Emergency Preparedness

13 years ago

I responded on the other post about the storm but thought it might be best to start a new one. If you do a search using the words Emergency Preparedness you will find several postings made in the past for those facing storms,etc. There are lists of things to take with you and things to have at home in case you stay or return after the storm. Believe me those of us who have faced storms (4 in about 6 weeks in 2004) have learned lessons that those facing Irene can benefit from.

You can also find postings if you search by hurricanes.

One thing to do is to clean you tubs and washer and fill with water to use while you have lost electricity. Even if you leave for the storm you may return before power is back on. Another thing to do to help save your frozen foods is to fill two liter bottles with water and put them in any empty places in your freezer. You want you freezer full to keep it colder longer so do it now!

Do check out the suggestions though.

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Comments (16)

lazypup
13 years ago
Here is a little idea that I thought up.....

I have scanned all my important documents then stored them on a "Flash drive" that I can wear on a lanyard around my neck, so if my original copies are lost or destroyed I can at least print copies on any computer with a printer.

Birth Certificate
High School Diploma
Military Discharges (2 each)
College Diploma
Technical School Diplomas (6 each)
Medical Insurance policy
Homeowners Insurance policy
Vehicle Insurance policies
Vehicle Titles
Vehicle Registrations
Social Security Pension papers (if retired)
Last Bank Statement
Household inventory of valuables(don't forget serial numbers) Include photos of valuables.
Last Will & Testament
Emergency contact numbers & email address for friends & family
Heirloom photos of Mother, Dad, wife & kids.

Name of primary physician & emergency phone number
Latest medical records...
Medical Prescriptions..

And I am certain you can think of even more for your family.

These items can be scanned and placed in separate files then stored on a flash drive and hung on a lanyard around your kneck where they will be instantly handy if you need them.
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minnie_tx
13 years ago
That's a great list lazypup. Here is a link to a GW thread on the subject
here is one you can copy and paste
Are you prepared?
http://72hours.org/

