When Mother Nature Strikes, Will You Be Ready?

It’s a question we’ve all had to ask ourselves more frequently these days. Hurricanes aren’t just weather events; they’re life-altering catastrophes. And as the world changes, so does the unpredictability of these storms which is why…

Preparation isn’t paranoia; it’s prudence.

Know Hurricane Terminology

From Tropical Depressions with winds of 38 mph to full-blown Hurricanes roaring at 74 mph and above, it’s crucial to know what’s coming your way. And when forecasters throw around terms like “Eye Wall” or “Storm Surge,” you better believe it’s essential to know what they mean. Knowledge isn’t just power; it’s survival.

The Basics:

Tropical Depressions: Cyclones with winds up to 38 mph.
Tropical Storms: Wind speeds ranging from 39-73 mph.
Hurricanes: Winds that exceed 74 mph. Notably, the upper right quadrant of the storm is often the most intense.
Storm Surge: A dangerous rise in seawater level caused by a storm, leading to rapid coastal and, at times, inland flooding.

Key Terms:

Tropical Storm/Hurricane Watch: Conditions are possible. Issued 48 hours in advance.
Tropical Storm/Hurricane Warning: Conditions are expected. Issued 36 hours in advance.
Eye: The calm center of the storm.
Eye Wall: Surrounding the eye, it houses the storm’s harshest conditions.
Rain Bands: These bands can produce severe weather conditions, including heavy rain and tornadoes.

Predicting a hurricane’s path is a blend of science, technology, and a dash of educated guessing. But when the experts at the National Hurricane Center speak, it’s time to listen. They’re our first line of defense, using advanced computer models to give us a heads-up on what’s brewing in the ocean. Stay updated with real-time information from the National Hurricane Center at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

Your Hurricane Kit: Non-Negotiables

When the lights go out, and the stores shut down, what’s in your home can make the difference between despair and resilience. When preparing for a hurricane,

Write down and prominently display emergency phone numbers. Ensure they’re easily accessible in your home and saved on your cell phone.
Have a plan to stay informed. A weather radio and device to power your cell phone and computer are invaluable.
Emergency Kit: Prepare a comprehensive emergency supply kit. This isn’t just for evacuation but also if you’re confined to your home. Your kit should include:

At least 3 days’ worth of backup emergency food supplies and clean water
Cooler to store perishable food and temperature-sensitive medications
First aid supplies, prescription medication, and medical devices
Power sources, including flashlights and batteries. Even better – a solar power generator to help keep your devices and appliances working as gas generators can give off deadly fumes
Keep essential documents like medical records, wills, passports, IDs, as well as extra cash in a waterproof container
A fire extinguisher can be crucial – ensure everyone knows its location and usage
Ensure your car’s gas tank is full and keep an emergency kit in your car. If you don’t own a car, pre-arrange transportation for evacuation

Home Sweet (Secured) Home

Your home is your fortress, but even fortresses need reinforcements. Board up windows, trim those trees, and make sure everything that can fly away in a gust is safely tucked inside. Reinforce your garage doors and familiarize yourself with utility shut-offs. And if the winds start howling, remember: stay away from windows and stick to the innermost parts of your home.

Power Outages: The Silent Menace

When the storm hits, power outages are almost a given. And with them come a host of challenges, from spoiling food and dead cell phones to compromised temperature-sensitive medication and medical devices failing. Heat stress and exhaustion can come without access to air conditioning. A power outage isn’t just an inconvenience; it can be a danger if you’re not prepared.

Generators are your best protection against blackouts but picking out the right generator is crucial. Gas-powered generators can be loud, emit deadly carbon monoxide, and require fuel to run at a time when fuel supply chains can be severely disrupted, making it difficult, if not impossible, to refuel a gas generator. Gas stations might be closed, roads blocked, and let’s not forget the long, winding queues of desperate folks trying to get their hands on some fuel.

