We're all out of D batteries in my section of Seminole County.

[Baitball Blogger]

Last edited Wed Oct 5, 2016, 03:56 PM - Edit history (1)

C batteries are probably gone by this writing.

Flashlights are done to the cutsy palm styles

I have seen the hardware stores better equipped in the past. People are taking this seriously.

UPDATE: I JUST SCORED SOME "D"S!!!!! Walked into Publix as they were unloading them. Time was about 3:10 or 3:15. They allowed 3 groups of 4 batteries per customer.

I was surprised to find a great selection of hotdogs, but the buns I got were from the Deli, and I think there were only two packaged left by the time I headed for the register.

Also, the only time that I witnessed people being short-tempered were male customers getting huffy with female customers because they perceived they were being wronged, WRONGED. One of them accused a woman of having more than twenty items in the twenty item line. It was ludicrous. At a glance, there were no more than twelve. And another man was offended because he was in line first and wanted to select his choice of two open self-service registers. Pardon me for thinking that he would have preferred the one that was closest to him.

Otherwise, people are being very pleasant and cooperative with each other.

[Fix The Stupid]

1. Damn... I have over 10,000 in stock.

Is there somehow I could donate some?

Ship some out there?

[Baitball Blogger]

8. I'm sure someone will need it, somewhere.

Sadly, electricity will be the first to go, so no way to get on the internet to shout an SOS. And no way to have them delivered even if they could.

Just stay connected to the news. Someone will probably organize a drive if it gets bad.

[jmowreader]

30. Call FEMA

When this storm hits, the government is going to have to deploy a lot of resources - including every combat engineer in the United States, like we did with Andrew. FEMA can help you get your batteries to where they're needed.

[Patiod]

2. Try Toys R Us

I've had luck there when the hardwares and pharmacies were sold out

[FSogol]

5. or hobby shops, sporting good stores, etc.

We have some hand crank flashlights that are pretty cool.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

3. Keep safe.

Maybe get some candles that won't set the house on fire?

[radical noodle]

4. Gas is gone in Marion County

which is central Florida, halfway between the two coasts. Our generator is ready to go in case we lose power.

[NCTraveler]

38. Generator.

That kicks ass. Outdoors please.

[radical noodle]

50. Oh definitely outdoors

Be safe!

[NCTraveler]

56. I recently chipped in with a family member on a good size generator.

Enough to keep their refrigerator, deep freeze, and multiple other items going. It's nice to know it is there. Went without electric for five days about eight years ago. We were prepared and had what we needed but did lose a considerable amount of food.

[radical noodle]

57. Sounds like it's similar to ours

Ours won't run everything but it will run important things. This sounds like it could be a bad time so stay safe and good luck.

[anoNY42]

7. Winter Springs here

Good luck over the next few days! I have my floating emergency lantern just in case, lol.

[Baitball Blogger]

10. Stay safe.

[Warpy]

9. Flashlights are dumb, anyway, unless you wreck out at night

Headlamps are the best things for power failures. They run for many hours on AAA batteries and put the light where you need it while leaving your hands free. I discovered them years ago when I was elbow deep in computer guts and I no longer even own a hand held flashlight.

Flashlights are great for making sure nobody hits your wrecked car. They're not so great for other things.

Good luck, Floridians. It looks like that miserable SOB might be heading straight up the Indian River.

My dad used to boast that the barrier islands there had never been hit by a hurricane. Time's up, I guess.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

11. That's what I use for hiking/camping.

I take a light handheld flashlight too, though.

And one of these:


And spare batteries along with these insane matches:

[Warpy]

12. Tuna cans

I spent part of my childhood making tuna can hurricane lanterns and homemade Sterno alternatives for cooking. They actually came in handy once in a while when a hurricane came through wherever we were living. Otherwise, they were spray painted and the lanterns turned into Xmas decorations. The fake Sterno kept things warm on Thanksgiving.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

13. Nice! n/t

[Baitball Blogger]

22. Do you have instructions for the fake sternos?

Just in case the gas grill is a bust?

[Warpy]

26. Tuna can, corrugated cardboard, paraffin

and a handy dandy video:

My mother used an old pot lid to extinguish it when she needed to. A fire extinguisher is a good idea. Water is not. Do note that this thing produces soot and smoke and any pot you use on it will require a lot of scrubbing afterward and you'll stink up the house if you use it indoors. However, if it's a choice between that and cold ravioli out of the can, I'll pop out onto the porch or in the carport and give it a go. Carport is what my mother used.

