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HomeSafeHome:  Disaster Preparedness  |
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star-schipp
True Blue Farmgirl
942 Posts
Starletta
Middletown
Indiana
USA
942 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 29 2014 : 5:36:09 PM
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I did some research on storing water for emergencies and never knew you could can water! I was also surprised by how much water is recommended - 2 weeks worth!
http://estleschippfarm.blogspot.com/2014/11/skills-saturday-water-storage.html
EstleSchippFarm.blogspot.com
If you can't feed one hundred people, then just feed one. -Mother Teresa
Star - farmgirl sister #1927
Master Food Preserver
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darlenelovesart
True Blue Farmgirl
7714 Posts
darlene
Loleta
California
USA
7714 Posts |
Posted - Dec 02 2014 : 08:34:05 AM
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Well that is good to know
two weeks worth would have to be stored in a bigger barrel of a sort, I think. How long is it good for if not bothered.
Thanks.
darlene
I have learned that to have a good friend is the purest of all God's gifts, for it is a love that has no exchange of payment.
by Frances Farmer
Just follow God unquestioningly.
Because you love Him so, for if you trust His judgment there is nothing you need to know.
I trust in you Jesus... |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Dec 05 2014 : 10:05:21 AM
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Wow, Star! Whodathunkit?! You know, in our area we've had a couple of tainted water scares over the past years, but thankfully our water was "only" off for a couple of days each time. That being the case, though, I always keep a couple of cases of bottled water on hand for emergencies (two in the house, and one in the car, actually), and then I also have a few big dispenser water just tucked away. I also picked up a Berkey water filter, but I use that every day since we live in a very old home. I never thought of actually canning it, though. That's pretty smart when you consider how many empty jars are on hand here at any given time! But I do have a question... I have Lisa Bedford's book "Survival Mom," and I am pretty sure she said in the book (or on her website) that if you have city water you don't need to worry about adding bleach for long term storage? Is that different when you're canning it? Also, for long term storage, is there a need to somehow aerate it over the long haul so the water doesn't become "flat"? I'm sure in the case of smaller jars, that's not as big an issue as in a drum, but I really don't understand the concept behind aerating it or why. Thanks so much for the info! Hugs - Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Edited by - Ninibini on Dec 05 2014 10:07:00 AM |
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star-schipp
True Blue Farmgirl
942 Posts
Starletta
Middletown
Indiana
USA
942 Posts |
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darlenelovesart
True Blue Farmgirl
7714 Posts
darlene
Loleta
California
USA
7714 Posts |
Posted - Dec 27 2014 : 6:37:51 PM
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That is a good idea and it works.
I live in an area where that is the norm because of the cooler weather.
If you live in colder areas that would really be warm and it depends on the fabric too.
Take care out there
darlene
I have learned that to have a good friend is the purest of all God's gifts, for it is a love that has no exchange of payment.
by Frances Farmer
Just follow God unquestioningly.
Because you love Him so, for if you trust His judgment there is nothing you need to know.
I trust in you Jesus... |
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Lowrider
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Karen
Linthicum
Maryland
USA
30 Posts |
Posted - Aug 31 2015 : 10:55:56 AM
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I'm a prepper fanatic according to my hubby. I belong to several groups on Facebook but my favorite in the Women's prepper cave. Lots of wonderful ladies that are like minded in here. They have a file section in the back with tons of info in there. Plus you can ask me! I've been doing it now for over 5 years. Here's the link to the cave, The Woman's Prepper Cave.
