Japan disaster in perspective

[bcguy]

I am sure just about everyone here has followed the events that unfolded in japan last week. Even if the disaster was 200 miles away, it can still indirectly affect your town..if it had the same circumstances in japan. With Tokyo 190 miles away from Sendia, Tokyo, seems to be having a food shortage.

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Sendai is also having serious issues with resources. Food, Electricity, Power, Fuel, Food and now, the nuclear threat is imposing serious challenges to survive.

My question to you all, do you have your GO BAG and FUEL containers of fuel ready to go? If you are going to stay, do you have enough of all the essentials to survive a big disaster?

Does anyone here also have a check off checklist to fill out of what is needed per person per day? Lastly, don't depend on local emergency first responders if there is a need during a disaster. Chances are, they will be overwhelmed. Worst cast, the fire truck may not even leave the fire station if the quake damages the garage doors, preventing them from opening. This was one of the reasons why the fires spread quickly in Francisco.

My emergency list is as follows:

-Water supply for a month

-Food supply for a month or more

-Sanitation -way to dispose of for a month. Sewer pipes may be cracked.

-Canisters of Fuel stored away with fuel stabilizer.

-Emergency pool of water, water pump and fire hose. Fires erupt after quakes.

-4X4 with winch.

-4x4 trailer to haul the extra gear

-Hamradio

-GPS - Use GPS to record your houses lat/long location incase fire or Tsunami wipes out location

-Arm band gps- incase you are injured and imbobalized, you can radio out your location

-Riffle or shotgun yes security is important

-Out of area emergency communications

-Medicine

-prybar - One guy was stuck in his bathroom for a few hours because the house frame twisted, keeping his door shut tight. What if the house was on fire? keep a pry bar in windowless rooms to pry open the door.

-Chainsaw - to cut the down trees across the road.

List goes on and on. I think if you had the money, a 4x4 and trailer, then most of these items can already be sitting inside the trailer in a locked garage.

[Guest Alana]

The most important thing I got out of this disaster, and out of hurricane Katrina is that if we all had 72 hour kits, it would help immensely. In both cases, there were people who didn't have fresh water for the first 3 days.

Sometimes having everything is hard, especially for those who live in apartments, but we can all have a 72 hour kit. If you can't afford a tent, a 4 dollar tarp and a 6 dollar blanket are at least a start. If you're not feeling creative, just put in a bunch of power bars.

My focus is on food, ways to prepare it without storing much fuel (not practical for me), and basic toiletries and first aid.

I'm glad to see a post on this here though. I wish this topic would get more attention.

[pam]

If you go through the threads in the preparedness forum, you will see numerous topics that address this.

[Wingnut]

The most important thing I got out of this disaster, and out of hurricane Katrina is that if we all had 72 hour kits, it would help immensely. In both cases, there were people who didn't have fresh water for the first 3 days.

Sometimes having everything is hard, especially for those who live in apartments, but we can all have a 72 hour kit. If you can't afford a tent, a 4 dollar tarp and a 6 dollar blanket are at least a start. If you're not feeling creative, just put in a bunch of power bars.

Yep, that's definitely a big thing. No matter where in the world, our church is often the first responder, and though we have amazing resources sitting at the ready, and an incredible chain of communication, we usually don't get in until it's been about 72 hours.

[Guest Alana]

If you go through the threads in the preparedness forum, you will see numerous topics that address this.

I meant what's happening in Japan as of right now. No one mentioned it on Sunday, which surprised me. Then again, I was talking to a few people that didn't even know about it until Monday.

[Iggy]

We talked about this the other night at RS. One thing was mentioned- ID. Put your drivers license in your jeans or pant pocket.

I am thinking of having a necklace or bracelet made up. I am diabetic and should have one that says that, but I also want my pertinent info on it too.

