• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

One Vibrant Mama

  • Home
  • Blog
  • SHOP
    • Real Food Done-For-You Menus
    • Back to Basics
    • Real Food Storage
  • Recipe Index
  • New? Start Here!
    • What are Traditional Foods?
    • Article Index
    • Feeding Children
    • Snacks and Lunches
  • About
    • Meet KerryAnn
    • Contact KerryAnn
    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Notice
    • Terms and Conditions
You are here: Home / Emergency Preparedness / Bug-In / The Case for Preparedness- Hurricane Sandy Edition

The Case for Preparedness- Hurricane Sandy Edition

November 3, 2012 by KerryAnn 1 Comment

My posts may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of those links, you won't pay more but we will receive a small commission. That helps keep the blog up and the free recipes coming. Thanks! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

My posts may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of those links, you won't pay more but we will receive a small commission. That helps keep the blog up and the free recipes coming. Thanks!

I have watched, with interest, the news stories and the posts flying around Facebook the last two weeks about Hurricane Sandy.  Leading up to the meterologists figuring where where Sandy was most likely to hit, watching people choose to prepare or not, the storm coming on shore and then the resulting posts from the power finally being restored and the aftermath of the clean-up.  It’s been quite interesting.

I believe more and more, people are starting to realize that the governmental help that is offered after a natural disaster is beyond slow, partial and ineffective. As we saw with the marathon controversy, government’s priorities aren’t often the people’s priorities. When the chips are down, you have to draw from yourself or turn to your neighbors for help- the government isn’t going to help you most of the time. You’ve got to help yourself. Since neighbors aren’t necessarily any more prepared than you are, it can be a scary proposition to depend on neighbors for things unless you already have a pre-existing arrangement.

Even now, many people still can’t get gasoline because distribution to the region hasn’t been restored.  Food still appears to be in short supply due to distribution problems in some places.  Lines for food or gas are hours long by many accounts of people I know living in the region.  Some news stories stated that the wait for gas is as long as six hours.

Looting has hit some areas. After Hurricane Katrina, looting was a major problem, too.

The story of Moore family, who was trying to evacuate and had their car overtaken by water, is a tragedy.  The mother got out of the car and got her kids out to try to get to safety, only to loose them both to a wave that pulled them away. My heart goes out to her. The response of the people around her, ignoring her and refusing to help, is beyond reprehensible. She had to spend the night on someone’s doorstep, screaming and pleading for help until she could flag down a police officer the next morning.  Both boys were found dead not far from the vehicle.

There are multiple news accounts of people rummaging through dumpsters in search of food.  They had the warnings, they saw the news, and for the vast majority of people, they chose not to prepare when they had the money. This type of mentality in a disaster scares me the most, because these are the people who blame everyone but themselves when they don’t have what they need. I don’t take issue with the folks who don’t have the funds or means to prepare, as they do genuinely need the help.  It’s the people who have the money and choose not to take care of themselves that cause me concern.

Basic Preparedness Lessens Stress

I could post many, many more news stories.  There have been hundreds in the last week. The sad thing is that some basic preparedness could have prevented many of these problems.  In the aftermath of a storm, people are thirsty, hungry, cold or hot and restless.  Tempers flare easily when people aren’t getting their basic needs met. People who would never snap in a normal situation find themselves acting in ways that shock them. If you’re near-by, you can get hurt.  Staying out of the public is the best way to stay safe in many instances; you can stay out of public by being prepared. Let’s look at some of the basics you can easily do to preapre for natural disasters.

First, you can only live three days without water, and dirty water can kill you via illness. Plus you need water for cooking, cleaning and bathing as a minimum.  Scrub your tub and fill it with water for bathing, flushing toilets and cleaning. Bottled water isn’t the only option, you can store it at home using tap water to fill empty 2-liter bottles, mason jars and a wide variety of vessels. Fourteen gallons per person on hand is a good idea to make sure you’re covered until the power is back on and the water is flowing out of the tap again. That’s two week’s worth of water.

Second, never let your vehicle go below half-full. Yes, it means that you have to fill up more often, but it also means that in an emergency, you have enough gas to get to the ER, to evacuate without waiting in crazy long gas lines or to get where you need to go after a disaster. A filled five-gallon gas can at home, tucked away in the garage can be further insurance.

Third, keep a week’s worth of food in the house. Squirrel away enough shef-stable foods that if you had to feed your family three meals a day for a week, you could do it without power. Don’t count on the government to feed you all those meals, especially if you have food allergies.

Fourth, have a bug out bag for each member of the family and an evacuation plan to go with the gasoline listed above. If you face evacuation due to flooding, at least you will have some food and copies of your most important personal papers with you. We have a podcast on bug out bags that will help you get your own set up.

Fifth, know the types of natural disasters that can hit your area and stock the basics needed year-round. Batteries, flashlights, tarps, candles, some basic hand tools, a saw and the like aren’t a big investment but they can be a huge help when disasters do occur. We have a podcast about living without power that can be helpful, as well.

Fifth, be aware that if you need it and you don’t have it when a disaster happens, you might have to deal with price gougers. Illegal or not, it still happens. Have some cash, especially small bills, available to get what you need post-storm. In those situations, price gougers rarely offer change.  If  they are selling ice for $5 a bag and all you have is a $20, you’re paying $20 for that bag if you really need it.