ArtSeaFartSea Me!
https://www.pinterest.com/lowrider04/
https://lowriderchic.worldpress
ss.com
#6629
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Lowrider
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Karen
Linthicum
Maryland
USA
30 Posts |
Posted - Aug 31 2015 : 11:00:16 AM
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Edited by - Lowrider on Oct 20 2015 5:18:15 PM |
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Lowrider
Farmgirl in Training
30 Posts
Karen
Linthicum
Maryland
USA
30 Posts |
Posted - Oct 20 2015 : 5:18:48 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Lowrider
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CindyG
True Blue Farmgirl
293 Posts
Cindy
Fairfax
VA
USA
293 Posts |
Posted - Oct 21 2015 : 5:33:11 PM
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I little food for thought:
I had the incredible opportunity of talking with an international security expert here in the DC area, and he raised a subject I had not given ANY thought to at all: a cyber attack could take out just about EVERYTHING we need for our activities of daily living like ATMs, credit card terminals, bank account balances, gas pumps, etc. We are such a cashless society any more that we would be crippled without electronic access to our money.
His strong recommendation is to have an amount of cash at home that would allow you to function for at least a week or so.
Again, I had not thought about this part of disaster preparedness except for the $250 in small bills in our "go bag".
He also STRONGLY recommended unplugging your kids for several hours at a time every once in a while, and for 24 hours every few months. Kids are truly addicted to electronics, and in the case of an emergency you don't want to be dealing with the symptoms of the "DTs" while really important problems are taking place.
Just stuff to consider-
Cindy
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Oct 21 2015 : 6:37:15 PM
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Awesome food for thought, Cindy! Absolutely true! Another consideration is that the stores would have to have some sort of way to manage accounting for cash purchases. I heard one expert say that if that were to happen, many stores would simply close until their systems could be up and running again - there would be no cash purchase option available at all! I don't know how realistic that is, but it sure is just one more reason to prepare ahead for emergencies, and have extra things available for barter!
I also like what this person recommended to you about unplugging the kids, because it sure will be hard for them not to chat with their friends and access the internet... That's really all many kids even know today! It's a really good idea to have card games, puzzles, coloring books and good readers at the ready, too. Where we live, we are used to frequent power outages in the rainy season. To pass the time, one thing we really enjoyed doing as a family was to read classics such as Huckleberry Finn, or series books like Hank the Cowdog or Santa Paws, while taking turns reading the different parts in different voices. SO much fun!
I have a silly question - I've been thinking about this one for a while, and have been a little sheepish to ask: Where should your family's go bags be stored? Should you have your go bag with you at all times? Or should it be kept in your car or at home or at work or...? Should you just take them with you wherever you go? I've been gathering emergency supplies for years and would like to create go bags for each family member, but I don't know if I could convince them to keep it with them wherever they go - even just in the car... What are your thoughts on that? I was thinking that it'd be an especially important thing for my son to have now that he's in college and will be driving back and forth on the highway in all sorts of inclement weather. If something were to happen and he was stranded in his car during a snowstorm, I'd sure like to know he has everything he needs to stay safe and warm until someone can get to him!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
www.papercraftingwithnini.ctmh.com
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Simply Satisfied
True Blue Farmgirl
427 Posts
Emily
Montana
USA
427 Posts |
Posted - Oct 24 2015 : 6:49:35 PM
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I keep my stuff in the house in a closet. Mostly because of my training I have a rather extensive first aid kit and I don't want it freezing and thawing in the winter in my car. We don't live in a region known for natural disasters so I suspect I could get home the get things if needed. I worry mostly about economic issues as a most likely need for extra supplies and I don't worry so much about getting away but more on storing up for lack of stores.
Emily
Farmgirl # 3591 |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Oct 24 2015 : 8:24:57 PM
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Thanks, Emily! I really appreciate your insight!
