Emergency & Long-Term Preparedness

[HollyJo]

Ah ha! I read it a few times...and I couldn't figure it out. ; ) I am south in TN also, near the GA state line. The snow has stopped, but we do have ice on the roads, so staying put.

( I just had trouble with the "quote" also. When my post was submitted, it showed I wrote what you said!

[Clary]

I hope people won't be disabled for long, and that most were prepared to take care of themselves w/o power--leaving them unable to follow normal routines. Even those with gas heat could be out of luck if their furnaces operate by electric themostats.

Record Snowfall In Detroit
"DTE Energy was reporting 40,000 homes and businesses without power as of 5 a.m. Monday, according to utility spokesman John Austerberry. The heavy snow and high winds were causing tree branches to fall on power lines. Crews were working to restore power, but was unclear when full power will be restored."

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2010/12/13/ ... y-evening/

[HollyJo]

Yikes! Thanks Clary! I'm originally from Garden City, Michigan, and still have family there, and the surrounding ares.

I can tell you, none of them are prepared, including my 96 yr old great grandfather!

I hope they get power soon, even though most of them have the means, they are not prepared for any type of emergency or disaster.

[Clary]

Yikes! Thanks Clary! I'm originally from Garden City, Michigan, and still have family there, and the surrounding ares.

I can tell you, none of them are prepared, including my 96 yr old great grandfather!

I hope they get power soon, even though most of them have the means, they are not prepared for any type of emergency or disaster.

I'm sorry to hear that. I know how you feel. I was born in Detroit--also in Wayne County, and have family in many parts of MI still--mostly across the lower section, from East to West, and some of them are not prepared either, and are part of the stampede to the stores for bread and milk and bottled water, if the storm warnings come in time for them to get there.

--such a strange thing to me, because it seems like "common sense" to have some preparations made. I will just "keep on keepin' on", talking and telling and sharing, knowing each person can "take what you like and leave the rest".
It seems that when I was a very young girl (40s or early 50s), we may have gone to the carnival in Garden City, to the Happyland Shows! I remember a large seachlight set up on a truck bed to draw people in--and my favorite, the bumper cars. We spent summers in MI until 1958, when I was 17.

[HollyJo]

Clary,
Most of my family also are spread out across the lower part of Michigan, mainly Wayne county, but some are in Bloomfield Hills and the Farmington area.
A few are in Northern Michigan, about 30 minutes from the Bridge, that is where we lived for 12 years before moving to TN.

I spoke with some of my friends and family today, some without power and are Freezing!
I too, will just 'keep on, Keepin on"...I am new to a lot of the Emergency preparedness, but we have at least always kept, candles, flashlights, canned foods and water. Oh, and a Generator

[Clary]

Mother Earth News Article:
"Eight Emergency Power Options
Find out how to stay warm and safe when the power goes out."

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-H ... dium=email

[Clary]

Being Prepared.
Below is a link to a short article from vitacost.com sent to my ebox today. --simple, basic item suggestions to have on hand in the medicine cabinet or in emergency kits at home, at work, in the car......

Today, in the N.E. part of our country there are millions of people experiencing the stress and discomfort or even suffering from being stranded in cars, airports, train stations, on the hiway, etc...; or snowed-in at their homes--with or without utilities; or had to evacuate their homes with or without emergency supplies or a 72-hour kit or without a food or water source.
http://www.vitacost.com/Healthnotes/Lif ... Haves.aspx

[HollyJo]

Thanks for the link, Clary! I hope to be in a position to purchase a few items in the next month.

I have a small kit, but need to get some of the things you have spoke of. I may even get a small piece of land...

[Clary]

Thanks for the link, Clary! I hope to be in a position to purchase a few items in the next month.

I have a small kit, but need to get some of the things you have spoke of. I may even get a small piece of land...

Slow and steady builds up over time. Have you checked out the "Safely Gathered In" Website? They have an ongoing process for adding to the 72-hr. kits and for longer term storage.

http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/
I'm looking into an undeveloped piece of land about only 2 or so miles from one of my adult daughter's family in So. Alabama. .85 A. My son-in-law and his family have lived in the area for generations, and he knows "everybody". He says he can help me find the right people to put in a basement, a well, a septic, etc. I hope to go down the first week of Jan. and see it, and make a decision.

[AnnaS]

Clary--if you decide to do the home building project, ask them to put in a water cistern, maybe as part of the basement-constructing project. It will be much cheaper to have that done as part of the package than to add something like that later. You can install a hand pump to one of these that will help with water supply when your other power is down; also useful for the garden.
Also, a pet peeve of mine--in modern homes there is no cold space for food storage (apples, potatoes, etc.). If I were having a basement poured, I'd make sure there's a space AWAY from the furnace that can be walled off with a door that seals tight to keep it cool. It would be really nice if they could incorporate that into the design from the outset.
It doesn't have to be a large area--my little under-stairs storage closet out in the garage hold a HUGE amount of food, including my 6-month supply of beans and rice, other long-term dry storage and in the fall our home-grown onions, a couple hundred pounds of potatoes and some other root vegetables. With room left over.

It just needs to be underground, sealed away from the furnace heat, easy to access, and have some ventilation (like a basement window or a vent pipe with an exhaust fan...various ways to do this). High humidity helps when storing garden crops so ideally a dirt floor works best for that, but just for basic storage a concrete floor is easier to deal with. You can easily add humidity if you need to--I drape wet burlap sacks over my potatoes with one corner dipped into a container of water. This keeps them beautifully moist with no trouble.

Edit: Oh, well now I see you are talking about S. Alabama--probably the whole furnace issue is not a big deal there, LOL! I have always lived in the North where we have six months of battling winter, too warm in the house for storing fruit and vegetables, but much too cold in the outside spaces to store them either. Old fashioned houses had attics and cellars and crawl spaces that stayed cold but not freezing where food was stored, but modern homebuilders never consider this issue, as most people don't store food.

