Five Essentials  Part II

    As I write this, Northern California is cleaning up from a 6.1 magnitude earthquake.  Reported as the biggest quake to hit California in 25 years, officials are reporting approximately 15,000 customers without electricity, and some 160 injured.  The damage to buildings and businesses and seems substantial and the disruption of thousands of lives has yet to be measured.  One thing is certain; those who have prepared in advance for just such an event have a huge advantage over those who keep putting it off.  A 72-hour kit would be just the ticket for this event.  No trips to the store, no worries about water to drink, and your only concern would be to make sure your neighbors were looked after.  

    Last week I mentioned there are five essentials everyone should have on hand.  The first three are a camp stove (or some method of cooking without electricity), a method for purifying water, and a battery-powered radio, preferably one that includes a NOAA weather channel.  

    Item number four is a backup light source.  Everybody knows about Coleman lanterns. (There are also other brands, but Coleman is the most popular.) They are propane (or liquid fuel) powered and put out not only a very bright light, but a significant amount of heat as well.  The drawback is anything that puts out light, requires either fuel or batteries. So include fuel or batteries in your plan. Battery powered devices come in either the rechargeable type or regular version.  Either way, when the power goes out, it’s pretty handy to be able to lay hands on a flashlight or lantern within minutes of the failure.  Another suggestion is to pick up a few of those little flashlights you see at most checkout counters.  Keep them together in a dresser drawer and during a power failure, give one to each family member.  That way if they need to leave the room, they don’t have to take the primary light source with them.  A word on candles; I’m a big fan of candles, but they are an open flame so use appropriate caution.  If you have propane or natural gas, don’t be too hasty to  light a candle.  In an earthquake, those fuel lines can rupture and if you strike a match it could have disastrous consequences.  Next trip to the store, pick up something that makes light!  And batteries, you can never have too many batteries.  Get a variety of sizes, but get some!

    Lastly, item number five isn’t something you can go out and buy, but you need some on hand.  Cash.  With widespread power outages comes widespread inconvenience.  That debit card you carry in your wallet is worthless.  Same with the money stored in your savings or checking account.  When the power is off, ATMs aren’t going to be working.  Neither are credit card processing machines.  One day last week, I visited a local bank, or should I say I tried to visit.  The doors were locked.  A helpful employee directed me to the drive-through (I was on foot).  It seems someone somewhere had inadvertently snipped a fiber-optic cable and their computers were all down.  I was still able to transact my business, but if there is no electricity, you’ll need some cold cash.  How much you keep on hand is up to you and your budget.  I recommend making it small bills and keeping it in a secure location.  

    There are many other items you will want to add to this list, but these are the starters.  Get these on the shelf and you’re on your way to being prepared for a disaster.

    As always send your comments and questions to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  

Five Essentials

    Disaster preparedness doesn’t have to be expensive.  Many of the things we need can be incorporated into our weekly shopping routine without breaking the bank.  Food supplies can be slowly increased without shredding your budget and if you’re watching carefully, other things can be gradually added as well.  There are, however, at least five items you should be sure you have that aren’t cheap, but necessary to survive a disaster.  

    1.  A means to cook your food when the power goes out.  Cooked food is more nutritious, a morale booster and just plain better to eat than cold food.  If you don’t own a camping stove, get one.  A new Coleman (or similar brand) starts out somewhere in the neighborhood of $50.00.  There are more expensive, fancier models on the market, but if you just need a basic, heat-your-food stove, that will do the trick.  I picked up a near-new condition Coleman, propane stove at a city-wide garage sale sometime back for $15.00.  Still in the box.  Of course there are solar ovens, rocket stoves, and all manner of food-cooking devices, but the point remains:  Get one!

    2.  Have the capability to purify your drinking water.  If you live out in the country and normally get your water from a well or spring, this may not pertain to you.  Either your water has been tested and meets health criteria or you already have a self-contained means for purification. Although I live a ways out of town, my water comes from a municipal water source and is filtered and chlorinated by the city.  If for some reason the city ever loses that capability, then many of us are on our own.  If water still comes out of the tap, it may not be purified.  I recommend a stand-alone filter such as the “Big Berkey” or a variation.  These filters require no electricity and the impure water is simply poured in the top half, the water trickles down through a filtration system into the lower half of the unit.  The ceramic filters take out the smallest particles (down to .02 microns) of anything that will make a person ill.  Boiling and bleaching are also recommended method of purification.  Boiling is the safest method, but filtering the water  through a stack of coffee filters, or some cheesecloth, then adding ⅛ teaspoon of chlorine bleach (unscented) to a gallon of water is an accepted method of purification.  I also recommend storing water, but it is impractical to think you can store enough water to get you through a prolonged period of time.  Still a stack of cases of bottled water in your back bedroom is good insurance and brings some peace of mind.  Just remember to rotate your supply every few months.

    3.  Battery powered radio.  Keep in mind the three basic rules of disaster preparedness are Get A Kit, Make A Plan and Be Informed.  Keeping informed is made possible with a battery powered radio.  There are some pretty cool radios on the market.  Some have built-in solar panels, hand cranks and also run off standard batteries.  Most models have AM/FM bands and several channels capable of picking up the NOAA weather alerts.  Cost will be in the $50.00 range for a good quality radio.  

