From my experience going through several hurricanes in the south: 1) Get cash from the ATM – if power goes out, credit/debit cards will be useless – as much as you can, just in case ATMs are out for a while. 2) fill every tub in your house with water so you can still flush your toilet and have water for washing and other non-drinking needs. 2a) Get bottled water just for brushing your teeth. 3)defrost and cook everything in the freezer now and store inm containers. Cooked food lasts longer than soggy raw food. 4) don’t forget the pets – water, kitty litter, food, meds, etc. 5) If you have a firewood stash – don’t forget to cover it up (you’d be surprised how many people forget that). Good luck and be safe everybody!
WATER PURIFICATION
1) Clear water is a sign of pure water. Always drain long-standing pipes for 30 seconds to one minute before drinking! (Cheap remote motels?)
2) 1 Gallon water is disinfected by 8-16 drops of regular household bleach (visually about 1/4 of a teaspoon) – double that for cloudy water. Shake and let stand 30 minutes. One teaspoon will disinfect 5 gallons. Immediately after treating, water must initially have a slight smell of chlorine. If it does not – repeat the process.
3) Household bleach is relatively harmless. The smell or �waft� of chlorine is not bad: it indicates that water is treated and germ free. Once treated and disinfected, the chlorine smell will go away in a few days.
6) Bleach effectively kills bacteria and viruses, stops smells and then breaks down. It’s effective germ killing alkaline property is completely neutralized very quickly. It does not stay chemically active in tanks for more than a few days. Most germs require sunlight to grow. Store water in the dark.
7) If water is relatively clear: but has a noticeable smell of chlorine: it is drinkable, disinfected, and harmless. Humans need 2 quarts per day.
