Moonpi

We got hit by 3 in 2004, Charlie being the worst. One thing I have in my hurricane supplies is a flashlight that operates by turning a crank. If it takes a few days to get out, chances are that your batteries have run out. Now, if only they would make a pedal-operated air conditioner, I'd be svelte!

Now that tv is all hi-def and such, I am surprised that battery operated tvs are no longer available. I know without the electrically-powered adapter box, I could not get any signals since the changeover.

lab fairy

We always called those "bug out bags". Can you tell I am a military brat? By the way, there are several good webites out there that give many good ideas.

bearisgray

Funny - I was just thinking about that today - we used to have the "hide under the desk drills" in the 1950s. And how to build a bomb shelter and stock it.

pittsburgpam

I saw the bags called BOB (Bug Out Bag) and a GOOD bag (Get Out Of Dodge).

I've picked out some air-tight storage items but I'm waiting for a book I ordered that reviewers said has a lot of resources and recommendations.

I have a hand crank flashlight/radio that hangs in a downstairs closet so I can find it easily.

b.zang

You might want to check your kits once in a while to keep them current. Canned and dried foods might be non-perishable but you still don't want to keep them for years and years. Check that everything is dry and in good shape. If you packed clothes, do they still fit?

Another key factor to disaster survival is rehearsal. Do real fire drills at home - the kind where the smoke detector is wailing and you're crawling through the house. The kind where you have 2 minutes to leave home. Do you know without a doubt where you would take shelter? The more these things are practiced and rehearsed, the more likely you will act upon them if necessary.

Lisanne

I so agree! This is true even for minor disasters - and for preventing disasters. Someone already mentioned it, but I'll repeat it: It's very helpful to know First Aid and CPR, and the Red Cross teaches these courses in lots of places.

You wrote that about knowledge in the same post where you mentioned learning to grow food. That's worth doing even if there's no disaster.

Knowing how to find edible wild plants and medicinal plants and which ones are poisonous and must be avoided is also very useful.

One major way to stay prepared is to stay fit and strong. If you need to run or climb or hang onto something for dear life, or defend yourself against an attacker (human or otherwise), you need to be physically able to do it. (I say this as someone who very much needs to work on this.)

Alabama Belle

I live in the South... northern Alabama. We don't get snow as a rule, very few earthquakes, too far from the coast for hurricanes to really bother us. What we DO get are tornados. We spent the spring months building a new storm shelter, 16 X 12, large enough to hold my entire family. We have shelves holding vegetables, soups and stews I canned myself in the pressure cooker. There are 2 gas powered generators, fuel for those, candles, lanterns, a kerosene heater and fuel for it. I still need to place water, plastic dishes and glasses out there as well as some canned meat, etc.My daughter-in-law is on oxygen 24 hours a day, we have to have the generator to power her machine. As for meds, I keep both mine and my husbands in plastic boxes which I pack and place in the shelter as soon as a warning is issued and grab them as I go out the door. I have first aid supplies,blankets in moisture proof bins, matches and paper towels as well. I also keep toys for the small ones as well as cards for the older kids.
Here we have to be weather aware. This is our tornado season and it comes again in January and February.

Alabama Belle

I live in the South... northern Alabama. We don't get snow as a rule, very few earthquakes, too far from the coast for hurricanes to really bother us. What we DO get are tornados. We spent the spring months building a new storm shelter, 16 X 12, large enough to hold my entire family. We have shelves holding vegetables, soups and stews I canned myself in the pressure cooker. There are 2 gas powered generators, fuel for those, candles, lanterns, a kerosene heater and fuel for it. I still need to place water, plastic dishes and glasses out there as well as some canned meat, etc.My daughter-in-law is on oxygen 24 hours a day, we have to have the generator to power her machine. As for meds, I keep both mine and my husbands in plastic boxes which I pack and place in the shelter as soon as a warning is issued and grab them as I go out the door. I have first aid supplies,blankets in moisture proof bins, matches and paper towels as well. I also keep toys for the small ones as well as cards for the older kids.
Here we have to be weather aware. This is our tornado season and it comes again in January and February.

pittsburgpam

I've been watching videos about identifying food, medicinal, and poisonous plants. There is a world of informational videos on Youtube.

One thing I saw on a show that I hadn't thought of is if you are sheltering in place (staying in your home), to make your house look like it's already been looted if that is going on. Throw things out in the yard like it's been trashed and don't give off any signs of occupation.

I talked to my oldest daughter today and asked if she had an emergency plan and she suggested something that I was going to suggest... that all the kids and grandkids go to their father's (my ex) rural home. Get out of cities for safety and away from a lot of people in case of pandemic.

I am part of my employer's Corporate Incident Response Team (CIRT) for the communications systems so my first shelter choice would be the secure building.

I worked as a certified nurses aid for years but I could stand a refresher since that was probably 20 years ago. Out of shape here, too. :-D

imjustme

We have hurricane issues- it's funny cause it seems like everyone forgets that Velveeta doesn't have to be in the fridge until after you open it. So my family still gets nachos. We have lots of camping equipment so we are good to go if we need to make it on our own for awhile. My kids would just think it was another camping trip.