I ought to have known better. I spent almost 30 years in the Army, always planning ahead for hundreds of possible contingencies related to the units and organizations in which I served. After retirement, I worked for a time as Town Manager for a coastal North Carolina beach community, and experienced first hand numerous tropical storms and major hurricanes with all their destruction, and recovery efforts afterwards. "Planning ahead" was a main part of my job. But then this weekend, we get hit with a snow/sleet and freezing rain scenario with a loss of electric power for about 24 hours, and I find I was not as well prepared as I thought I was. I should have known better!
For example, where were those "D" size batteries I needed for my radio. Darn, didn't have any extras. So, I removed them from all our flashlights, just to power the radio, which needed six. Then, I remembered I'd purchased a large battery operated lantern a few years ago just for such emergencies. And, quickly recall I'd thrown it out last October, when I found the batteries inside had corroded.
Where were all those long burning candles we used to keep handy when we lived in hurricane country? I find that only two remain, one partially burned, from a box that once held a dozen brand new ones. Where had I put my Coleman camp stove after I last used it several years ago? With small head–mounted LED battery light on, I rummage through piles of camping gear in the pitch dark basement at 5 AM searching. I finally locate it, along with only one full small tank of propane, enough fuel for at most a couple of days cooking. While digging through my camping gear, I remember all the dehydrated packaged food and hot drinks I'd stocked up for camping and emergencies. Yup, I find them where I remembered they were. But, I also note they all had a 2008 expiration date.
There were some positives to all this. For starters, power was out for a relatively short period of time. Second, two years ago we installed a gas log in our upstairs fireplace, so we at least had some heat. But, I decided at the time NOT to put one in the downstairs fireplace, so it was as cold as a dungeon down there (where my home office is located). Also, that head–mounted LED light I bought for camping worked great during the blackout.
But, the most positive thing was that even after being informed by the local power company that we might be without for up to three days, we started to get a grip on our situation and began to adapt. Then, just as we were starting to accept our fate with no televised Super Bowl, few hot meals and sparse comfort, "click" the power was restored, and we were saved.
I plan to replenish our emergency supplies quickly this week during a break in this "worst winter in years in SW Virginia". I won't get caught short anytime soon. But then, you never really know what you need until...
