How to Prepare for a Zombie Apocalypse

I'm loving this tongue-in-cheek ad campaign from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Whatever works!

earthquake safety: how to turn off your gas

Part of being prepared is being educated. It's a good idea to know how to turn off your gas in case of a gas-leak, which can happen at any time, but may be more likely in an earthquake. You should store a wrench next to the gas meter or in an easily accessible location so that you can turn the gas off if needed.

From FEMA:
"Check for gas leaks. If you smell gas or hear blowing or hissing noise, open a window and quickly leave the building. Turn off the gas at the outside main valve if you can and call the gas company from a neighbor's home. If you turn off the gas for any reason, it must be turned back on by a professional."1

From The San Fransisco Chronicle:
"It's estimated that 90 percent of the damage caused by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake was due to fires caused by ruptured gas lines - over 30 fires leveled 490 city blocks. In light of this, it would seem prudent to shut off the gas main in the event of a major earthquake, right? Not so fast says Pacific Gas and Electric Co. spokesman David Eisenhauer. "If you do not smell or hear gas do not shut off," says Eisenhauer. "If you shut it off and there's no damage it could take days to turn it back on." Once shut off, PG&E also does not recommend residents turn it back on themselves. This is because either someone from PG&E or another trained professional should inspect the house first for any damage to gas lines."2

If you determine that you need to shut off your gas, simply turn the valve one quarter-turn with a wrench (as shown in the diagram above). You can significantly reduce the likelihood of a gas leak in an earthquake by securing your water heater. Water heaters often rock loose during and earthquake and sever the gas connection.



Sources:
1- FEMA
2- How To Prepare For An Earthquake (Paul Kilduff, special to The San Franscisco Chronicle)

Diagram Source: http://www.doh.wa.gov/phepr/handbook/utility.htm

wishing for chicken noodle soup

I'm not sure if we've had H1N1 flu or not. The doctor didn't do the test - said that he wouldn't treat it any differently regardless. Still, we spent the past 48 hours with two members of our family having fevers, nausea, and in one case significant coughing and respiratory junk. We're crossing our fingers that the rest of us have dodged the virus (whether or not it is H1N1). The remaining three of us were immunized for H1N1 on Monday -- not quite long enough to have any immunity yet (apparently we need 8 to 10 days to develop decent immunity).

I made a surprising discovery about our preparedness in the process. I already have plenty of Gatorade, gloves, masks, Kleenex, ibuprofen, sanitizer, disinfectants, and food stored. I figured it would be easy to make chicken noodle soup and bake bread from storage items if we couldn't/shouldn't get to the store. What I discovered, though, is that the sick members of our family didn't want homemade chicken noodle soup. They didn't want applesauce (which I had plenty of). They wanted the old generic comfort standby of Campbell's chicken noodle soup. They wanted saltine crackers and jello (which I just used up). They also wanted flat soda to settle their stomachs.

I've now learned that especially when stomach-sick, it's important to have predictable bland foods. Plus, what if I had been sick? I wouldn't have been up to cooking at all. And having easy-heat-up soup would have been much easier anyway. In the future I'll include soda, crackers, more jello and plenty of Campbell's chicken noodle soup in my storage. I'll make all of these items a part of my three-month storage. Thankfully, I wasn't sick (and didn't need to be quarantined) and was able to get to the store to stock up on these items. I was surprised to discover that the store was almost out of chicken noodle soup -- apparently many other sick individuals feel the same way about "sick" foods.

What are some predictable sick-foods for your family?

More on flu/pandemic preparedness:

http://iprepared.blogspot.com/2009/04/peace-of-preparedness.html

http://iprepared.blogspot.com/2009/05/pandemic-preparedness.html

http://iprepared.blogspot.com/2008/11/flu-pandemic.html

school preparedness

Last Wednesday, I wrote about a stop-and-think experience that I had in some extreme winter weather. You can read the post here. Because of terrible winter storm conditions, parents were not able to pick up their children from a local elementary school. Even families that lived adjacent to the school were unable to get their children because the blowing snow had reduced the visibility to nothing. A lot of children and teachers ended up spending the night at the school. The children were mostly comfortable because the school had food, electricity and communication. Everyone was fine and I'm sure it was the adventure of a lifetime.

