(Final Installment of: A Frankenstorm Warning, or One Gallon, Per Person, Per Day)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
A lot of emergency preparation is about imagination. We have this vision of a disaster being all encompassing, but more often what is an inconvenience for most (ie: no electric for a few days) is a disaster for a small number of people or families (ie: your first floor destroyed by water and mold). Things could be fine across the river or even down the road and your town could be under water.
One way to prepare is to think about your area's most obvious weaknesses or blind spots. Play the "What If" game. What if that earthquake hit? What if there's another storm like Sandy? What can I do differently or better? Is my family prepared for blank.
For instance what if there was no gas? And expand from there. What do you need gas for? This time around we found that even though we had a generator, running it meant braving 6 and 7 hour long gas lines. So we didn't bother using it at all. None of the food stores in our neighborhood were open so people had to go farther for food - which is to say, they had to drive. Depending on where you live the one gallon, per person, per day mantra that applies to water could be applied to gas to make food runs as well.
Storing gas is difficult. You need approximately 10 gallons to run a generator for a day or two. Where do you keep 10 gallons in reserve? It's not safe to keep it in the house or in the car. So you need a garage or a shed, something not everyone has. Or you need the money to be able to install a propane or solar generator. So you can see how the questions pile up.
We tend to expect that if we live in a nice area we won't be ignored. But when resources are stretched thin it can take time - weeks as we've seen with Sandy - and the time you spend preparing can make the difference between inconvenience and misery. We often think of true disaster as being something that happens elsewhere, yet during hurricane Katrina residents were forced at gunpoint to remain in dangerous areas. Hard to imagine for most of us.
If you take medication make sure you have extra secreted away in case the local pharmacies are closed or sold out? Do you wear glasses? What if they break? Don't throw that old pair away even though they're cracked. Put them with the extra prescription medicines.
The internet is full of lists. Use your common sense and prepare your home and car with extra warm clothing, blankets, first aid supplies, water, dried and canned foods, prescription meds, an extra pair of glasses, whatever!
Dont put it off.
Links:
Disaster Prep:
http://deviprotectiveoffense.com/know_your_disaster/
http://www.allstate.com/be-aware-and-prepare/hurricane-tornado-damage-prevention.aspx
Skills and Training:
http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class
First Aid Lists:
http://mommyandmeselfdefense.com/diy_first_aid_kits/
Supplies: