Everyday Providence blogger, Jennifer, shares her experiences and insight from last week's storm.
Chocolate! After a hot night of hearing every airplane fly over, every emergency vehicle whiz by, and the neighbor’s coveted generator, we were a little crabby. I opened up a Hershey’s bar and gave everyone a piece before we headed out for breakfast from McDonald’s. It helped.
We got word from the power company that our projected recovery time was 2-3 days (upgraded from 4-5), so I started seriously calling around to see if we could find a generator. The refrigerator would already have to be dumped, and we were unsure about the contents of the freezer part, but a full deep freeze keeps food frozen and safe for up to 48 hours. As we approached 36 hours, if we wanted to save that freezer (and we did!), we needed to figure something out fast.
The Big Chicago Storm and Power Outage: Day One
Everyday Providence blogger, Jennifer, shares her experience and insight from last week's storm.
When we got in the car, it was a hazy, but sunny day. We hadn’t had rain a week and the skies were just partly cloudy, but off to the west the horizon was dark. I wondered if we’d have some showers. As we pulled onto the McDonald's near our house (maybe 7 minutes) the sky blackened. Suddenly, the restaurant's power went out, along with the rest of the shopping center, and I could see emergency lights pop on in every store. Power flickered on momentarily, then it cut out again. As we headed toward the drive-through and a manager came out to tell us that they were closed. Just after that, a wind so strong came through that I was looking all around for a tornado (or a dementer from Azkaban). Trees were pushed sideways. Rain was coming in the car. The car was shaking, shuddering and rocking side to side.
When we got in the car, it was a hazy, but sunny day. We hadn’t had rain a week and the skies were just partly cloudy, but off to the west the horizon was dark. I wondered if we’d have some showers. As we pulled onto the McDonald's near our house (maybe 7 minutes) the sky blackened. Suddenly, the restaurant's power went out, along with the rest of the shopping center, and I could see emergency lights pop on in every store. Power flickered on momentarily, then it cut out again. As we headed toward the drive-through and a manager came out to tell us that they were closed. Just after that, a wind so strong came through that I was looking all around for a tornado (or a dementer from Azkaban). Trees were pushed sideways. Rain was coming in the car. The car was shaking, shuddering and rocking side to side.
Gross! Where did these pests come from?
Bugs and other animals are influenced by many of the same weather disasters we have been facing here in the US. Over the past few months, flooding and wildfires have forced many bugs and animals out of their natural habitat, often into residential and suburban areas that are build above flood plains. Drought in other areas pushes wildlife to travel great distances seeking water that is often found in parks, fountains, pools, well watered lawns and possibly your bathtub. Severe heat creates desperate situations for insects and animals that must seek any shelter, and some smaller creatures may find your home a comfortable fit.
Functional Friday: 10 Things to Keep Kids Occupied, Entertained, and (if you're lucky) Learning
1) Write a letter to someone. Kids still find the postal system a wonderment. Let them write a letter or just color a picture or two. Then address and stamp an envelope (You'll need to do this for little ones, but let them watch.), and let them slide it in the mail box.
2) Give them a box of office supplies. Tape, a stapler, colored papers, card stock, all sizes of envelopes, a whole punch, binders, pens and markers, Post-It notes... whatever you have (and seems age appropriate) will likely entertain them for quite a while.
Getting in (or out of) Your Garage in a Disaster
Let's take a look at the safety of your garage not only from intruders, but also from a disaster safety point of view.
- You need to be able to access your garage during a power outage. If the garage is attached to your home or has manual doors, you're probably fine. But if your doors are only power lift doors, be certain that you have another walk-in door or access that you can use when the power goes out.
- Also, be certain that all the drivers in the family know how to disengage the door lift motor and manually lift the door. In a weather or earthquake related emergency, you may need to make a quick exit by car.
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