Emergency Disaster Survival » emergency disaster supplies

Emergency Water Sources in Your Home

2Eklectik — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:25:56 +0000

A safe and secure water source is always a top priority when you are preparing for an emergency disaster situation. Unfortunately, natural disasters and emergency survival situations are not known for being predictable. If you should find yourself in an emergency disaster situation, without a supply of fresh water, you still have several options.

It is critical that you listen to local news reports (on a battery operated radio) to determine your water supply has been contaminated by broken water or sewage lines. If this is the case you must first isolate the water already in your home by shutting the main incoming water valve. You should know where this valve is located beforehand, and keep a suitable wrench nearby if required.

Your house still contains several sources of water such as in the hot water heater, pipes, and ice cubes. Do not use water from toilets, radiators, waterbeds or swimming pools/spas as they will contain chemicals/additives that are harmful to your health. To use the water in your pipes, first vent the pipes by opening a faucet at the highest level of your home. You can then obtain water from the pipes by opening a faucet at the lowest level of your home. Water can be drained from both the hot and cold pipes.

To use the water in your hot water heater, first make sure that the electricity is turned off. Even if there has been a power failure, make sure to shut/trip the appropriate breaker to insure it doesn’t start unexpectedly. Open the drain at the bottom of the hot water heater tank. In order to start the water flowing, turn off the water intake valve (plan ahead and label the valve so you know which one it is) on the tank and open a hot-water faucet. Once the disaster is over and all utilities have been restored, remember to refill your hot water tank before restarting it.

The last hidden source of water in your home is the ice in your freezer. In an emergency disaster situation, if power is expected to be out for an extended period of time, it is more important to have water to drink, than food to eat. You can either eat the ice before it melts, or allow it to melt into the cleanest, sealable containers available, such as empty commercial water bottles, if available.

Remember, a normal, healthy adult can survive up to 8 weeks without food, but only ~5 days without water. Knowing where to locate emergency sources of water within your home could be the difference in disaster survival situations.

Emergency Disaster First Aid Supplies

2Eklectik — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:34:34 +0000

Image by Mat Honan

Being prepared for a disaster is the easiest way to improve your chances for survival. Emergency preparedness will also help to reduce the fear, anxiety and losses that are associated with disasters. An important element of any emergency disaster survival kit is a first aid kit.

An emergency first aid kit should contain a variety of basic supplies that will enable you to handle the most typical, non-life threatening injuries. You can either purchase a pre-assembled first aid kit, or create your own. In either case, your first aid kit should contain at least, the following items.

Bandages:

Adhesive bandages of various sizes
5” x 9” sterile dressings
3” square sterile gauze pads
4” square sterile gauze pads
Roller gauze bandage
Triangular bandages
A roll of 3” cohesive bandage
2” wide adhesive tape

Antibacterial Items:

Germicidal hand wipes or alcohol based hand sanitizer
Antiseptic wipes
Antibacterial ointment
Pairs of medical grade, Non-latex gloves

Miscellaneous:

Tongue depressor blades (can be used as finger splints)
Cold packs
Scissors (small, personal)
Cotton balls
Tweezers
Safety pins, assorted sizes
Thermometer
Tube or small jar of petroleum jelly
Sunscreen
CPR breathing barrier (face shield)
First Aid reference manual

This basic list should be customized based on where you live (hot or cold climates) and the most probable type of emergency disaster situation you expect to encounter (do you live in a flood plain, a hurricane or tornado region, earthquake zone, or an area prone to wildfires, to name a few. Additionally, if you or your family members have any special medical needs (such as prescription medication) these should also be included in your emergency first aid kit.

In an emergency disaster situation, there are basic supplies that will greatly improve your chances of survival and an adequate first aid kit is one of them.

Emergency Disaster Survival Supplies

2Eklectik — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:08:01 +0000

The ability to survive an emergency disaster situation does not depend as much on luck, as it does on being prepared. There are several simple steps that you can take immediately to increase your preparedness for an emergency disaster situation.

The first thing you need to consider is if there are any disaster situations that may be specific to where you live. Do you live in a flood plain, an earthquake zone, or a region that is prone to hurricanes or tornados? Each of these events will require you to customize your basic emergency survival kit.

Your basic emergency survival kit should contain the following items:

Water – At least 1 gallon per person, per day, for at least 3 days. This will be for both drinking and sanitation
Food – At least a 3 day supply per person of non-perishable food
A can opener, if your emergency supply contains canned food
A battery powered radio or weather radio with extra batteries
A flashlight or lantern with extra batteries (or fuel)
A first aid kit
A whistle to signal for help
A dust mask, to filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting (like a painters tarp) and duct tape to create a shelter-in-place
Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for sanitation
A suitably sized wrench and /or pliers to shut off utilities
Local maps

It is important to remember that this is not an all inclusive survival kit, but more of a basic emergency preparedness kit. You will also need to account for unique family needs such as prescription medication, eye glasses (or contact lenses), infant formula and diapers, and pet food, just to name a few.

To insure you have the ability to evacuate at a moments notice, your emergency disaster survival kit should be stored in a portable container, and its contents should be reviewed yearly as your family’s needs change.

Your emergency disaster survival plan should not be based on luck. It is important to be prepared, and a little advanced planning can go a long way to improving your chances for survival.