I live in the greater New York region and today Hurricane/Northeaster/Tropical Storm Sandy is upon us. Living in a high ground area doesn’t stop me from prepping as if I don’t and there is a high chance power can go out. Here are some green ways I am prepping to surviving a hurricane sustainably .
Charge your rechargeable batteries
There are so many on the market but whichever one you have, make sure to charge everyone of them now. Also charge all your devices and backup battery chargers so that you have a source of communication should power go out. Situations like this make me think about getting a land line just in case.
Fill your water bottles and carafes
I don’t purposely purchase plastic water bottles unless incredibly pressed for water. But I have plenty of sparkling mineral water glass bottles that instead of recycling, I’ve turned them into house water bottles. Gather up all your reusable water bottles and fill them with filtered water. If you have a brita, just filter the water and transfer.
Non-perishable foods and perishable food
For someone who doesn’t eat a lot of out of the box food, it was a challenge initially to think of what I could actually have. Alas a solution was found. As long as you have a gas stove and matches, you are golden. Grains can be cooked, beans can be soaked, and proteins can be frozen. Should power go out, proteins will slowly defrost and you can cook them in order of “perishability”. As for packaged organic and natural goods: snack bars, crackers, bread, nut butters, jellies and fruits are good to have on hand. Perhaps prepare some baked goods; I made gluten-free biscuits last night to keep me company during the storm.
First Aid
Keep supplies of first aid around such as arnica gel and pellets. Have essential oils handy such as lavender for calming and tea tree oil for disinfecting; both can be used to cleanse the air if it gets stagnant.
Relax, Rest, Release
You obviously can’t control the weather but you can only control yourself and what you do in your home. Relax and make the most of the time off. Chill out in your pajamas, catch up on overlooked chores, get some books ready to read, invest time in personal projects, and watch some movies while you have power. Feels like a great day to do some vision board work. While chaos in outside, create some serenity inside.
If you have tips, please share below!
