helena Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 What have you done or bought to prepare for an emergency? Something that made you feel glad to have finally done? We have earthquakes here and lately I've been on a kick going through my pantry, cleaning out and restocking our medicine cabinets... I'd like to be as prepared as possible for someone living in a suburban neighborhood. I don't have a well or chickens, :), but I am thinking about buying a hand crank radio! I also think it's time for a family cpr class. :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 I have a couple of these in my garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pod's mum Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Not thinking of moving to Idaho are you? Some folks there have pretty comprehensive survival plans which include the need to stock up on weapons and ammunition. Otherwise, for a basic set up, include some big water containers, first-aid kit, torches, batteries, radios, canned food, (can-opener), milk powder, candles, a cooker (perhaps one of those butane canister type), good maps, rolls of plastic or tarps and good duct tape have many uses. Oops, forgot to add, toilet paper and a hand-trowel. Anyway, there's a start. This is all stuff we use to have in our old campervan and all got well used. ETA: Forgot matches, lots, and while your at it add some of those little fire-lighters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 This webpage by USGS helped me It has all the information on how to be prepared and what to do after an earthquake. "Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country Your Handbook for the San Francisco Bay Region" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abba12 Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Our biggest threat in our current home is flooding. Our house would not be likely to actually be flooded, but we can very easily be trapped in without power or access to the immediate neighbourhood for a prolonged period. It happened last year, and two years before that. We also need to make sure we keep general fire and storm supplies. I realized I have actually allowed my emergency supplies to dwindle so I am going to write my checklist and get things back together! Bottled water - We have a tank but in the case of a severe flood the pump could go, and on top of that, while we are able to have tank water, the area is more built up than it used to be and I prefer not to drink it without filtering these days. I aim to have 4 boxes, which is 15L a box, so 60L of water ( about 15 Gallons I think) Torch first aid kit battery operated radio batteries tarps All super important documents are kept in a single folder that we can grab in case of emergency or evacuation I can't breastfeed so when I have a baby in the house I aim to always have an unopened can of formula. Also try to keep some extra medication around though this isn't always possible with prescription items. We are considering getting a generator, a lot of people here have them. We also never let our cupboards get empty. I aim to have 2 weeks worth of food of some form in the pantry. Near the end of those weeks it may well be tinned soup, baked beans, rice and tinned tomatoes lol, but there is something edible! I am seriously considering getting some proper dehydrated emergency supplies soon, since maintaining the pantry stockpile will be harder as our family gets bigger and older. It's not longer just the two of us and some baby food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 We're not in a high risk area, so we just do the basic stuff -- keep at least a few days' supply of non-perishable food, water and batteries. I'm a particular stickler about keeping several cases of bottled water on hand. We keep all our important documents in a lock box that's easy to grab. I try to never let my car's gas tank get too empty. We have car chargers for our cell phones (that's a fairly routine thing for people to have nowadays, but in a power outage they're a necessity). We try to keep our RV's tank filled with gas. It has a built-in generator that would supply us with power for a considerably long time. And from spring to fall we keep its fresh water tank full. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Our most likely problem is with loss of power due to high winds, or loss of gas heating due to a tanker not being able to get through snow. We have the house set up so that there is a gas cooker and central heating, but also one electric shower plus a woodburning stove for extra heating. Beyond that, I just make sure we have candles and matches in the house, and that we never drive in winter without appropriate clothing in case we get stuck. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Lots of ideas on Pinterest. Here's what I came up with when I searched for "emergency preparedness". Use different search words to focus on something specific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 We have camping and backpacking gear thanks to Scouting, but one thing I have on my list to purchase soon is an AquaPail. We have a stream in our back yard. We are not in a high risk area, but the Nashville flood of 2010 made me realize that we really do need to have at least some supplies on hand. Our closest major threat is probably the fault along the Mississippi River, though we are far enough away to escape any real damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 water filter (Katadyn or MSR) camping stove sleeping bags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Anne Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 and a hand-trowel. I have to ask. Why a hand-trowel? I have dry goods stored and try to stay ahead with soaps and what not. The man I married does the shopping. We do not see eye to eye on how to prepare. We do have fresh water on the property. I have a berky and tables in case we have to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 I have to ask. Why a hand-trowel? If the toilet does not work (no water, or no electricity for those who have a well), you have to go do your business outside in the yard. You want to dig a hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnificent_baby Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 We bought a large generator from Amazon several years ago (was about $600 then). Dh bought a kit that somehow attaches to our electric panel and had an