[Clary]

Clary--if you decide to do the home building project, ask them to put in a water cistern, maybe as part of the basement-constructing project. It will be much cheaper to have that done as part of the package than to add something like that later. You can install a hand pump to one of these that will help with water supply when your other power is down; also useful for the garden.

Thanks, Anna. A whole new area for me. I don't even know what a cistern is, but hope to have time tomorrow to begin research on it. Sounds like somthing I will want to know more about.

Also, a pet peeve of mine--in modern homes there is no cold space for food storage (apples, potatoes, etc.). If I were having a basement poured, I'd make sure there's a space AWAY from the furnace that can be walled off with a door that seals tight to keep it cool. It would be really nice if they could incorporate that into the design from the outset.
It doesn't have to be a large area--my little under-stairs storage closet out in the garage hold a HUGE amount of food, including my 6-month supply of beans and rice, other long-term dry storage and in the fall our home-grown onions, a couple hundred pounds of potatoes and some other root vegetables. With room left over.

It just needs to be underground, sealed away from the furnace heat, easy to access, and have some ventilation (like a basement window or a vent pipe with an exhaust fan...various ways to do this). High humidity helps when storing garden crops so ideally a dirt floor works best for that, but just for basic storage a concrete floor is easier to deal with. You can easily add humidity if you need to--I drape wet burlap sacks over my potatoes with one corner dipped into a container of water. This keeps them beautifully moist with no trouble.

Thanks for the hints and ideas. I have a lot to learn in this area. I do have two little booklets, one published 20+ years ago and the other over 30 years ago. One is "Build Your Own Underground Root Cellar," --32 pp. and the other is "Cold Storage For Fruits & Vegetables," --also 32 pp.. Both are published by Storey Publishing, LLC. I hope to use ideas from both these excellent booklets, also.

The Underground Root Cellar booklet directions includes options for fitting out the cellar as a storm or security shelter.

Apparently, Storey's has more than 200 titles in their series of 32 pp. "Country Wisdom" booklets.

http://www.storey.com/category_listing. ... =date&p=10

I bought the two I have at http://www.half.com


Edit: Oh, well now I see you are talking about S. Alabama--probably the whole furnace issue is not a big deal there, LOL!
Not a BIG deal, but we do have four seasons; and here in South Tennessee, and at my daughter's in South AL, we both had snow for a few days starting on Christmas Day! --VERY UNUSUAL for where my daughter lives in AL.
Temperature is a consideration, but nothing like more northern climates, for sure!

I hope you are doing well and feeling good!.


I have always lived in the North where we have six months of battling winter, too warm in the house for storing fruit and vegetables, but much too cold in the outside spaces to store them either. Old fashioned houses had attics and cellars and crawl spaces that stayed cold but not freezing where food was stored,
but modern homebuilders never consider this issue, as most people don't store food.

[Clary]

Anna--An edit to my previous post:
My grandson sent me a message on Facebook this morning telling me
7" - 9" of snow expected here early next week.

[AnnaS]

Hi, Clary--
A cistern is a water storage tank, usually underground. They used to make them from concrete (like a septic tank) but probably most are from other materials now. I am no expert about this, just tossing it out for something to consider at the planning stages. I would think whatever it's made from it would want to be on a concrete slab for stability, which is why you'd want to know where it's going to go when they make the basement.
Can be filled from rainwater via roof runoff, or just filled from the well with electric pump so it's there when you need it.

Thanks for inquiring about my health--I am no where near well yet, still very sick with Lyme disease. When you have had it for several years as I have it's late-stage disease and takes a long time to get rid of. My treatment seems to be working as I see steady progress, but I am mostly disabled for now. I am optimistic about recovery and have a great doctor who believes I will get better.

I kind of wanted to post here on your thread that all of my long-term emergency preparations have been a huge help to me. I have been using the food, and all the other supplies, over the past few months so that I don't have to make shopping trips. It is GREAT to have them. I am not concerned about replenishing the supplies for now--once I am well I'm sure I will have the energy again to do that. In the meantime, I just go ahead and shop from my storage closet. It would be so much harder if I didn't have this. It also saves me a lot of anxiety--what if we run out of such-and-such? Bandaids, or something. I know I have plenty and it allows me some peace of mind.

I never thought when I collected all that stuff that I would be using it to get through my own health crisis!

Our winter has been easy so far, but we have some real snow coming toward us, too--probably by Sunday. Stay warm!
--Anna

[Sel]

Hello,
I am getting concerned about the need for emergency preparedness - I have been reading some worrying things about the financial crisis and currency collapse and that they may lead to shortages of food/essential supplies. I would like to start preparing. Are there any good books on what should be done?

[Clary]

Hello,
I am getting concerned about the need for emergency preparedness - I have been reading some worrying things about the financial crisis and currency collapse and that they may lead to shortages of food/essential supplies. I would like to start preparing. Are there any good books on what should be done?

Have you tried a Google search? Type phrases such as "books, emergency preparedness" into your search bar. Or just type in "Emergency Preparedness". There are so many, many websites and books with information.

Starting at the beginning of this thread and reading forward provides numerous references to many aspects of Emergency Preparedness.

I received this notice from the BePrepared.com website on Facebook today:
"Is everyone ready for this storm? I just read that it will impact 1/3 of the US population. Remember that 'Preparation is one of the most important tools you have in any type of an emergency or disaster'."

“Insight Articles” (Categories):
http://beprepared.com/article.asp?ai=6

“Disaster Preparedness”
http://beprepared.com/article.asp?ai=638