This section is for ideas as to how people can be better prepared for disasters, whether they are weather-related, grid failures, or other sources. Please do not use this thread to discuss politics or psychic predictions, as those posts belong elsewhere and will be removed from this thread. It is strictly for constructive information on how to prepare. Thanks!
How can we be better prepared?
Considerations:
- Read the Red Cross emergency preparedness information: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqBH5jrevi8gU_k_J10D9dfpDr6lQjKynb370GpvL66hrRuVkwH
- Have enough food and water for four weeks
- have a way to power your home or key devices
- have a way to reach loved ones, if cell service, and electricity goes out.
- Have a way to fuel your cars. Will your cars work without internet service?
@bluebelle @baba @deetoo @cc21 @treetop @raincloud @unkp @dannyboy @seaholly
Form a "family" with neighbors, a community church, or group of which you are a part. Make a plan for how to help each other live during/through a crisis.
I don't think any of us is going to be able to tough it out alone, without a community and a plan.
We live in Asheville, NC, which was devastated by Helene back in September, and after a lengthy time without cell service, power, and water, we upped our emergency preparedness game.
WATER is life. If there is any chance of losing water service, you want to stock up on potable water. Containers by AQUA-TAINER work really well. We did not have potable water for well over a month and had to fill up at stations provided by World Central Kitchen.
You also need water to flush your toilet. We suspected that might happen for a few days, so before the storm came we set empty storage bins out in the yard to catch rain, and we were able to use that for flushing.
Cooking food and cleaning up were very hard without power and water. Now we have a good camp stove, and we would get paper plates, bowls, utensils, paper towels etc. so we don't need to use precious water on as many dishes. I normally do not use these things, but without clean running water they were a lifesaver. Bleach is good to have on hand when you need to disinfect without much water or your water quality is compromised.
LIGHT--you need a decent light source when the power is out. We had a solar light that was great but only lasted 1.5 hours. Have an emergency stash of batteries for lights, or extra solar lights. Candles are nice, but not as easy to see with.
CRANK RADIO--without cell or internet, the only way we knew what was happening (before neighbors started networking) was a little hand crank radio. It was a lifesaver and while annoying to keep cranking, it was nice to not rely on solar (too cloudy for a good charge) or precious batteries.
FILL YOUR GAS TANK ahead of a storm. Having 3/4 a tank of gas allowed us to get out of town to evacuate. Gas stations were cleaned out within a day after the storm, and it took days before roads into town were passable to allow trucks to refill the stations. There were abandoned cars that ran out of gas all over.
BATTERY BACKUPS--We have 3-4 battery backup units for charging computers, and when we lost power, we switched them off to hold the charge. We were able to recharge our cell phones off the residual charge--helpful when we found one place in walking distance where we could access cell service. These units also protect your computers from power surges (my husband is an IT manager). There may be better quality solar chargers for phones, but ours did not work well at all.
FOOD--it would be smart to have a stash of nonperishable food. We managed to keep power to one of our freezers for a day (with my husband's EV battery), but we ended up having to throw out everything form the fridge and freezer. Kind breakfast bars were a quick & helpful breakfast. Think of what you can eat with limited cooking and few dishes.
WASHCLOTHS (we tried wipes but they did not do a good job for bathing. A sponge bath with a washcloth & minimal water is better.
Those are the main things that come to mind right now. We had family mail us things when we could not get online to order ourselves. Know who you can ask for help!
One more: CASH! When everyone is without power & internet, the only way to pay for things is cash. Have an emergency stash on hand of whatever you can afford.
@lowtide The camp stove is a Coleman with 2 burners. We actually should give it a test run soon. We don't go camping, so we don't have those skills.
I don't know what brand the hand cranked radio is--my husband bought it some years back. It is similar to this one (also red): https://midlandusa.com/products/er310-eready-emergency-crank-weather-radio
I’ve been obtaining battery power stations. They can be charged various ways including via portable solar panels. I think as more places start experiencing brown outs and fires, more will want other sources to keep their essentials running. I’m using the EcoFlow brand
"Prepping" suggestions from Popular Science-- go-bags, emergency car kits and more:
https://www.popsci.com/diy/how-to-make-a-prepper-go-bag/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
Thanks for the pre lists.
