On Tuesday, July 22nd at around 7 am. gale force winds lashed through the Memphis, TN area. These winds (estimated in the 90mph+ range at times) dropped power lines and trees, lifted roofs, crushed cars, and even temporarily stopped our water pumping stations. When the storm had passed (in a matter of minutes) we were left with 300,000 + power customers out of service. As of this morning (July 28, 2003) 95,000 customers are still out of service. Trees are down everywhere. 1,000 power poles down. 30 to 50% of our traffic lights were knocked out. Many grocery stores and gas stations were closed. THANK YOU NATIONAL NEWS SERVICES FOR YOUR COVERAGE AND SUPPORT (NOT!).
As daytime temperatures climbed into the mid 90s and overnight temperatures in the many power-less homes climbed too, so did frayed nerves. For the most part, local news stories are about people helping people. Some people helping themselves, too (dramatic increase in burglaries). For the most part, people learned how to safely get through large intersections with no signal lights. Some by cooperation, some by idiocy and intimidation. Ice supplies dwindled for a time, and there has been a significant loss of food stored in freezers and refrigerators. But more and more I heard stories of neighbors making "ice runs" to nearby towns and bringing back hundreds of pounds of ice to share.
We're climbing out of this mess now, but I've learned a lot.
My emergency supplies in the future will contain much more water. Didn't need it this time, but lack of water would have turned misery into a serious life threatening crisis around here.
I'll have tarps, duct tape, hammer, and nails very handy. People here are going to wait WEEKS before someone can even get to their roofs for temporary repairs.
I'll keep serious self-extraction equipment in a cache in my yard, not in my house or garage. Chain saw, or at least a large bow saw. Hand powered winches and cables. Crowbars, axe, and shovels.
I'll increase my supply of lantern fuel. I had depended on being able to siphon some out of my truck for use in my multi-fuel Coleman lantern. Siphoning ain't as easy as you'd think with a modern gas tank.
Cooking fuel wasn't a problem. There's plenty of wood everywhere. Local restaurant owners have been great, and I don't think anyone went hungry. But I am not going to count on that in the future. I'll increase my larder of food that doesn't need cooking, from a 3 day to a 7 day supply.
LED flashlights were lifesavers, because of their long battery life.
Going armed became a better-and-better idea after day 3. However, after day 5 I was going to shoot anyone who blew through an intersection without following the rules: perhaps I should have had a bandoleer of valium, too.
I learned that dry ice can cause as much damage as it can save. Hard to scramble 18 ruptured eggs frozen into a block
I learned to ask for help. I don't like doing that. I also learned to offer help: that made me feel much less helpless.