A Realistic Approach to Emergency Preparedness

Yes, I have caught myself pinning storms of emergency preparedness items that range from crank powered flashlights all the way to complete 1 year supplies of dried and canned food for a family of five.

No, I am not digging a bunker in my back yard in preparation for a zombie apocalypse.  Pinterest just does that kind of downward spiral for me.

However, I DO believe a family should have supplies on hand for emergencies.

 I live in Upstate NY where we get snow.  Lots and lots of snow.  We get Ice Storms.  We get Microbursts. Any of these alone can close roads and cause power outages for days at a time.  In March 1991 an ice storm combined with heavy snow putting hundreds of thousands trapped at home without heat or electricity for up to 12 days.  The North American Ice Storm of 1998 left millions in the dark from days to weeks.

Other parts of the country face the same potential temporary loss of services due to hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes.  People can be quarantined in their homes due to various diseases like Ebola.

None of these situations really offer any ability to last minute shop.  Even if you have a day warning of a severe storm, you are likely to find store shelves bare of essentials like bread and milk. The buying frenzy alone is reason enough to stay home if at all possible.

As adults, and even more so as parents, we need to be prepared for up to two weeks survival trapped at home without power.



But, how do you do that without spending a fortune?  How do you not waste anything? How do you know you are REALLY ready?

As some prediction models indicate this will be a heavy snow winter, I have been putting more thought into this than I have in the past.  The internet has a million ideas and wading through them can be an overwhelming task that leaves you feeling like a doomsday prepper, so I decided to let you know what I do.

I did make my plan based on the assumption that I can exit my house to get to at least my own yard and grill.  I could alternately use my gas stove as long as I have matches or a lighter with which to light it.  Do NOT try to bring a grill inside. Carbon monoxide is deadly.

I started with the most expensive item on my need list.  An extra tank for my propane grill.  (Alternately, extra bags of coal for a regular grill.)  Yes, that is literally the most expensive item I need to keep on hand.

I made a one week meal plan of foods I am sure my family will all eat, that can be made with either no cooking at all or with just the grill.  Don't waste time and money on survival meals your kids won't eat.  That will just make everyone miserable.  And, yes you can make almost anything on a grill if you try. The hardest part was coming up with meals that didn't require refrigerated/perishable items.

I quickly came to the conclusion that I would be ok with incorporating a lot of pre-made/processed meals that I would normally use as treat meals or "mommy is too sick to cook" meals because, let's face it, perfect nutrition isn't probably going to be our biggest concern in an emergency, and it will be for a short period of time.  I can go back to carrot stick snacks for the kids when life is normal again.  Whatever it takes to prevent a mutiny, right?

I do keep a couple loaves of bread in the freezer.  They can be thawed out at the time of the emergency/disaster and will easily stay good for one to two weeks. I also keep a couple half gallons of milk in there for the same thing.  They won't stay good as long, but if you can put them in the snow they'll be good for a few days after thawing.

I obviously realize we would spend the first couple days using up perishables to avoid waste, but after that we would go to the meal plan.  It can be repeated as many times as necessary until the situation is resolved.

I made sure to add a treat/dessert/snack for each day. Everyone is in a better mood if they can have a snack in a bad situation.  I made sure to plan my meals with canned and shelf stable foods.  And, I made sure to only use items we normally buy anyhow.  No one wants an emergency supply they need to throw out every 6 months and replace.  That just costs too much. (The two exceptions to this were a box of powdered milk and a container of instant coffee as they basically stay good forever.)

Store your food supplies in a tote/bin if they are in boxes or bags to keep pests away.  I also find this makes it easier to not accidentally mix them into our regular food supply.

I found basics like pancake mix that only needs to have water added, rice, anything in a can, crackers, trail mix, and lots of other things qualify if you rotate your supply. I found out that condiment packets need no refrigeration for years, so they are a great addition.  Especially mayo packets.  With mayo packets you can absolutely have tuna sandwiches!  Powdered creamer if you use it in your coffee or tea. Kool aid packets and tea bags. Honey can be used in place of sugar if you run out.  You really want to make what is a horrible experience as painless as possible.