My plan was just to make emergency bags for each of us, so that should an emergency occur when we're not together at home, we have whatever we need to weather any storm, traffic jam, or emergency in order to make our way back. Last summer we got stuck on the highway for a rather looooong time. I had planned ahead - we had water, snacks and electronics to keep us busy; but after a while, all the people around us suddenly started getting out of their cars. Some were just going car to car to "chat," others were playing football, others were looking for "relief" areas. And there was no service, so we couldn't use our electronics for entertainment or make any phone calls or texts to let people know we were going to be late. The whole thing was kind of unnerving. I mean, everyone was very friendly, nothing scary happened; but at one point I suddenly realized that we didn't really know these people... We were immediately surrounded by college students on their way to school, a trucker, an older gentleman and his wife, a delivery van... then all of a sudden the road was crawling with strangers. What if someone was unstable or unsafe or ... ? It kind of freaked me out. I prayed quietly until the traffic started moving again. I suppose in that situation you just do the best you can do, but it sure was a wake up call for me. Our son had planned on taking that road trip by himself for the first time. At the last minute, we decided to join him, and we were ALL glad we did. He thought he was ready for something like that - that he could handle a distance trip like that on his own. But he said if he had gone without us, and this had happened, he really would've been a bit freaked out by the whole thing. Now I'm not so sure a "go bag," per se, would have done much for us at that point, but I did start to think about things that I wish I had with us... A first aid kit, a spare jug of anti-freeze or even gasoline (Of course we all had stopped our vehicles, but thank GOODNESS we had filled the tank before leaving!), ice to keep us cool when the car was turned off and the a/c wasn't running, books or puzzles/games, rain jackets, a power supply in case our battery died, some sort of lighting and heavier sustenance should we be stuck there after dark... You get the idea. And I was really concerned as to what we would do if we needed to call the authorities - how would we do that, exactly, when there was no service? I never thought about not having service like that! Where was the next call box? How would we get to it - would we leave our car? How would we protect ourselves when trying to get there? Ugh... It was really an eye-opener. So, at that point, I decided to be more pro-active about making emergency bags - or "go bags" - for us to take when we leave home. But you bring up a very good point - I wouldn't want anything to freeze and thaw in my car, either! I think until that day my guys thought I was being a little silly putting together supplies as I have been, but I think now they'd be more amenable to complying with my requests to keep these supplies on hand. I just don't know how to get them to take it with them when they leave the house and bring it back at night. Keeping a nice set of emergency bags on hand is a great thing, but if they're sitting at home when you're out on the road and in need... well... what would be the point? They think I worry too much... I'm just a Mom who worries. That's not the case at all! I just grew up in New England where hurricanes and snowstorms were a fact of life. We were always prepared for an emergency. I'd just really like to ensure we're all prepared for whatever comes here, now, too! :)
You're right - I worry about economic issues, too. I don't worry so much about a collapse like Greece, but I do worry about life emergencies where income changes make things difficult - illness, loss of job, etc. I think the squirrels have it right - store up the nuts when you can! :)
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
www.papercraftingwithnini.ctmh.com
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Edited by - Ninibini on Oct 24 2015 8:26:50 PM |
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Simply Satisfied
True Blue Farmgirl
427 Posts
Emily
Montana
USA
427 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2015 : 08:04:55 AM
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It is true you never know what will happen. I just bought a new crank flashlight to add to my emergency gear. I also have tons of blankets and food for winter in the cars. We have young girls so we have stuff to entertain them in the cars but we never remember stuff for ourselves for entertainment. In Montana you never know where the next bathroom is so we also always have toilet paper in the car for when a tree is your only choice of privacy.
On the home front I wonder about the cost involved in putting a handpump on our well, just in case. I have stored water for a week or so but a hand pump sounds so handy. Has anyone had one put in?
Emily
Farmgirl # 3591 |
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Earthstone
Farmgirl in Training
11 Posts
Karen
Troy
WV
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2016 : 2:20:55 PM
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| anyone else have water that freezes? I can deal with it, but it's one of the dumbest things. You just can't tell what will happen next. |
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buffypuff
True Blue Farmgirl
1183 Posts
Claudia
Deer Park
WA
USA
1183 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2016 : 5:06:17 PM
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I see this thread hasn't been added to since January. I read through the 3 pages, &found most helpful. I think each section of the country has its own particular problems for the most part, but 2 that were paramount to us in Eastern Washington State (others can identify with us) are windstorm (trees on houses, power lines etc.). The other is firestorm cropping up from lightning, human caused, trains etc. With the fires one may have to leave @ a moment notice... 3 days may not be long enough. Not only clothes, food, water, but what about your important papers, bank book, bank#'s, SS#s, insurance names & #'s etc. If your physicians do not have computerized health records, take copies of kids immunization records & your health. Some of these things may not seem needful, but if needed, it saves a lot of time processing.
