The last fourteen months have brought tremendous weather-related turmoil to the residents of Norwalk, and the greater Fairfield County area. First it was Tropical Storm Irene in late August of 2011, followed by a freak Halloween snowstorm two months later. And the latest storm Hurricane Sandy was worse than the prior two stormed combined because of the tremendous flooding, in addition to all of the power outages. Oftentimes, disasters such as these can provide valuable learning opportunities. Here are some realities that have been experienced since Irene, as well as some ideas for how to minimize the potential effect of future disasters:

Be Prepared: The most important thing you can do to minimize the effects of any disaster is to be prepared. This includes having a written disaster preparedness list, as well as all of the supplies you might need to endure an interruption of everyday comforts for an extended period of time. Clichés become the rule of thumb: "Expect the unexpected, plan for the worst and hope for the best", etc. Be sure to get whatever you're going to need in advance because stores may be closed for an extended period. I have relatives who live on Long Island who drove up to Norwalk in the days after Hurricane Sandy because they couldn't find gasoline, food, and other necessities where they live. Don't forget about medications that might need to be refilled. The amount of provisions you will need depends on how long you expect to be unable to replenish your stock, which is a function of your ability to reach a store, and the likelihood that the store will be open. Make sure you have everything done that requires electricity, like doing laundry, running the dishwasher, and taking a hot shower. Any battery-powered electronic devices (ex: smart phones, laptops, and tablets) should remain on their respective chargers so they maintain peak energy levels before the power goes out. Think ahead, as far as what you might need, and do everything you can while you still have power.

Evacuate: If you live at a low elevation, or anywhere near a body of water that has the potential to flood, get out while you still can. Just because it never flooded before doesn't mean it never will. Even if you're not in a designated floodplain zone, or if it hasn't flooded in generations, consider leaving. If the authorities recommend that you evacuate (regardless of whether such order is mandatory or voluntary), be sure to heed their advice. This particularly applies to the elderly, who may not be able to flee in an emergency situation. Throughout the Tri-State area, lives were unfortunately lost because people did not exercise sound judgment in this regard. It's a hassle to evacuate, and the impact usually isn't as bad as the media anticipates it's going to be. Predicting the weather isn't an exact science, and the weather professionals tend to err on the side of being more conservative. Also, the actual impact can vary greatly within a relatively small geographic area, so you never know exactly what you're going to get. If the storm turns out to be as bad, or worse, than what was predicted, the consequences can be deadly. Ignoring an evacuation order is a gamble that simply isn't worth the risk. Move as many things as you can to the higher levels of your house. Take from your house whatever can't be replaced, or that you can't afford to lose (for example, people, pictures, important papers, computer files, pets, etc.), and leave the rest behind. Similar to having a disaster-preparedness checklist, an evacuation plan should be developed in advance, that can be implemented on a moment's notice.

Insurance: Most, if not all, of homeowner's and renter's insurance policies do not cover losses sustained from the effects of tidal flooding. You need to obtain separate flood insurance, which isn't cheap, but it can be invaluable if you ever you need it. If your mortgage lender doesn't require you to have flood insurance, the question is, do you still need it? If the evacuation conditions in the preceding paragraph potentially apply to you, then you need flood insurance. Now would probably be a good time to review what your insurance policy covers. And more importantly, what it doesn't cover. Consider filling any gaps in coverage before the next disaster strikes.

Falling Trees Can Easily Slice Through Just About Anything: The winds from Hurricane Sandy were tremendous! Many trees were completely toppled, and the number of broken branches was immeasurable. Whether it's an entire tree or a large branch, trees can do amazing damage, not only to houses, but also to vehicles. For that reason, you need to take particular care if you have large trees around your house. For instance, move non-garaged cars to a safe location. Large parking lots, municipal garages, or anywhere at a high-enough elevation that is free from the threat of falling trees will suffice. During the period of peak wind speeds, relocate members of your household to the lowest possible level, preferably below-grade, assuming there is no risk of flooding (as previously mentioned, if there is a risk of flooding, you shouldn't even be there). Remain in that area of the house until the winds subside. Plan in advance so you can move mattresses downstairs for the night, if need be. If you plan on using an air mattress, like the Aerobed®, be sure to inflate it in advance because most units have a built-in electric inflation pump. Also, vehicles do not provide adequate protection during a storm, so avoid driving anywhere, unless it's absolutely essential.

Trees and Overhead Power Lines are a Bad Combination: It's inevitable that whenever you have trees situated in immediate proximity to overhead wires, a branch, or even the entire tree, is eventually going to take down the wires. The utilities have been pruning branches for the last year or so, but unless they take down every tree that is within reach of the lines, this problem will never be completely mitigated. In other words, power interruptions are something we're all going to have to figure out a way to live with.

