MudNCrud Forums
Sitting and Day Dreaming => Mud Puddle => Topic started by: mudworm on December 09, 2014, 12:24:03 PM
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I'm a little scared. 3 inches of rain and 30mph wind was forecast for Thursday. Tons of messages are circulating on the local mailing list. Possibility of being stuck at home for days without power. Will try to do some preparation. I don't mind camping out at home. Just praying that everything will still be standing at the end of the storm.
Following are just a few suggestions one local sent out.
-Depending on your land line phone service: keep a corded non-electronic phone handy so that if PG&E goes out, but phone service stays on, you can still receive and make phone calls. It's easy to unplug the electronic phone & plug in the corded phone. Or you can have both simultaneously by using "splitters" (inexpensive little plastic dealies that you can buy at Radio Shack, Frys, etc.) during storm seasons so the corded phones are already plugged in. I'm attaching a photo that I hope comes through for you; if not let me know and I'll email it to you directly. If you don't have an "old fashioned phone" as their often called you should be able to pick one up cheap at a thrift store. For reasons that remain mysterious to me (and I've been in high tech "forever" so it's not a Luddite thing), many people have gotten rid of their corded non-electronic phones. If you can buy a couple as long as you're there, you can loan one to a neighbor for example. You can also get long cords for them when you get your splitters. Don't forget to check the ringer on/off button on the corded phone.
-Battery-operated lights & lanterns. I avoid open flames (candles) inside; but again everyone has different needs. Head lamps are great hands-free lights. Be forewarned they're like motion-sensor cameras: So useful & cool that once you buy one, you'll want more than one. Don't forget fresh batteries. Also re: comfort, I don't wear my head lamp on my head until I actually need it. I just wear it like a necklace, much more comfortable & still handy :-)
-Warm sleeping bags if you have them (or can buy them) because no matter what occurs, they don't need batteries or electricity to keep you warm. They also travel well in a vehicle :-)
- If you rely on a well pump and/or pressure pump, consider storing water in containers that you can lift when they're full.
- Vehicle parking. This one, like everything else, is a personal decision based on personal needs and experiences. But since I bought my first truck in 1971, I have rarely (and not since the 70s) put my vehicle in a garage. I've seen too many photos of earthquake damage where frames are shifted & vehicles are stuck. And too many photos where vehicles are burned in garage/house fires. I've always owned trucks and vans which make great housing; but any vehicle is a good shelter and I want mine where I can get to it and also move it. Parking outside does indeed come with the risk of a tree-fall depending on your setting; so I encourage you to think about what works best for you in your specific setting and make a decision accordingly.
- Clean lightweight tarps. If you get leaks and/or have roof problems, even my "can fix just about everything" sweetheart agrees he wouldn't go on the roof in a storm, let alone try to manage a tarp in the wind. So think about what in your home just can not get wet and tarp those things if there's a problem instead of trying to tarp the house. Much easier and safer to tarp stuff on the inside! (remember to unplug anything with a cord before draping it). Our roof is relatively new and in great shape but keeping a half-dozen or so "still in the package" (read, clean!) tarps is easy to do & store and makes me feel better.
- Important-to-you phone #s and any other contact info you might want. On paper. Where other family members in your home can find it too. In case your cell phone and/or tablet and/or laptop loses all it's power.
- Fire extinguishers; being able to find them in dark & know how to use them (there are many local experts here to advise re: same. This is all I'm going to say about them; just wanted to include them as essential equipment).
- Two-way GMRS radios if your neighborhood is set up with/for same. In Bill's & my part of the region those of us who are interested in doing so have monthly drills & a channel we all know to use when there's an "event".
- Fuel in vehicles (meaning, gas tanks) ahead of time. Also in vehicles ... snacks, personal items & warmies in rodent-proof containers, drinking water, etc. As ever, since we live with earthquakes.
Overall, whatever you think you'll need ... put it where you can reach it without needing ladders or navigating a garage or barn in the dark, etc.I hope this helps, or at least that it doesn't hurt :-)
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What about stocking up on Beer and Ice?
Or get to the ATM as Apple Jacks will be cash only!
You can crash @ our place, the cats will keep the looters out.
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Keep your hiking boots handy and rain gear. Worse comes to worse we'll come pick you up somewhere and get you to someone's home.
If the roads are clear and you need a hand with anything just call F4 or me and we'll come fix it up (tarping, moving furniture, fighting off evil trolls, bringing over fresh water supplies, additional camp stove, etc.)
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We are getting off the mountain Wed night to Fri morn. Hopefully the road will be open on our return.
Good luck Mudworm.
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Awww... thanks everyone. Hope everyone goes through storm unscathed.
What about stocking up on Beer and Ice?
Or get to the ATM as Apple Jacks will be cash only!
You can crash @ our place, the cats will keep the looters out.
Mr. Mud is still not around. And what??? How can I abandon the kids, I mean, the cats? I'm actually staying home on Thursday. If I must be stuck somewhere, it had better be home.
35mph . :o
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Wish I was there just to be with you. Jeepers that is a lot of rain.
Many thanks Rob for offering help. It is really appreciated especially since I am not there.
Yeah, F4; the beer will not do mudworm good since she does not drink.
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On second thoughts.... I wouldn't be too terrified if I got myself drunk. Hmm...
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Yeah, F4; the beer will not do mudworm good since she does not drink.
Bring it over here!
seriously, we have an extra room, plenty of space.
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Everyone @ work is freaking out.
I will play the odd that they will tell everyone to go home @ noon...then work Friday from home.
Clink, I thought your compound had a storm proof bunker with a generator.
Where are you relocating to?? The summer house in Watsonville?