[Baitball Blogger]

28. This is very cool!

My dad would control the flame with the sterno can lid. Good to know what precautions need to be taken with the DIY sterno.

[csziggy]

39. Would that work with aluminum cat food cans?

I don't use much tuna fish anymore but with my aging cat I'm going through a couple of dozen cat food cans a month, about the same size as a tuna can. They are pop top aluminum ones.

I think this is a great idea - add to that a over the cup drip coffee funnel and I would have survived the five days after Hermine took out our power a lot better!

[Warpy]

42. My dad was without power for 22 days in 2004

even though the 4 hurricanes that came through didn't hit the area directly. He didn't mind the lack of electricity so much, it was the fact that the local grog shop was closed during the outages that really got to him.

By the way, you can boil water in a paper cup. A street person showed me that one some years ago. The ridge on the bottom of the cup will get toasted but the cup will be intact, cooled by the water inside.

[csziggy]

46. I actually had it pretty good this time around - some friends lent me a generator

Their old generator blew up the day after the storm. The wife was in Lowe's that afternoon and bought the next to the last one on a truckload. They got power the next morning and brought the generator over and hooked it up to my fridge and freezer, put a window AC unit in and had me hooked up by the time I got home!

I'd been out looking for caffeine - had to settle for caffeine tablets the day after the storm. I can't last a day without my caffeine fix. Since the storm, I have cut back from two or three cups a day to one - but those are 20 ounce cups!

I had a friend who was without power for over a month after Hurricane Kate in hte late 1980s. It wasn't that her lines were down - she'd never called it in and the power company didn't realize her transformer had blown. She saw their crews doing clean up and stopped to ask them when she'd get her power back. Once they knew hers was out it took less than an hour for her to get hooked back up!

That's why I ALWAYS call in - we used to be on the end of the line and if I called in they made sure to get it back on. There is a note on my account that we need the power to water our livestock. That gets their attention!

Same for a friend after Hermine - I suggested she let them know that her husband needed power for his oxygen. When she called that in, they got her line hooked up that afternoon. Otherwise she was going to have to haul him and all his medical needs to a shelter and she's getting too old to have to do that.

[kydo]

14. No propane, no ice, no water

But I did get lucky found D batteries at Publix, but only because there was a display that not many saw and unless you totally bent down it looked like they were out. But I got some.

Was gonna get gas but damn the lines are long. I would probably run out of gas waiting in line.

I have put water in zip lock bags and have them in the freezer. So now I got ice and water when it melts. Will also fill several containers of water for me, the dog and cats.

Got charcoal and lighter fluid, plus a gas camping stove, that does have gas.

Its nuts.

I am in where we don't have a name, no one wants us. Not really Cassleberry, Winter Park but the unincorporated part in Seminole County.

[malaise]

15. See if you can get dry ice to keep some of your frozen stuff

Works well

[Baitball Blogger]

23. I would say that the name of your city should be Taintsville,

but that name is already taken.

Publix is boss. Good idea on that ice to cold water DIY.

I agree with you on the gas. I guess, if we have to evacuate we will probably siphon gas from one car and put it into the other.

[kydo]

61. Sometimes it feels that way.

But I did get gas, got 3 bags of ice plus all the ice I am making. Got can goods, some water but I got access to more. Hurricane shutters are up. Lots of sandbags. Its a damn good thing I was doing massive landscaping project in the front I had like 60 bags of that leveling sand and 40 bags of paver base left. Its all around the doors and various places.

But I got the most important thing next to the pop-tarts and oranges (hey don't laugh those things don't need to be in the fridge or be cooked), I got those coffee bags, like tea bags, basically not really instant but not brewed, just add hot water like tea and you get not a bad cup of coffee. I got a grill, no propane for it, but charcoal, however I do have a propane stove and about 10 cans of the propane for it.

So now we hunker down. Good luck Baitball Blogger and to everyone in the path of the storm.

[Baitball Blogger]

62. Good luck to you too.

[csziggy]

40. If you're on a well, put some water in the tub to flush your toilet

Since I only have a shower, I bring in one of our yard tubs and fill it, then dip water out with a smaller container to fill the tank for flushing.

