9 Things You Need to Survive The Aftermath of a Storm

Like many, I financially could not leave during hurricane Ida. The storm caused many to lose power, including myself. I was shocked to find just how ill-prepared I was to be without power for so long. While I had basic things, such as nonperishable food, bottled water, and flashlights, there were many things I’d overlooked. So, what are the things I wish I’d had during the storm?

Solar Powered Phone Charger

Before the storm, I’d charged all of my devices, but that charge didn’t last long. I had to turn my phone off for the majority of the time, leaving me both bored and unable to communicate with my friends, family, and coworkers. I thought that I’d prepared by using a power bank, but that too ran out of power, eventually. If I’d had a solar-powered phone charger, I could have easily solved this problem.

While I got a car charger, it drained some of the battery from my car and I had to get a new battery shortly after the storm. A solar-powered phone charger would have been better because it would get its power from the sun.

Tent Fans

It gets unbearably hot where I live, so I knew I had to use something to cool off. I went to the local sporting goods store and ended up buying three tent fans, which are battery-operated and meant to cool off a tent. Sadly, they were not enough to cool off an entire house, so I wish I’d been able to get more.

A Cooling Pet Bandana

This is something that I had on hand, but I felt it was worth sharing. While I’d gotten a cooling bandana for myself months prior, I did not know they sold the same thing for dogs until I saw them in a pet store.

While I wasn’t thinking of a storm when I bought it, it came in handy. It’s also easy to use since you simply wet it with cool water and put it on your dog. My dog is a senior, and she loves hers.

Emergency Radio

One of the first things the storm did was knock out the power, which not only left us in the dark but left us not knowing what was going on around us. I’d get my daily updates from the brief times I allowed myself to turn on my phone, but that didn’t tell me much. It would have been nice to have a little radio that we could have listened to the news on.

A Good Book

When the storm hit, I’d charged all of my devices and downloaded a new book onto my Kindle. The book wasn’t the greatest (Final Girls Support Group), but it took my mind off of what was going on. I managed to read a little each day until my kindle needed to be charged again. I found myself wishing for a paperback book that I could go read outside. I also wished my book would have been better. If you’re looking for a good read, I would suggest anything by Riley Sager.

Batteries

No matter how many batteries you have, it won’t be enough. Batteries are a valuable resource not only during but after the storm. You’ll use them for your flashlights, fans, and most other things you’ll use during the storm.

I got more batteries than I thought I needed, but it still wasn’t enough. I had to run to the store as soon as it opened to get more batteries for the fans.

Cash

Whenever the first stores opened, their credit card systems were down. Many places were using a simple calculator or pen and paper to figure out how much money the customers owed for their purchases. Luckily, I had planned for this and had enough cash on hand to buy batteries for the fans.

Gas

I had never seen anything quite like the gas lines after the storm. People were waiting for hours and running out of gas while they waited. Police had to be present at gas stations because people were getting killed at the pump. If you don’t have gas before the storm, you probably won’t be getting any for a while. Luckily, I could wait until I returned to work to get gas.

Patience  

While this one isn’t a physical thing, I still felt that it was important to include. After the storm, very few places will be open. The open places will have a long line that you could stand in for hours. Everyone in that line is going to be hot, sweaty, and unhappy. The storm is also expensive for most people involved and many are missing work because their place of employment isn’t open, causing them to miss out on a paycheck that they probably needed. Each person in that line is struggling because of the storm, and the best gift you can give both them and yourself is patience.