Be prepared For Emergencies

Kate · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 6:47 am Post subject: Be prepared For Emergencies

I received an e-mail from our moderator Paula. It was about the tornadoes they have been having in England. Paula said they were coming very close to her town. I advised Paula to put together an emergency box. I thought that I would list here some ideas to use in your box.Sometimes the smallest thing can be the most important. I hope none of you ever need to use your supplies, but better safe than sorry.

One thing that cannot be replaced is photos . Put all the photos you can on a computer disk. Scan older photos on a computer and make discs as well. Copy marriage, birth certificates, insurance papers, deeds and any other important papers. Place the documents in ziplock baggies in a plastic storage box. Duct tape the box tightly shut.
Write your name, address and the phone number and address of a friend or relative not in your area.

In your survival box you should have the following supplies in adequate quantity for your family size.

Chlorine tablets to purify water
First aid kit
Any vital medication (rotate the box supply with any new supplies every two months)
Thermal survival blankets
Small tent
A tarp
Several feet of rope
Hiking mess kits
Hiking cook set
Disposable rain slickers
Matches
Camp (hiking)stove and fuel
Large knife
Can opener
Freeze dried meals
Energy bars
Dry soups
Hard candy
Cans of nuts
Peanut butter
Pet food
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A closed mouth gathers no feet.

paulamathers · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 8:51 pm Post subject:

It's really scary. In England, we generally have about 33 tornados a year, but they usually hit unpopulated areas, so you don't hear much about them. On Monday there was a wave of them, with the closest being about 20 miles away! They're not as big as over in the states, but they still cause devestation. Because we aren't used to them, there was no warning from the weather forecasters. Just imagine if the tornados had been bigger, with no one knowing they were coming. It's terrible to think what could happen. This weekend i'm going out to replenish my survival box. I started one last year when the tornado hit London in the freak storm we had.

What i'm planning on doing, is keeping one box in my car, and one in the flat. The place we live in offers no protection from severe storms like hurricanes and tornados, so if one hit, my place would be ripped apart. Theres no way I'd want me and Keri to be caught in that. I'm going to keep my car filled with petrol as much as I can. I always keep blankets in the car any way, sealed in a red bin bag to keep them dry. I also keep a box of candles in the car, with some water proof matches, just in case. Because there are only 2 of us at home, I don't need to keep much, mainly water, and tins of food to last a few days. My camping stove is going in my home box, I brought it this year for a camping trip to wales. It cost me £15 with 4 canisters of gas from a camping shop. It doesnt need matches, just flick the switch to lock the gas in place, then turn the knob. I'm a bit reluctant to keep that in my car box because of the heat on the gas. Even if its cool out, the car gets hotter, and the gas, being in a pressurised container, could possibly explode. Mess tins are pretty cheap from army surplus stores, and you can both cook in them, and eat out of them. In Tesco, you can buy 2 litre bottles of water for 29p (tesco value, but it does the job in an emergency). Tesco value tins of food are a cheap way of filling your emergency box, you won't lose much money if you end up never using them. Make sure you have a map of your area and surrounding areas in your car - you never know which way is going to be blocked, and you may need to get to a motorway in the quickest time imaginable. When you're in a panick, you may not be thinking clearly, and you don't want to have to turn back for anything.

I know in the states a lot of people try to ride out tornados by hiding in their basements. In England, finding a building with a basement is a rare occurrence, in face, I have only ever known of 1 building in my life that had a basement, so if a tornado did hit your area, knowing the best escape routes out of the town / village is the best way.

It might sound like over the top protection, but i think there were about 5 tornados on Monday over the country, that could easily happen again soon.

Kate · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:47 am Post subject:

Paula you are on top or things! I totally missed candles in my list. And your escape route is an excellent. I forgot batteries, a portable radio , one that uses batteries and solar is always a good idea.
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A closed mouth gathers no feet.

paulamathers · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:09 pm Post subject:

I also have a battery powered lamp that is in my box now, again that i brought for camping this summer.

Now, we've had severe weather warnings for the winter! We're being warned that we are to expect torrential snow storms, and to be prepared!! I noticed some disposable heat packs for a few pounds in the shops this summer, the kind you press in the middle and it warms up for a couple of hours to keep your hands warm. They are good because they're small and convenient - just in case. Because the snow doesn't usually get too bad here, we don't have snow chains (in fact until last winter when Kate mentioned them to me, I had never heard of them!!). You have to make sure you allow plenty of time for your journeys, and be really careful driving. If the snow is bad, don't drive unless you really have to.

Kate · Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:32 am Post subject:

I hate driving in the snow. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the prediction isn't true!
_________________
A closed mouth gathers no feet.