Back in 2008, I posted on the issue of foods that are good for a few days of hiking and backpacking.
https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/view ... 07&#p42729Many of those comments apply here.
Since 1998, I have lived in a active hurricane area and have been through quite a few hurricanes. One of the things I noticed immediately was that my regular foods were also survival foods and were easy to use during any emergency. Most of them I could eat without any need for a heating element and I could easily expand my options by utilizing my camping stove.
I also noticed that when I went into the supermarkets during the last day before the hurricanes would hit, the only foods left were often some of the healthiest. No one wanted the foods I would buy.
I guess if there is a chance you are going to die, you might as well go out drinking beer and eating chips, snacks and junk food.
As a result, I wrote an article with Pritikin about it. Here is their updated version, edited by Pritikin, and of course, editing me out. You will notice some of my quotes in it
https://www.pritikin.com/your-health/he ... althy.htmlIn regard to Hurricane Irma, we stayed and lost power for about 3-4 days. Outside of the heat, it was fairly easy. Our emergency supplies include not only lots of water (we have about 15-20 gallons on hand all the time and go up to about 30 during hurricane season), batteries (cases of D, AA, AAA), flashlights, battery operated laterns, fans and emergency radios [that hand crank and are solar powered also], back up iPhone and computer chargers, basic medical supplies.
In regard to water, we always keep 5 3-gallon jugs of purified water on hand and then will add in bottles of purified water doing the season.
In regard to food, we always have a freezer and refrigerator stocked full. If you know an emergency is coming, you can lower the temp of the freezer and fridge days before and pack them both full of food (&/or ice) and they will hold their temperature longer. By doing so, we got about 2x the length of time recommended. To be sure, we double check the temperature in each with a thermometer. In addition, we have a pantry full of salt free canned beans, canned veggies (peas, corn, green beans), canned sweet potato, etc., Dried fruit and nuts, while calorie dense, will last a long time and can come in handy during extended emergencies.
We also keep air dried foods around. I experimented with them a few years ago and posted about it here.
https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/view ... 22&t=44693https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/view ... 22&t=52735And while they are great, we do not use them on a regular basis but they are great to keep on hand for an emergency. Most of them can be rehydrated with either cold or hot water.
The ones we keep on hand are dried sweet potato, potato, butternut squash, split peas, lentils, peas, carrots, green beans, collards, etc. We used to have more of the beans but it much easier to work with the lentils and split peas and they rehydrate much easier. Most all of the above rehydrate in 10-15 minutes with heat and about 1-2 hours without.
We ate simply at each meal and made a pot of a thick soup with a pulse (either lentils or split peas), a starchy veggie (usually sweet potato or butternut squash ) and then added in a few veggies. Ready in about 15 minutes. If there was leftover, we put in a large wide-mouth thermos, which can keep food hot (and safe) for up to 6 hours (just in time for our next meal). We used all the food in the fridge first, then the freezer, then went to the dehydrated.
Fortunately, within about 3-4 days, most of the neighborhood (including groceries and gas) was up and running. However we could have easily lasted weeks, if not months.
Last year during Hurricane Matthew, we evacuated and brought our above foods with us in the car including some frozen in a cooler. We always look for a room with a fridge, microwave and/or stove. (While I think it is not allowed by the hotels, I know some people even bring their small camping stoves with them).
Hurricane season is from June 1st to November 30th each year, with most of the action happening in September and October. Each June we go through our supplies and make sure we have everything and that everything is in working order.
For us, keeping our lives and diet simple, makes these situations easier. However, anyone could do this, even someone on a very restricted elimination diet could do it. And for those who want more variety, the variety of dried foods available is enormous. They don't take up much space and they last a very long time.
UPDATE: Here is a thread on how I applied all the above (and included exercise) during the COVID Lockdowns
https://www.drmcdougallforums.com/viewt ... 22&t=60687In Health
Jeff