Second Chance with Hurricane Irene

The big news around these parts is Hurricane Irene, and it's not to be taken lightly. There is potential for some serious conditions, and we have been doing what we can on this end, though maybe not as much as we should have.

Benefiting from hindsight, we actually got a second chance. They say to stock up on water because once the electricity goes, you can't use the tap. We bought drinking water and figured that would be enough, but you realize how much water you really use on any given day, especially when you want to flush the toilet.

Last night we went to bed thinking we were as prepared as we could be, and then this morning I woke up and noticed the electricity was already out. Bummer, but not the end of the world because we were prepared, right? Well, not really. First off, it's dark, and we would benefit from more candles. The biggest issue, however, is water. We should have stocked up more by filling pots and pans for cooking and washing. They also recommend filling your bathtub up and using that to flush your toilet. What a great idea, none of which we did.

I was sitting on the couch kicking myself for not doing those things, and even put the pots and pans outside to catch rain water, figuring that in a few hours they'd be full. The big thing was flushing the toilet, however, and I wished I'd filled that bathtub. I took some food out of the fridge and kept it in an ice chest, thinking that it could survive warming up to room temp.

The stove worked, so we could cook, and if worse came to worse, we could always use our camping stove and propane. Whatever be the case, it was going to be a long day without electricity, not unlike camping. At some point when I was making coffee, however, the electricity went back on. Wow, a second chance.

I immediately filled up several pots with water, and then the tub. I also put the food back into the fridge to keep it cool, and then took care of bathroom issues while we could flush the toilet. Fortunately I'm a morning person in that regard.

All in all, we're in decent shape because once the sun comes up, we can survive without lights, and in terms of food, we can cook. They say tomorrow should be nicer, so we'll just hang tight and see how things transpire. The storm is supposed to get worse as the hurricane gets closer, so we're not out of the woods just yet. The big concern will be the wind. We are toying with the idea of taking a walk to the nearby brook and see how the water levels are doing.

Then again, that may be flirting with disaster. Thanks for reading, and thanks to Fred Green and Glenn Pebley for the pic.