Here is a link that might be useful: Emergency Preparedness PAGE 2 - Organizing the Home Forum - GardenWeb
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Spelling doesn;'t count in a storn but SAFETY does. Ensure you have an evacuation plan. Remember that others will be attempting to leave the same route you may have planned and you could get into a gridlock on the highway. LEAVE EARLY. You can always come home if the storm bypasses you. Have your necessary documents and family papers in as water tight box that you can store them in. Leave them in this box year round so that you can pick it up and go. Store family pictures on disk and be ready to pick them up and go. Have sufficient prescription medication on hand to cover you for a week and have written prescritions from your doctor in case we suffer like New Orleans did. HAVE CASH - can not say that often enough Take pictures of your garden so that you can remember it the way it was in case of the worst. Remember, we have warnings with hurricanes and can prepare and leave. With tornadoes we have no warning. GET OUT AND STAY OUT when law enforcement tells you to. YOUR property is not worth your life. We would miss you terribly and would not have you to sommiserate with after the storm. Stay in communication with family and friends. Cell phones may not work after a storm nor phones. You may have to contact the American Red Cross so they can send a ham radio message to the chapter where your family lives to let them know you are okay. DO NO PROCRASTINATE Remember this is a tropical area and after a storm and immediately before one supplies will be hard to come by. KEEP LOTS AND LOTS OF INSECT SPRAY FOR AFTER THE STORM You will need it in the steamy hungle that will be your life for a while. Others, please add your tips.
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If I were you I'd look for an industrial or shipping supply company. you will want to use plastic drums or steel drums with plastic liners, and don't forget the desiccant. Unless you want to buy individually packaged dried food from camping stores I expect that you will have to spring for shipping. You may be able to get your self bulk beans or wheat from a local farm or grain elevator, inquire at your local farm supply store. The shipping typically isn't that rough on bulk items like this, and the premiums you pay for a local vendor may actually cost you more than you save. Don't forget a barrel of clean water. Also if you buy food that is not packaged (like grain from a grain elevator) you might want to fill the container with CO2 or N2 to protect the contents. Desiccants will ward off fungus but there are insects that can make it using the carbohydrates and O2.
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Living in North Dakota, I think "winter" all the time. When we first moved here the base gave us a list of items to keep in the car during the winter months. I took it serious. We keep our "blizzard kits" in each vehicle from Oct. 15 until May 15. My kit is in a Rubbermaid container. It stays in the cargo area of the car, or on the back seat. It never leaves. In the spring contents are checked, cleaned, refreshed and put in the basement, still in the container and well marked. In the fall they are checked and refreshed again and set in the car. Good to go! It holds my... - Heavy -35 degree or so rated insulated boots - 2 extra pairs of heavy insulated socks - 2 pairs of thinner cotton socks - Extra pair of old tennis shoes (Can't have damp feet) - Extra set of thermal underwear - Extra fleece scarves - A fleece hood/head cover - A thick face mask - My -45 degree rated parka, rolled small and stuffed in an old pillow case - Extra pair of heavy-duty insulated gloves, stuffed in the parka pockets - A sealed coffee can holding candles, waterproof matches, parachute twine (? DH insisted), yellow emergency tape, a pocket knife, an old CD to use as a flasher, Energy bars, chocolate, MRE items, etc. - A basic first-aid kit - A tin canteen cup to melt snow (if it got that desperate) No sense in packing water; it would stay frozen solid all winter long. - A crank-style flashlight - A coffee can filled with Harry's food, in case he's in the car, too. (It gets changed out a couple times through out the winter.) - An empty coffee can - Any time Harry's in the car I add two of his thick bedspread/blankets to the cargo area so he has warmth, too. - 2 fleece blankets, rolled tight, stuffed in pillowcases, and on the floor of the back seat. - 2 big garbage bags - A couple old paperback books, and a notebook and pencils (ink would freeze), to stave off desperation and kill time until help arrives. - My phone charger stays in a compartment in the dash of the car. - A list of my medical history and all the meds I take are taped to the inside top of the Blizzard kit. If I'm going any further than Grand Forks, I take my two-weeks' worth of filled containers of meds in my purse. Don't want to be stranded for a day or two with no BP and diabetes meds. - Also, if I'm going further than GF, I toss in my old heavy sleeping bag. (Can't you see Harry and I, wearing the parkas, extra socks on all our feets, rolled in the sleeping bag, all our blankets under and over us, munching on chocolate and kibble, reading to one another! LOL) I've never had to use this kit, except to pull out the parka and boots to wear at "extra cold times", but it comforts me to know it's there. "Let's be careful out there, folks!" And never, ever, for any reason leave the car. If you stay in the car, no matter what...you will be somewhat by the road and you...
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This is an interesting thread. It's nice to see it. After going south to help after Katrina and seeing the astonishing destruction firsthand, I realized all too clearly that help might not be available for some time if something ever happened in my area. When I got home, I emptied several shelves in my basement and began stocking up on canned food, soups and nonperishable food items. I have been adding things as they occur to me (like pet food and baby wipes for cleaning ourselves if water is unavailable) and using, then replacing items before they age out. I always have Powerade on hand - I think it tastes better than Gatorade, but that's just me - plus packets of powdered electrolite mixes for water, a supply of powdered milk and a variety of big bottles of juices. I have a large clear plastic bin filled with items I might need for my family during an emergency, everything from a manual can opener, paper plates, cups and napkins to matches and candles, spare batteries and basic medical supplies. Bottles of Purell of course, and old fashioned, full strength Lysol for serious disinfecting. I also have two tarps and a crank powered radio, should we ever need them. My mother told me about living through a Katrina like storm when she was a small child in the Miami area in the twenties. She remembers seeing dead people floating and not having food for five days. The Red Cross reached them before any other group, giving them food, fresh clothing and much needed reassurance. To this day, Mom keeps her pantry well stocked, just in case of a hurricane. She remembers how awful it was to be hungry. Interestingly, the head of my county's Emergency Operations Center told me that he believed every household should always have ten days - not just three days - worth of food and supplies on hand in case of an emergency. He felt that people should not depend on someone else to be there for them, basically because no government entity could possible take care of everyone immediately should some unforeseen large disaster take place. It made sense to me. I certainly saw what happened along our gulf coast. I met people who had been stranded in their small hamlet for ten days before outside help arrived. The local fire department kept people alive by rationing out cans of food its members had found and picked out of the debris. Everybody was living under tarps or sleeping in their cars when the National Guard finally arrived. When I think back to the last large hurricane that hit my area, I remember that my sister-in-law was without power for ten days even though she was on a main road. So many trees had come down taking the wires with them that the power company had an awful time getting everything working again. We were relatively lucky, we only lost our power for a few days.
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minnie_tx
13 years ago
Dont forget the cell phone try and get a recharger for it tht works in the car and/or a battery operated charge. Also a small radio
Dollar tree had very small radios tht run on 2 triple a bateries that get abuot 9 FM stations about 3 inches sqquare with ear plugs for $1
And of course the "bug out" bags one for each family member is good and one for medical and one for car necessities and one for eating/sleeping have them ready to throw in the car (or a bck pack for each.
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dotmom
13 years ago
And please.....don't forget your pets. Have ready what you would need for them.
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joyfulguy
13 years ago
Some suggest having one of those crank radios, as well.

If you're not in low area in danger of flooding so liable to evacuation, perhaps talk to three or four, maybe half a dozen friends who have freezers to buy an adequate generator together and carry it house to house through the days while the power goes off: a lot cheaper that replacing a freezer-full of food!

It would be important to find one participant who has space to store it in between usings.

While you're not going to work, and in between shifting the generator during the outage ...

... maybe travel the neighbourhood, looking for others who have a freezer but no generator, to rent use of your generator during hours when the owners don't need it.

Several years ago I carried one to a nearby area when there was a widespread outage for several days, charged up a number of freezers at no cost ...

... I was a clergyperson with some time available and felt that it was a service which we could provide (and some say that the only time that they hear from the church is when they want money).

