Preparing for Disasters (Of Any Stripe)

Not much posting has occurred (or knitting for that matter) in the past couple of days, because I’ve been busy acquiring and organizing items for our family go-bags and home disaster kits. When we lived in central Texas, the threat was minimal. If a tornado were to hit, there would be no warning, so there seemed little point in having a kit. Besides, the damage would be localized, leaving much of the surrounding area unscathed. If my house were hit it would be a personal disaster, but not one shared by thousands of others demanding basic life support.

Now, however, we live in earthquake country. A big one could hit at any point; damage could be widespread. Of course there are other concerns too, though they feel vague: terrorism (biological perhaps) or an avian flu pandemic (not so vague). The aftermath of Katrina provided incentive to do something; I’d had the articles and lists ready for months.

I’ve been researching what is recommended and would like to share some information in case you decide to create your own. It’s a drudge chore, requires financial investment, and forces one to confront the possibility of Bad Things Happening. But now that we’ve done it (almost complete, just need to photocopy documents and purchase a few hardware items), I feel a bit of relief. I know exactly what to grab in order to survive and to take care of my cats, and I know where to lay my hands on it.

I’m not an alarmist, but the avian flu is a serious issue. So here are some links regarding this:

The CDC lists the following people as at-risk for the flu:

  • People 65 years and older;
  • People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities that house those with long-term illnesses;
  • Adults and children 6 months and older with chronic heart or lung conditions, including asthma;
  • Adults and children 6 months and older who needed regular medical care or were in a hospital during the previous year because of a metabolic disease (like diabetes), chronic kidney disease, or weakened immune system (including immune system problems caused by medicines or by infection with human immunodeficiency virus [HIV/AIDS]);
  • Children 6 months to 18 years of age who are on long-term aspirin therapy. (Children given aspirin while they have influenza are at risk of Reye syndrome.);
  • Women who will be pregnant during the influenza season;
  • All children 6 to 23 months of age;
  • People with any condition that can compromise respiratory function or the handling of respiratory secretions (that is, a condition that makes it hard to breathe or swallow, such as brain injury or disease, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other nerve or muscle disorders.)
  • People 50 to 64 years of age. Because nearly one-third of people 50 to 64 years of age in the United States have one or more medical conditions that place them at increased risk for serious flu complications, vaccination is recommended for all persons aged 50-64 years.
  • People who can transmit flu to others at high risk for complications. Any person in close contact with someone in a high-risk group (see above) should get vaccinated. This includes all health-care workers, household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children 0 to 23 months of age, and close contacts of people 65 years and older.

Yesterday while shopping at Costco for emergency supplies, I happened to notice a small line by the pharmacy. They were giving flu shots at a discount to members. Since I work with children and hope to become pregnant, I was considered a candidate. I also got a pneumonia vaccination, since I’d had it as a child and occasionally have some asthmatic breathing. A vaccination won’t protect you from all flu viruses, but some is better than none.

As for general disaster preparedness, I used the following:

One cannot prepare perfectly against disaster. That’s what disaster is: unforeseen devastation. It’s difficult to reconcile with the fact that we face the unknown all the time. I decided to prepare as best as I can — not to become pessimistic and morbid, nor to act like an ostrich and hide. It’s about finding a balance.

3 thoughts on “Preparing for Disasters (Of Any Stripe)”

  2. William Sackinger

    The fundamental conviction which must be in the mind of every human when faced with an unexpected situation is that humans, of all of the creatures on the planet, have the intelligence, the will, and the mobility to deal with almost anything which nature can present. The second most important conviction which a human must have in the face of disaster is to realize that their most valuable asset is their own mind, their own memory, their own consciousness, their own health. Never mind about the “things” which have been “acquired” over the years…they are only “in your custody for a limited time, anyway”.

    Having said that, the self-confidence for a self-reliant survival must have been carefully built ahead of time. The important things are water (two liters in 24 hours, pure), sleep (8 hours in 24 hours), warmth (clothing which is dry and also thick enough to deal with ambient temperatures of about 35 degrees Fahrenheit), and finally, food (already prepared, needing no heating or cooking, maximizing the health of the person, meaning a good variety), shelter from the elements, security from possible encounters with agressive humans, a survivability alone!

    One should stay in one’s own house unless it is about to burn or collapse. One should have all of the items for survival for a month, in one’s home. One should do experimental weekends without any electricity, house heat, cooking, or transport outside of the house…to see what is needed in a possible future real situation.

    And one should have a one-week supply of all of the medicines which you have had occasion to use at any time in the past decade…laxatives, antibiotics, cough medicines, bandages, salves, anything you have used…you may need it again.

    Medicine is portable, as is clothing, but most other items cannot be carried around with you if you leave the house.

    There is no possible reliance on 911, or any kind of public assistance, or any kind of public infrastructure, as they will be also disabled or overloaded. Self-reliance is essential.

    These views come from a self-reliant Alaskan who has experienced days in the wilderness, hours and hours of power outages, 60 degrees below zero, and journeys to remote field locations in all of the Arctic countries of the world, over a forty year period.

    Bill

  3. Walter Jeffries

    Excellent entry, Kathryn. You have done a service to people. Our family lives prepared – we are out in the sticks and often do not go into town for weeks and only shop every few months. But I know a shocking number of people who are not prepared to be on their own without government help, without cars, without stores. I have posted a link to your article on a bunch of discussion lists I read so other people will read it and be ready.

    -Walter

    in Vermont

Comments are closed.