How much cash per person would you recommend? (good, oil, winter)
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$100 per person should be more than enough just about anywhere.
Triple that. 'Tis better to have and not need than to need and not have...
Also, make sure its all in small bills -- 1s, 5s and 10s. With no power for lights, POS terminals, etc., the chances are very good that, if you need a $1 roll of toilet paper and all you have is a $50 bill, it just became a $50 roll of toilet paper...
100 bucks won't even get a decent room in the coachroach motel these days. But 10K seems a little excessive. I didn't spend anything like to see 40 states on a motorcycle in 10 months, but I came close, when we bought a nice clean 86 full sized Dodge Conversion van and a brand spankin new 6x6x12 enclosed trailer because we hit black ice in Arkansas.
At least the van is still nice (rust free which is a big deal in NH) and I still have the trailer.
100 bucks won't even get a decent room inthe coachroach motel these days. But 10K seems a little excessive. I didn't spend anything like to see 40 states on a motorcycle in 10 months, but I came close, when we bought a nice clean 86 full sized Dodge Conversion van and a brand spankin new 6x6x12 enclosed trailer because we hit black ice in Arkansas.
You're exaggerating, MacMuz, unless you're talking about New York City or Washington D.C. or someplace like that. I took a two-week car trip in late December/early January from Los Angeles as far east as Pensacola, Florida, returning through Little Rock and the Navajo country of northern Arizona. The most I spent for a motel was $85 for a Day's Inn (which is fairly nice) in Fredricksburg, Texas. The Motel 6 is a pretty good bet - not fancy but clean and acceptable. In some towns Motel 6 is as cheap as $35 or $40, but not everywhere of course.
As for the OP's question, I live in earthquake country. I try not to let the cash in my wallet get below $50 (I get $400 at a time out of the ATM and use cash for gasoline, all food, and most other purchases - the $400 lasts me two and half weeks on average), and I have $400 in twenties in the house, hidden in some very bizarre places. For us it could hit any time, without warning.
You're exaggerating, MacMuz, unless you're talking about New York City or Washington D.C. or someplace like that. I took a two-week car trip in late December/early January from Los Angeles as far east as Pensacola, Florida, returning through Little Rock and the Navajo country of northern Arizona. The most I spent for a motel was $85 for a Day's Inn (which is fairly nice) in Fredricksburg, Texas. The Motel 6 is a pretty good bet - not fancy but clean and acceptable. In some towns Motel 6 is as cheap as $35 or $40, but not everywhere of course.
As for the OP's question, I live in earthquake country. I try not to let the cash in my wallet get below $50 (I get $400 at a time out of the ATM and use cash for gasoline, all food, and most other purchases - the $400 lasts me two and half weeks on average), and I have $400 in twenties in the house, hidden in some very bizarre places. For us it could hit any time, without warning.
I did an unintentional Ironbutt when I had planned to stop in Burmingham AL (HARDLY DC) and COULD NOT find a hotel under $100 (WITH the military discount) while on a bike ride.
Whatever you have in the bank - take it out and convert it to small bills. Buy 5-gallon cans and fill them with gas. NOW.
During Hugo, most banks were inaccessible for weeks due to power outages. Most gas pumps did not work due to both power outages and evacuees filling their tanks so that there were hundreds of stations with signs up even BEFORE the hurricane - "Sorry, no gas". There were actually gunfights in some gas station parking lots over the last dribbles of fuel. Convenience stores along the evacuation route ran out of food - including slim jims and baby, dog, and cat food. There were fights in grocery stores over the last loaves of bread and bottles of water.
Remember that if your water supply is tainted by either damage or storm surge, you will need water first of all, and TP next. They are saying that batteries are already sold out in stores in NY and NJ. If you are waiting to fill your tank on Saturday, you may have no where to buy gas. Ambulances and fire trucks cease operations before the storm hits, and if treefall or washouts are bad, may not be able to get to your burning house or Granda struck by treefall afterwards. Most injuries and ambulance calls occur AFTER the storm; people cleaningup and having heart attacks, etc. Oh - the sudden drop in air pressure causes babies near term to be born without warning. This is a fact. So if anyone is pregnant and over 7.5 months in term, they need to have access to a hospital.
Then the hawks moved in, selling $100 cheap chainsaws for $500+, $300 generators for $2000 - and people were BUYING them because they had no choice. Sure, there were laws against it - but there were too many of them, and not enough law enforcement.
If you don't have what you need by now, either to bug out or bug in, you might as well batten down the hatches and prepare to stay where you are with what you already have. But do clean out your bank account (leave the minimum in to hold your account if necessary) and convert it to small bills at least. You're going to need it. And if it turns out to be a little breeze and a little rain, you've lost nothing and can always put it back.
The 100 dollar intent was most any room would take most of it and you would have very little to eat with left and nothing for any 2nd night. 15 bucks isn't going to last very long if you need fuel and food. That's based on 100 (-) 85 = 15.
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Come now, MacMuz
