Unfortuantely, depending on local, state and federaI governmental agencies to provide you with assistance is not a sound plan. Past disasters have often shown a delay of any where from hours to days and weeks in getting emergency assistance into disaster areas. You need to have a plan in place and the supplies you and your family would need to survive for at least 2 weeks. Look at the results hurricane Katrina left in New Orleans and the Gulfcoast--people who survived the flooding and winds had no resources for survival and died later.
I grew up on the pandhandle of Florida where hurricanes were common. Often we had no electrical power for weeks at a time. We learned to use what we had ( a cattle water trough makes a great bath tub!!). Families, friends, and communities pulled together to assist each other and provide services to those in need. Everyone survived, recovered, and resumed their lives.
In an emergency, you don't have time to assemble critical supplies--esp. prescriptions, trauma and first aid supplies, clothing, food, and water. So, having a disaster plan in place for yourself , your family, and your pets is key for your safety and well being. Don't wait until you have an immentiant need--take the time now to set up your disaster survival plan and supplies.
Here is an article by Dr. Roberta Lee which outlines an excellent survival plan for pets and family. Take this information and modify it to your needs.
DISASTER SURVIVAL PACKING LIST
by Roberta Lee, DD.,
PhD., ND. TheDogPlace Science Editor
Disaster Supplies For Your Dog.
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If your dog needs cover make sure you take a warm vest for him/her. Nothing fancy but something that will weather well. This is not a fashion show. You may want booties for your dog for who knows what they might have to walk through.
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Take several leashes. ALWAYS keep your dog on a leash no matter how well trained because they may be panicked by the unexpected..
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If you have a medium to large breed dog buy packs made for his size. Make sure they fit properly and train your dog to the pack now! Don’t wait until the need arises or you may have trouble on your hands when you least need it.
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If the weather is cold let your dog sleep with you. His body temperature will help you stay warmer and you won’t have to use as many blankets.
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Pack your pet’s medication in waterproof pouches in different packs. Talk to your vet. Be honest and tell them why you want to stock pile some of the meds. Make sure you ask how to cycle the meds so you don’t end up with out of date medication that might do more harm than good.
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Neosporin is good for humans, dogs, and cats too. You will have to wrap the area with gauze to keep them from licking it off. Honey is not only energy for you, it is for wound healing on you or your pets as bacteria won’t grow in honey.
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Make sure you have dry (kibble) food. Cans are too heavy. If they get hungry enough they will eat anything. Also if you have leftovers from your meal give it to the dog, DON’T throw it away. Remember these will be hard times and not the time to reinforce old rules or routines.
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Make sure you have sufficient water for your pet. The size will determine how much they will need, but this is as important to your pet as it is to you. We all can go longer without food than we can without water.
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As for other gear, remember that you will be in a survival mode. You can’t take everything. Pack just what you have to have to keep your pet safe.
Now for you.
Most people think they know more than
they do, so it is wise to have a manual for “Emergency Treatment and
Management.” There are tons of books available today, which should tell you they
are felt to be needed. Get the message, get a book that covers the everyday type
of injuries that occur during disasters.
What is the first and most important item
to you and your pet’s survival? If you said, “WATER” you are right. So this
section will be about water.
SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON POTABLE
WATER:
Water will be like gold in a disaster.
Remember we are talking about survival here, so the most important water is for
drinking or first aid. Stock up on water purification tablets. If you live in an
arid area of the world, you should begin to stockpile water. Use only glass
bottles for storage. If sealed properly it should last about a year. If you have
to “bug out” to another location, transfer the water to lightweight fabric or
plastic water bags that you can carry. Your dog can also carry water in his
packs.
Even if you are where it rains a lot, you
still should have a year’s supply of water on hand for cooking and drinking (3
gallons for adults less for pets).
You will need two new garbage cans. Wash
them thoroughly and put the lid on securely. When it rains, take the lids off
and allow the rain water to fill one. You can use clean kitchen pots to help
collect more to go in the “safe” garbage can. The second one should be put under
the rain gutter to collect water that will be used to flush your toilets (if you
stay where you live), water your garden (not flowers, food), and limited bathing
which will be done by the cupful!
