Disaster Survival: How and What

Been there, done that, got the shirt.

Elena's eye wall literally went over me less than a mile off the beach. Katrina from about 180 mi inland.

All I worry about is essential papers, meds, and a couple of days to a week's worth of clothes.

If it's bad enough to need water and cookless food for more than a week, it's time to get out of town.

We were in one in 2006 we had a severe Ice storm, no electricity for 2 weeks, and its 20 degrees and below for those 2 weeks, we couldnt get out of our house due to electric lines down in our yard limbs all over the front of the yard so we couldnt get out of the door so pretty much we couldnt go no where, then to top it off we had kids from 2 years old and up so that was so much fun.

We were grateful that everyone was alive. cold but alive, then when it was all over we lost our house Fema said they couldnt help us and Insurance said because the house was old we were screwed.

But we learned even though we went through all of that we survived and we pray everyday that it never happens again.

Hurricane Floyd had us without power for 5 days. My house is electric. I had an infant and a 5 year old. By day 3 we decided we needed to get to a hotel. All the local ones were booked so we drove to one 45 minutes away.

My house was hit by lighting once and everything got fried. That was a pain in the butt.

Now it's just me and the kids. Basically we are screwed. Whenever there is a violent storm, they look to me for comfort and I'm trying not to freak out myself. The snow doesn't bother me as much unless we are get multiple feet but that hasn't happened in years here (I probably jinked myself).

I am definately not a pioneer woman.

I know that one Spuff, I always thought I would love to live back in the little house on the praire days after that happend I realized I never wanted to be or would be a pioneer woman

Personal experience.

Nonperishable foods? Yes, there are always in pantry some canned food or crackers. But as it was here, when you have 5 feet of water there was not much left that we could use.

What I have learned is always, I mean always have few bags of ice in the frizer. Most of the time frizers are closed tightly or they even have keys, the ice will survive longer than water. I keep 1 liter coke bottles filled up with water frozen.

They will keep the food for at least 2 days and you have water.

You can survive longer without food than water.

But the number one is: If there is a warning and they tell you to evacuate, listen. Go. Don't stay, you risk your life.

The forces of nature are stronger than we can even imagine. If you have all the necessity in your car, you have more that those who stayed, because most likely they lost even their cars, if they are still alive. Been there, done it. Did not leave when was told to.

Ken, there are no warnings for earthquakes but I have been through that too 1977 in Bulgaria. The epicenter was in Romania. From that I have learned that the survival kit needs to be on place where everyone can reach easy and everyone in the family knows where it is. Keep everything on one place. One corner of the pantry in easy to open box. And again, there is evacuation-GO

I have zombie survival kit.

All the same stuff.

If you live in a cold climate you need a wood stove that does not have to have electricity. Plenty of wood.

Buy dry soup’s and put them away. We have a propane burner and a tent and gas light. Outside use only.

Water is hard to keep as it gets bad smelling. You will have to boil it.

We went without power for a couple of weeks and it was cold, the freezer was fine. We took our spare blankets and covered the freezer during the night and opened it during the day. We smelled like mules.

I always carry a candle in our vehicles. You can crack the window and stay warm if you have to just by the heat of the candle. No food so we would soon be in trouble.

Remember if we have a bad emergency, you and yours are on their own.