Buffypuff/ Claudia ~ Farmgirl Sister #870
Farm girl of the month: 1/11
"Lord, Thou wilt establish peace for us." Isaiah 26:12
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Edited by - buffypuff on Sep 10 2016 07:42:06 AM |
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NAGarcia
True Blue Farmgirl
102 Posts
Natalie
Gresham
OR
USA
102 Posts |
Posted - Sep 18 2016 : 08:54:46 AM
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One of the best ideas I ever read (and implemented!) was an Emergency Binder. I found ...envelopes? Not regular envelopes, like a big protective sleeve that fits on binder rings and snaps shut....have one for each kid, one for my husband and me, one for papers like the car title and whatnot. In it I have birth certs, SSN cards, immunization cards, fingerprint/DNA things, stuff like that. Stuff you would need if you had to flee. It's all in ONE place and easily grabbed on the way out the door.
Natalie
Farmgirl Sister #7004 May 2016
^*^ We are the weirdos, mister. ^*^ |
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Celticheart
True Blue Farmgirl
811 Posts
Marcia
WA
USA
811 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2016 : 10:23:43 PM
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Look up Prepper's University online. I did it this summer. It was excellent!!
"Let us never forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other art follows. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization."
Daniel Webster
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Oct 08 2016 : 07:26:17 AM
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I've heard of that, Marcia! I would love to do it when I can find the time! AWESOME! Thank you for the recommendation! I also highly recommend Dave Ramsey for financial preparedness... I even purchased his student program for our son for his homeschool finance class, and he is steered by the tenets he learned to this day!
You know, I just want to share with all of you: Last year we were hit hard with unexpected illness. Without going into detail here, my husband was diagnosed with an aggressive type of dementia, and there is no way to begin to describe how it has rocked our world. Long story short, there is not a day that goes by that I don't thank GOD that He prompted me to start prepping for those "crazy" "what might comes." I am thankful that I was prompted to get us out of debt and start planning ahead by learning about things like food preservation and self-sufficiency. All of the disaster preparedness I was trying to accomplish was definitely meant for a different "what if," but when the unexpected REALITY hit, we were still in a much better position to deal with it on many, many levels than most other people. Years ago, a situation like this would have caused a crisis that would have buried us. The time alone needed to deal with doctors, insurance, testing, Social Security, etc. would have felt (and sometimes feels) insurmountable. Compound that with the financial concerns of debt and a mortgage, and a sudden loss and/or reduction in income; or with worries of what we were going to eat or whether we could afford the water bill this month ... Oh my word... How would we have done it?! I would have been crushed. My heart is hard pressed to deal with things at hand as it is!
Right now, I am thankful to have what we need with a little wiggle room for a fun thing or two. I don't have to worry about getting behind or dealing with bill collectors, praise God! Yes, the medical bills and other expenses (travel, tolls, prescriptions, etc.) can be a bit overwhelming, but not having to worry about other debts is a godsend. And when this first happened, I'll be honest, money was very tight until the disability insurance payments were approved. But we had a nice little nest egg to help carry us through, and we had a well-stocked pantry and freezer to rely on. We had plenty of other supplies, too, keeping in with the "two is one, and one is none," thinking. (Believe you me, it's so true!) And thanks to all of the things I have learned from MJF, I was able to do so much more for myself in order to save money. Even now I am able to continue preparing for whatever else may come. God knows, as do all of we, that just because one bad thing happens, it doesn't protect you from more upsets and/or emergencies to come.
