AFTER an Earthquake!

A man holds a child in his arms after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch on Tuesday. (Iain McGregor / Reuters)

Once the earth has stopped shaking from an earthquake, all danger has not passed.  Because of aftershocks, there is a constant need for vigilance even after an earthquake.  Earthquakes also create many different hazards.  Awareness of these hazards can help you to protect your family from any additional harm.

AFTER

* Expect aftershocks. 

Get yourself and others out of locations that might be dangerous with continued shaking.   Be aware of hazards such as fires, electrical lines, or spills that might still put you in danger.  Be especially careful as you enter or exit buildings.  Buildings can continue to shift even after the earth has stopped shaking.

*  Be aware of Tsunami potential. 

Move to a higher location if this is an issue.

* Check for injuries. 

Do not move seriously injured individuals unless they are in danger of further harm.  Help trapped persons if possible.

* Check for hazardous conditions.

Damage from an earthquake can cause fires, leaks in the water, sewer or gas systems, downed or exposed electricity wires, spills and broken items.  Extinguish any fires.  Check your utilities.  If you smell gas, turn off the gas at the meter.  If you don't smell gas, do not turn off the gas because it might be many days before you can have it turned back on.  If wires are sparking or exposed, turn off the electricity at the breaker box.  Do not step in water in order to access the electricity box. 

* Check your home for damage.

Turn off water if you have any broken pipes. Do not use the water until you have been told that it is safe. Don't use the toilets if you suspect problems with the sewer system.  Inspect your chimney, walls, and foundations.

* Ongoing needs.

Don't use your phone except for emergencies.  Listen to your radio for instructions.  Gather your children from local schools.  Stay away from damaged areas.  Be careful as you open cupboards (expect items to fall out).  Make sure to check on your neighbors.

Assess the liveability of your home.  Find a shelter if staying in your home is not an option.  Remember that shelters are typically crowded and also often lack basic services.  You might be better off staying in your home if you just lack basic services or have little to moderate damage.  If you do leave, make sure to communicate your whereabouts with a staying neighbor.

Hopefully, you never have to use any of these recommendations.  But knowing, practicing and thinking about them will help you and your family to be better prepared in an Earthquake.

Sources:

Utah Seismic Commission - Putting down roots in earthquake country.

Fema - What to do after an earthquake.

DURING an Earthquake!

A teetering piano. Photo / NZPA/David Alexander


Scientists are always studying best practices for responding in an earthquake. It is valuable to stay aware of current thinking and findings. The reality is that earthquakes don't kill people, falling objects typically do. Your main objective should be moving away from anything that might fall on you -- a picture over your bed, a bookshelf, bricks, the building, etc. Knowing the age of the building that you work in or live in can also give you the ability to decide how to respond.

DURING

* If you are INDOORS:

Do not run outside!  Stay inside until the shaking stops.

DUCK, COVER and HOLD
DUCK or DROP down on the floor. Take COVER under a sturdy desk, table, or other furniture. If that is not possible, seek cover against an interior wall and protect your head and neck with your arms. Avoid danger spots near windows, hanging objects, mirrors or tall furniture. If you take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture, HOLD on to it and be prepared to move it. Hold the position until the ground stops shaking and it is safe to move.

If you are in BED, stay there and cover your head with a pillow.

When in a HIGH-RISE BUILDING, move against an interior wall if you are not near a desk or table. Protect your head and neck with your arms. Do not use the elevators.

When in a CROWDED STORE OR OTHER PUBLIC PLACE, move away from display shelves containing objects that could fall. Do not rush for the exit.

When in a STADIUM OR THEATER, stay in your seat, get below the level of the back of the seat and cover your head and neck with your arms.


* If you are OUTDOORS:

When OUTDOORS, move to a clear area away from trees, signs, buildings, or downed electrical wires and poles.

When on a SIDEWALK NEAR BUILDINGS, duck into a doorway or move into an open area to protect yourself from falling bricks, glass, plaster and other debris.

When DRIVING, pull over to the side of the road and stop. Avoid overpasses and power lines. Stay inside your vehicle until the shaking stops.



Do you know what to do AFTER an earthquake?  Watch for the third and last post on earthquakes.




Note:  I am aware that there is an alternate earthquake survival method called "The Triangle of Life."  The Red Cross recommends teaching Drop, Cover, and Hold On instead.  Drop, Cover and Hold On has been researched and found to be successful in protecting life in the United States where there are strict building codes.  If you live in an area with loose or no building codes, please take the time to find out what your local officials recommend for protecting yourself and your family.  You can read more here:  http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/triangle.asp and from the Red Cross here:  http://www2.bpaonline.org/Emergencyprep/arc-on-doug-copp.html.

