As was mentioned in another thread on Disaster Planning, the Triangle J site has some wonderful suggestions and extensive lists. But it seems to me that none of the lists I’ve ever seen are “complete” and everyone’s situation calls for different means and supplies. So I was thinking that it might be good to post an installment here and there as I go through my Hurricane preparations—--especially to illustrate the methods that have worked for us. Preparation doesn’t necessarily have to take incredibly large blocks of time, nor does it have to break the bank!

I hope very much that others will contribute their favorite tricks as well. There is so much we can learn from one another’s experiences!

=======================

Standard Operating Procedures at mariabee’s house which make things run slightly smoother:

When I am in disaster-prep mode, I sort of play a game with myself. I rather pretend that our whole family will be going on a 2-3 week outdoor wilderness camping adventure...and that we must survive it regardless of the weather, regardless of any existing medical conditions, or the ages of my campers.

I also imagine that after we have been gone for such a long period, we may return to find that our home may have been ransacked by unsavories--—or completely lost to a fire or some such other unforeseen calamity.

By keeping this fantasy idea in the forefront of my mind, the two major aspects of, 1.) surviving, and 2.) having the things you care about also survive a disaster, are fairly well covered.

Finally, the thing that makes it all come together is a method for “division of labor”. There are aspects of preparation that are solely my domain, but without the help of my children and husband, and their knowing what they are responsible for, it would be a daunting task!

===========================

Some particulars of how we approach KEEPING things ready:

FOOD

We have a relatively large family, so keeping the pantry stocked is always at the forefront of my mind. One thing I have always done is to pay careful attention to the weekly sales papers. I do our normal shopping according to our needs and the sales, but when certain shelf-stable items go on sale I buy at least double what I would normally need; two boxes of saltines instead of one, 6 cans of Vienna sausage (yuck) instead of not buying any , 4 cans of tuna instead of 2, etc. And I put the extras away in a separate cabinet in my laundry room. My kitchen pantry may wax and wane, but my emergency pantry is always building. So whether we are stuck at home or we have to evacuate, there is always plenty of stable food available.

If we need to leave, every single stable item from the pantries go directly into a LARGE (major-bathtub-sized....no kidding) Rubbermaid container, which is placed in the truck. A manual can opener and bottle opener are taped inside the container’s lid and remain there all of the time.

Because we live in a hurricane prone area, we also have a method for managing the chest freezer contents. While I like to keep the chest freezer full of nice meat and seafood choices, in spring we begin using more of the freezer items and stocking-up less. As we begin depleting these frozen foods, I begin filling used milk/OJ gallon jugs with water and placing them in the freezer. This achieves several things. If we lose power we are less likely to lose so much precious frozen food (and what a nightmare that is to clean up!). Additionally, we are automatically stockpiling ice, which will be at the ready for packing ice chests; will help to keep the freezer colder longer during a power outage; and which can also be used for water in an emergency.

If we must leave, all lunchmeats, cheeses, and other perishables from the fridge are put directly into ice chests with the homemade ice. Although we have several of the sturdy sort, I keep several of the very inexpensive Styrofoam types in the garage. (They are handy all year round for when I have to get out for grocery shopping but also will have other errands to run.) If we need to eat on the road, etc., these are the items we will begin eating first.

The few things which remained in the freezer can be packed up in a sturdier ice chest if you are leaving. They can be cooked as needed as they begin to approach refrigerator temperature (we’ll get into cooking methods later). If you have an over abundance, these items can be shared and/or bartered with others, so that they well not go to waste.


…okay, I think that’s a good start on how we approach food. I’ll probably take a look at water next time.

Y’all chime in, now--I KNOW there are some real PRO's out there! Tell your best secrets, ask questions, etc. Let’s get ready!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mariabee,

***bumping this up for current & future events***

Very important information! Thanks, Mariabee!
Members please read all the great suggestions people added below. Also add more info if you have some!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DOCHKA,

*...bumping for the season...*

bumping this.

I gotta new one for our list straight out of the annals of our experience here.

At the beginning of hurricane season (or ANY time of year when an evacuation might be more probable)... have ALL your tires (including the spare) rotated. The time to discover a problem is NOW, not along the side of the road somewhere!

