We’re facing a Natural Disaster | Being Prepared – Food and Supplies Part 2
Natural disasters can take many forms, from tornadoes to blizzards, typhoons to monsoons, forest fires, floods, earthquakes and of course hurricanes! Tragedy and damage from Mother Nature is happening all over the world, affecting many of us every day! Being prepared is crucial.
Hurricane Dorian is still on the Move!
When we lived in the Midwest portion of the US tornadoes, ice storms and blizzards were the weather issues we faced most often. Having specific food staples and emergency supplies on hand became routine during certain times of the year.
Now the Birds live in the Southeast US so we prepare for Hurricane Season!
Hurricane season begins June 1st and lasts through the month of October. During this time it is normal to experience several tropical storms and daily showers. The months of August-October are the months when ocean temperatures are the warmest, perfect for Hurricane formation! I remember arriving in Florida and having our realtor tell us she updated her “Hurricane kit” on June 1st, every year…we thought she was kidding.
We experienced our first hurricane Irma, just 5 months later!
I want to help you prepare!
This year we’re preparing in advance! Luckily hurricanes give advance notice! Time to prepare food and supplies. With food on hand we gathered the necessary supplies to shelter in place, the Bird’s Nest! Many of these supplies are items you may already have around your house!
Water, water, water!
We wanted to have at least 1 gallon of drinking water per person (per day) on hand; enough to last at least 7 days. We weren’t able to drink the water for 5 days after we arrived home from our Irma evacuation. Re-using plastic jugs would be perfect! Fill them up! Place a couple in your freezer! They’ll be perfect in your cooler or to help keep your fridge cooler if the power fails. You’ll have fresh water when the ice melts!
Yes the power will probably fail!
We elected to purchase a small generator to have on hand. Don’t forget the gasoline and power extension cord! This should be enough to power a small refrigerator, a few fans, and a weather radio and help charge our phones! Remember: the generator must be run outdoors!!!!! The fumes are deadly!
Hurricane lanterns…
come in handy. I inherited several hurricane lanterns from my mom. I love them, never though they would be used in a hurricane! Wicks and indoor lantern fluid will help fuel the lanterns for several hours. Natural hand wipes are so helpful when it’s hot and humid, great for a quick cleanup!
Check your batteries…
Flashlights, battery radio and a weather radio will update the hurricane movement and help keep us out of the dark! Lack of communication was one factor that caused so much stress for us.
Have cash on hand!
If the power fails, you can’t use those credit cards! Having a little extra cash on hand will come in handy. Be sure to check your First Aid kit and personal prescriptions! My kit was quite outdated now that we don’t have little ones around the house. Take a moment to give it an update while you have time. Oh and be sure to grab a few extra rolls of tissue paper, that’s a must!
With food on hand and supplies in check I think we’re ready!
It looks like Dorian won’t be making a visit to the Bird nest but hurricane season isn’t over yet!
big thanks to the weather channel maps
Although natural disasters aren’t anything any of us want to encounter, I hope sharing this will help others prepare for the future. Natural disasters come in many shapes and sizes. I'm sure I haven't covered everything but this is a start. Having a checklist to follow can be so helpful during those stressful moments. Be safe my friends!
And as always, blessings to you all!
Very very useful and practical tips here Mrs Bird, some we don't even think of like keeping cash on hand! Stay safe my friend.
I know, the cash thing we learned with hurricane Irma...no power, no charge cards! Glad it's over now, (for us) This crazy hurricane just won't let up, it's in Canada now, we'll have to pray for our friends up north! Thank you sweet friend :)
Whew, glad this one seems to be passing you by! Definitely some great tips for anyone who might have similar rough weather ahead. Much more practical than just going out and buying all the milk and bread in the store like they do here for a threat of snow, haha!
We were lucky @plantstoplanks, so wish the folks in the Bahamas and up the east coast had been so lucky. So much damage everywhere...and Dorian is still on the move, geesh Thank you for your kindness, it felt so good to prepare, and of course the food, well it as you know can be very theraputic, lol
@birdsinparadise,
Good post.
Now that my daughter attends university in Gainesville, I have to worry about hurricanes on both coasts. Arrgh.
Here's a couple of additional tips:
1.) Fill those gallon milk containers with water, put them in the freezer and freeze them solid (leave a couple of inches empty as water crystallizes as it freezes causing its volume to expand).
