Lessons learned from tornado

[SouthCentralUS]

A few weeks ago we had a tornado, which is really rare for us. In recorded history this is the second in this town. The first was in 2015. Our property was spared, but some of the neighbors had damage. This is what I learned from the experience.

Pros:

Excellent neighbors who pulled together and helped each other, especially the younger helping us elderly folks.

Generators, three of us on our street had them.

Gas for our generator was sufficient for about 12 days.

Camping gear – butane burners with plenty of butane, coffee percolator, pots, and battery powered lanterns

We were able to provide coffee for the neighbors since we had the camping gear. They decided to use up their fresh food or we could have fed them.

House was not damaged

Water did not go off but we had enough stored for about a month. Water was off in other parts of town.

Gas tank on car was full. All the gas stations were not open because of no power. People had to go out of town for gas.

Charging units for phones and tablet

Plenty of home canned and store bought food (except bread) and drinks



Cons:

15 minute warning

Should have done laundry

No storm shelter

Ran out of bread on 3rd day and had to go get a loaf. It was a madhouse out there. Everyone wanted ready to eat food. The fast food places ran out.

The generator was LOUD.

There is more, but this is just off the top of my head.

 

[angie_nrs]

Glad to hear you got through it relatively unscathed. So glad you're OK.

There's another reason I love our camper. It's a portable bug out plan (as long as it doesn't get sucked into a tornado or something like that) and it's also got a lot of the goodies right onboard like frig/freezer, bedding, gas stove, generator, propane, etc. We also leave shelf stable foods in the camper during camping season so if we need go in a hurry we would still have coffee, pork-n-beans, nuts, breakfast bars, etc.

We always have lots of propane b/c we don't use a whole lot during the year, but I'll have to check our gas situation. We use more of that during the summer months so your post was a good reminder to take stock of our gas cans.

If we have notice that storms are coming our way, I usually try to get the laundry done and do some last minute grocery shopping ahead of time. But, 15 minutes isn't much time to do anything but get to a safe location.

 

[SouthCentralUS]

One thing I never thought about was people stealing generators. One person had theirs chained to a post and that is the only thing that saved it from being stolen. When they discovered it was chained, they hopped back in the truck and left. Others were not so lucky and lost their generator.

The second day, there was a black sedan that drove slowly down our street checking things out but we thought they were just looking at the damage. When it happened again two days later, we took more notice. We were spending most of the day sitting in the garage because it was cooler outside.

 

[Supervisor42]

One thing I never thought about was people stealing generators. One person had theirs chained to a post and that is the only thing that saved it from being stolen. When they discovered it was chained, they hopped back in the truck and left. Others were not so lucky and lost their generator.

The second day, there was a black sedan that drove slowly down our street checking things out but we thought they were just looking at the damage. When it happened again two days later, we took more notice. We were spending most of the day sitting in the garage because it was cooler outside.

Hopefully you had a gun in your lap.
When the big ones went thru Kentucky, @phideaux was our 'boots-on-the-ground' reporter. The "You loot, we shoot!" signs were everywhere there.
Also groups of armed citizens walking the streets.
Only a few Yankees came down to try to grab stuff.
It did not go well.
By the time LE showed up, they were screaming for them to save them.
...I'd bet money that their azzes are still in Kentucky to this very today.

 

[Magus]

By the time LE showed up, they were screaming for them to save them.
...I'd bet money that their azzes are still in Kentucky today.

Depending on the part of Kentucky, I'd say hogtied over a barrel in the back of a smokehouse next to a bucket of lard and a donation can. Sequel Yankee!

 

[Morgan101]

Glad to hear you are all safe. Tornados are something we prep for. Not frequent occurences but often enough to be a concern.

You may already have a cowboy coffee pot for camping, but you can get one at Wal Mart at a very reasonable price. Cowboy coffee is as simple as it gets. Here is a good link. I don't use a pot nearly as large, but the directions are the same. What he left out is when you think it is done, throw a horseshoe in it. If the horseshoe sinks it isn't done.

 

[SouthCentralUS]

Yep. That's mine.

 

[Wingnut]

There will always be those opportunistic criminal scumbags who prey upon normal folks during & after natural disasters, probably because those scumbags know that first responders will already have their hands full, 10-4? Somehow, the OP's mention of thievin' scumbags reminds me of the time when the TV news in San Diego stupidly reported an LE strike, and that night there was a rash of burglaries across town... I only hope that the TV news producer's home was also ripped off, lol. Anyway, yeah, you wanna tighten your own home security after any sort of natural disaster, at least until you hear how things are going afterward. Just my $.02 on the subject...

 

[Patchouli]

WM had a lot more outdoor camping supplies t’other day, especially cooking supplies, pans n stuff.
Always helps to have that for such emergencies and the apocalypse.

 

[dademoss]

WM had a lot more outdoor camping supplies t’other day, especially cooking supplies, pans n stuff.
Always helps to have that for such emergencies and the apocalypse.

I may have to put on pajamas and strap on the .45.

 

[Dani]

Glad to hear you are all safe. Tornados are something we prep for. Not frequent occurences but often enough to be a concern.

You may already have a cowboy coffee pot for camping, but you can get one at Wal Mart at a very reasonable price. Cowboy coffee is as simple as it gets. Here is a good link. I don't use a pot nearly as large, but the directions are the same. What he left out is when you think it is done, throw a horseshoe in it. If the horseshoe sinks it isn't done.

I learned from a Honduras woman on how to make the best pot of coffee that I have ever had. I don't do it first thing in the morning before work because it takes some time. But after work, oh yeah!

Put your coffee grounds in a jelly type bag over your coffee pot. You use the same porportions you would normally when making coffee. My jelly bag was made especially for this coffee pot which is very simulair to the one in your video Morgan, but smaller. Pour your water over to let it drip, then pour it over again and let drip a second time.