items. We do have a wood stove for winter heat that can be used for cooking. I can and freeze everything and keep bulk sugar, rice etc. We have access to a generator. Most importantly, I keep bottled water distilled for drinking and 2 liter drink bottles filled with a few drops of clorox for flushing and bathing. We also have a pool that the water can be used for everything except drinking.We have had a number of very close wildfire scares in the past few years and invested in a pump to be used to wet down area around house. I also always keep a weeks supply of animal feed....it is kind of morbid..but we sometimes look forward to impending emergencies to be without power to have to use these supplies and methods..(Not the life threatening factors..just the power outages). We lived in Tn. for 15 years and it was amazing how when the first snow flake fell or the ice began to collect, just how many things you needed from the store.

-- Sandi (msjazt@aol.com), August 31, 2001.

We can thank Y2K for rising the awareness of emergencies. Our welder/generator will power the whole house. Pantry full, celler full, at least 30 gal water for flushing ect. We have a wind up radio. Just filled our 1000 gal propane tank. We plan to treat every year like it is Y2K. (Except for the powdered milk.)

-- Belle (gardenbelle@terraworld.net), August 31, 2001.

Even in the deep south we do have ice storms and occassionally a blizzard. When it snows here, even a little, it basically shuts everything down. Also we have lots of power outages because of thunderstorms, tornados, etc.

A few months ago, we lost power during a thunderstorm. I just hauled out my little propane camper stove and cooked supper as if nothing had happened! My husband was tickled!

In the Blizzard of 1993, we were snowbound for 7 days and had no alternative heating source except a fireplace with a bad chimney! Shortly thereafter we installed a five brick propane heater.

Next on my agenda is a wood heater! I just haven't saved enough to get one yet! That was all the heat we had in our previous house and I loved it!

I have food canned, always try to have batteries on hand, and we always try to have extra of our necessary medication. Also REMEMBER TO HAVE ADEQUATE FOOD FOR ANY PETS OR OTHER ANIMALS and enough water for them too!!!

Have some garbage bags on hand that will fit in your commode. Put a garbage back under the lid and proceed to "use" it like the commode was operational. When finished tie the bag and sit it outside for diposal later. This works great in an emergency when you can't get out to an outhouse or when you don't have water to flush and you just can't get to the creek!

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), August 31, 2001.

For emergency water we have three 55 gal plastic drums with the tops cut off, they sit under the eve of the shed and collect rain run-off so are almost always full, this is for flushoing toilets. Also keep three five gal round coolers on porch full of water.

-- Bruce Burdge (comfreybruce@richmond.com), August 31, 2001.

I second all those good suggestions, but I notice there seems to be one very essential item missing yet from the list: BOOKS! (and of course, lamp oil!)

I've been collecting books from library basement sales and yardsales all summer, and have a few bookshelves full of books that I've been just dying to read all summer, but have been too busy. I am definately looking forward to winter.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), August 31, 2001.

We have wood stove for heat & can cook on it, also bought a small butane burner (safe to use inside)for fast coffee, extra batteries for radio, flashlights, lamp oil, line the bottom of our chest freezer w/frozen milk jugs of water and also a couple gal. of milk. We also have a cell phone for emergencies as our phone does go out. The pantry is always full in the winter. We LOVE being snowed in...I'm a teacher...great fun!!!

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), August 31, 2001.

This past winter I said the snow was my winter exercise plan. While everyone else was snowblowing and plowing their way out of each storm, my husband and I (mostly me, since I was home) shovelled all the snow. I got plenty of exercise and I had something to do almost all the time!! When we had the big ice storm here a few years back everyone went out afterwards and bought a generator. You can buy them fairly cheap now, because many of those same people are selling them. Generators should be run monthly to make sure they are in working order. Many people didn't do this and found that their generator wouldn't run when they needed it to a year later. We have access to one if we need it, but have only needed it once to recharge our freezer during an extended outage. In our house, the biggest inconvenience is the lack of running water. We have a 5 gallon bottle that we fill with filtered water for drinking if a storm is coming. We also store water in gallon containers with a few drops of bleach in them for washing. Other than that, it's more lifestyle change than one particular action when a storm is coming. We built a pantry to keep several months worth of dry and canned goods. We started having a game night weekly as a family event, so now if the power is out the kids don't complain about it, they get out the board games. We heat with wood and coal and can cook on that stove, so that's not an issue. When we had our big ice storm a few years back, it was a very bonding time for our community. We had one friend who lived in a trailer who moved in with us for a few days and another neighbor who came over for meals several times. Everyone was checking on everyone else to make sure all were safe, fed and warm enough. Although I don't think I would want to have to live without electricity all the time, it was not such a big deal for a week. We have checked out getting a solar back-up for our water pump, but we have to filter our water as well and running the filter at the same time as the pump would require a bigger system than we can afford right now.

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), August 31, 2001.

Ladies don't forget the knitting needles or crochet hooks along with some books and a aladdin lamp for light. When we lived in upstate NY i always made sure I had some knitting to do it helped to pass the time and accomplish something besides. sally

-- sally stanton (mallardhen67@hotmail.com), September 04, 2001.