Disaster Preparadness

[nadinbrzezinski]

I have heard way too many excuses, so here is what we do.

We always try to have about six cans of tuna, I buy more when we get down to two... always cycle

Six cans translates to two lunches and two dinners if need be. And of course we always have chips at home.

We always have food bars, which again serve as a meal replacement... since that is what I have in my back pack for covering news stories... we buy them at the price club, a box of nuts (rich in protein) and fruit, and a box of larabar bars. These things we get more when they get close to four bars left.

Right there, we have enough food, nothing luxurious, to eat for three days if need be, and to share. The nuts... bars, also can feed the two parrots.

Now water, we have a case in the trunk, and four gallons upstairs. Again this is cycled.

I just listed to you all the water and food needed for two adults to make it through three days.

We also have a flashlight each in our shooting vests we use as reporters. (And I have one in my keychain)

We also have a solar charger for the phone, ipad and the rest of the electronics... in fact just got one that now lives in my take to fires and other stories backpack... I expect to share it with evacuees, serious.

There is a radio siting by my side. It is also capable of being hand cranked and charging devices

And these are as basic as supplies get.

But the food and the water, read that list. It is spartan as hell, not luxurious at all... but it is what you need.

We have more than just that, but I am pretty sure we will have to share with some of my elderly neighbors.

[defacto7]

1. Great simple and a good idea for everyone.

I have a pump for purifying water that I use for backpacking. It's hand held and certainly for good use if water is needed in a situation. For some reason, I also keep a 50 lb. bag of dried beans in the basement sealed in a container. I don't know why exactly but I figure you can eat beans for quite a while if we get hit by a meteor of something.

[loli phabay]

2. you eat all those beans abd youhave methane to power the stove to cook them.

id get bored eating beans so we have shitloads of canned goods, dried meats, dried fish and for the misses pickles, also if disaster strikes during the growing season we have ample gardens frowing stuff, best investment ever though was a whole house standby generator and a big enough propane tank that will run it for over a month if need be. i love when the power goes out and i hear it click on and we can just get on with it.

[defacto7]

64. I've been playing with solar panels for a couple of years now...

I built them from broken cells available on the Internet and make my own. Much of my house is wired 12VDC and I also have an inverter if I want to run something 120VAC or dump into the grid. But the best is the 12V system that is stored on 4 big Marine batteries. I can run quite a bit on those batteries for several days conservatively. But the best thing is the 12V system running a fridge and clusters of LED lighting, let alone charging electrical odds and ends and running short wave radios. I think if there were a long black out, I'd be very popular around here.

[loli phabay]

65. ive been toying with the idea of getting a wind turbine as we always have wind on the ridge were i l

live, been thinking of solar as well and running a turbine from the creek using some pipes to speed the water up over the downhill part.

[jeff47]

3. It should be noted that the duration of supplies depends on the disaster

Hurricanes, 3 days is good.

Earthquakes? You probably should have 5-7 days. Relief efforts get a head start in hurricanes, since they can see a hurricane coming.

Blizzards? You probably want even more, because you can get stuck for quite a while. Especially if you're not in town.

[loli phabay]

11. a couple of years back we had the horrific snow storms in the mountians of VA

from dec 19th to march 23rd my misses and kids were stuck in the house, i could get extra food but we basically lived off our supplies supplemented by my hiking in with milk etc.

[nadinbrzezinski]

36. Yup, but dealing with the bare minimum crowd

That tells us the are minimum can't be achieved.

Usually once you get into habit, it's easy to build from there.

[riderinthestorm]

4. +1. Add a box of powdered milk, 2 boxes of cereal, and a bunch of bananas.

Voila. Enough for 3 people with a little more variety. A jar of peanut butter and jelly, a loaf of bread, and a bag of apples - you have enough for 4 people.

Truly I agree with you Nadin. I'm pretty staggered at those people who seem to think that 3 days of provisioning for an emergency requires a ton of stuff. Candles, matches, flashlight - most people have them on hand anyway even if you don't stock up. It doesn't take much to have 3-4 days of supplies.

[Skidmore]

71. Extra blankets.

I never throw out old comforters when they get a little worn and I buy new. I have a stock of comforters that serve when we have extra unexpected guests and if the heat should go out. Dress in layers and freaking quit worrying about fashion.

