I was just wondering how many readers of this blog are physically and mentally prepared for a major catastrophic emergency. No matter where you live there are emergencies that Mother Nature likes to dole out. Some get earthquakes like us, praries get tornadoes, back east floods etc etc.. some get some of everthing. We have been counciled by the experts for a long time to have a portable emergency pack of at least a minimum of 72 hours. On the west coast where we live we are actually told that we need to have a minimum of 7 days. With the amount of bridges, mountains and water surrounding us we would be pretty cut off from any emergency help for a major attack.
So my question to you all is are you ready? For your entire family? Not only for your home but your car? At your work? Do you maybe think/believe that its all huff and puff smoke that nothing serious will really happen? Our Stake President has just “issued” a protocol for lack of a better word that every ward in our stake needs to call one EP Specialist to form a committee and that every member needs to have at least their 72 hour kits in place by the end of this year.
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6 months ago we did a disaster drill in our ward to see how well each family could survive for 7 days.
On Sunday AM – the bishop stood at the pulpit and announced that an “earthquake” had just hit (we’re in Southern California). We were challenged from that moment not to go to the store or drink tap water for the next 7 days. It made for quite the ward social adventure for that week. There was a lot sharing and trading that took place.
Something else to also consider – the only solution so far to a major Bird Flu epidemic shuting down the economy for six months or more it live off of your one-year food supply.
I have a 72 hour kit shoved in my closet behind my golf clubs. We created in at a Singles Ward activity over a year ago.
There are two bottles of water taped to it and a bunch of gummie bears and granola bars inside a paint can…
I think I’d be more worried about not having enough Insulin to last me though. I don’t know how to make it so in the case of a really big natural disaster – without refrigeration it will all expire quickly. A 3 month supply (all the government alows individuals) won’t make any difference.
Without any kind of help I’ll done fore, or blind… or die from the infections to my wounds that never healed.
I need to marry a chemist or a biological engineer…
How did the announcement from Bishop go with the ward ..7 days wow without going to the store or drinking tap water.
Okay, after careful deliberation and an untold amount of discussion, my associates and I have decided that the best disaster survival plan can be summarized in a single phrase:
Have a full tank of gas and a credit card.
I’m completely not kidding.
Take a look at the vast majority of natural disasters in the last few years. How many lives would have been made better had they a) left when they were told to leave b) simply stayed in a hotel in another area while the worst happened back home.
The problem is that people live in some sort of denial, and want to save the home, stick it out, help their neighbours, whatever.
If the problem can’t be mitigated by leaving, the problem is big enough that there’s not a heck of a lot a year’s worth of canning is going to do for you anyway.
When the Bishop announced the 7 day drill (at the start of sacrament meeting) there were a few gasps. Some participated more energetically than others. But by the end of the week there were a lot of cool stories being shared.
No. Not entirely. I do have all our paperwork (bills, bank numbers – everything) and favorite photos (on CD) in order and ready to go. I need a better way to package my 72 hour kit and it probably needs a good update…I have room for improvement for sure!
totally unprepared.
We have been told to have our entire 72 hour kit inside one giant plastic tub that one person could lift. That tub should be located near a main (garage) exit.
With one minute warning you can grab it and your family members and leave immediately.
Rick’s full tank of gas and credit card will work just fine if you can get to the roads, and if the roads aren’t closed or destroyed, and if you drive all the way to food and shelter. But many people aren’t that lucky in an emergency—that’s why it’s an emergency. I recommend having a backup plan that includes actual supplies.
Rick’s referring to being ready to respond to an evacuation notice in an anticipation of a disaster.
I agree. Those are great things to do to be ready to evacuate. We just also need to do other things. Even if we do succeed in evacuating, we won’t necessarily get to a place where whatever we need can be had for a credit card. There will be scarcities of all kinds.
Yeah, Kim got my point.
If the time has come that the roads are clogged and you can’t drive, then you’ve probably been asleep or obstinant.
It is very, *very* seldom that these disasters sneak up on an area. A notible exception being things like the boxing day tsunami.
My only point in regard to 72 hours kits is that if the disaster is so bad that you can’t escape it by driving or walking for that matter, then the 72 hour kit isn’t going to do a whole lot for you either.
It seems, to me at least, that these kits are for those folks who would rather bunker down than leave. Me? I’m the leaving kind. :)