electrician hook it up. In the event of no power, we can hook it up to the outside of our house and run the major appliances. I think Dh usually has gas on hand for it. Have a solar powered, hand crank radio from Amazon as well. It was inexpensive but haven't really messed around with it to see how it works. Also have several hand held battery operated radios and a few weather radios. Emergency food kit, very long shelf life. Can't recall where we ordered this, I think it was a few hundred dollars. Costco maybe? Other than that, just the usual bottled water, flashlights, batteries, etc. Our town had a very bad flood a few years ago, and we got a little more serious with our preparations during that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Mousie Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 If the toilet does not work (no water, or no electricity for those who have a well), you have to go do your business outside in the yard. You want to dig a hole. ... and that hole should be far away from any food or water supply! I think that's more of a concern for when you are away from home, though - if your town is evacuated, say. If you are at home without power/water, but expect it to be restored within a couple days, you don't really need to dig up your flower beds. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Wipes and sanitizer. Matches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Anne Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 If the toilet does not work (no water, or no electricity for those who have a well), you have to go do your business outside in the yard. You want to dig a hole. Oh. When I read hand-trowel I pictured a bircklayers trowel. The shovel kind makes much more sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Not thinking of moving to Idaho are you? Some folks there have pretty comprehensive survival plans which include the need to stock up on weapons and ammunition. Otherwise, for a basic set up, include some big water containers, first-aid kit, torches, batteries, radios, canned food, (can-opener), milk powder, candles, a cooker (perhaps one of those butane canister type), good maps, rolls of plastic or tarps and good duct tape have many uses. Oops, forgot to add, toilet paper and a hand-trowel. Anyway, there's a start. This is all stuff we use to have in our old campervan and all got well used. ETA: Forgot matches, lots, and while your at it add some of those little fire-lighters. Torches? Like Frankenstein style torches?? :tongue_smilie: Where do you buy this? How would you use them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Thanks everyone! I already see a few things I want to square away asap, like maps and a radio. Our pantry is well stocked, our water supply is pretty good. Two other things I'd like to stock up on are pet food and maxi pads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Bought solar flashlights….love them. Weather radio. Also this water thing that holds water in the bathtub. We get hurricanes, so have warning. Don't think it would work for earthquakes. Oh…and a solar shower. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 My son built a first aid kit for a boy scout badge. It has already come in handy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 We have both camping items and an emergency box, so we are decently prepared for most of the things we'd face here. Our emergency box has candles, matches, batteries, flashlights, a first aid kit, chem lights, radio with flashlight and crank. In our camping stuff we have small stoves, more flashlights, a lantern, tarps, tents, sleeping bags, etc. We usually have bottles of water and shelf-stable food in the pantry. We are more under threat of hurricanes or typhoons here, so that's plenty of time to grab more water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pod's mum Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 I have to ask. Why a hand-trowel? I have dry goods stored and try to stay ahead with soaps and what not. The man I married does the shopping. We do not see eye to eye on how to prepare. We do have fresh water on the property. I have a berky and tables in case we have to use it. It is to be used with the toilet paper on your property If you find yourselves without water for toilet flushing. To be more specific, to 'cover waste'. We do lots of road trips in isolated areas. I hope you enjoy the mental images I have provided. ETA: I see this has been answered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 Most important - figure out how you would get fresh water. Storage containers, filters, tablets, or combination of different methods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 Well I just finished reading One Second After... :scared: EMP... WHAT??!! :scared: We've got Pride & Prejudice on dvd playing right now. Everything is going to be okay... Happy thoughts, happy thoughts. Haha! I'm so on it with the preparedness now. I think it's all the peace I can expect to get. I love where I from, I've been through many earthquakes, a few gnarly floods and fires... but yeah, preparedness is my friend. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Anne Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 I hope you enjoy the mental images I have provided. They were different. Did you consider the ones springing from the concrete trowel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pod's mum Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 They were different. Did you consider the ones springing from the concrete trowel? I'd say they need more fibre in their diet. Or maybe they are dehydrated from insufficient water reserves ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Anne Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I'd say they need more fibre in their diet. Or maybe they are dehydrated from insufficient water reserves ;) That may become frighteningly true. ;0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 All I know is that I'd rather prepare for the impending apocalypse than work with dd on quadratic equations! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 All I know is that I'd rather prepare for the impending apocalypse than work with dd on quadratic equations! :D Ha! No apocalypse to report on the west coast, but there was a 4.4 earthquake this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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