Basic disaster preparedness for the home

Simple and convenient steps everyone should take.

 Power outages, fires, floods, earthquakes, water stoppages, wind, and storms can interrupt utilities, phones, stores, ATMs, and travel. You can be forced to leave your home because of flooding, sewage backflow, fire, chemical accident, or terrorist threat. These things occur when you are least prepared. This is an inexpensive common sense preparation document. It will help your commute and vacations.

 The large disaster relief organizations can provide basic relief for a lot of people, but need a few days to get set up. Wise people are prepared to handle problems on their own for 3 days to a week.

 Do not buy any survival kits or anything you are not familiar with. After the power goes out is not the time to try something out. Don't waste your money buying "special survival food". It will probably get old before you need it. Just don't let your regular canned goods run low.

 This isn’t a complete guide to preparation; it is only to give you a starting place. Experience, training and special equipment provide better preparation. And nothing is better than common sense (which doesn’t seem to be very common).

 Notice

Copyright 2007 The Bridge at San Martin. All rights reserved.

This document was prepared for The Bridge at San Martin, CA (www.isaiah611.org) by Ken Young (www.AngieYoung.net). It may be freely redistributed for educational purposes at no charge in unaltered form.

This information is for educational purposes only. There is no guarantee of any kind that it is accurate, or that no harm will come to anyone who uses it.

 Beforehand

• Buy appropriate insurance.

• Locate the cutoffs for the water, gas, and electricity. There may be special tools to operate them, know where they are.

• Make sure children can recite their name, address, & phone number. In addition, the name and phone number of a relative in a distant city in case of separation. They will forget unless drilled regularly.

• Agree beforehand to call a certain relative in another city in case of separation away from home. Remind everyone before going on vacation.

• Install a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector. Make sure your smoke detectors have good batteries. Most houses have smoke detectors; the ones that don't have most of the fires. 1/3 of all smoke detectors have no batteries.

• Make a fire escape plan. House fires can spread quickly, and the smoke is what is dangerous. Everyone should practice jumping out of bed and running out the main route and the backup route at least once a year. Decide on the one thing to grab on the way out, and do not stop if it is not where it should be (a key ring, purse or wallet would be a good choice). Do not look for anything, do not linger! The fire department recommends you don’t try to save anything, just get out as fast as you can.

• Arrange nightlights to light the way out in case of fire. It takes as long to find a light switch as it does to get out.

• Keep slip-on shoes by your bed. The most common injury from fire, earthquake, and other sudden emergencies is running on broken glass. Without shoes you are likely to be injured.

• Own and maintain a good household first aid kit. Do not let the supplies run low.

• Put a family zip-kit in every car. If some people get around without cars, put a personal zip-kit in their backpack or bike-bag. See the section on zip-kits below.

• Maintain a 3-day reserve of supplies for babies and everyone's special needs. Do not wait until you are running out to buy more. Some areas should use a bigger reserve.

• Keep canned food on hand, 10 cans per person. Maintain this reserve. Keep a manual can opener.

• Keep bottled water on hand, 5 gallons per person. Maintain this reserve.

• Maintain enough paper plates, plastic forks, and foam cups to serve 10 meals without washing dishes. Figure out how many packages this is. Buy more before you run low.

• Keep candles on hand, three candles per room. Maintain this reserve.

• Keep flashlights on hand, 1 in every room. Maintain this reserve. "Headlamps" that strap to your forehead are invaluable. So are high-candlepower flashlights that can recharge from a car's cigarette lighter. So are lanterns and lantern-type flashlights.

• Keep a flashlight by the bed, one per person. Put it where it can be found without fumbling around in the dark. Glow-in-the-dark flashlights are good for this, but must be stored where light can reach them.

• Keep batteries on hand, one refill per flashlight, one refill per radio. Maintain this reserve.

• Own a barbeque or camping stove. Keep enough fuel to cook 10 times. Maintain this reserve.

• If you have a fireplace, keep wood on hand to keep warm for three cold winter nights. Maintain this reserve.

• Own enough blankets for a cold night with no heat.

• Keep toilet paper on hand, three rolls per person. Maintain this reserve.

• Keep 10 gallons of gasoline in non-sparking cans, or never let your vehicles get below 1/2 tank. You choose. Maintain this reserve. Put stored gasoline in your tank and buy new gasoline every year.

• Own some basic tools, like a claw hammer & nails, screwdrivers, big pliers, and an adjustable wrench.

