Potential Hurricane Problems

[MrAl]

Hello there,


As many people already know, the East Coast is possibly about to get hit with a huge hurricane. We dont know the extent of the damage that could occur yet, but it could involve power outages in my area and sure enough other areas too.

I'm writing this to let the people that i am helping with various projects know that if i dont show up for a few days they can assume that the power got cut and we're waiting for it to come back on. I've already stocked up on some necessary items, and all of us in this area are hoping for the best. If the hurricane loses force or veers off eastward a little more we might just get rain, but right now that's not what they are predicting. They are predicting a direct hit and this has been true for more than two days now. The Governor has declared a state of emergency already.

Thanks, and take care for now,
MrAl

 

[transistor495]

Hello there,

I'm writing this to let the people that i am helping with various projects know that if i dont show up for a few days they can assume that the power got cut and we're waiting for it to come back on.

MrAl

My god, take care ya guyz and don't play with'em, wish all of you best of luck.

I know the seriousness though, the way you wrote the above quote made me smile

 

[Reloadron]

Batten down the hatches MrAl. Get those emergency supplies and things in order. Yeah, you guys are going to get wet. Take care of yourself and just hang tight. Let's hope it loses strength before getting up that far. I only remember one hurricane during the 50s I think in NY when I grew up on Long Island.

You too Jason (Atom Soft) if you catch this take care in Brooklyn buddy. Brooklyn is going to get pertty wet.

Later
Ron

 

[Ian Rogers]

Fortunately... We don't really do them over here, but keep well..

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I'm in the path too.

 

[audioguru]

Are you staying in the path of the hurricane when your government tells you to evacuate?
Millions of people are evacuating to safety (which leaves their possessions available to stupid thieves).
I hope you have good luck.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I'm not in an evacuation zone at this point in time. I am far inland and far from a creek, but definitely in the path.

I remember driving in Hurricaine Floyd. That path was along the coast, but in the water. The center of this storm supposedly will hit land.

 

[MrAl]

Hi again,


Thanks for the positive votes from everyone. We had a brief power outage, now it's back on.

As far as the main part of town, it's wiped clean again after 5 feet of water killed all the businesses AGAIN. This used to happen maybe once every ten years, now it seems it's once a year. Floyd brought in 10 or more feet into the town.

Looks like another Tropical storm building up too now. We'll have to wait to see if it turns into another hurricane.

Take care,
Al

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I ended up fairing pretty well. Two very minor water issues. Both have solutions in the works. A swale isn't deep enough (it was overflowing) and I didn't hear the "local" water alarm go off for the window well. I have a bilge pump in the window well that hasn't been turned on at all this year and I thought I had the issue solved. The bilge pump was purchased when Floyd came through the area. So, I got a bit of water in a carpeted basement near the basement drain. Some stuff got slightly wet,

The wireless alarm didn't go off fortunately. That would have done more damage, so it seems I fixed that issue.

The other are where there was water was the porch. Again, a small area like 3' x 4' carpet area got slightly wet. The thresholds are at ground level. Water has to be diverted earlier than the threshold. I havn't finished the design, nor selected the components for that issue. I know it will be a gutter connector, channel drain, redo some pavers, a storm drain, n Drywells and a pop up emitter. I don't like the web-based sizing software for sizing the wells, so i have to write my own in Excel. The software only gives integer number of wells needed. You can also vary the amount of wells needed by using rock, so it doesn't make sense, for example, when you need 3.1 wells to use 4.

Then there was a small amount of debris like tree branches to clean up.

We didn't loose power, but I did secure some cable and clips to be able to run the bilge pump moved to the sump pump location from the car battery. If the sump pump failed it would have been worse. I would have taken the wire out the dryer vent to the car. The sump pump can be removed quickly because of a Union and a short radiator hose.

 

[transistor495]

Glad to know that you all are survived well.

I wonder why the coastal states/townships doesn't follow a tough architectural plan for houses like concrete or something -because the pictures of the storm-hit areas looks like a paper build-up and these kind of natural disasters are getting an increased frequency nowadays.

 

[Reloadron]

Glad you guys came out of things well enough. Yeah, that's right, there was another brewing down there. Let's hope it is a nothing. MrAl, we need to get you back into that generator mode again.

Ron

 

[MrAl]

Hi there Ron,

Generator mode? Not sure what you mean there, unless you mean that i should get a generator
Would really like to get something like that. Right now all i have is batteries. I also ordered a 12v water heater to allow me to make coffee and soup in case of a power outage, but it takes 15 minutes to boil 8 ounces of water with that thing so it's going to take a very long time to fill up the hot tub

 

[Reloadron]

Hi Ya MrAl

Sometime back in another forum there was a thread that got into generators and other forms of emergency power. Things like solar and wind, batteries and generators. So I called it the generator mode.

Initially I was sort of forced into the need for a generator. That need is long gone but I will never do without one now.

