More About Water

Some months back, I was asked to speak at a Disaster Preparedness Fair.  After my prepared remarks, an innocent-looking “seasoned-citizen” lady raised her hand and asked if I could explain the difference between filtering and purifying water.  

Storing water is the number-one item mentioned on both the Red Cross and F.E.M.A.web pages.  We humans are designed so that water is a necessity and to deprive ourselves of water for very long is not recommended.  I had mentioned, during my presentation, that a means of purifying water is one of the essentials if you’re going to consider yourself prepared for a disaster.  

My response to the question went something like this:  Filtering is just that.  Causing the water to pass through something (a filter) that removes the offending elements. Elements such as bacteria, bugs and other things that can make you sick.  Purifying can be infusing the water with chemicals such as chlorine to kill the bacteria, parasites, or other illness-causing factors.  Boiling is the simplest way to purify and requires no chemicals.  Either boiling or chemically treating the water is an effective way of achieving purity or drinkability of your water source. 

Later, when I had returned to my book-booth, the innocent-looking questioner came for a visit.  After reminding me she was the one who had asked the question about making water drinkable, she informed me she was a retired microbiologist.  Talk about being set up!  “So, how’d I do?” I inquired.  Her response indicated I had somehow muddled my way through and provided an acceptable answer.

Water is that thing we so easily take for granted.  And here in our country, pure water is a given.  Bottled water is so common, and so commonly purchased we don’t give it a second thought when we pick up a case of purified/filtered water at the store.  Consider this, in the event of a disaster, the supply lines are interrupted, the stores aren’t getting their shipments and the municipal water supply isn’t producing.  The water in the rivers or rain falling from the sky may be your only option.  Are you set up to purify or filter? Either way will make water useful for your drinking needs.

Personally I have a Big Berkey filter that uses two ceramic filters to remove the creepy-crawlies.  There are other kits sold online that will do the same thing.  But the primary thing to keep in mind, if you get sick from drinking contaminated water, your chances of making it through the disaster just got worse.  So be prepared to either purify or filter.  Either way works, but getting ill from impure water is not an attractive alternative.  Especially during a time of disaster.

As always send your comments and questions to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  Dave Robinson is a retired Postmaster and the author of “Disaster Prep For The Rest Of Us,” available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and other online booksellers.

Decisions Decisions

Back in my flying days, I read with interest stories of airplane accidents.  Several months following an accident, the National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) usually issued a detailed and very complete report on what led up to the accident.  More often than not, the accident was not a sudden, traumatic event causing an accident.  But rather a decision made by the pilot or an incident occurring several hours before the event that led to disaster.  Maybe it was failure to top off a fuel tank, or a decision to fly in spite of a bad weather report.  Sometimes it is a culmination of seemingly insignificant decisions or events that result in a “tipping point” leading to an unfortunate conclusion.  

Last Friday, my 18 year old grandson received a call for help from one of his friends.  It seems the friend was stranded in a remote area. “Can you come pull me out, we’re stuck in the snow?”

My grandson filled me in on what was happening and I quickly loaded him with tow strap, extra gasoline, and a few other items we thought would come in handy.  His 4 x 4 Toyota Tacoma is equipped with traction tires and is in good running order.  He had already contacted another friend to accompany him on the mission.

It seems as though the stranded friend was on his way home from college for the weekend when a multi-vehicle accident had clogged the interstate.  He and his companion had made a decision to cut across the Coast Range mountains of Southwestern Oregon from Grants Pass to the Coast.  Normally this Forest Service/BLM road is easily passable in a car, but this time of year, there is often snow accumulation at the higher elevations.  Things went pretty well for about an hour after leaving the Interstate, that is until the pair reached one of those higher elevations. Topping a hill, they ran into snow, and then plowed their way down hill.  All was good until they came to another rise, this one covered in deeper snow which stalled their two-wheel drive car.  Turning around, they found they were unable to climb back up the snow-covered road and there they were, unable to go either way.

Providence had smiled on the stranded couple by granting cell phone service even in this remote area.  Those of us who play in the backcountry know all too well coverage can be sketchy at best in many locations. In this case, they were able to successfully make a call for help.

When I interviewed the young man, he said they were equipped with some granola bars, some bottles of water and a few bottles of Gatorade.  Even if they had to spend the night, there were also blankets in the car.  He agreed leaving the Interstate wasn’t the best plan, but at the time he and his companion agreed they could save some time taking the back roads when their option was to wait four hours for the traffic to clear.

This story has a happy ending for several reasons.  Cell phone coverage made it possible to call for help.  The rescue team was able to reach the stranded vehicle and get them back onto a bare, snow-free road.  Finally the stranded pair, although making a questionable decision to use the back roads, had enough snack food, drinks and blankets to survive a short time without major discomfort.

