Tsunami preparedness

[David M]

Remind DW how much you love her - repeat.

David

Ninole Resident

[Adam79]

Living up in Volcano we were fairly safe from all but the most apocalyptic tsunamis so I tried to think about what real problems this could cause us. The most likely thing I could think of was destruction of the ports and having supplies cut off. We have a fairly well-stocked pantry. Not to the level I would really like yet but enough to take at least a month to starve. Water and sewer? We're on septic and catchment so we're good there, right?
So, let's say a power outage happens. Even though its been pretty dry I have about 4000 gallons of water so that's good..... except..... it is in a tank with about 7 foot high walls, and depends on electricity to run the pump and power the UV sterilizing light. Ok so we can disinfect other ways but getting to the water would be tough. Perhaps some sort of manually operated pump/siphon device would be a good idea to have around as well as a generator to plug the existing pump into. So I proceeded to fill up a couple buckets and 5 gallon jugs just in case.
Other electric issues: freezer/fridge. Would need to eat what was in them first before it spoils. Our oven/stove is propane so we could cook on that up until it ran out, and then we have some firewood for the fire pit. We have flashlights, extra batteries, and candles for light. Entertainment: ouch, no tv, xbox, or internet? Yikes. We need to invest in some board games and playing cards at least.

Anyhow, this was a good measuring stick of how prepared we are. To sum it up, we could use a pump alternative, a generator, Monopoly, Scrabble, a topped-off propane tank, and always more food, beer, and toilet paper. Not necessarily in that order

[MarkP]

Cleanliness of water is a big deal. When you transfer water from one container to another you risk contaminating it so filling whatever jugs and barrels you have lying around adds another layer of risk. Better to leave it in the catchment tank and find a better way of powering the pump. The catchment tank and its protective cover should not be messed with lightly. Install a spigot in the outlet piping that will flow by gravity as long as it is lower than the level of water inside the tank. I am not sure what the code says but be aware that code may require a hose bib with a backflow prevention device. These are a spring loaded valve that has to be pushed open by positive water pressure. Generally speaking gravity flow does not provide enough pressure so such a valve won't work when the tank gets low.

If you are planning on using such water only for flushing the toilet then no big deal. For other more critical uses it would pay to figure a way to keep the pump running.

[JerryCarr]

Adam, your suggestions are really good. Just remember that a generator would require reserve fuel. Also, I have seen some water pumps wired directly into the main electrics, without a plug. One of those would require some fairly simple rewiring to be generator compatible. I got a nifty hand operated pump at Home Depot for under $20. Most catchment systems can be rigged for some sort of hand access, and if you have propane and/or firewood, you can boil drinking water.

[Hotzcatz]

Not all propane stoves will run without electricity. Unplug your stove and see if it still works. We are planning on putting a rocket stove in the back yard so we could cook with twigs if there wasn't any propane.

We are on County water but filled up three barrels of water (uphill from our house so they would siphon well) because the County water tank would be empty within two days if the power goes out.

We aren't connected to the grid, so if the power goes out, it's our own fault.

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Kurt Wilson