Severe Weather Prepardness

[Jay_Bunny]

We live in Virginia, so hurricanes are not a common thing here. We usually just get the tail end of something. But power outages are something that is common and we want to be prepared for whatever comes our way.

We have gas heat and use gas for cooking. Will this be affected by power outages? Also, if temperatures are high outside, how do we keep animals that like cooler temperatures (cats, rats, ferrets) from overheating. I know that ferrets can't stand temperatures over 80 for too long.

We are going to put together a power outage "survival kit" that includes:

Batteries
Flashlights
Bottled Water

Thats all we have to our list right now. Feel free to suggest things to add to our list and any advice on surviving a power outage when you have both reptiles and mammals to keep comfortable.

[dsirkle]

We live in Virginia, so hurricanes are not a common thing here. We usually just get the tail end of something. But power outages are something that is common and we want to be prepared for whatever comes our way.

We have gas heat and use gas for cooking. Will this be affected by power outages? Also, if temperatures are high outside, how do we keep animals that like cooler temperatures (cats, rats, ferrets) from overheating. I know that ferrets can't stand temperatures over 80 for too long.

We are going to put together a power outage "survival kit" that includes:

Batteries
Flashlights
Bottled Water

Thats all we have to our list right now. Feel free to suggest things to add to our list and any advice on surviving a power outage when you have both reptiles and mammals to keep comfortable.

Your gas furnace will not function without electricity. The more modern it is, the more electrical components it has. It may have a pilot or spark ignition, or a hot surface ignitor or direct ignition, induced draft motor etc.. Your gas stove can be lit with a match if it even if it has electronic ignition. The prices of generators are way down,especially for Chinese ones.

[Patrick Long]

The prices of generators are way down,especially for Chinese ones.

Yay man a little Soy Sauce and those things smoke!!!!!!





Hope all is well, and that you really dont have to use all that stuff.

[wolfy-hound]

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english...pply_kit.shtml

This has a good list of things you should prep in advance of a disaster/storm.
For animals that might overheat, you can dampen towels to drape over them, or over a cage, as long as it doesn't prevent air flow. "Swamp cooler" style cooling.
Have loads of water. You can fill a garbage can with clean water if you line it forst with a new garbage bag. Or just get new garbage bins that will be used only for water.