We do keep a small kerosene Aladdin stove which my husband uses to heat his work area in the basement when he uses it. But it can be used to cook on, if necessary. I used to cook on this type of unit when I lived in the Middle East. They are used there quite a bit.

Also move to one room and live in it for a while. Did that during war time in the winter. Saved fuel resources. Only kept the bathroom and kitchen area quasi heated to prevent pipes from freezing.

Store water. You don't need a complete 10 minute shower every day nor do you need to wash and blow dry your hair every morning. You can get buy with a pan bath for a period of time. Ration. A notion people in this convenience nation are unaccustomed to.

For food. Add dried beans to that mix. Soak them in a pan and then add beano and cook them. Onions and other root veggies keep well in cooler temps. A hearty stew can be filling.

[RebelOne]

5. I have enough canned goods in my pantry to feed me for a month at least.

I have 2 flashlights, plus 2 hand-cranked flashlights. All i need now is water. I had bought large bottled water containers during the Y2K scare and stored them in my closet, but they leaked all over the closet, so I will have to find another way to store water.

[slackmaster]

8. I made the same mistake with bottled water many years ago

You can't stack the store-bought ones. They don't seal very well. The weight of the bottles on top will squeeze the water out of the ones on the bottom.

REI and many sporting goods stores sell containers that are designed for long-term water storage.

[jeff47]

13. If you're planning for a predictable disaster, you don't need long-term storage

I've you're concerned about a hurricane or other predictable disaster, you don't actually have to store the water - just get the containers and leave them empty. Fill them before the storm arrives. This obviously prevents leaks, plus it's easier on the container.

Obviously, this doesn't work with unpredictable disasters, which is why water heaters are so protected in California - around 30 gallons stored at every house.

[slackmaster]

16. I live in San Diego and plan mainly for earthquakes

I keep about 50 gallons of drinking water on hand, plus whatever is in the water heater.

[former-republican]

39. toilet tanks also

yes I said toilet tanks

[loli phabay]

51. lol, im lucky in that we have a natural spring fed pond on our property and a couple of other wet

spots where spring water comes up so water should never be an issue.

[former-republican]

53. That's nice I live on a natural fed spring lake with no motor boats allowed

I would still boil it or add iodine but if you are in a pinch. I tested it one time and it was drinkable straight from the lake.
Pretty rare to find these days.

[loli phabay]

55. id probuably not drink from the pond but use it for washing etc, its only 500 gallons or so

but the spring seeps id drink from no problem, though we do have the well and generator, my nex projest is to fit the well with a manual handle pump system just in case. there is also rain that i would collect so we should never be without water. food wise we grow catch and can and freeze and dehydrate lots so we are good there as you never know when you are going to get snowed in or the roads washed out.

[former-republican]

60. My property has a well also so if power goes out

no water , I have 13000 watt generator hard wired in my breaker box.
It makes it nice to pick and choose what you want to run but with the size of my generator it runs the whole house.

Only disadvantage is fuel consumption with a generator that big. I have a 30 gallon roll away portable fuel tank and eight
5 gallon fuel cans plus the 15 gallons in the generator. If I run the generator sparingly the fuel will last a while.
Food we have mostly can goods putaway that would last my wife and I for months.

[loli phabay]

61. my generator is propane fueled, i worked out we could run it for a month and a half on a full tank

is we are smart about it, its just simple things like eat the frozen foods first then you dont need to run the freezer, sleep when its dark so you dont need to run lights, no 10 tvs on at one time etc etc etc. food wise we could go for a long time between the root cellar, cans and our garden and the woods and ponds, only problem would be the zombies eventually leaving the cities and coming into the rural areas lol

[former-republican]

62. got to watch out

for them zombies.

[loli phabay]

66. ive found if you plan for zombies it covers you for anything

my neighbours are fanatical about it and i think they are ready for a planet wide disaster and will probuably come through it okay.

[politicat]

52. If you have a pharmaceutical company in the area, look for colonoscopy prep solution bottles.

You can sometimes get them from pharmacies, too. They're heavy duty one gallon bottles, square, with medicinal, sealing caps. They stack perfectly, and you can fill them with municipal tap or your own filtered water. They seem to last forever.

