Emergency Prep

I hope you feel this is worth your time. I do. Prepare for big food price hikes.

Happy day, msk

http://blog.totallyready.com/food-prices-world-wide/01/30/

A Loving Voice of Warning

Our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson has said,

"Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year's supply of food and were debt-free. "

"Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have at least a year's supply of debt and are food-free."

White Everywhere

Today Allison D. and I drove out to Mesa to the cannery to fill our orders. What fun to drive with such a sweet, fun friend and get to know her better. We ended up on the powdered milk canning line which was new to me. I usually can wheat, rice or beans. You know of course that I wore a black t-shirt and black shoes which ended up sprinkled liberally with white. That was okay. I came home with only 6 #10 cans of dehydrated apples but am still glad I got that much. They make a yummy and quick apple crisp.

How you doing with your food storage? You can learn alot and get motivated at the church website. Check it out here....please. This is another good website, Honeyville Food Products for food storage products. Thanks. And happy day.

Prepared for Ike

A letter from people in Texas who just experienced 'Ike'. What a testimony for preparedness.

Dear Friends:We have a 6'x6' hole in our roof, no electricity or running water, trees down everywhere. However, because we listened to the counsel of our Prophet we are prepared. In fact it seems to me that it's only the members of the church who seem to be calm, prepared, and helping one another with trees in roofs, flooding, etc.

There is a POD or Point of Distribution in Tomball where we live. There you get water and ice IF you have enough fuel to wait in the 3-hour lines. We don't have to do that because we have 3 full water barrels, 75 juice bottles filled with water, and our pool, which is dirty, but we use it to flush.

It is very difficult to get gas. Police guard the stations when fuel is delivered and you might wait half a day to get up to the pump just to have them say, 'Too bad, we are out'. I am grateful that we have a generator. We run it 4 hours a day to keep our fridge and light. I am grateful that we have had fuel for it. You can't even by gas containers as they are rationed.

We can only buy bread once a week and limited to 2 loaves at a time. Water is rationed by the case at the grocery store - 3 cases per family.The ATM machines do not have power.

For the past 6 months I have stashed small bills away because I have had such a feeling of foreboding. We have cash because of that. LISTEN TO THE SPIRIT. Get cash in small bills because the stores can't make change and credit and debit cards often don't work. I had to pay 5 dollars more for an item because they couldn't make change for me.

And . . . PHONES ONLY WORK OCCASIONALLY. Believe it or not...I have not had a bath in 4 days. Today was the first day I got to wash my hair with pool water. I haven't fixed my hair in a week!!! It just doesn't matter anymore. We cannot do laundry because we don't have water. So, we wear our clothes until they are literally disgusting. When we do finally get water we will have to boil it since it is contaminated.

I am grateful for my parents. When we got low on generator fuel they drove 45 minutes to help us. They filled up their cans and brought us 10 gallons of fuel, which kept us going until this morning at 6:oo am when we finally found some gas. A prepared Family and a loving extended family is the key to survival and making it through right now. I know that my parents would drive to the end of the earth to help me and it's nice knowing they are there. I know that I would do the same for my children.

I want all of you to know that I have such a testimony of following the counsel of our living prophet. There really is safety and peace in your heart if you are prepared. Please get your generators, 5 gas cans full of gas, canned goods, baby items, baby wipes to bathe, and all the water you can store...even if you have to trip on it in your home. Have your lanterns, crank flashlights, tarps, rope, etc. ready to go because you never know when it will be your turn to endure the test. It's overwhelming, but it's going to be okay eventually. I have a home, I have food, and I have water, because I listened to the counsel of the prophet. Please make sure you do the same. It's time to have your life in order. Tomorrow may be too late.

After the Disaster V

Here is the very belated and last installment of AFTER THE DISASTER. I hope it has been helpful to some. Thanks for coming by the blog.

Coping With the Stress:
Natural disasters turn lives upside-down and cause a lot of emotional stress for victims. Feelings of panic, despair, anxiety, and anger are common symptoms disaster victims experience. These feelings are natural reactions to trauma, but it’s important to address them.
Give yourself time to heal. Don’t expect everything to be better immediately, and don’t get frustrated when it doesn’t happen when you want it to.
Ask for help from others. There are people out there more than willing to help— all you have to do is ask.
Be healthy. This means eating a proper diet, getting good sleep, and exercising. Having a healthy body will enhance your ability to cope with stress.


Helping Children Cope:
The stress and fear that follow a natural disaster can be especially hard for children. Some may regress to younger behaviors, they may become more prone to nightmares, their grades in school may suffer, or they may become extremely noisy or quiet. There are several things a parent can do to help their children cope.
Spend more time with them and allow them to cling to you. Physical affection has a healing power. Keep regular schedules for things like playing, eating, and going to bed. This will help restore a sense of normalcy and comfort. Remember, safety is your first priority. Take care of yourself and your family, and be patient as you work to rebuild.

