I was perusing the internet the other day and ran across this great article that I thought you all might enjoy!
Read below and be sure to check out Jodie and Julie's website for a free download of the handouts for your emergency prep binder:
This article was written by Jodi and Julie of Food Storage Made Easy fame.
It was one of their most popular articles this year. You can listen to Jodi and Julie every other Thursday on The Survival Mom Radio Network.
When disaster is “about” to strike, you may have a couple of days, hours or minutes to prepare.
When the disaster is like that of Hurricane Sandy, people had a few days to “prepare” for it. Although we teach to be prepared far before a few days ahead of time, we had some great suggestions from our readers on our Facebook page of things you could do “relatively” last minute.
Follow our FREE checklists to be prepared long before the storm hits next time.
Whether that storm be a natural disaster, economic crisis, or just a personal disaster.
- Fill your gas tank.
- Have a 72 hour kit for every person in your family.
- You should have cash in your 72 hour kits because if electricity is out bank ATM’s won’t work.
- Turn your fridge and freezer to a colder setting & if you lose power keep the doors closed as much as possible.
- If you have extra space in your freezer, take containers or zip-loc bags full of water and fill in the extra space.
- Charge all your electronic devices and keep them charged just in case you lose power.
- Keep a list of emergency numbers handy, along with family members’ phone numbers. Write them down if you only have them stored in your phone.
- Have an emergency escape plan from your home and make sure all family members know it and know where to meet.
- Clean out your gutters before the storm comes and make sure that the storm drains on your street are clear from all the fall foliage.
- Check your sump pumps.
- Be ready to help your neighbors.
- Get batteries.
- Get a radio so you know what’s going on.
- Board up your windows. Stay away from windows.
- Have everyone one sleep in the same room so you can keep tabs on them.
- Make a few meals and snacks that will last without power.
- Make sure to have a non-electric can opener.
- Have lots of non-perishables on hand.
- Have enough food and litter for your pets.
- Have an emergency binder with all important paperwork ready to go.
- Have your prescriptions filled.
Continue reading the full list.
What would you add to this list?
You see a lot of comments in survival items about hunting for food. During the great depression, animals became so scarce, even in backwoods areas, that armadillos became known as “Hoover hogs”. All day or all night hunting with trained dogs might net one possum or hoover hog. Unless you live in an absolutely isolated area with no access, don’t plan on wild game. Don’t plan on stealing from farmers either. They will organize quickly and you will either be shot or hanged, possibly both as a warning to like minded people. When society breaks down, people organize to protect themselves, no jails leads quickly to death sentences for relatively minor offenses. Not a pretty thought but best kept in mind. Americans have so little knowledge of their own history in this regard.
Have a refrigerator and freezer thermometer in place so you’ll know when the temps are no longer safe.
#36 – When you take pictures make sure your TVs are on so you can prove that they worked before the disaster. It helps when dealing with insurance companies.
Have a power inverter so you make operate essentials and power them off your car battery.
#30 – This is a myth. As someone who went through Katrina the water either worked its way though the drain system and back-flowed back into the dishwasher or managed to overpower the seal and infiltrate the system. Water levels in a dishwasher only rise an inch. The system only has to keep a light spray from exiting the washer not a full unit of water. If you had a front loading washing machine I would probably use that instead.
A dual fuel coleman lantern and stove is a must. It operates using gasoline. Gas $3.50/gal vs coleman fuel @ $14.00/gal.
Blackout your windows. If people know you have a means of light you become a haven for wanderers or criminals to take what you have.