This is a post I’ve been thinking about for awhile. Now that Hurricane Sandy is having its way with the East Coast… well, it seems timely.
I once was told that kids who grow up in colder climates tend to have more common sense than those who grow up in warmer ones.
Makes sense to me. Then again, I grew up in Anchorage. So I’m a little biased.
But apparently living in a warmer climate can melt the common sense out of my brain in three years.
When I left for FinCon ’12, I didn’t think to bring a jacket. Or a hoodie. Or any kind of cover from any inclement weather. While going to a city in the mountains.
Worse, I didn’t even notice my omission until my mom pointed it out.
As it turns out, it was sunny for 6 of the 7 days I was there.
But the last day, it did start raining pretty steadily. If the hotel hadn’t kept an umbrella for guests to borrow, I’d have melted! (Cuz, see, I’m made of sugar in this scenario. Or I’m the Wicked Witch of the West. Hmm, this one kinda got away from me.)
Point is, I was unprepared, and this set my brain to worrying. I began to realize just how unprepared we are in case of a natural disaster.
Well, actually, it was paranoia over the zombie thing. How, if we had to hole up, we’d pretty quickly be out of food and probably water. And how none of that food or water was in the garage, which is obviously the safest spot in our house to flee from the flesh-eaters.
But I quickly realized that this anxiety could be more practically applied to emergency preparation that didn’t involve the dead rising up.
First up, water. We have four, five-gallon jugs that we share with Tim’s parents. So if we were running low, we could be in real trouble.
That one’s easy enough to solve. Gallon jugs are about a dollar at the store — less if you hit the sales — so I’m just going to buy them one or two at a time until we have a week’s supply.
Next, food. Turns out we had six cans in our cupboard. Well, seven if you count the green enchilada sauce.
So, I’m trying to get a can or two each time we go to the store. Stock up on some veggies, beans, soups, etc.
We need more protein. But all I can think of is tuna (the smell of which makes Tim retch), sardines and Spam. And I’ll only eat those last two if my life does depend on it.
So I guess we’d better stock up on peanut butter and other alternate protein sources. And maybe some jerky.
Next, ambient temperature.
Winters in the desert can get surprisingly cool, but we have warm blankets and plenty of layers. So we’re fine there.
If it’s summer though, the best we can do is to lie, prone and whimpering, on the floor.
Finally, we need to get a radio. And some batteries for the radio. Also, more flashlights. We have two, and one’s on a key chain.
Taking stock, it’s horrifying how unprepared we are.
Oh a few other things we should get and keep on hand:
- Cash. No electricity = no debit cards/ATMs
- Extra pet food
- Rain ponchos
- Emergency first aid kit
- Sterno or a similar heat source
- Graham crackers, Hershey bars and marshmallows
Because if we have to crack open some Sterno anyway, you’d better believe I’m going to weather the disaster with some gooey, chocolatey goodness!
Are you prepared in case of an emergency?
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Here in South Jersey I was. Keep in mind that lack of water is one of the last things to happen in an emergency. They say a gallon of water per person per day but having drinks on hand of any kind are a good idea. I wouldn't worry about buying a bunch of empty containers for water. With a few days advanced notice I was able to wash out and refill a bunch of containers. Plus ice. My fridge has an ice maker but I have ice cube trays too so I was able to make twice as much ice. The biggest concerns were tracking down important documents including the dogs vaccine papers because they are needed to bring your animal into an emergency shelter. this post is too long but a little advance planning is always a good idea.
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Abigail Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 8:24 am
Alane,
I wasn't talking about empty jugs. Just actual gallons of water. And, yes, it's far less likely to have the water off than electricity. But it's so damn dry — and often hot — here that it's something I feel needs to be prioritized.
You're right about the important documents, though. I don't think we even *have* vaccination records around.
I hope things weren't too bad in your area.
