Your Survival Blog
Don’t run out of gas!
One of my most enduring memories of the media coverage of Hurricane Rita, in 2007, was of huge lines of cars heading out of Houston — dozens of whom ran out of gas and had to abandon their vehicles.
I never, ever, ever let my gas tank go below half-full if I can help it (I sometimes get my car back from other family members who haven’t internalized the rule), but I’ve been reading that even that amount of preparedness is not enough. During hurricane or wildfire or ice-storm season, some say, never let your tank go below full. Top it off every chance you get, at least every day or two.
(Make sure your tires are also inflated up to spec; various sources claim a three- to six-percent hit on mileage from underinflated tires. And do all your recommended maintenance on time, before it becomes an issue: changing spark plugs and fuel filters, and using the right oil, can affect fuel economy as well.)
One for the road
Also think about whether you want to have a little extra on hand. “Jerry cans” — metal cans for storing gasoline, diesel or kerosene, which hold five gallons or twenty liters depending on country — are widely available, and some models are legal throughout the United States. (In Canada, plastic cans seem to be preferred.) If you keep one of these cans on hand for an emergency, make sure it’s clean, and that you fill it on the ground and not on or next to your vehicle (to avoid static charges). Do not overfill, and carefully wipe up any spills from the outside of the can, disposing of the paper towels somewhere other than your vehicle. Strap the gas can securely into a supported place in your vehicle’s trunk, and do not ever, ever expose it to smoking materials or other open flames. (Kaboom!) Until you need it, consider storing it in a cool dry place in your garage or other area away from any possible sparks.
Drive smart
If you are lucky enough to get yourself and your family out of town over relatively unjammed roads, don’t drive aggressively! Jackrabbit starts, stomping the brakes, and driving faster than the speed limit all use up far more gas than driving at a dignified pace. (In hilly areas, so can using cruise control, though it actually improves mileage on flat roads.) Unblocked roads aren’t likely to be an issue, though, in a widespread disaster.
Remember that idling in traffic eats gas: the California Energy Commission claims that two minutes of idling equals one mile of travel (so if your car gets 20 mpg, 40 minutes of idling would use a gallon of fuel). They also claim that ten seconds of idling uses up more fuel than turning off your engine, and restarting it once traffic starts to move again — and that shutting off and restarting adds only a tiny cost in component wear. If you’re ever in an evacuation jam, and sitting more than a minute, shut off your engine.
Air conditioning might also be a fuel hog: at less than highway speeds — below 30-40 mph (50-65 kph) — some authorities say using the AC consumes up to 20 percent more gasoline than rolling down your windows. However, many of those people fleeing Rita had to do so in heat well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (around 40 Celsius), and had to choose between staying cool and hydrated or using up precious fuel. And getting more was not an option — gas stations were tapped out hundreds of miles inland.
Don’t put yourself in this position. If bad weather is even hinted at, go top off all your vehicles’ gas tanks, and keep them that way.
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