What it boils down to is that when it's TEOTWAWKI, it isn't necessarily going to be due to the things most people think. For us, it wasn't an EMP, it wasn't economic failure, it wasn't government overreach, it wasn't a major earthquake or ANYTHING like that... But what it did end up being was a real eye-opener and knee bender, because I am thankful to God for giving me the wisdom to just delve in and get started prepping. If I hadn't, and if I had listened to people who scoffed at my pantry and all my hard work, where would I be? Nobody else was surely going to step in and take care of us. Funny thing is, the scoffers are always so quick to say that they're coming straight to my house in case of emergency!
So, please, especially those of you who are on the fence, or don't think there is any need for disaster preparedness, really think about it: what would you do if you faced a personal crisis tomorrow? What if you lost your job, or if your partner left you, or if someone became seriously ill? Would you be able to get through? Do you have enough food stored up for an emergency? Can you heat or cool your home if the money runs out? Will you be able to afford gasoline, tolls, co-payments? What about repairs on your home or vehicle - can you do those yourself? Do you have trustworthy friends who will do those things for you in exchange for products or services you can, in turn, provide? Do you know how to can and dehydrate and freeze foods, and then turn around and cook from scratch? Can you sew and repair your clothes when you cannot afford to replace or buy them? How will you cut costs? Do you have your Wills or a Durable Power of Attorney or medical plan of action? Do you know where your birth certificate and Social Security card are? Do you have current PRINTED photographs of your loved ones to share in case of emergency? Remember: in an extended power outage, you may not be able to retrieve them from your cell phone or computer! For that matter, you might not be able to access funds from your ATM - do you have a little cash on hand to get you through a couple of days? What will you do if you get hit with a mega snow storm or hurricane? Do you have evacuation plans or a plan to stay with friends in another state? There are sooooo many things to consider.
Needless to say, prepping is for EVERYBODY. If you're already working on it - awesome! Keep up the good work! If you're not, please start today. It's as easy as putting your change in a jar and buying a few extra canned goods and a case of bottled water at the grocery store. And if you worry about storage space, remember closets, and under the beds and under covered tables. You HAVE to start somewhere. I don't mean you have to be a "Doomsday Prepper," if that bothers you; but I do mean you have to use common sense, think ahead and prepare, whatever that ends up meaning to you. Don't worry about doing it all at once. One step at a time. When it hits the fan, whatever you have accomplished will be a great blessing as compared to when you started with nothing. Believe me, you'll be thanking God and patting yourself on the back when the time comes... And it WILL come. You probably won't even SEE it coming. So get crackin'!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Edited by - Ninibini on Oct 08 2016 07:27:15 AM |
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darlenelovesart
True Blue Farmgirl
7714 Posts
darlene
Loleta
California
USA
7714 Posts |
Posted - Oct 08 2016 : 6:03:31 PM
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Well said Nini!
Thank you.
Blessings
darlene
I have learned that to have a good friend is the purest of all God's gifts, for it is a love that has no exchange of payment.
by Frances Farmer
Just follow God unquestioningly.
Because you love Him so, for if you trust His judgment there is nothing you need to know.
I trust in you Jesus... |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2017 : 07:08:26 AM
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Good morning, girls!
Well, last night (wee hours of this morning), I was taking my shower before bed, and the water pressure was little to none. It was bedtime, and I figured maybe something was going on and they were working on the water lines... The commode was flushing and filling, the faucet was running fine... it'd probably be fixed by morning. Then, when my son got up this morning, the whole situation was much worse. No water pressure in the shower, very little in the faucet, the commode isn't refilling. I checked the basement - everything looked fine. I called the water authority, but there were no outage alerts or anything like that. When I finally spoke with someone at Customer Service, she informed me that there was a water leak around the corner from us that was probably affecting our water pressure. She said they had been working on it since YESTERDAY. I asked how long she thought it would take? She said they usually tell people they're on it and that it will be about 4 - 6 hours.
Now 4 - 6 hours isn't a very big deal. Unpleasant, yes. Uncomfortable, yes. But still, it's only 4 - 6 hours, right? Right. But the truth of the matter is that this has been going on since YESTERDAY, which, at midnight, was actually almost TEN hours ago. I'm not laying a lot of weight in that 4 - 6 hour time frame.