• Own an axe, saw, or other way to cut wood. It can cut 2x4s for repairs, make firewood, and remove fallen limbs.

• Own a big pry bar to move heavy things.

• Own sunscreen.

• Own petroleum jelly. It is a lip balm, a lubricant, and can seal out water.

• Keep some liquid antibacterial soap. Maintain at least one bottle. Buy more before opening your last bottle.

• Keep at least one jug of unscented bleach on hand at all times.

• Own a bucket or two.

• Keep a fire extinguisher rated for grease in the kitchen.

• Own one or two multi-purpose fire extinguishers. Maintain them. Shake them every 6 months to keep the powder from caking.

• Own a shovel and a garden trowel, or at least a garden trowel. These are for sanitation.

• Keep at least one unopened box of plastic garbage bags on hand. Do not let the supplies run low. You can put things in them, cover things with them to keep the rain off, or cut them up into small temporary tarps. You can make rain ponchos and skirts. You can use them for sanitation if you cannot dig.

• Keep good raingear on hand for everyone. For some reason disasters are usually followed by drenching rain, deep mud, and butt-freezing cold. If it does not rain, the firemen will drench everything.

• Own a hat for everyone.

• Everyone needs boots that are already broken in.

• Own a cell phone and keep the batteries charged.

• Take pictures of everything you might want to use insurance to replace if there is no other record that you own it. Photograph every room, all possessions. Repeat every year. Make sure the pictures are up to date annually. Record the model and serial numbers. Store this with your insurance information.

• Own a safe deposit box. Store documents, insurance information, and computer backups in it. Leaving copies of these items with a relative in a distant city works. They can be zip-locked and put into the freezer for fire-safety, but this isn’t quite as good.

• Anchor water heaters, bookcases & cabinets to the wall to prevent toppling.

• Put foam sleeves over exposed exterior pipes.

• Install a sewage backflow valve.

• Protect expensive electronics with a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). Power line problems can fry your expensive possessions. A surge protector is inadequate, use a UPS.

• Make a secret web page that nobody can reach unless they know how. It should have scans of driver’s licenses, passports, and health insurance. Without your ID you can’t rent a motel room or a car, use your airplane tickets, or even ride a bus! For extra security, the page should not have birth certificates or Social Security Numbers. If you don’t have a web page, put it on a relative’s web page. Be sure to encode or obscure drivers license numbers and passport numbers.

• Bleach can react with other household cleaners, producing chlorine gas. They used it to kill people in world war I. Don’t store bleach in the same cabinet with other chemicals or cleaners (other than laundry products).

• Ammonia based cleaners can react with other household cleaners, producing dangerous ammonia gas. Don’t store ammonia in the same cabinet with other chemicals or cleaners.

• Earthquake-proof your home, earthquakes can happen anywhere. No heavy things that can fall from high places onto your head. No heavy things on the wall over headboards. Secure tall furniture to the wall so it won't fall on you. Bolt your house to the foundation. Install water-heater straps.

• Identify a "back-road" route to use to get out of the area when the highways are clogged. This is handy to know about on holiday weekends. The route doesn't have to be faster in heavy traffic, just less likely to be clogged.

• Establish good relations with your neighbors. They are priceless in emergencies. Good neighbors can make your life easier in the best of times.

• When you interact with a contractor, plumber, or hardware store manager, maintain a simple long-term relationship. They are good to know when problems occur.

 Your preparation needs will differ. Go over this list once a year to make sure you are still prepared.

 During and afterward

• If you know the water may go out in advance, fill the bathtub with cold water and turn off the cold water valve going into the hot water tank. Both hold a large volume of water. Turn off the water main to prevent contaminated water from entering.

• If you drain the water heater for potable water, be sure to turn it off. Running it empty can ruin it.

• Don’t be selfish. Work hard to help others. Share your stuff. People who work together do all right. People perceived as selfish don’t get help when they need it.

• Be prepared to shut off the gas, water, or electricity if you need to. Don’t shut off the gas unless necessary, because only the gas company can safely turn it back on.

• Check the house & garage IMMEDIATELY after an earthquake for fire, shorts, and gas leaks. Don’t turn any switches on or off or unplug anything until you check for gas leaks (switches commonly make a small spark). If you need light to check for gas leaks, use a lightstick of a flashlight that runs on a single 1.5V AA, AAA, or coin battery. It takes more than 2 volts to make a spark.