Solar power generators rely on the sun—a resource that, even after the stormiest days, will eventually return, allowing you to harness safe, energy. Solar generators also operate silently. Let’s face it, when the world is trying to piece itself back together after a hurricane’s fury, the last thing you’d want is the roaring noise of a gas generator. You can even increase your overall power output and decrease charging time by investing in additional solar panels to daisy chain.

Evacuation or Hunkering Down: Making the Call

Sometimes, the best defense is a good escape plan. If authorities say it’s time to go, don’t hesitate. But if you’re staying put, make sure you’re truly ready for what’s coming. Whether it’s ensuring you have a full tank of gas or knowing the nearest shelter, every bit of preparation counts. Remember,

Stay calm and stick to your plan
Avoid floodwaters – just six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.
Keep your emergency car kit easily accessible
Stay away from downed power lines
Check on your neighbors – especially if they are disabled or elderly
If you leave make sure someone knows where you are going and when you expect to arrive

After the Storm

Once the winds have settled and the rain has ceased, it’s easy to believe the worst is over. But here’s the reality: the danger isn’t always in the storm itself, but often in what it leaves behind. Streets become rivers, power lines turn into potential death traps, and your once-familiar neighborhood? It might now be a maze of debris and hazards.

So, what’s the game plan post-hurricane?

Stay Informed: Just because the hurricane has passed doesn’t mean the alerts will. Keep that radio close. Local authorities will provide updates on road conditions, power restorations, and potential flood warnings.
Avoid the Roads: Those flooded streets? They’re not your friend. It takes just a small amount of water to sweep a car away. And with traffic lights out, intersections become a game of Russian roulette.
Inspect Your Home: But do it safely. Watch out for broken glass, exposed nails, and other sharp objects. If you smell gas or suspect a leak? Get out immediately and alert the authorities.
Boil Your Water: Hurricanes can compromise local water supplies. Until you get the all-clear, boil your water to avoid any nasty surprises.
Document the Damage: For insurance purposes, take photos of any damage to your home or property. It’ll make the claims process smoother.
Stay Away from Power Lines: Downed or not, consider every power line live and dangerous. Report any downed lines to the local power company.
Use Flashlights, Not Candles: The last thing you need post-hurricane is a house fire. Stick to flashlights and battery- or solar-operated lanterns.

The Bottom Line

We’ve seen it all: wildfires in Hawaii, tornadoes in the Northeast, and now, hurricanes that defy all expectations. The world is changing, and with it, the threats we face. But here’s the good news: With the right preparation, you can face these challenges head-on.

Your all-in-one solution? It’s not just about having supplies; it’s about having the right mindset. Prepare today, and no matter what tomorrow brings, you’ll be ready. Because when Mother Nature strikes, the most powerful tool in your arsenal is preparedness.

Start Your Hurricane Preparedness Plan Here >>

Long Term Storage of Household Batteries, by OhioGalt

Several years ago, I began purchasing Lithium Batteries in AA and AAA sizes for long-term storage in case of some event where batteries were not readily available. I was also using them in several trail cams around the property because they would last roughly 10-to-12 months before replacement. I recently went to buy another couple […]

Keep Food Cold Without Electricity?

Have you ever felt good about loading up your refrigerator and freezer with food and beverages, only to experience a power outage?

If that has ever happened to you – or even if your refrigerator and freezer were no more than half-full when a blackout occurred – you probably wondered if those contents would stay edible prior to the power returning.

The United States Department of Agriculture offers this guideline. Anything left unrefrigerated for over four hours at temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or higher is at risk of developing food-borne bacteria that could lead to illness.

Even if your food stays frozen, you don’t want to keep it frozen for too long before eating it. Registered dietician Allison Tepper has offered some tips regarding how long certain foods can maintain their flavor while frozen.

To summarize her thoughts, cooked meats, soups, casseroles, rice, and pasta should stay good when frozen for two to three months. Cheese can stay tasty for six months, nuts and herbs for a year, and flour for two years.

