I know just what you mean about getting ready for a hurricane we were without lights for 2 wks had to use lots of ice ,you see I live next a hotel and I had a tenant that worked there all the tenants pooled food and whatever resources we had one tenant still had gas so we used their stove to cook. than we had a block party with all the neighbours and cooked on BBQ's it was fun ,but, than there was the clean up every one pitched in helping each neighbour until all was aright. As you may or may not know we are in the middle of tha atlantic vunerable to the elements, but, we survived the damsge was in the billion our island is only 22sq miles .