[Chuuku Davis]

6. Needs more water

You can do without food
Water and shelter are what is important

[nadinbrzezinski]

35. Dealing with the bare minimum three days is a tough bar to meet crowd.

[defacto7]

54. Actually, a couple of days without food wouldn't hurt most healthy people.

If there was a "situation" I'd probably just do water for at least a day before going into supplies. But then, that's not a big deal for me. I do that on occasion anyway.

It's the water that counts, and I still like the water filter as a backup.

[DainBramaged]

7. We did more than that

we will run out of batteries by the weekend, out of tuna before then, out of granola bars and pop tarts, out of cheese, out of milk, out of cereal and no power for up to two weeks. NOTHING IS OPEN FOR 2O MILES, no gas either.


When the food riots start we will be in serious trouble.

[riderinthestorm]

19. Oh my goodness!!! I'm rural so I'm usually supplied for a month but you are in it now!

Can you PM one of us with your address? Those of us outside the storm zone can contact the FEMA teams that are going door to door right now looking for folks like you!!

They are handing out supplies and water. You need to get your info to one of us ASAP!! Please don't wait!

[loli phabay]

21. i think being rural is a big advantage in that we are more prepared for stuff like this due to it

happening more, ie snowstorms, trees blocking roads for miles etc. i cant think of a worse place to be when disaster hits than the city especially if you have no training or not made preperations.

[jeff47]

23. The advantage of being in a city is relief efforts are usually nearby

Various folks will be handing out food and water in a city. So being in a city won't require as many supplies to survive because you will be able to find help....assuming "Brownie" isn't running FEMA.

[loli phabay]

25. i see that as a disadvantage not an advantage, as you are relying on others to get that food to you

id much rather rely on my neighbours and our own supplies as they are immediate and we dont have to wait and hope that food is on its way. We are watching an example of this right now with people in the city running out of food and supplies waiting for help to arrive.

[jeff47]

26. Except they aren't.

Yes, there are people complaining. But they also don't really seem to be trying to contact those providing relief, or going to the well-publicized distribution points.

But you also have to remember that extensive supplies require a house built to hold extensive supplies. Not everyone has a basement, for example.

[loli phabay]

28. another reason why i prefer the country to the city, you have room do be prepared

once again i would prefer to be able to ride stuff out without having to figure out who to contat and having to traipse to get supplies. I stand by my point that in rural areas people are more prepared for stuff like this as we have it happen more and have learned to be ready for the ice storms, snow storms etc etc.

[former-republican]

45. The biggest disadvantage is too many people needing the same things

[loli phabay]

50. good point, i wouldnt like to be one of thousands looking for the same stuff when it gets desperate

[PATXgirl]

22. When Rita and Ike hit Texas there were several locations put in place where you could pick up

Water and MRE's. some churches served meals. it took a few days before they could get everything put in place but hopefully you'll start seeing them soon.

Also a call in to FEMA or other places of assistance would definitely help your whole area so let someone know where to send help.

[jeff47]

24. That's why FEMA and other relief agencies are there.

Find them. They make a point of talking about where they are so you can do so. They have food and water.

[DainBramaged]

30. Our county is not part of the disaster area even though we are fucked

Fema will not help, I contacted the Red Cross without reply


We are poor, working poor/blue collar, they don't give a shit about us, the RICh towns around us, and there are many, GOT power.

[nadinbrzezinski]

34. Contact your local media

No serious, they will run it, that will get the agencies to act.

[riderinthestorm]

37. PLEASE get the DU community to HELP you!! PM someone so we can work on your behalf!

You keep posting these cryptic, caustic responses but if you'd simply tell us where you are and what's happening the full force of the DU community can come together and help you.

But until you TELL us where you are, we are helpless.

WE give a shit about you.

Please.

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. I am just dealing with the...having three days crowd is a tough and high bar to meet

We have quite a bit more. Last blackout we were loaning out extra radios, for example.

[Earth_First]

9. This time around, it's galvanized me into a sense of urgency...

We came a bit too close for comfort this time.

While in Upstate, NY we fared well enough; no major damage or storm related power outages. It's created a new sense of preparedness for myself, my wife and my daughter.

I went out, and we are covered for a duration of time in which I feel it would be necessary for a variety of situations.

#silverlining

[rhett o rick]

10. Hey Nadin. After I reread my post, it sounded critical and I didnt intend that.

Last edited Thu Nov 1, 2012, 11:15 PM - Edit history (1)

Just saying that we all should be prepared for a week or more with foods.