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A tree guy came up at 4pm at a last minute and tied a heavy rope between the twin split redwood trees, where one of them is leaning towards the house. By 5, he was done. Impressive to see him speed ascend the trees really high up there.
Also placed a few sandbags in front of the house. The tree guy's helper volunteered his quick help there. Oh, Mr. Mud, I forgot to mention on the FaceTime, the helper was no other guy than Teto. :D He was very nice (apparently, he was not drunk).
Then took neighbor Ted's help and had the (old) awning rolled up.
All my neighbors were out and about getting ready. We were all offering each other "if you need anything..." We are lucky to live among the best neighbors.
Now, I can sleep tonight.
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Would have been nice to be there and say hi to Tito. Perhaps we can make amends.
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F4, We are at the Best Western in Capitola. Martha had a procedure yesterday that ended up going quite well. We couldn't chance the roads being closed if there were complications.
Spent part of the afternoon working on our road and drainage ditches.
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As is common for us in big storms, we lost electricity for a while this morning (I understand that San Francisco has some big power outages right now too).
When I left the house it was back on, but we had no internet.
The storm is disappointingly warm - snow level is only supposed to get down to around our level at its tail end.
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Ah, nice Clink.
Yeah, the roads are a bit wet here, slowly flooding.
My Bro is stuck in SF due to no power and flooding.
Yeah Brad, it is a unfortunate warm one.
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So far so good at the Muds house -- no leakage and trees are standing. I intentionally wore earplugs to bed last night, so I slept through most commotion except when the power went out at 4 and the APC started beeping. According to our neighbor, the wind was ferocious -- it was like a train, she says. She was woken up by loud buzzes and lightening (even though it was not raining yet). It turned out that a big tree branch broken off into their yard and pulled down the wire. Last I saw, the branch was smoking. A firetruck was there to watch for the fire, but PG&E has yet to come to repair. They must be swamped.
All sorts of weird things were being reported on the community mailing list, such as two houses are out of power with the house inbetween unaffected, or DSL works but not phoneline, etc. There was mudslide blockage reported on the road going over the hill. I'm not going anywhere!
At least I have cell reception. The neighbor has been in and out multiple times for the PG&E communications because they are on AT&T, and their cell tower at home cannot be used due to power outage.
Hope the damage across the region from the storm is not too bad.
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1 moment, I need to turn down the heater.
Life in the Burbs!
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I bought new ski boots to combat this storm.
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I bought new ski boots to combat this storm.
Thanks Adam - I needed a laugh :)
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Neighbors and I have sympathy for Mr. Mud -- he is missing all the excitement.
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Neighbors and I have sympathy for Mr. Mud -- he is missing all the excitement.
You mean work...clearing the ditches?
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Exactly! I couldn't find my rain gear, been too long. My nephew refused to take his good quality rain jacket to school with him, so I found use for it today. Only a little too big for me, but it worked. No rain pants, no problem. Found a black trash bag, tore a hole at the bottom so I could step through and drew the string around my waist. Viola!
My neighbor looked at my rain skirt with envy. She got soaked under her military poncho she bought at redwood sierra trading post. Go figure.
Typing in the dark...
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Guess what my job was growing up until almost middle school when they paved the road with gutters...
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Hey, F4
Can you go clean out my ditches, I will buy you beer!
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Well up here the hard rain didn't last too long.
It started to rain hard after dark, but when I woke up in the middle of the night, no rain noises; no raindrops and no rain gutter sounds.
I woke up this morning to see that it had turned to snow, which is quiet when it falls. So I'm officially scheduling a snowball fight with the dogs this morning. Front driveway, 8:00 a.m. Be there?
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Hey, F4
Can you go clean out my ditches, I will buy you beer!
I'm pretty sure F4 has graduated from middle school. Plus, the ditches you dug out are such good quality that they held through the rain! Neighbors recorded up to 7" in 24 hours.
Still no power. PG&E turned off the transformer, so the wire is no longer smoking. Now, we are low priority.
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I moved on after they paved our street.
Progress!
Brad, how is the snow level? James wants snow...maybe this is the year.
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You are welcome to come over...Jim to....if he is in Sunnyvale working.
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I moved on after they paved our street.
Progress!
Brad, how is the snow level? James wants snow...maybe this is the year.
This isn't the storm to come up for. Snow is down below Twain Harte, but there's only three inches of it here, and it's wet (will melt quickly).
January/February/March is when we usually get the cold and deep snow. See you then? Bring that Squiddo and his boys too?
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Black Friday followed by a white Christmas. What more can you ask for?
I love this time of year.
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...What more can you ask for?
Duh. Do I really have to tell you?
Maybe I do. You're one of those weirdos who think Pinns season goes year-round.
Nope, it starts around Black Friday time. It's Pinns season ;D
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Duh. Do I really have to tell you?
Maybe I do. You're one of those weirdos who think Pinns season goes year-round.
Nope, it starts around Black Friday time. It's Pinns season ;D
2+ inches of rain on the mud so far
To every thing there is a season
This year may give new meaning to floating the holds ;)
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Apparently Isla Vista got some real rain out of this system. Here's what Katie posted this morning on her Book Face page: "I got to float down my street last night. It flooded on the streets 2 feet or so:"
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7560/15384194864_8d210813c3_b.jpg)
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Maybe Mungie has the picture of Jake and his brother rafting down Stevens Creek...Mungie was ground support.
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Not handy, but it's a favorite pic for sure.
It was so silly to even try.
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Our power came back yesterday at 4pm (after 36 hours). I made good use of the home bound time, although it was not as exciting as Katie's or the young Jake's.
Now, sun is out!!! Wheeee.... :D