From Spiral Garden
In Far North Queensland we're currently on cyclone-watch. This is something which happens at least once each Summer.
After experiencing Cyclone Larry in 2006, I became more aware of the need to be prepared for a disaster. There were 13 of us cut off from civilisation in one house (our friends’ place). Compared to most we had it easy - solar power, independent water source, food in the cupboards and garden, wood stove and so on. But still, there were challenges.
Disaster-preparedness is no longer seen as a freaky survivalist behaviour. For more information on stockpiling food, see Emergency Pantry List and Food Lifeboat.
Most local councils and/or state governments have disaster preparendness manuals or guides.
Apart from food - consider power (cooking, lighting, heating etc), water, medical needs, hygiene requirements and more.
And in case you need to evacuate your home, a Go Bag packed with essentials will be of great assistance.
One thing that I didn't think about before the cyclone was having enough fuel in the car to get where we need to (without power, many fuel stations can't operate), and having cash at hand too - because the power was down for over a month in some areas here in 2006, and without power the ATMs and EFTPOS didn't work. So they are two new preparations we add to our list. These would apply to almost any type of emergency.I also thought about what I keep in the car - a hat and pair of footwear per person, some water and cups, toilet paper and tissues, a torch and pocket knife, some rain protection, a well-stocked first-aid box and so on. These are in our car 24/7, not just in cyclone season. It means we can leave the house at a moment's notice with at least some basic protection at hand. When I had babies this list included a nappy (diaper) bag. In fact our nappy bag was only brought inside to re-stock it, then immediately returned to the car. Now we have the smallest bag with 2 pair of undies for little kids, a face washer, some wet wipes and very little else!
What possible emergencies do you face where you live? What precautions do you take?
7 comments:
Bel, Where I live we are deep into the freezing Winter months. It’s been an unusually cold Winter with lots of snow. Over Christmas I was snowed in for three days. Because I had stored away a 30 day supply of food, I rather enjoyed the whole ordeal. Preparedness should be a way of life. The last few years, power has gone off for up to three days at a time. Things seem to have arrived at a place where we can’t totally depend on the technology that used to be pretty reliable.
We won’t be getting into the tornado season for a couple more months, but being prepared ahead of time to know where to go and what to do in an emergency will definitely ease mental worry. I have helped those who have been in disasters and can definitely say that those that were prepared definitely faired better and had a better mental attitude afterward.
Nebraska Dave
After surviving the EF-5 tornado that hit Greensburg Kansas in 2007, I learned first hand the things to have prepared... things I didn't think about before. Your post is a very good one.
I grew up in tornado/blizzard country and so being prepared was sort of ingrained. So where I live now, where a few inches of snow causes a town to shut down, I tend to prepare in advance. I don't live on a farm, but I have stockpiles, cash, water and other emergency supplies and I certainly know what to do and what NOT to do (it's surprising how many people actually think starting a fire INDOORS without proper ventilation is a good idea!).
Since my son is on disability, if the power or water goes, we're among the first to be connected, which is good.
I live in an area that doesn't see many regular natural disasters (aside from the occasional flood but our immediate area isn't too bad). Hence I'm a tad complacent I think! I groan if the power is out for more than an hour! I *want* to be more prepared but not having constant reminders breeds laxity I think. Thanks for your post, it is a good reminder for me!
In earthquake country (California) we always had our go-bags packed. I had it on my list to check the kids' clothing a couple times a year so they wouldn't be stuck with outgrown clothing in their go-bag.
During the 1994 Northridge earthquake, we lost services for several days. The cash I had on hand came in handy, but what we used first were the rolled quarters. Many of our merchants didn't have change (drawers wouldn't open) and couldn't provide change for larger bills. Also, because they were so grateful for the coins, they often would offer me a discount on what I was purchasing.
In addition to all the practical stuff (clothes, shoes, meds, female needs) I was so glad I packed a pre-addressed stamped envelope to each of our relatives. We had no phone service for a week but the post office was up and running in two days. It was a great comfort to our relatives to know we were okay, and it was calming to write those words.
What a great variety of climates we live in...
Thanks for sharing your experiences and tips.
Anita, I wonder what those extra things were you discovered through experience in 2007?
Some great suggestions there thanks Bel. I like the idea of the car kit.
Thanks for sharing :-)
Post a Comment