I was reminded of the family from San Francisco a few years back who became lost in this same general area.  They tried to take a similar shortcut and lost their way in the maze of logging roads and ultimately were stranded by snowfall.  After nine days the husband/father struck out on foot to seek rescue.  His body was found a few days later.  The mother and both children survived.  

This kind of story has always fascinated me.  The little things folks do or didn’t do can make a difference between survival or not.  Life and death.  And many times those choices are made hours or even days before the event.  The lesson is this:  When you venture out into the arms of Mother Nature, be wise, she’s not always in a nurturing mood.

As always, send your comments or questions to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  Dave Robinson is a retired Postmaster and lives in Myrtle Point, Oregon.  He is the author of “Disaster Prep For The Rest Of US,” available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and other online booksellers.

Going Viral

Going viral in our time has come to refer to a video or photo that gets coverage or viewership all across the internet in very short order.  According to one definition I found on Bing:  “Viral” is the adjective form of the noun "virus.". Something that's viral is figuratively something  spread from person to person the way a virus spreads a sickness such as a cold or flu. Everyone sent the video to their friends until thousands or millions were watching it.

For the past few weeks a virus has ravaged the Robinson house with a vengeance!  First my 11-year old grandson, then the 18-year old, my wife and finally, yours truly.

Notice I haven’t used the term “flu” as that would be an inaccuracy.  Many serious colds or some viruses are generically referred to as the flu as we really don’t feel good and sometimes the symptoms mimic flu symptoms.  But that is rarely the case.

In my case, I made a trip to see my own doctor.  He made some suggestions regarding the medications I already take and sent me home with some specific instructions. Not once did he use term “flu.”  It also happens that my wife works for a pediatric office.  The doctor she works for jokingly considers me his oldest patient. 

There is no disaster like feeling like you’d have to recuperate in order to have the strength to die.  I won’t go into the details here, but you’ve all been there and we all have horror stories about symptoms.  So there’s no need to get descriptive.

One doctor I spoke with offered some suggestions:  One is to wear rubber gloves to avoid passing germs.  Likewise use lots of hand sanitizer.  These alcohol-based products kill germs on contact, besides they come in various flavors so you can choose your preference.  My wife uses bleach-based cleaners  to clean the sink, counters and bathroom fixtures.  Studies have also if you keep the temperature in your home higher, you are more susceptible to disease than if you keep your home cooler.  For example if you keep your living room temperature at 75 degrees fahrenheit you are more likely to catch a bug than if you keep your temperature at 65 degrees.  Of course you may have to snuggle on the couch, bundle up or drink some hot chocolate, but the experts say it is healthier to keep your house cooler.  Opening the windows to freshen the air is also a good idea as well.  So just chill! (Sorry.)

As always, send your comments and questions to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.   Dave Robinson is a retired Postmaster and the author of, “Disaster Prep For The Rest Of Us,” available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and other online booksellers.

New Year’s Resolution

I can’t seem to find anyone who actually makes New Year’s Resolutions anymore, much less find anyone who has actually ever kept those self-promises.  But here’s one for you:  (Raise your right hand) I hereby solemnly resolve to begin to make preparations for disaster.  I will begin by sitting down with my life mate and make a list of things we may need to accumulate to survive any disaster.  Then we will begin building our kit.

The  East Coast is just now recovering from a “bomb cyclone.”  (Has anyone else never heard of a bomb cyclone?)  The National Weather Service defines a bomb cyclone as weather system that undergoes a sudden, drastic drop in atmospheric pressure and quickly intensifies.  Think a blizzard with hurricane-force winds.

A few days’ warning from the weatherman still seemed to have no effect on the general populace.  Reports of empty shelves at the store and long lines at the gas station were common.  One person said he had gone to the store simply for bread and milk, only to find empty shelves.  “Sheltering in” became the order of the day when the storm hit as it was unwise to drive on the snowy, icy roadways. 

Now would be a good time to bring your bag to the kitchen table, (tell your wife I said it was ok and that you’ll clean it all up right away) empty it out and go through your stuff.  Be on the lookout for jerky that’s way past it’s “best by” date, or stale crackers and any other food that is no longer edible for whatever reason.  Make a note to replenish and add to the food items you carry with you.  Check out those little packages of tuna and crackers the next time you’re at the store.  Some contain mayonnaise and even relish to mix and put on the crackers.  They’re a great snack and come in handy when the grandkids need a snack even when there’s no emergency.  Hey when a kid is hungry and you’re out somewhere, that IS an emergency!  I personally carry a couple cans of Spam in my bag.  Most of the American population goes into “Yuck!” mode when Spam is mentioned, but when sliced and fried, I convinced my kids it was “camping bacon”.   Some folks I met from New Zealand had purchased two cases of this delicacy and were shipping it home (at considerable expense) because they couldn’t get Spam at home. Don’t turn up your nose too quickly, it is protein and stores handily for a reasonable period of time. 

