I live in east Texas, a couple hours drive from the Gulf of Mexico. Think hurricanes. Think really big hurricanes. Hurricane Rita (3 weeks after hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans) roared through here like a freight train 5 years ago. We didn't get any damage, but had no power for a week and a half and no food left in the grocery stores and no gas. I couldn't go to work because I didn't have enough gasoline to get me there and back. People fleeing the storm converged on our town by the thousands, they filled up our schools, churches, motels and even parking lots. We opened our home to friends and had a darn good time. I am a Red Cross volunteer, so I spent nights at the elementry school and a coupleof nights at our church. We ran out of food at church, so a local fast food resturant opened their freezer to me and I took a truck load back to hungry families. At home, we cooked over a pit we dug in the ground and placed the grill rack out of the useless electric oven over the hole.We pretty much cleaned out the freezer. One of our friends staying with us had a battery operated weather radio-our only connection with the outside world. A camp style coffee pot would have been worth its weight in gold, but we dumped coffee and water in a big pot and boiled it over the fire. A chunk of ice or egg shells dropped in it sends the grounds to the bottom so you don't have to strain it through your teeth. LOL
Two years later, hurricane Ike struck. Again, no power for 2 weeks. At least 6 million people in Houston stayed home and did not flood the country in blind panic. Businesses were closed, no power. Grocery stores had to throw out spoiled food. This time, we had a generator. The only problem with it was it cost $20 per day in gas, and getting gas was another problem. I had changed jobs, going to work at a garbage company as a purchaser. The company had a generator and we never lost a day of work. The boss sent out an employee every day with empty gas cans so the rest of us could have gas to get to work and to run our generators at home.
A huge 100 + year old oak tree fell on our home, crushing one end of it. Fortunately, I had the foresight to ask my DH to buy me a cheap box of wine the Friday afternoon before the hurricane hit. (I am not much of a drinker) I also baked brownies. Sooooo...... Saturday night, with a tree on my house, raining in my kitchen and dining room and abig mess everywhere, I ate brownies, drank my cheap wine and no longer cared if the house caved in or not.
All this being said, I think I am slightly qualified to make a list of things to do in power outages. All the above posters have very good ideas, I like wrapping the freezer in blankets.
You can also store water in plastic trash cans with lids.
Oil lamps are great, keep extra wicks and 5 gallons of kerosene.
Learn how to make flour tortillas, they make a quick wrap around scrambled eggs and meat.
A battery operated weather radio is a must.
Generators are good, but drink fuel.
Get a campfire type coffee pot.
Gas stoves are better than electric in the country.
Read a book.
A bar-b-que pit helps with the cooking.
Play board games or cards.
Have a car charger for your cell phone. In power outages, you can call or text your family and friends.
You can use 2 pie pans to bake biscuits over an open fire, use 1 as a top and flip over about 1/2 way through.
Wine and Brownies.
