Preparing for El Niño

What is ''El Niño''? I'm English and only speak English; no other language!

I won't be stockpiling anything; I never have and never will. I'm not thoughtless enough to empty the shelves, denying normal shoppers anything.

Then there will be all the selfish morons, like with the vaccines, etc., snatching up all the bog rolls they'll never use in 3 lifetimes! HA!

I usually have some 'emergency' supplies. I'm sure we would survive.

Funnily enough the wine stocks are particularly high at the moment...!

TheWeirdoAgain60

What is ''El Niño''? I'm English and only speak English; no other language!

I won't be stockpiling anything; I never have and never will. I'm not thoughtless enough to empty the shelves, denying normal shoppers anything.

Then there will be all the selfish morons, like with the vaccines, etc., snatching up all the bog rolls they'll never use in 3 lifetimes! HA!

Sorry if I upset you!

I thought i had started a light hearted thread

Although tongue in cheek kitty it is something to thinks about, enough learned people are telling us that El Niño is a real threat.
No one suggests hoarding or emptying supermarket shelves but a little careful planning is wise.
I suggest tins rather than freezer food, power may be interrupted.
Longlife milk ,cereals and bread flour, dried yeast for if our ovens are working.
It is just prudent to be prepared.
Of course wine is an essential along with some spirits to lift ours.

El Niño might mean we get some wetter and stormier weather this winter.

Eagles said:

“If you’ve got a store of a bit of food that can keep you going for a while before the emergency services can get to you, you’re going to be a lot better off than if you haven’t.”

She isn’t suggesting everybody should stockpile supplies just because it might be a wet and stormy winter.

Obviously if you are in a part of the country where there’s more risk of flooding and being cut off then it’s sensible advice but that isn’t going to apply to most people.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp931m8n3p5o

I realise you meant this to be light-hearted but headlines like the BBC's can lead to panic buying which leaves shelves stripped so others can't buy even a normal supply of food. We saw it during the pandemic.

Given that supermarkets work on ‘just in time’ stock rotation there is no reason why people buying a couple of extra items each visit will empty the shelves of anything. It is when a crisis hits that problems arise, as those who don’t prepare all need the same things at once and the broken supply chain can’t provide them.

There is a huge difference between stockpiling and sensible housekeeping. We always have extras of things like loo roll, batteries and non-perishable food, and none of that has prevented others from buying anything. In fact, in the event of an emergency we won’t need to buy those things, so there will be more available to the unprepared.

In answer to the OP question, I won’t be stockpiling anything, but will keep an eye on our supplies of pasta and rice and maybe get a few more tins in case of a power outage that spoils the frozen food we have. We buy loo roll in bulk from Costco anyway, and will continue to do so according to need. There’s nowhere to put an extra 48 rolls of the stuff, so we only buy it when the designated cupboard is empty. That’s neither selfish nor moronic - it’s just the way we do things. One trip means one lot of fuel, whereas buying a roll at a time would ‘snatch up’ the same amount each visit.

Who stockpiled vaccines?

I can never understand why some people feel the need to rush out and empty the supermarkets of loo roll.
Surely if we’re starving we won’t be going much anyway. 🤷‍♀️

Thank you kittylester for the heads-up. I don't think having a few extra of essential is stockpiling so ignore the self righteous on here. I shall know where to come if I run out of anything.
I shall make sure I have enough moisturiser to withstand the bad weather and dark chocolate for winter depression.

Graphite

El Niño might mean we get some wetter and stormier weather this winter.

Eagles said:

“If you’ve got a store of a bit of food that can keep you going for a while before the emergency services can get to you, you’re going to be a lot better off than if you haven’t.”

She isn’t suggesting everybody should stockpile supplies just because it might be a wet and stormy winter.

Obviously if you are in a part of the country where there’s more risk of flooding and being cut off then it’s sensible advice but that isn’t going to apply to most people.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp931m8n3p5o

I realise you meant this to be light-hearted but headlines like the BBC's can lead to panic buying which leaves shelves stripped so others can't buy even a normal supply of food. We saw it during the pandemic.

What Graphite says. For those who live in remote bits of the UK I expect they are hardwired to have a good stock of food and other things ‘just in case’ but the majority of us don’t need to worry.
It’s always sensible to have a torch / candles camping stove in case the power goes off and there can be few people without tins in the cupboard.

Oh dear - SOH bypass .
Never mind %kittylester , a good try.
Funny you should mention teabags, I realise I’m getting low!

kittylester we have also taken advantage of the wine and beer deals 🙀

Have got rice and pasta, unfortunately DH doesn’t eat any pulses, nor tomatoes or soup, so stocking up on tinned goods for us is sweetcorn, tuna and coconut milk.

Might get some long life milk.

However….if this is just a fun thread then teabags, marmalade, coffee and walnut cake and gin and tonics😄

TheWeirdoAgain60
El Nino is a meteorological oceanographic term to describe a naturally occurring climate phenomenon.
It's Spanish for the boy or the Christ child.
I'm English too!

Getting in supplies of roof tiles and a bit of extra guttering is probably a good idea, too

Birthday cards. We have a lot of anutum and winterbirthdays amongst our family and friends. This is of course assuming that the postal service does not get washed away!!

Doodledog

Getting in supplies of roof tiles and a bit of extra guttering is probably a good idea, too

Good plan, Doodle.

Doodledog sorry

Extra pegs for the washing, a rain hood (umbrella no good), wellies and more wine.

From what I remember the "stocking up" situation has been on off advice since Brexit, which was when I started acquiring a stash of non perishables. Then again we were told to do the same during lockdown. So I've always had a supply of baked beans, Heinz of course! When one son comes down with children for weekends and does his stint as Sunday morning breakfast sous chef he often marvels at my stash of beans, well laughs at them actually before looking at sell by dates, I do rotate them, there might be some out of date. However having Googled that I'm told tinned food is fine way, way past it's sell by date, even tinned fish unless there are visible signs of something wrong with the tin. Just as well, because I have stocked up on tins of other varities lately following government advice, tuna, pulses, soups, fruit, custard, rice pudding. Therein lies the problem, like a nuclear deterrent, I don't particularly want to use them, it's not food I'd choose to eat, it's a "just in case" stash, but I feel occasionally we'll have to open a tin or two because otherwise it's kind of a waste, unless I gift these tins to my children in my will and then son obsessed with sell by dates would only chuck the out of date ones out anyway ungrateful swine

Moving on to food that has to be cooked, dried pasta, rice etc, plus freezer foods. If power cuts are going to become a thing and data centres are using such an inordinate amount of those resources, we'll be more dependent on tinned stuff. Should we all consider getting some sort of Primus stove?. All in all, we joke but what's coming down the line it sounds grim

I.ve always got a good supply of tins in the cupboard, wine and spirits are taken care of, just incase anyone has toothache of course ,,a little whisky numbs the pain.

El Niño occurs regularly, but I thought affected the Southern hemisphere more than the Northern, causing cyclones and extreme weather conditions.

Best stock up on our Australian and NZ wine!

"I feel occasionally we'll have to open a tin or two because otherwise it's kind of a waste, unless I gift these tins to my children in my will"
😀

Doodledog

Getting in supplies of roof tiles and a bit of extra guttering is probably a good idea, too

As it happens, that is precisely what we are doing.

Part of our roof is a bit dodgy.
Getting it fixed realtively sooner rather than later.

Back in the day, GN especially on a Saturday ( when the cat’s away, I mean mods) etc used to be fun, a laugh, lighthearted, amusing and company for those alone.
Come on, girls ( and guys) - how dispiriting for OP to be shot down ,maybe it’s not only foodstuffs that might be in short supply, but smiles and empathy?
Anyway, I’d like to add books to the list as the TV might be down, kindles can run out of charge - but of course (also seriously) not forgetting candles and batteries.