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Alane Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 5:59 am
I got lucky. I live in Camden County so things weren't bad but the shore is gone. It's pretty incomprehensible. You can get a list of your pets vaccines from the vet anytime. I saw one picture from a shelter and they had the cats in cages kept in a seperate room. Dogs though are another story.The truth is you can only prepare so much but in the end sometimes you have to be evacuated and thats a whole new ballgame. I think its just a wise idea to keep a good supply of things on hand because sometimes things happen and who wants to run to the store when everyone has the flu.
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Alane Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 5:59 am
I got lucky. I live in Camden County so things weren't bad but the shore is gone. It's pretty incomprehensible. You can get a list of your pets vaccines from the vet anytime. I saw one picture from a shelter and they had the cats in cages kept in a seperate room. Dogs though are another story.The truth is you can only prepare so much but in the end sometimes you have to be evacuated and thats a whole new ballgame. I think its just a wise idea to keep a good supply of things on hand because sometimes things happen and who wants to run to the store when everyone has the flu.
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Abigail Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 8:24 am
Alane,
I wasn't talking about empty jugs. Just actual gallons of water. And, yes, it's far less likely to have the water off than electricity. But it's so damn dry — and often hot — here that it's something I feel needs to be prioritized.
You're right about the important documents, though. I don't think we even *have* vaccination records around.
I hope things weren't too bad in your area.
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Get a battery-operated fan. Worth it's weight in gold.
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Abigail Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 8:25 am
Ah, yes! I was trying to figure out what to do in the fan category.
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Abigail Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 8:25 am
Ah, yes! I was trying to figure out what to do in the fan category.
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How about canned chicken? or the ever favorite SPAM?
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Abigail Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 8:26 am
OneFamly: Yes, at some point I'll need to give canned chicken a try. Seems like it'd be kind of slimy, but don't knock it til you tried it, right? Except for Spam. I'm find judging Spam from a distance, since I'm not all that big on ham to begin with.
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OneFamily Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 8:55 am
actually the canned chunked chicken breasts aren't too bad – they are packed in water and once drained it's fine. I use it in a chicken salad sandwich type of recipe with crescent rolls.
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Lisa Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 3:19 pm
It's pretty good mixed with barbecue sauce too.
Lisa Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 3:19 pm
It's pretty good mixed with barbecue sauce too.
OneFamily Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 8:55 am
actually the canned chunked chicken breasts aren't too bad – they are packed in water and once drained it's fine. I use it in a chicken salad sandwich type of recipe with crescent rolls.
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Prtactical Parsimony Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 11:19 pm
I have canned chicken and Hormel Beef in Gravy. I have no Spam at all and little sardines. The Hormel Beef in Gravy is delicious! Some canned chicken is slimier than other canned chicken. I bought, opened and ate each kind to find what was palatable. I have packets of cheese sauce to use canned chicken and whole wheat pasta. If I have no way of cooking, pasta and chicken would still be good. I dried lots of vegetables, so that would go fine in the chicken, cheese, pasta dish.
I have whole grain pasta for the Hormel Beef and Gravy plus more dehydrated vegetables.
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Abigail Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 8:26 am
OneFamly: Yes, at some point I'll need to give canned chicken a try. Seems like it'd be kind of slimy, but don't knock it til you tried it, right? Except for Spam. I'm find judging Spam from a distance, since I'm not all that big on ham to begin with.
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Prtactical Parsimony Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 11:19 pm
I have canned chicken and Hormel Beef in Gravy. I have no Spam at all and little sardines. The Hormel Beef in Gravy is delicious! Some canned chicken is slimier than other canned chicken. I bought, opened and ate each kind to find what was palatable. I have packets of cheese sauce to use canned chicken and whole wheat pasta. If I have no way of cooking, pasta and chicken would still be good. I dried lots of vegetables, so that would go fine in the chicken, cheese, pasta dish.
I have whole grain pasta for the Hormel Beef and Gravy plus more dehydrated vegetables.
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Here’s something I’m working on. Making sure there is always at least a quarter tank of gas in the car. If the power goes out, the electronic gas pumps will not work unless the gas station has a back up energy source.
