Natural disasters sit

Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat
46

Yesterday was our first experience with a natural disaster on a sit. Thunderstorm and BIG trees = recipe for damage. We are in an old historic neighborhood in North Carolina. Large sections of tree trunks and many limbs came down from the neighbor’s tree. Crushed the pet/homeowner’s garage, damaged their car, and filled the yard with debris. The dog lost her playground for our games of fetch. The homeowner is on a cruise. First thing, we made sure the pet was safe, then we took pictures and emailed them to the homeowner assuring them all was safe. They thanked us for being calm and carrying on.

Two interesting items: Power was out in the area, but we never lost power. Our car was not damaged at all even though it was parked behind the car that was damaged. When we arrived for the assignment and saw all the trees, we prayed that our car would be safe. Also, there were reports of vandalism and car theft in the area when we arrived. We are on an eight month adventure across the USA, and are happy we still have our car, undamaged. We are sorry for the homeowners, and we are one of her contact people for access to the property by her insurance company. She expressed her thanks for our calm attitude and that we reported it immediately. If there is a lesson here, it is to keep owners informed, in a calm manner (no drama).

Edited slightly to be in line with forum guidelines.

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47

@MissChef I keep a powerbank in the car too! Mine is called the Montek 1000 and I picked it up during Indiegogo for $600. I had my husband install 200 watts of solar panels to keep it topped off. I can make coffee in the car with my small travel kettle with this thing.
And yes, I have 3 headlamps in my car too. Bought it for a bat cave but we use it for taking the dogs out for night time walk and we’re watching a dog right now who has a fear of the dark.

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48

I grew up on a tiny island in the Pacific, where typhoons and earthquakes were common. Even as kids, we all knew the drill.

I’ve also lived in various other places with natural disasters. Many people know what to do.

No. 1: Stay calm. People who do well under pressure tend to fare better in any emergencies. I get super calm under pressure. (That served me well over decades when I worked in daily news. For instance, I worked at the Washington Post during 9/11. When other people fled or hunkered down, we were all working.)

If I were sitting during a disaster, I’d make sure the pets and I were safe and take other appropriate measures. If I needed to leave in dire circumstances, I’d take them with me. Even emergency shelters take pets in various cases. Make sure you bring medications, food and water with you, because there’s often a gap in availability, even if you have money.

If I had enough notice, I’d make sure I had access to a car at least, whether the HO’s or a rental. That’s because nearby hotels usually book up fast during disasters. Always have cash on hand, because credit cards don’t always work. Gas stations nearby tend to sell out first. And nearby ATMs tend to run out of cash fastest. Food and water tend to sell out quickly as well, depending on what the disaster might be. That’s why I’d be prepared to get away if needed.

Something I ask when I sit: Where are the gas and water main turn-offs? Because in various disasters or emergencies, knowing to turn off such can keep major damage, injury or death from happening.

In places where the temperatures dive, keeping the taps dripping can keep pipes from bursting and flooding a home. Not only would that be a giant mess, the HOs would probably have trouble getting repairs done, because trades workers are in high demand at such times.

If a lot of rain is going to fall, make sure the gutters and drains are cleared. Otherwise, the house might end up with leaks or flooding.

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49

BTW, this might be useful to know:

There’s an app called Nextdoor that has high market penetration in many countries. If you can get on there (not sure whether you can sign up in an emergency with the HO’s info or use their account), if you have some kind of charge on your mobile device or such, you can ask neighbors for help.

For instance, my primary home has an all-house generator and is on a well and septic system. We’re also on gas cooking and have emergency supplies on hand. If any of our neighbors needed help, we’d step up. Like we could have them stay, share our supplies, lend sleeping bags, etc.

We can ride out emergencies better than most folks. In many neighborhoods, there are people like us to ask for help.

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50

This is such interesting and informative information. Thank you all for sharing.

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51

Something to keep in mind in certain disasters: The water supply can become contaminated by flooding, chemicals, sediment. Ideally, in such possibilities, don’t drink unboiled and unfiltered water and don’t give it to animals.

Public water agencies constantly test water supplies and will sometimes send out warnings to boil water and let it settle before ingesting it, but it can take them time to do that. You don’t want to make anyone sick before then.

