Power Outage/Ice Storm Tips

[deja vu]

Not sure what to do if you are caught in a long power outage, especially if it's during a winter storm?

I came across these tips that may help -

1. The federal government warns that people should always be prepared for 72 hours without electricity while emergency workers focus on those in urgent need. That includes preparing an emergency kit and an emergency plan.

2. Check on vulnerable people such as seniors and people with mobility issues.

3. Do not use generators or barbecues indoors as this will create a carbon monoxide hazard. Also, ensure that batteries are working in carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. "I can't stress enough," Toronto Deputy Fire Chief Mike McCoy said. "Any appliance in the home that burns — whether it's a barbecue, whether it's a gas appliance — if the home stays closed and there's no way to bring in fresh air, oxygen, you're going to run into a CO issue."

Tips 4-10 amd 5 tips on Ice storms:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ice-storm ... -1.2473501

[yukon]

As the ravages of the 2013 Toronto ice storm drag into their third day, the Star spoke with people around the GTA about how they are coping with the destruction in the lead up to Christmas. Here are a few of their stories.

A simple solution

While Jonathan Schloo’s neighbours packed up and headed elsewhere as the power outage on an East York street dragged on, Schloo’s family has been toasty warm, running the freezer, watching movies, making cappuccinos. It’s all thanks to a Toyota hybrid and less than $200 worth of parts from Canadian Tire. Using a system devised for camping, Schloo connected a power inverter to the battery of his Toyota Highlander. He disconnected his house near Pape and Danforth Aves. from Toronto Hydro, lest the power come back on. And he plugged the inverter into the house.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/12 ... torm.html#

Boy, I bet a few are kicking themselves for not thinking of this one. And it was less than the cost of a hotel room and dining out. Bloody brilliant and would bet a few will be following his lead so they are
ready when the next storm hits.

[CielOnTap]

Mr. Schloo is a smart person--bet people in Scarborough without heat wished they had him as a neighbour.

Warming centre access is an issue over the holidays. In Hamilton, on Dec. 24, I only knew of two places open for residents-one was really far away (i.e. need a car to get there) and other place was closer but due to close at 4pm. That morning, I was considering having my parents go to the local library during its 3h of business so they could warm up but power was restored (2nd time) before opening time.

What I did on Sunday and think this matters to anyone with trees or clotheslines-someone had to go outside and knock down icicles and scrape snow/ice off the walkways and driveway during the day. And spread some salt or ice melter as it was slippery outside. With cleaned surfaces, any sunshine on subsequent days warmed the walkways so snow melted! I also tackled some pine limb/branch clearing. When I decided not to do any more on Sunday and went to clear a walkway, a few minutes later, a big limb fell in the area by the trees where I had been. Whew! There happened to be some melting of snow so there was a kind of pool of water and I had to ensure branches would not back up the water past the downspouts. That night, the water froze. Today I slid more limbs to the roadside as surface snow is soft but icy layer under it was ideal for dragging wood over the yard. Saturday will be a day just above 0C and I don't plan to be in the muck except to clear downspout/splashblocks.

[musicrock]

A light bulb which keeps shining even when the power goes off is the latest innovative design project to hit crowdfunding site Kickstarter. Smart Charge features grid and switch sensor technology which senses power cuts, and allows the bulb to function even without grid power.

The LED bulb can be placed into existing light fixtures -- either floor or ceiling lamps -- and is operated from existing wall switches. The device contains a battery, a central processing unit and its own circuit board to enable it to function independently without mains electricity.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/a-light- ... -1.1608355

If it lives up to the 40,000 hours than it's worth buying to help solve the lighting problem and maybe keep people from using candles. Too many fires from them tipping or being knocked over by accident.

[deja vu]

"The time to build the cellar is before the tornado hits." Don't wait for a winter emergency to decide what to do. Plan now and get things together before the power fails. Useful items include: extra blankets and towels, candles, flashlights and batteries, matches, battery powered radio, propane camp cooking stove, propane or kerosene heater, extra fuel, aluminum foil, extra food, hats and gloves, power inverter, marine battery or extra car battery, battery charger, buckets with tight-fitting lids, 2 liter bottles filled with water. If power failure is likely, keep your house warmer than usual to store heat in the structure of your home and its contents.

First, bundle up your body! Wear several loose layers of clothes. Don't forget a hat, even when you are indoors! If you must go outside, beware of wind and wet. Keep dry. Wet clothing loses its ability to insulate, and can suck heat right out of you. Stay out of the wind as much as possible. Make sure your head, hands, and feet are protected. Clean clothes keep you warm better than dirty clothes.

Don't try to heat the entire house in a winter emergency. Gather everybody into 1 or 2 rooms and don't forget your pets. The kitchen and an adjacent room are a good choice. Close doors and hang blankets over doorways. Use plastic sheets, blankets, quilts, aluminum foil & newspapers over windows. More window insulation is better than less! Look for leaks and drafts and use cloth, newspapers, caulk, or weatherstripping to close them. (However, don't seal the room so tight that no fresh air can get in. Even if it is cold, you need fresh air to stay alive.) Insulate floors with blankets, newspapers, and rugs. Neighbors can gather together in one house or apartment. Each human body radiates about the same heat as a 100 watt light bulb. We're all familiar with the way a crowded room gets warm, so put that to work for you to stay warm during a winter emergency. Safety first!. Ventilation and attention to safety details are required for open flame heaters such as kerosene or propane heaters.


http://www.justpeace.org/warmth.htm

Lots more tips on the above link.

Place the propane or kerosene heater in front of the ventilation opening (such as a window open 1/4 inch). If you place it away from the ventilation, the fumes will first fill the room before they exit from the window. Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors can save lives!

Never use charcoal briquets or Coleman fuel camp stoves inside a house or garage for cooking or keeping warm. People die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning when they fire up charcoal briquets inside the house to keep warm. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Never run an electrical generator inside a house or a garage. Always put it outside. Make sure it stays dry and let it cool down before re-fueling it.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is always a risk with open-flame heating indoors. If the room seems "stuffy" and you begin to feel headachy and lethargic and/or your vision gets blurry - get everyone out of the room and ventilate it with fresh air immediately. Pregnant women, children, and unborn babies are particularly at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Beware of fire! Place a fire extinguisher where it can be quickly used. If you don't have a fire extinguisher, get a couple of large boxes of baking soda and a bucket of sand. Don't leave candles or open flame heaters burning unattended or while you are sleeping. Make sure candles are in secure holders that can't be knocked over. Keep them away from small children.

Don't keep a gas cook stove burning 24 hours a day for heat. They aren't designed for that. Turn the burners on to warm things up for a couple of hours and then turn them off. Wait a little while before you turn them back on. Turn the oven on, at a moderate temperature, for 3 or 4 hours and then turn it off for a while. Don't leave the oven door open to heat a room. That will burn out the thermostat and then the stove won't light and you will have NO HEAT. The warmth still moves through the room with the door closed. While the oven is on, make something good to eat to help you stay warm.

Store fuels like propane and kerosene safely outside of the house or apartment.

[pretzels]

Winter planning---SIGH. Time to check the gear and emergency supplies and batteries. Time to bring out shovels while leaf raking remains a current activity.