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Abigail Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 1:39 pm
Eep! Excellent point.
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Abigail Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 1:39 pm
Eep! Excellent point.
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I live in Reno and we get sunshine one day, and snow storms the next. Sometimes the power will go out all day. We have a generator, and extra gas for it. That way you can keep your fridge, and freezer cold. And in the winter, it will run the couple electric heaters we have and keep us warm too. Keep extra pet food.
OK, the canned chicken is good but bland. Try getting some of the dehydrated soups and meals in packages at your local camping stores or on line. I get them at http://beprepared.com/
or https://www.thereadystore.com/ No need to go nuts buying it all. Just a couple things each payday.
Go to http://thesurvivalmom.com/ and she has lists of practical/common sense items you can
collect for an emergency.
Its good to think of this, and there are some good containers you can get on line too. Also keep some board games, cards, books around too. You might want to think of an emergency bag to take in the car with you. Water, protein bars, flashlights, and maybe a couple blankets.
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Abigail Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Thanks for the links. I'll definitely check it out.
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Abigail Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Thanks for the links. I'll definitely check it out.
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Those of us who eat meat on a regular basis seem to think that unless we are eating something derived from an animal we aren't eating protein. But those cans of beans are providing you with protein, too, so don't worry if you abhor canned meats/fish. Peanut or nut butter is a good non-animal protein source to keep on hand, but so are nuts and seeds (sunflower seeds are fairly cheap).
If milk is a staple for you (to eat with cereal, perhaps) then you may want to get some dried or canned milk. Shelf-stable packaged milk (sold in Tetra-packs similar to juice boxes) is popular in Latin American countries. In your area you should have markets that cater to Mexican or Latin American immigrants, so you may want to check there to see if they sell it. (I've seen it in Mexico for sure, but haven't hunted it down in my local markets 'cause I rarely drink milk.)
My pantry and cold cellar are pretty well-stocked. I have a tendency put up a lot of food, "stock up" on canned basics when they are on sale, and freeze every bit of stuff that I think may spoil if I left it in the fridge a bit longer. (I realize the freezer may be unstable in an emergency unless it was winter, but I am just a food hoarder and don't buy this stuff as a way to prepare for an emergency.) Occasionally I can fight the tendency to sock away so much food and work my way through the backlog, but then I find myself falling back into the habit. For example, I likely have enough home-canned pickles to last me through the end of the decade and I'm sure I still have at least 40 lbs of the 60 lbs of honey some friends gifted me before they left the country a couple years ago. (They kept bees, so they had a lot. And honey lasts for many years.)
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Abigail Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 1:47 pm
I actually don't eat a lot of meat, but it's good to have some around. The issue with beans is that they're not considered a complete protein. You generally need to have rice with it. But it's better than nothing certainly. Luckily, I don't have much milk in my diet. But, to the larger point, yes I need to just start stocking up as sales happen.
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Abigail Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 1:47 pm
I actually don't eat a lot of meat, but it's good to have some around. The issue with beans is that they're not considered a complete protein. You generally need to have rice with it. But it's better than nothing certainly. Luckily, I don't have much milk in my diet. But, to the larger point, yes I need to just start stocking up as sales happen.
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Rather than, or in addition to, a radio and flashlight, you might consider a wind up radio with a built in flash light. They have the option for battery power, but also have a crank in case you run out of batteries. We have one and it is so nifty. They're only like $30, so not much more than a regular radio and flashlight.
I would also recommend head lamps; they're so much more convenient than flashlights.
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Abigail Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Meghan: Right! I forgot about crank radios. I'm going to have to keep an eye out at camping stores.
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Abigail Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Meghan: Right! I forgot about crank radios. I'm going to have to keep an eye out at camping stores.
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Costco sells canned chicken and canned roast beef. Haven't tried it so I don't know if its good or not.
