Earthquakes #2

I thought this was VERY interesting. These gals at http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/ held a 7 Day Challenge last Sept and one day was about earthquake preparedness. This is what they had to say on their website:

One of the days we practiced living through an earthquake. What were some of the things our readers said they wish they had after "practicing" this scenario? Here are just a few:

- I need to get my cars prepped for emergencies, I have nothing but booster cables in them

- Get a family size tent to use until home is declared safe

- Have shovel and bar of some sort for clearing the road

- Have more crafts and activities ready

- I need a good supply of fuel and extra water to cook with

- We need a few more flashlights, car emergency kits, some non gas lanterns would also be nice I used the last of the charcoal and so I will have to find something else to cook with tomorrow I'm going to try out our portable camp stove that we have, but never used, to make sure it works and find yummy recipes my kids like

- Will try to work on getting a generator

- Having an extra propane tank just in case, and the shovel

- Shovel for the car and some MRE's More tin foil, tarps, staple gun, duct tape, more germex, chain saw I need to do some serious work to prepare for an earthquake

- Finding some games to play (simple ones) but we did have fun talking about old times

- Probably store some wood for camp fire style cooking

- Have 4 pages of a "to do list" and to buy list

- Buy more paper products, washing dishes by hand and heating the water is SO MUCH WORK

- If there is a real earthquake I will need to secure the tall shelves in my garage to the wall so they won't fall over

- Must have 3 month food supply in place sooner I'd like my water easier to get to, it is in 30 gallon barrels, and the pump is not very reliable - I need my strong husband and sons for it

Info on the Web

"Preparation through education is less costly than learning through tragedy"
- Max Mayfield, Director National Hurricane Center

Over the past couple of years I've tried to use this blog to help others find worthwhile information about Emergency Preparedness. There's a lot out there and not all of it is trustworthy!!!! OUCH! Actually, some of it is meant specifically to make a buck through "scare tactics" and that's just not where we need to be putting our money nor our focus. There's work to do and we need to be taking care of business!

I have found that some sources are consistently reliable while others aren't even worth a bookmark and on my computer...that's pretty bad. This morning I decided to begin a series of links that I think have very useful information and the first one that I turn to is Emergency Essentials. (My opinion: If you shop their sales this company is a great source of preparedness items - get on their mailing list and see what's going on with them for the month. With stores on 106th South in SLC and one next to the Distribution Center in Orem, it's easy to just swing by once a month to pick up their specials.) When you go to their website they have file tabs at the top of the page - One is called Insight Articles and will take you to their archive of article categories. Each family is at their own level of Preparedness - we need to budget our time, money and focus into one thing a month to make great strides - so I felt that this would be especially helpful for my readers to click on the category that is your focus for this month. Here ya go....enjoy!
Emergency Essentials Articles

Special Needs Survival

Is there someone in your life with special needs? Pay close attention and acquire the necessary medication and equipment to help them during an emergency.

Special Needs Survival

Keep it or Toss it?

How Long Can You Keep Thawed Ground Beef?
Can You Freeze Cheese Successfully?


Do You Have to Refrigerate Opened Bottles of Mustard and Ketchup?
Is it OK to Put Hot Food Directly Into the Fridge?
Do You Have to Refrigerate Strawberries?
Is it OK to Thaw Steak on the Counter?
Can You Freeze Raw Eggs for Later Use?
Does Pure Honey Ever Go Bad?
Should You Store Bread on the Counter or in the Fridge?
Are Eggs Still Safe After the Expiration Date?

If you've ever asked yourself these or similar questions, you'll want to check out this great website: www.stilltasty.com

The 9 Essentials to Sheltering in Place

The following article is taken from The Ready Store It caught my attention because we live in a "Shelter In Place" Area. This means that during a disaster, such as an earthquake, there will probably be no exit from our general neighborhood. Freeways shut down immediately because of fallen bridges, We are surrounded by earthquake faults, our only way out would be through side streets which will be congested with paniced people and possible broken up and unpassable. So we need to be prepared to "Shelter in Place" (take care of ourselves until life gets back to normal which could take weeks!) At the bottom of the article I've also included some valid comments that readers left.

The 9 Essentials to Sheltering in Place

When it comes to emergencies there’s items that are necessities and there’s items that are luxuries. Generally speaking you want to tackle the necessities first and then add additional items to increase the comfort level of the situation.

Here are 9 essentials you should have during a sheltering in place scenario, (keep in mind that you may be required to shelter in place somewhere besides your own home):

1. Water - Plan on 1 Gallon per person, per day for drinking and sanitation. Our water storage category includes items like Datrex Water Pouches and 5-Gallon Water Containers that can help you with your water needs.

2. Food - A supply of 3-5 days per person. For a lot of people the first couple of days can be supplemented by what’s already in the house. However, to insure that you always have your emergency food supply ready to go I recommend one of our 3-21 Day Food Supplies.

3. Clothes - In your 72-Hour Kit you want to be sure you have an extra pair of clothes and shoes for each person in your group/family.

