It's disaster preparedness month - how prepared are you?

Thanks for the reminder. I keep canned food (people, dog, and cat)and water in the basement, along with a few blankets and pillows. It's kind of gross down there, so it would have to be a REAL EMERGENCY for me to be down there.

I also keep an emergency kit, along food and water, blankets, jacket and good walking shoes in the car.

Need to work on the rest.

We started to keep a few emergency items in a small reinforced area of our basement (good place to be when wind is threatening/tornado warning) a few years ago: radio, flashlight, candle, matches ect. This has been a good reminder to restock & check batteries.

it seems like I go to extremes. I have been known to have NOTHING at times and at other times I have had a gazillion cans of food etc, that in fact, go beyond their expiration date before they're ever needed.

This message was edited Sep 5, 2005 9:43 AM

We live in the country and have everything but a generater.It's on our to buy list.We keep enough food for our horses for a year.Dogs for a month and us for several months.We might be eating beans and rice but would not starve.We keep at least 100 gal. of extra gas on hand.ect,ect.

But, most of all, I keep my DDW very close at hand.

Living in earthquake country we try to be prepared as we can. We keep our trailer on our driveway filled with food, water an extra set of clothes and shoes for a disaster. We also have earthquake kits (has water, food, blankets, glow lights) and first aid kits in both our cars.

Also, a couple of years ago my place of work ordered disaster supply kits for under everyones desk. It has a 3 day supply of food, water, etc. If an earthquake hits and we get trapped under the desk then we have something.

A friend who has a daughter in 1st grade has to get together a bag with water, snack bars, a picture of the family and a game or toy so if there is an earthquake and a parent can't get there right away, then the child has something.

They keep saying it is not "if" the big one will happen but "when" and having to work here to make a living we are trying to be as prepared as we possibly can.

We keep a "tornado" survival kit in the basement next to my wine cellar (including glasses and a corkscrew!), and I travel quite a bit so I always have an emergency kit in my car - particularly in winter - because I drive through many isolated areas to get where I am going.

I don't do any of that....but now I'm scared! I'm going to start working to be more prepared starting now. Good poll dave.

I do most of the preparations mentioned and got in the habit after the earthquakes we have. IThis paid off when San Francisco had a large one and we were able to help the elderly people in our apartment building with spare flashlights, sterno for cooking and encouragement that our building was very sound and not in danger. I barbequed dinner for ten one night and served by candlelight since we had no power. Our past camping experiences helped us improvise and make-do very well. These things make us feel much more confident and not so victimized when bad things happen.

art_n_garden. The most important thing you can have is water and a jar of peanut butter in your car along with some wool blankets. In case you get trapped in a blizzard. Having papers secure in bank box is about all you can do top prepare for a tornado.
I was born in Lubbock and those are the only two things that can happen there I think.
sidney

We also live in earthquake country. We had a 6.8 earthquake a couple years back, but up here we're also expecting "The Big One." Not to mention that we also live near Mt. Rainier, which is expected to erupt sometime.

We always have plenty of human food and medicines, and we just moved into a house with a generator. We really need to get water, pet food, radios, flashlights, and car safety kits. Thanks for the reminder!

We have the first aid kits & stored water in the house, with candles. Also keep jumpers in the car. I keep my cell charged since I have small children on the road w/me........

Thank you sugarweed! That makes me feel better. I'll go get some pb & water for my car soon.

I voted "some of the above"

I have a mini grocery store here at home because I hate to be without things, and we live 20 miles from the nearest grocery store. The pantry is always stocked, the freezer is usually at least half full, and we always have bottled water.

I need to be more aware of the cat food situation and I think I'll start buying two bags at a time rather than one.

I need to put more essentials in the basement and in our vehicles too.

Up here, our emergencies would be tornados and winter storms.

We just moved into a house with a well, and we DO have a generator. In that case, how crucial is it that we have bottled water?? What would happen that would prevent us from getting our well water?