• Unplug your electronics if the power might be affected. Power failures, electrical storms, and floods affect the power.

• Start preparing to evacuate if you think it might be necessary.

• Stay off the phones! Nobody can get through to 911 because everyone responds to an emergency by calling their family & friends to talk about it. When people call, tell them to stay off the phones.

• Make sure the phones haven’t been shaken off the hook by an earthquake. Those phones tie up the lines.

• Knock on the neighbor’s doors, make sure they are OK, and tell them all to stay off the phone. After a disaster, the phones are ONLY for distress calls.

• Don’t hang up if there is no dial tone, wait for one.

• Pay phones are the most likely phones to work after a disaster.

• Do not use the toilet if there is no water. Tape the lid down right away so nobody forgets. Dig a hole and rig a privacy tarp. Digging a hole is a problem in cities, so line a waste basket with a garbage bags, tie it after use, and put it in the garbage outside. Use a bucket to fetch creek-water if someone uses the toilet. Improvised sanitation bag: Line a plastic grocery bag with newspaper, and line that with another grocery bag.

• Do not put food in the garbage disposal when the power or water is out, lest your sink clog and stink. Cover it so nobody forgets.

• Do not open the refrigerator or freezer unless necessary if the power is out. Keep the cold in. Tape the door shut right away so nobody forgets. An unopened half-full freezer keeps food safe to refreeze for about a day, a full freezer lasts about 2 days. Cooking when this time is up can save food. Food with ice crystals can be refrozen.

• Buying ice converts a refrigerator into an icebox to preserve food. Dry ice keeps the food in a freezer frozen.

• Floodwater usually contains sewage. Treat floodwater like it came right out of the toilet.

• Floodwater renders food, pots, and dishes unsafe. Wash thoroughly and then disinfect for 15 minutes by bleach disinfectant solution or boiling.

• Discard food exposed to smoke or firefighting chemicals. Scrub pots, dishes, etc, and then use bleach disinfectant solution.

• In case of flood, assume the tap water is contaminated until tested.

• Dilute bleach 10-1 for disinfectant solution.

• Use 8 to 16 drops of unscented bleach to sterilize a gallon of drinking water. Mix & wait 30 minutes. Add 6 more drops & wait again if you can’t smell the bleach. The fragrance in some scented bleaches is poisonous.

• If the tap water is not safe, prepare bleach disinfectant solution for washing.

• If you touch something that touched floodwater, and later eat before washing your hands, you may get violently ill.

• Do not try to "help" animals. A frightened small animal can tear you up.

• Do not use power tools you are not experienced with, especially chain saws. Wait for someone who knows how.

• Do not use sources of fire you are not experienced with, especially oil lamps. A disaster is much harder to deal with after burning oil goes everywhere.

• Disasters displace snakes & rodents. Expect this and be careful.

• Don’t drive through water. Just 3 inches of water can stall an engine and less than 12 inches can float the car (this is a bad thing). Most Americans who die in floods do so in their car.

• In a chemical spill, turn off the heater, air conditioner, bathroom fans, and all other fans that suck in outside air. Retreat to one room of the house and seal the cracks around the doors and windows with duct tape.

• Some water sources should never be used for drinking. Never drink from automobile radiators, waterbeds, or floodwater.

• Photograph damage for insurance.

• Hospitals can’t handle disasters that produce lots of injuries. Don’t waste time going to the hospital unless there is no other way to save a life. They probably have one emergency room bed per 20,000 people. If there are more than half a dozen emergency patients they expect to send them to nearby hospitals.

 Keep this list taped to the inside of a cabinet or closet door so you can find it in an emergency.

 Suggested emergency kit (a plastic tub or waterproof duffel)

• A list of everything the kit is supposed to have.

• Copies of all prescriptions, account statements, insurance information, and emergency numbers in a waterproof container. Update the copies every year.

• A survival book filled with handy tips in a waterproof container.

• Spare wrenches for gas and water cutoffs.

• Many coffee filters that fold flat. Two coffee filters purify most liquids, including water and gasoline. Unsafe water should be bleached or boiled after filtering if possible. Coffee filters alone can handle scummy mud-puddle water, but not sewage, gas, or oil contamination.

• Aluminum foil. The uses for aluminum foil are limited only to your imagination.

• Goggles for everyone that seal against his or her face. Some people need goggles that go over their glasses. Disasters often cause blinding smoke or dust.