Before a power outage …

Let’s go over some before, during, and after advice for keeping your food cold during a blackout.

Before a power outage, know what the temperatures are inside your fridge and freezer. A new refrigerator might show those temps on an outside display so you don’t have to open either to find out. Otherwise, use the inside thermometers.

Freeze containers of water and gel packs, and keep several coolers handy, depending on how much food you normally keep in your fridge and freezer.

If you don’t have a cooler, buy plenty of ice to keep in your freezer and be ready to place it up against the food you most want to keep cold.

During a power outage…

Keep your freezer and refrigerator doors closed. The more often you open those doors during an outage, the warmer the contents will become.

By keeping your refrigerator and freezer doors closed, food should stay safe for up to four hours in the fridge, 48 hours in a full freezer, and 24 hours in a half-full freezer.

After those hours pass and the power is still out, place your frozen containers of water and frozen gel backs into your coolers, along with your food.

Periodically check the temperature within the cooler, but not too often, as you don’t want to add warmth to the inside by opening it.

After a power outage…

Once your power is back on, you may be tempted to smell or taste your food to see if it’s still good. The problem here is that food can go bad without smelling bad. And even a small taste of a food item that has spoiled could make you sick.

Be especially careful with meat, fish, cut fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk, and leftovers. When in doubt, throw it out.

Check the temperature of your food that you attempted to keep cold. If it’s above 40 degrees, get rid of it.

If any of your food has changed color or texture, toss it out. But it’s OK to re-freeze thawed food from your freezer if its temperature is 40 or lower. Even if you see some ice crystals.

4 more cooling hacks

Let me conclude with 4 additional hacks for keeping food cold without electricity:

A zeer pot is made up of two different-sized unglazed clay pots. Place the smaller one inside the larger one, with sand filling the space between them. After putting food in the smaller pot, pour cold water into the sand. As the water evaporates, it will cool food in the smaller pot.

The same type of evaporative cooling can be accomplished by placing food on a shelving unit, wrapping fabric around that unit, and pouring cold water on the fabric, periodically adding more water. It works even better if a breeze is reaching the shelving unit.

Campers and backpackers have used this food-cooling trick for many years. Evaporation helps running groundwater stay cool, and the more movement the water experiences, the cooler it becomes. Food that’s fully secured in a container and placed in that water will stay cool.

Many years ago, our forebears discovered their food would stay cooler and fresher when placed underground. This can be done by hanging food down into a well. Or better yet, by digging out a root cellar, which is particularly effective for root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes.

Losing power is a bummer, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to lose the food you keep in your refrigerator and freezer. The above advice can help you get through the outage without having to toss out the food you worked hard for.

Practical PV Power, by Graton

Even though I have been dabbling in solar power since about 2008 I hesitated to share my experiences because I felt totally incompetent about the subject. I still feel that way in large part, even though my “knowledge” has increased dramatically. One of my first projects was setting up a solar-powered well for a friend’s […]

Here’s How to Keep Food Cold During a Blackout

What’s the worst thing about a power outage?

The answer to that question depends on a variety of factors. Including where you live and what time of year it is. As well as any health conditions you might have.

Stumbling around in the dark is not fun. But there are worse problems connected to a blackout.

The loss of air conditioning during a heat wave is one. As is the loss of heat during a frigid spell. Either could be life-threatening.

And what if you’re dependent on refrigeration for your medicine? Or on an electrical device to keep your heart beating regularly? That’s pretty serious stuff.

A common goal

We all live in different areas of the country. We experience blackouts at different times of the year. And we have different health conditions.

But one thing we all have in common is this: we want to keep our food cold in refrigerators and freezers.

We worked hard to earn money to buy that food. The last thing we want is for food in a fully-stocked refrigerator and freezer to go bad because our power went out.