We have been through several other storms here and I learned young to keep a "Storm Box" filled. It gets checked at the beginning of summer and added to if need be. I store jars of Pnut butter & whole wheat /bread & crackers because man or beast can eat it and it's pretty good for everyone.Pnut butter on bread doesn't make a big mess like bird seeds:)
The hardest part for me staying ready is packing all the animals up.Everyone has a small travel cage and they all get stacked into a clear plastic storage boxes with the tops off.
The hardest part of all the prep work is calling the inlaws to let them know they are going to be invaded by a small Zoo.
We do look a lot like Noah's Ark when we get packed but I'd rather get the funny looks than leave behind my beloved critters.

During Hurrincane Carla we had 3ft of water in the house,snakes, mud, etc and after Alicia & the tornado's she spawn, I swore I'd never stay through another one.

MsC

Well, I guess I'd better get busy and put a few things together. Thanks for the reminder! t.

I don't know if every HD will carry them but mine had the crank radio/flashlight combo at a very good price of mid 20$ yesterday.

I keep water handy, cell phone charged, a bag of petfood (enough for a week) in a food saver bag and all my important documents (birth, insurance, marriage, INS etc) all together in a air locked container so we can grab quickly. Not as good about the can food or the first aid kits. We do have a Colemen batt/rechargeable lattern as well as several flashlights and batteries as well as a small battery radio. Also have a small duffle bag packed with three sets of clothing for DH & I along with meds.

This is from the Flylady site:
11 Points to Preparedness for Evacuation

1. PEOPLE: Have a plan for getting out of the house and make sure
everyone knows it. Have an emergency bag of food and water for your
family. Include wholesome snacks and treats for the children: dried
fruit, nuts, peanut butter, crackers and granola bars.

2. PETS: Keep pet carriers and leashes readily available to lead pets
to safety. Also take pet food with you.

3. PICTURES: Keep negatives or CDs of pictures in a lock box or at a
family member's home. Have picture albums in one place ready to grab
and go at a moments notice.

4. PAPERS: Have all your important papers in a lock box at a bank and
only keep copies at the house. This keeps you from panicking. If you
have them at home then put them in a folder that you can easily grab
if you have to move fast. Color code it so you can find it!

5. PRESCRIPTIONS: Take your medications with you. Don't forget the
ones that have to be refrigerated like insulin. Have small ice chest
and cold packs readily accessible to pack and go. If you have babies;
remember their formula or medications.

6. PURSES and PETRO: This is where you keep your identification,
credit cards and cash. Keep a stash of cash for emergencies and grab
it. You may not be able to use an ATM in the event of a power outage.
Make sure your car always has a half a tank of gas.

7. PROPER CLOTHES and COMFORT ITEMS: According to the weather
conditions; gather up a change of clothes along with outer clothing:
coats, rain gear, boots, gloves and hats. If you have babies remember
diapers. Remember to grab your children's favorite blanket, stuffed
animal or toy. A game or a deck of cards could keep them occupied and
calm too.

8. PLANNER/CALENDAR/CONTROL JOURNAL: These documents have all the
information you will need from phone numbers, insurance numbers and
important dates. They are small and filled with things you don't have
to try to remember.

9. PERSONAL PROTECTION: Many of us still have that time of the month.
Be sure and grab a box of your preferred protection. It may be hard to
find if you have been evacuated. Stress can cause our bodies to do
strange things too. So be prepared. Take medication for cramps too.

10. PHONES, RADIOS, FUEL FOR THE CAR: Many of us have cell phones now.
Always keep them charged up and have a charger in the car or an extra
battery. They may not work in the event of power outages, but then
they might. Know which local radio station has emergency
bulletins. Keep your battery powered radio tuned to that local station
and have plenty of batteries for it. Also keep a old type regular
phone that does not operate with electricity. GAS PUMPS don't work
without power either. You can't leave if your car is on empty. So keep
your car fuel tank topped off when it hits a half of tank. This way
you will have gas to drive at least a couple of hours. Evacuation
routes are usually bumper to bumper traffic. Having a tank filled will
keep you less stressed.

11. PATIENCE: This is one of the most important things to pack. Keep
it inside of you so that you have a clear calm head. Having your P's
to Preparedness list guiding you will keep you patient. In the event
of an evacuation there will be lots of displaced people. Being patient
will make things less stressful. Your children need to see you calm
and collected. This will help keep them calm too.