Not All Electric Companies are the Same: Norwalk is served by three different electric companies. Customers of SNEW and Third Taxing District always seem to get their power restored much sooner than customers of CL&P. The merits of dumping CL&P in favor of either of these other companies exceeds the scope of this article, but suffice it to say that if you're a customer of CL&P, power restoration is going to take much longer. In business, the argument is usually that 'bigger is better'. Except, that is, when it comes to power companies.

"What's Taking So Long?": Information is scarce during a blackout, particularly as it relates to specifics of power restoration. Information is even scarcer because of the fact that you don't have power, so you can't watch television or access the Internet (although, newspapers and radio can provide some helpful information). Calling the utilities - other than to report your outage, which you should do - is likely to be an exercise in frustration because they won't tell you when your power is going to be restored. I'm sure it's because they don't know. At least not definitively. But you would think from the experiences they have gained in the recent past that the utility companies could at least provide a reasonable estimate, give or take 24 hours. And it would be helpful to know when MY power is expected to be restored, not when hundreds of thousands of customers all over the state should have their power restored. At the risk of sounding selfish, I only care about when I'm getting my power back. And I'm sure everyone else feels the same way.

Let's Try To Be Reasonable: It's easy to criticize the utilities when their inability to restore service in a timely manner creates a hardship for people, but the recent storms have been unprecedented in both their frequency and impact. It would be unrealistic to expect the utilities to maintain a staff and equipment large enough to address what many of the weather experts have labeled 'once in a lifetime' events. It simply wouldn't be cost-effective to do so. Ultimately, the extra resources would have to be paid for via higher electric rates, which would draw criticism (and rightfully so) of inefficiency and waste because they would hardly ever get used. The only feasible solution is to bring crews in from other states and countries (we had a crew from Quebec in our neighborhood) on an as-needed basis. The same cost-effectiveness conundrum applies to the suggestion oftentimes made in the aftermath of major storms, which is to move all of the utility lines underground. Somebody obviously has to pay for all of that, which isn't cheap, and that 'somebody' means you, me, and everyone else. If a proposal was made six months from now (i.e. after the latest misery had faded from our memories) to fund the relocation of all wires underground, I'm certain nearly everyone would overwhelmingly reject it. The cost-benefit argument simply isn't strong enough.

The Law of Restoration: Power restoration (and the same applies to other utilities) is always going to be a function of priority and population density. For instance, the areas where critical infrastructure exists, such as emergency services, will always receive priority consideration. For everyone else, the deployment of resources will depend on the percentage of households that can be restored in the shortest period of time. For example, if your neighborhood didn't lose power, but the line going to your house was taken down by a tree, you should expect to be one of the last people to get your service back. And the reason is simple; the utilities don't have the resources to take care of everyone simultaneously, so they have to prioritize. Oftentimes, the process of assessing the situation and prioritizing the order of restoration takes time, which is why it appears that nothing is happening in the hours (and sometimes days) immediately following a storm. Also, some fixes are relatively easy, whereby they don't require much in the way of time and manpower resources, while others are more extensive. This also has to be factored into the prioritization decision.

The order of restoration is also relative to competition, meaning it's a function of how many other people are without power, and how your level of density compares to theirs. Basically, if you live in an area that has a higher density than other people who have lost service, you're most likely going to be back on-line sooner. There is an easy test you can apply to give yourself a rough idea of how long it will take to restore your power. If you look outside your window and see mostly trees and leaves, it's probably safe to assume that you're not going to get your power back anytime soon. Conversely, if you're surrounded by other houses, chances are you're going to be deemed a higher priority and will get back online much sooner. Like it or not, this is how it is, so plan accordingly.

Get a Generator: In some cases, people were without power for over a week at a time with all three of the recent storms. If this proved to be your reality, and if this is too extreme of a hardship for you and your household to endure, then you might want to consider getting a generator. If you have neighbors in close proximity, consider sharing a generator, or at least allowing them to absorb any excess capacity that your generator might produce (hey, we're all in this together!). Familiarize yourself with the power capacity of the generator, and be sure that you don't exceed the limit by overloading it with too many devices. Appliances like refrigerators use more power when they first turn on, so when connecting devices to the generator, don't plug everything in at the same time.

