I take after my grandmother. I always have plenty of food in the pantry and could whip up a feast for an army at a moments notice. I keep matches and candles handy. For some people you would probably want to add contraception to the list...

by spookiness on Aug 26, 2011 2:12 pm • link • report

Don't forget beer.

And a flashlight isn't a bad idea either.

by Gavin on Aug 26, 2011 2:23 pm • link • report

When you fill up your containers of tap water, put them in the freezer and/or refrigerator. Fill all available space in the fridge with water. First, you'll have water to drink. Second, all that cold mass in the fridge & freezer will help keep your food cold.

Personal story for Hurricane Andrew. 3 adult humans & 2 golden retrievers in a small interior bathroom. Our light was a candle. In the height of the storm, when we all should have been terrified, we started dozing off. When we cracked open the bathroom door, that onrush of oxygen woke us all up. I would try and avoid candles if possible - go for flashlights/LEDs.

by Erin M on Aug 26, 2011 2:33 pm • link • report

I second Erin's suggestion on the water -- much more efficient that using a cooler for perishables. Also, books and games (or musical instruments or whatever) are essential! Things get pretty boring real fast. This is particularly true in blizzards, but applies to anything when you're going to be stuck inside for a long time.

by Elle on Aug 26, 2011 2:49 pm • link • report

I'll go out on a limb and say that people in DC are overreacting to what promises to be just a lot of rain. But preparedness is important. I recommend a large cache of silver bullets and wooden stakes. You just never know who'll be out there when a disaster clears.

by aaa on Aug 26, 2011 2:50 pm • link • report

@ aaa -- So true, but at least we aren't NYC! Those kids are going nuts.

by Alison on Aug 26, 2011 2:57 pm • link • report

@aaa is right, but wasn't that David's point? When you don't use the supplies you buy this time, hold onto them for next time. A wise suggestion, that...

by Erin M. on Aug 26, 2011 3:03 pm • link • report

Even if we are overreacting, we will have water (that we'll drink later), canned food (that we'll eat later), batteries (that we'll use later) and gas in the car. And if we're not overreacting, we'll have food, water, and light that those who didn't make preparations lack.

by engrish_major on Aug 26, 2011 3:06 pm • link • report

Actually, old milk jugs aren't great for storing drinking water. It's very difficult to get all the old milk out, so you could end up making yourself sick. They are good for taking up space in the freezer/refrigerator or refilling toilets though.

by Colleen on Aug 26, 2011 4:04 pm • link • report

Good article on assembling your kit here:

http://www.slate.com/id/2288031/

by mattxmal on Aug 26, 2011 4:10 pm • link • report

Colleen: Just to be clear, I wasn't suggesting using those milk jugs for the long-term storage. Reusing is great, but a sealed gallon jug of water costs 99¢ at many stores, so you might as well get those for the storage purposes. But it seems like an almost but not quite completely cleaned out milk jug would be okay for a couple of days, as long as the milk inside hadn't gone bad.

by David Alpert on Aug 26, 2011 4:17 pm • link • report

engrish_major, very true. It never hurts to be prepared. But there are some people are definitely overreacting about everything. When people rush to the store and buy 8 gallons of milk and 4 loaves of bread... you're not going to eat/drink that later. Yes, I saw someone with FOUR LOAVES OF BREAD at Giant last night when I was stocking up on my normal groceries.

The forecast is calling for a drizzly Sunday and a bright, sunny Monday. This will be on par with the t-storms we had through July. It will happen within the next 24 hours and end a few hours later. Nothing to be alarmed about.

Sure, people out in Burke, VA or Carderock, MD may want to prepare more. But everyone who lives in Arlington, Alexandria, the District, etc. -- relax. Even if the power goes out, you're not going to be stranded anywhere.

by Sam on Aug 26, 2011 5:06 pm • link • report

Sam, not real sure I agree, since power could easily be out for neighborhoods for several days. That's not even PEPCO snark.

One thing we have on our side...aren't all our water systems gravity-fed? The reservoirs won't be kept full without power, but it seems like a heck of a buffer. The water treatment may stop, but I am not sure I understand the need to fill the bathtub so I can flush the toilet.

But I agree - I've never understood the "buy tons of perishables!" instinct.

On the other hand, I totally disagree with the comment on NYC - that is potentially quite serious. Should they just blow it off?

by DavidDuck on Aug 26, 2011 5:20 pm • link • report

Arlington has awful power. I was out of power for a week after a minor storm two summers ago. And I live in a high-rise. One would think an urban area would have better power systems but doesn't seem to be the case.

But overall, yes, pure panic. I think DC just wants the natural disasters other regions get, although I am waiting for my first wildfire.