4. Medications - It’s a good practice to collect 3-5 days worth of any prescription medications that you’re taking.Also be sure to note expiration dates so that you can rotate them appropriately.

5. Flashlight - When it comes to flashlights, don’t go cheap. There are good flashlights out their that are very affordable. Here’s some great options: Ultra-Bright 3-LED Dynamo Flashlight, 12-LED StreamLine Flashlight, or theULTIMATE Dynamo Solar Powered Survival Radio.

6. Can Opener - This is another item that you want to be sure is high quality. There’s nothing worse than a can opener that won’t open cans.

7. Radio - The ideal option for a radio is one that has multiple options for powering the radio including, batteries, hand-crank, AC/DC, and/or

solar. The ULTIMATE Dynamo Solar Powered Survival Radio is a great option for this.

8. Hygiene Kit - Start with just the basics, soap, toilet paper and a toothbrush is enough to get most people by for 3-5 days.

9. First Aid Kit - Again, from a starting point perspective make sure that your first-aid kit at lest includes, antiseptic, gloves, bandages and your non-prescription medicine such as aspirin or Tylenol.

Put these 9 essential items in place and you’ve got a good foundation for a sheltering in place emergency kit!

Comments:

Also need some kind of self defense.

Tents, sleeping bags, blankets … some sort of warmth and protection from the elements might be a good idea. How ’bout matches or lighters ?

Containers for boiling water, I pack emergency supplies in coffee cans.

Also, extra supplies for trade - money will have little value. Useful goods (food, toilet paper and other basic necessities) will have higher value than coins.

to this list, I add plastic sheeting and duct tape. Your emergency could be spilled chemicals or something where you need to cover the windows.

A friend of mine passed this along - it's so great!!!! I love using my Food Saver and it's really saved us a ton of money by not having to throw out anything. But this was an added bonus!

Salad in a Jar

Earthquakes

Today I have posted some very interesting notes that came from a special presentation that was given in Lindon last month. It was a part of their Emergency training education. I will work on getting it nto a little more convenient reading format in the weeks to come (when my life slows down just a bit) but until then it will be well worth going over the information about the 13 Lessons learned from an Earthquake Disaster.

13 Lessons - click here

Track Your Food Storage

History has shown that following any large scale disaster, transportation of goods (food in the stores!) will be interrupted up to 3 months. It's really a good idea to have AT LEAST 3 months of food on hand. Although this sounds daunting....may I remind  you about our Cooking From My Pantry Blog. This concept really simplifies the process and helps you to have on hand the foods  your family enjoys eating.

It's also smart to have a years supply of basic items on hand but figuring out how much to have is REALLY overwhelming so look what I found: A free food storage calculator than you can do right now. just click on the link, type in how many people in your household and print out your results! Just doesn't get easier than that!

BTW: I just learned that Macey's is having a caselot sale the week of April 7 - 27. I've found that this is a great way to stock up on those items in your pantry that are ready to be rotated so you'll definitely want to figure this one into your budget.  (HINT: Keep your caselot purchases in the box to store them on your shelf. This may help increase their chances for survival through an earthquake!)

How long do Spices and Herbs last?

Spices and herbs contain aromatic substances called "essential oils", which are responsible for the aroma and much of the flavor. Most spices and herbs are available in ground and whole form.

Whole herbs and spices last much longer than crushed or ground. Many people prefer to buy the whole form and crush or grind as needed. Herbs and spices can be crushed with a mortar and pestle, or a coffee grinder. Check ground spices for freshness at least once a year. If no aroma is detected, the seasoning needs to be replaced.

Spices and herbs should be kept in tightly closed containers in a cool, dry, dark place. A screw-cap container is better than a flip-top container because it can be tightly resealed.

1. Keep them away from heat. Do not store near dishwasher or refrigerator, and they should never be stored near the range, even though it may seem more convenient. Heat, air, and light cause aromatic oils to evaporate, which causes spices and herbs to lose their flavor.

2. Store away from moisture as dampness will cause caking and loss of quality. Store in tightly covered jars and use clean, dry spoons for measuring. If you live in a high humidity area you may experience difficulty with caking.

3. Store in cool place away from light. Do not store in a window or in sunlight. Spice racks are nice, but not the best way to store your spices.

4. Refrigerate cayenne pepper, chili powder, and paprika to retain color longer.

Shelf Life: Whole spices----2 to 5 years
Ground spices---6 months to 2 years
Leafy herbs-------3 months to 2 years
Dehydrated vegetables---6 months

Tip: Make a note of the date of purchase on the label; then check them once a year and replace as needed.

Dehydrating Foods

This morning I came across an EXCELLENT website that I just had to share. It's all about Dehydrating foods. Check it out!

http://dehydrate2store.com

Food Storage Sites

I've found 2 new Food storage sites that have wonderful information on them. Here's their links:

All About Food Storage
PG 1 Ward Emergency Blog