Emergency Preparedness for the Next Storm #emergencyprep #wellwater

So, there was a storm last week. This was kind of a new thing because it’s the first time we’ve lost electricity while living on a well.

Of course, immediately I was like, “wow, I am SO THIRSTY.” And I wanted WATER.

When My Chemical Romance got home from his business trip — this was really poor planning on the part of the storm; we hadn’t seen him all week — I dashed off to the closest grocery store that had power. I drove past three before I found one and I bought them out of water. I also bought a bunch of soup (gluten free), flashlights, gf chips and more water.

The power was out for a total of 16 hours, and in that time I started our emergency preparedness corner in our back room. (It’s indoors and finished but not insulated. It’s just a porch room, I guess? I freaking LOVE this house.) Here’s what I’ve got:

• Water! Probably not enough for seven people and two dogs, but it’s a start. Next time there’s a bad storm, I’ll fill the bathtub so we can use that water to flush the toilets.
• Soup
• Canned fruit
• can opener (we upgraded to an electric for the kitchen!)
• 4 flashlights with batteries (and long lives, allegedly).
• Three candles
• matches
• Roll of paper towel
• Paper plates, paper bowls, plastic cups and plastic utensils

I think this will be enough to get us through 24 hours of no electricity, which was about as long as it lasted for the worst of those who didn’t have power. We’re not that far from bigger cities that we’d haul out if we needed to. We actually planned to go to Charlotte for the day but when we stopped home to get swimsuits, the power was back on.

I also recently made an emergency kit for me, appropos of nothing except my kids always raid the actual first-aid kit for bandaids and then I have a fully stocked first-aid kit minus bandaids, which are the ONLY thing I’ve ever needed. Here’s what’s in it, per instructions of a EMT on reddit.com :

• Aspirin
• Ibuprofen
• Tylenol
• Benadryl
• Bandaids 😀
• Neosporin
• Saline solution/salt wash
• Maxi pads (to use as bandages)
• Duct tape

I also want to make a car emergency kit. My car is ollllllllllllld (I’m hoping to get a Ford Transit Wagon when they come out, in diesel! They seat 10!) and falling apart. At home I have plug-in jumper cables but that doesn’t help when I’m out so I want those. Also, flares, a multitool and a small fire extinguisher.

I want to be like a Boy Scout, minus the exclusion of gay leaders and atheists.