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Ten minutes later, the torrent had only grown stronger as it blew out the newly installed drywall and I ran for the phone to call the fire department—hey, plumbers can take hours to reach—when we heard a muffled voice calling triumphantly from below; “Found it!”

It turned out the water shut-off was hidden in a crawlspace, tucked away from the finished basement where a century’s worth of old doors and trim lay. My advice is to take the time to find out where your water shut-off is located now, before an emergency, so you won’t be floundering in the dark wondering if you’ll ever find it.

When You Are the Fireman

You should purchase several ABC fire extinguishers for emergencies. Why specifically an ABC model? They use monoammonium phosphate, designed to put out liquid fires, combustible material fires, as well as electrical fires. So cover your bets with an all-inclusive extinguisher.

Remember, your local fire department may not be able to reach you in the case of fire or other emergencies during a full-blown crisis. Landline and cell phone coverage may be down or jammed. With the use of candles, oil lamps, and cooking with an unfamiliar heat source during a power outage, the possibility of fire increases.