In the U.S. and various other countries, many homes have barbecue grills and such. It’s possible to use them to boil water with a pot or kettle even if the normal indoors way of cooking isn’t working. You also can ask HOs if they have camping supplies you can use in a jam. That can include sleeping bags, camp stoves, Sterno. Many campers know that huddling in sleeping bags with pets can keep them warm even in very cold conditions.

If it gets super cold and other methods don’t work, you might consider getting into a car and pulling it into the garage. With the windows rolled up, you’ll be in an enclosed space that can be heated up with say a candle — just be careful with any open flame. (Folks who live in freezing conditions often know to do this if they’re stranded in their car on the road — it can mean the difference between staying alive or freezing to death.) Just don’t run the engine, so you don’t end up poisoning yourself and a pet(s) with the fumes if the car is in the garage.

Indoors, you can also consider pitching a tent or a makeshift one, or getting into a closet to sleep. The smaller the space, the easier it is to stay warm, especially if it doesn’t have windows.

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52

I count myself fortunate that I’ve only had to ‘be prepared’ for a disaster on a sit and never encountered one. Sitting north of SF in a forest and had to be sure that I could corral the 3 cats in case of a fire that didn’t happen.
I did grow up in New Orleans and we left home for a few hurricanes but never had anything disastrous while growing up.

53

Someone whom I manage remotely is in the hurricane zone in Florida this week. She mentioned that the pets at her apartment were eyeing the extra water she’d stored in the bathtub.

For folks to consider, depending on their circumstances: You often can get Amazon to overnight you supplies ahead of a storm, unless the flights or trucks have been disrupted.

This is a good thing to keep on hand for water storage, for example. It’s essentially a giant bag that you fill with water in your bathtub. Because it’s contained and sterile, you can easily store considerable amounts of water for humans and animals, and it’s drinkable without treatment.

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54

Talk for yourself buddy. :stuck_out_tongue:
I lived in the Scottish, Highlands and drove in all kinds. Now we are on the English south coast and realise the problem is not being a wimp it’s no one is used to driving in hazardous conditions and the road maintenance companies do not have the equipment or not enough. What would they have hall a dozen snow ploughs when they get used for an hour a year!

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55

I find with a lot of sits the owners are pretty insistent that I don’t use the heating or the air conditioning. Sometimes in winter here in Queensland it has been 1 degree at 6am when I have to let dogs out, feed, sheep and cattle and spend at least 30 minutes outside. They leave no firewood and don’t want me to turn on heater or air conditioner. I have to either sit with a large dog on my lap with my coat on until it warms up, or wrap lots of blankets around me.

Or it is really hot where I have just been and they didn’t want me to turn the air conditioners on. So I had all the windows and doors open hoping the bit of breeze would cool me down. The hardest thing wasn’t me being hot, but seeing the dogs panting in the heat, and putting ice cubes in their water or giving them ice cubes to lick or chew on.

I would not leave people without heating in winter, but some owners think that others will be find. I notice when they come home, and if I am still their, I go into the house to find they have a cosy warm fire going or they have the heating on, then go out side and leave the door open and let all the heat out.

Occasionally I was able to put an oil heater on for short periods of time when it was very very cold. This has been my experience in 8 years with Trusted HouseSitters. Other places they have left me a chainsaw and a small amount of fire wood in a freezing cold home with poor installation and told me to cut my own wood. I work hard enough exercising and walking their dogs, looking after their farms and homes, keeping them clean, gardens weeded and more. We have enough to do without having to go out and cut firewood too!

I could image in 10 degrees without heating would not be easy. At least when I had no electricity for 6 days and no phone reception, that at least it was not cold, although it did get very hot on a couple of those days, but I can live without air conditioning. And at least I was able to borrow a gas stove from friends who happen to have my gas bottles at that time.

56

Just say that that kind of thing is not acceptable and be prepared to walk away.

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57

I have many regular sits were they don’t allow me access to the heating or the air condtioning. I either go and sit out side in the sun to warm up or go for a walk, or put on thermals to keep warm.

58

Feel sorry for you.

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59

Wow. I’d never agree to such sits, much less repeat them. And if a host surprised me with such circumstances and wasn’t willing to change their stance, I’d report them to THS, quit the sit with 24 hours notice and write a review that warns off other sitters.

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60

Really? :innocent: I do feel sorry for you, being used without being able to keep yourself warm… That sounds like abuse…

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