1. The power’s still out for several million people. The utilities have “fully staffed 24hour call centers,” but nobody answers the phones. All they’re saying via social media and press releases is that “power should be fully restored to most customers by November 9th.”
Lesson: power companies will leave you in the dark, in more ways than one.
2. We visited The local Lowes on Tuesday, within 24 hours of the hurricane passing over the area. The flashlight shelves were bare, extension cords of all kinds were completely sold out, batteries were in short supply.
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Lesson: most people wait until the day before or after a major disaster to buy flashlights.
3. There were many reports of people venturing out into hazardous weather without good reason. Officials said “stay indoors” for a reason. That doesn’t mean go to the beach to take photos. It also doesn’t mean staying in the mandatory evacuation zone because you want to “experience something amazing.”
Lesson: idiots will be idiots.
4. We listened to the radio quite a bit over the past few days. Every now and there there were mentions of people pleading for food. While it’s understandable that some people won’t have access to food or supplies, everyone should have a couple of days of non-perishable food in their homes. We picked up additional supplies before the storm and it looked like some people were buying food for 50 people.
Lesson: some people live with empty pantries and don’t stock up even ahead of a major storm.
5. My father taught me a lot of random things over the years. One thing that’s stuck – always gas up before a storm/blizzard. My wife gassed up her car, and mine had 3/4 of a tank. If needed I could have siphoned extra gas out of her car.
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There have been reports of crazy gas lines and even shortages as people are panicking to fill up their tanks. People are running out of gas waiting for a spot at the pump.
Lesson: a 20 minute gas line before a storm is better than 10-block and 4 hour waits afterwards.
Bonus lesson: some drivers will always drive like they’re the only ones on the road, even when traffic lights are out.
Nate Gilbert
We learned a lot of the same things last year after the April 27 tornadoes down here in Alabama. Unfortunately, with tornadoes, we don’t have the advanced warning to be able to stock up on things such as food and batteries/gas/flashlights. Thankfully, my wife keeps a very stocked pantry, we have plenty of flashlights and batteries (as well as old school oil lamps) all the time, and rarely go home with under less than a half tank of gas, especially during tornado season. Being in an area where disasters can, and do, strike with little to no warning, I have a hard time figuring out how people can be so ill prepared when they have days to prepare. Also, people, think of others when you are preparing. There is no need to buy 20 flashlights, and 50 packages of batteries, be a little smarter, and courteous to all those coming after you for the same reason. Anyway, my prayers go to all up there affected by this storm. I know how devastating these things can be, but I also know how they can bring communities together, forging strong bonds, lifting each other up out of the tragedy, and hopefully, in the end, a lot more good than bad comes from this event.
Dave McDaniel
“… My wife gassed up her car, and mine had 3/4 of a tank. If needed I could have siphoned extra gas out of her car. …”
If you have an old enough vehicle. Don’t know how many years ago this became mandatory under Federal law, but my ’02 Sierra has a check ball to prevent fuel spillage in case of a rollover. Maybe you could disconnect the fuel line under the hood and with some kind of extension hose and key in RUN position, the fuel pump might then give you gas. Have not tried this myself.
Raj
Honestly, in some cases it’s an issue of people being ill-prepared. But, consider that the grocery stores have thrown out all their perishables because they have no power, gas stations are coming online but only selling the fuel in their tanks and closing up after they sell out (no deliveries coming through). Even those that were prepared are having issues which are about to get worse.
I had 4 full gas cans and two cars filled with fuel before this storm. I’m down half a tank on one car, still have a full tank in the other, and 2-3 days worth of fuel for a small generator (only enough to power the furnace or fridge). I just learned I need to budget 1/4 tank to drive to drive at least an hour away to find a prescription food for my dog because my vet didn’t get their delivery this week, last week or the week before. Hopefully I find some gas at other end of that drive. I can get by for another 4-5 days by stretching things, but beyond that I’m a little concerned.
I’m sorry Stuart. I like your reviews and your website, but don’t kid yourself. What you’re seeing in the news can’t be fixed by being prepared. The effects of this storm are challenging even the well-prepared individuals. And for some, none of it mattered, because the storm washed it all away. The roof, the food, the cars, the generator, the fuel and your clothes…all gone.
