Ross of OttawaPrepping!
Things we're doing in preparation for the incoming ice storm tonight – your toots have inspired a few to-do ideas in me, so I'm sharing my prepping efforts in case it inspires others too.
A thread…
1/n
Last night I charged our spare power banks, and our phones & laptops will be plugged in whenever they can be today.
2/n
I also have just charged a little emergency radio that also works as a flashlight. Cute little gizmo only about $20 five years ago.
3/n
Turned the thermostat up a notch, and we'll dress lightly today indoors.
The idea is to load up all of our house's thermal mass so if/when power goes off, it takes a bit longer for the house to cool off. We'll bundle up and pull out the blankets after the event.
4/n
I filled up the car's gas tank. Don't anticipate going anywhere, but one never knows.
Also I found a tiny fuel-efficient car worked well as a power source for our 1500W inverter we bought in the 2004(?) power outage.
The car sips fuel idling, barely showing a depletion, and kept our fridge and freezer working.
This time it's winter, so cooling food is not such a risk.
5/n
I'm filling a big thermos jug and insulated travel mugs with hot water/tea when the rain starts.
I can boil water later with a camping stove on the back deck if I need to, but a thermos supply will keep us going through a short outage.
6/n
I'm making soup. Was planning to start a turkey soup with xmas-turkey parts today anyway, but that'll be an easy meal if power is out tomorrow.
7/n
I fetched some logs, cleaned out the fireplace, and pre-built a fire ready to go. If we wake up to a cold house, that'll be handy. An option we didn't have in our old house, so a valued resource (although environmentally nasty one, used rarely).
8/n
I've done the strange thing of adding some snow to a strip along our walkway.
If you've lived with an ice storm before you've found that walking on crusty icy snow is easier than a glassy hard surface.
9/n
Storm chips.
As our brethren in #Halifax have taught us, having chips on hand is an important thing when you're couch-bound under a blanket. We're prepared.
10/n
Oh, salt and sand. Almost forgot that I haven't brought that out of the garage for the winter yet. I'd better move that near our front door for use tomorrow.
11/n
Dishwasher!
As @human3500 mentions, running your dishwasher now makes good sense, so you're not both without power and without clean dishes and having to heat water to wash them by hand.
12/n
Use the Great Free Freezer!
I've put a few large containers 3/4 full of water outside. At -8°C they should freeze up solid, and if power goes off I can use the ice blocks to keep the fridge cold.
Ultimately I'd move perishable contents outside to stay cold, but initially ice blocks should do the trick for a day or so.
13/n
Food leftovers storage? Do it now.
If, like me, you have leftover Christmas food you've been grazing on for three days, now is a good time to get the remainders into the freezer.
If that was the plan anyway, get it done now. If there's a power outage, it'll be difficult, and you won't have to face eating yet more of the same, in the dark, to avoid its spoilage.
14/n
Electronics in a power outage.
Consider turning off and unplugging potentially sensitive electronics. I'm thinking my NAS backup box is a good candidate. I have a laptop, but my SO's desktop will be shutdown overnight too.
The risk is from repeated power fluctuations or surges with a grid being hammered by tree falls, heavy ice and high winds.
15/n
Where do you park overnight?
With ice accretion and high winds, it's probably a good idea to think about the risk of falling tree limbs. An alternate parking spot, or garage might be a good choice.
I'm a bit worried a falling tree branch will knock some of the hail dents out of my car's roof. I've become attached to them.
16/n
LillyLyle/Count Melancholia@ottaross One of your earlier post mentions TURKEY SOUP ??
In my long life, I have never come across a soup made with turkey. What else goes in it, and what in the world does it taste like? Is it like Cream of Turkey, Turkey and Barley, or some kind of gumbo?
In my long life, I have never come across a soup made with turkey. What else goes in it, and what in the world does it taste like? Is it like Cream of Turkey, Turkey and Barley, or some kind of gumbo?
@LillyHerself mostly the same as chicken-noodle soup. The flavour is a bit different with the turkey, rather than chicken, and usingwide flat noodles is typical.
@ottaross Ah, noodles. I can imagine that. Thanks.
@ottaross I once had the great honour to meet Robert Lepage, the fantastic playwright, director and actor from Quebec at a theatre festival in Sweden. I can't remember how we got on the subject, but he told me that he had been trying to lose weight and consulted a "weight loss coach" who told him he should think of his body "like a stove, not like a fridge or a garbage pail". Hahaha
Only eat the food you can burn, don't store it in fat - wise words - and quite a amusing way to illustrate it.
@LillyHerself wise words. An unhealthy situation to be eating food to avoid discarding it, rather than storing appropriate portions for when you need it. A freezer is such a great resource that way.
@ottaross I agree 100%. I couldn't manage without my freezer. When I bake, I slice up the loaves when they are completely cool, and put enough for one day in small bags, then in the freezer with them. Always fresh bread!
Like Lepage, I grew up in a house where you just didn't waste food & were expected to leave a clean plate. It was weird being in Sweden, where it's frowned upon to eat with gusto, and where you are supposed to leave a bit to show - well, I never understood what.
Like Lepage, I grew up in a house where you just didn't waste food & were expected to leave a clean plate. It was weird being in Sweden, where it's frowned upon to eat with gusto, and where you are supposed to leave a bit to show - well, I never understood what.
bjb 
Re: fridge and freezer during power outage, I try not to open them when power is out. So I may take out some food (that doesn't need cooking, like bread, cheese) this evening. Put it alongside the thermoses of tea and porridge.
@bjb A good plan. Yeah, you don't want the cold air to swap out with some warmer room air – certainly speeds the thaw.
@CAWguy has movedSoooo .... we can call you a prepper?
: -D
I've done some of those things. I suppose I should do more, but I don't think it's going to be that bad.
Oh no, shouldn't have said that in public : -o
@bjb I know it usually pans out that way, but I still remind myself: chance favours the prepared.
@bjb lol, I'm usually a regretter wishing I'd prepared a bit.
Hopefully my efforts will ensure it doesn't hit us. Good insurance.
If the 2cm of ice accretion does happen though, I'll worry about oak tree limbs falling on our roof.
If it gets/stays cold and gets windy, the ice will break off and free the tree limbs. If it gets warmer than 0°C the ice will melt off the tree limbs. I think it's only dangerous if the weather remains about 0°C and continues to precipitate.
Ice on the ground will continue to be dangerous, but not in the "tree branch falling and breaking things" way.