Three days ago, I discovered that not only did I have a slow leak in a tire, the stem was splitting and needed repair. So (knowing Mom was going into the hospital) I had my son come home from work to remove the tire and take it for repair. Sounds simple enough, right? Well... because my Silverado has fancy schmancy wheels (rims), there was an anti-theft plate held on by a HUGE screw covering the lug nuts. Couldn't get it off. So I called Mr. MB to buy a HUGE screwdriver on his way home from work. So he did and they removed the anti-theft plate. The lugs are inset and would not come loose for love nor money. So, we've given up trying to remove the tire and now are filling the tire to limp a quarter of a mile to the nearest tire store so that THEY can get the damned thing off! Now imagine if we had been in an evacuation and THIS had happened along side of the road in 100° weather... I got a CHEAP lesson I will never forget! I will be having them examine EVERY one of my wheels to be SURE they can be removed with hand tools (tires installed with impact wrenches are frequently on so tight that either the stud breaks when someone attempts to remove the lug, or it cannot be gotten off with hand tools). DEMAND that when your tires are removed that they are reinstalled using hand tools and a torque wrench (which tightens the lug to the exact correct amount of foot pounds - not too tight, not too loose). Tell them you want the studs lubricated with WD40 or another anti-seizing lubricant so that in the event of a flat, the tire can be easily removed. If you have a spare wheel that is different from your other tires, BE SURE that it is the correct size for your wheels - many used cars do not have the standard issue spares and even some of those are incorrect - again, NOT something you want to discover alongside of the road with 18 wheelers whizzing by...

Also be SURE you have a jack that fits your vehicle (I bought an aftermarket floor jack that is better than the one that came with the truck) and a lug wrench of the correct size (check!) for the lug nuts on your wheels. A $15 emergency air compressor that plugs into your cigarette lighter should be in everyone's vehicle at all times! A can of Fix-A-Flat should also be added to your roadside emergency kit.

You DON'T have to be a mechanic to give instructions for having these simple maintenance items done for you at your local tire center or mechanic's, nor will YOU have to change the tires. The idea is to eliminate "surprises" that could become lifethreatening events and make it EASY for you to receive roadside assistance should you have an unexpected flat.

If you haven't done this maintenance, PLEASE make an appointment and DO IT NOW!!

A late thought , you should have super glue in your kit. Doesn't take much space and can even be used as a wound sealer, if you can't stitch, but have to close an injury. Burns like the dickens and you need to leave a lower opening for drainage. If you have what you need to properly clean a wound to start with, this can help seal out contamination. It is the basis for Derma Bond. PLEASE, before considering this, look into it. The LAST thing you want to to is seal in infection, and you are likely to be without antibiotics.
http://www.dermabond.com/home.jhtml?_requestid=1204575

Even Derma Bond stings, but if you can get it and know how to use it, so much the better. You should still have super glue.

They used Derma Bond in the ER for a cut I had under my eye a fewyears ago. I have a slight scar, but it was better than stitches. First flushed repeatedly with hydrogen proxide, then with saline wound wash, then with Betadine. Dried, and stuck together with derma bond, in a true pinch, super glue will do.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bobcat,

Backpack, tote, fully loaded camper, 18 wheeler - it doesn't matter WHAT method you use to organize your supplies, just be sure you HAVE the stuff you need to survive for at least 2 weeks and make the process as easy as possible for you to make preparations QUICKLY and efficiently. I personally would rather have the fully-loaded, ready-to-go camper. But not everyone can have that luxury, so do whatever you can within your means.

The whole idea is for NONE of you to EVER look like many of the people I saw seeking refuge at shelters of last resort (like the Superdome). People arrived with children on their hips, old folks in wheelchairs and MAYBE a plastic grocery bag on one arm containing "supplies." No toys, no water, not even so much as a freakin' loaf of BREAD! It was LUDICROUS! I know many of those folks were impoverished and some hadn't much sense, but DAMN!! To arrive with next to NOTHING in the way of supplies in anticipation of a catastrophic event was INSANE and SELFISH beyond belief! They EXPECTED to be taken care of, to be sheltered and fed! They brought damn near NOTHING from their homes which could have been of use to themselves or others.