About half of our Branch members are in the tsunami alert area. When they heard the sirens and got the call, they had two hours to evacuate. They left in plenty of time, getting dressed (it was 4:45 to 5:15 AM alarms & calls), taking 72 hours kits for those who had them, grabbing extra blankets, pillows, and food out of the fridge and freezer for those who were going to members homes on higher ground.

They all forgot important things. A few of the sisters were upset that it would have taken half a day to get their genealogy information packed and moved to higher ground.

You know, I have been through three major moves. This last one, I did the tossing and the packing, but the two previous ones my ex packed, tossed and moved. IF it wasn't his, it got trashed. Yes, including my clothes! Yes, we were still married. He even trashed & burned my personal family photos.

So I have lost material things. Irreplaceable things. But THINGS non-the-less. Lives are so much more important. I not only have block gel ice in the freezer, I also have two quart zip freezer bags full of flour, two of lentils, two of navy beans and two of long grain rice. I use them for ice packs. If the bag of flour is really full, then it holds the cold for longer than a bag of ice. I have not yet tested out the lentils, beans or rice. BUT the thing is, they will keep my extra insulin cold, are easier to stuff between boxes of pen insulin in the thermal bag I have. PLUS when they warm up, they can be cooked and eaten.

Freezing and thawing really doesn't hurt them, there is no moisture inside the bags.

Anyway, remember your ID, family names and phone numbers (email addy too) List of medications you take and the dosages. In your 72 hour bag, toss the hair conditioner - takes two to three X as much water to rinse out than shampoo. Notice in the Humanitarian Hygiene bags there is NO shampoo or conditioner or mouthwash. They are not essentials.

We put together those bags the other night, and all of the women were wondering why just two hand towels? How in the world can you wash up/bathe with just two small hand towels.

NOT one of the sisters knew how that would work. I was the only one who knew. You wash with soapy water with one, wring the soapy towel out real good, and wipe down with it. Then rinse off with the other and then wring the rinse towel out REAL good and then dry off. Don't put the soapy cloth into the water. Use your hand to scoop water onto it. When you wring your cloths out, wring them into an empty catch bowl. Same with the rinse cloth- wring it out into the catch bowl, and scoop fresh water onto it with your hand.

When I was growing up, we didn't have bath sized towels. We had hand towels and wash cloths. After our bath, we wrung the wash cloth out real good, wiped down with it, wringing it out as it collected more water. Then we scrubbed dry with the hand towel. I preferred my fathers shaving towels (Tea Towels), they are bigger than the 10"x10" or 12"x12" wash cloth, but smaller than the hand towel. I could wring it out easier than the wash cloth. Could also wash more area with it too.

I also told them that I would show them how to wash their hair & bathe with just two quarts of water, saving the bulk of the water to flush the throne with after wards!

~ , ~ Done rambling :)

Edited March 18, 2011 by Iggy

[bcguy]

Probably good idea to put it on a tough ID bracelet. Who knows maybe your unconscious, and this id would help medics identify who you are, what med you may be allergic to, and also out of town contacts.

Lastly, when was the last time all of you people were vaccinated? Disease usually crops up after a disaster.

[pam]

I meant what's happening in Japan as of right now. No one mentioned it on Sunday, which surprised me. Then again, I was talking to a few people that didn't even know about it until Monday.

Ahhh I thought the focus was on 72 hour kits from your post. I was just saying there are numerous threads as well to check out about 72 hour kits and what to put in them. Some great ideas.

[Guest Alana]

Ahhh I thought the focus was on 72 hour kits from your post. I was just saying there are numerous threads as well to check out about 72 hour kits and what to put in them. Some great ideas.

I don't focus, I randomize.

[bcguy]

I wonder just how darn important these ports were? I imagine the fuel storage or fuel offloading was damaged, thus not enough fuel getting to the fuel stations.

This could happen to a part of the US that depends on its ports for import and export uses where the ports are damaged or blocked.

Tsunami disruption spreads deep into Japan - Yahoo! News