Using a little apple cider vinegar
will be beneficial. It leaves the hair squeaky clean and you can pat a little
under your arms as a deodorant. For bathing, water and apple cider vinegar
should be two parts water and one part vinegar. This will help make your water
go further even if you are lucky enough to not have to travel. Water that is
used for bathing, washing your hair or washing dishes should be saved and
recycled to flush your toilet or other waste water jobs.
If you are running out of water, remember
your hot water heater has anywhere from 40 to 60 gallons of water. Make sure you
disconnect the hot water heater first and allow it to cool. Then open the drain
at the bottom. The first water gallon or so will have sediment in it so it can
be saved for other uses, not for cooking or drinking but the rest should be
potable (drinkable) water. You may have access to other water sources; lakes,
rivers, streams and ponds, but you will have to use your purification tablets to
ensure safety. If you have failed to buy tablets then you can boil the water for
at least 5 minutes and then agitate it by shaking or beating it to re-oxygenate
it.
WARNING: Children should be kept away
from all water sources. A child can drown in even an inch of water. And they
also spill things.
EMERGENCY RATIONS & SURVIVAL
FOOD:
I will not bore you with the particulars
of what drastically cutting down on the caloric intake does to the body. To go
even two weeks without food can and does start many physiological changes in the
body that signal you are in danger of death, and what’s more, just commencing to
eat again does not necessarily fix the problems that developed from
starvation.
Drastically cutting back on your
consumption of calories can have side effects that are not the best, but less
food is better than no food and remember we are in survival mode here. I am not
going to make a grocery list for you but I will give you ideas that will allow
you to go on the hunt with your computer. Let’s prepare for the worst. Whatever
you buy for the worst case scenario can be used at any time.
K-rations or MRE (Meals Ready To
Eat)
This is what our military eat when they
are in the field. MREs require no fire or boiling water. They are light weight
and easy to carry and packed with vitamins. There are also any number of
vacuumed packed grocery store “meals” that will stay fresh for a long time and
the most they will require is a little water, which your body needs too.
Nutrition bars are good to stock
pile also. They are easy to carry and will give you needed energy in the event
you can’t prepare a meal. You can also obtain vacuumed packed or powdered milk
although you will need water to reconstitute
If you think you will not be able to
travel then you can store canned goods. These are good for at least two
years, but be alert for tops that bulge or dented cans both of which can
indicate the seal is corrupted and you may have spoilage. As with vacuum packed
foods, there are many canned soups and meals plus meat such as tuna, salmon,
chicken, beef, and pork.
Nuts are a great source of
protein. They come canned, shelled, and whole (in shell). Nuts give a big bang
for the buck when it comes to energy.
Crackers are not high in nutrition but
they are lightweight, filling, and could be added to any snack or meal.
Honey is wonderful. Not only is it
nutritious but it is great for cuts, burns, and scrapes. Remember that bacteria
will not grow in honey. It can be used for your pets the same as you would use
it for yourself, as food or for wound healing.
Beef and chicken stock comes in
boxes and can add flavor to whatever you cook.
There is a container on the market now
called, “Lock & Lock.” It seals air tight. No bugs can get in or
out. Be sure what you put in them is fresh and bug free. Dry food will
keep almost indefinitely in these containers.
I would add scissors and tweezers of the
medical verity. Also with any medication you must keep it safe, dry and out of
the hands of other people, especially children. We thank www.alpharubicon.com for
much of this disaster survival information. Often we hear about all of the
advanced stuff that people keep in their medical kits but don’t stop to realize,
we have to have the basics if the advanced stuff is going to help.
Here is a list of basic medical supplies,
most of which can be bought at any discount or drug store. What cannot be
purchased at a discount or drugstore can be ordered from medical supply
companies. (My suggestion: buy a good size medical bag , have it packed and ready at all times.-Several online medical supply companies have EMT or paramedic bags you can buy. One site I can suggest is Moore Medical -->www.mooremedical.com. They have a great assortment of bags and supplies you can buy.)
Trauma Supplies
Several packs of Quick Clot to stop
bleeding fast!
One tube (approximately 100) unsterile
4x4 dressings
One tube (approximately 100) unsterile
2x2 dressings
20 packages of sterile 4x4’s and 20 of
sterile 2x2’s
10 ABD type dressings (maxi-pads work
nicely!)