• Respirators or dust masks, three for everyone. Many emergencies generate choking dust or smoke.

• A Swiss army knife or Leatherman tool.

• Heavy-duty garden or kitchen shears.

• Butane lighter and many matches in a waterproof container.

• Rope you can cut with the shears and use to tie things or as clothesline. The matches or lighter can melt the ends of synthetic rope over to keep it from unraveling.

• String.

• Work gloves for everyone.

• Lots of duct tape.

• A basic sewing kit and many safety pins.

• Pencils and notepaper or post-its in a waterproof container.

• A big fat marker for making signs (replace it every year).

• A deck of cards. Perhaps a travel chess/checkers set or a ball, too.

• A small bible in a waterproof container.

• Extra socks and underwear in a waterproof container.

• Feminine hygiene supplies in a waterproof container.

• Plastic tarps. They can protect things from rain, cover broken windows, patch a damaged roof, and so forth.

• Pliers/cutters for clothes hanger wire.

• A can opener.

• A sealed box of baby-wipes, zip-locked to keep the moisture in.

• A money-belt for each person.

• Some long shoelaces. Shoelaces wait for them most inopportune time to break. They can double as string.

• Petroleum jelly is a lip balm, a lubricant, and it seals out water.

• A spare drain-plug / tub-stopper.

• A loud whistle

• Hide $100 cash per person, a prepaid phone card, and a roll of quarters somewhere. The kit may or may not be a place to hide this.

 You will also need things that aren’t on this list.

 It is amazing what you can make out of duct tape, hanger wire, aluminum foil, and plastic sheets.

 Suggested Zip Kit

A zip kit is a little kit that ensures you can see, breathe, and walk long enough to get where you need to go in an emergency. It ensures you can communicate once you get there.

A zip kit must be as small, light, and cheap as possible. It shouldn’t have anything that can leak or go bad. Don’t put in anything made from soft rubber (like a rubber band); It may eat a hole in the goggles or zip-lock.

The key to zip kits is always having one with you. Each car gets a family zip kit with enough stuff for everyone. Whoever goes places without a car should have a personal zip kit in their backpack, locker, bike-bag, or whatever.

Sometimes space or cost is an issue, so stow a mini zip kit. Leave out the walking shoes & goggles. It won’t have everything you need, but something is better than nothing.

Zip kits fit in goggle cases, lunch boxes, and food storage containers. Use anything durable that won’t pop open. Mini zip kits fit in a sandwich zip-lock.

Contamination warning: Use both the mask and goggles to protect from dust, smoke, germs, chemicals, and radiation. Shower ASAP.  

• Goggles: Get the kind that seal against you face to keep out dust, smoke, and windborne particles. An anti-fog coating is worth the money, and so is the coating that darkens in bright sunlight. This is a physically large item that costs $5 to $10.

• Walking shoes for women who wear heels: Stow a pair that is old or cheap. This is a physically large item, and costs $10 to $20 to buy if you don’t have old ones.

• Zip-lock bag: The rest of the stuff fits in a resealable bag. It protects and keeps the little stuff together.

• Desiccant: Take the tiny desiccant pouch from a shipping container and put it in the zip-lock. Use a fresh one.

• 2 Respirators: A dust mask with two strings is called a respirator. Have two per person and get the kind that fold flat.

• Leather bootlaces: Shoelaces always pick the worst time to break, and leather bootlaces serve as string or rope.

• 6 first-aid wipes: First-aid wipes in tiny individual pouches treat a cuts & scrapes. They clean & sterilize your hands & face so you can eat & drink. They clean goggles. Have six per person.

• Cash: Money to fill a gas tank is probably the right amount, even if you don’t drive. Put the money in an opaque envelope and don’t let anyone know its there. This isn’t appropriate for a child’s zip kit.

• Notepaper: The ability to write things down and leave notes is critical. Post-its are good because they are the right size and have glue on the back.

• Pencil stub: If the pencil is too long it will be broken when you need it. Three or four inches long is about right.

• Pocketknife: A very small folding pocketknife can sharpen the pencil, cut the leather bootlaces, and open things. Wrap it so it won’t rub against and scratch the goggles.

• Photographs: Have a recent family photograph. It helps when you can show a picture of who you are looking for.

• Phone numbers: Have every family and close friend’s number written down, including those out of the area.

• Insurance: Have the phone numbers and policy numbers written down.

