Amanda - stocking up

[Guest guest]

Hi Amanda, I worked for 7 yrs. as a disaster tech for Red Cross. I've

worked the big disasters, so have first hand experience in this. Our

motto was " prepare for the worst, hope for the best " . There are

always sensible preparations you can make. Look, this isn't just

about terrorism, it's about weather too. Anyone notice how crazy the

weather has been? In any large scale disater, weather tornado, flood,

hurricane, snow, or terrorism, you will not get immediate help. So

you must be able to take care of yourself until help arrives. The

general rule is 72 hrs. before you can expect some help. If we were

to have a multi disaster situation, where several things happened at

different spots in the country, your help time could be a lot longer.

First, you must have water. It takes a gallon a day per person, this

does not include water for sanitation. Good sealed bottled water can

be stored for a very long time, if keep out of the sun in a cool

place. Have a good first aid kit, and some kind of basic first aid

book, if your not trained in first aid. Improvise! Kotex pads make a

great dressing, very absorbant. Have some food you don't have to

cook, incase you have no power. Most canned food will last for a long

time, a couple yrs. if stored in a cool place, not freezing, cool.

Have a way of keeping warm. Even in a warmer area, you'll be

surprised how cold you can get with no heat. The people that do the

best in any disaster situation, are the ones that not only physically

prepare, but the ones that mentally prepare. It's acknowledging that

yes, something bad can happen to me. The vast majority of people will

not even entertain the idea. This does not mean dwelling on it, it

means being smart enough to admit your not immune to problems. When

things go wrong, they go wrong FAST. Grocery stores no longer keep a

stock of food. If a store is full, it will only last for 3 days under

NORMAL conditions. If there are any problems,like an impending storm,

a store can be emptied out in a matter of hours. A big mistake in

thinking is, " there will always be someone there to take care of

me " . If you do nothing, you will have nothing!! You can look up

disaster preparation on the web. There are tons of good idea's and

suggestions. You cannot imagine in your wildest dreams, how bad it

can be for you, if you do nothing. I wish you could all talk to

someone who went threw a major weather disaster, and did nothing

beforehand to help themselves. You would change your mind about being

complacent. When you prepare, you will find that you have better

peace of mind, it aleviates fear. Kathe