I had a random thought the other day after reading two articles that were day-and-night apart from each other. I read about the problems caused by a massive east coast storm. I recalled the destruction and loss of life and property caused by hurricanes and tsunamis. I also read with sadness that our first nuclear aircraft carrier, Enterprise, was on its final voyage to the scrapyard. What could these items possibly have in common?

I thought about the various natural disasters that affected the east coast, Haiti, Japan, the Gulf coast and islands, etc. Disasters of this type occur regularly (unfortuneately). I thought about how we have massive airlifts and how it is always a logical nightmare to get to these places due to damaged ground conditions. I heard a radio interview with a relief worker in Haiti after a massive hurricane and he stated that chainsaws were sorely needed in the relief effort. While the world sent clothes and food what was sorely needed were people with chainsaws to clear roads so that supplies could be moved.

I had a thought but I have no idea if it would feasible or practical. What if the Enterprise, or a similar aircraft carrier, was converted from a military vessel to a disaster and relief vessel. It has nearly unlimited power, massive cooking facilities, lots of room, complete infrastructure, it is mobile, and it was designed to handle almost any weather condition. Could such a ship be re-configured as a floating rescue and emergency base? The ship could be equipped with evacuation aircraft, heavy lift helicopters, heavy equipment (bulldozers, loaders, graders, etc.), temporary living facilities, triage/medical areas, operating rooms, etc. It is already a portable airport where planes and helicopters could land even if ground landstrips are gone.

Airlift planes and helicopters could transport casualties and the massive elevators could transport equipment and victims to the hanger deck for treatment. The flight deck would be relatively stable since the ship would normally be stationary when deployed. When a disaster hits it could be a temporary shelter, floating hospital, and command center for heavy operations such as clearing and road building.

Think of the benefit that this could have in the event of a disaster. Staffing the ship could provide training for military, cadets, and relief personnel. It would be expensive but it would also save the cost of doing much of the current airlifts (which are VERY expensive). It already has a full shop for equipment and aircraft maintenance so it would be completely self-contained. Again, I have no idea if this would be feasible but it would be very cool.

This article applies to a “normal” large storm. That is, a nasty storm but not a potentially devastating storm such as a hurricane. You hear that a major storm is on the way. It will bring heavy winds and rain and may last a few days. You expect trees and branches to fall, roads my be blocked, and power lines could be affected. You will probably get power outages. How do you prepare?

You could lose power which means losing the ability to heat your house and cook. If you have gas then you may have heat or limited heat and you may not be able to cook. If you in an all electric house (like me) then you will have NO heat and NO stove. Here is a list of simple things that you can do to prepare for a storm.

• Charge Devices: Charge your portable devices such as mobile phones, tablet, spare rechargeable batteries, etc. If you have power NOW then charge these devices NOW.
• Clean: You have power NOW and you may need things like clean clothes and dishes when there is no power. If you have a pile of laundry and a sink of dirty dishes then clean them NOW. If you lose power you may not have hot water and you may need these. Cleaning takes very little time so do it NOW!
• Vehicle: Fill your vehicle with fuel. Large scale power outages can affect gas stations. While doing other chores be sure to fill your tank as a precaution.
• Warmth: Be sure that you can stay warm if your home heating system is off. Do you have warm clothes, blankets, and/or sleeping bags? If the temperature in your house were the same as the outside temperature could you stay warm? Be prepared to stay warm.
• Illumination: Do you have ways to generate light for several days? You can use battery powered lanterns and candles. Do you have enough spare batteries and ways to light candles? Before a major storm these items fly off store shelves. Make sure that these items are easily accessible. I worked in a retail store when we were threatened with a storm. We sold ALL of our lanterns and we had a very large lantern section. Do not wait until threatened with a storm to purchase illumination devices.
• Flashlight: Have a few good, bright, water-tight flashlights. You may have to examine your yard or home exterior at night. Test the flashlights and have plenty of spare batteries.
• Food: Be sure to have some emergency food ready. This can include ready-to-eat food (jerky, nuts, bars, fruit, etc.), canned food, camp food, etc. If the food requires cooking do you have a working stove and ample fuel? Test your stove before the storm strikes.
• Water: Have some emergency water ready. You should have at least one gallon of water per person per day. FEMA recommends having a three day supply of water per person.
• Secure: Secure any outside items that could blow in the wind or cause damage.
• Batteries: Before a storm was due I went to different stores as research. At our local outdoors store and the dollar store all D-cell batteries were gone. At a local supermarket they only had a few packages of D batteries left. The small 9v batteries, AA, and AAA batteries were in stock in all three places. If you have larger lanterns or other devices that use D-cells then be sure to have a supply of fully charged batteries.