I voted for #1.

Always have canned food/soup, lots of bottled water, flashlights, battery-powered radio, etc., as we frequently get tornadoes in our area (2 touched down within a couple of miles of our farm just last week).

Also have a 2-burner campstove/range that runs on those small bottles of propane - something else that we keep a supply of.

Last hurricane that blew thru here leaving us without power for 4 days we were ready for. Had horse troughs full of water, cases of water jugs for the dogs/cats, lots of ice in the fridge & freezer, as well as in 3 Coleman coolers. Except for the lights & air conditioning, really weren't inconvenienced much at all. Had instant coffee, bacon & eggs, for breakfast; sandwiches for lunch; & chili, stew, outdoor grilled food, or stirfries for dinner.

No generator, but did just fine due to being prepared in the first place.

I think the only thing I don't do is I don't have my important documents in a safe place
and with what happened in La, Miss and Alabama I am going to change that. I live about 10 miles from the coast and I am just so thankful it wasn't us and it sure coulda been. I am surrounded with Chemical Plants and low lying areas that are built with homes and I know alot of those people could have been lost.

lol Hey that sounds like my neighborhood! *G* I'll have to see how close I am to Brazoria.

Can't believe I voted none. When the kids were little, I had most of that stuff prepared. Now I guess I've been a slacker. I do keep stuff in the vehicle in winter and keep the basement prepared thru tornado season. Definitely need to catch up some stuff here.

This is the greatest thread! Good reminders for some and instructions for others. Learned something from Lilypon in Canada last winter. She mentioned that her DH traveled in the winter and always kept a candle in his car. It gives off enough heat that you won't freeze if you are caught in a blizzard.

Now what, you may say, does that mean in S. Florida? I have no heat in my apartment, but LOTS of candles to burn. Believe it or not, it really will knock the chill off. LOL
Pati

I didn't vote. But after having my purse stolen I can finally actually "get it" about not keeping certain items, like your social security card, in your purse/wallet. Some things need to be tucked away.

Lotza canned food in that basement where I no longer live. See, that's why I didn't vote.

Loves you all. :-)

Karrie

we do all of the above EXCEPT we don't own a cell phone. had one, didn't use, junked it.

This is a good reminder thread! Today I restocked the first aid kit (still have kids at home, so this needs to be checked occasionally). I was out of antibiotic cream -always good to have.
I have hand cranked flashlights and radio, in addition to battery ones. I checked my battery stock (kids get into those, too).
We have plenty of firewood,drinking water, a filter system, canned foods and lantern fuel. I also keep pet food stocked.
I keep a stash a cash (in the power outage 2 summers ago that affected the whole east coast, it was almost impossible to get cash. And I keep the gas tanks filled.

Now if only i could FIND all those PAPERS!!!

None of the above.. ever.

I have lived all my life in an area at risk for a major earthquake, and wind and weather conspire here to give us brief tastes of what that might be like. I keep canned food, the means to open it, batteries, medical basics, and wood (fireplace) on hand. Constantly forget water, which is madness, since we are on a powered community well here.

These are questions that need to be raised often and specifically -- we forget the basics in the day to day of our lives.

Just got around to reading this, I've been a bit busy since Friday.

We always have spare food in the house, it might not be stuff we want to eat, but we could eat it. We do staple shopping at the beginning of the quarter. Borrowing a car and doing huge loads groceries, and then adding in fresh vegetables, etc.. as we need them. We also have several 3-liter bottles of water in the laundry closet. Though my mother does keep extra supplies, any disaster that would stop me from getting at our pantry would stop me from getting at any supplies that I kept at the house.

danak - Well water is actually really susceptible to any disaster that you would need water for. Either because the well breaks, either the pump or the water drains away, or because the ground water that you're pulling from becomes contaminated. Especially because the main disaster we have to worry about is Earthquakes.

A good way to keep the food and water from going bad is to cycle it into your main supply about once every three months and replace it. The water can be used for the garden, as the plants aren't going to mind if it's a bit stale. Anything that is in your emergency kit should be something that will last that long, that you don't mind eating.