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Lynda Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 4:15 pm
Yes the costco canned chicken is good drain mix w/ mayo or miracle whip and eat w crackers. if you have a gas grill you can cook anything you can cook with your pots and pans on the grill. remember everything in your freezer will be melting. bottled water only lasts so long and then bacteria starts to grow tips from someone who lived through 4 hurricanes in 2 years down here in sunny s outh florida Lynda
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Unfortunately, we have electric everything. Good point about bottled water. I'll have to look up information on that.
My mom pointed out that, as we switch out the bottles in general, we can donate to a pet shelter. (Well, assuming they're safe from bacteria!)
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Unfortunately, we have electric everything. Good point about bottled water. I'll have to look up information on that.
My mom pointed out that, as we switch out the bottles in general, we can donate to a pet shelter. (Well, assuming they're safe from bacteria!)
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:19 pm
Good to know. We're due for a trip there pretty soon. I'll scope it out!
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Lynda Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 4:15 pm
Yes the costco canned chicken is good drain mix w/ mayo or miracle whip and eat w crackers. if you have a gas grill you can cook anything you can cook with your pots and pans on the grill. remember everything in your freezer will be melting. bottled water only lasts so long and then bacteria starts to grow tips from someone who lived through 4 hurricanes in 2 years down here in sunny s outh florida Lynda
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:19 pm
Good to know. We're due for a trip there pretty soon. I'll scope it out!
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You can never have too many flashlights! Stock up on candles, too. I like them because they don't require batteries. ;o)
I've found that it's good to always have a certain amount of cash on hand and not just for emergencies. How much is up to you but I like to keep at least $150 – $200. Also, don't hide it all in one place.
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:21 pm
Catseye: Yes, the idea of having cash just sitting around makes me antsy, but it's a good idea. We should get some candles, I'm just always sure I'll knock into them and they'll go flying. Not that it matters as much with tile floors.
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:21 pm
Catseye: Yes, the idea of having cash just sitting around makes me antsy, but it's a good idea. We should get some candles, I'm just always sure I'll knock into them and they'll go flying. Not that it matters as much with tile floors.
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It gets crazy in "this neck of the woods" whenever there is a "weather event"…Big sellers….bread…milk….bottled water….toilet paper …..AND gas powered generators. What we do at our house when there is impending doom is ….fill the bath tub with water….along with every container we can find….no bottled water for me thanks. My question….what happens to all the generators? Every time we have bad weather all the stores sell out of generators…where do they go? Becuase the next time bad weather occurs….big run on generators again. I bought my generator right over 25 years ago at Pace (they were bought out by Sams club) when I got into an argument with the local utility….another story….Any insight into this mystery would be appreciatted….
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:24 pm
It's kind of like snow tires in Seattle. Once a year when a "bad" storm hits, NAPA stores are filled with people buying chains. Then again the next year. Weird.
Down here, you really want to avoid drinking from the tap if you can. (It took me a month to get used to the smell of the water coming out of our shower when we first moved here.) Not to mention that the tub we inherited with the house is sort of perma-grungy. Still, never hurts to have backup.
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:24 pm
It's kind of like snow tires in Seattle. Once a year when a "bad" storm hits, NAPA stores are filled with people buying chains. Then again the next year. Weird.
Down here, you really want to avoid drinking from the tap if you can. (It took me a month to get used to the smell of the water coming out of our shower when we first moved here.) Not to mention that the tub we inherited with the house is sort of perma-grungy. Still, never hurts to have backup.
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A couple tips from someone in the water business – don't ever buy water that is being stored in a window or set out by gas pumps. The sun will leach VOC's from the plastic into the water causing a bad taste. And since plastic is porous, any water that a gas station has out by it's pumps has a good chance of tasting like gas. Along with that, don't store your water near your car or lawn mower (will also make it taste like gas).
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:25 pm
Hmmm interesting point. I buy the gallon jugs in the grocery store that are away from all those. And we don't keep the car or any other fume-y things in the garage.
