Sunday, September 04, 2005

Be Prepared

Are you ready?

In California we've been warned for years that the "Big One' is coming. Watching the devastation of Hurricane Katrina as it transpires has made me again get our emergency kits ready. Sure, people may scoff at the idea, but I want the peace of mind in knowing I've done all I can to assure the safety of my family. Should a natural disaster strike & they have to survive on their own for days, I want them to be properly prepared.

Most of the kits I've seen are for 72 hours, yet as we've seen, we may be without assistance for much longer; I'm making our kits for 7 days. I've made them before & they're less expensive, of better quality & personalized for each family member.

Perhaps you don't have the time to read this now, please bookmark it or print this & adjust the list to your family (ie, individual, family with kids, etc.) & area (ie, hurricane, tornado, fire area).

THINGS TO PLAN BEFOREHAND:

1- Have an out of state relative or friend that all family members know to call (ie, Aunt Ann in Arizona)
2- Arrange a meeting place where you will meet when it's safe. (Relatives a county away)

*If you have children, pack some games, cards, familiar stuffed animal, a recent picture with height, weight, hair/eye color, birthmarks, etc.

As for a kit, this is my own opinion of what type I think would work best:
I'm making kits for 5 adults, so rather than a kit in each house, we'll have a kit in each car as our cars are usually nearby. You may want a family kit or a kit for home & for the car.

This is what each of my survival kits will contain, each with some variations & probably a 'Remember I love you' note.

CONTENTS:

Ours will be packed in a 5 gallon tub which will also serve as a toilet. (Remember this isn't the Hilton!)


WATER! 2.5 gallons (in it's own separate container) (approx. $2.00)

First Aid Kit ($9.95)

blanket (4 for $9.95)

Potable Aqua Drinking Water Germicidal Tablets (4 bottles for $9.95)

2 rolls of toilet paper (bulk)

1 package wet wipes (soft pack, not plastic. for easier packing) ($2.19)

travel toothbrush w/travel toothpaste ($2.00)

travel size hand sanitizer ($1.00)

trashbags (for toilet use) (bulk)

4 sets of plastic gloves (bulk)

1 flashlight (1.95)

1 book of matches (0)

1 portable radio ($3.98)

batteries for radio with 1 extra set (bulk)

Pen & paper *added to list thanks to Helen

3-boxes of 6 fruit/granola bars (approx $7.50)

3-cans of vegetables (with pop top) ($2.25)

1 large pack of gum ($.75)

** Remember food, water, medicine, blankets, etc. for your pets!! **

Dont forget- Inhaler for asthmatics, insulin for diabetics (*), medicine, aspirin, feminine products.

An interesting item I found was the E-Rock which is a complete disaster kit that hides under a provided rock you keep in your yard. It's enough to provide nourishment for 4 up to 3 days. While the $174.99 price is rather steep, it does have a toilet with a seat on it. Quite posh as far as survival kits go.

* As a diabetic who uses insulin, I don't know how to pack insulin for a disaster kit. Some insulin doesn't need to be refrigerated anymore, but even those can't withstand the California heat. Does anybody have any suggestions?

Any tips?


Technorati tags: hurricane katrina, california, emergency kit,first aid kit, diabetic, insulin, disaster, e-rock, preparedness, survival, pets

posted by jane at 4:47 PM