Ron

 

[bryan1]

Sometimes we get 100K + Klm winds here so I am designing a wind generator albeit small but handle 2,000 rpm +. It could mean in a gale I will need to have a spare stator around as overheating will be a problem. But as we off the grid when the wind blows we will be making more power as this one will be my 3rd wind genny. Solar can only work when the sun shines but the wind gennies I make provide power for those sunless windy conditions. It is time more people become aware of RE as power prices are only going to increase ans making your own is great. Sadly the general population won't see RE as an alternate power source as the grid is so cheap.

But when the power goes out there is nothing unless one counters for those times.

Cheers Bryan

 

[audioguru]

Don't you use a variable pitch propeller so that the generator does not spin too fast in high winds?
Or do you simply shunt the generator to slow it down (and heat it and the shunt)?

 

[MrAl]

Hi again,


Im not sure if a generator would help im my case as i would have to keep a lot of fuel around. Not sure about a wind generator either it would have to be quite large i think for my purposes and more importantly i'd have to invest in a LOT of batteries to store the energy between good winds. Of course there is always solar, but that's expensive for large systems and again the storage batteries could cost a lot there too.

My best solution is starting to look like a general downsizing of the products i really have to power during a power outage. In other words, first reduce the amount of power i need to survive and then see what the minimum i would need to power this new product set with.
For example, instead of using the 'normal' TV set i could use a miniature portable set that uses batteries. Instead of using the microwave (which takes a huge amount of power for a short time period) i could use Sterno or my new 12v electric water heater. For the computer i guess i'd have to buy a laptop, which im not too keen on because i have little use for it otherwise as i dont have to travel much anymore. I dont think i'd want to power the home computer though because it takes higher surge power even though it's a very green system and uses very little idle power.

Anyone else here use Sterno ever? Im wondering how well that works for small cooking needs. Someone else told me it works quite well burning for at least 2 hours for one can. Im wondering for example how long it takes to boil say 8 oz of water that way in a small pot, and what kind of holder would be good for the pot or pan.

 

[Reloadron]

Hi Ya MrAl. I think what it comes down to is getting a paper and pencil (the old fashion way) and making a few list. We have the nice to have creature comforts followed by the needs.

I first became aware of needs years ago when I met my wife. Her mother had brain surgery for an aneurism that did not go well and was for all purposes in a vegetable state. As she aged I noticed more and more support equipment moving into the house. There was a vent machine that did breathing. It had a 20 min backup battery and a connection for an external 12 volt supply. After 20 min you need to "bag" the patient. That means use a manual bag device to breath for them. After a few min it feels like your hand and fingers want to die. My option was to run out to the truck and yank a battery. For an extended outage you are screwed. Then came the oxygen concentrator which makes (or draws) O2 from air, when you lose that you rely on bottles of O2 till they run out and then you are screwed. The list goes on....

I figured back then a 4 or 5 KW unit would keep us going. At the time that $500 investment was literally a life saver. However, it was gasoline and I had to keep 20 gallons out in the shed. Under a full load we burned about 1 GPH.

After Kathy's mom passed away that generator continued to come in handy. Once for 3 days it supplied us as well as the freezers of several neighbors with periodic power. Eventually I bought a large 18 KW automatic transfer unit that runs on natural gas. I guess I was spoiled.

Attached is an image from a 2009 blizzard. Eventually when it was covered I went out and dug the generator out. I really hate cold too.

 

[MrAl]

Hi Ron,

Oh so you had some very important reasons for getting your generator. I guess my needs are exactly that important, but could be depending on the weather around here at the time the lights go out.

Im currently looking into some ideas a bit more. It appears that those little portable TV's may not work that well so im not sure if i want to get involved with that. Maybe i'll ask around.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

When you think about it, you might need a few things all the time:
1. Life support. (right now, no)
2. Sump pumps. I should be able to operate a 12 V pump from the car battery for one pump at a time.
This is not tested. I have two pumps - OOps. One USUALLY doesn't have to be on.
3. Refrigerators/freezers
4. Some amount of lights especially if you have elderly around
5. Antenna distribution
6. At least one TV
7. At least one radio
8. Gotta have internet ( at present network will die, but I can tether a PC to the cell) Can charge PC in car.
9. The phones (The base station is already on a UPS)
10. The PERS (Personal Emergency response system (Its own battery backup + external UPS)
11. Light for an elderly person (mom) also on the same UPS
12. A battery operated radio also on the same UPS

Then there is heating for the "ice storm". The stove and hot water heater don't need power to work, yet. Possibly the AC. Possibly the microwave.

 

[MrAl]

Hi there Keep,

I have the lights covered now, and working on cooking possibilities, so i turned to the TV next to see what i can get that will run on batteries and is fairly decent. I can get the phone to work for up to 8 hours, and i can get internet for up to 8 hours too but my PC is 120vac and i dont feel like buying a notebook although i like your idea of charging via car. I was thinking of using my electric heater in the car to boil water for food prep so i dont use up my in home battery power too fast.