[DainBramaged]

14. We lost power Monday, our week is up Sunday, what should we do eat leaves and bark?

One week is not enough. Thanks for the thought

[rhett o rick]

18. I said one week as a minimum. I hope you prepared for longer. My best wishes. nm

[midnight]

48. Occupy Sandy has some info...Hope one of these links helps...

Occupy Sandy!
Posted 9 hours ago on Nov. 1, 2012, 1:38 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tags: climate, disaster relief, hurricane, nyc, occupy sandy


via http://interoccupy.net/occupysandy/:

@OccupySandy

Occupy Sandy is a coordinated relief effort to help distribute resources & volunteers to help neighborhoods and people affected by Hurricane Sandy. We are a coalition of people & organizations who are dedicated to implementing aid and establishing hubs for neighborhood resource distribution. Members of this coalition are from Occupy Wall Street, 350.org, recovers.org and interoccupy.net. The task of rebuilding communities is a marathon and not a sprint. We thank you for your donations and your support. The hubs we have set up so far are listed below and photos and volunteer updates are available on our facebook: www.facebook.com/occupysandyreliefnyc. To contact us with information that should be included on this hub, please email [email protected]

To get regular updates by text message please text "occupysandy" to 23559.

Enter your email here to receive news and updates about how you can help!

Financial Donations can be made to:
https://www.wepay.com/donations/occupy-sandy-cleanup-volunteers

Volunteer to Help Out the Relief Effort:
http://interoccupy.net/occupysandy/volunteer/

To locate an Emergency Shelter, use this map which is updated regularly to reflect current status of the shelters in :
https://sparkrelief.org/#!/disaster/hurricane-sandy

For anyone who needs assistance with food:
Citymeals www.citymeals.org is delivering shelf-stable meals to seniors. If you come across any senior housing, please contact Citymeals and make them aware. Email [email protected].

Emergency food stamps: Call 718-557-1339. Many people may qualify for the Disaster-Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP).

To donate goods, here is a list of needs and where you can drop them off:

http://occupywallst.org/

[nadinbrzezinski]

40. Not a problem

Just dealing with the three day is a tough bar to meet crowd.

My experience, once people get used to three getting them to be ready for a tad longer is not as hard.

[rhett o rick]

70. I wasnt thinking about them and I should as I volunteer at a foodbank.

Our clients have a hard time finding meals each day let alone save any. I was glad to find out that the local meals for seniors program where they deliver meals to seniors, provide the seniors with a bag of canned foods to be kept for emergencies each winter.

[nadinbrzezinski]

72. We pretty much realize we have a major event

We have a couple seniors who we will have to share with. It's just the way it is.

[ChazII]

12. Seriously, I need to

start planning. Living in Phx with no weather disasters I have plans in case we lose power and that is about it. I have blue ice in the freezer so that I can put those in with the milk, butter, yogurts. Old plastic bottles that I fill with water and keep in the freezer for the same reason - ice. As mentioned above the food bars which get replaced when we are also down to 2. I have two solar powered/crank radios and a flashlight for each room in the house.

Thanks for posting this reminder, nadinbrzezinski.

[DemoTex]

15. In my rig I also carry fire gear ..

Nomex (top and bottom), fire shelter, shovel, Pulaski, 5 gallon cubie of water, and a 2# fire extinguisher.

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. Before I totalled the truck...entrenching tool

Nomex, rope rescue gear with 150 ft of static line, needs to be changed actually. First aid kit, tow lines... Oh yes, blankets, and teddy bears.

But you and I are or were emergency responders...just going over the most basic of the 72 hour kit, food and water.

I do not expect most folks to have two layers of nomex in their vehicle.

[Le Taz Hot]

46. I first read that as,

"In my fridge, I also carry fire gear . . ." I thought, "Why are they keeping this stuff in their fridge?"

Nevermind. It's late.

[sendero]

17. I like your suggestions

..... but really, your food storage requirements are too low. Three weeks MINIMUM of food to feed whoever is living there.

And really, it should be more.

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. EOC recommends 72 hours

As I said, we have far more than that, just wanted to show that having the minimum is achievable,easy. When we are fully stoked we probably have close to three weeks.

[sendero]

68. Awesome

[jeff47]

20. One BIG thing to add to your list

Fuel.