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Prtactical Parsimony Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 11:57 pm
There is usually water available to you, just not potable water. That is why keeping several methods of water purification is advisable.That is why you need a way to purify water.
Don't set the water jugs on concrete or let them rest against cinderblocks.
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Prtactical Parsimony Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 11:57 pm
There is usually water available to you, just not potable water. That is why keeping several methods of water purification is advisable.That is why you need a way to purify water.
Don't set the water jugs on concrete or let them rest against cinderblocks.
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:25 pm
Hmmm interesting point. I buy the gallon jugs in the grocery store that are away from all those. And we don't keep the car or any other fume-y things in the garage.
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Make sure you have a hand-operated can opener. I bought one a couple years ago that cuts under the lid so there's no jagged edges. I love it! I never let my gas grill get close to running out of propane. I figure at least some of the meat in the freezer could be thawed and cooked, plus I could heat up soup, cook eggs, etc. Even in the winter I can open the garage door and push it far enough into the driveway to be safe although I'm sure it would take forever to get really hot. Maybe I could build a snow wall to the west to block the wind first!
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Ha, my friend and I were just discussing how the simplest can openers are the best. The nice ones never seem to work. And I didn't know they still made electric can openers. We were reminiscing about those. We have weird conversations, apparently.
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Ha, my friend and I were just discussing how the simplest can openers are the best. The nice ones never seem to work. And I didn't know they still made electric can openers. We were reminiscing about those. We have weird conversations, apparently.
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Really, you should not generalize. I grew up on the Deep South and much more common sense than my NY born and reared ex husband.
Buying jugs of water is the expensive way to have water. Read up on water purification methods and only keep one purchased jug per person. That will give you time to purify water for the next day. You cannot keep those jugs of water indefinitely. They have an experation date and the bottles are flimsy and leak. The water goes bad after awhile. Plan to purify water. If you have time, you can fill up anything but milk jugs. If you don't have time, you will have a gallon of purified water for each person. That will give you time to purify more. Buy five gallon water containers and store water there.
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:29 pm
Studies always generalize, I'm afraid. They're based on cross sections of people, and the majority trends thereof. And, yes, there are plenty of warm weather folks with common sense. I would imagine people in hurricane-prone areas are also quite filled with common sense.
I guess it has more to do with how prepared you have to be for multiple/severe weather events.
As for water purification, the jugs are on the assumption that the water is off. So purification wouldn't do us much good. I think 59 cent gallon jugs of water are okay, as long as you don't go crazy with them. And, yes, I'd limit the jugs to probably 5-6. Even if water were off for a week, that would last us pretty well.
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:29 pm
Studies always generalize, I'm afraid. They're based on cross sections of people, and the majority trends thereof. And, yes, there are plenty of warm weather folks with common sense. I would imagine people in hurricane-prone areas are also quite filled with common sense.
I guess it has more to do with how prepared you have to be for multiple/severe weather events.
As for water purification, the jugs are on the assumption that the water is off. So purification wouldn't do us much good. I think 59 cent gallon jugs of water are okay, as long as you don't go crazy with them. And, yes, I'd limit the jugs to probably 5-6. Even if water were off for a week, that would last us pretty well.
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An inexpensive source of protein that will keep indefinitely: beans combined with rice. The protein in legumes is made usable for humans when combined with rice. You'll need water, however, to prepare these commodities.
Practical Parsimony is right: as long as water is running, you can purify water far more practically than trying to store adequate amounts and having to pour it out once a month and replace it with clean water. Go to a camping store and get some iodine tabs. Or chlorinate it. Use a pool testing kit (HD has them in abundance); you'll find that the chlorination level in Phoenix city water is the same as it is in a properly balanced swimming pool. Alternatively, you can get a filter at a sporting goods store. The things are a pain to use and don't purify much water at a time, but at least you don't have to add iodine or chlorine. Another alternative: get a camp stove and keep propane on hand — then you can boil water. You should have propane and some kind of cooking device that runs on propane, anyway.