By using items in your supply that you normally use anyhow, you can start buying a few things at a time.  Say you have rice on your grocery list this week and it's part of your emergency plan.  Buy 2 instead of 1, and toss one in your emergency bin.  The next time you buy another for home, cycle it into the bin and use the one you had stored there.  I've found that by doing this for us, nothing lives in there long enough to go bad. Nearly everything you buy in a store in a bag, box, or can is going to be good for at least 6 months if you haven't opened it. I often write purchase dates on things with my trusty Sharpie before tossing them in the bin to be absolutely sure nothing gets old.

Keep only what you will need for those meals in your emergency bins, and resist the urge to use them instead of shopping.

Other necessities are a few cans of sterno for small cooking like soup or coffee, batteries for flashlights or glow sticks if the nights will be long.  (People get a little crazy sitting in the dark and cold 16 hours a day and you can only sleep so much.) Water, of course. The pipes could freeze, the pump could die. You'll need it to make your drinks and to cook with.

Before we get to household concerns, lets look at some things you may have not thought of.
A manual can opener.  You're going to need it.
Scissors.  Those food packages are often hard to open.
A colander.  You'll need to drain rice, pasta, and canned veggies.
Basic first aid products like band-aids, neosporin, tweezers, gauze, medical tape, aspirin/Tylenol.
Toilet paper.  Yes, two weeks worth.  You do NOT want to run out of that.
And, 2 or 3 five gallon buckets with lids.  If your pipes freeze or break, you will not be able to flush your toilet and you'll be thankful for that bucket with a lid.  Icky, but it works.
Pet supplies!!  Food, treats, litter, toys.  Again, 2 weeks worth.  Nobody wants to watch Fido starve.  He is family, too.
Baby wipes.  They are good for everything from cleaning up spills to personal hygiene.  It may not be a shower, but it'll get the stink off and you don't need water to do it.
Dry shampoo.  I don't think any of us wants to go two weeks without getting the grease out of our hair.
Paper plates, cups, tableware.  You may not be able to wash dishes.
Ziplock bags to store the leftovers from an unfinished meal. It's not a time for tossing extra. You can eat the rest of lunch for dinner.
Garbage bags because those food packages and paper plates add up and they are good liners for the potty bucket for quick removal of waste.

Keeping busy will be key to sanity.  If you can go outside during the day, do so.  Go for a walk.  Make a snowman.  Clean up the yard.  Have books, board games, and cards to play with (and if you're into that kind of thing a craft available also). A game or twelve of Candy Land or a few pages in a coloring book can keep the kids from going at each other's throats.

If you live where it gets cold, blankets are key.  The more the better.  You'll want them for a lot of things. Hang them over doors to keep out drafts.  Put them over windows to avoid heat loss through the glass. Lay them on the floors for extra insulation.  They don't need to be new or pretty.  They need to just BE.  You can get extras super cheap at a second hand store like VOA or Salvation Army to keep stuffed in a closet.

You'll need to pick one room to hole up in.  We use the living room because it is the largest and offers several sleeping possibilities.  Hang blankets over any doorway that has no door, and close any doors you can.  Close the heat vents in every room.  The cold air will fly in and your heat will seep out if you don't. If they don't close, block them off with a towel or pillow. You want to trap as much body heat in the room as possible.  Leave the room as little as possible.

Candles help provide light and heat also, but always be careful with them.

I know this may sound odd, but consider keeping a cheap tent on hand to set up in your chosen room. If it gets truly cold, staying inside a tent can hold enough body heat to raise the ambient temperature as much as 15 degrees. This can be all the difference between shivering all night and sleeping comfortably.

Know where your hats, gloves and scarves are. In the cold you'll be glad for the extra layers.  Warm, cozy clothes will be your friend.  It's crunch time.  You don't need to look pretty.

When collecting your supplies, remember you don't need to do it all at once.  Either keep a checklist and fill it out a couple items at a time in the way I mentioned earlier, or buy one meal worth each time you shop.  Either way, you will have a complete two week supply within a couple months. Gradually replace/cycle your food items as you buy new for the regular house supplies.

Keep food you are capable of making, that you know your family will eat on hand, something to amuse yourselves, and the supplies mentioned earlier and you should make it through like champs!!