It's going to be hard to find gas for a while. So at an absolute minimum, make sure your car's gas tank is full before the storm hits. It would be a good idea to keep a few gallons on hand to supplement that. As with the water, remember to cycle through the stored fuel regularly to keep it fresh and avoid having "summer blend" when it's below 0.

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. Oh absolutely

I always try to fill tank when it gets to half.

But I was raising the food, as the most basic and stop with the excuses department.

We have more, and we're sure will feed neighbors. I mean I buy a large jar of peanut butter, will do well in a pinch.

[braddy]

27. Get a year ahead with your canned goods, and rotate them, I am still eating Tuna from 2004.

I eat canned beans and canned sweet potatoes, smoked oysters, canned meats, that are many years old, even the fake, ultra-conservative, "best by date" gives you 2 years for most items.

In reality, canned food is fine in quality for many years, and safe to eat, for many decades.

[former-republican]

38. Not mentioned but have a way to protect your self and family

Many times in situations like these the police are far and few between so don't count on them .
There are predators out there that wait for things like this to happen.

[nadinbrzezinski]

41. Only if you know how to use it

It is well maintained, and you will take that shot.

Otherwise, it will be used against you.

[former-republican]

42. It doesn't have to be a firearm

It can be a couple of cans of pepper spray .

[nadinbrzezinski]

43. Or a quarter staff

It still applies.

[former-republican]

44. sure , anything other than harsh words

[loli phabay]

56. get a 12 gauge pump action, its easy to use and everyone knows the sound and what its for

plus you can use it to get food

[former-republican]

57. Yea , I was

trying to avoid that here in GD , you know how that goes sometimes in this forum.
Life long hunter and long range target shooter .

[midnight]

47. Good info.

[nadinbrzezinski]

49. Take into account this is as bare bones of a list as it gets

[midnight]

59. Considering the economy, most people will only be able to have on hand the bare bones...

[nadinbrzezinski]

63. If you plan you can have more

And the economy is finally showing signs of getting better.

[defacto7]

58. The Mormons in my neck of the woods

keep a 7 year supply. If I remember, it's mandatory... I'm not sure if that's true anymore, but these guys are waiting for a 7 year famine where they will survive and the rest of us.... ???? I have my beans.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

67. If you are using your fireplace for heat...

make sure to have it cleaned of the creosote that builds up over time.
It becomes a fire hazard when not cleaned regularly.

I've lived thru several power outages living on the outskirts on Seattle. One
lasted 10 days. We've had two chimney fires in our neighborhood over the
last few years due to this problem. Thankfully no one was hurt, but both homes
had to be rebuilt.

[hobbit709]

69. Pretty much covers it.

Besides canned goods and water, I have a small tabletop propane grill that I can set up outside to cook on. I keep at least one spare bottle of fuel around.
My neighbor makes venison jerky and he gives me about 2 pounds worth every year-jerky is a good way of keeping meat.
A gallon jug of bleach will purify water for a long time. 2 drops per quart.
I also have an emergency lantern with a hand crank. It has a light, flasher unit, AM-FM radio, and a cell phone charger plug. 5 minutes of cranking will give you about 45 minutes of light or about 6 hours worth of radio.
Always keep a magic fire stick handy. I have lighters and a striker unit built into my knife sheath.
Since I live near water, I also have a collapsible fishing rod in the glove box of my truck with a small case of hooks and lures.

[binie]

73. They just disregarded all warnings

Perhaps there have been so many hypes about weather in the past that never materialized..........BUT...............having said that, This was the big one. This was the Climate change poster-child and the residents just went about their business as if a rain was predicted.
We have to take responsibility and prepare.
Didn't people even take the time to fill their gas tanks?
Do New Yorkers feel invincible?
We live in Philly and were bracing. Didn't know what would happen.

Staten Island, after all is a barrier island. That means IT takes the hit first. These residents never believed it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

74. It's not that folks disregarded them, it happens every disaster

It's the multiple excuses people posted here as to why they did not need even the most basic of preparations.

I mean, I can still walk to the well stocked bodega, what happens when you can't, can't be bothered.

So I went for the barebones (IMO insufficient) list given by emergency managers I am informed by professional experience. But the 72 hours buys emergency services time to be able to move in with MREs...that is the truth.

And welcome to DU.