• Prescriptions: Have a copy of all prescriptions, including eyeglasses. Photo-reducing makes them smaller.

 Prepare to evacuate

• Make a quick-exit list of what to take so nothing is forgotten. Include the probable locations of these items. Mark certain items as essential (and put them at the top of the list) in case you have to leave immediately with only what you can carry. List items together if they are close to each other. Update the list annually. Tape the list to the inside of a closet or cabinet door where you keep some of the stuff. You must be able to get ready in 15 minutes; time how long it takes to touch everything on the list. Getting it below 10 minutes is better; you might not have a quarter-hour.

• There are certain records, valuables, and heirlooms you do not want to lose. List them and where they usually are. Update the list annually. The valuables should all fit on one container, perhaps a special briefcase or plastic box. Tape the list of valuables inside the lid. If the time of need should ever come, dump the Christmas ornaments out of the container, round up everything on the valuables list, and put them in. You must be able to round everything up in 5 minutes; time how long it takes to touch everything on the list. The time you spend rounding up valuables counts against the 15-minute quick-exit.

• Maintain a travel kit, everything you need to travel except clothes. This is handy for traveling, too. Put spare glasses in the travel kit so your vacation will not be ruined. You can buy glasses over the Internet for $40.

• Maintain a camping kit, even if you do not camp. Camp once a year whether you like it or not to stay ready.

• Pets usually do better if you leave them behind than if you try to bring them. They only need saving from fires and floods. If you bring them, they will find a way to escape and get lost. If you leave them, they will be there when you return.

• Rescue workers must sometimes shoot pets to save their owners. Leave the pets behind.

• Don’t turn pets loose unless necessary, many will be struck by emergency vehicles. This kills the pet and disables the emergency vehicle. People will be endangered by the loss of the emergency vehicle.

• When preparing to evacuate in a hurry, the first thing to do is turn off the ringers on all the phones. The phones will ring non-stop when everyone you know calls to make sure you are OK and talk about the disaster. It will take several minutes to reassure each one that you are OK and will be leaving soon. Except you won’t because you are talking on the phone instead.

Things to put on your quick-exit list

• Money (cash, checks, credit cards, etc). This is essential.

• Everyone's travel kit (probably essential)

• A cell phone, charger, & phone numbers of everyone you know (possibly essential)

• Boots, raingear and jackets (bring spare shoes if you are wearing the boots). Disposable galoshes may work for you.

• A suitcase or two full of clothes for 3 days, preferably with their hangers

• The box of valuables

• ID's, passports, et cetera.

• Gasoline

• 3 days supplies for everyone's special needs (medicines, baby food, feminine hygiene, etc)

• The camping kit

• The emergency kit

• Water for a few days

• Blankets or sleeping bags

• The computer backups

• Flashlights and lots of batteries

• A toolbox

• Bring a garden trowel, trash bags, and 3 days worth of toilet paper or baby wipes. Baby wipes are better than toilet paper, and can be used for cleaning other things.

• A day's worth of food that does not require cooking or refrigeration. This can be bread and peanut butter.

• A bath towel & washcloth for everyone

• 3 wire coat hangers per person, best accomplished by bringing the clothes with their hangars.

 This quick-exit list is sorted with the most important items on top in case you run out of time, and assumes you are leaving in a car. Group items on the list according to where they are to make them easier to round up. Do not bring stuff not on the list, unless you are sure the house will be destroyed. The two big mistakes are to bring too much stuff and to take too long getting out.

 Make a note at the bottom of the list: Turn off the electricity (and possibly the gas) if you expect flooding.

 Assume that if you have to evacuate because of the danger of fire, flood, or storm that your neighbors will too. Assume you are evacuating to a place with food, shelter, and medical care, but you may have to go without for a day or so.

 The traffic getting out will be stop & go. The people who take too long to get ready will be stuck in it the longest. If not getting out in time is a possibility, these are the ones who will not make it.

Cleanup when it is all over

• If in doubt, do not turn on the gas or electricity until told to. Only the gas company should turn the gas back on to avoid the possibility of explosion. Do not enter standing water to turn the electricity back on.

• If any propane tanks or weapons wind up on your property, call emergency services and do not touch them. Conduct a search if wind, water, or other forces could have deposited them.

• Get debris, mud, garbage, and standing water out of the house and cars immediately. Inhibit mold growth after flooding by reducing temperature and humidity (turn on the air conditioner, or air the place out if you don’t have one). Most floodwater is contaminated by sewage.

