The Digital Homesteader (Beta)

This past week saw the arrival of hurricane Ike. Just like Katrina a couple of years ago, we knew that this was coming at least a week prior to it making landfall. But unlike Katrina hundreds of thousands of people wisely evacuated. The scope of the destruction is still being evaluated, but as I write they are aware of 28 dead and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

Most American’s don’t live in the gulf coast, but still gives us plenty of reasons to stop and think about leaving if we needed to, and where we would go.  I live about 20 hours driving distance from where Ike made landfall, but the effects still caused downed trees here and power outages. It begs the question how far you need to go. I suppose that if I were in a trailer I would have faired well much further south so long as there were no trees nearby.  Now that the storm has past many people will start heading back to pick up the pieces.

72 Hour Plan

There are many, many sources on the web having to do with a 72 hour preparedness plan. However, different plans are for different reasons. People in the South might prepare for evacuation for a hurricane, while people in California might prepare for an earthquake. Therefore, all plans need to be regionalized and personalized. Some people might have special needs, some might have children to attend to.

The government recommends that everyone keep a kit of basic essentials to last them for 72 hours, or three days. Their reasoning is that no matter what problems arise they feel that they can restore services in that time.

The easiest way to plan for a 72 hour kit is to think about what you would need for a long weekend camping. This would include food, clothing, shelter, water, etc. Plan as though you are in the middle of the woods and you can’t run to Walmart until the trip is over. However, unlike the weekend camping trip, your 72 hour kit needs to have some things that you might need in case of a more significant emergency. These will include a medical kit, communications equipment (radio),

Some might feel the need to get it all at once, but a weekly purchase plan covering several months make it a lot easier on the average budget. Some of these items you will purchase regularly and use, just restocking when you need to. Those items are going to be extra water, some food, toilet paper, etc. Some of the things might not make a lot of sense, such as boots. But during many disasters people have reported foot injuries due to stepping on broken and jagged items such as a nail through a board that has come off a building.

The government recommends the following:

When preparing for a possible emergency situation, it’s best to think first about the basics of survival: fresh water, food, clean air and warmth.

Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• Local maps

Additional Items to Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:

• Prescription medications and glasses
• Infant formula and diapers
• Pet food and extra water for your pet
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
• Cash or traveler’s checks and change
• Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
• Fire Extinguisher
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
• Paper and pencil
• Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children