Estimate the size tank you have on your toilet and how often you might need to flush. I only flushed when the solids got to a certain point but even so I had to ask some friends to bring me some more water the later couple of days.

[Mariana]

54. You don't even need to fill the tank.

You just need a bucket to flush with, one gallon or maybe even less. Never mind the tank, just carefully pour the water into the bowl and the toilet will flush. We used pool water for flushing and invited all the neighbors to use it as well.

[Warpy]

43. Fill the bathtub, also

It can come in very handy for flushing the toilet.

[DawgHouse]

52. Fill up your bathtub so you can use that water for flushing.

I'm in Winter Park, unincorporated Orange Co.

Good luck, neighbor.

[B2G]

16. Oil lamps are the way to go.

Much safer than candles, put out more light (and it's adjustable) and they last forever. Got 5 at Walmart years ago and we still use them.

[csziggy]

41. Yes! We have four and have only filled them a few times in almost forty years.

Even with several storms that knocked out the power for a week at a time.

The last time, though, I used LED lights. I have a couple of little ones for my needlework. They use 3 AA batteries each and lasted for five days. My husband stuck the oil lamps on top of a cabinet in the laundry room and I wasn't going to climb a ladder to get them down when I was home alone in the middle of the storm with no power, no phone,no internet!

[malaise]

17. Current Head of NHC Dr Rick Knabb and former head

Max Mayfield are on Miami ABC - Knabb says this could come ashore in Florida and persons with warnings should take this seriously. Stay away from the Ocean says Knabb.

[geomon666]

18. You know the windsurfers are going to be out.

first thing in the morning.

[malaise]

19. Scott just warned them

said projections suggest Cape Canaveral could be hit.

[Scurrilous]

20. The Publix I shop at in Miami was sold out of water this AM.

So I bought BOGO (Buy 1 Get 1 Free) A&W root beer instead.

[Eleanors38]

31. Water: Load up gal. milk jugs by the dozen. Some potable, some for flushing.

My folks would have a metal kid's wagon full of them for a quick tote into the house.

I still have a hurricane lamp (all glass, full of kerosene or reasonable sub).

[ohnoyoudidnt]

21. Costco had a lot of them at 11:00 am.

No flashlights or lanterns, though.

[Baitball Blogger]

24. When this is over, I'm going to get a flashlight that you can crank.

[Ilsa]

27. I have an LL Bean hand crank flash light. Works great.

Maybe a hardware store in the FL panhandle can overnight one to you.

[csziggy]

44. I like the emergency weather radio with flashlight that cranks

My BIL gave us one of these a while back: Midland ER102 Emergency Radio with NOAA Weather

It's AM, FM, weather radio, flashlight, clock, and alarm. It can be AC or battery powered and there is a built in battery that can be charged with a hand crank. Ours is older but the newer models also have a USB charger connection to recharge cell phones. Midland also makes a (very expensive) model that has a solar charger.

[Baitball Blogger]

48. .

[malaise]

25. Podcasts from NHC

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/audio/

[RockaFowler]

29. I was thrilled to get 2 packs of C's and D's

I'm in St Lucie County - please stay safe up there

[Baitball Blogger]

33. We're going to survive on a diet of tuna sandwiches, hotdogs and peanut butter.

We can splurge with shared breakfast cereal milk one of the days.

or, we can drive half an hour to an unaffected area and eat in a restaurant.

[cwydro]

32. I lived in the Keys for years. You have to have a stockpile.

Never wait for the emergency. (Which usually turns out to be a false alarm lol)

But we kept big tubs of supplies.

We were never caught short. Really don't understand how peeps allow that to happen ANYWHERE they live.

Be prepared for anything, anytime.

[Baitball Blogger]

34. I did have a tub, but it was very out dated.

Gave most of our supplies away because they were nearing the expiration dates.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

35. Just a recommendation for using your cell phone:

Don't talk, text. Keep your messages short and only turn it on to check or send one. The messages are "buffered" in the equipment, waiting for the recipient to turn it on. It takes up much less bandwidth, leaving the main section of the communications system for the "real" emergency traffic. If you're not "on fire", then just text.

