ICE STORM 2010 are you ready????

Browncoat · #21 01/26/10, 04:37 PM

Yep, I think we're ready. Pretty much plan on losing electric, so I've got (or am in the process of getting) the laundry done, and lots of water caught in every available pot/bottle/whatever. Since it's going to be raining here first, I'll make sure to catch as much as I can of that for flushing and emergency laundry. Not worried about food, got plenty, and have plenty of propane to last this forecasted spell.

What do I have this year? Experience from last year, which means a better way of doing laundry and taking a shower without running water. The apocalypse can come, but I've still gotta be clean!

stanb999 · #22 01/26/10, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMartianChick

Around here, an ice storm is usually a blip on the radar and a one day event. We've never had the kinds of disruptions that so many here have had.

Same here if a Half inch of ice caused the power to go out... We would be without power a few times a year.

Preps... We always keep a bit of water on hand. Soon I'll have a hand pump for the critters than the weather can do as it wishes.

To you southern folks... IF you'd just put in poles closer like they do here you'd never worry about power outages.

**highlands** · #23 01/26/10, 05:14 PM

I hope we don't get a bad ice storm. We lost 150 acres of sugar maples including most of our sugar bush in the ice storm of 1998. Almost a million dollars worth of lumber and sugar bush destroyed. It was devastating.

We got rain on Monday, yesterday, but it didn't ice up. Today was warmish. This is good news. It is the first January thaw we've had in years. I don't mind. We got a lot of chores done today that had been made impossible by the frozen ground and deep snows.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa

Old Vet · #24 01/26/10, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EasyDay

Oh, one other thing we have now...
when we wired the new house, we put a plug on the outside for the generator. Now, instead of running extension cords, we flip two breakers off (hot tub and CHA), start the generator, and plug it into the house.

You forgot the most important one. The main switch. I wouldn't want to read about some electrical worker that got fried by yore generator. I got a stand by generator for my house lots of wood and some preps. They are predicting snow here but further south a ice storm. I live just north of Marshall.

EasyDay · #25 01/26/10, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Vet

You forgot the most important one. The main switch. I wouldn't want to read about some electrical worker that got fried by yore generator. I got a stand by generator for my house lots of wood and some preps. They are predicting snow here but further south a ice storm. I live just north of Marshall.

So far, they've always removed power (fuse?) at the transformers. Then they go door to door to ensure everyones' mains are off.

I didn't realize you lived so close to us, Old Vet! Cool!

Sawmill Jim · #26 01/26/10, 06:58 PM

Nothing different here

Just hope if it gets as bad this year as last year i get the same amount of help from F E M A

NONE and that is what i wanted

Oldcountryboy · #27 01/26/10, 08:21 PM

Well we didn't get the big icestorm everyone got last year. But.....2 years ago we got pounded while most everyone else didn't. To this day I'm still cleaning up after that storm. 2 years later now and we still have widow makers hanging high up in the trees.

What we have now that we didn't last year is better cleared highlines. Since our icestorm 2 years ago the electric company has gone around just about everywhere and clear cut a lot of underbrush and trees. So hopefully if we get a bunch of ice again, we wont have the power outages that we had before. 2 years ago we spent almost a full 2 weeks without grid power. On about day 7 we went out and splurged for a good generator. Which we still have and today I changed the oil and gas in it and filled up my big gas can. Just incase!

copperhead46 · #28 01/26/10, 08:36 PM

We got enought wood in today, got extra drinking water, getting gas for the generator tomarrow and a few extra groceries. I have the pantry stocked, propane in the tank and hay out for the cows and horses. We got lamp oil a couple of weeks ago so I guess we're as ready as we'll ever be. I hate the ice layer going down under the snow, but that seems to be the way we do it around here. I have a creek running through the back yard so we carry water for flushing and washing dishes, and I cook with gas so I can cook and clean up. Hope everyone stays warm and cozy.
P.J.

Old Vet · #29 01/26/10, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EasyDay

So far, they've always removed power (fuse?) at the transformers. Then they go door to door to ensure everyones' mains are off.

I didn't realize you lived so close to us, Old Vet! Cool!