There are several situations that could strand my kids at school. Our schools won't release the students in any situation unless an authorized individual picks them up and signs them out. I realize that this policy ultimately protects my children. But it also means that my kids could be stuck at school until I can get to them. In some possible emergencies, they could be waiting outside the school in bad weather until I can sign them out.

So, what would I want my kids to have if they were ever in a situation like this? Obviously, I can't expect my kids to carry a huge preparedness kit around with them everywhere. But each child already has a backpack that they usually have with them. Sometimes those backpacks are already pretty full. So in the past, I have filled a small plastic ziplock bag with a few items. Usually there are a few empty side pockets available to stash a little bag.

Here are some things that you could fit into a small ziplock bag:

Reflective blanket

Handwarmers

Water pouches

Granola bars

Family picture (with emergency contact numbers on the back)

Bandaids

Sunscreen

Rain poncho

Tissues

Wet wipes

If more space is available:

Emergency cell phone

Umbrella

Spare socks/hat

Gloves

A lot of the schools in our area already have small emergency kits for each student stored in each classroom. It's worth it to become familiar with the safety precautions and preparedness preparations at your children's schools.

winter preparedness for your car

Not long ago, we had blizzard conditions here in our area. I drove our winter-appropriate vehicle to pick up my children from school because the conditions were so bad. As I navigated the mile to the nearest school, I couldn't see more than about five feet in front of me. Luckily, I was very familiar with the route and was able to find my way. I parked along the curb watching for my son. I was very focused on finding him because I was worried that he wouldn't be able to see me. Sure enough, I had to stop him before he almost walked right past our vehicle.

The next pick up was almost as bad. Conditions worsened as I traveled. We made the pick-up only to hear that the school was gearing up for a potential overnight stay since parents and buses were not being able to get to the school to pick up their kids. We made it home without any other problems. Later, however, we heard that one of the nearby schools had kept all of the school kids overnight. And many of the parents traveling to the school actually ended up off the sides of the roads, either by sliding or because of visibility. Many hiked to find nearby businesses and houses. Others hunkered down in their cars for the night, thinking that they were going to die from exposure once their gas and cell batteries were out. Thankfully, plows were able to dig out most of the cars the next morning. But some spent miserable nights in their cars.

This experience has definitely become a stop and think moment for me. If I had been in those circumstances, what would I have wished I had?

Here is my car preparedness wish list:
Gas (I can't really store this in my trunk, but we do keep all of our vehicle tanks at least half full)
Blankets (wool, reflective and/or a sleeping bag)
Water (I always keep a case of water bottles in the back of each of my cars)
Food (Even a box or two of granola bars would be tasty in this situation)
Chains
Hand warmers (these are small and would fit nicely into a first-aid kit)
Shovel
Cell phone charger
Jump cables
Rope
Gloves
Window scraper and/or broom
First Aid Kit
Flares/flag (some of the plows couldn't see where the cars - with people still in them - were stranded because the snow was so deep)
Extra socks/hat
Flashlight

And like my mother always said, "Don't go anywhere without your coat in the winter because you might get in an accident."


