Now I'm getting more nervous than excited.

Jon we will be thinking about ya'll please pick one person to send a text to so they can at least post here and let us know you are okay...We know it will not be pleasant afterwards if ya'll are without power but those things can be over come....Stay safe prayers being sent.....

Thank you Kristi. I've been talking with Cutiepie today and yesterday.

Great then she can keep us up todate...Make sure your phone is fully charged and use only when needed in order to have it when you really need it....

I sure hope all the affected are ok.

So far so good......but the winds are picking up, the rain is increasing, and we have had a few power flickers.

We are having a lot of rain and it's getting pretty windy out there.

I'm Northwest of Philly. We are having heavy rain and the wind is really picking up here. Unfortunately I am right in the path of the eye of the storm so the next 24 hours should be a wild ride. I am ready for anything but just praying that we don't lose power. Stay safe and when the winds get really bad stay away from windows. Powerful winds or flying debris can break windows. Good luck Jon and welcome to life on the East Coast!

Cutiepie lost her power about 40 minutes ago.....

I think its better to take precautions rather than just hoping for the best. I hope its not as bad as predicted.

It's back on now! For how long I don't know!

Well hope you all stay safe and be carefully as some said when the wind picks up stay away from all windows ....

I have posted this before but I will again.....


BEFORE A DISASTER DEVELOPE A DISASTER PLAN!

And take a Emergency survial First Aid course.

Get someone out of area as trusted Point of Contact that will accept a collect call or call from and Emergency Responder. Give them essential medical information, a certified copy of birth certificates, If you really trust them a ATM card for a small savings account. Once you get it you can usually have funds transferred to the account than you can opening a new account without local addresses and employment.

If you are a "Family of One" appoint a Emergency Power of Attorney even if it is a minister, Red Cross superviser, extended family member, or attorney. It is a simple form that limits what they can do to very specific things you can pick. EVERY STATE has these forms available on line.

Know where your disaster relief marshalling areas are before a disaster occurs. Most often these are designated locations in every zipcode. Firestations, community centers, hospitals, should be mapquested and posted on cabinet doors so everyone knows how to walk to help.

Teach your children and spouses where you will go in a situation where you will be forced to leave your home or school or employment. Then contact someone they know at your out of area home of records and tell them when you are safely there. Sometimes it is much easier to contact people out of area than in. It reduces panic and wasted energy.

Make sure you have a certified (seal embossed) copy of EVERYONE's Birth Certificate and photo state ID and or Driver's license put on their body in a waterproof ziplock. You will need that to get into shelters if it comes to that. Parents have to accept as best they may try they can sometimes be seperated from their children in emergency situtuations. This is particularly common when the child is over age 12 and not same sex.

Write your child or dependent adults name or social security number on their clothes, or better yet, arm or back, in indelible marker since in family seperations they are often too traumatized to tell people who they are. Medical personel can then identify who they are and access critical medical information and begin searches for family rather than have them suffering as John or Jane Doe's in state institutions. Or worse if they are teens and become combative Jail. Or God forbid die and end up in a temporary morgue.

ALSO take a utility bill with your name and address to prove your address is in a covered disaster zone.

Falling trees and downed power lines are the leading causes of death in most disaster areas. Resist the temptation to go outside and look around after a storm passes.

Never try to drive accross water covered roads. While it is great to see the the heroic reescue the fatalities rarely make it to the news footage because of death notifications of next of kin.

Be VERY CAREFUL about carbon monoxide poisoneing if you use any kind of heat source in and enclosed area. Even with a garage door open it can hang under the eves and take you down. If you are lucky and survive you can still have long term brain damage before you even realize you are being poisoned.

Setting up a pup tent or drapeing a table with a tablecloth or tarp within a home is a good way to conserve body heat but can create a coffin if you try to burn a candle or other heat source near by.

If you do not have a weapon you can use a fire extinguisher or bug spray to ward off intruders.

Do NOT open doors to strangers unless you see FIRST RESPONDER identifications. Scavengers, and worse, often masquerade immediately after disasters. In major disasters prisoners are released rather than be left to die incarcerated.

If you must leave your residence after a disaster write your destination on your front door so emergency personel do not keep looking for "missing bodies".

If you Must leave pets behind identify that information on your front door or someplace high that can be seen. Rescuers will not be forced to shoot your pets and often leave food when they will not allow you in the area to leave more provisions.

Keep your head covered and dry as you loose 80% of your body heat through your head.

If water is deep enough to cover your feet it is too deep to walk in safely because it is hard to estimate current in even slightly deeper water. Running water in a flood plane is cold enough to cause frost bite in less than 100 yards.

Buying water in liter or gallon bottles with handles makes it easier to carry if you have to walk to a watersource for refills during an extended power outage.

Cutting notches in a foot long section of a broom stick makes it easier to carry heavy bags.

A rolling trashcan can be a good substitute shopping cart if you need to go for supplies.

As you empty water or milk bottles you can fill them with urine reduceing fluid waste. Kitty litter in the bottom of a "Home Depot" bucket lined with a trash liner makes an outdoor porto potty under a chair. If you have drained one toilet in the home you can simpley tape the bag over the toilet rim.

Stock up on aluminum foil. It is easy to cook individual portions of food with less fuel in small pouches.

Trash bags can make ponchos. And conserve body heat. Smaller trashbags can be layered under jackets.

Many newer models of emergency radios, the kind you can hand crank for power, also charge cell phones. If you have a cell phone conserve your charge and resist trying to be a news reporter. Yea you might sell a picture but the likely hood is you will have someone take your phone so mute the ringer and keep it out of sight.

Useful tools for emergencys stored in a covered 5 gallon bucket are flash lights, D-Cell batteries, rechargeable radio, visegrips, sturdy multi purpose pocket knife, a small army type pick shovel, 50' sturdy nylon rope, small grommeted tarps, matches in a waterproof container, 25 ct.trash bags, hand can opener, small folding saw, indellible markers, duct tape, work gloves, insulated screwdrivers, hammer, first aid manual and kit. A few pencils and a small spiral of paper in a water proof bag, If you have a computer a flash drive of your memory which hopefully includes your documents, treasured photos, and essential medical records. If you regularly need refrigerated medication a small insulated termos.A small camping mess kit.

A popcorn can of charcoal per family member is extreamly useful.