New York Renovator

I’m reading this very old book, Historic Storms of New England. It was written by Sidney Perley and published in 1891. His narratives go back to the first recorded natural disasters of the year 1635, a mere 15 years after the Separatists (English Pilgrims) landed on the shores of Massachusetts in 1620. The book is amazing, it tells of earthquakes, strange appearances in the heavens, blizzards, hurricanes (although they were not called hurricanes back then), meteorites and other strange events and storms. Some of the stories include eyewitness accounts (one family’s devastating shipwreck is heart wrenching). In most cases, such natural catastrophes drew people closer to God.

As I’ve been reading the book, oddly enough, New York and New England have suffered a year of unusual weather and natural disasters. This year alone, we’ve had THREE devastating floods, an earthquake, two hurricanes, innumerable tornadoes and — a mere week ago — a freak October Nor’Easter that dumped 32 inches in Maine. I was shocked to read the blog of one of my friends. who reports that in Connecticut they STILL have no electrical power. Cindi has had to throw out all the food in her two refrigerators and freezers. News reports say the storm killed 8 people and cut power for at least 4 million households. Wow. Cindi said she has a generator, but there is no gasoline available, so they are out of power completely. Because of the immense snow and downed trees, travel out of the area is impossible, So they are stuck in the disaster zone. Wow.

It won't be long....

And that got me thinking.

My husband and I have discussed “emergency preparedness” before. We have two sump pumps that work day and night to keep water out of our basement. We’ve experienced numerous floods (so many I can’t count anymore), but only once did we lose power in all our years here. If we lost power — especially during a heavy rainfall or hurricane — we’d be inundated with flood waters. So we discussed getting a generator, thinking this would solve our problem. But after reading Cindi’s situation, I wonder if that’s really the cure-all we originally thought. In a natural catastrophe, the gas stations may not pump gas. Then what?

So I don’t know what to do. I feel rather frustrated because everything in our society is SO reliant and integrated with the electrical grid. It makes me feel uneasy. I like to have a contingency plan, but there really isn’t anything. And I thought, “Well, we could get a wood-burning generator, right?” But our chainsaw needs gas to cut that wood. We have SOME wood in the back, but I don’t think we would have nearly enough. And where would I store it? If another flood rages across my land, all the wood is down the pike.

I’m beginning to think “emergency preparedness” is a pipe dream. There’s only *so much* you can do, because no matter what, you are reliant on other people and groups in the community being prepared, too. Which, as we see with the numerous disasters this year, few communities are. I do wonder about my own community. Are they so busy building sidewalks and shopping centers for electronics and plus size bridesmaid dresses that they forget the other things, too? Like BOATS, lol.

Hm. What do you think?

Power outages in winter in Upstate New York are lousy. I don’t have a fireplace! There is a twinge of uneasiness to be so reliant on the electric grid… we have a nice hefty pile of seasoned wood in the backyard should we ever really need it, and I can always gather all the kids together in the same room and make them do calisthenics to warm things up …but I like to be prepared. One thing I am in desperate need of is a battery-powered weather radio. I’ve procrastinated all summer long about the thing, so I’m finally checking specs and prices. Buy.com has a spectacular sale going on right now (how did they know I need a weather radio?!): the Eton FR350 Self-Powered radio looks terrific! I think I am going to get it. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of radio:

• AM/FM and 8 Shortwave bands
• Numerous power options: 3 AA batteries, or the AC adapter, or a built-in rechargeable Ni-MH that takes charge from a hand-crank or the AC adapter!!
• It has an emergency siren, a flashlight, built-in LED lights, and a built-in cell-phone charger
• Also includes kitchen sink

Well, I’m kidding about that last one. But I suppose it would if it could! It looks superb. The price is right ($30) with Buy.com’s amazing Free Shipping bonus. I think I may get a few- this would make a great gift for my sons!

Here’s a sale alert for all Frugal Hacks! I saw this at the Buy.com weekly sale page and thought it too good to keep to myself: The Weather Channel EZ Crank Extreme Emergency Radio and Flashlight. Retail is usually $30, but at Buy.com the price is $19.99. Free shipping, too! Limit is 10 per customer, and things like these go pretty fast, so my advice is not to delay if you’ve been looking for something like this. Also at a good price is The Weather Channel Excalibur Car Starter, too, see here.

This is the perfect time gear up for emergency kit and camping gear. I’ve been watching and waiting for emergency radios to go on sale. Because this is a Weather Channel brand, and it has a flashlight combo/cell phone charger capability with it, it’s a GREAT deal. I love Buy.com! They always have to best stuff, and a lot of times there’s free shipping. Be sure to bookmark the weeky sales page and check every week. Various items go on sale at various times.

Buy.com is probably known for their competitive electronics prices, but I have found that they also sell tons of other stuff: housewares, small appliances, garden and outdoor tools and supplies, apparel, toys, jewelry, and more. Their customer service is superb, too! I recommend Buy.com. Check them out for other great deals. But beware– sometimes stuff sells out pretty fast. Nab it while you can.