FEMA - Winter Preparedness

winter warmth

Our family currently lives in a cold winter area. We typically have four to five months of quite cold temperatures. If there is ever a loss of power, keeping our family warm is a huge concern. Here are a few ideas that you can use to be prepared for winter temperatures:

Have everyone sleep/stay in one room - Choose a small (but big enough) room with the fewest exterior walls and/or a southern/western exposure. Bring mattresses in on the floor. If you have a fireplace or stove, you'll probably want to choose this room for your gathering spot. It's also helpful to have an adjacent bathroom. Drape blankets at the doorways and/or close any doors to contain the heat to one room as much as possible.
Pitch a tent - Yes, inside of your house! A tent can help contain radiating warmth to a smaller area. You don't have to have an actual tent to do this. Use blankets and sheets and improvise. Your kids will love this!
Store blankets - I have many beautiful quilts, hand-made by my mother. Because of this, I've always assumed that all homes had an abundance of quilts and blankets. I was so surprised to hear my neighbor describe the need to buy a blanket for a bed -- explaining that every blanket that they owned was already on a bed. Sleeping bags can be unzipped and used for blankets.
Be safe! - Never burn charcoal, use a camp stove or run a generator in any interior spaces (including your garage). You also shouldn't run a gas powered stove for long amounts of time trying to heat your house. Carbon monoxide is a huge problem in situations like this. Be smart.
Use a fireplace or wood burning stove - Often these work even when the power doesn't. Learn how to light your fireplace manually if it runs on gas.
Use a propane heater - There are several products that are approved for use in enclosed areas. Make sure to vent them appropriately.
Burn a candle - It will give off some heat -- but watch carefully and do not leave any candles burning while you are sleeping.
Bundle up - Wear socks, shoes, coats, snow pants and caps. Layer your clothes. Sleep with caps on.
Use the sun - Open your blinds to allow sun to warm the interior of your room. Close blinds or curtains when the sun is not shining.
Insulate - Use shower curtains or other plastic to insulate your windows with tape. Remember to maintain a source of fresh air and oxygen.
Invite your neighbors over - The more bodies the more heat!





[Sources: Myself, Prepare Today Newsletter]

home storage christmas gifts

Is there anyone on your Christmas list for whom you have a hard time finding a Christmas gift? Well, home storage gifts can solve all of your problems! It really is rare to find a person that is completely prepared. Here are a few ideas that might solve your gift-giving woes.

*Water Storage Containers ($3 to $80)
*Water barrel wrench and pump ($8 to $15)
*Food storage shelves ($40 to $300)
*Gamma lids ($4 to $8)
*Food storage buckets ($4 to $8)
*Three-month supply meal baskets (Put ingredients for a three-month supply meal into a basket. Add bows and gadgets for fun. This would be easy to do with pasta & sauce or pancakes & syrup. Add a cute card that tells how many servings are included as well as the expected shelf life. Here is an example: In a basket place a package of pancake mix, syrup, powdered milk or cocoa mix, and a jar of fruit.)
*LDS home storage kits ($24 to $44)
*Wheat grinder ($60 to $400)
*Bucket of wheat (around $20)
*Camp stove & propane tank ($50+)
*Canning supplies (bath canner, bottles & lids, or pressure cooker)
*Dehydrator ($40+)
*Fruit trees or bushes (weather dependent)
*Gardening supplies (varies)
*Grill/Dutch oven/Firepit/Woodburning stove etc.
*Generator ($500+)
*Home storage foods (#10 cans, bottles of juice, home bottled preserves, buckets, etc.)
*Water filter
*First aid kits($5+)
*Car safety kits.
*72-hour kits.
*Fire safety ladder.
*Money for financial reserves.


Want to have some fun? Give a lump of coal (i.e. a bag/bucket of charcoal)!

What are your ideas?

emergency binder

In an emergency, you could potentially be without electricity or internet access. You might not be able to access your computer, your files, this blog, or other resource links. It would be helpful to purchase a binder in which to collect all that great online emergency information.

Choose an unusually colored binder (orange, fluorescent green, or whatever) to help you find it (see it) in an emergency. Purchase a package of tabbed dividers if that helps you organize your binder. As you work on your preparedness, if you see a post or page that contains particularly valuable information, print it out and put it into your binder. You may also want to make duplicate copies and store two binders in different locations.