While Syracuse Orange folks are known for their ability to tough out the burliest of blizzards, hurricanes are another beast entirely. Hurricane-turned Superstorm Sandy is sweeping our way and while there is nothing we can do to stop it, there are plenty of tips and tricks that can help students weather the storm.

—Compiled by The Daily Orange feature staff, pulp@dailyorange.com

Here we are now, entertain us

Hurricanes bring with them an opportunity for thrilling excitement and perhaps even exhilarating fear. But it brings an opportunity for something else as well: being stuck indoors for hours at a time with no power. Let’s face it. Things might get a little dull by hour three or four.

While safety should be the first priority, entertainment should be something kept in mind, Sandy style.

When it comes to power outages, board games are an absolute must. Playing them by candlelight only adds to the allure. Dust off that game of Risk you inherited from your parents when you moved out and get ready for some world domination. You can try Monopoly, but here’s a fair warning: whoever is the banker is going to cheat, and he or she is going to win.

If you are so inclined and were able to get to the back aisle of Tops in time, you can even throw a drinking game into the mix. Rules don’t have to be overly complicated. A simple “take a sip every time the power flickers” or “finish your drink every time a piece of foliage crashes” would suffice.

Water, water everywhere

It’s one of every house renter and apartment tenant’s worst fears: walking through the front door only to see water everywhere. With Superstorm Sandy bearing down on Syracuse, the threat of flooding is very real. But don’t panic.

Here are a few tips to keep your house from getting all washed up:

1. Keep your doors and windows closed. Obviously.

2. Turn off ESPN and tune in to the Weather Channel. Look for flash flood watches and warnings, and follow instructions.

3. Elevate anything you don’t want to get soaked. Laptops, game systems, you name it. If it won’t work wet, get it to higher ground.

4. Simple as it sounds, get the water out. If you have a water vacuum, it’s your best bet to remove whatever water is left from your humble abode. If you don’t have a water vacuum, borrow one, especially if your floor is carpeted. Not only will wet carpet smell terrible, but it could rot, too.

5. When everything’s dry again, Febreze it all. Water will get everything to smell musty, so air freshener will make your house breathable again.

Danger zone

You can’t just wander around your apartment in the middle of a storm. Sure, it’ll be boring if the power goes out, but there are some places to avoid while Mother Nature does her thing.

First and foremost, stay away from windows. With high winds, tree limbs and all kinds of debris will be flying all over. Keep curtains and blinds closed, and close all interior doors to knock broken glass down if a branch does come through.

As much as you want to watch the action of the storm, find a room with no windows and keep yourself safe. Remember high school when severe weather drills happened? You were either ushered into a bathroom or hallway. While the bathroom might not be the most ideal place to spend a few hours, any enclosed space with no windows will keep you safe during the storm.

That being said, the basement, where there aren’t usually windows, is not a solution if there’s a chance of flooding. If the superstorm is heavy enough to cause flooding, it’ll flood the basement first. If there are flood warnings before the storm, pull anything valuable out of the basement and move it to higher ground.

Better with the lights off

Just because there’s a chance of a blackout in Syracuse doesn’t mean you’ll get stuck in the dark ages. Now’s the time to try out all those crafty, creative ideas you’ve been posting on Pinterest.

If you plan to rely on candles to get you through the night, take advantage of the opportunity to make your room, apartment or house look romantic. Stick tea lights in Mason jars and place them throughout the house. Not only will the jar prevent hot wax from dripping everywhere, but the flickering light inside the glass casts off a nice glow. Just remember to leave the lid off — flames need air to breathe, too.

Glow sticks left over from your last neon party will do the trick in a pinch, but they will only last for so long. Instead, make your own: All you need is a few bottles of Mountain Dew, baking soda and peroxide. Drink most of the Mountain Dew, leaving only a few sips left at the bottom. Add a pinch of baking soda, three cups of peroxide, shake well and voila — your very own homemade glow stick.

Published on October 30, 2012 at 12:24 am