• Restore the structural integrity of your house. Patch the windows and roof with plywood and plastic sheets to make it watertight and help it maintain a comfortable temperature. Check for gas leaks if there is structural damage.

• Dry wet clothes to prevent mold.

• Save flood-damaged clothing by washing. Hose off the mud first. Wash & dry on the hottest setting the clothes will take. Use extra detergent. Use bleach or disinfectant. Most dry-clean clothing can be rinsed in the washing machine on cold and air-dried before bagging for dry-cleaning later (they are still contaminated by sewage).

• To save a flood damaged carpet: Pull up the carpets and pads, take them outdoors, and hose them clean. Discourage mold with bleach (2 tablespoons per gallon of water). Dry the carpet, pads, and floor thoroughly before reinstalling.

• Dust and ash is granular and abrasive. Wiping it off can be like scouring your possessions with cleanser. This is OK for some possessions, but not for others. Blowing and vacuuming are good ways to remove it. Paintbrushes are your next choice.

• Soot is both granular and greasy; it can be a sticky abrasive. Washing carries the risk of turning the soot into ink. Use common sense to remove soot from each item. When in doubt, preserve it to restore later with expert advice.

• Mold spreads. Isolate moldy items immediately.

• Cut out soaked drywall above the flood line to prevent mold.

• Salvage paper money as if it were any other paper. Banks will exchange damaged money if the denomination is identifiable and it is 51% intact. Badly damaged money is exchangeable by registered mail to the Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Office of Currency Standards, P.O. Box 37048, Washington, D.C. 20013. Enclose a letter explaining what happened.

• Dry papers separately so they will not stick together. Remove caked-on mud by gently agitating in water. Freeze what you cannot dry to restore later to prevent mold (separate with plastic or foil if possible). Never scrub documents. Save stuck-together documents to restore later with expert advice.

• Photograph negatives can be washed in clean water. Never heat, freeze, or scrub negatives.

• Stand books on edge so the water drains out. Then fan them out to dry.

• Dry paintings horizontally, paint-side up.

• If framed material is stuck to the glass, remove the backing and dry glass-side down. Restore later with expert advice.

• Clean removable magnetic media (tapes & diskettes) by rinsing and air-drying. Never soap, scrub, freeze, or heat them.

• Clean wood furniture normally. Prevent soaked wood veneers from warping and separating by weighting evenly over the surface.

• Clean upholstered furniture by rinsing and air-drying.

• Restore leather by rinsing and blotting it dry quickly.

• Blot steel items dry to reduce rust.

• Warped items can be flattened by moistening and then weighting over the entire surface.

• Mold can be killed in small absorbent items with a chlorine gas chamber. Put the items in a sealed container. Put in a small quantity of chlorine bleach. Hold your breath and add a little toilet cleaner to liberate deadly chlorine gas. Put on the lid and wait. Too much chlorine will bleach or corrode the item.

• Remove mold smell from paper and small items by putting loosely in a sealed container of baking soda for a week.

• Beware of unscrupulous contractors and loan companies. These vermin always show up after disasters.

 Put this list somewhere so that you can read it if something happens to your house.

 Keep this stuff at work (or maybe in your car)

People who work full time may be there when disaster strikes.

• Keep a coffee cup, even if you do not drink coffee.

• Keep a change of clothes in case of coffee collision in the hallway.

• Keep a change of underwear in case you eat bad food at a restaurant. It happens.

• If you sometimes wear impractical shoes to work (like heels), keep some practical boots there.

• Maintain three lunches that do not need power or water to prepare so you can be stuck at work for 24 hours without going hungry, or if you forget your lunch. Don’t let the supplies run low.

• Keep six little bottles of water. Don’t let the supplies run low.

• Keep a flashlight & batteries somewhere you can get to when the power fails.

• You will be a hero if you have matches & a little candle for the bathroom during power outages.

 You will also need things that aren’t on this list.

 When the power fails, or any other disaster strikes, unplug all your electronics.

 If water starts coming up out of the storm drains, leave the area immediately. Three inches of water in a low spot blocks a road.

 Preparedness for the car

Most people are completely unprepared for ordinary car problems. For some reason car problems usually happen at night in the rain.

• Some people need glasses to drive. They should keep a spare pair in each car. You can but them over the Internet for $40. This way you can get home if something happens to your glasses or contacts.

