FEMA says no more ICE or GENERATORS

[DanKellFla]

If you buy a generator, you should also buy a battery powered Cabon Monoxide detector. It is a no brainer. But, so is not running a generator indoors.
Personally, a generator that sits in my garage and is never needed is great. It is better than no generator when I wish I had one. If all I get from my $550 investment is peace of mine, it is money well spent for me. But, that is how I feel. Others may feel diferently, and that is fine with me.

[andrewsmith1]

:uarrow: You can purchase and store gasoline. I do it every hurricane season now. (Since Katrina) The trick is to use Stabil.....it is a fuel stabilizer. I use 5 gallon plastic jugs and add the Stabil, then store them at our shop in our metal cabinets that are used to hold all petroleum products. When the threat of hurricane season passes we use the fuel in work trucks.

I usually bave about 30 gallons of gas in storage during the hurricane season. When my cars need gas I fill them from the gas cans so the gas is always fresh.

When I run my generator it is far enough from the house that the exhaust does not make it in the house. I have a carbon monoxide detector in the house just to make sure we are safe.

[Dionne]

We also have a carbon monoxide detector. Every home with central heat/air should have one. Our generator, a Troybilt, comes with a heavy gauge extention cord that has multiple outlets. Generators should not be run indoors under any circumstances.

I like the idea of battery operated fans. I didn't even know they existed. This item is a must have on my shopping list. Maybe someone at Dewalt will design one with rechargeable batteries.

[olddude]

One of the best prep purchases I've made is the Endless Breeze 12 volt box fan. This fan is about 12' dia. and it puts out some air. Can be run off a car battery or a small rechargeable jump start system.
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-converters/12-volt-fans.htm

[dannyg]

This is my first post to this site. I've read with interest what many of you have said about ice and generators. We were directly hit by the eye of Rita in Orange, TX and it was well into the 90's in the days after the storm. We didn't wait for the government to begin the clean up cutting trees ourselves (I had nine pines down in my yard, 5 of them on my house). The daily ice rations from FEMA were at times a life saver. It helped keep water cool and trust me, it didn't last long. I was glad to line up each day for a 3 lb. bag of ice. As far as generators, FEMA only reimbursed up to a certain amount for a generator which was important since a few days after the storm flat bed trucks began showing up in town with generators for sale at an outrageous price. Should FEMA reimburse for generators? I don't know but after being without power for two and a half weeks, it was more than a luxury. Also, that generator came in handy we we lost power after the surprising Humberto last September. Just some thoughts from a Rita survivor.

[jlauderdal]

If a hurricane hits in the dog days of summer, generators should be provided to the elderly and kids.

Ice is needed a lot because if you have foods like meat in your refrigerator, you don't want it to rot before you can use it. The US has enough money to provide for all of these.

People should also learn to prepare better and not wait for the government to provide everything.

Kids and elderly belong with their families or in a shelter, not trying to start generators and attempting to get fuel and fill up the tanks. The government can deal with providing shelters, they shouldn't being in the generator distribution business.

[GeneratorPower]

I have no intention of using a generator, government supplied or not, due to safety and practicality concerns. A family died after Rita from carbon monoxide poisoning I belive in or near Beaumont, Tx from a generator. You, of course have to leave your windows open, unless you're rich and can afford a setup which supplies your whole house, AC and all. I'm pretty sure I can get along without AC as i did all the time I was growing up in Texas. Back then in the 50's and 60's, even the schools didn't have air conditioning. There's also a good chance that you would buy a generator and then never use it. I have lived in a house 15 miles from the GOM for over 30 years and have never had the power out for more than a few hours. I would like to be able to have access to ice though, and wouldn't mind paying for it if the price isn't too exhorbitant. I intend to use battery operated fans to be able to cool off, not the little small personal type but the "O2 Cool" brand with 10-inch blade that you can get in places like Walmart and Lowe's (It puts out more air than you would expect). I keep a large supply of d-cells on hand (It takes 8 per fan and they last for about 72 hours of run time.

Why is it that after years and years of people killing themselves running generators indoors, that people still think it's o.k. to do it "as long as the windows are open." That's true insanity. Enjoy your D batteries.

[ocala]

Gas supply shouldn't be a problem in Florida if we get hit. After 2004 the state mandated that all chain store gasoline outlets must have generator power in case of a power outage.

[rodpumas]

I know of people receiving money for a generator from FEMA who could well afford to pay for it themselves.

I believe that they should be made to turn the generators back in to the Government so that they could be reissued to someone else that needs one in the next emergency. If they don't want to turn in their "freebie generator" make them pay back the Government the price FEMA paid them.

This is a ripoff of taxpayers money!

[jlauderdal]

Gas supply shouldn't be a problem in Florida if we get hit. After 2004 the state mandated that all chain store gasoline outlets must have generator power in case of a power outage.

my advice is stock up on fuel my friend, and for thos that cant afford to do it all at once with these gas prices than you do it a little at a time, im not a big fan of stockpiling gas but those that have a budget should start thinking about it.

[yzerfan]

The other problem with gas in Florida after a hurricane is that the state gets 99% of its fuel shipped into the state by boat or barge, and if the Intracoastal is closed to shipping for a couple of days, then there's not much a powered-up gas station can do until shipping is resumed.

[njoynit]

I would want the ice.I filled my deep freeze with gallon jugs half filled so had about 3 layers of frozen ice water.but once freezer food dwindled had room for ice bags haveing the freezer filled with the ice bags made it run less so saved a lil on the generator.I was without power for 2 weeks.lucky I've camped alot anyway.Had a gas stove.

Don't think generators should be just given away.They should be purchased...or bargined for.I traded my old computer for generator just after allison.It came in handy when we moved as power company could not find us so I actually waited 9 days for power.since Rita we've fixed the electric start.

[alicia83]

Here's my opinion for what it's worth. No ice, no generators, I wouldn't be so sure those faucets have been completely turned off just yet despite what Fema's said. This is an election year, and the republican convention will be going on all next week while the US t takes, possibly, a one-two punch from tropical systems. The republican national party will make sure The White House gets it right this time, and make sure Fema gets it right this time. The republicans can't afford for Fema to give a worse than poor showing again. Otherwise it will just be fuel for the democrats from now 'til Nov. Again, this is just my opinion, but I'm going to watch closely to see the response at state and national levels.

[LSU2001]

I have to disagree with most of ya'll on the generator policy. I have three generators and stored plenty of gas for Gustav but after the storm one of my gennys crapped out so I was down to 2. My dad's blew a capacitor so it was down. I left one of mine with him so I was down to one. It worked fine but I went and bought a new one (thank God for connections with a building supply co.)


The reason for all the gennys is that my wife has severe asthma and in the heat and humidity post storm she would have probably been in the hospital or worse. My mother has COPD and is still recovering from a severe bout of Staphylococcus Pneumonia (3 weeks in intensive care on a ventilator) so she must be very careful about her health and keep cool as possible. I have sleep apnea which in the grand scheme of things is fairly minor but it can be life threatening, I must sleep with a cpap machine each night because I stop breathing in my sleep.

My point is that many people do not have the resources to purchase a genny just in case. Medical problems do cause people to NEED generators not just as a luxury item. It is easy for able bodied people to say that gennys are unnecessary and that the govt should not buy them, it is another matter to need one and not be able to get one esp. if your life could depend on it.
JMHO,
Tim

[Shoshana]

Looks like ice is still being given out post Ike.