Eaton Red Cross Hand Crank Emergency Radio. $80
This is an awesome 4-in-one. I have an earlier version, but the idea is the same: a radio, flashlight, cell charger and emergency siren! Can be used with batteries or a hand crank. Perfect for finding out where the storm is, or just jamming WVUM.
Perrier Lemon in glass bottles
I stopped buying bottled water for home consumption years ago, so why would I run and buy as much as my shopping cart will allow in a storm-induced panic? I wouldn't. Instead buy something you actually want to drink that's water-like. Something that will hydrate you, but not sit in your cabinet for years after absorbing the taste of plastic (which is what used to happen to my hurricane water). Instead, clean and fill up the bathtub - just in you wind up with a boil water notice or something like that. YOu can also keep empty gallon water bottles around and fill them with filtered water just before the storm. Et voila-- water rations with virtually no BPA!
02 Cool Battery Operated Fan $29 at campingworld.com
Ok, you're gonna need batteries for this, but if it's August in Miami and your power is out, well, you're gonna need it. When not in use, it folds away and is totally portable and great for other uses too.. like, uh, camping. This one is 10", mine is 14".
When you're at the store, get stuff that doesn't need to be refrigerated, like oranges, apples and raw almonds. You could even use the power outage as a chance to go on a raw foods diet. Just fruit nuts and dehydrated snacks like tasty Kool Ranch Kale Chips. If you do that you'll have tons of energy by the time you have to get back to work. Totally. Serious.
Faber-Castell Soft Pastel 72 Color Set $38
Yes, really. Art supplies are the best for storms. What else are you going to do, stuck at home, no power, no TV, not internet. Pastel! Have a contest, do a portrait of the dog, whatever, it's just fun. Don't forget to get pastel paper, eraser and a few brushes for blending too.
Just because the power is out doesn't mean your environmental consciousness goes out the window. The LED light runs for 2 hours straight, which is more than you need for fumbling around in the dark each night.
This little cooler keeps ice frozen for 5 solid days. FIVE. That's normally plenty of time to get the juice back on. Here's how the seasoned pros do it: empty the ice from your fridge and place in cooler a few hours before the storm so your fridge has time to make more. Then add all the most perishable items and all the other stuff you are going to want to access. Do this while the power is still ON if you can. That way you do not have to open your fridge if the power goes, which it will keep all but the most perishable items in decent shape for a day or so. One caveat: raw meat only stays safe for 4 hours in the fridge once the power stops. If you are anticipating a storm, remove all uncooked meat from the fridge and cook it. Then put it in the cooler and nibble for days!
Smart phone chargers are everywhere and with batteries lasting longer, the car charger isn't as nesesary as it once was... unless your power is out. A lot of people don't have home phones anymore, and if they do, there are electrical cordless numbers that can't be counted on during outages. Either keep a retro non electro phone around or have a car charger handy so you can go in your car and charge it up. After, of course, the 120 mile an hour winds die down.
Because you can't color ALL day, break out some board games and rediscover some old-school fun. Although I don't know why I think it's fun, my husband always beats me. Except once, a few years ago and I still have that score card in the box. Just remember to keep a dictionary handy for disputes.
So what's missing from the list? Plenty, I'm sure. Candles? You've already got those, right? And booze - I did not forget the booze. My advice is not to buy more, but instead to finish all those weird, random bottles in your liquor cabinet that have been sitting there forever. Somebody's going to have to eventually drink that Jagermeister and Peach Schnapps. This way, you can all catch a little buzz without going crazy. You don't want a "Let's finish all this beer while it's cold" situation. After all, if this is a big storm, and you've chosen to stay, you might just need your wits about you, especially if you're in a house or anywhere near the eye of the storm. Good luck!
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