Spoiler Alert – The good news is you can keep your food fresh, safe, and cold, even in a blackout. More on that in a moment.

Hitting close to home

There’s a reason this subject is top of mind for me. Not all that long ago, we here at 4Patriots got a big scare.

A tornado outbreak struck downtown Nashville where we’re based. As well as at nearby Cookeville.

The tornadoes killed 25 people and injured 300. With winds reaching 175 miles per hour, the destruction was massive.

More than 70,000 people lost electrical power. The storm caused nearly $1 billion in damage. It was a full week before some folks had power restored.

Tips and tricks

As a general rule, food in a refrigerator should be good for four hours after the power goes out. In a freezer, it should stay safe for 24 to 48 hours.

But when an outage extends longer than those time periods, that spells trouble. You’re in danger of losing the food you need to feed yourself and your family.

Fortunately, there are some tips and tricks to help you keep your food safe longer.

Today I want to share some of them with you. They just might come in handy next time a power outage occurs in your neck of the woods.

Keep those doors closed

Here’s something to always remember. When the power goes out, there is a temptation to open the freezer and refrigerator periodically.

Understandably, people want to check on the status of their food. But don’t do it. Every time those doors open, warm air gets in. That shortens the life of your food.

Keep your freezer and refrigerator doors closed except for removing an item you want to cook or eat right away. Or quickly moving some items from the refrigerator to the freezer.

The magic temperature is 45 degrees Fahrenheit. If you can keep your food at that temperature or lower, it should be safe to eat. Keeping the doors closed will help.

Meat down, vegetables up

Whenever possible, keep your freezer and refrigerator full. Food will stay safe during a power outage in a full freezer longer than in a half-full freezer. Same with your refrigerator.

If your refrigerator or freezer is not full, at least group your foods together. Rather than having them spread out.

Because heat rises – even inside a refrigerator – the bottom portion of your refrigerator is colder than the top.

So, keep meat and fish in the lower levels. Fruits and vegetables can be placed on the higher shelves.

Stock up on ice

The more ice you have available, the better you can keep your food cold during a blackout.

In addition to filling your ice trays regularly, place a couple of bags of ice in your kitchen or garage freezer.

You could even freeze water in Tupperware containers. But don’t fill them, because water expands when it freezes. It might break those containers.

When a blackout extends beyond several hours, you can put ice in coolers. Then move some food from your freezer and refrigerator to those coolers.

And if it’s colder outside than inside, you might want to set those coolers outside your door.

Thermometer beats a taste test

Earlier I mentioned you don’t want your refrigerated food to get above 45 degrees. The best way to ensure that is by keeping a thermometer inside your refrigerator and freezer.

These thermometers are inexpensive. They are a big help in determining whether food has gone bad during and following an outage. Newer refrigerators have displays on the outside of the door to let you know your freezer and fridge temps.

If you don’t have a thermometer, don’t make the mistake of testing your food by tasting it. You’re better off throwing something out than getting sick from eating it.

Refrigerated perishable food will go bad after four hours. Including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, and leftovers. When in doubt, toss it out.

Free Freedom Fridge from Frank? Yes!

So, if your power is out and you’re approaching the time when food could start to go bad, what do you do? The answer is the solar-powered and portable Freedom Fridge from 4Patriots. And for a limited time, you can get one for free. You heard me right.

With the purchase of a Patriot Power Generator 1800, you will receive a Freedom Fridge free of charge. It weighs only 17 pounds and it can either cool or heat your food – your choice.

Which means the food it contains does not have to be shelf stable. You can run this food locker for up to 30,000 hours over its lifetime. And while it’s perfect for an emergency situation, you can also take it with you for RV trips, camping, or even the grandkids’ soccer games.

If all that weren’t enough, Freedom Fridge also features a USB outlet so you can use it to power up your phone, tablet, GPS unit, flashlight, or radio.