Such large blocks of ice last a LOT longer than would ice cubes (large volume, low surface area) and will keep your fridge and freezer cold much longer. Refrigerators/freezers consume a lot of electricity and reserving your generator/fuel for when you absolutely need it is an additional precaution.
I've lived in Florida for 30 years (and lived through more hurricanes than I can count). Preserve your electricity-making capacity to the greatest extent possible ... it can take 7-10 days to restore the power if the damage is widespread.
2.) If you have a pool, you possess a huge water source for drinking and bathing. Make sure, though, you have additional liquid chlorine on hand to keep the water from going green as no electricity means no pool pump and no pool filtration.
3.) Your barbecue makes a great kitchen and water heater. Besides cooking, your can boil water from your pool. The pool water will undoubtedly get filled with debris so let it drip through a coffee filter before using. Obviously, make sure you have lots of propane handy.
Quill
You are a pro @quillfire! Thank you for these additional tips. I had heard about using our barbeque...great idea. We lost our pool cage with Irma so the water was a mess, our new cage is built better so hopefully that won't happen. We'll definitely add more salt to our prep list since our pool uses salt chlorination. We have a travel van which we planned to use if needed. I can't imagine having to worry about your daughter being in another hurricane zone. Even though you've lived through 30 years of hurricane season I'm sure you're still quite pleased Dorian passed us by. I hope your daughter doesn't suffer any issues in Gainesville. Thanks so much!
Nice to see you are prepared - looks likes a normal Asian monsoon kit. Except we don't do the toxic lamp oil - dangerous when breathed in a confined space - nor the handwipes - a bottle of rubbing alcohol useful for so many things including handcleaning, but also cuts and sterilizing things. I didn't see any rubber gumboots!!! Damn - at the first sign of floods and storms it's snakes and scorpions and upset little critters - rubber boots are a must-have. Fully charged phone battery back packs are a must here EVERY day... LOL.
Hope by the time you read this Dorian will have been relegated to an adventure story. Stay safe - all is well.
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Good call @artemislives, I do have rubbing alcohol on hand too! As for the lamp oil, haven't used it so far, hopefully we won't need it. Plenty of flashlights and candles as well. Gumboots!!!! We have Hunter rubber boots, is that the same? We do have snakes, pythons and boa constrictors and scorpians...I'll have to keep that in mind (ugh!) Now I'll have nightmares, lol I truly appreciate your kind words of advice, blessings my friend
Aaah be safe. Glad healthy food was your first priority, haha. Thought of you yesterday, its nearly smoothie season!
We have been so fortunate, we dodged this crazy storm. Thank you @riverflows, your kind words and thoughts are much appreciated :) I'm looking forward to seeing your magnificent smoothies my friend!!!!
I am glad it looks like Dorian won't visit you but its good to be prepared and you seem to have it all ready lets hope you dont need it but its better to be prepared and not need it to be unprepared and needing it
We did luck out as you know, unfortunately the Bahamas and the entire east coast up to Canada hasn't fared well. This storm is a beast, just relentless and the amount of damage caused has been unbelievable. Thanks @tattooday, appreciate your kind words :)
we were lucky as well, and seeing all the damage that has been inflicted on people by this storm is so hard to see
Oh, I have a house in Cocoa Beach and on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, both of which got weathered. Well, Virginia later in the week. That one is close to the water.
The only damage to the house in Florida was that the mailbox post got snapped in half. Seriously. A few limbs from the tree on the roof and water in the screen porch. That is it.
Glad to see you are safe. I call this a lucky break.
!tip
I hope you have been safe in Virginia???? I have been thinking about you and your familiy. so glad to hear the Cocoa Beach house if fine. This hurricane is lasting forever isn't it? Gee, I just hope and pray this is it for the yer, lol We have family in Charleston and they had a great deal of flooding and of course power is out, Reminds me of the poem you share at the end of each post...I spoke to another Steemian friend living in Thailand, they had been under a tropical storm alert for the past 36 hours, the pain is everywhere, truly everywhere. Be safe my friend.
Dears i will be thinking about you , just saw the news stay safe blog soon
Thank you @brittanjosie, we fared well. Unfortunately others did not, they certainly still need our thoughts and prayers! What a hurricane, it just won't give up!
Stay safe my friends, you never know where that sucker may end up. 🙏
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Thank you @wonderwop, we dodged this one unlike so many. You're right, who would have thought it would end up in Canada! Tough hurricane!
Stay safe @birdsinparadise, hope it passes by away from you.
Thank you @joelai, we were very fortunate this time. I appreciate your kind thoughts and words my friend