Our issues are: Wildfire -primary and Loss of electric in Deep Cold – secondary
Will I be likely to lose electricity if this emergency happens? Wildfire Event...not usually until I’d have to Evac anyway. We leave markers in freezers [like: small container of ice, set penny on top of ice. When we return, WAS power off long enough to ruin foods and then it came back on to refreeze them? If penny is at bottom of ice, throw out the refrozen food. Just look at ice cream and you can tell from that too]
Winter Power Outage Event….obviously yes. Keeping warm enough thru the nights is the most dangerous. Can set up a tent within the house. Use winter-weight sleeping bags which live in my truck but are brought up for winter storms. Cozy up to very large dog. Buddy Heater…with ventilation. The large Dietz Jupiter lantern [lamp oil/kerosene] heats well too. Cover windows thickly: cardboard, blankets beach towels. Various other means to keep warmer. If very long term/StuffHitsFan….rip out the works of the pellet stove insert and use inefficient fireplace. At least it’s easy to keep food cool [snow or ice in the fridge] or frozen [put some water containers outside] to put into the freezer tho likely it will remain quite cold enough. Don’t tempt wildlife by putting food outside.
Will I have running water?…..Wildfire Event….we’re rural on a well. IF they shut off the electricity so it wouldn’t cause further fires [like they do preemptively in CA] or if the wires are burned between us and the source, then we would loose water pumping power. But we’d likely have one foot out the door in EVAC if it was getting that close. Have pond, even when creek has stopped in arid conditions. Have LOTS of stored water. Wildfire doesn’t usually happen unless we’re in No-Rainfall time periods so we don’t rely on rain as a source. Have lived w/o electricity/water in our younger years. We know the drill…..and also know it takes SO much more energy than modern life. And being old, we need to be efficient.
Winter Power Outage Event ….same as above but with the addition of having snow to melt. It takes a LOT of snow and patience and fuel to melt any quantity. Usually we have LOT of snow available but …..MUCH easier to keep all the water containers year ’round.
Will I be able to purchase more food and supplies or will I have to rely on what I have already? Wildfire Event……In a wildfire EVAC, one must evacuate until you are out of the affected area. So yes, there would be supplies available for purchase. Outside the Evac, life goes on as normal. Keeping that in mind, we have to chose WHAT to bring out/SAVE in an evacuation. Not to use them. But which of my preps or equipment I want to save from the fire’s destruction. One of our wildfire events, DH and I relocated all of our commercial prep foods [buckets and #10 cans]. We had the time and a location to move it into. [then…a second wildfire threatened that location, Hmph!] We always bring out our basic BOBs and extensive 1stAid. Camping supplies in case we must camp with our evacuated livestock. That camping stuff lives in my truck …no time to move all that with a 5 min. warning. You canNOT be 5 minutes late getting out of a wildfire.
Winter Power Outage Event…..usually in a winter event, it means lots of snow/ice has brought down power lines somewhere. So we wouldn’t be planning to drive anywhere in a mess of snow/ice. Just live on our stock pile.
Will I have to evacuate? Wildfire…maybe. Keep listening to reports and looking at maps. DETAILED. CURRENT. LOCAL. MAPS. We know the back roads. Winter Power Outage …unless the roof caved in, no.
Are there any members of my family who will be particularly affected? Wildfire Event…..this is getting harder every year. Usually a wildfire would not affect both us AND our elderlies. One did. 🙁 We’re all OLDER now. We’ve coached them thru an EVAC cuz we’d already done one in a earlier year. They did fine. Now? ……. 🙁 I cannot even imagine trying that again, even with our help. Worst Case Scenario….BOTH of us affected and under EVAC. We’re far enough apart that it should not happen at the same time….tho possibly, days apart. Still….DH and I are OLDER now too. We have health issues now that we haven’t had in past EVAC- potential situations. Aforementioned 1st Aid kits [dh sprained his knee on our 1st Evac and we didn’t have his brace] and also ALL THE ‘SCRIPTS AND OTC MEDS would come with us. THERE IS NOT TIME/ENERGY for us to go shop for such things during a busy Evac. All our 1stAid are in RED bags…..so you can locate them. Have locked case for the ‘scripts. Carry some on-our-person during an Evac.
I have drastic heat issues….wear wet overshirt and keep hair soaked for evaporative cooling, tons of gel/ice packs, Chilly Towels, ALL my cooling stuff. I bring some of that ANY time I leave the house anyway.
And I have mobility/adaptive equipment that would be packed too. Even larger things can be taken down to smaller parts quickly….to fit in the Evac vehicles. We have far less animals now…that helps.
Winter Power Outage Event…DH has Raynauds in his hands. We broke down and bought him some VERY expensive glove-mitts last winter. They work! He’s so relieved. He might have to wear them inside in this event. And to bed. I live easier if I’m cold ….heat gets me. Snow removal could cause serious medical event for either of us…cuz we’re old. But DH is more on that point. Slowly….gradually….don’t do too much at once. Usually no reason we can’t take days to shovel out the mess. BTDT!
OldMtWoman