Originally posted January 19, 2015.
If you’re like me, then you probably don’t like to leave things to chance, which is part of the reason why you’re reading this website. You’d be shocked, or maybe not, at how many readers love our survivalist posts. So with that in mind, here are some quick notes from the recent blizzard that pummeled Rhode Island.
DO NOT do your storm prepping the day before the storm. For example, here in Newport, the day before the storm, cars were lined up at gas stations. It looked like the gas lines my parents had to deal with in the 1970s. Believe me, the hoarding mentality kicks in big time hours before the storm.
If your town loses power and your gas station does not have a generator then there will be no gas coming out of the pumps. I’m envisioning the huge 7-Eleven’s with 20 pumps and not a single generator. So if you need gasoline to run your generator, make sure your auxiliary tanks are full. Then stay off the roads.
If you’re on the roads remember there are two types of drivers you want to avoid in the snow: Those painfully S-L-O-W—driving as if they’re on their driver’s license test, and guys with plows—they tend to drive a little F-A-S-T. So don’t be in a rush if you’re stuck behind the test group, and try not to lose it in front of your kids when the plow guy blows by you.
And some quick notes: Make sure your Blackout Buddy is plugged in, your flashlights work, and last but not least your wine cellar is sufficiently stocked—your nerves are usually the first to go.