You probably already know all about the Patriot Power Generator 1800, but just in case, here’s a quick reminder. This generator, which you can charge for free with the sun or with an electrical outlet, is fume-free and silent. So, it’s safe to use indoors.

This is an amazing deal you can’t afford not to take advantage of. And to make it even sweeter, I’ll throw in two free solar panels to charge your generator and Freedom Fridge. Plus free shipping and handling, an easy payment, and a money-back guarantee. You literally can’t lose.

Here’s where to get yours…

Great Plains Drought Means Bleak Wheat Harvest

Folks who have been hit hard with rainstorms, thunderstorms, and even flooding this past winter and into the spring might find this difficult to believe.

But America’s Great Plains are experiencing drought conditions. They’ve been going on for quite a while. And they will soon be affecting the rest of the country.

How? By severely limiting the amount of wheat that can be grown. Vance Ehmke is a wheat, triticale, and rye seed dealer in western Kansas.

“For this area and here on our farm, this will be one of the worst wheat crops in the past 50 years,” he said. “We have farmed 48 years and aside from 1981, this has potential for being the worst.”

Price Increases Sure to Follow

Many of the states with the largest land areas dedicated to the growth of wheat are located in the Great Plains and surrounding areas.

Great Plains states include Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, and Minnesota. Plus Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, and North Dakota. And Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming.

The states with the largest areas planted to wheat are Kansas (7.3 million acres), North Dakota (6.5 million), and Montana (5.5 million). As well as Texas (5.5 million acres) and Oklahoma (4.4 million).

The leading wheat-producing states during 2021 and 2022 were, in order, North Dakota, Kansas, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Minnesota and Oklahoma. With drought in most of these states, there will be a shortage of wheat, which will result in supply chain issues and price increases.

Wheat Used for Just About Everything

OK, so worst-case scenario, 2023 will be a bad year for wheat. So what? We’ll eat something else, right? Well, the fact is, the lack of wheat will have a huge impact on the overall food supply in the U.S.

Wheat is typically milled into flour, which is then used to make a wide range of foods we eat daily.

They include bread, muffins, pasta, and biscuits. Plus cereal bars, crackers, sauces, and cakes. As well as pastries, snack foods, and even confectionery such as licorice.

And there are also plenty of non-food products that require wheat for their production. Such as cat litter, Play-Doh, glue, and golf tees.

Wheat Fields Being Abandoned

A farmer in Kiowa, Kansas said one-third of his wheat crop had already “zeroed out.” And that another third was likely to be gone soon.

Irrigation is extremely expensive, and where it doesn’t occur, there will be little wheat grown in the Great Plains.

Ehmke said that in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, there is 80% abandonment of wheat fields.

He said, “Seed wheat and triticale supplies could be very short this fall… and expensive. Range and pasture conditions are the worst I’ve ever seen.”

NOAA Confirms Drought Is Serious

Weighing in on the issue is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). A recent report from NOAA revealed that nearly one-fourth of the U.S. (23.6%) is experiencing moderate to exceptional drought.

Recent strong Pacific weather systems provided the West with plenty of moisture. Unfortunately, the systems dried out as they crossed the Rockies, leaving much of the Great Plains dry.

According to the Reuters international news agency, U.S. farmers expanded their planting of wheat this past winter by 11% over the previous year. That was due to concerns about wheat imports from Ukraine.

Despite those added acres, “a multi-year drought that has gripped the key Plains wheat belt puts harvest prospects in doubt, especially in states like top producer Kansas and Oklahoma.”

Midwest Picks Up Some Slack

Normally, winter wheat represents about two-thirds of U.S. production. The remaining one-third is planted in the spring.

Mike Schulte is executive director of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. He said that due to late planting and lack of moisture, “we probably are going to see a yield drag.”

Seeing high wheat prices last fall convinced some Midwest farmers to grow the crop. Including those in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.