Sources:
1 Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country - Utah Seismic Safety Commission

BEFORE an Earthquake!

Cars covered in building debris on February 22, 2011. Photo / Getty Images

How much do you know about preparing for, reacting during, and responding after an earthquake?  You might not live in an earthquake prone area, but mostly likely, you will travel through one at some point.  Knowing what to do might save your life.  Practicing and talking about it with your family might save their lives.  It's worth a few minutes to review. 

This is the first post in a series of three to help you prepare for an earthquake.  Look for a post on responding DURING an earthquake tomorrow.

BEFORE

1. Have a supply of food and water on hand. 
New Zealand still doesn't have water to 80 percent of Christchurch.1  Even if your home and workplace aren't damaged, your area might not have water or food available because of broken water lines and destroyed roads.

2. Keep a pair of shoes and flashlight by each bed.
I confess that I still haven't done this.  My boys move through shoe sizes too quickly (which is just an excuse).  They also tend to take the flashlights if they are so easily available.  I do have a pair of shoes by my bed.  Having shoes and a flashlight easily available makes it safer to navigate floors covered with debris and glass after an earthquake during the night.

3. Evaluate your home and workplace for hazards.
Bolt heavy, tall objects to the wall with earthquake brackets.  Move large pictures away from beds.  Add latches to your cupboards.  Keep a fire extinguisher on hand.  (More here:  How to secure your furniture - Utah State Seismic Commission)

4. Practice occasionally.
It would make a good Family Home Evening lesson to review things as a family periodically.  My 12 year-old son and I sat at the computer looking at pictures of the earthquake in New Zealand.2  I specifically pointed out all of the building fronts that had collapsed.  We talked about the dangers of running out of a building because of this.  I could tell that it sunk in with him differently than it had previously.  Take the time to use teaching moments with your kids. 

More information on preparing for an earthquake and teaching your kids can be found here from the Utah State Seismic Commission:
Tips for preparing children
Preparing your family for an earthquake
Tips for the elderly


Sources:
1 - Christchurch earthquake: Latest updates
2 - Christchurch earthquake: Images of devastation

Grow a Garden

After writing my last post, I have continued to think about ways to blunt rising grocery prices.  After reading a news article about produce prices rising because of freezing weather in unusual places, I realized I should have listed a fourth suggestion to my previous post on rising food prices.1  So here it is:

4)  Grow a Garden

I recognize that growing a garden isn't always the cheapest way to put produce on your table.  However, gaining gardening skills gives you the ability to supplement your three-month supply with fresh foods regardless of their cost or availability in stores. 

You might think that you can only grow a garden during the summer season.  However, there are many seeds that grow well in the cold temperatures of spring and fall.  With some planning you can grow lettuce, peas, kale, cabbage, broccoli, swiss chard, spinach, radishes, beets, cauliflower, carrots, turnips and parsnips.  You can also grow vegetables in pots inside your home or in a porch with a window all year long.  Many crops, such as potatoes, apples and carrots can be harvested in the fall and can last throughout the winter (if stored correctly).2

One family in our area invested in a back-yard greenhouse.  Medical dietary restrictions required one member of their family to live off of produce only.  They were aware that it would be difficult/impossible to store foods for that person.  So, they bought a small greenhouse.   Now they have fresh produce all year long.  Can you imagine the possibilities?  I would love to have access to a citrus tree here - and could if I had a greenhouse.

One year I served tomatoes from our garden for Thanksgiving dinner.  That's not remarkable if you live in Florida or Arizona, but we live in Utah.  Earlier in the fall when I knew it was going to freeze, I picked all of the remaining ripe tomatoes.  I also picked all of the green tomatoes that were shiny (the dull ones won't usually ripen).  I stored them in a mostly-dark, cool place in our basement.2  I separated the tomatoes so that they didn't touch each other.  I checked on them periodically throughout the next several months and brought up the tomatoes as they started to turn colors. 

Truly, a garden can provide fresh produce all year and can protect us from the ups and downs of pricing.

Source:
1 - Deep freeze escalates produce prices
2 - Vegetable Harvest and Storage

Rising Food Prices

Several news sources have been reporting ongoing food shortages and resulting rising food prices.  In fact, the UN food and agriculture organization just reported that world food prices are at their all time high (since they started tracking prices 20 years ago).3

Unfortunately, home storage is not likely to completely blunt rising prices.  Even if you lived completely on your home storage, you would eventually run out and have to start replacing at the higher prices.  There are several things you can do, however, to maximize your money and utilize your home storage to give you extra savings in these circumstances.

1) Wait for sales.

Having a good  home storage allows you to pay attention to sales and purchase only when items are cheaper than they might be at regular prices.  When you already have a good supply on hand, you can ride the waves and maximize your funds.