Now I know none of y'all would ever show up to a shelter with that kind of attitude, but I HOPE that with some preparation, you never have to be AROUND people like that in an emergency! Folks like that are like vampires and will drain more prepared folks of everything and still demand more... Try NEVER to have to use public shelters if you do not have to do so, for that's where the vampires always end up.

If you do find yourself in a situation where you had to flee with nothing (hey - it HAPPENS to the nicest, most prepared people that SOMETIMES the stuff hits the fan and there is NO TIME to even grab a thing!), head for a church shelter rather than a public shelter, which is probably overflowing with people much worse off than even you are at that moment!

---

OK. This is a dark tip, but one everyone should know. A Sharpie, El Marko or other PERMANENT, waterproof marker should be in your kit. If something catastropic is coming or feared, write your name and social security number on your chest. Not your forearm or your leg (you can put it on the forearm too, if you like) - right across your chest. Do this for every member of your family who is with you and anyone else who has not done so. Without being morbid, this is important to identify you in case... For loved ones who cannot help themselves and somehow get separated from their caregiver (do not allow ANYONE to separate you from your loved one for ANY reason other than being swept away by wind or water, or sudden death), this may be the ONLY way they can be identified and reunited with loved ones. There are still over 200 unidentified or unclaimed bodies of people in the morgue at New Orleans who died during Hurricane Katrina. A simple thing like a social security number and name on their chests might have identified them...

quote:

should I use my old backpack(I lived out of it for 10 months)

Absolutely, Gypsy!

This is what we keep all of our personal item in. A backpack is perfect, cuz everybody can have their own. It's the perfect size for carrying a change of clothes, toothbrush, a good book, feminine hygiene items, a bottle of water, a teddy bear, etc., etc.

Backpacks don't take up much room, you don't have to "carry" them, and they'll squish up to fit in almost any tight space.

This is one of the items that I have everyone (except Mom) get ready for themselves---the backpack and their sleeping bag. They can personalize the contents and it becomes their little home away from home!

...if anyone does not yet have a backpack...did you know that Jansport makes a SUPER line of backpacks ANDthey will repair them FOR FREE, forever!? ...no fuss, no muss...you don't even need a receipt!

Just reading all this stuff and realizing that I either have my head in the sand or am very lucky to live in a RELATIVELY safe areaa. My survival kit is very limited-mostly stuff for power outages. When we had the camper van it was our emergency kit. We did have to evacuate for a few hours a year ago since it was a gas leak we had to go by foot with the push chair-only grabbed our fanny packs(1 week supply of pills) and Sandy's leash (there was 2 water bottles in the back of Mike's chair. Now for my latest thought, question-instead of having a tote of stuff in the closet should I use my old backpack(I lived out of it for 10 months) That way I can grab it and the wheelchair and the leash all at once. It has many pockets so things can get more organized- anyone see any cons to this idea?. Gypsy

It has come to my attention that my med closet over the sink (was out of mom's reach) needed a good cleaning YEARS AGO! I found her med bottles from the 1970's all the way in the back in glass glasses (when dad went blind in 75 we put all glass drinking glasses away). Guess she put her meds in there for some reason. The vitamins (Centrum Silver) my mom's son got from work and gave us last year expired 2002. I am going to put 2 emergency kits together for the new place we go to. 1 upstairs and 1 down by Dan. Thanks for all the advice here I will use it for sure.

quote:

Maria, I have egg all over me.

OH BC! Wipe dat egg off---you look so silly like dat

Seriously, though, this is why I wanted to start this discussion. 3408 brains (members) have got to be better than one! Everybody will have thought of, or experienced, something that someone else would not have considered.

On the topic of expired medications I can offer a little comfort, though. A study was done a couple of years back to discover in what condition expired medications really were.

It turns out that of all the medications tested, almost every one still retained all of its quality and strength. Only a very small fraction (I don't remember the number) had lost some of its quality, but was still somewhat affective. And a much, much, tinier fraction had actually strengthened--had become more potent.