Then pick up a few extra Band-Aids and re-supply your First Aid kit. You DO have a First Aid kit don’t you?  Research shows that 44% of households in the U.S. don’t own a First Aid kit.   Make sure those little bags of gauze pads and other items are still sealed and not torn open or have otherwise lost their sterile integrity.  If your insect repellent is of the aerosol variety, check to insure it hasn’t all leaked out for some reason.  Consider buying the little pads that are just wiped on the skin.  They don’t take up as much room and aren’t as messy in the event something has accidentally pushed the button on the spray can.

Check your flashlight to make sure the batteries are good.  Consider carrying extras in your bag.  Seems like my flashlight gets used more often than any other item in my bag.  So I keep it handy and replace the batteries often.

Now check out your supplies inventory in the house.  Same thing goes, if you’ve “borrowed” from your toilet paper supply, restock. Make sure your supplies are bug-free, rodent-free, moisture-free and otherwise intact.  Your emergency lighting, cooking implements, and other equipment should be tested, cleaned and stored away in that special location until needed.  Sometimes peace of mind is as simple as a quick tune-up.

As always send your questions and comments to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  Dave Robinson is a retired Postmaster and the author of “Disaster Prep For The Rest Of Us,” available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and other online booksellers.

Surviving Winter

Just by definition, winter carries its own personality.  The weather is cold, icy, snowy and in my neck of the woods, rainy and windy.  Any responsible adult  taking to the highways during the winter months will take extra precautions before he travels.  Checking the weather and forecast for his route of travel, and his destination.  It’s not uncommon for pilots to cancel their flight plans at this point, but earthbound travellers will rarely cancel their roadtrip merely because of bad weather.  Unfortunately every year many pay the price simply because they underestimated mother nature and their level of preparedness.

The wise traveler will already have a kit in the trunk of his car.  Maybe a couple of blankets, some snacks and a thermos of coffee.  If heading into snow country, tire chains or at least studded tires are a good-sense requirement.  Of course a small shovel, some kitty litter or sand, maybe even a tow strap would mean the difference between spending the night in your car or at grandma’s house.  And don’t forget, keep your tank on the top half.  It costs no more and would really come in handy when you’re stuck behind the guy that’s stuck in a snowbank. 

Keep a phone-charging cord in your car.  A phone call may be the key to keeping you alive if stranded.  The key here is “keep it in your car.”  Sometimes we need a charging cord and it goes in the house where it does us no good at all when our phone is dead miles from home.

Winter can be very unforgiving for the unprepared.  Always be thinking, “what can go wrong?”  Try to run through every scenario and imagine what you will need if disaster happens. Then resolve (after all this is the New Year and you need to make at least one resolution) to get your car prepared for winter driving.

Even if you’re not planning winter travel, there are other considerations to keep in mind.  Many years ago, when I heated the house solely with firewood, I neglected to stock up on wood.  I can recall splitting up the chopping block, throwing the wood in the woodstove and heading for the woods with my power saw.  Not the example I want to set for my kids or neighbors.  Keeping the pantry stocked with soup mixes or other easily prepared foods will help get you through that power outage or when snow-blocked roads keep you hunkered down at home.  

A small amount of preparing and planning may just make a difficult season so much easier this winter.  Remember what your mother used to say, “a stitch in time saves nine.”  That same bit of philosophy works for preparing your family’s survival.

As always, send your comments and questions to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  Dave Robinson is a retired Postmaster and the author of “Disaster Prep For The Rest Of Us,” available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and other online booksellers.

After the Fact

Every week I receive emails from readers with questions regarding being prepared for disaster.  This week I received a request from a reader that went like this:  My friend just lost his home to the fires in Southern California, he was totally unprepared and lost everything.  What advice would I give to someone who is in the recovery process?

This is a bit of a paradigm shift for me as I always deal with the preparedness aspect of disasters.  It is my hope that readers will take the message seriously, make some sort of preparations which will lessen the trauma (and drama) of a disaster.  Human nature being what it is, there are always those who put off prepping or for one reason or another, blow it off altogether.  I’m going to resist the “I told you so speech,” and instead give some advice on how to cope with your loss.

Having never suffered a major loss from disaster, I contacted a friend who, some years back, lost their home to an early morning house fire.  They found themselves standing out in the street in bathrobes in 30 degree weather while all their precious possessions went up in smoke.  House fires are the most common disasters in the U.S. so some of you can identify with such a loss.