Gasoline is Liquid Gold: Most generators run on gasoline. Be sure you have enough fresh gas in advance of the storm. As people in New Jersey and Long Island recently discovered, getting gas after a storm can be very difficult. It's not that the gas stations didn't have any gas. They just couldn't pump it because they too had no power. The number of gas cans you will need is a function of the size of your generator, and how long you expect to be without power. If you run out of gas for the generator and can't find an open gas station, the car in your driveway can serve as an alternative resource. Most vehicles have a gas tank that can hold at least 16 gallons of fuel. You'll need a siphon hose to get the gas out of the tank, which you should buy in advance of the storm. Be sure to fill the tank of your car before the storm so you'll have the maximum emergency reserve.

Vent That Generator: Running a gasoline generator emits deadly carbon monoxide gas, so be sure the generator exhaust is properly vented. Never run the generator inside your house or the garage, even if the door is open.

Stop, Thief!: There were news stories of generator thefts in certain areas. The hum of a generator is an easy lure for any would-be thieves, so be sure to secure your generator under lock and key. If conditions remain deteriorated for an extended period of time, a locking gas cap for your car may also become a necessity.

Don't Put That Generator Away Yet: One final thing to remember about generators is that you can't leave gasoline in the tank for an extended period of time. What happens is that the gasoline leaves behind a film that over time can cause the carburetor to become clogged. After you're done using the generator, drain whatever gas is left in the tank and allow the engine to run until the tank is completely dry. This will ensure that no gasoline remains in the carburetor. Alternatively, you can add stabilizer to the fuel. Either way, the next time you need to use the generator, it should fire right up. But just in case it doesn't, be sure to test your generator well enough in advance of the next storm so you can get it repaired, if needed. A dead generator is a useless generator.

Gas vs. Electric: When it comes to a blackout, gas appliances are better than electric, so keep this in mind when it comes time to replace your appliances. Unless you have a large capacity generator, you're not going to be able to run things like your furnace, hot water heater, and stove. As it pertains to the stove, many gas stoves today have an electronic pilot, but you can still light the stove with a match, much like you would do with a propane barbeque tank.

The Outdoor Kitchen: Speaking of the barbeque grill, this is how most people cook during a blackout, so be sure your propane tank is filled. You should already have more than one propane tank because when the gas runs out, it always seems to happen in the middle of when you're cooking something. For that reason, two tanks are better than one. Make sure both tanks are filled because much like the pumps at gas stations, the propane pump needs electricity to run. You can cook just about anything on a gas grill. A charcoal grill works just as well, but it's not as easy or efficient to use. Assuming you don't run out of food, hunger should be the least of your concerns during an extended blackout.

Children: Blackouts can be scary for young children. They tend to form their sentiments from observing the words and actions of their parents and elders, so be mindful of your behavior in the presence of children and be sure to lead by example. Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of a blackout is the complete darkness at night. A great solution for this is glow-sticks. They provide some ambient light, which serves as an effective substitute for children who are accustomed to having a nightlight. But more importantly, they offer a fun distraction for the kids, which will help to keep them calm so they can fall asleep.

Water: If the water service for your house is derived from a well, you need to consider that the pump won't run if you lose electricity. Think of all the different things you use water for. You can buy bottled water to drink, but additional water will be needed for things like washing, flushing toilets, etc. Filling the bathtub in advance of the storm is always a good idea. You can also fill clean garbage cans with water and store them in your garage. Even municipal water systems, which are gravity-feed from large storage tanks, could run dry during an extended interruption of power to the pumps, so alternative sources of water may be needed. These receptacles of water are a potential drowning hazard, so if you have small children and/or pets, apply the same safety standards as you would for a pool.

Heat: One of the bigger problems with Hurricane Sandy is that it occurred as the weather was getting colder. Most heating systems, even if they use natural gas, require electricity to run. So just like the water pump won't work, neither with the heat. If you have a fireplace, be sure you have enough wood. Also consider that in order to heat effectively with a fireplace, you need to keep the fire burning. Once the fire goes out, all of the heat will escape up the chimney because you have to make certain the fire is completely out before shutting the flue. Failure to do so could result in a potentially deadly build-up of carbon monoxide inside the house. Fireplaces are also very dangerous, for obvious reasons, so be sure to exercise extreme caution. Portable heaters that run on propane or kerosene are another option, but again, be sure to use care when operating them.

Phones Can Still Work Without Power: Most phone systems today require power to operate. Whether it's because your phone service is through your Internet Service Provider (which won't work unless you have power), or because you have an electronic phone, if the power goes out, your communication line will become interrupted. Many people discovered that their smart phone service either didn't work, or the connection was so slow that it was ineffective. At my house, we had no power or cable / Internet, but our phone still worked because we have a traditional 'land line'. I disconnected the electronic phone system and connected a push-button phone, which worked perfectly. They don't put modems in new computers anymore, but if you have an older machine, you might have been able to find a dial-up Internet connection somewhere. It would be super-slow, of course, but it would have been considered lightning-fast as compared to the overloaded Wi-Fi hotspots in town.