So generally, this is good news. If you're at home and your aspirin expired last year--it will probably still work for you until you can get a replacement. But in an emergency, we really don't want to have the extra stress of wondering whether our meds will work, or possibly even do more harm than good!

Maria, I have egg all over me. I got out my First Aid Kit last night and was not truely surprised to see the the aspiren and ibuprofen both expired, in the last century.

Clearly, I have some updating and house cleaning to do. My animal kit is in far better shape. But it isn't set for grab and go, at least I always make sure that the penicillin I keep on hand for them doesn't run out of date,

I just thought of a really handy-dandy item that I only discovered a few months back!

It's called REFILIT (majesticdrug.com). It is a cherry flavored filling material used to temporarily replace lost fillings in your teeth!
They claim that it offers instant pain relief, in one step, with no mixing.

I don't know about you, but I have never witnessed someone lose a filling or break a tooth at a convenient moment. This stuff always happens on weekends, holidays, or at night. So, it is a new addition to my first aid kit.

In a pinch, a whole clove (the cooking spice) will also help considerably to numb a painful area in the mouth.

First Aid and the First Aid Kit

This might be a dumb question, since I’m addressing a bunch of people who spend their lives devoted to the care of mostly helpless, and highly vulnerable elderly people; but I’ll ask it anyway. How many of you have ever taken the Red Cross’ First Aid Certification Course? Their CPR course? Do you even have a first aid guide in your house??

Take the course. It’s cheap, it comes with a book, it doesn’t take a lot of time, and the knowledge you gain can save lives---maybe even your own. Their Senior Lifeguard and Water Safety Instructor courses are also excellent---I know, we’re not teenagers anymore, but, hey---we’ve been needing a little exercise , and it’s good clean fun too!

The Kit

We actually do own three of those little kit things you can pick up at any Wal-Mart or drug store. (The best one I have found is put together by Johnson & Johnson---bar code: 8137-008123) We keep one in the closet under our stairway (our “tornado shelter”) with our other emergency supplies, and one in each of our vehicles at all times. But, really, those things are mostly a joke. If you have an emergency and you are depending on one of those little first aid kits to get you through---you had better pick what kind of emergency you are going to have very carefully.

Preparing Your Own Kit

Everyone has already given so many wonderful suggestions that I really don’t have much to add, but I’ll give it a go and see what I can come up with.

Over the years I have tried all sorts of different strategies for keeping a “complete” first aid kit ready for an evacuation.

One year, every time I bought aspirin, bandages, triple antibiotic ointment, you name it, I bought an extra one of that item and stored it away in a container for the “grab-n-go” scenario. That worked fairly well and it didn’t take a lot of time or a large chunk of money all at once.

Another year I surveyed all of the items I have in my home that I might use for treating illness or injury---everything from alcohol to Pepto-Bismol, from scalpels (I sorta like dissecting stuff) to needle and thread. I marched forth with my hefty list and bought at least one of every single item that was on it. AND I had to buy a HUGE container to put it all in.

This year as I was going through my kit to make sure it had not been robbed by someone in a pinch, I was chagrined to realize that most of the medicines had expired and had never even been opened!

So, now I’ve come up with a new idea. This year, I am stocking my kit with things that are already in my house. So what if the Tums have been opened, or the aspirin has only 100 tablets instead of 250? I won’t even beat myself up if I have to rob my kit here and there---I’ll just make a note of what I’m using so that the next time I go to the store I can buy it’s replacement. Essentially, my emergency kit and my home kit will be the same thing (one container for things that expire, another for everything else.)

It’s all in the Box

If I listed all of the stuff in my kit for you, you would no longer suspect me of being insane---you would be convinced! So, I’ll try to keep it brief. When stocking my kit I find it easier to think in terms of “what if” rather than “what else”. For instance, “What if someone gets a headache? Nauseous? Itchy? Cut? Burned? ….”

I pack:
-all the medicines normally found in a house---from Kaopectate to Syrup of Ipecac
-antiseptics like rubbing alcohol, betadine, and hydrogen peroxide
-probably every kind of bandage, gauze and dressing known to mankind

We all have allergies so I keep a mega supply of various antihistamines; OTC & Rx cortisone creams; an Epi-Pen; OTC & Rx nasal sprays; Poison Ivy Scrub; Caladryl Lotion and allergy eye-drops.

