Hurricane's A'comin'!

There's a big storm rolling up the Atlantic and it's projected to turn inland somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast.  As of today, forecasters are saying there's a 90% chance that areas of the East Coast will be subjected to gale force winds, flooding, heavy rain and possibly snow as Hurricane Sandy collides with a winter storm thus creating what they're dubbing the "Frankenstorm".  So, because of the potentially really bad, really crazy weather, here are some preparedness ideas- just in case.

• Have a list of contact information (hospital, law enforcement, local utilities, etc)
• Water- make sure you have 1 gallon of water per person per day for 3 days
• If you have a well and lose power you will lose water- fill available containers with water (including the tub) to use for drinking and flushing the toilet
• 3 day supply of non-perishable food
• Hand crank or battery operated radio with extra batteries 
• Flashlights- one for each person in the household
• Batteries- for flashlights, radios, etc
• Matches/lighters
• First Aid kit
• Manual can opener
• Charge cell phones 
• Fill your car's gas tank and try to park it facing out and away from trees if possible
• Fill your grill's propane tanks- if you have an electric stove, you won't be able to cook food
• Fill jugs with water and place in your freezer to fill up any empty space- a full freezer holds temperature better than an almost empty one
• Clean out your fridge of any left over food
• Set freezer and fridge to the coolest setting
• Gather coolers together and place in coolest place in house (like a basement) if it looks like the power is going to go out, place perishables like milk, lunch meat, condiments, etc in the cooler with jugs of ice and cover cooler with blankets or quilts. This limits the amount of times you have to open the fridge door.
• Make sure you have extra blankets, jackets, hats in the event the temperatures drop (they're supposed to with this storm- keep warm!)
• If you use a generator- PLEASE DO NOT use it inside the house and do not sit it outside next to an open window/door.  Generators create carbon monoxide which is colorless and odorless and people have been known to get sick and die from improper generator usage!
• Secure any loose objects in your yard: tables, chairs, toys, grills
• Clear out any clogged gutters and rain spouts
• Have board games or cards on hand
• Stay out of flood waters! 
• Watch for tornadoes! 
• Don't forget to prepare your pets/livestock too! Check out some tips here

Stay safe!