• Keep a full set of maps in every car, but don’t waste space storing maps of places you don’t go frequently.

• Be sure every driver can change a tire alone.

• Keep a toolbox in every car. It should have work gloves, hose-clamps, both kinds of screwdriver, an adjustable wrench with an insulated handle, and spare fuses.

• Keep a warm waterproof windbreaker in each car. It will fit in a big zip-lock bag. You or your passenger will forget to bring a jacket on a regular basis.

• Keep a rain-poncho in each car, a disposable one will do. They are small.

• Keep two flashlights with fresh batteries in every car. When batteries get old the flashlight will pretend to work in order to trick you. It will light for a minute or two and then fade. You will think you have two working flashlights, but you really have none. The temperature extremes from storing in a car are hard on batteries.

• Keep a zip-kit in the car.

• Keep three flares in your car.

• Keep a sealed bottle of every fluid the car needs: anti-freeze, motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, steering fluid, etc.

• Keep a fire extinguisher that can handle oil fires. Do not bury it, you may need it quickly. Shake it vigorously every 6 months to keep the power from caking; The car’s vibration packs the powder. Replace it when it expires.

• Keep a magnetic key case with keys in it. Stick it somewhere improbable and difficult to get to. Juvenile delinquents prowl parking lots feeling under bumpers for these key cases.

• Have paper towels or hand-wipes in a convenient place for spills and dirty hands. Tissue or paper towels in your car can be used for toilet paper in an emergency; Very handy when traveling.

• Keep some heat-resistant (non-synthetic) shoelaces, like leather bootlaces. Shoelaces wait until you are far from home to break. You can use them for emergency repairs if they don’t melt.

• If you sometimes wear impractical shoes (like heels), keep some practical shoes ziplocked in the trunk.

• If you sometimes drive in rural areas, keep a gallon of drinkable water and some canned food. Replace at the end of every summer, the trunk is a harsh environment.

 You will also need things that aren’t on this list.

 NBCS kit

The preparations for all these things are similar

 Be prepared – Know your NBC’S

N – Nuclear accidents & fallout

B – Biological agents & epidemics

C – Chemical accidents & agents

S – Skunk stench removal

 Nuclear accidents & fallout (dust is bad)

Radiological accidents, reactor meltdowns, terrorist “dirty” bombs, and nuclear weapons all generate nuclear fallout. It is mixed with dust and drifts downwind. Beware of rain, which brings down fallout.

Leave the affected area immediately. Wear goggles and a respirator. Shower often, and wash your hands & face before eating drinking, or touching food. Consume only bottled water & canned food.

The single most dangerous component of fallout is Iodine-131. Iodine pills protect you from it (and nothing else). Most of the Iodine-131 is gone in a month.

• Always have some unopened liquid soap on hand that can be used to shower and shampoo. Dish soap works in a pinch.

• Own goggles that seal against your face, one for everybody.

• Own respirators, two for everybody. A respirator is a dust mask with two strings.

• Own an affordable air purifier.

 Biological agents & epidemics (germs are bad)

Epidemics and other biological agents spread from person to person. You can breathe airborne germs, but the most common way to be infected is to touch something contaminated and then touch your face. Doorknobs and water faucets are notorious because people touch them all day long and they are rarely sterilized.

While a virus is smaller than the holes in cheap respirators, airborne diseases are often spread through droplets from coughs & sneezes. Respirators protect against aerosols.

Use alcohol to sterilize things that get touched a lot, like handles, knobs, pulls, and switches. Sterilize them frequently.

Wash your hands frequently, keep your hands away from your face, and don’t pick your nose. Limit exposure to other people and wear a respirator when you can’t. Run your air purifier continuously.

Floodwater usually contains sewage and it renders food, pots, and dishes unsafe. Wash thoroughly and then disinfect for 15 minutes by bleach or boiling. If you touch something that touched floodwater, and later eat before washing your hands, you may get violently ill.

• Always have a full bottle of 90% alcohol on hand to sterilize things. Soap works in a pinch. Bleach, ammonia, or peroxide work as well as alcohol, but can corrode or discolor things.

• Own respirators, two for everybody. A respirator is a dust mask with two strings.

• Own an affordable air purifier.

 Chemical accidents & agents (air is bad)

Chemicals in powder, liquid, or gas form can get into the air and cause havoc. Stay indoors or leave the affected area immediately. Wear a respirator. Run your air purifier continuously. Don’t turn on anything that sucks air from outside. A bathroom exhaust fan sucks air in to replace the air it blows out.

