y of food and water to last for at least three days probably a week. This is a basic list add to it:

Flashlights one for each family member. (Light calms children)
Spare batteries in their original sealed package.
Candles and holders. Strike anywhere matches. (Aluminum foil makes great reflectors)
Optional Propane lamp and spare cylinders (Great heat source in the winter, keep vented)
Several propane or fue

Home emergency preparedness does not require a lot of extra equipment, because you will be using much of your homes current assets. It makes no difference if you live in a house apartment or a mobile home. Now if you don’t have the items I’m about to mention then you might want to stop at Wally World (Wal-mart) on your way home.

Now since we already have our shelter which is the home lets move on to the most important necessity Water clean water. Now in the event of a power failure City governments normally will be able to provide water for a while anyway. But to be on the safe side scrub out the bathtubs seal the drain with plastic wrap and Duc tape it down to seal. Fill the tubs and sinks with clean water and cover. The average person needs at least one gallon of water a day two quarts to stay hydrated one quart to cook and the last quart for hygiene. Remember the hot water tank it’s full of drinkable water. The waterbed water can be used to flush the toilets pour the water into the bowl not the tank it will flush automatically.

Now for the food cook all the meat chicken bacon hotdogs everything. Boil all your eggs and toast all the bread. Cooked food will keep longer if you store the cooked meat in zip lock bags add a pinch of salt for moisture control. If you can get some ice take tin foil and line your dryer then add the ice and place the cooked food in the dyer which has more insulation than any other appliance in the house. If the dryer top loads place a heavy weight on the lid. Note; if the power and gas are out use your grill to cook the food toast the bread and boil the egg water. No grill you say! Well go out side and build a fire and use the oven rack as a grill.

Now we have shelter plenty of food and water to last for at least three days probably a week. This is a basic list add to it:

Flashlights one for each family member. (Light calms children)
Spare batteries in their original sealed package.
Candles and holders. Strike anywhere matches. (Aluminum foil makes great reflectors)
Optional Propane lamp and spare cylinders (Great heat source in the winter, keep vented)
Several propane or fuel

y Water clean water. Now in the event of a power failure City governments normally will be able to provide water for a while anyway. But to be on the safe side scrub out the bathtubs seal the drain with plastic wrap and Duc tape it down to seal. Fill the tubs and sinks with clean water and cover. The average person needs at least one gallon of water a day two quarts to stay hydrated one quart to cook and the last quart for hygiene. Remember the hot water tank it’s full of drinkable water. The waterbed water can be used to flush the toilets pour the water into the bowl not the tank it will flush automatically.

Now for the food cook all the meat chicken bacon hotdogs everything. Boil all your eggs and toast all the bread. Cooked food will keep longer if you store the cooked meat in zip lock bags add a pinch of salt for moisture control. If you can get some ice take tin foil and line your dryer then add the ice and place the cooked food in the dyer which has more insulation than any other appliance in the house. If the dryer top loads place a heavy weight on the lid. Note; if the power and gas are out use your grill to cook the food toast the bread and boil the egg water. No grill you say! Well go out side and build a fire and use the oven rack as a grill.

Now we have shelter plenty of food and water to last for at least three days probably a week. This is a basic list add to it:

Flashlights one for each family member. (Light calms children)
Spare batteries in their original sealed package.
Candles and holders. Strike anywhere matches. (Aluminum foil makes great reflectors)
Optional Propane lamp and spare cylinders (Great heat source in the winter, keep vented)
Several propane or fue

emember the hot water tank it’s full of drinkable water. The waterbed water can be used to flush the toilets pour the water into the bowl not the tank it will flush automatically.

Now for the food cook all the meat chicken bacon hotdogs everything. Boil all your eggs and toast all the bread. Cooked food will keep longer if you store the cooked meat in zip lock bags add a pinch of salt for moisture control. If you can get some ice take tin foil and line your dryer then add the ice and place the cooked food in the dyer which has more insulation than any other appliance in the house. If the dryer top loads place a heavy weight on the lid. Note; if the power and gas are out use your grill to cook the food toast the bread and boil the egg water. No grill you say! Well go out side and build a fire and use the oven rack as a grill.

Now we have shelter plenty of food and water to last for at least three days probably a week. This is a basic list add to it:

Flashlights one for each family member. (Light calms children)
Spare batteries in their original sealed package.
Candles and holders. Strike anywhere matches. (Aluminum foil makes great reflectors)
Optional Propane lamp and spare cylinders (Great heat source in the winter, keep vented)
Several propane or fue

ce take tin foil and line your dryer then add the ice and place the cooked food in the dyer which has more insulation than any other appliance in the house. If the dryer top loads place a heavy weight on the lid. Note; if the power and gas are out use your grill to cook the food toast the bread and boil the egg water. No grill you say! Well go out side and build a fire and use the oven rack as a grill.

Now we have shelter plenty of food and water to last for at least three days probably a week. This is a basic list add to it:

Flashlights one for each family member. (Light calms children)
Spare batteries in their original sealed package.
Candles and holders. Strike anywhere matches. (Aluminum foil makes great reflectors)
Optional Propane lamp and spare cylinders (Great heat source in the winter, keep vented)
Several propane or fue

y of food and water to last for at least three days probably a week. This is a basic list add to it:

Flashlights one for each family member. (Light calms children)
Spare batteries in their original sealed package.
Candles and holders. Strike anywhere matches. (Aluminum foil makes great reflectors)
Optional Propane lamp and spare cylinders (Great heat source in the winter, keep vented)
Several propane or fuel stoves to cook on, again keep vented
Several boxes of trash bags and spare toilet paper rolls. (Very important)
Spare rolls of Duc Tape and plastic drop cloth bags, masks like the ones painters use.
Canned and boxed type foods with a long shelve life. Remember the can opener
Hand and feet warmers from your local Sporting goods store.
One old analog phone, the old fashion type that does not require a power source.
Battery or better yet a hand cranked small radio.
Extra feminine Hygiene products.
Knife or utility tool
Winter sleeping bags
As well anything you feel is necessary.

Depending on the situation or disaster most of the above items are self explanatory, FEMA recommends using the plastic sheeting to secure a room from a chemical spill or terrorist threat by taping all the windows vents and doorways. What they don’t tell you is how are you supposed to breathe? My solution is to buy some gas or oil furnace filters and tape them two each into the doorway of the home and place another over a vent in the room. Short of building a hand cranked filtering device this is the best short term solution. All houses that have landline phones will have a phone box out side, which has a jack in it, if you plug in the analog phone and Ma Bell is still operating you will be able to call. You remember analog phones they didn’t need batteries. Cellular phones are normally out of service during emergencies they are nice when things are normal but there infrastructure is so fragile they are useless during times of trouble.

You are now on the way towards home safety, good luck and survive.

Tomorrows another day.