This is a new Category of posting. It consists of useful and random recommendations submitted for your consideration by your neighbors. Please feel free to contribute your own recommendations. (See the bottom of this post.)
• If you expect a planned power outage, such as a PSPS, before the power shutoff, adjust the temperature controls on your refrigerator and/or freezer to their coldest setting. Since it will take longer for the food items to defrost from their coldest, this will protect your food for the longest time during a power outage .
• It is useful to have a couple solar-powered landscape lights set up near your front door.
• Set up a cooler near your refrigerator where you can put those items you will most want to use, so that you don’t have to—more than necessary—open the doors to your refrigerator or freezer during a power outage. Refrain from opening the doors to your refrigerator during the warm daytime; instead plan on opening them only at the coolest part of the day or evening.
• Before any emergency, remove the lid to your toilet tank and mark the level of water with a Sharpie or Pentel marker. During an emergency, you can refill the toilet tank with water (even “grey water”). Each tankful is equivalent to a “flush”. Filling the tank rather than pouring water directly into the toilet bowl reduces the possibility of overflow. Save containers of water nearby for the purpose of refilling the tank as needed during an emergency.
• In your “go bag” don’t forget to keep some currency in small bills.
If you have suggestions to add to this list, please send them to Chet at grycz@well.com.
All suggestions gratefully accepted.