Thankfully, we're okay. I fill the coffee maker, the tea pot, and the Berkey every night before we go to bed; I've got a few cases of bottled drinking water on hand at all times; and I've got a couple of water dispenser bottles on hand as well as a few pop bottles full of clean water stored in the pantry. I can share with our elderly neighbor and anyone else that may need water for now. Worst case scenario, we've also got a rain barrel that's full from last night's showers. And the pool is always there, for what it's worth... I mean, it has been winterized with chemicals, so I'm not sure what we can really use that water for at this point.
The thing is, though, what if this were a situation in which we would have no water for a more extended period of time? Over the past couple of years, we've had tainted water issues in our area. It hasn't affected us locally to the extent it has other communities in our area, but it has happened often enough to be of concern. I have been researching different types of water storage for just such a situation, but I can't decide what to do. Friends think I'm paranoid about water, and think I shouldn't worry about storing any. But today is the perfect reason to do it. It's not going to be a long-term issue right now, but someday it could. How quickly people forget the water bans... And when we have had them, I've contacted Berkey about the chemicals tainting the water. Unfortunately one time, they could not guarantee that their water filtration system would make the water safe for consumption. Please don't EVEN get me started as to what the stores look like when people are panicking about water and rushing to the grocery and big box stores to get their immediate supply!
We need water for consumption, bathing, waste management and cleaning, right? That can become extremely overwhelming in a short-term situation, never mind a long-term situation!
And when I look at my pantry shelves, I do have a nice variety of canned and dehydrated items, pasta, juices (home canned and store bought) as well as powdered milk, etc. I know I can use the canning water for making breads and for re-hydrating some things and for cooking... But when I think about all the water I would need to reconstitute that powder into milk, to cook the pasta, to re-hydrate those fruits and vegetables, to make those emergency-only powdered drinks... Eghads... I could be in trouble real quick!
So... What to do? What do you girls recommend? Big barrels? Portable storage? How much should we REALLY store? (After all the recommended gallon and one-half a day per person, in a real life scenario, isn't going realistically cut it!) And where should we store them? Our basement would seem logical, but there is no inside access to it from the house. And our basements in our area are prone to water backing up on the really rainy or snow-melty days (it's like that everywhere here), so what would be the best way to keep them up off the floor (I've read that the plastic barrels and jugs can have leaching issues... I don't want that to happen if it's ever the sewer line that backs up! Like I wouldn't have enough problems already!). And some sites say you don't need to add chlorine or any type of treatment to public water you store, others caution that it's a "must..."
I know this is something I really need to do more aggressively; it's something that has been on my heart and mind for a while now. Perhaps today is the wake up call I needed.... But I honestly don't know WHAT to REALLY do. I've prepared well enough for the smaller emergencies, but what if the next time it's more than a day or two? It's not out of the realm. I would REALLY appreciate your input on this!
Thanks so much -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Edited by - Ninibini on Mar 07 2017 07:12:05 AM |
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NAGarcia
True Blue Farmgirl
102 Posts
Natalie
Gresham
OR
USA
102 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2017 : 3:00:26 PM
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I've seen people that did gallon jugs and slowly built up a decent amount. But, as you said, the plastic bottles can be a problem for long term. If you rotated, though...you know, used it and replaced it. This might help? http://americanpreppersnetwork.com/2014/02/water-storage-tips.html Caveat: I just skimmed the page, didn't read it thoroughly.
Natalie
Farmgirl Sister #7004 May 2016
^*^ We are the weirdos, mister. ^*^ |
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RachelLeigh
True Blue Farmgirl
635 Posts
Rachel
Rainier
WA
USA
635 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2017 : 08:47:56 AM
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I'm late to this topic, but it's SUCH an important topic. My husband and I have stocked about six months worth of food. We purchased the bulk of it at thereadystore.com, a fantastic disaster preparedness company out of Utah. We also discovered a bulk restaurant supply store here on the peninsula and purchased a bunch of bulk dry goods there. We live in earthquake, volcano, and tsunami country and it makes sense to have these supplies. We're currently building our "bug out" bags, as well.