Stuart
True, there are nearly 100 dead and many people lost everything in the storm. A lot of things happened that no amount of preparation could have prevented.
But there are a lot of people who just weren’t prepared. Some make the excuse that the media “over hyped” Irene last year and that they didn’t think it was necessary to take any precautions this time around.
Keeping a week’s supply of food, water, and flashlight batteries isn’t hard to do. Granted such things won’t help people whose homes are severely damaged or destroyed, but luckily most of the millions of people affected by the storm did not suffer such severe devastation.
Raj
I’ll make this brief, because it’s your website. Items 4 and 5 above are problems for the people that DID prepare. You make it sound completely avoidable, and I whole-heartedly disagree. My point is it’s not as black and white as you think. Deliveries are NOT getting to the affected areas fast enough and resources are running dry. People can plan for a week, but multiple weeks is another story entirely. We may not have seen the worst of this yet and that’s my true fear. My hope is even in the face of desperation, the great majority maintain their compassion and help each other. Unfortunately I’m seeing the faces of the minority who will do anything for a few gallons of fuel to run their heat to keep their kids warm for one more night.
Stuart
I know it’s not completely avoidable, and that gas WILL run out for many, regardless of how well people prepared and try to conserve it.
We planned for about a week. The next town over has power and fresh deliveries, although gasoline might still be an issue. If that wasn’t the case, we’d start running into problems after maybe 10 days, or sooner if the temperature dropped further.
I agree that there’s no way to plan for multiple weeks. Hopefully things won’t get desperate for anyone else, and that those in desperate situations are getting swift aid and assistance.
That even the most prepared are running out of gasoline and food doesn’t change the fact that a lot of people were ill-prepared to brave the storm.
Ken
I think Stuart is right on the money. For your example – if everything you prepared is washed away, you failed to evacuate a danger zone, and take your prepared supplies with you.
Mahalo
Raj, this still does not invalidate the importance of being prepared, which is a point I think that Stuart is trying to make. Yes, for some, even the best planning and preparation was washed away. However, there is no question that preparedness has a major impact on survivability rates in all sorts of crisis situations (not just storms and natural events).
Nobody is kidding themselves except those who believe that everything will take care of itself and fall into place, or that government will somehow swoop in and make everything right. Personal responsibility over your own life, and the lives of your family members, is critical in situations like this.
From the sound of it, you took a great deal of precautionary measures to protect yourself and your family. I think Stuart is trying to promote your values with his post, and I doubt that he is trying to trivialize the severity of the storm’s impact or the challenges that lie ahead.
Stuart
Exactly. A lot of people have been complaining about issues they had the power to prevent.
There’s no reason for people to call in to the radio stations complaining that they are sitting in their living rooms in the dark with no food. They had ample opportunities to prepare and admitted that they chose not to.
fred
I guess that as humans we have a tendency to jump to conclusions but the truth is we’ll have plenty of time to analyze this event for lessons-learned. In human history there seems to be lots of examples of man’s hubris in building in places that have then found not to be naturally good building sites. Some of this may be because of the appeal of topography, spectacular views, the lure of the ocean etc. Building in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius with its wonderful views of the Bay of Naples comes to mind. I’m told that a major eruption would, if it happened today, would be devastating killing so many more than it did in Roman times. In the US – we like the waterfront – but it comes with risks as we find out from time to time. We may fool ourselves to think that everything has a technological solution (higher levees, better sea walls, back-up power generators, seismically rated buildings, hurricane straps and good construction practices, well-stocked freezers and cupboards and so on.) But as the old aphorism says “man proposes and God disposes” so all our efforts will continue to be imperfect and offer continuing learning opportunities. None of this is to make light of the loss that many have suffered as a result of Sandy. No amount of analysis can bring back those who have lost their lives – and Monday morning quarterbacking is becoming an insult to many of those who are still suffering from the loss of their homes. Sheltering and feeding those without seems to be a continuing issue, so is clearing debris, repairing damaged equipment and restoring power. A few surprises for me were the devastating fires that destroyed so many homes in Breezy Point, the issue of finding fuel for generators and autos (so people can get back on with their lives) and the lack of clean (or any) water supply in some areas.