Several years ago a bucket of wheat climbed to $25 in our area.  Because I had a good supply of wheat, I didn't need to replace my wheat right away.  In fact, a year or two later, prices dropped down to $14 a bucket which was the lowest I'd seen.  I was able to wait and replace when prices were low.  Here's another example:  I like to buy refried beans when they drop to $.50 a can.  Instead of the normal yearly sales, prices seemed to continue climbing.  I had almost decided that it was time to replace anyway when I noticed an advertisement for $.60 a can.  I paid a bit more, but at least I didn't have to pay the regular price of $1.19.

Now you have to be careful about doing this.  You can get burned by waiting when prices just continue to climb.  I try to keep a minimum amount on hand, replacing those minimums at the higher prices if necessary so that I won't be caught without a good supply of food.

2) Be aware of WHY food prices are rising.

Wheat prices are very volatile.  Disease, drought and/or flood in different parts of the world affect crop prices.  When wheat prices went up several years ago, I was aware that there were some drought-issues affecting wheat prices.  I was fairly confident that these weren't long-term issues, that wheat crops would return to their normal levels and that I could wait to replace the storage that I had used.  In fact the next year was a bumper crop and prices dropped to new lows. 

By the way, there is a usually a delay before rising/lowering prices hit the market, so you may have to wait to see the price changes.  The wheat crop this year has suffered from both drought and flood so prices will be going up in the future.  My neighborhood store, however, still has wheat buckets from last year's inventory and prices are still good.

There is a cascade effect that happens when commodity prices increase.  When wheat prices go up, so do pizza, bread and cereal prices.  Recalls can also affect inventory and pricing.

Knowledge gives you buying power!

3) Maximize your education and skills.

Inflation, unfortunately, is real.  Prices will continue to climb.  One way that you can ensure that you stay on top of rising prices is to maximize your salary potential.  Keep your job skills current.  Get extra education when possible.  Make sure your spouse is doing the same.

Obtaining high levels of education and skills mean in tough times you will be more likely to keep your job and/or find a job.  In two different circumstances, I competed with 70 and 90 other candidates for a job.  I was hired and told afterwards that in both cases I was different than every other applicant because I had two bachelor's degrees in related fields.  Additional education made all the difference in the opportunities presented to me.

Those with the most education usually have the highest paying jobs and often the best job security.4   Make sure you are able to adjust and adapt to a changing world with rising prices by always learning and gaining new skills.


Want some good news?  Rice, milk, and meat prices are down.2   Ice cream prices are also down.1  It's a good time to stock up!


More on the importance of education:
http://iprepared.blogspot.com/2009/03/education.html

Sources:
1 - Rising food prices sour Utah families
2 - Food inflation isn't in every grocery aisle
3 - World food prices hit record highs
4 - Education equals job security

Political Unrest & Traveling

Praying: Minnesota native Pastor Peter Johnson and his family are

among the thousands of Americans currently waiting at Cairo airport

 for a flight out as Egyptians took to the street . . .

There are many reasons why becoming self-reliant and prepared are good ideas. In just the past two years, we've seen hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, job loss, underemployment, inflation, etc. In each case, those who have been prepared have been able to take care of their families and then reach out to others in need. 

The news headlines of the past few days have showed another instance where preparedness is a huge blessing. Egypt is reporting that food staples are running out in Cairo. Stores are closed and boarded up for protection. Shipments aren't making it into the city.  Gas is not available and banks are closed.  Cell phones and internet connections have been turned off.  "The street demonstrations have made family members unwilling or unable to shop for food items."  (CNN2)  The political unrest is spreading in the region and governments aren't even functioning, let alone helping.  I'm sure that being prepared wouldn't completely alleviate an Egyptian citizen's feelings of concern.  But knowing that you had a food supply and could feed your family would allow you to concentrate on other issues. 

I also want to note that it's important to be aware of preparedness even when you are traveling.  There are many travelers stuck in Egypt in these conditions.  I was in Beijing during the height of the Tienanmen Square demonstrations in 1989.  When planning our trip, we had no idea that it would coincide with the political unrest in the area.  Much of the city was shut down while we were there.  We did fine and never went without food, but the potential was there for us to encounter problems similar to those in Egypt.  These are dramatic events.  Sometimes, though, a situation as simple as a snow storm can ground you and put you in tenuous circumstances while traveling. 

It's impossible to transport many preparedness items as you travel - especially if you are flying.  But as you are able, make a habit of assessing your situation and stocking up as much as is reasonable - wherever you are.  If you are on an extended business trip, make a quick trip to a convenience store and grab a few extra boxes of granola bars and bottles of water.  You may end up never using them and instead giving them away before you leave, but it would give you a bit of a back up.  And though it seems obvious, make a habit of watching the news and find out the weather, politics, etc. before you travel.  You can anticipate possible situations better and be prepared because of your knowledge. 

