Prep BEFORE a power outage....

[beenthru6]

After being without power after dark and not being prepared for light except for candles, I have purchased several oil lamps with extra wicks and extra oil. I also found that the large plastic container bins with the lids make great water storage containers if you have someplace to keep them. You probably wouldn't want to drink the water out of these, but washing dishes and flushing toilets with this water works fine.
I also make sure if there is a tropical system heading this way, that I do up all the dirty laundry, and fill up every inch of both freezers with bottles of water to freeze to help keep things colder longer. We also make sure our gas grill has a full tank of fuel.

[drudd1]

The last thing that folks think about is filling up the boat with gas if you have one. That gives you a nice backup without pulling from your vehicles if getting fuel is a problem. And based on experience, it will be.

I also wanted to touch again on what nativeflacracker said about portable vs window ac units. The design between the two is totally different, and a window unit is the way you want to go. Pick it up early, make any frames, etc. you need to seal it and mount it securely in the window, and it will be ready when the time comes.