Do you have your emergency grab and go stuff?
By writersedge
@writersedge (22563)
United States
February 28, 2011 4:39am CST
We're all supposed to be ready to leave in a moment's notice with 3 days supply of stuff. There was a tire fire at a tire storage facility and all the neighborhood families were told by sherrif's car announcement, radio, and television, to leave immediately. During floods, entire neighborhoods have been told to grab their stuff and they have 5 minutes before a bus will pick them up.
Do you have your 3 days worth of water, clothing and supplies? We did, but we used a lot of the stuff up during a power outage. So one gallon of water per person per day, clothes for three days, and food. Do you have that?
Right now I have 3 days worth of water because I just went for spring water and my gallons of water aren't very far away from me right now. I have clothing and so does my husband because I just washed them. We have candles, our cell phone, and a flashlight. We have canned and dry goods thanks to a neighbor who brought them over. Everything is all over the house. Would be hard to get it altogether in 5 minutes or less. Only the candles are in the emergency cupboard. The clothes there, we need to donate. We're wider than them now. Time to get going.
So how do you stand? In 5 minutes, if a train full of toxic chemicals derailed and authorities gave you a few minutes to get stuff and leave, could you do it?
Right now, the stuff is here and if we did a fast division of labor, you get the water and the clothes, I get the candles, flashlight, and canned goods, we might be able to make it in time. How about you?
1 person likes this
7 responses
@celticeagle (159008)
• Boise, Idaho
1 Mar 11
No,I don't have any of this. I live in an area where about the only threat would be a earthquake and no one knows when it is going to happen. It is rather scarey to think about. If I had to leave I could do it, yes. Believing in the conspiracy theory you would think I would be more on board than I am.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
2 Mar 11
We've had lots of houses fall in with snow, get caved in with tree branches and get burned down due to wood stoves. Some were at work. I'm starting to think I need a spare one in my trunk in case I have no house to come back to. Hope you get one started, better to have one per family memeber and never need it than to not have one and need it.
1 person likes this
@GreenMoo (11834)
•
28 Feb 11
I have nothing packed and ready to go, although during periods when forest fires have been not too far away I have kept bags packed and in the car in case we needed to evacuate.
I reckon I could manage clothes and personal stuff in 5 minutes. I normally have bottles of water in the kitchen so it would just be a case of grabbing them, candles are scattered all over the house anyway so they would be easy to grab (not sure about something to light them with. I can never find a lighter or matches when I need one so I'd have no chance in an emergency!) and I have dried and tinned goods stashed within pretty easy reach (pasta and tinned sweetcorn for three days. Yum!). So yes, I think I could grab it all if someone else could mind the kids and throw it in bags.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
2 Mar 11
I had one cupboard with everything in it, it's called my emergency cupboard, but I've burned a lot of candles, we're actually using the flashlight, and we're fat. So I guess we need to get the emergency cupboard going again.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
28 Feb 11
Happy to be of service! Trying to get everyone prepared. Hope you never need it, but if you do, so important!
1 person likes this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
28 Feb 11
MY GOODNESS...you are a busy beaver, here on the lot!
In, B.C., we have PEP (Provincial Emergency Preparedness)and we have quarterly meetings in our community! Each neighborhood has a foreman, whom is a volounteer and looks after the big picture, communications, etc. Each resident is supposed to have a "survival kit" for 72 hours. Each resident is polled for resources; e.g., I have a 4-wheel drive truck, a 6500 watt gas generator, a 500 GPM water pump, 3 chainsaws, 13,500 gallons of storage water, a cell=phone, and these are all listed in "pool resources!" That can be used in case of disaster! I have 3 very strong totes, stored in the Forest, one with tent, bedding, clothes, linens, One with kitchen tools, survival tools...and one with Food for myself & my furry friends! I even have duplicate copies of important documents, sealed and in hiding, so I feel it will be fine, as long as I don't lose my memory..LOL! The huge fire that we had 3 years ago..and the recent earthquake keeps this fore-front in my mind! Cheers!
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
28 Feb 11
We have FEMA and they're the ones that tell us, 3 days worth of stuff in a duffle bag to grab and go plus water and clothes. How we're to carry all that, I don't know.
We are averaging a fire a day here. So fire safety is really big right now. But the trains have derailed and been on the news once every few months, too. Now they're saying lots of flooding expected this year with the crazy precipitation here. So if one thing doesn't get us, another will!
1 person likes this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
1 Mar 11
Sorry, I cannot see any correlation between FEMA and PEP...there for the same reason, but after seeing FEMA in actiona after Catrina..and seeing PEP in action during our fire! The point here is the Foreman of each neighborhood is responsible for a maximum of 20 persons, and if needed, each home is assisted in assembling their E'kit & needs! In wake of emergency, these small groups are responsible for the welfare of other's in the group, when we are safe and secure, and if possible, then will branch out to help others!
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
2 Mar 11
I didn't say there was any correlation, just that's what we had.
They are trying to have a better response in the future. But in defense of FEMA, everyone including the President of the USA told people to get out of Louisiana. By by the time people believed it, it was too late. Also, I don't think many were ready to leave in 5 mins., 5 days maybe. There were a lot of poor people and people in hospitals and emergency rooms to evacuate, too. Nothing this large had hit anywhere and Florida gets hit all the time. That state is very much prepared. Like during NY State, we had an ice storm, took forever for us to get generators. People from Florida said they never had trouble getting generators or anything they need down there. It's up to each area to be prepared. It soulds like your area is prpared. It sounds like you're prepared, but look at the rest of the responses here. We've got people who don't even think they need to be prepared. We had people during both our ice storm and Katrina that didn't even want help and wouldn't take it. My neighbor was elderly and she wouldn't leave her animals.
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
28 Feb 11
Nope.. I have nothing prepared for an emergency, though we've never had an emergency here.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
2 Mar 11
You're welcome. A duffle bag or a back pack per person with the necessary stuff is a great way to start.Hope you get a good one and start your own discussion of what you're putting in yours soon.
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
2 Mar 11
I don't have my grab and go stuf..but the last couple of days have made me consider them. The weather has been quite turbulant. There is no way that I could have my things ready in 5 minutes...or be prepared for a few days "without". Great discussion and certainly worth thinking about.