My question is this - how have some of you prepped for your pets? I'm trying to decide what type of food to get for our dog that would work best for storage.
I'm also working on a plan to build up our savings. I get stock that vests every six months as part of my salary so our savings account tends not to be too high due to an influx of cash at regular intervals (which we usually spend on home improvements since our house is 94 years old). We want to purchase some silver and gold, too, just to have in addition to paper cash.
Farmgirl Sister #127
My blog: http://14thandoak.com
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Caron
True Blue Farmgirl
535 Posts
Caron
Orange
Texas
USA
535 Posts |
Posted - Sep 21 2017 : 1:51:08 PM
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We are going through the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. I saw that my pantry stock was fine for the days following where the stores were all closed or stripped bare. However, we had power within a few hours, so no freezer or refrigerator loss. Long term outage would have changed things quite a bit. I see the need to have more non-perishable basics (meats, butter, milk, etc) on hand in the future. I'm now looking into different survival foods companies, long-term storage food companies, etc. to add those things to my prep. I may also at some point add a solar oven to my plan as well. We put in a well that can run on electric or we can switch it to solar panels if needed, so I think my water supply is good unless the well is flooded or damaged.
Farmgirl Sister #254
Heart of Texas Farmgirls Mother Hen
"An Apron:Its strings gently tug at us, tenderly, softly calling us to turn back to the old ways".-Above Rubies Magazine |
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marjean
True Blue Farmgirl
3857 Posts
Marsha
Deltona
FL
USA
3857 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2017 : 3:25:53 PM
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We went through hurricane Irma. The kitchen window and wall had water damage. This time my DH fixed it right. Got rid of any mold behind the wall too.
@CindyG - I started using the cash envelope system to pay off my medical debt and that journey has brought me to keeping cash on hand here at home. I keep about one weeks pay in cash. The emergency money is in the bank and we still use our debit card for groceries. I made my own plan and did used the information on the internet to tailor my budget to my needs.
I don't like the idea of keeping all that cash in my home. What if your purse gets stolen or the house gets broken into. There goes all your money and you can't get it back. Credit cards and debit cards you have protection from the bank but cash you do not.
We are keeping bottled water in the garage storage room for future needs. We keep can goods on hand too just in case. I have my To Go bag filled and ready for Florida weather and winter weather if we had to leave the state.
We have a generator and gas in our back yard shed. A window a/c since we live in the heat most of the year here.
I use my hollow book to keep my money in so it is not in my purse or out in the open. Just on a shelf with the rest of the cookbooks. We designed it with a lock so if it falls off the shelf it won't open.
A tip I just read and am going to do is recording all the serial numbers on your electronic items in your home in case of loss or theft.
From your phone to your TV, computer, printer etc...When you report the theft you can give them the serial number and they can cross reference it if the goods are recovered.
I am adding all the items to my insurance policy too. Don't forget to take pictures also and store them on your computer so you can access that as well or give to the police.
Being prepared for any kind of disaster event is a must nowadays.
Farmgirl sister #308
Etsy shopping for luxury personalized gifts:
http://www.marketsofsunshine.com/p/member-classifieds.html
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darlenelovesart
True Blue Farmgirl
7714 Posts
darlene
Loleta
California
USA
7714 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2017 : 9:54:39 PM
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Great ideas, thanks Marsha.
Trust in your faith, not your emotions, when it comes to making life’s decisions.
I have learned that to have a good friend is the purest of all God's gifts, for it is a love that has no exchange of payment.
by Frances Farmer
Just follow God unquestioningly.
Because you love Him so, for if you trust His judgment there is nothing you need to know.
I trust in you Jesus... |
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HomeSafeHome: Disaster Preparedness |
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Disaster Preparedness
