Food Supplies
Getting
a kit together is a lot like planning for a camping trip. Let’s see,
we’re going to be gone for six days so we’ll have to take food for 18
meals, plus snacks, s’mores ingredients and drinks. Then comes the
sleeping bags, extra clothes, tent, camping stove and on and on and on.
The only difference between packing for a camping trip and preparing
for a major disaster is with the latter, we really don’t know how long
to plan for. Those living in Hurricane Sandy territory last November
were still without some services up to 60 days following the arrival of
the storm. By that time F.E.M.A. had arrived and other services,
including food were brought in from outside the area.
I
have read that grocery stores in the region were sold out within three
to four hours, there were similar reports from other stores dealing in
camping gear and supplies. Someone recently approached me and asked
about food resources locally. Although there are a few food banks in
the area, they really are not set up to serve our entire region in the
event an earthquake strikes our region. The food banks receive
supplies either from donated sources, program funding from various
agencies which can be affected by the ebb and flow of available money or
the generosity of local food drives and private individuals. These
food banks routinely provide groceries to families in need in our
communities. There is no cache of groceries in our county set aside
specifically to be distributed in the event of a disaster.
Back
in the Civil Defense days of the 1950s to 1960s, there were some
resources on hand to be “activated” in case of enemy attack. There was
an entire military field hospital stored in one of the buildings at the
North Bend Airport. This unit contained everything, with the exception
of medications and staff, needed to set up a Mobile And Surgical
Hospital (M.A.S.H.) . That unit was dismantled sometime in the late
1970s. There are currently no government (or private) warehouses full
of food in our area to be distributed in case of disaster.
So
now we’re back to the Y.O.Y.O. scene. You’re On Your Own! Building a
pantry doesn’t require a huge extra outlay of funds. Start by watching
the sales. Take advantage of the ‘buy one get one’ bargains. One lady
wrote to me and bragged she had saved $7000 in a year’s time by using
coupons, online bargains and shopping the sales. The side benefit was
she had built up a very tidy stockpile of groceries as she did so.
If
money is no object, or you’re looking for a good way to spend some of
your tax refund, there are literally hundreds (or more) websites selling
disaster preparedness food supplies. You can order freeze-dried,
dehydrated, canned or a combination of all the above. Some even offer
free shipping. A word of caution, all the experts recommend storing
food that you are accustomed to eating. During times of emergency, your
body is already stressed and introducing an entirely foreign diet could
result in some unpleasant gastric distress.
As always, send your comments, questions and arguments to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.
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