With more recent rain than in the Great Plains, Midwest states have picked up a little of the slack with soft red wheat. But not enough to offset significant hard red winter wheat shortages – ideal for making bread – this year.

One silver lining is the anticipated weather pattern known as El Niño replacing La Niña at some point this summer. El Niño generally brings wetter weather to most areas of the country.

Schulte summed it up by saying, “We are certainly going to need moisture if we are going to have any crop at all.”

Food Shortages on the Horizon?

Even if more precipitation does come this spring and summer, will it be too late? That’s the question farmers in the Great Plains are asking as they contemplate giving up on wheat and planting other crops.

“This crop probably already has had yields diminished by dryness ahead of dormancy, and with the early part of this year we probably already have a loss on our hands.” So says Bill Lapp, owner of Advanced Economic Solutions in Omaha, Nebraska.

What does this mean for the average American consumer? It means the potential of food shortages and the likelihood of price increases for the food that does come to market.

Unless we learn how to perform effective rain dances, our best bet is to stock up on non-perishable food that will be there when grocery store shelves are not fully stocked or even empty.

Can You Pass a Hurricane Quiz?

Here’s a quick true or false hurricane quiz for y’all:

True or false: Cyclones rotate clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

True or false: The minimum sustained wind speed to qualify for a hurricane is 65 miles per hour.

True or false: A hurricane is said to make landfall when its outer bands reach a shoreline.

True or false: Storm tide and storm surge mean the same thing.

I’ll have answers for you in a moment. In the meantime, today I’d like to familiarize you with terms used by weather experts when referring to hurricanes.

There are many of them, so I’ll only mention some. But this way you’ll know what they’re talking about when you hear these terms mentioned.

Categories refer to wind speeds

Let’s start off with hurricane categories. They can’t tell you exactly what the results of the storm will be in your area, but they can give you an indication of what you might expect.

Hurricanes are measured on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, ranging from Category 1 to Category 5. The scale was developed by engineer Herbert Saffir and meteorologist Robert Simpson.

These categories only factor in the wind speeds of a hurricane. The amount of water the storm produces and the speed at which the storm travels are separate factors.

In other words, categories won’t tell you how much destruction and flooding will occur, but they will give you a pretty good idea of both.

From dangerous to catastrophic

A Category 1 hurricane has wind speeds of 74 to 95 miles per hour. Structures may sustain some damage and flying debris could strike people, but protected glass windows should make it through without major damage.

With a Category 2 hurricane, wind speeds are between 96 and 110 mph. Older mobile homes will likely be destroyed, while frame homes, apartment buildings, and shopping centers could experience major roof and siding damage. Power outages will occur.

Featuring wind speeds of 111 to 129 mph, a Category 3 hurricane represents a serious risk of injury and death. Mobile homes will probably be destroyed and major damage is likely to houses, apartment buildings, and other structures. Electricity may be unavailable for several days to a few weeks.

Catastrophic damage will occur with a Category 4 hurricane, due to winds of 130 to 156 mph. Collapsing structures and flying debris are likely to result in serious injuries and death. Even well-built homes and other buildings will see severe damage to roofs and upper floors.

A high percentage of frame homes and commercial buildings will be seriously damaged or destroyed in a Category 5 hurricane, featuring wind speeds of 157 and higher. High-rise windows will be blown out, trees will be uprooted, and power will be lost for weeks to months. Long-term water shortages will also occur.

Coming to terms with hurricanes

Now for some hurricane-specific terms:

A hurricane watch is a 48-hour warning letting you know that a hurricane is possible in your area.

A hurricane warning is a 36-hour notice that the hurricane is expected in your area.

The eye of a hurricane is the roughly circular center where winds are minimal. But if you’re in the eye of a hurricane, you’ll soon be hit with the devastating winds of the eyewall.

The hurricane eyewall is the ring of clouds and moisture surrounding the eye of the storm. This is where the wind speeds are strongest.