Has nobody heard of UHT treated milk? I what is wrong with luke-warm water?

by charlie on Aug 26, 2011 5:22 pm • link • report

Fill up the gas tank.

by TGEOA on Aug 26, 2011 6:41 pm • link • report

@Erin M: Are you sure it was the candle that used up the oxygen? I would think three humans and two human-sized dogs could consume oxygen and put out CO2 pretty rapidly in an enclosed space. A human uses about 1 SCFH of oxygen and puts out 0.75 SCFH of CO2. Usually you're more worried about CO2 buildup. I couldn't find consumption rates for candles, though...

Takes about 2 hours to build up enough CO2 at that rate to be a hazard with the five people in an 8' cube room.

by Michael Perkins on Aug 26, 2011 7:41 pm • link • report

This, I think, is especially true in DC and NYC. There's always the tiny chance of a major terror attack that leaves you stranded, in which case there's no warning whatsoever.

Anyway, I plan on stocking up on water and canned goods. I've got a propane stove and a balcony to cook on, plus a girlfriend 1/2 block away with a fridge full of extra food from her out-of-town roommates. Starvation will be difficult, although I should find me a radio & crank phone charger.

by OctaviusIII on Aug 26, 2011 7:46 pm • link • report

DavidDuck, I agree. Power can go out, which would suck. But unlike the blizzard, the warm and sunny forecast for Sunday afternoon and Monday just means that if the power is still out, just go outside and enjoy the day. No need to sit indoors eating canned goods for the next 5 days.

by Sam on Aug 26, 2011 7:47 pm • link • report

I brought my work laptop home as instructed in case we need to telework on Monday. This pretty much ensures that everything will be fine.

by Kate W. on Aug 26, 2011 8:44 pm • link • report

Michael, interesting point and I am disappointed I did not think of it myself!

If you eat 2400 kcal of food a day, that is 100 kcal per hour. If you get that from sugar or starch ((CH2O)n) which is about 4 kcal per gram, that means you are burning 25 g sugar an hour. CH2O is 30 g/mol, so you are making 5/6 of a mol of CO2 per hour, or (not showing work) 20 l/hr, or .7 SCF. Sorry, could not resist repeating your work. In an 8'x8'x8' room that would give you CO2 levels way over 1500 ppmv if the room is shut up tight...but yes, plenty of O2 remains. (I think it is basically impossible to consume O2 enough to harm yourself without building up deadly amounts of CO2 first). Ventilation people consider 1000 ppmv of CO2 an upper limit, levels higher than that (in an office or similar setting) indicate poor ventilation. If you have 3 people in that room for an hour, you are approaching NIOSH standards (5000 ppm for 8-hours, which would be a lousy 8 hours).

Meanwhile, I have scientifically estimated that candles also burn about 20 g/hr, by guessing that this here candle would last 4 hours (I massed it on a $2 scale). That is actually going to produce more CO2 than 25g of sugar, because candles are basically paraffin, eg (CH2)n. So, of that 20 g of wax, 17 g is carbon, which will create 1.4 mol of CO2 per hour. Compare to the human, which creates about 5/6 of a mol per hour of CO2. My estimate is pretty crude, but unless I am leaving something out, I think candles make as much or more CO2 an hour as the people.

by DavidDuck on Aug 26, 2011 10:14 pm • link • report

Octavius...I think you know this but do NOT be tempted to use that camp stove indoors.

We are told not to rely on candles but that is because of the fire hazard. (which is certainly no joke, especially if the wind gets dangerous.) but far far more dangerous is things like campstoves and generators that pump out the CO. Every big storm seems to lead to a couple CO poisoning deaths. Beware!

by DavidDuck on Aug 26, 2011 10:18 pm • link • report

I am kinda surprised that everybody is stocking up on canned food, and that nobody mentions having fresh food: fruit and (raw) veggies. Aren't we supposed to be health nerds here?

I am no vegetarian by any means, but salads and fruit do very well without power. Just got home with a bag full of melons, peaches, bananas, apples, tomatoes and lettuce. I got some bread, and I will not go hungry for days.

by Jasper on Aug 27, 2011 1:22 pm • link • report

@DavidDuck: Thanks! That's very interesting and looks about right.

So in the sealed room, you're more worried about CO2 buildup, and the candle is worth about 2 people.

by Michael Perkins on Aug 27, 2011 1:53 pm • link • report

@Michael

I don't think you can burn anything "normal" and use up the oxygen before you poison yourself with the combustion products. The only exception I can think of at all is hydrogen. And if you burned enough hydrogen in a small room to use up all the O2 in the room, it would be really hot. (But if you worked at it maybe you could use up the O2 before you cooked yourself.)

Power is flickering here, so I cannot elaborate more! But basically, air is 20% O2, and CO2 is dangerous at 1% or less. For most fuels, the ratio of O2 consumed to CO2 produced won't be any higher than 2, so you get problems with CO2 before you lack O2. When you fly commercially, the O2 is lower by a couple percent (since the cabin is lower pressure than sea-level) and that is no problem at all for healthy people.

by DavidDuck on Aug 28, 2011 12:16 am • link • report