Also, I suggest some type of water flavoring that you'll drink like kool-aid (the powder being premixed in water proof container with sugar), instant tea, gateraid or other sports drink mix is great if you'll drink it due to the added nutrients, or something else of this type, because unless you just replaced the water, it's going to taste a bit weird. This is especially important if you have children.

Also if you have pets here is a link to emergency preparedness information that might point out something you hadn't thought of http://www.noahswish.org/Brochure.htm

Dear God! ... I never thought about this other than what I will do if I have to get my babies out of here ...and thats to keep the pet carrier where I know I can find it. ...the only reason I thought of that is I felt so bad when people had to leave their pets during Katrina. I felt even worse when I saw them being gathered up ...wondering what they were going to do with them. I cant believe some people left their animals tied up...not able to fend for themselves. In lieu of all that...I sent my donation to Louisana SPCA! Gosh ...I must think I am invinceable or something!
...anyway thanks for all the tips.
Sylvia

araness, thanks so much for posting the 11 Tips! I have now copied and pasted into a document and saved on my computer for printing and POSTING ON THE REFRIGERATOR! It will stay there until I check off every item!

I will also be providing a copy to my 23 year old daughter who, along with my 3 year old grandbaby now lives about 15 miles away... boohoo... they WERE living in our rent house across the street, 2 doors down and I'm missing them terribly! I guess it could be worse... they could be HUNDREDS of miles away and I would be nuts for sure!

Gail

I do most of the things listed except I, too, need to work on those papers! Also, I can't get my RX's filled ahead of time. Have tried to fill them a week or 10 days early and insurance won't pay. This makes no sense to me at all. We do have batteries, food, (also pet food) water and first aid kits in both the house and car. I am going to put some PB in the car, though!

I voted all of the above. I've lived in S. FL all my life, until Andrew moved me north. I now live in Central Fl, but I know what it's like to not HAVE!

I don't have a working gas gauge on my car, so it stays full, and I keep several cans of dehydrated food (especially milk) on hand.

We don't chlorinate the pool just before a hurricane, just in case.

Last year during the storms (we had 3 hurricanes and a tropical storm) the neighbors all gave their kids baths in the pool, and the neighbors pool we kept for staying cool. Also, we keep 5g buckets to flush toilets!

150 gallons of water, food for 3 mo., 6 cords of wood, Gold and Silver (in case paper money is no good) . . . All that is wonderful and calming in the absolute worst case scenario

But I think the best way to prepare is KNOWLEDGE! Know how to start a fire without matches, how to cook over an open flame a variety of foods. How to kill and clean game. How to navigate in open country. Stay fit! So if you have to walk far, carrying your stuff, you can do it. What native plants are good to eat?Or could kill you? If you are formula feeding an infant and can't get formula, what will you do? Do local herbs have medicinal properties? Do you know how to build a shelter in the snow? Don't count on your communites, your neighbors or your government to care for you. They will be trying to care for their own or they might not get to you in time.


It sounds extreme, but if I have learned anything from Katrina. The worst CAN happend and WILL happen. Learn how to survive without power, plumbing, your house or the grocery store.

I don't do any of the above.

We have a 600 gallon cistern along with a 6300 watt generator hardwired to the house.

We keep one month's plus of everything, toiletries down to cat food with everything in between. We live on an island that relies strictly on ferries for deliveries so in hurricane season this is a must.

Well - IF I could find my impt papers, get a crank or battery radio and extra batteries then I would have done it all... Gas gauge is broken too, keep full.

Suzi :)

We keep a list on the computer of all the stuff we have to grab in case of an evacuation. Over the years this list has gotten smaller. It is down to a few keepsakes and the laptop. Thanks to technology, all our insurance information, all our photographs and just about everything else we need is recorded on the computer. I no longer worry about valuables, they are just things; the important this is to get out and stay safe.

Each year we photograph the house, outside and in, all the drawers and closets, etc. so we have a photographic inventory of what we have. This is stored on a CD in the safe deposit box and on the computer.

We do the food, water and batteries thing and we probably should have a generator but I hate to spend the money and then have it just sit there.

Now, if only Orphelia would make up her mind about where she is going...............

None.