Where do you live? I live between Gilbert and St Joe. PM me to tell me.

belladulcinea · #30 01/26/10, 09:15 PM

I have what we need! We always try to stay prepared for these kinds of things.

zookeepertomany · #31 01/26/10, 09:40 PM

Almost ready, getting the propane tanks refilled for the grill and filling all gas cans for the generator. Other than that we are ready. The livestock will get taken care of tomorrow.

lmrose · #32 01/26/10, 09:44 PM

We are always prepared for any weather. Last night it warmed up in the 40's F and rained but the weeks before that were snowy and very cold with high winds.By the ocean salt on the wires short out electric. We have wood stoves for both cooking and heating, a hand pump in the cellar, wood undercover and food so I don't have to travel town and shop.This week may be the January thaw but look out after that! Winter will return!

What we have that we didn't have last winter? Two extra goats in the barn! One adult and one born last spring.There are three bred to start freshening the first of April and the yearling plus my pet doe who is open this year. Usually we only keep three.
Butchering time came and we had sales for two and kept one for meat for us. Two more were suposed to go for meat but my husband decided he would sell them for milking goats instead.Someone wanted to buy them but my DH was concerned they wouldn't be properly cared for so he decided to keep them.

I asked him what we are going to do with five does and the possible six to twelve goat kids the three bred ones might produce? He couldn't think of an answer. So I assume this farm is "going to the goats". Oh well, the goats will be good company for all the deer that graze in our pasture.

big rockpile · #33 01/26/10, 09:49 PM

Looks like its going South of us again this year but we have Food and Wood.

big rockpile

dale · #34 01/26/10, 10:17 PM

Someone said they had city water so they was ok
There aren't many cities that has 3phase generators to run the pumps for deep wells and if they treat surface water it also take ele. To treat it then a pump to pump it in the water towers.
I didn't say that to argue but that you can check with your municaplity
If you have city sewer it takes several pumps to treat it
Our small city pumps 100,000 gal of water average per day
And treats 75,000 gal of sewer per day

I am the mayor of our town and have others calling wanting to borrow some of our gas powered pumps to pump their sewer

We have a generator for one well and due to a recent sewer grant we have sewer lift stations with auto generators. I said lift stations for you that lives in flat country you may not have them
Since we are very hilly here the sewer will go down hill but there is usally a hill between it and the sewer plant so it has to be pumped

Again just making some aware the some cities don't have generators

Dale

busybee870 · #35 01/26/10, 10:56 PM

Im near Harrison, Old Vet. This year i think i have enough food, i know i have plenty of oil for the lamps, and have a coffee can full of wicks for them. Plenty of blankets. Got a kerosene heater, I could use another but by the time i get paid the weather will be here so, we'll dress warmer to make what i have last, have propane but its only used to cook so I should have enough. Ill never be without a gas stove , i can heat water, cook, and heat part of the house if i have to. Got jugs of water filled, and after everyone gets a good hot bath wednesday night, ill fill the bathtub, again, for dishes, and toilet, worked out good last year. If we run out of that water we go to the creek and bring some back.

busybee870 · #36 01/26/10, 10:57 PM

I hope you all stay safe, stay off the roads, and hope you all sleep warmly with a full belly.

ChristieAcres · #37 01/27/10, 12:56 AM

This year we are having much warmer temperatures (even warmer than predicted with El Nino). I was able to plant another 100 garlic beginning of January! We haven't gotten any snow since December and next month all the locals are planting peas (?!) and other cool weather varieties.

Last year, we had record snows, and it was much colder. We got set up with wired in generator, and were well prepared for the next Winter (our mild one). Better to be over prepared than under prepared!

Oh, on wood? With the modifications to our wood stove (heating our water), we are using more than we normally do. DH was out scouting for more wood around our property (fallen Alder from last year). He is also modifying the stove AGAIN to double the heat exchange. Some things just get better

**Shrek** · #38 01/27/10, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by busybee870

what do you have this year that you didnt last year?

I have my usual sink side water cans ready to fill if temps get too low, the collection of 5 gallon buckets of oak deadfall wood for the small milk pail stove in the kitchen and pantry store that I have maintained since my third year here in 1998.

I have purchased a dynamo powered am/fm, all band shortwave radio /power generator, dynamo powered latern and 7 in digital tv/dvd player that can be charged with the dynamo generator to maintain my comforts without the stench of kerosene lamps this past year.

ChristyACB · #39 01/27/10, 05:13 AM

Argh...with working shifts 7 days a week since Haiti, I'm so NOT ready. What a mess...

**Terri** · #40 01/27/10, 06:59 AM

It looks like the ice storm will PROBABLY go south of us. We will only get the cold.

Good luck, though, to Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and any other folk that the weather report did not name!