Hurricane Harvey

[greybeard]

On generators..make sure you have a LOT of fuel.
The advertised effeciency of generators is usually give as "runs X number of hours at 50% load". That means, if you are like me and have a 7500watt generator, it will run 12 hrs on a tank of fuel (6 gallons) as long as you keep the load under 3700 watts.
Running watts of common household stuff:
Freezer-500watts
Coffee maker-1000watts
Refrigerator-700watts
Toaster oven-1200 watts
Toaster-800 watts
Microwave oven-1000 watts
computer-800watts
Hairdryer-1000-1250 watts
TV-500 watts
Lights vary..add up the wattage of all the bulbs in lamps you connect to the generator.

Starting wattage tho, can easily be 50% more than running wattage. Fridge with top freezer section that runs at only 500watts can pull as much as 2200 watts every time the compressor cycles to starting. It isn't hard to over load a portable gen set.

 

[Pastor Dave]

Hi Sadie. You have been away awhile. Hope you're good.

 

[Devonviolet]

On generators..make sure you have a LOT of fuel.

Thanks greybeard, I cut and pasted your post into a message for my son. I'm sure there was info there that will help him get ready for the storm.

 

[Baymule]

 

[Bunnylady]

 

[Pastor Dave]

I saw a brief article somewhere that showed ARC throwing away extra food items in TX that evidently hadn't been used or delivered or something. Their paraphrased response was that there would be more to take the place of what's thrown away in FL/GA.

Maybe it was just propaganda by a group that doesn't like the ARC, but it seems like they could have contacted churches and community groups to come get the excess to distribute so it wouldn't go to waste. They just dont seem to appreciate donors. Seem to expect donations.

And FEMA, don't get me started.

 

[Mike CHS]

I had a long rant written about FEMA but deleted it to say that they do some good but they also waste a lot of $ on people that don't need help.

 

[greybeard]

I saw a brief article somewhere that showed ARC throwing away extra food items in TX that evidently hadn't been used or delivered or something. Their paraphrased response was that there would be more to take the place of what's thrown away in FL/GA.

Maybe it was just propaganda by a group that doesn't like the ARC, but it seems like they could have contacted churches and community groups to come get the excess to distribute so it wouldn't go to waste. They just dont seem to appreciate donors. Seem to expect donations.

And FEMA, don't get me started.

Local groups do seem to do a better job of food, clothing, and household distribution. Noticed one of the local Christian resale places had shopping carts by the dozens full of clothes and other non perishables out for free, as well as dozens of pallets of free bottled water.

 

[greybeard]

I'm missing some things and have gained some things...Somewhere, someone's gas range, dryer and water heater isn't working. The morning we left by boat, I saw this propane tank come floating down the roadway and bump against the gate on the far upper left. Sometime later, that tank must have moved to the right along the fence and floated over the fence, and then settled where it is now. The 5 strand barbed wire fence was still intact, all wires still tight, so I know it went over and not thru the fence.

This is a picture I made out of 2 photos I took. Top one is the afternoon before we left and the bottom one is the morning we left. Both were taken with me standing on the back porch.
The water continued to rise after we left. There is a film on the inside of the shop doors 6'-8" higher than the door knob.
Water got high enough, to either float or knock over the bbq pit in the first picture. It was laying down on it's side off to the right of it's position in the top picture.



I'll be taking and posting some pictures later today of the damage to my fences on the East side of the property which is at a lower elevation than my home, as well as some to indicate just how fortunate we were that Someone was looking after an old fool.

 

[Mike CHS]

It's looking like you were extremely lucky to have left when you did.