Stormy Weather
We’re five days into hurricane season and I’m proud to say that I haven’t panicked yet.Last night I watched an informational program on disaster planning on the local government channel that provided some very interesting information. It was companion to a book from FEMA called “Are you Ready?
It answered some questions, yet overlooked others.
I now know I need to acquire my own blue roof tarp—I hate to think about buying one (they’re not cheap) but I hate to think about needing one and not having it, too. I learned how to sanitize soda and milk bottles for use as water containers and that a moderately active person needs one-half a gallon of water each day for drinking. Plan on putting one gallon per person per day in your disaster preparedness kit. Non-perishable food? Got it. Two extra weeks of medications? Try getting that out of your insurance company. Got a pet? Better pack for them, too. In past years I’ve never worried about myself as much as I worried about the cats. This year I’m getting Max a harness and leash (he’s eighteen and never had either) just in case we need to go to a pet-friendly shelter.
The two things I always wonder about, that no one ever discusses, is what to do with the worn out batteries (you’re not supposed to send them to the landfill, but what the heck else are you supposed to do with them???)
The other is the matter of the loo. If the electricity goes out and your friendly local lift station goes off line, your toilet won’t flush. They never talk about that! Or is that what the other half gallon of water is for? Is that what they meant when they talked about being prepared to bury your garbage? Ick!
The 2006 forecast calls for: 17 named tropical storms; an average season has 9.6. ; 9 hurricanes compared to the average of 5.9. ; 5 major hurricanes with winds exceeding 110 mph; average is 2.3.
If you don’t live in a hurricane-prone area you can help your family by offering to be a telephone contact person. If family members are separated, they can call you, and you can assist them in getting back together. Or you can invite everyone to your house to ride out the storm. I’m sure they’d be happy to bring their disaster kits!
posted by Karen @ 4:11 PM
7 Comments:
It's always best to be prepared. We keep enough food on hand to last at least three months (plus enough long-term storage food to last another 6), 60 gallons of fresh water for drinking and about 750 gallons of water in the cistern for the dogs, for flushing toilets, etc. It can also be boiled and run through our ceramic filter in a pinch. We try to keep at least one or two 24-packs of double-roll toilet paper on hand, a non-electric coffee pot, the kind of flashlights you either shake or wind up for light (we have 2 of each, no batteries needed), a wind-up radio, medical supplies, bandages, etc., vitamins, herbal supplements, manually operated can opener, mixer, etc. Dh has the materials to build a solar oven in a pinch. Three propane bottles filled and ready to fire up the grill, with a 6 month supply of matches.
Even with all that, I know there are important things we'll find ourselves out of if the worst hits, but at least we can survive a long time.
Karen, I hope it ends up being a less active season than they expect, but if it's not, I hope you stay safe. It's a good time to post the emergency preparedness info. And not just for hurricanes.
Karen, thanks for reminding us to be in readiness for the worst! I bought a bunch of canned goods last season and realized we'd probably all end up eating leaves and grass before eating Spaghetti-O's twice a day.
Anybody got suggestions for tastier canned or "long-term" food? What's out there, what's good?
Tori, I'm impressed. Where the heck do you find shakable or wind-up flashlights, and how long does the charge last?? Are they rechargeable indefinitely or does some material in them have to be replaced?
Inquiring minds want to know--thanks!
Keeping my fingers crossed that this hurricane season passes without such devastation!
Tori, you get the blue ribbon for preparedness. Sounds like you could survive Armageddon--I'm just looking to make it through the first three days after a hurricane. Good thing, too. I'd never have the financial resources to stock up for 6 months! Here's to a calm storm season.
I live in Southern California, where we need to be prepared for
earthquakes. What we've been told to do for nonfunctioning toilets, is
to place a garbage bag in the bowl. When it starts to fill, lift the
bag out and replace it with another. Bury the contents, but not the
bag.
Here's hoping we never need to use our disaster preparedness kits.
Debra Holland
Karen, as the Katrina victims found out, 3 days often isn't long enough. The easiest way to stock up is to buy a few extra cans of food every time you go to the grocery store, mark the purchase date on the top with a Sharpie, and rotate them to the front after 6 months or so and replace with newer cans. It might cost you an extra $5 a week, but it's much easier than being gouged when a hurricane is approaching, or worse, to find out the grocery store has been emptied before you got there.
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