Prepping for emergencies is one of those boring little tasks that we know we need to do but so many of us put off. This is just a friendly reminder (nag) to all my fellow Kossacks to take just a few minuets this weekend and check out how well you are prepared for emergencies. Preparation will make an emergency situation better and could even save your life.
This last week has been literally a disaster at the Hill House- just North of Nashville, we had a little rain over the weekend. Since the beginning of the year we've had the most snowfall in about 25 years, a flu pandemic, numerous tornado watches- and even a couple of warnings- a tornado touched down one county over from us last week, and catastrophic flooding this last week. Last year we had a ice storm that knocked power out in some places for weeks. So you can bet I keep emergency supplies on hand. But I had let my supplies run low until last week when I thought- "you know, it might be a good thing to lay in some extra groceries" I had no idea we were about to get the rain storm of the century- but thats the problem with emergencies- one never knows when they are going to pop up.
To be prepared- you must be aware. It astonishes me how many people never listen to a weather forecast. A young friend of mine on Facebook posted that she was getting ready to go somewhere- last Sunday afternoon. I quickly called her, and said "honey, the roads are under water." She had no idea. Now, true, sometimes storms blow up very quickly, and driving-in-bad-weather-wienie that I am, I myself have been caught out in a sudden storm. But most of the time, you get a heads-up about weather conditions. If there is an alert- JUST STAY HOME!
UNLESS- and this is important, Emergency officials ask you to evacuate. Then you need to leave. Please. Its good to have a few supplies in your car just in case. A couple of water bottles, and some granola bars/packets of peanuts/peanut butter crackers- some kind of snack. I keep a good pair of walking shoes in mine, along with a small first aid kit- you can buy them pre-made or put one together yourself. I keep extra season-appropriate jackets/hats etc. A pair of jumper-cables, a multi-tool and a roll of duct-tape are good to have. If we had to evacuate, I'd throw a lot more in, but these are rock bottom supplies I keep in my car all the time. If you have some naggely little car problem- say a slow leak in one of the tires, or a squeaky belt- how about taking care of that this weekend? Fill up the tank, and check your spare. Just in case.
Now, lets see what you should have in your house for emergencies. Right now- can you lay hands on a flashlight? If the power were to go off right now this second, do you know what you could have for dinner? Without leaving the house? Do you know where your shut-off valves for gas/propane/water etc are-and how to actually shut them off? Do you know how to shut off the electricity? This weekend would be a dandy time to find out!
How about three days of food and water in your house? Probably most of us have three days of food, but what about water? You don't have to buy bottled water- you can just fill up suitable containers, you can re-fill plastic water bottles of course or (rinsed out) 2-liter soda bottles, or, my favorite, gin bottles. A rough rule of thumb is two liters per person per day for drinking (more for sanitation). Its not a good idea to use milk jugs for drinking water, but they make fine water containers for flushing toilets. Right now we have 3 adults in our household so 9 2-liter soda bottles, or 18 1 liter gin bottles will do if you don't want to buy actual water containers. If you have pets don't forget their needs- and you might want to keep a gallon or so around for any houseplants you have.
For food supplies, you need to think about preparing food without electricity. When we have a power outage, we eat up whats in the fridge first- because its not going to last very long. And here we are coming up on one of my pet peeves- people throwing food out after the power has been off. Buy a ice-chest cooler or two. If you think your electric is going to be out for a long time, quickly put your food from your fridge into the cooler add some ice (freeze water in a couple of small soda bottles and you have non-laking ice-pack and when they thaw, you have an extra bottle or two of water. Frozen food will stay frozen for 24 hours in an ice chest, and will stay cold up to three days. This is in my old chest- they have super-insulated ones out now that will keep food cold for up to five days. Or, if its winter time, put the food in an ice chest and stick it out side- making sure its secured from animals.
If you have a gas stove, you can still cook/heat stuff up without electricity. Or you might purchase a small camp stove- make sure you have the appropriate fuel. Or use a gas or charcoal grill. Or just have three days worth of Pop-tarts and peanut butter. For most emergencies- three days is enough for the weather to pass over, the roads to clear and emergency crews to arrive. The longer you can be self-sufficient the easier it will be to get emergency help. Also, if you are safe and out of the way, others at higher risk, like elderly or disable can get help first.
Which, speaking of elderly/disabled folks, along with families with small children, and people with medical needs-if you are in any of these categories, or they are members of your house hold, make sure you/they have extra medications or supplies they need. I would err on the side of caution and have an extra week of prescription meds/baby formula/diapers whatever. Also, be aware of elderly neighbors who may need help during an emergency. Make a plan to check up on them. Cell phones might go out during some emergencies- we've used walkie-talkies successfully-though we had to remind others to turn them on.
Along with the prescription meds and other supplies, keep a good first first aid kit available. Hey! you know what? This weekend would be a great time to make sure you have sufficient first aid supplies- along with ibuprofen/acetaminophen, OTC cold and flu meds, anti-nausea/diarrhea tablets, allergy meds- whatever else you think you might need.
Make sure your flashlights are in order, and that you have some kind of non-electric lights and radio. You can buy nifty wind-up ones very cheaply now. Candles are not my first choice. They are nifty and romantic and all that, but they don't put out that much light and the danger of fire just adds to the already high stress level. We use hurricane lamps- though with caution.
Last but not least, check to make sure you can stay sane during an emergency. Make sure you have something to do- books, non-electric games, puzzles, craft materials, whatever you fancy. If you are a smoker- stash away a couple of extra packs (cartons?) of cigarettes. A stash of comfort food- Doritos, chocolates, pudding packs,- whatever your comfort food is, will be greatly appreciated during a crises.
This is just a short little weekend emergency prep primer. You can of course make more elaborate plans, buy some cool gear, take a first aid course. Clean out your basement.
Here's to hoping none of us will need these preps- but it is good to have them in place-just in case.