About impulse buying and hurricanes...

AH...another tropical system washes across Florida. People freak out.

And, I had to share...in Tallahassee, they all rush out to buy bottled water, bread, and toilet paper.

I get the water bit. I understand the bread. But, TOILET PAPER?

Hm...humans...aren't we an odd lot?

I've wondered about that too, Rhett. Maybe it's because you can't get those really thick Sears catalogs anymore.

And they might not want to waste precious water for that function.

We don't get the hurricanes or tropical storms here, but I stay stocked with water and TP, as well as staples in the pantry and freezer, and gas for the generator.

We had an ice storm a few years ago and learned to be prepared since we were cut off from the world for two full weeks.

I think most likely Brew got it right. I still remember those old outhouses with the magazines and catalogues with pages missing.

There are areas in the world that don't use toilet paper - yet.
Water is used to clean, however drying can be a problem. Don't even think about using a towel hanging in a toilet.

About a month ago we were without electricity in the woods from 11:00 PM Friday night to Sunday afternoon about 3:00.

We also purchased bags of ice to put in the freezer and refrigerator. We did have toilet paper. You are also supposed to have cash on hand and clean underwear; just a couple of tips learned in Red Cross training.

We also got some new lanterns, as the ones we had were nice and compact and collapsed, but when you pulled them up, the bulbs became loose and wouldn't light, so all we could do in the evening light was sit and watch the bats fly outside. It is a good idea to try all your emergency equipment. We also now have a one burner butane stove to make coffee. That was a definite problem!!!

Carol

Last year, I went to Lowe's for a roll of duct tape and came home with a generator about a third the size of my car. Talk about impulse buy!!!

Way to go, Rhett! That was a good impulse, I'd say!

Nothing works better than a paperback book.

Rhett, now I understand why you are called Madhatter.

I know that emergency preparedness people advocate having at least 72 hours worth of food, water and other supplies on hand ALL THE TIME. I can understand that folks who aren't prepared are going to rush to the store.

But I gotta wonder, do all these people have households full of batteries that aren't any good so that they suddenly need several crates of them when a storm comes. And what's a family of three going to do with 10 loaves of bread? And why are people in areas where storms come through often always buying plywood to cover the windows? Didn't they save what they used last time?

Growing up in Florida, I always wondered about such things, and now, years later, the answers remain illusive.

Malcolm

I've always wondered why people want to live in areas where they know they will get smacked with tornadoes. And for those who live in a trailer park - they seem to be magnates for tornadoes.

Hurricanes often travel similar paths. One would think that people who choose to live in those coastal areas would always be prepared. But then that would make sense.

True, Abe. I've often wondered about Malcolm's questions so maybe that's the answer - people don't make sense. You'd think, though, that even the dumbest guy on earth would save the plywood for next time.

Especially at today's prices!

Ah...but, most people are somewhat prepared. I have plenty of camping gear and a gas grill. Also, a chain saw to cut up any large limbs.

I still get caught up in all the fizzing about, though. Hard not to...

I did finally get rid of one can of Spam that had lived on my shelf for quite some time. Don't even like the stuff. Just bought it because it would probably survive a nuclear war.

A meal of Spam and fruitcake.

Yum...

Have to add...we did get about fourteen inches of rain in twenty-four hours. A lot of flooded roads. But, no large trees down near my house. Now, there is another system brewing in the Caribbean. Party time.

Rhet--don't forget the Twinkies. I hear they have a shelf life of several hundred years!
Hot chocolate mixes are good too. I like spam!!

Here we are told to have 3 weeks of stuff on hand. There's only one spit o'land that links Nova Scotia to the rest of North America, and if something real bad comes up the Bay of Fundy - whap! - we're an island. Venturing outside last year I did notice that a hurricane up close sounds suspiciously like the tornadoes did where I grew up, but the air is much, much warmer and so is the rain. I will be stocking up on spam and whatever else I can heat on the woodstove or the barbecue soon - storm season is supposed to be a handful this year. Spam and macaroni and cheese sounds good...
Rhett, watch out for the alligators. I saw on the news that they are showing up quite a distance from their usually swampy grasslands...in the backyards of temporarily swamped neighbourhoods.

I hear Alligator meat is quite good, Rhett. You could add that to the spam on the menu!!

I wonder if Alligator taste like Iguana. I mean, they are both lizards of sorts.
And I like Iguana ... but not Spam.
Hubby likes Spam.
I like tuna in a pouch well enough. Good for taking on the truck.

And about the wood for covering the windows ... when we lived in the mobile home on the Texas coast. My stepdad did resuse some of it ... but then some of the boards just were not reusable. That's why he bought more.
That was a good Fleetwood ... survived the hurricane with no damage.

Another cool survival tool are those battery free flashlights. I have one ... somewhere ... in the garage ... I think.

I've had so much emergency training from the Red Cross, the airline, and from being a safety coordinator ...

... and I have no emergency supplies stored away.

I have had alligator tail soup. It was quite good - tasted a lot like
turtle... which, depending upon what part of the turtle is being eaten,
tastes like either fish, chicken or pork.

When I was working on military bases in the 60's, I had a GI friend who
kept me stocked in MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat). Some of the packages had
dates back to the 40's - and were still okay. They were great for
hunting/camping trips!

I like to keep a stock of things like Trail Mix, beef jerky, and dried
fruit - but I love those things so much... and they are such a great
midnight snack...

Heaven help us...yet another storm is brewing down there!

I feel like I live in a bowling alley...

Hope you've got your rubber boots dried out by now Rhett! At least you've still got power and internet to keep you occupied.