As I bemoan the passing of our short, hoodie-laced, AK summer, the yellowed and already-brittle leaves fluttering to the ground are screaming, "GET READY!" For bone-aching cold, long dark nights, and the occasional extreme winter weather fiasco. And, with the smattering of natural disasters slash emergencies occurring around the world back-to-back lately, I figure we can all use a little reminding.
I've written many a post about this subject (well, maybe one or two), but this is an issue I take very seriously. There are those who smirk and blow me off whenever I stand on this particular soapbox and foot stomp the virtues of emergency preparedness (ahem, this finger is pointing at you, little sis), but really, try to get over my know-it-all tone here, and just accept and heed the following advice, please:
BE PREPARED!
I am a naturally paranoid/neurotic person. Therefore, gathering supplies to get us fab five plus glorified rat through a freak natural/terrorist/biological event is a no-brainer definite to-do. But all you calm and collected folk need not ignore this sermoning. If in the least worrisome event power goes out in your house, you can easily grab that flashlight, then even that is a step in the right direction.
First step: consider the possibilities! Power outages can happen anywhere. Then think about what you lose with that....running, heated water...heat...cool air...internet...means of food preparation...Don't forget to take your geographical location into consideration. Is your area prone to hurricanes? Tornadoes? Blizzards? Earthquakes? Tsunamis? If you are residing in the U.S., you can visit this link CLICK HERE and it'll tell you the most naturally occurring disasters in your area.
Next, gather what supplies you may need for those possible events. The same link I provided above, when clicking to go to its homepage, can provide you with those necessities. You can go on a crazy preparedness shopping spree if you wish, or buy a couple of things here and there and slowly stock up!
Even I have some supplies that are still in the to-buy list. But, here is what Fam Och has so far:
-Flashlight
---we have a big Daddy one, and cheap $1 ones the kids can play with
-Battery-powered Lantern
-Batteries
-Crank-generated cell phone recharger
-Crank-generated radio
-Portable toilet tripod with sealable/biodegradable yucky bags
-Water bottles with filters
-Water purification tablets
-Jetboil system (portable propane fueled stove)
-Rope
-Knife
-Waterproof matches
-Duct Tape
Each member of the fam has their own 72-hour backpack. In the case we need to evacuate, we have everything we need for the first three days to sustain ourselves. The Mister has all the above in his gigantic rucksack, plus what we all have packed:
-Whistle
-Compass
-N-95 mask
-Small first aid kit
-Space/Emergency blanket
-Waterproof matches
-Wet wipes
-Hand sanitizer
-Water packets to last 72 hrs.
-Food
---MRE's, the kids also have snacks like fruit strips, granola bars, etc.
-Warm or Cold weather clothing
-Activity packs (coloring books, crayons, stickers)
The Mister and I both have thumb drives with scanned copies of our important documents like birth certificates, insurance paperwork, passports, etc.). The children also have emergency contact information in their packs. Olivia, our little miss allergy, has a set of her Epi-Pen in her backpack and another set in mine...and let's not forget the Benadryl. The kids know who to contact (we have a designated out-of-state person to call) in case we need to find each other.
Do you think I'm crazy yet? Maybe so. But let me tell you what....when you hear of a big winter squall coming through my area and see news reports of people panic-buying and emptying store shelves of water bottles and the like? I won't be one of them. I will be in my home, calm, and just waiting for all of it to pass. My kids will be comfortable and safe, warm, clean, and fed. And if ever there is a call to evacuate, there will be no frantic running around grabbing what we can get a hold of and forgetting the most important things...Nope, we all just head for our backpacks, grab the kids, dog, and go.
So let me ask you....are you prepared? It sure doesn't hurt to be.
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