Preparing for a storm emergency.

[birdhouse]

The serious part...

 

The weather has been relentless sucky this winter & apparently shows no sign of letting up any time soon. Just a reminder that we're not the only ones who are getting tired of the ice & snow. Trees & power lines, etc are feeling it too. Power outages, flooding & all that good stuff might be even a little more likely under the circumstances.

 

It can really be a tricky business keeping exotic creatures safe during any natural disaster. But especially when it's cold. So I thought maybe a list of some of the previous discussions that members have had might help people plan ahead.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=greyforums.net+hurricane+site:www.greyforums.net&client=firefox-a&hs=Drl&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np

 

 

The other part...

 

Now that I've finished everything on my list, I am going to make lots of hot chocolate (w/w/o alcohol), find my newest gardening magazines & watch another fresh foot of wet snow fall. Thinking about the amount of shoveling that will be required in the next day or two, I haven't got the energy it takes to do anything more exciting.

 

But I thought it might be fun to hear what other members do to keep from going bonkers while they're getting snowed in for the umpteenth time in the dead of winter...?

[BaileysPapa]

Here, in Florida, we wonder why anyone would live in a place like that? (I'm from up north originally, myself)

[Talon]

We too are getting hammered over and over. But in the North as you know life continues, work goes on, no snow days at work, so we trudge on in, come home shovel some more and do it all the next day. Just always make sure we gas for the generator, gas in the cars and always have bread and milk....

 

[judygram]

After the derecho we had in the summer of 2012 we purchased a generator that will run most of the house, going for days without power in 100 degree heat was unbearable when you are used to air conditioning but the worst was the possible loss of everything we had in the fridge and freezers which would not stay cool for very long. But we are better prepared for outages in the wintertime for we have two fireplaces and a wood stove to provide heat, the birds are in the family room which is heated by a gas furnace which will run off the generator so they would stay warm and we always have plenty of food in the freezers and I usually keep a well stocked pantry.

[Greywings]

We still have room in Texas will be in the 70's today here near Houston. Roses blooming and trees budding out.

[birdhouse]

I'd be lyin if I said I didn't (day)dream about sandy beaches & tropical oceans pretty much all the northern winter long. I'm a coastal creature in case you can't tell. I've always been particularly drawn to pictures of Antigua for some reason... :confused:

[Inara]

My front door is literally at 7300 ft above sea level in the Rockies. We're used to tons of snow: driving in it, shoveling it, snowblowing it, and playing in it. However, we're far enough south in latitude that we don't get the days on end of sub-zero weather and the horrific wind chills that states further to the north get. I grew up where it often would be 45 below zero with wind chills of 80 below. We used to say that we had two seasons: winter and the 4th of July. So this seems mild and more than livable to me. We do have a working fireplace, and we live in a solar home. Since the sun shines here over 300 days per year, even when there is snow on the ground, as there is today, I open the solar shades and the house warms up to about 15 degrees warmer than it is outside and/or in the summer if I close them the house cools to about 15 degrees less than it is outside

 

We have been hit with massive forest fires here the last two years in a row, and last year we were on pre-evac status as the fires crept closer and closer to our home. We have an exit plan, a list of what to take in a moment's notice, and all of those things are easily reached and packed, as well as a portable fire-proof safe with our most important docs in it. We annually take a video walk-through of our home and store the video on two memory sticks. One kept outside of our home, and one in the fireproof box.

 

Another reason that I'm glad we have Inara acclimated to her travel cage and she is happy to step right into it with no fuss. Her home cage, also breaks down and folds flat within no time and can easily be slid into our Honda Element. Great thread, as it's always important to plan ahead for unforeseen emergencies.

[katana600]

I hear many southern friends say "you never hear anyone say they are moving north for retirement". But.... that is my dream. With the exception of the bitter cold spells that happen occasionally, I like those snow days of stoking the wood stove, making hot chocolate and staying inside while it passes. Of course, by the time we reach that goal, I am hoping someone else likes to chop that wood. LOL. This is a good thread because even if we live in a mild climate where the loss of electricity is more of an inconvenience than a life threatening battle of the elements, it is still a good idea to have an emergency plan. There are so many other emergencies such as a chemical spill. Planning ahead for a medical emergency when we may need to make arrangements for our parrots is always going to be fraught with high anxiety. Having a back up plan and sorting through those issues when you are clear headed and can plan methodically is so much better than having that on your shoulders in the worst of times.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

I don't have a generator. I DO have several friends in several different towns that would take Sophie and Sunny in case of an emergency. I would take their birds as well if they lost power. Push come to shove... I would sneak Sophie into a hotel or I would book a flight and visit Greywings! Hope Greywings would be ok with the short notice! Nancy