Remember that the land line is powered from the source office, but that there can be problems with the cable/equipment between it and your location. If you have dial tone, that's your best option. Cordless phones won't work without power. If you have one, a regular corded phone will always work if you are good to the Central Office. "You have a hard time screwing up a rock." A hard line to a regular phone has only the cable that is vulnerable. If the cable is good, then you're golden.

People think that cell phones are "Magic" and will work anywhere anytime. You don't know how much infrastructure there is to get that call from your hand to the network. There is a LOT of technology that happens behind the scenes that can be vulnerable. There have to be cell towers every mile or less that have to be powered and interconnected. They have some backup power, but that can be as little as a few hours.

Trust me on this: It's been my career for 40 years.

[Baitball Blogger]

36. That's good advice. Thank you.

[B2G]

47. And for godssake have a car charger for it. Nt

[ohnoyoudidnt]

49. Definitely.

One of these also can't hurt.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Everstart-Lithium-Battery-Jump-Starter-NEW-/272369201807?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

I have this model and am able to recharge my phone several times before the device needs to be recharged.

It also doesn't hurt to have a way top jump your car.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

37. For anyone in the area still looking, Batteries Plus in Altamonte

Last edited Wed Oct 5, 2016, 07:38 PM - Edit history (1)

has batteries and flashlights in stock. Their truck arrived as I was leaving about 15 minutes ago so they should have a good opening stock.

EDIT: And as of 7:30 pm Advance Auto parts has generators.

[Baitball Blogger]

51. I just went through the house and did a treasure hunt for flashlights.

Found about half a dozen of them. Cheapo ones that we use on dogwalks, but, they will work.

Good info to share, however. Thanks for posting. I'm going to try to get some gas tomorrow morning, and I'm about as ready as I can be.

[ismnotwasm]

45. Kick for exposure

[DonCoquixote]

53. Tampa wishes you well

Dumb question, but I wonder if beef jerky would help. My mom used to fry it and mix it with rice (it's called Tasajo) Also, if you add tomato sauce and onions to corned beef cans, it makes a stew.

The corned beef cans (they kind of look like spam) keeps

[Baitball Blogger]

55. I will have to try that. Looks better than three days of sandwiches.

[DonCoquixote]

60. No problem..That is a PR specialty

from the days when access to refrigeration was impossible. The Corned beef can be a little pricey, but it will keep. Oddly enough that started off of the British Officers military ration.

[Amaril]

58. Jacksonville here

About 12 miles inland from the beach, a couple miles east of the St. Johns river and no big trees near the house. We're staying.

Gas is probably gone at most stations by now -- I topped off my tank yesterday at lunch time, and the station I stopped at was sold out of everything except low grade (which I found odd -- you would think it would sell out before mid or high grade).

Pop Tarts -- there are wide spread reports of Pop Tart shortages! I was able to score a box of frosted blueberry, so we're good.

Pantry is full of soup, fruit cups, cans of various meat (potted meat, deviled ham spread, etc.), beef jerky, crackers, bottled juice, etc. We definitely won't starve. I stocked up the cats on mushy and dry food & their favorite treats, and bought new batteries for their laser toy. I opened the plantation shutters on one of the windows in my bedroom so they could watch Cat TV : The Matthew Chronicles this morning. They were having a ball when I left.

I bought two cases of bottled water that I stuck in the freezer yesterday. If we lose power, they will help to keep the refrigerator cold for a while. And I cleared out the bottom drawer in the freezer -- where the frozen veggies normally live -- and filled it with ice so the ice maker can be filling up its bin again (I'll transfer all of it to the cooler when the power goes).

I'll fill the bathtub tonight -- and I have a couple large Rubbermaid bins that I'll fill with water as well -- for toilet flushing, dish washing, sink baths, etc. I dug out my camp stove & coffee maker last night, and dragged all of the patio furniture into the garage.

I think we're set, except I am on the hunt for some D size batteries. I scored a couple battery operated fans -- on sale, even!! -- at the CVS when I stopped to buy more sinus pills (storms always blow my sinuses up) this morning, but they came without batteries. Our office is closing at noon, so I'm going to hit the Battery Depo down the street first, and if no luck there, my son works for Winn Dixie & they just got a truck in -- he's going to let me know if there are any batteries on it.

[Baitball Blogger]

59. I didn't expect to get gas this a.m. so I took my car out to do final errands.

Wouldn't you know it, there was a tanker filling up the gas station pumps. Lucked out.