Some chemicals remain on surfaces. Bleach decontaminates most chemicals, and peroxide is almost as good. Physical removal with soapy water will do in a pinch (adding baking soda to the soapy water helps).

Firefighting chemicals cover surfaces, and require decontamination.

• Always have some unopened bleach on hand to decontaminate things. Soapy water works in a pinch.

• Own respirators, two for everybody. A respirator is a dust mask with two strings.

• Own an affordable air purifier.

 Skunk stench removal (stink is bad)

Tomato juice doesn’t remove skunk stench well (it isn’t acidic enough). Skunk stench is an oil, so is attacked by acids and oxidizers. Bleach & peroxide are oxidizers.

If the stink isn’t on you, wear gloves and protective clothing.

1. Put a quart of hydrogen peroxide into a bucket.

2. Add a teaspoon or two of dish soap and swish it around with a sponge until it dissolves.

3. Add a small box of baking soda (which will foam like crazy).

4. Start sponging the stink off, because the baking soda will only foam for a few minutes.

5. Allow it to soak in for 5 minutes before rinsing.

The dish soap lifts out the stench so the other ingredients can get at it. The peroxide chemically attacks and neutralizes the stench. The baking soda mops up what’s left.

Bleach is almost as good as peroxide, and vinegar is better than nothing. Both bleach and peroxide can discolor things.

This mixture neutralizes poison oak if applied before it soaks into the skin. The bad stuff in poison oak is another oil.

Keep these ingredients outside, and buy them before you need them. You won’t want to go into your house or car for them.

• A bucket & sponge

• Hydrogen peroxide

• Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)

Remove lingering skunk stench from your house or car with bowls of vinegar, pans of ground coffee, or trays of baking soda.

Wonderful bleach

• Bleach sterilizes surfaces from biological agents

• Bleach decontaminates surfaces from most chemicals

• Dilute pure bleach 10:1 for a milder bleach that still sterilizes and decontaminates.

• Use 8 to 16 drops of unscented bleach to sterilize a gallon of drinking water. Mix & wait 30 minutes. Add 6 more drops & wait again if you can’t smell the bleach. The fragrance in some scented bleaches is poisonous.

• Bleach can react with other household cleaners, producing chlorine gas. They used it to kill people in world war I. Don’t store bleach in the same cabinet with other chemicals or cleaners (other than laundry products).

 Ozone generators are bad

Ozone generators are effective air fresheners. They can also cause health problems when used long-term. Ozone ages rubber rapidly, so repair bills for everything you own will bleed you white.

Prefer an air purifier with a filter rather than an ozone generator.

 Your indoor NBCS supplies

• An affordable air purifier with spare filter

• Two respirators for everyone (a respirator is a dust mask with two strings)

• Goggles that seal against your face, one for everybody

• Unscented bleach

• Alcohol (90% or better)

• Iodine pills

 Your outdoor NBCS supplies

• A bucket (the rest of the stuff fits in the bucket)

• Two one-quart bottles of hydrogen peroxide

• Two small boxes of baking soda, in moisture-proof packaging

• A small bottle of dish soap

• A sponge, in waterproof packaging

 A clever water distillation system

If you have a working stove, but no clean water, you can distill using a big pot. Fill the pot halfway with dirty water. Put the lid on upside down, so the handle points down. Tie a cup to the handle. Start simmering.

The steam condenses on the upside-down lid and runs downhill to the handle. From there it drips into the cup.

 Where do you get the stuff?

Look in your local dollar store first.

 These suppliers have a large selection, a huge catalog, sell by mail, and are easy to contact. Their listing here is not an endorsement.

1-800-356-0783    http://www.labsafety.com/

Gloves, goggles, disposable galoshes, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, etc.

1-800-322-6822    http://www.sentrysafetysupply.com/

Gloves, goggles, disposable galoshes, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, etc.

1-800-430-4110    http://www.northsafety.com/

Gloves, goggles, disposable galoshes, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, etc.

1-800-237-4444    http://www.cabelas.com/

Camping equipment

(909) 798-8108    http://www.simplerlife.com

Disaster preparedness supplies

1-888-263-3416    http://www.worldprep.com/

Disaster preparedness supplies

1-888-978-7759    http://www.globalindustrial.com

Industrial supplies of all types