Emergency Preparedness

I've posted on my other blog a really good article on emergency prep. Specifically, what if that emergency hits while you're not at home...or your children are not at home. Check it out at Snickerdoodles. It's a good read.

After the Disaster IV

What to Throw Away:
Almost any textiles, like carpet, mattresses, bedding, clothing, stuffed animals, etc., that have been submerged in water for some time should probably just be thrown away. The dirt and odors that are imbedded in the fabric will most likely never come out. Also, they have the potential of containing mold spores that could cause serious risks to your health. The safest thing to do is to just replace them. Textiles that weren’t in water, but were exposed to the combination of heat and humidity, may have had the opportunity to grow mildew. Do what you can to remove it, but in the end, these too might have to be thrown away.


What to Do With Your Food:
Frozen food: If the meat still contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if refrigerated, it’s okay to refreeze it. However, if it’s thawed or has been in forty-degree temperatures or higher for more than two hours, throw it away. Fruits are pretty salvageable. Unless there is mold or sliminess, it’s okay to refreeze juices, and home or commercially packaged fruit. Vegetables can be refrozen if there are still ice crystals, but if they are thawed, they belong in the trashcan. You can refreeze most breads and pastries unless they contain custard or cheese fi llings, likes cake and pie, which you should get rid of.
Refrigerated food: If meat is still cold or has been in forty-degree temperatures or lower for less than two hours, it’s okay to keep. Anything over two hours should be thrown out. Just like meat, dairy products are good if still chilled, but anything else goes in the garbage. The exceptions are butter and hard cheeses, which are safe to keep if they are exposed to warmer temperatures. All fruits and vegetables are safe to keep, unless they have been cooked. Breads are generally safe, except pasta—especially if it is in a sauce.

After the Disaster III

Assess the Damage:
Go through your house and thoroughly inspect everything from top to bottom. Check for cracks or erosion in the foundation, make sure major systems like the air conditioning work, and check appliances to make sure they operate. Make a written list of damage in addition to taking photographs.
If you have any photos of your house from before the disaster, the extent of damage done is much easier to identify for insurance purposes. When the adjuster comes to assess the damage, be ready with documents, receipts, photos, and anything else to help prove the extent of damage that has been done.

Make Temporary Repairs:
Do what you can to prevent any further damage from happening to your home by making minor repairs. Be careful, however, not to remove any evidence of the damage so that an adjuster is able to make a correct assessment. By making an effort to avoid more damage, an adjuster is more likely to approve the claims you make than if you let your home get even worse.

After the Disaster II

Call Your Insurance Agency ASAP:
Even if you don’t have insurance that covers the particular damage, some policies cover living expenses while you are out of your house. If you don’t have insurance, call the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at 1-800-621-FEMA to apply for federal disaster assistance.


Protect Yourself:
When returning to your damaged home, take a few cautionary steps to prevent harm. Wear protective clothing, like gloves, boots, and long pants, which will protect you from debris, chemicals, and bacteria. If there is any sort of water damage there is a possibility of mold spores in the air, so wear a face mask to keep you from inhaling them. If you smell gas, open a window and leave immediately. If it’s possible, turn off the main gas valve from outside, and then call the gas company.
If your appliances are wet, turn off the electricity at the main fuse box, unplug the appliances, and let them dry out before using again. You may want to have them inspected by a professional.

After the Disaster I

I plan on sharing excerpts from an outstanding article I found online. I hope you find it informing and helpful. I adore the motto of the BSA, Be Pre*ared.

After the Disaster: Now What? by Ashley Evanson Tuesday, from LDSLiving, online magazine, full article found at http://www.ldslivingmagazine.com/articles/show/1615
There’s a lot to be done and a lot to cope with after a natural disaster has hit. It’s a stressful time, and a lot of people don’t even know where to start. If you ever find yourself in a traumatic situation like this, let the following be a guide to help you deal with the disaster.

Drink Clean Water:
This is by far the most important thing. Access to clean drinking water after a natural disaster is critical to survival, but water can be a challenge to get a hold of. Different disasters affect water sources differently; however, in all cases, consider water from wells, cisterns, and any other delivery systems contaminated until tested and proved safe for drinking.
In an emergency, it’s best to use bottled water if at all possible. If it is not available, it’s safe to use water from neighboring municipalities that weren’t affected by the disaster. Also, if plumbing fixtures in your house weren’t damaged, you can get water from your water heater or water pressure tank. Make sure to boil water that could possibly be contaminated in order to get rid of microorganisms and bacteria. However, make sure your local water supplier or health department has given an official boil order before doing so. Otherwise, the water could still contain harmful substances that boiling doesn’t get rid of.