Lessons Learned From Sandy

Sometimes it takes a person from farther away to see things clearly.

My mother-in-law in Fort Worth, Texas of course follows Patch religiously. She has her share of weather: fires ravaged much of draught-prone Texas recently, there's twisters, even some snow. Probably not too many hurricanes, but you never know these days.

She said she gathered great storm-prep tips from Sandy and our experience (or lack of it) in the Northeast. 

Karen writes: 

Actually, Sandy has provided a pretty good road map for the rest of the country as increasingly frequent natural disasters occur. 

Here's what I've learned:

• Power: Prepare for at least a week of none. Gas-operated generator or alternate lodging.
• Gasoline: Keep your tank full; rely more on public transportation if it's available. Gas rage adds to anxiety.
• Public Shelter: Know where they are and get there BEFORE it's a crisis. It frees up first-responders.  
• Communication: Know your nearest WiFi location. Have a hyper-local media, like Patch.

What have you learned from Hurricane Sandy? What would you do the same again, what would you do differently either before, during or after the storm? What did you learn about yourself and your neighbors? Please share here, so we can all learn too.