    Next week I’ll cover the other two items needed.  In the meantime start shopping around for good quality items. If you’d like a set of plans to build your own water filter, email me at the address below.  As always send your questions and comments to me at disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  

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Evacuation by the Numbers

The recent heat wave in our region has been, at worst, an inconvenience for us.  Elsewhere in the Northwest there have been all manner of wildland fires resulting, according to one news report, in the loss of over 300 homes.  That’s at least 300 families who were ordered to get out and find safety elsewhere.  

The need for evacuation is rare in our region as we don’t have the hurricanes, tornados, or some of the other major weather events to which the rest of the nation is subjected.  But just last summer in the Glendale, Oregon, area wildfires forced the evacuation of several homes.

Here’s the scene:  Just imagine a lightning storm the night before, the news says 47 lightning strikes in our county have ignited 36 fires.  Some have been contained, but firefighters from all over the northwest are responding to several fires whose flames have been fanned by offshore winds and dry conditions aren’t helping matters.  You are aware there are firetrucks running up and down the roads, airplanes are flying low overhead and just as you are sitting down to dinner a Deputy Sheriff pulls into your driveway.  He seems rushed and tells you in a matter-of-fact tone that all the residences in your neighborhood are being evacuated.  You have two hours to gather your things and go to a safer location.

A million thoughts are flooding your mind:  Where should we go?  What should we take? Who does what?  Right here is where panic can set in and you literally accomplish nothing of significance!  Either that or you can gather your family and hand them each their assignments.  The evacuation is underway and you and your loved ones will make an orderly retreat to your brother’s place in the next county.

The experts tell us there are three levels of evacuation:  Level 1 is to be ready.  Residents are encouraged to move livestock and pets out of the area.  Evacuation is voluntary at this point.  Level 2 Residents are ordered to leave soon!  Roads are usually closed and entry to evacuated areas may be denied.  Residents may have time to gather necessary items, but will do so at their own risk. A Level 3 notice is an order to leave immediately, that imminent danger exists and there is no time to gather personal belongings.

Some evacuations are handled by giving the residents a sheet of paper containing some instructions.  This can include the 5 “P’s”.  The 5 “P’s” include People and Pets (and other livestock), Papers (important documents), Prescriptions, including hearing aids, eyeglasses and your medications, Photographs, so your memories are preserved and last is your Personal Computer.  There is often invaluable, irreplaceable data on your hard drive.

Of course, having a complete 72 hour kit at the ready is going to ease the task of what to take, but as always having a plan in place will eliminate a whole lot of confusion when the time comes to evacuate.  When you have a plan, the panic factor, not to mention the stress on the marriage, is greatly diminished.  Just keep in mind, the time to prepare is NOW, before there is an emergency!

As always send your questions, comments and even your evacuation stories to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  

More Tips For Seniors

    The topic of Disaster Preparedness seems to resonate more with Seniors than with the younger set, partly because of vulnerability due to special age-related issues.  Many Seniors live alone and some are dealing with mobility issues.  Yet most have developed a wisdom that often accompanies gray hair that something bad CAN happen because they have lived through at least one disastrous event in their lives.

    The mantra of “Get A Kit, Make A Plan, and Be Informed” still applies to the mature crowd and there are many low cost-things Seniors can buy and no-cost plans they can make to avoid that feeling of helplessness and despair.

    In my humble opinion, the single most important thing anyone can do to prepare for a disaster is to organize their neighborhood.  And it doesn’t cost a cent!  Contacting your neighbors, especially fellow Seniors can build a sense of community and camaraderie along with an assurance no one need to face adversity alone.  Introduce the topic at the Senior Center, or your church group or the quilting group.  Collaborating on projects can not only bring some peace of mind, but just may bring some new friends into your life.

    According to the American Red Cross it is still your responsibility to know what to do when disaster strikes.  Remember, the first responders are going to be overwhelmed and Y.O.Y.O.  (You’re On Your Own).

First thing to do is gather enough supplies to get by for several days without going to the store.  In the event of an earthquake, the stores will sell out within hours and there will be nothing to buy anyway.  If you live in a location that requires evacuation, you will want to store your supplies in totes that have wheels.  Easier to move that way.  

    If you require a cane, walker or wheelchair, be sure to label it with your name, address and phone number just in case you and your equipment get separated.  

    Remember to rotate your supplies.  Keep an eye on the “best if used by” dates.  Then simply rotate your stored supplies into everyday use.  Also shift your batteries, medications and other perishable items before they expire.  Keep in mind you may want to stock up on certain medications.  Most doctors are sympathetic to your needs regarding planning for disaster and are willing to cooperate by prescribing most maintenance medications in advance.  The difficult thing here is to get your insurance to get on board with that concept. So any advance preparations you make in that regard may have to come out of your own pocket.  Then be sure to take special care to mind the expiration dates on your meds.  I’m told that most medication doesn’t actually “go bad” but it does tend to lose its potency and effectiveness over time.  Also try to see your way clear to pick up an extra pair of eyeglasses.  Some of us have enough trouble keeping track of our glasses even without a disaster, so adding a pair of drugstore “cheaters” to our kit just might not be a bad idea either.

    As always send your questions and comments to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.