I would like to add an essential item for your car which I did not see listed.
A pair of the athletic shoes. Why? if the calamity happens while you are away from home you may need to get out and walk away from your car. Especially in an earthquake. Athletic are essential to keep your feet safe and to allow you to walk long distances.
Costs can get expensive for the go bags and home kits. Consider stocking up at Dollar Tree for some of your supplies like medicines, first aid supplies, paper plates, cups, storage containers, wipes, batteries, flashlights, hand held can opener, personal hygiene, lighter, and many other items. You can save a lot of money.
A small clay pot and a votive candle can help heat a room if the power goes out in a storm . really. There are YouTube videos on this. A black umbrella can help during the rain and the hot sun.
Hi guys
here is an Australian site for making up an emergency kit if that may be of assistance.
regards
Matildagirl
COMMUNITY! If you receive social security, be sure to download your online file now -- the entire contents -- your benefit letter, your 1099, your history of earnings, ALL OF IT. While we cannot be sure what will happen, the ex SSA head has warned that the entire payment system could collapse in 30-90 days, so get a copy of your files now. It is better to be safe than sorry.
It would not be unusual for T's people to knock everyone off social security and force them to return to the remaining SSA offices with documents proving they are who they are and that they are bonified recipients of SSA. This action would mean a long delay in starting up benefits again. For those with no proof, it could be devastating. So copy and paste and print now. Make sure you have your birth certificate as well as any identification in a safe accessible place.
https://www.mobilize.us/savesocialsecurityandmedicarenow/event/759905/
My husband and I are attending this event. Martin O'Malley is the former Social Security Commissioner for the Biden administration and former governor of Massachusetts.
Check it out in your area!
I tried to do that very thing but get this, I got a message that I had to wait for a letter that would contain an access code so that I could get into my SSA for the first time. This was not the first time I accessed the account. The letter will take 3-5 weeks to arrive!!!! It alarmed me.
This fellow is also helpful regarding social security: Similar advice but he has multiple videos.
Dr. Ed Weir, PhD, Former Social Security Manager
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHjdQyxdMXw
I think it would also be a good idea to make sure you have a passport and that it is up to date.
I renewed mine last month because it was getting ready to expire.
I applied online. This entailed filling out a form, sending in a digital copy of my photo (which I had taken at CVS), and snail mailing them my existing passport. It was quite simple. I was a little nervous about having to relinquish my passport but the new one came in the mail in about a week! If you still a valid passport it can be very quick. (Or at least it was quick a month ago when I did it.
If you *don't* have a passport I think it would be a good idea to get one just in case things get crazy and you need to leave the country. Or, in case "goons" come around checking ID's-- then you will more than a driver's license. I keep my passport up to date even in normal times.
I am increasingly concerned. I went to the Social Security site to see if I could get on without waiting for the letter, and it said, "Online Services not Available." Has anyone else tried to get on the site in the past 24 hours?
@raincloud Yes. I accessed the site yesterday and was able to print everything suggested. Nothing has changed with Social Security. It's okay.
@raincloud, My husband and I were able to access our online Social Security accounts yesterday morning, 3/7, and print out everything.
I tried to login this morning and now it says "Online services not available." I'm wondering if they are doing weekend maintenance, which maybe began yesterday evening? There have been one or two occasions in the past when that message has come up for me on a weekend, but I think it usually showed a banner indicating that it's maintenance. I do feel SS is okay.
Or perhaps it has something to do with the volume of people attempting to access their accounts, but I feel it's maintenance.
@raincloud I got on the Social Security site last night, logged in, and got my Medicare letter. I also looked at my Social Security record that shows my income for every year since I began working. (I am not taking Social Security payments yet so there is no letter for that.)