Sources:

1 - Food staples starting to run out in Egypt - By Salma Abdelaziz, CNN

2 - United Press International

3 - Daily Mail

4 - Photo (Getty Images)

Canning Chicken

Our local stores have chicken breasts for $1.39 a pound this week so I pulled out my never-used-before pressure cooker and finally tried canning chicken. Knowing how to process and preserve your own foods is a great self-reliance skill. I admit, though, that I was a little nervous because of an infamous family story of my grandmother's pressure cooker blowing up while full of red beets (no one was hurt, but the walls were RED!).
I thawed the frozen chicken by placing it into a bowl of warm water for about 20 minutes. This is about five pounds of chicken. I did a total of 20 pounds.
When it was completely thawed, I trimmed off any fat on the chicken (which wasn't much). I then put the breasts into clean jars with about 1 inch of head space. I didn't add any water. I could have added a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, but because the chicken had already been injected with some broth, I choose not to add the salt.
After wiping the jar tops and fastening lids and rings onto the pint jars, I placed them into my pressure canner with 3 quarts of water and fastened the pressure-cooker lid (the water amount will vary - see your own manual for specific instructions). My 16-quart pressure canner states that it will process 10 pints at a time, but it really only did 8 - maybe because I used wide-mouth jars. Each jar held about one pound of chicken.

My pressure canner manual states to cook meats at 13 pounds of pressure (adjusted for my own altitude of 5700 feet above sea level) for 75 minutes (90 minutes for quarts).

I think this was the hardest part of processing the chicken. Every pressure canner works differently. I had to carefully read the manual several times. Make sure to read yours carefully for water amounts, pressure required, and processing times (always adjusting for altitude as described in your manual). I vented mine for 10 minutes, added the weight, brought up the pressure, processed for 75 minutes and then let the cooker drop pressure and cool. It required some watching to maintain the pressure at 13 pounds. By the third batch, I had a pretty good idea of where to set my stove top and was able to get some other things done.

This is the result! I did 20 pints of chicken (each pint is about one pound of chicken). Prepping the chicken was easy. Learning to use the pressure cooker was a little harder, but now that I've done it, I won't be hesitant to do it again!

Home Storage for Singles and Newlyweds

Think home storage is just for families? If so, you might want to check out these articles full of preparedness tips for singles and newlyweds:

Two Cans of Corn: Home Storage for Newlyweds

By starting small, wisely using storage space, saving money, and gradually increasing their efforts, newly married couples can experience the blessings of peace and security that come from home storage.

Being Independent, Being Prepared

How some young adults are applying principles of preparedness to their busy, mobile lives.

Serving Others

I am completely convinced that we are blessed in our lives with so much abundance so we can help others. I think home storage plays a similar roll. When we have an abundant home storage, then we can take our of our family's needs and still help those around us.

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and urge you find a way to help others during this Christmas season. Make it a family tradition! Our annual family service tradition brings the Spirit of Christ and Christmas into our home especially when selfishness threatens to prevail.

The first commandment is to Love God and "the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There are NONE other commandment greater than these." (The Holy Bible, Mark 12: 31) I don't know of a better way to show love to God and our neighbors than by serving others. In fact, Christ was teaching us this principle when he said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (The Holy Bible, Matthew 25: 40)

Be generous with your funds, time and talents. And be generous about the circumstances of others. Everything that we have comes from God. "Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have? . . . O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another." (The Book of Mormon, Mosiah 4: 19, 21)

I know that Jesus Christ, my brother lives again. Merry Christmas!

The Value of Nesquik

For the past few months, I have been cooking with a probably twelve year-old #10 can of Rainy Day instant powdered milk. I use it primarily for baking and I haven't had any problems with it. For the first time in years, we ran out of milk this morning. So, I made some up using my powdered milk.

Everyone raved over the peppermint cocoa served with the powdered milk just as they came in from a snowy morning of sledding. However, my four year old commented on his cup of straight milk served at dinner tonight, "Mom, this milk smells funny." I picked up my cup and cringed as I realized that I might not be able to stomach the milk either. After a mutiny by the entire family, I pulled out the Nesquik (which I used to know as Nestle Quik) to make "chocolate milk." Every time someone commented on the yucky milk, my teen-aged son would add an additional tablespoon-full to his glass. The Nesquik wasn't great, but the milk tasted worse without it.

I've always kept a few containers of Nesquick in my storage and I'll make sure to continue to do so for situations like this. This is also a good reminder to make sure that you taste and like the powdered milk that you choose to store for drinking. What you store for cooking matters less.

Click here for past posts on powdered milk.