JWR & HJL:
That was another great article [on Hurricane Matthew]! A suggested alternative that I have adopted is buying a turbo diesel automobile and truck. The benefits are simple and yet many people still have not discovered the option. Here are a few:
My VW tdi as an example gets about 43 miles per gallon, so with a 15 gallon fuel tank it achieves about 600 miles plus on a tank, and by adding three NATO style 5 gal metal cans (15 gallons total) in the trunk I have a 1,200 hundred mile cruising range. That is hard to beat.
Another advantage diesel in several scenarios I have been through was that diesel will still be available when regular gas is sold out. In my own testing, diesel is not nearly as volatile as gasoline.
Diesel stores for 3 to 4 years without stabilizers with no noticeable degrading (in my own experience and only use 55g al metal drums or 5 gal current NATO style gas cans). [JWR Adds: It stores even longer with an anti-microbial stabilizer such as PRI-D added.]
You can buy diesel at the service stations and transport it in any type of container without violating any over the road fuel safety transportation laws.
As a side note: More then once people have advised me at the service stations “Do you know you are putting diesel in your car?” to which I just smile and point to the diesel emblem on the car. Point being this is a worthwhile option that everybody should consider. t may just save your day and your family at some point in the future. – John in Nevada