Storm surge is an abnormal rise in the sea level during a hurricane or other storm. When that surge is moving inland, it can cause life-threatening conditions.

Inundation is the flooding of what is normally dry land. Combined with the high winds of a storm, strong waves can result.

A direct hit occurs when the storm passes to within a distance equal to its radius of maximum wind.

An indirect hit occurs when an area experiences hurricane force winds (either sustained or gusts), but the eye remains off-shore.

Rapid intensification occurs when there is an increase in maximum sustained winds of at least 34.5 mph in a 24-hour period.

True-false quiz answers

As promised, here are answers to those true-false questions I posed earlier:

True or false: Cyclones rotate clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. False. Cyclones rotate counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

True or false: The minimum sustained wind speed to qualify for a hurricane is 65 miles per hour. False. The minimum wind speed to qualify for a hurricane is 74 mph.

True or false: A hurricane is said to make landfall when its outer bands reach a shoreline. False. Landfall occurs when the eye of the hurricane reaches land.

True or false: Storm tide and storm surge mean the same thing. False. Storm surge is an abnormal rise in sea level accompanying a hurricane or other intense storm. Storm tide is the actual level of sea water resulting from the astronomic tide combined with the storm surge.

How did you do? All the answers were false, but now I’m going to tell you what’s true. No matter where you live, you need an emergency weather radio to give you advance notice of dangerous weather.

And 4Patriots just happens to have one available. With this radio, you’ll be the first to know what’s coming.

Our Liberty Band Emergency Solar Radio features National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration alerts, with seven 24/7 weather channels and AM/FM and shortwave radio.

It includes an LCD display clock with alarm and an ultra-bright flashlight. We made it lightweight with the ability to recharge with the free power of the sun.

We added a hand crank for emergency starting. We even made sure that it could power up other devices when you need them most. Including your cellphone.

I feel like we’ve made the 4Patriots Liberty Band Emergency Solar Radio as desirable as we possibly can. But if you need any extra incentive, how’s this?

If you purchase three of them, I’ll provide you with free shipping, and toss in a few bonuses. Including a free Patriot Power Cell, a free 72-Hour Survival Food Kit, a free HaloXT Tactical Flashlight, and a $25 gift certificate.

Here’s how to get yours…

Landlocked Does Not Mean Hurricane-Safe

When residents of Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin heard that Hurricane Sandy was about to strike the East Coast in 2012, they may have said a prayer for the folks in the storm’s path.

They may have sent out good thoughts and hoped the damage would be limited and lives would be spared.

They may have watched the Weather Channel and other newscasts reporting on the immediate destruction and the long-term power outages that followed.

What they probably never even considered was that where they were – nearly 1,000 miles away from Sandy’s landfall – they would also be affected by the storm. But they were.

Sandy affected 24 states

In fact, Hurricane Sandy ended up negatively affecting the weather and causing problems in exactly one-half of the 48 lower states. It also caused an estimated $65 billion in damage.

Of course, those states include the entire eastern seaboard from Maine to Florida, then across the Appalachian Mountains and as far west as the Midwest.

The most severe damage occurred in New York and New Jersey, with a storm surge that flooded streets, tunnels, and subway systems, and knocked out electrical power to millions.

But it also caused flooding in Midwestern states, with city officials in at least one Wisconsin city calling for a voluntary evacuation of its Lake Michigan lakefront area.

Don’t ignore hurricane warnings

What’s my point here? My point is that even if you don’t live near an ocean, you could suffer a power outage due to a hurricane or other severe storm.

Hurricane season runs from June through November, and climate researchers at North Carolina State University are already predicting more than a dozen storms.

Six to eight of those storms may become hurricanes, while two to three could become major hurricanes, meaning Category 3 or higher.

My suggestion is to not ignore news reports about hurricanes, because that could come back to bite you. Instead, prepare for power outages and make sure you have an emergency weather radio to warn you in advance. More on that in a moment.