10 sterile oval eye patches
20 rolls of gauze bandage and 6
triangular bandages
Several boxes of assorted Band-Aids
5 chemical ice packs and 5 chemical heat
packs
4 four inch ACE wraps and 4 three inch
ACE wraps
10 rolls of Transpore or other medical
tape
4 ladder or SAM splints
10 bottles of irrigation fluid (saline or
sterile water)
2 pairs of Trauma Shears
2-4 boxes of unsterile gloves
2 Penlights
5 Bottles of Isopropyl Alcohol
5 Bottles of Hydrogen Peroxide
Medications
2 bottles of Ibuprofen
2 bottles of Acetaminophen
2 bottles of Aspirin
2 bottles of Antacid
2 Bottles of Benadryl
2 Bottles of a decongestant (Sudafed)
4 Bottles of cough medicine
5 bags of cough drops
2 Bottles of Nyquil
4 Bottles of Calamine Lotion
Several Sting-Eze Swabs
4 Cans of SolarCaine Spray
5 tubes of Antibiotic ointment
5 tubes of hydrocortisone ointment
2 tubes of hemorhoidal cream
Assorted Children’s strength
medications
4 Tubes of InstaGlucose
4 Bottles of Bactine or other
astringent
2 Bottles of Syrup of Ipecac
2 Boxes of Ammonia Inhalants
3 large boxes of Alcohol Prep pads and/or
2 large bottles of betadine or
3 large boxes of betadine Prep Pads
One bottle of eye wash for each person in
your family
(my suggestion: buy a clear plastic storage container and use disposable plastic storage cotaners as bins. Helps keep the container neat and makes it much easier to find what you need. Keep all family prescriptions in a general area; have a plastic storage container readily available to pack and assemble any medications--pick a size that will be easy to carry and pack. Try and always have at least 2 weeks of essential medications on hand.)
Other Medical Supplies
Stethoscope
Blood Pressure Cuff
Oral and Rectal Thermometers with probe
covers
CPR mask with one-way valve
Vaseline or KY lubricant
ODDS AND ENDS SOLAR POWERED
World Band Radio (this requires no
electricity or batteries) www.Shop.Newsmax.com
Large industrial type flashlight. There
are those that are water proof, and are hand cranked like the radio above. There
are also flashlights that work on solar power and can charge your cell phones
just in case they still work. www.ambientweather.com
Words to live by:
Remember, reading about a plan for
survival does not a survival plan make! You must write out your survival
plan and make sure the whole family not only reads it but puts it into practice.
You know what they say about practice? Practice makes perfect. Your plan won’t
be like your neighbors or mine. This is what your family is most likely to do or
where you think you might be able to go. If you practice your plan then when the
time comes you will be more appt to follow it. The first hours of any emergency
will bring fear, stress and in some cases terror. Here is an outline for
you to follow. It is not an outline for you.
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Make it cheap but make sure you think it through and get what you will need.
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Make it easy and quick. You don’t have to take classes unless you can afford them or you just want to.
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Take your life style into consideration. But don’t get fancy. Remember you may be on foot or bike and you will have your pets with you.
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Make your plan flexible. Remember Murphy’s Law. If it can go wrong it will.
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Take into consideration where the family is at all times. An emergency does not always come when you are all together. Where are your children, your wife/husband, and where will you meet.
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Delegate. Each member over the age of 12 should have a part to play in this plan. Something they can do. Collect the food, get the pets ready...
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Make sure your plan allows you to go back to step one in case you jump the gun. It happens.
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Write all of this down in a simple form and make sure every member of the family has a copy. Phone numbers, meeting places and their role in getting things ready.
I know this has been long, but then
survival isn’t easy and can’t be planned for in one or two words. And remember
You must survive for the safety of your children and your family.
Take this seriously, because it is.
Hopefully, this will get you started thinking just what you, your pets and your family need in your disaster survival plan. Don't wait until you have an impending disaster to start your survival planning. Take the time now to develop a plan and discuss it with all members of your family. A house and belongings can be replaced--keep the important parts of your life safe--your family and pets.
Catie C. Arney
KioKee Mastiffs-->kiokeemastiffs@embarqmail.com
Hickory, NC