Several contributed ... after gas cost covered, split the contributions between the owner of the generator (who said to give it to his church) and the treasurer of our church.

ole joyful
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lynn_d
13 years ago
Oh dotmom, thank you for mentioning them! Keeping food, collars and leashes, any of their meds, water and bowls, litter and carriers all at the ready will make things much less stressful. A breeder friend of mine says to crate the critters first, otherwise they will pick up on the general feeling of anxiety and could hide.

Another thing I heard and passed on to my boss this morning is to make sure the phone is set up for texting (he hates to text) because phone service may be down but texting will go thru. I have no idea why that would be, but it was on the Today show this morning.
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minnie_tx
13 years ago
The above additions were great and I've heard that tip abou texting I'd have to learn quick and I have some windu-p flashlight and radios and tht was a good suggestion . I have two visiting neighborhood free loading cats but I'd make sure they were seure in an emergenlcy too.

Someone on TV just mentioned getting thos 12 inch glow sticks and tthey will give light for a long time good to know.
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zeetera
13 years ago
Battery operated fans. The large ones. That's one thing I can't do without. In fact, get two.
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sushipup1
13 years ago
Here's a great website, 72hours.org

There are a great many other emergencies that can hit us. There was a propane tanker fire in CA this week that evacuated 5000 homes within 5 miles of the site until the fire was under control. The San Bruno natural gas pipeline explosion last September was devastating. Not to mention quakes, tornadoes, hurricane, massive snow storms, floods and whatever else man and nature can throw at us!

And don't forget to include your pets in your plans!

Here is a link that might be useful: 72 hours
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angela_nor_calif
13 years ago
My husband and I just went and heard a speaker on this matter. It was very interesting and that is a great list lazypup. Another suggestion he had was to have a contact out of state - a family member or friend - that knows your emergency plan and each of your immediate family members can call that person and let them know where they are in case you are separated. The man giving the speech said in times of emergency situations sometimes local phones lines are so tied up you can't get through but most of the time long distance you can get through for whatever reason.
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nelles_gw
13 years ago
Maybe I read the posts too qickly, but I don't think anyone mentioned cash! It is always a good idea to have some cash on hand, maybe $500 or so, because if the power goes out, the ATMs won't work.

Also, have an extra, and full, propane tank on hand.

Living here in FL, one thing we try to do during hurricne season is keep the gas tank in the car topped off.

Stay safe, everyone!
Ellen
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minnie_tx
13 years ago
Ellen I think cash may have ben mentioned on one of the reference links.But thanks for puting it forward on this thread. Make sure you hve a lot of ones too. No sense having to give a $10 tip when a couple of ones will do. a good mention of the ATM's being down!!
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ntt_hou
13 years ago
Not only during hurricanes but also in any case of widespread emergency, cellular phones communication becomes the main communication between Homeland Security unit. They're not down, they're just reserved to Homeland Security. I've learned this during the London bomb incident several years ago. It helped me during Ike because that was how it happened. I was prepared and warned my families and friends to use texting if needed to. The cellular phone lines opened up to the public at night between 9 pm to around 6 or 7 am during Ike and the a few days after.

Another good thing to have is a landline phone, those old phones with the cord. These phones will still ring and work even when power is down. Your cordless will be useless without power, so is your digital phone line if that's what you have. If you don't have one, those corded phone is still on sale for about $10.
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joyfulguy
13 years ago
I think that corded phones are available at surplus stores for under $10.00.

Maybe find them at garage sales ... but not if in a hurry, of course.

ole joyful
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linda_in_iowa
13 years ago
I heard on TV today that your cash on hand should be in $1,$5 and $10 denominations.
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cynic
13 years ago
With regard to pets, have the vaccination tag for them on the collar/harness. Pets get stressed and might bite when they normally wouldn't. It'd relieve stress all around if you could show immediately they've had their shots. I'm also thinking of putting a copy of the vet record of shots in the carrier, laminated or in a plastic sealed bag, just in case, plus it'd have the vet's number if someone felt need to call.

I think this is in the other thread, but a hardcopy address book or at least phone number list, laminated and/or in a plastic bag would be helpful. I keep most numbers in my cell, but if it dies, is lost or stolen, it's no good. Some redundancy in emergency planning is good.

A while back a tornado was heading my direction. I was tracking it (started unusually late, was distracted with other things) but even though I was confident I wasn't in much danger, I still (and for the first time) decided to harness the cat and put her in the carrier in case we needed to head to the basement. I kept her next to me to keep her more calm while I tracked the storms and when I was comfortable that things were safe enough I let her out but on the leash. She still stayed in my lap and that was fine. By the time I felt it was "all clear" I let her off.

People also need to think ahead of time a bit. When the "big one" is-a-comin', stores empty out on things like batteries, candles and the like. Even the staple groceries can sometimes become hard to find. I find it so amazing the number of people who won't even keep some batteries, candles, food staples and the like in their homes! For whatever reason there's basic things a person should have not just for a big storm or something but if you get sick, injured or whatever the need.

Also remember if power is out, gas pumps don't work either so even if you have the cash, you might not get the gas.
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Emergency Preparedness

Comments (16)

lazypup

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