Cheers,
JohnnyUtah.
UPDATE
I’m in Fayette county WV as well gotuonpaper. Outside of Fayetteville.
Almost 11 full days, no power, boil water advisory, 100 degree heat, no rain.
On June 29, the majority of my state saw how a major SHTF event might go. We had a storm roll through of epic proportions. I’ve lived through hurricanes on the coast of South Carolina and seen tornados in southern Ohio, and let me tell you this storm was impressive. It had sustained winds over 75MPH and while it doesn’t sound as impressive as a hurricane or tornado, what makes it so, is that it sustained this strength through the mountains of southern WV.
I had been delayed at the hospital that night. Major trauma came in late and put me out of work about 40 minutes later than usual. I had about a half a tank of gas in the Jeep and usually fill up when I get to that point. It looked nasty outside, I was already late getting home to the wife and kids so I decided to skip it and grab gas the next day. Timing is significant because it takes me about 40 minutes to get home. Mass of the storm hit my house about 1935.
ON the way to the compound, shall we say, shit got real. Funnel clouds over maple fork and mount hope. My Jeep was being blown all over the road. It was an effort to keep it upright in places. The closer I get to home, the more I realize, this is a significant event and power won’t be back on tonight.
As I near the house, there are trees down everywhere. I can get within 2 miles of the house before I can’t go any further. I grab the go bag out of the back of the jeep, throw on the poncho and start the run to the house to check on my girls. The main road wasn’t bad, only a couple of trees across. Once you hit my turn off, things were worse. There were 6 trees greater than 16 inches across the road in the last quarter mile.
I got home, girls were ok, roof had sustained minor, outbuilding still intact. The wife had candles going, flashlights and 9MM in hand. My wife did not understand until now why I kept “the caveman drawer”. The drawer contains candles, flashlights, batteries, matches, etc. Basically anything that has to do with fire or light.
I knew this was going to be multi day, just wasn’t aware until Saturday how multi-day. Woke up early sat morning and assessed the situation. I didn’t get gas the night before and had only half a tank in a jeep that gets 19MPG. I had only 5 gallons in cans as I had just filled all the lawn equipment 2 days before. Generator had almost a full tank. Extra quart of bar and chain lube in the building. I have full size
I needed gas. Reports on the radio giving only 2 open locations for gas, with minimum 2 hour lines and no guarantee of gas when you got to the pump. Luckily cell network was still up and I have a wide network of friends that are right outside the state lines. Sent out some messages that I needed gas, lots of it. (Needed gas for my brother with a new baby, my parents and grandmother, as well as myself) I get multiple responses that everywhere close is without power, Princeton has power but gas lines are just as bad because it’s the first place southbound to get gas and northerners heading for vacation are on empty or already out of gas.
A friend of mine from Wythevile VA responds that gas lines off the interstate are crazy but in town, he can pull right in. This was my ticket. I can make wytheville on a little over an hour and be guaranteed gas. I pull out at 0730, make VA, grab 55 gallons in cans, fill the jeep and head home. Once home, the neighbors and I cleared our road. 4 guys on saws and a backhoe still took all damn day. Thank god the neighbor had a back hoe or we would have been stuck in here until DOH came through on Wednesday.
Once back home, things really weren’t all that abnormal after the first full day. Other than the oppressive heat of 100 degree days, the wife and the kids did better than expected. I ran the genny enough to save 1 fridge and the freezer. Got my girls into a routine. We would have “camp out breakfasts”, mommy would read a story while I would prep the supplies for the day, we would play outside as I attempted to clean up the property, swim in the creek, dinner on the grill which consisted of steak and chicken from the freezer I couldn’t save, veggies from the garden. Hell, we ate better with the power and services out than we do normally.
Learnings
Power
-I have a genny, but not enough genny. The wife was hesitant to let me spend the 5K on a whole house system to run off of our propane tank. She is now on board.
-I had gas, not enough gas. I let myself get low. I was complacent. Like the guy that CCs everyday, then realizes one day that he has gone a week without one in the chamber. You thought you were good, when actually you screwed yourself.
-I can run refrigeration, a small ac unit at night for my girls, and a movie and tv for the girls before bed on approx. 3 gals a day. My little centurion generator is a beast.