My friend first offered that the recovery experience was a process.  Not unlike dealing with the death of a loved one.   Very similar to the five stages of grief offered by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in her 1969 book, “On Death and Dying.”  A bereaved survivor is known to experience denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, usually in that order.  Losing your home to fire can trigger those same responses.  That helpless feeling of being unfairly violated when a home is lost is akin to the feelings of being ripped off, sexually violated or somehow abused by someone more powerful than you.  

My friend doesn’t recommend engaging in the “anger” phase of the process when a home is lost as it is a waste of time, energy and emotional investment.  

In most cases of widespread natural disaster, insurance companies will set up special field offices to process claims more efficiently.  Take full advantage of those facilities and get your claim going as soon as possible.  Get on a first name basis with the agent handling your claim and respond promptly to their requests for information.

Finally, fly the plane.  Some years back when I was taking flying lessons, my instructor would create situations to teach me how to respond in an emergency.  For example we would be flying along on a beautiful Oregon day and he would reach over and cut the power to the engine.  “What you gonna do?” he’d ask.  Resisting an impulse to smack him (not recommended) I’d start through the checklist.  First is to establish an angle of glide.  That is, point the airplane downhill just enough maintain sufficient airspeed to keep the thing in the air.  In other words, fly the plane.  Then you can go through the checklist to get that big fan turning again.  When we encounter disaster, sometimes we forget the basics.  We neglect some of the things that are otherwise routine.  Things like eating, sleeping, showering or taking our daily pills. Keep some semblance of a normal schedule.  In short, don’t forget to fly the plane.

As always, send your questions and comments to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.   Dave Robinson is a retired Postmaster and the author of “Disaster Prep For The Rest Of Us,” available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and other online booksellers.

Winter’s a’comin’

Morning temperatures are sliding toward the freezing mark here on the Southern Oregon Coast. Many folks in our area still heat with wood thus creating a hazard all its own.  Injuries occur when neophyte chain saw users take to the woods to cut their own firewood.  Felling trees, cutting (bucking) firewood chunks, loading and stacking are all hazardous.  More injuries occur when even experienced woodcutters try to split their wood. Some years ago, a friend of mine managed to cut himself seriously with a chainsaw while getting firewood.  Problem number one, he was about 20 miles from town and bleeding badly.  Problem number two, he was accompanied by his eleven year old son.  Fortunately his son was more capable than most eleven year olds and managed to drive the pickup back to town.  No permanent damage.  Both father and son have a story to tell their grandkids.   

A residential fire is the most common disaster in the United States.  Over 3500 adults die in home fires every year.  

Now’s the time to do a safety check around your home.  You don’t have to be an expert in locating and fixing fire hazards.  For those of you who burn wood, have your chimney inspected

by an expert.  Destructive flue fires are the by-product of neglecting chimney maintenance.  Soot and creosote build-up are like fatal cholesterol for your flue.  Easily remedied by a competent chimney sweep.

Cooking equipment should be inspected periodically.  Most cooking utensils cook with electrical heating elements.  Wires can become frayed or loose with time and usage, and a simple visual inspection can discover a loose wire or screw.  Oftentimes a repair can be made with only a piece of electrical tape or replacing a cord.  

Faulty wiring can be another fire-starting culprit.  If your home is 30-40 years old, chances are your wiring can be overloaded.  Shorts, overloads and huge sparks can set off fires inside your walls, delaying discovery of a disaster by precious minutes.  Another case for having an expert inspect your home.  The cost of an inspection is certainly worth the peace of mind and less than trying to rebuild.

Dryer lint.  Nothing ignites a campfire like a big wad of dryer lint.  A good prepper hack is to save your dryer lint, stuff a wad into the compartments of a cardboard egg carton, then dribble some candle wax on it to hold it in place.  The dryer lint catches a spark from your favorite fire starter, the cardboard burns nicely and the candle wax prolongs the blaze, thus igniting your kindling.  The downside against anything that flammable is that if it catches a spark at the wrong time, the results can be disastrous.  The moral of this story:  Clean your lint trap after each dryer load.

Candles.  Our grandparents trimmed their Christmas tree with candles.  I cannot imagine how many Christmas tree fires resulted from that little bit of genius.  Fortunately we no longer use candles on our trees, but candles can still be a hazard.  Personally I like the smell, the atmosphere and coziness candles provide.  But they are still an open flame and if placed in the wrong location, they can still be dangerous.  Try to use candles that are short and wide, not the “easily tipped over” variety.  Also be very careful when you set the thing out.  Keep it away from curtains, or anything easily flammable.  Just a little bit of wisdom can keep you from being a statistic.

As always, send your questions and comments to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  Previous columns can be found on my blog at www.disasterprepdave.blogspot.com.  Dave Robinson is a retired Postmaster and the author of “Disaster Prep For The Rest Of Us,” available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and other online booksellers.