-sunscreen, mosquito repellent, 100% Aloe Vera Gel
-scissors, tape, safety pins, needles & heavy duty thread
-an eye washer cup, a full manicure kit
-soap, hand sanitizer and wipes
-razors and blades, scalpel, hemostat, butterfly closures
-a latex band (like ballet dancers use to strengthen their points)
-particle masks and several bandanas
-thermometer, a battery operated sphygmomanometer (for blood pressure—--say that fast 10 times!)
-hot water bottle with its parts, an ice bag
-an indelible marker (Sharpie), electronic stopwatch with alarm
-craft sticks (can splint fingers!), finger cots
-Q-tips, REAL cotton balls
-knee, ankle, elbow & wrist braces; compression stockings & bandage
-strike-anywhere matches
-Vitamins (Centrum Silver Chewable for Mom)
(Oh! almost forgot)
-a bloodsuger meter with lancets and test strips
-and ketostrips (checks for ketones in the urine)

Okay, that’s enough. There were plenty of super items already mentioned by you guys…I will spare us the agony of having me list them again!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mariabee,

quote:

He had gas in his vehicle he was wasting looking for gas.

Ahhh, yes, BC, BUT, as I learned during Katrina, modern vehicles are equipped with anti-siphon devices so be sure to have SOMETHING that will get one past that or you will be screwed. We hadda siphon gas from LAWNMOWERS because we couldn't access the gas tanks (full!) on either car!
Who knew?!!! I am now the proud owner of a 55 gallon plastic barrel (with hand-pump) and 8 - 5 gallon gas cans and 4 - 5 gallon water jugs.

---

Those sealing bags I see on the TV - forget the name, maybe Space Savers? - would be invaluable for using to store bulky items like blankets, sheets, etc. without taking up such a huge amount of space. Other items can be stored in waterproof plastic bags with one of those home canning vacuum systems (like seal a meal, only with the vacuum thingy). SEALING stuff in waterproof bags is the hot setup as I also found out - during an evacuation, it's RAINING and the enevitable leaks will occur as well as what happens when buttheads paw through your stuff and don't resecure the lids, tarps, etc.

---

And more times than I can remember, I sit "all dressed up" and no reason to go ('cause the storm bypassed us), but I have learned to RELISH that moment in time! It's a WONDERFUL feeling to know that the hours of preparation and effort and energy and money expended was not needed... this time.

http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_312_6770,00.html

http://www.redcross.org/pubs/dspubs/cde.html

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bobcat,

my prayers are with the people in texas right now. it remended me, and this may or may not be of use so take it with a grain. what about those rubber soled, mesh pull on deck shoes? i see them at the goodwill a sal. army all the time. they can be washed and stored in all sizes and don't take up a lot of space. a pair for each family member and several pair for bartering. people let their kids go barefoot so often in warm climates that sometimes i see bare feet on the news coverage. when i think of the broken debri under the water it's scary. also inflatable tubes such as used for water sports, a small pump, they hold a lot of weight. heavy duty inlatable water mattresses. a militarty type stretcher would come in useful for transporting bedridden and if were a flood could then be placed on an inflatable to guide without the lifting and carrying. just thoughts. sorry if it's no help. powdered fruit flavored protein powder has an incredible shelf life, can be used in the water you drink with enough nutients to replace a real meal and thus serves a dual purpose. amyway again sells a pretty good tasting orange meal replacement. no, i am not an amway dealer!dozens of these can be air vac'd and stored in supplies and don't take much space. also a great bartering item. i think i know more about bartering than disasters! sorry.

quote:

Absolutley dumbfounded by the notion of having an axe in the attic to carve out an escape to the roof.

BC, a gassed-up, ready-to-go, oiled and tested chainsaw stays in the house with us during a storm in case we have to cut our way out due to a tree falling on the house, etc. We don't flood, so we don't need an axe, but you betcher sweet asp if I DID live somewhere like that, I'd have a cordless sawz-all instead of a freakin' axe (which I would STILL have as back-up...). No need to eschew modern conveniences so long as you have plenty of back-up power sources for them!