Its the Boy Scout Motto – Be Prepared

Rock River FloodingWe’ve all heard of the recent tragedy and flooding in Iowa, the hurricane season has officially begun (June 1 here in the east) and each regions of the country have a chance for their own types of disaster man-made or natural.

While we can not prepare for all types of disaster, it is probably worth spending a few minutes (and a few dollars) to ensure that you are prepared to ride out a few days of limited or minimal services without a major inconvenience. As Scouts, we likely have items in our personal camping gear which could be used in an emergency.

  • Food: Establish a Stockpile and Rotate Your Pantry

I don’t think we need to go out and buy weeks worth of Survival rations, but check out your pantry or cupboard. Its likely we could all live out of our the foods on our shelves for a least a few days.

You may want to buy a few extra staples to keep on hand. Depending on your preferences and tastes, canned soups, tuna fish, peanut butter, dried fruits, pasta and rice all have long shelf lives. Just make sure you use them up (and replace them) periodically. Make sure you have a manual can opener too!)

If electric power does go out and you stay at home, use your the perishable foods in the refrigerator first, followed by the food in the freezer.

  • Water, Water everywhere and not a drop to drink.

If you use bottled water, keep an extra case on hand, and when you buy a new case, use the extra one so the water stays fresh. You may want to pick up some water purification pills or filters to use if the problems last more than a few days.

If bad weather is predicted and your in an area that frequently loses power, you may want to fill some gallon jugs or empty 2-liter soda bottles with water as a precaution.

  • Cooking and Heating: Keep a Spare Propane tank

If you have a propane grill, you can use it for cooking. You may also have a camp stove you can use.

Of course, never use a grill indoors, due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. If you live in an area where with cold winters, there are indoor Propane Heater with built-in sensors that will let you heat your house safely. Check you local building and fire codes to see what is legal in your state/county.

  • Transportation: Keep Your Gas Tank At Least 1/2 Full

If you own a car, keep the tank at least half full. If you really need to go somewhere in an emergency, you will need to go (likely in a hurry), not wait in line at the nearest gas station. You can be 100-200 miles away before you need to stop.

Having gas in the tank also means…

  • Power: Use Your Car Engine For Electricity

Many of us own DVD players or other electronic gizmo’s that will plug into the cigarette lighter in the car. You can also purchase an inexpensive Power Inverter (available for around $30) they plug into the car and usually have one or more outlets and convert the DC voltage in your car to AC power. This will allow you to plug in a light for your house, a radio or laptop, or to charge your cell phone using your running car.
This can come in handy for road trips as well for items which do not have their own converters.

  • Cold Hard Cash

Having a decent amount cash on hand can be very helpful. During power outages, stores may not take credit cards, so if your trying to buy batteries for your flashlight during a blackout. How much should you have? Well I’m not sure what your situation is, even $50 or $100 could be a godsend. Amounts up to $500 may work better for you. Keep it in a fireproof lock box too. You may not be able to afford much, but anything is helpful and you can add to it a bit at a time.

  • What else:

You can probaly think of a number of items yourself that fit your own liefstyle too. You may want to get a Emergency Radio or if your area frequently loses power for extended periods, there are Backup Power Source or even a Home Generator which will run off natural gas or propane.

Your own experience and situation should allow you to modify this plan to fit your individual tastes, budget and situation.

What have I forgotten?

Creative Commons License photo credit: Little Kingfisher

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There is nothing new under the sun but there are lots of old things we don’t know.
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary US author & satirist (1842 – 1914)
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Author: nyoatrader
To share information about new or newly discovered Order of the Arrows patches, flaps, odd-shapes, neckerchiefs, event and chapter issues from New York State Order of the Arrow Lodges, warnings about fakes, spoof, and reproductions and any other information that may be of interest to New York State OA Collectors.

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