Be prepared before the storm hits. Remember that coming storms can cause stores to sell-out of emergency items quickly. The first things to go are generators, battery powered lanterns, candles, and flashlights. You should have the basics in your emergency kit but, if not, them act quickly to get the supplies that you need. These items tend to disappear from store shelves very quickly in advance of a storm.

During the Storm

The storm hits and you are in the middle of it. What do you do? Here are some suggestions:

• Unplug devices that are sensitive such as computers, audio/visual equipment, etc. You could get voltage spikes in the power lines so unplug them to protect them. Large voltage spikes can pass through some of the less capable surge protectors so do NOT trust surge protectors in these situations.
• Stay indoors as much as possible. There may be bad road conditions, falling branches, and other dangers. In one windstorm I was driving down our major freeway and there were no trees close to the road. Without warning I heard what sounded like a large rock being dropped on my roof. It was a branch from a far away tree that hit my back windshield. The windshield was gone – not cracked or damaged but simply gone. The branch must have come from a tree hundreds of feet away.
• Do not use your mobile phone unless you have to. Preserve the battery power in your phone and keep the airways clear. There may be emergencies going on so save the airwaves for those emergency calls. If you have an emergency then, by all means, use your phone.
• If you have venture outside then choose roads that are less prone to falling debris.
• Heed the words of emergency and law enforcement personnel. If they tell you that a road is closed or dangerous then heed their warning. Nature does not discriminate and will kill or injure people equally and without prejudice.
• If the power is out avoid opening the refrigerator and freezer. The cold air trapped inside can preserve your food and opening the door allows some of that cold air to escape.

Choose the side of safety and error on the side of caution. Above all, stay safe.

When dealing with flashlights and lanterns you will see ratings for lumens and candelas. These are measurements of the light output of the device.

• Lumens measure total light output. This can seem a bit deceiving at first. For example, two flashlights may have the same lumen output but one will throw a beam four times farther than the other. In this case both lights output the same amount of light but one has a wider beam pattern that extends for a much shorter distance. When considering the lumen output you must also consider the spread of the beam. Do you need a light that covers a wider area or do you need the light to extend for a greater distance in a more narrow beam pattern? Do NOT judge a light by lumen output only but also consider the beam pattern and candela rating.
• Candelas measure the light intensity at the “hotspot” or brightest area of the light. Some lights have a very bright hotspot and others will have a more even light pattern. If you want to illuminate a general area you may want lower candela power. Higher candela power means the center of the beam is more intense and the light will illuminate a greater distance.

The beam pattern defines the shape of the light beam from wide (flood pattern) to narrow (spot pattern). Some flashlights have an adjustable beam. With these lights you normally twist a ring on the front lens to adjust the beam from wider to narrower. Some lights illuminate a wide area and others generate a more focused beam.

The light distribution is how the flashlight distributes the beam. Is the light smooth and even or does it have a more intense hotspot or much brighter area within the beam pattern? Again, it is important to access your needs and choose the appropriate flashlight.

Examples

• High Lumens, Low Candelas: This type of light produces a more even beam with less of a hotspot. Choose this type of light if you need to evenly illuminate an area and NOT project the beam for a greater distance.
• High Lumens, High Candelas: This type of light normally has a more intense center hotspot for illuminating a greater distance. The light outside of the center will not be nearly as intense as the center hotspot of the beam.
• Low Lumens, High Candelas: This type of light will normally generate a more focused but long distance beam. A laser would be the ultimate example with very low lumen output but high candela beam intensity. Spotlights are generally 100,000 candelas and higher.

Recommendations

In this case I have no recommendations because you must select the light that generates the type of light that you need for your situation. There is no “best” light just as there is no “best” vehicle. Different lights are designed for different needs and your job is to find the best device that satisfies your particular needs.

Click here for my current list of flashlight reviews.