Pets: Be sure to consider the needs of your pets. They need food, water, medication, and sanitation just like people do. Be sure not to overlook something as simple as a manual can opener for their food, which you can also use for opening other canned foods. For safety reasons, keep pets indoors during the storm.

Combat Boredom: Sitting around for days without the usual activities to absorb our time can quickly lead to boredom, particularly for those who are electronically-dependent. Anticipate this in advance and have a list of activities to do. Keeping the kids occupied is particularly important for the sake of peace and sanity because they're likely going to be home from school. Things like board games, card games, crafts, and books will help to pass the time more quickly.

Don't Be Foolish: During the storm, remain indoors at all times. Stay away from windows. After the storm, don't go near downed wires because you can't always tell what the wires are for, or whether or not they're live. Electrical wires that are live can jump around in an instant, so don't go anywhere near them. If you see trees or branches that are partially down, particularly if they're resting on wires, stay away from them. The tree could give way without warning. Even a small branch that falls from a tree can kill you if it hits you on the head.

Be Self-Sufficient: When a disaster strikes, you need to think in terms of self-help and take responsibility for your household. You shouldn't rely on anyone else to provide what you will need because they may not be able to help you when assistance is required. Relief organizations, including the local, state, and federal government, should be considered secondary resources during a disaster. It's a scary thought, but some towns in our area stopped dispatching emergency services for a period of time because there was no way they could reach places with all the downed trees. In such instances, you are essentially going to be on your own for an undetermined period of time and as such, you need to be prepared to handle any potential emergency situation that would otherwise be the responsibility of local police, fire, and emergency personnel. Depending on where you live, having things like a generator and chain saw may become necessities if you become isolated from the rest of civilization. Just be sure you know how to use them properly.

Be Thankful and Cooperative With All the People Who Are Trying to Help You: The response to any super-storm is always tremendous. There are many people (too numerous to mention) who are working in the field and behind the scenes to restore normalcy for everyone as quickly as possible. Mistakes will likely be made, but give people credit for doing the best job they can under very difficult circumstances.

Help Wherever, Whenever, and However You Can: There's a lot each of us can do to mitigate the effects of natural disaster, and expedite the recovery. A community mentality will go a long way in terms of getting everyone back to normal as soon as possible. What can you do? If you have a chainsaw and you see trees blocking roads that aren't entangled with wires, get a few of your neighbors and remove the tree from the road. Keep storm drains near your house free of leaves and debris. Direct traffic for utility crews who are working in your neighborhood. I speak from experience; I have done every one of these things during the last few storms. Mostly what we can all do is help one another. Times like these bring people closer together, which serves to improve the cohesiveness of our entire community.

Businesses Still Have a Lot of Disaster Preparedness Work to Do: In the wake of 9/11, disaster preparedness and recovery became higher priorities for American businesses. In the decade since, much has been accomplished in this regard, but we obviously still have a long way to go, at least in terms of maintaining continuous operations. Everyone I know missed at least a few days of work, and many weren't able to work from home because they couldn't access their company's information systems. Business interruptions can be extremely costly, in terms of lost sales and productivity, which can be particularly troubling in a delicate economy. This remains an area of vulnerability for businesses of all sizes, regardless of the varying degree of dependence on electronics. Very few businesses were unaffected by Hurricane Sandy, at least to some extent. Business leaders need to be as diligent about disaster preparedness for their companies as each of us need to be with our households.

Once Again, Be Prepared: I can't say this enough. The associated level of misery you experience from a natural disaster is always going to be a function of how well-prepared you are. Modern advances in meteorology are able to provide ample warning of impending natural disasters, so be sure to take advantage of whatever lead time you have. Unfortunately, those who suffered the worst effects of Hurricane Sandy were the people who were the least prepared for it. The next time we get hit with a major storm - and there definitely will be a next time the guidance provided above will hopefully serve to enhance our collective level of preparedness, which in turn should minimize the resulting degree of impact.

The information above addresses the basic necessities that one might need in order to get through a temporary interruption of everyday life caused by a natural disaster. Keep in mind that food, water, a warm shelter, and sanitation are all that you really need to survive. When you consider everything else you're deprived of during a natural disaster, I think you'll agree that these are (for the most part) just comforts and luxuries. Individual experiences are a function of the degree of magnitude, of course, but it's important to keep things in perspective. Everything can be replaced, except human life. Dealing with the after-effects of a disaster is an inconvenience, certainly, but with the assistance of family, friends, and perhaps even complete strangers, the hardship will soon pass.