Let me preface this by saying that I grew up in upstate New York, where I experienced a "3-day winter storm" firsthand, and that I now live in southern California where I've experienced earthquakes. In both situations, there were perishables in the refrigerator and freezer, and those were the first items to be cooked and eaten. Then, we went to the canned goods. In all the official literature for Y2K preparations......the Red Cross, the state of California, etc., they advise being prepared for a "3-day winter storm", and suggest having non-perishable canned food on hand for that "3-day storm". This struck me as strange, because most people caught by a sudden disater, would have perishable food on hand, and for a few days would be eating those foods before going to the canned goods. In all the earthquake literature people are advised to first use the refrigerated food, then the frozen food, and then the canned food. Even if the electricity fails, frozen foods can be kept frozen if the freezer is not opened. During the January 1994 Northridge earthquake, we were without electricity for 18 hours, and frozen roasts were still frozen. I remember January in upstate New York.......there are days when the temperature doesn't even get as high as 32 degrees. If that's the case, food items that need to stay frozen could be kept outside. The point I'm making, is that when the official literature advises to prepare for a 3-day storm and to have non-perishable canned food, what they're actually saying is to prepare for a much longer period of time than 3 days. I guess the powers that be thought that telling people to prepare for only a three day storm would be more palatible than stating that it might be at least a week. It's sorta like the psychology behind pricing itmes at $9.99 instead of $10.00.

-- Linda Hitchings (lindasue1@earthlink.net), December 01, 1999

Answers

I think it's wise to prepare for two weeks. I live in Canada's capital and lived through the ice storm. Two weeks without power was hell. That third day sees you quickly changing your emotional and pschological tune.

B

-- Bill (jj@rr.com), December 01, 1999.

Very good perception Linda... I hadn't caught that one. This is just the sort of same mind games our Gov leaders love to play with us... A lot like what those of us who have covered y2k for more than 12 months saw when "compliant" got changed to "ready", while most people still thought the new phrase meant compliant as in FIXED. Sooooo with your perception we have prepare for a week... 3 days frozen, 3 days canned and 1 day just sitting around starving while they finally get the power back up. LOL

-- A Guy (waiting@y2kgetit.com), December 01, 1999.

Linda --

Last year we had an 18 hour winter storm where we live. We were shoveling snow for about a week! I shudder to think what it would have been like after *72 HOURS*. Maybe that is what they mean be a 'Three day winter storm'. A 72 hour blizzard, snow 30 feet deep, drifts of up to 3 times that, and they don't have any snow plows that can move that much.

That sounds about right. The storm lasts three days. The *EFFECTS* of the storm would be on the ground (and, sadly, in my driveway) for the next three months!

-- just another (another@engineer.com), December 02, 1999.

Just, you wouldn't be from Michigan somewhere, would you?

We had one like that, about 48" standing on the ground......

-- mushroom (mushroom_bs_too_long@yahoo.com), December 02, 1999.

Perhaps they don't want to cause a panic, but know that prudent individuals will prepare for two weeks or more...as the hurricane-aware do on Kaua'i...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), December 02, 1999.

Emergency Winter Food Storage

If you live where there is snow cover, put your frozen food in sealed containers outside in the shade and keep the containers covered with snow.

Move food from your refrigerator to the now empty freezer. Freeze half-full bottles of water (Clorox bottles work great) on their sides outside overnight (will not split that way) and place them in the freezer to keep your food cool. The freezer works better than your refrigerator for this as it is better insulated, and if it is a chest freezer, it will retain the cold air better when you open it.

-- John (jh@NotReal.ca), December 02, 1999.

Thanks for the post, Linda. Very informative and thought provoking, especially the "3 days storm != 3 days supplies", which is what I (and I think most people and sheeple) had assumed Koskinen meant.

Maybe someone's pointed that out to him. Note that he's now saying "at least three days food and water".

-- Colin MacDonald (roborogerborg@yahoo.com), December 02, 1999.

Linda, maybe the reason is that one generally cannot eat "frozen" food unless it is reheated; therefore, we will need to eat our canned food right from day one. And that, to me, is even scarier: it's like they are telling everyone:no power. How does one eat frozen food then in an apartment with no alternative heat source?

-- Dot (dromano03@snet.com), December 02, 1999.

A 3-day winter storm in Valdez would net you anywhere from 5 to 15 feet of fluffy white. The average winter snowfall there is around 50 feet. I have photos of my 6' husband standing in front of a straight cut into the snow on the ground. The top of the cut is about eight inches over his head. Got shovels?

-- Liz Pavek (lizpavek@hotmail.com), December 02, 1999.