Safety Cap's Journal: Is that the best you can do? I'm down here--come and get me!

(cross-posted to fark)

Here in HooVille, people are paying attention probably more than usual because of Katrina. I hit the supermarket last night to grab some stuff to round out our pantry. Wow - almost all of the cans were gone, and there was not one bottle of water on the shelves. A clerk brought out a pallette of bottled waters while I was standing there; I grabbed two cases before the gathering crowd attacked.

My SO reported this AM that the lines for gas are very long. My car is full, but her's is about 5/8ths full. We'll try topping her off this evening (hopefully the stations won't run out!)

This afternoon a coworker had to go to Lowes (Home Improvement store) and reported that they were completely out of generators (idiot people, where are you going to get gas and an electrician to hook up your home circuits?).

I checked my email and found this little jem:

From: "City of Pearland" <[e-mail]>
To:
Subject: Important Message from the Mayor
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2005 12:20:27 -0500

This is an emergency message from the office of the Mayor of the City
of Pearland. A very serious hurricane is approaching the area. There is
a significant probability that it will impact Pearland. Mayor Tom Reid
has issued a mandatory evacuation for those in flood prone areas and
for those who reside in mobile homes or other non-sturdy structures, and
for those with special transportation needs to leave as soon as
possible. In order to avoid heavily congested traffic conditions and limited
available routes, residents are urged to leave prior to 6 p.m. today,
Wednesday Sept. 21.

For those in need of transportation, buses will be available at 2:30
this afternoon at Jamison Middle School, 2505 Woody Rd. (immediately
north of 518 across from Frost National Bank), and Pearland Jr. High East
(one block north of 518 on Old Alvin Rd.) Persons who wish to leave but
are unable to get to those locations may call 281-652-1953,
281-652-1954, or 281-652-1960. For detailed information, go to
www.cityofpearland.com.

9/21/05 11:30 a.m.

Well the problem is that the entire "city" of Pearland IS A FLOOD-PRONE AREA!

So, all you who are also in the path, stay safe and dry - don't be the fool this year who kills him/herself by driving into the water on the submerged road.

Updates as they come...

Wiring in a modern generator is easy

[Marxist Hacker 42]

It's just a matter of having a couple of nice long extension cords, and knowing where the phases separate (so you can plug one cord into each phase). No need at all for an electrician.

Having said that- make sure you have a rubber raft and an axe in your attic- and stay high & dry.

Re:Wiring in a modern generator is easy

[ces]

Wire in?

With a portable generator just run some extension cords/power strips from the generator to the appliances you are trying to run.

Most portable gensets don't have a terribly large output and even less so if run continuiously (which most can't really handle).

Course if you have a 20 Kw or greater unit rated for continuious running for more than 24 hours then forget the above.

Re:Wiring in a modern generator is easy

[Marxist Hacker 42]

Chances are, the #1 and #2 and #3 uses of generators in an emergency are (in this order) lights, radio, and cooking. If most of your lights are built-in (as in not lamps) and you've got a built-in range then what you've got to do is power your grid. But even this isn't very hard- two extension cords, one to each phase, and a couple of gender changers- and it's still just plug & play. No need to wire in anything at all.