Some comments on this thread:
On the subject of non electric refrigeration- refrigerators come in two types: electric powered compressor systems, and heat operated evaporative systems. The heat can come from propane, kerosene, or electricity (a heating element). The evaporative type was popular way back there (1930s or so) but then Frigidaire, a division of General Motors, set up an assembly line for production that was similar to those for making cars. This brought the unit cost down for the electric powered compressor refrigerator. Money talks, and the cheaper compressor type of refrigerator won out. Kind of like the VHS and Beta video formats, or PC and Mac.
http://www.lehmans.com/http://www.howstuffworks.com/refrigerator.htmTo cool a bottle of wine, etc- wrap loosely in cheesecloth, douse with cool water, place outside in the shade where it will get a breeze, and add more water from time to time. Won't be cold, but is cheaper than spending $1500 on a non electric refrigerator :-)
Alternate method- place in clay pot filled with either salt water (brine) or a solution of potassium nitrate in water. Rotate bottle from time to time.
If you have ice and want to cool something in a hurry, fill a water can with ice, water, and the beverage to be cooled. Screw on the lid, place on side, and roll back and forth. Works sort of like making homemade ice cream. I haven't tried this myself, so don't know how effective it is.
Freezers- keep the freezer completely full. Fill up the empty space in the freezer with gallon jugs of drinking water. These are 69 cents or so at the grocery. They will freeze solid, and help keep the contents cold when the power goes off. After they thaw completely, use for drinking water. Don't use empty milk jugs- buy drinking water in plastic gallon jugs. Some people say to pour out some of the water to allow for expansion. I've found that the gallon jugs just bulge out when frozen. Sure, one or two might split, but so what.
During normal times the jugs will help conserve electricity by displacing air in the freezer that must be re-chilled each time you open the freezer. Also, a chest type freezer will keep cold better than an upright as the air doesn't spill out each time you open it.
Basement sump- I don't have a basement, but if I did I would consider a hand pump as a backup. Would a 12 volt bilge pump have enough force to move the water up from the basement? One of these on a heavy duty deep draw battery connected to a solar charger might be an option.
Lighting- One option is a car battery, a small desk lamp, and a screw in 12 volt LED light bulb. These draw very little current.
Aladdin lamps are great. The link, for anyone who is not familiar with these:
http://www.aladdinlamps.com/store/dynamicIndex.aspHeadlights- the kind that go on your head. I love headlights. I have a Petzl Tikka and it's so handy. I also have a few others. You can pick these up cheap on ebay.
Generators- how about building a small, heavily insulated, locking shed for the generator. This would protect it from theft and reduce the noise. Ventilating the shed to keep the generator from overheating might be a problem. I've also wondered about attaching an inexpensive car muffler to cut down on the noise. Somewhere I heard about attaching a garden hose to the exhaust, then stretching the hose out and away from the generator. This was to reduce the noise while camping. I don't know if this is effective or not.
I've read that quite a few generators are stolen during power outages. How about welding a ring to the frame, then chaining the generator to a tree?
Deaths from Isabel- I did some looking online and found that deaths occurred from the following causes:
drowning- vehicles swept away while attempting to cross fast water
drowning- overturned canoe
drowning- horse drawn buggy swept away while crossing fast water over road
falling down stairs in unlighted home
heart attacks- cleaning up storm debris, etc
struck by falling trees during storm (several)
tree fell on mobile home and killed person inside
struck by falling limb while cutting up tree after the storm
carbon monoxide poisoning from generators indoors, in basement (3)
motor vehicle accidents- lost control on wet pavement; struck downed tree in roadway
two power company employees electrocuted in two separate incidents, while clearing limbs from power lines
car struck by falling utility pole
vehicle blown off roadway by winds and driver killed
http://www.vdem.state.va.us/newsroom/isabel03/deaths.htmRe: heating water for making coffee, etc. - consider a single burner backpacking type stove. I have a collection of backpacking stoves, from my quest to find the "perfect" stove. Propane, butane, and alcohol are the safest indoors.
Esbit fuel is less toxic than Trioxane, for sure, but I"m not sure I'd call it non-toxic. I suspect that Esbit fuel produces carbon monoxide but don't know this for a fact. Don't misunderstand, I really like Esbit (except for the price) and it's very compact and convenient. Just be careful with proper ventilation with any stove.
For ease and convenience, the type of stove in the link below is hard to beat. These are sold at restaurant supply type stores and are used in restaurants at buffet tables, etc. You can see them on cooking programs on tv, too. There are several different brands, but they are all essentially the same design:
http://frontiersurvival.com/butstovwcanc.htmlI also like the alcohol fueled Trangia stove, but the civilian models are expensive. Buy a Swedish Army surplus cook kit instead. I bought 3 sets from a surplus store for five bucks apiece. The cook kit:
http://www.marspec.net/430312.htmlhttp://www.wj-enterprises.com/camstovkital.htmlA warning- the stove is brass and filled with burning alcohol. As a result it gets HOT. Don't try to move it while it is burning. One of the newsgroups told about a man who picked up a burning stove and spilled burning alcohol everywhere.
I burn HEET gasoline antifreeze for fuel. Be sure to get the one in the yellow bottle. It's the cheapest form of alcohol I've found. Make sure you do not use anything with hydrocarbons (petroleum products) in it:
http://www.goldeagle.com/heet/Re: treating tap water to make it safe - forget boiling, just get a backpacking type water filter, or a Brita (or other brand) home system. Better yet, use your bottled water for drinking.
Some of this stuff is elementary, and I'm not trying to insult anyone's intelligence. I just thought that someone might pick up something they've missed. Thank you for the all the posts on your first hand experiences.