However, in some kinds of crises, water may not be running. So, it's a good idea to keep at least one or two large jugs of water on hand. Also, if you need to evacuate, you'll need to carry plenty of water in your car. Not for nothing is the Sonoran Desert called a "desert."
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Yep, the water jugs would be for the contingencies where there's no running water. Otherwise, in a pinch, we'll pinch our noses and deal with the smell/taste of tap water.
Also, gallon jugs are usually good for 6-12 months out, so it wouldn't be too much replacing. I'm all for beans and rice — the main component in two of the few dishes I cook. My concern is a situation where I can't use a stove to cook the rice. In which case, we'd need some alternatives.
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Abigail Reply:
November 1st, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Yep, the water jugs would be for the contingencies where there's no running water. Otherwise, in a pinch, we'll pinch our noses and deal with the smell/taste of tap water.
Also, gallon jugs are usually good for 6-12 months out, so it wouldn't be too much replacing. I'm all for beans and rice — the main component in two of the few dishes I cook. My concern is a situation where I can't use a stove to cook the rice. In which case, we'd need some alternatives.
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Here's how we handle the water thing …
When we finish a gallon of milk and there's some empty space in the freezer, I wash out the jug (while I'm doing dishes anyway) and use it to store water in the freezer.
Fill the jug halfway – freezing an entire gallon at once will split the seam in the jug. Freeze, top up, freeze, put the cap on.
So now we have:
– a full freezer, which costs less to run AND will stay cold longer in a power outage
– non-drippy ice blocks for camping
– clean stored water for emergencies.
A three-way win!
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take_flight Reply:
November 5th, 2012 at 6:54 am
That's how I deal with our emergency water. Irene gave us the gift of 5 days without power, and we had water. When the power company finally showed up with supplies, they gave one gallon per FAMILY and didn't have enough dry ice for everyone. The village has generators, and when I went to a friends to get water once, they had treated it to the point it smelled like a pool and was undrinkable. I also fill the bathtubs with water for flushing, or in the summer, the baby pool.
We have a large generator, New York rural winter's can be brutal sometimes. We get 10 gallons of gas when we hear a storm is coming, that's 2 tankfulls. This allows us to re-freeze our water when it's starts to melt. During that time, we catch up on the news on t.v.
As for my other storm preparedness…
extension cords
kool aid for the kids
food
snacks
games
LED and rechargeable flashlights, 2 with little night lights
paper plates, bowls, tableware, and paper towels, (I don't use paper towels, so it takes thought)
baby wipes, (to wash up)
duct tape, (for taping the window where the extension cords are coming in)
extra pet food
a coffee maker without pause and serve, so we can boil water and pour it through the filter
and because we're in NY…a kerosene heater
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take_flight Reply:
November 5th, 2012 at 6:54 am
That's how I deal with our emergency water. Irene gave us the gift of 5 days without power, and we had water. When the power company finally showed up with supplies, they gave one gallon per FAMILY and didn't have enough dry ice for everyone. The village has generators, and when I went to a friends to get water once, they had treated it to the point it smelled like a pool and was undrinkable. I also fill the bathtubs with water for flushing, or in the summer, the baby pool.
We have a large generator, New York rural winter's can be brutal sometimes. We get 10 gallons of gas when we hear a storm is coming, that's 2 tankfulls. This allows us to re-freeze our water when it's starts to melt. During that time, we catch up on the news on t.v.
As for my other storm preparedness…
extension cords
kool aid for the kids
food
snacks
games
LED and rechargeable flashlights, 2 with little night lights
paper plates, bowls, tableware, and paper towels, (I don't use paper towels, so it takes thought)
baby wipes, (to wash up)
duct tape, (for taping the window where the extension cords are coming in)
extra pet food
a coffee maker without pause and serve, so we can boil water and pour it through the filter
and because we're in NY…a kerosene heater
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