Sixth, have some basic first aid supplies available in case someone gets hurt. Illness from infection can take a heavy toll on productivity and even life.

Seventh, when the power goes out, sanitation becomes more difficult. You’re more likely to get exposed to germs and get sick. Prepare accordingly with the proper cleaning supplies, bathing necessities and the like.

Finally, as I’m fond of saying, ‘Panic early, beat the rush.’ Get what you need long before the majority of people are starting to think about it so you don’t have to be stressed, rushed and pay top dollar.  Make sure you’re ready at the beginning of hurricane season or do it in the Fall if you have to prepare for snow storms.  It will save you time, money and a lot of stress to be able to avoid the crowds and the idiot behavior that some people display over storms.

 

If you want to learn more about basic preparedness, our podcast is a good place to start.  Every Wednesday at 8am, we spend an hour (or three) talking about preparedness in different areas &/or real food.  Come join us. If you’re interested in basic food storage on a real food diet, our eBook Real Food Storage is a great place to start.

Related Posts

  • Real Food Storage
  • The Living Kitchen Radio Show: Inexpensive, Nutrient-Dense Food Storage Options
  • The Living Kitchen Podcast #12: 72 Hour Kits the Real Food Way
  • The Living Kitchen Podcast #13: Prepping 101
  • The Living Kitchen podcast #17: Living Without Power
  • The Living Kitchen Podcast #18: Transportation Preps

Filed Under: Bug-In, Bug-Out, Emergency Preparedness, Natural Disasters

I'm KerryAnn Foster, a crazy vibrant Jesus Freak with a heart full of hope. I'm not afraid to love on the least of these or get my hands dirty. This blog is my journey from ineffective, uptight, obese wallflower to a woman on fire for God and living the most vibrant, passionate life possible!

I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina with my husband, Jeff, and our two teens. I blog about self-confidence, health and home, homeschooling and living a vibrant, wide-open Jesus-centered lifestyle. I have over seventeen years of real food, natural lifestyle and health experience. We have homeschooled our children since birth and both Jeff and I run home-based businesses. We're crazy, we know it, and we love every second of it!

Read about my journey to health through celiac disease, PCOS, food allergies, obesity, adrenal fatigue and heavy metals.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah @ Real Food Outlaws says

    November 3, 2012 at 4:14 pm

    This is a fantastic article, KerryAnn! Thank you! It can be so overwhelming trying to prepare in the face of disaster and so hard to know where to start. Thank you for these simple steps. I am in NJ and though we are all ok, we are surrounded by devastation. It’s so horrible.
    Sarah @ Real Food Outlaws recently posted..Healthy Living eBook Bundle Sale!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting.

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Primary Sidebar

One Vibrant Mama Newsletter

Subscribe to the One Vibrant Mama Newsletter to get notifications of new blog posts and emails!

Follow Us on Social Media

Meet KerryAnn

I'm KerryAnn Foster, a crazy vibrant Jesus Freak with a heart full of hope. I'm not afraid to love on the least of these or get my hands dirty. This blog is my journey from ineffective, uptight, obese wallflower to a woman on fire for God and living the most vibrant, passionate life possible!

I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina with my husband, Jeff, and our two teens. I blog about self-confidence, health and home, homeschooling and living a vibrant, wide-open Jesus-centered lifestyle. I have over seventeen years of real food, natural lifestyle and health experience. We have homeschooled our children since birth and both Jeff and I run home-based businesses. We're crazy, we know it, and we love every second of it!

Read about my journey to health through celiac disease, PCOS, food allergies, obesity, adrenal fatigue and heavy metals.

Instagram did not return a 200.

Follow One Vibrant Mama on Instagram!

Recent Posts

  • Homeschool for College Credit
  • Homeschool Class Plans – The Ultimate Guide!
  • Homeschool a Distracted Child, No Matter Their Age!
  • How to Create a Homeschool Syllabus for Your High Schooler
  • Keeping A Homeschool Bullet Journal

Ads




Ads


Ads


Archive

Footer

Disclaimer

We make a good faith effort to keep up-to-date on the allergen content status of products. However, product formulations change frequently. Always check product labels for the most recent ingredient information and call the company if you have any questions as to the gluten content of a product.

Statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products and/or information are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease. Readers are advised to do their own research and make decisions in partnership with your health care provider. If you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition or are taking any medication, please consult your physician. Nothing you read here should be relied upon to determine dietary changes, a medical diagnosis or courses of treatment.

View Our Disclaimers, Terms and Conditions and our Privacy Policy for more information.

About

The information contained on Intentionally Domestic is meant for educational and informational purposes only. We are neither doctors nor dietitians. We do not dispense advice on curing or treating any health ailment or disease. Please consult your health care provider before following any information on this site.

  • Grain-Free
  • Gluten-Free
  • Casein-Free
  • Egg-Free
  • Nut-Free
  • Soy-Free

Copyright © 2023 · Wellness Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Got it! Maybe Later Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Subscribe to the One Vibrant Mama Newsletter

Introduce yourself and your program
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.