-Slightly related, having a Jetta TDI diesel that get 50mpg is a bonus when others are waiting 2 hours for gas and you can pull in and grab diesel. Anytime we needed to travel to check on the family, we took the diesel.
-Chainsaws are your friend. Keep them in tip top shape, keep extra oil and bar oil.
Water
-I’m luckier than most. I chose this property for certain reason and water is one of them. National guard started showing up with water at fire stations on day 5. FEMA got to the area on day 9. God bless our troops, but don’t count on the govt. for shit, which some did.
-Water straight from the pipe is cold. C O L D. While I’m fine with a bearing sea shower, my girls are not. I filled up the tub early in the AM upstairs, let the water sit in the tub for the day, by bath time, it was warm enough for the girls to tolerate an actual bath.
-Grab yourself a gravity filter from Katydyn or platypus. They are invaluable on a boil water advisory.
FOOD
-If S really HTF, your refrigerator is useless. When the grid goes down and looks to be for a long time, cook everything you can, consolidate into 1 fridge and eat like King Henry.
- If S really HTF, your refrigerator is useless. Stock up on dry/canned protein/meat/milk. Stock up on comfort foods if you have kids. Fruit roll ups, granola bars, chocolate chips (chips hold better in heat in a dark room in a can)
-Gas/propane stoves and water heaters are your friend. They work when the electric doesn’t. Unfortunately my water heater is electric, but not for much longer.
-If you have any kind of spices in shakers, immediately replace the shaker with something with a sealed lid. Every salt shaker and our garlic shaker were solid from the heat and humidity.
-As my wife learned on the first day when I left for Wytheville, if its summer, cook outside, if its winter, cook inside. A propane stove puts out a metric shit ton of heat.
-Have back up propane tanks for grills. I luckily had one. My main tank went out on day 4.
SHELTER
-I highly advise clearing the area around your house. If there is a tree big enough to fall on your roof, It can. Folks up the road, their house is done. 150 year old oak uprooted and went right through the center. House is totaled, they aren’t coming back.
SECURITY
-Get a dog. A big Dog. During the storm, thieves stole 5 generators from just peple I personally know, a tractor was stolen, and multiple break ins. I have 2 GSDs on security detail. Knew the minute a neighbor was coming for a visit.
-Does your SO know the combination to your gun safe? I had tried to get mine to learn to open the safe for access to the 12g and the ARs, she never learned until now. She had her CC, but now knows she would like access to the 12g and the ARs if needed. She felt I would always be there, now she knows that I may not be there when shit happens. I’ve seen people in GD say “Hell no I wouldn’t give her the combination to my safe”, If that’s the case, take her out to the worst part of town, drop her off half drunk in her g string, because you don’t care about her safety.
PEOPLE
-I’m lucky to have some great neighbors. There are only 4 houses on your road. Some people don’t have great neighbors. Gennys were stolen, tractors were stolen, homes broken into, meds and jewelry taken. Get to know your neighbors by name, not by sight. Set up an emergency communication plan with your close neighbors. Establish an FRS channel you can go to in events like this.
-My parents and grandmother did great. Well, we had to remind my grandmother that she grew up in a tin trailer with no AC and no fan. After that talk she did great, before that she was a bear.
-Establish a routine with children quickly. They will adapt better than you will.
-After day 5, people became much less civil. Fist Fights over generators and ice, screaming matches while people were waiting in line. This is not the majority. Most folks around here helped each other in their neighborhoods, sharing what they had, making sure their elderly neighbors were safe and not hungry, but once out in public around people they don’t know, some people got desperate and began to lose their shit.
-I believe It all depends on your mental ability to cope and the people you are surrounded by. Those of us, who were prepared, treated these as any other day. Those that lived off of the govt or that lived day to day became panicked.
CASH IS KING. NO one cares how many divisible one ounce silver rounds you have in your pocket. Keep cash in your safe at home, keep cash in every car. I have 3 rolls of gold dollars in each car and cash in the safe. When the power is out, so are bank and credit cards. Goods are available...for CASH.
I would go for 3 months in the winter time before I do another week in the summer. I can make heat and I can store food outside, but living in 100 degree heat and over 80% humidity in the summer is the suck. WV never has that nice desert dry heat. Sorry for the book. Cheers,
Johnnyutah.
Lots of good information. Thanks.
ReplyDelete