Day 107 - Fill The Bathtub With Vodka - I Mean, Water! Part 1

HURRICANE! Well, NYC battened down the hatches, shut down the subway, and headed for the liquor store in preparation for Hurricane Irene. Our part of town fared well, but lots of folks down the coast are dealing with minnows in the basement and a swimming pool out back where none existed before. We all want to be prepared without building a freaky Armageddon cellar, so what do you really need, and what can you leave to the fringe polygamist sects?

Wish I could credit this photo, but it shows Irene rolling into NC. Truly humbling.

Step 1 - General Preparation
I found most of this information at http://www.72hours.org/ - it's a gold mine for disaster preparedness, and well worth checking out. Go get an old duffel bag or backpack, label it "EMERGENCY BAG", and store it near the main exit point of your home. If you have more than three people in their family, consider making each person their own bag & make sure there's ID in it. Have the bag(s) easily accessible, and fill them with: one large water bottle per person, assorted bars (granola, Clif, etc.) or other prepackaged snacks, can opener, two sets of disposable utensils (the little packs complete with napkins that you get from fast food places are perfect), first aid kit & instructions, copies of all important documents & phone numbers (+ copies of insurance & ID cards), change of warm clothes + trash bags (to be used as rain gear) for each family member, umbrella, heavy work gloves, unscented liquid household bleach + eyedropper & instructions for water purification, travel-sized toiletries, personal hygiene items (feminine supplies, hand sanitizer, toilet paper), bungee cords, blanket (one of those foil ones that folds up small is perfect), face masks (the kind you use while woodworking, not the kind you put on at Halloween, though that can be fun too), flashlights and batteries, battery operated radio, whistle, pocket knife, warm hats, local map, duct tape, permanent marker, photos of family members & pets for reidentification purposes, list of allergies to meds & food in a plastic sheet protector, extra eyeglasses, extra keys to your house & vehicle, special needs items for seniors/children/pets.

Then, get a waterproof bin that's easily moved and store: one gallon of water per person, ready-to-eat prepackaged food to last at least three days, full sized essential toiletries & hygiene items, one roll of TP per person, roll of trash bags, plastic sheeting + duct tape + utility knife for covering broken windows, basic tools (crowbar, hammer, nails, adjustable wrench, bungee cords), heavy blankets or sleeping bags, large heavy duty plastic bags, & a plastic bucket (to POOP in!).

Yes, I know - it's Monumental, I hyperventilated for an hour after I saw that list. Break it down into steps - lots of this stuff is probably lying around your house as we speak. Put everything else on your lists for Errand Day, and just do it.  If there's a true emergency, it could mean the difference between life and death for you or someone in your family. Once it's done, it's pretty much done! You'll just want to check them about every 6 months to make sure moths haven't gotten your food, a water bottle hasn't leaked, etc. It's also a great time to update children's clothes.

In the next post, we'll tackle what to do when we hear that the storm's a-comin', and the media goes into a gleeful frenzy.