Are You Prepared For A Small Disaster?

[sixpacktr]

Our stake polled all the leaders in each ward (Bishopric, EQ Presidency, HP Group Leaders, RS Presidency) as to their personal preparedness on the following 12 items. Now mind you, these are by no means all inclusive, but we have cause for concern in winter up here in Western NY that we'll lose power or that snow will be up to your eyeballs (I guess a couple of years ago it actually snowed 7 feet in 2 days!), so they wanted to be sure that we as leaders are prepared as we teach others to be self reliant as much as possible. The items were as follows (and there simple 'yes' or 'no' questions):

Do you have:

1. 72 hour kits

2. 2 weeks supply of food

3. 2 weeks supply of water

4. Alternative power supply (generator, etc)

5. Alternative heat supply (fireplace, gas oven, etc)

6. Cell phone that can be recharged

7. A corded phone

8. Gasoline for generator/car

9. Meds you may need

10. Radio that will function w/o electricity

11. Flashlights AND batteries

12. 4X4 vehicle

I guess I was just wondering how well you all stack up to this list.

[Canuck Mormon]

Our stake polled all the leaders in each ward (Bishopric, EQ Presidency, HP Group Leaders, RS Presidency) as to their personal preparedness on the following 12 items. Now mind you, these are by no means all inclusive, but we have cause for concern in winter up here in Western NY that we'll lose power or that snow will be up to your eyeballs (I guess a couple of years ago it actually snowed 7 feet in 2 days!), so they wanted to be sure that we as leaders are prepared as we teach others to be self reliant as much as possible. The items were as follows (and there simple 'yes' or 'no' questions):

Do you have:

1. 72 hour kits

2. 2 weeks supply of food

3. 2 weeks supply of water

4. Alternative power supply (generator, etc)

5. Alternative heat supply (fireplace, gas oven, etc)

6. Cell phone that can be recharged

7. A corded phone

8. Gasoline for generator/car

9. Meds you may need

10. Radio that will function w/o electricity

11. Flashlights AND batteries

12. 4X4 vehicle

I guess I was just wondering how well you all stack up to this list.

1. 72 hour kits - YES

2. 2 weeks supply of food - ALMOST

3. 2 weeks supply of water - ALMOST

4. Alternative power supply (generator, etc) - NO

5. Alternative heat supply (fireplace, gas oven, etc) - NO

6. Cell phone that can be recharged - YES

7. A corded phone - NO

8. Gasoline for generator/car - NO

9. Meds you may need - NO

10. Radio that will function w/o electricity - YES

11. Flashlights AND batteries - YES

12. 4X4 vehicle - YES and I love it!!

I'll have to show this to my wife who thinks we should get rid of my truck.

[prisonchaplain]

It's fine to have this stuff, but our media saturated society is way too fearful about life in general. So, prepare the basics, but do stop to smell the roses.

[tiancum]

Do you have:

1. 72 hour kits

yup

2. 2 weeks supply of food

1 year 7 preople, 7 years total

3. 2 weeks supply of water

8 50 gallon drums, gotta fill some of em

4. Alternative power supply (generator, etc)

no

5. Alternative heat supply (fireplace, gas oven, etc)

yes FP, gas stove

6. Cell phone that can be recharged

yup

7. A corded phone

yup

8. Gasoline for generator/car

10 gallons

9. Meds you may need

yup

10. Radio that will function w/o electricity

no

11. Flashlights AND batteries

YES, we tried to get things powered by aa battreis and bought 100 from costco

12. 4X4 vehicle

Fj cruiser

we are dipping into it now, as we are going through a rough patch.n thank heaven we have it.

It's fine to have this stuff, but our media saturated society is way too fearful about life in general. So, prepare the basics, but do stop to smell the roses.

I agree, We will not live in fear. Ill put a rose in the end of my 50 cal...JK..i'm not a gun nut.

[Palerider]

we work at having alot of things.....we do not own a gun in this house at all.....we do have some water but no where near enough...we work at our food supply each week by adding to it. We don't live in fear...we just want to "Be Prepared".

[sixpacktr]

we work at having alot of things.....we do not own a gun in this house at all.....we do have some water but no where near enough...we work at our food supply each week by adding to it. We don't live in fear...we just want to "Be Prepared".

That really is the key, isn't it? Too many think 'oh my gosh, I gotta go buy $2000 worth of groceries, get all this equipment, etc., etc.' and get so overwhelmed that they never do anything. A little at a time will do just as well. King Benjamin talked about not running faster than we are able. He didn't say 'don't run' just 'don't run faster than you can'.

How do you all store water? It has a shelf life, from what I hear. Would it be better to go the water purifier route so that you can drink whatever you can find (I mean, you need some water, but more than 2 weeks is awfully tough to store and keep fresh). I do have a 19K gallon pool, so I'm set on water! , but I wouldn't drink it.

A good website that has survival stuff and great guns/knives is cheaperthandirt.com

[Palerider]

In St Louis the church has a dry pack cannery.....we can go there and do some dry pack canning...its great.

We do water the easy way and cheap way....we put it in plastic milk jugs....yes I know everyone goes... plastic milk jugs.....they give out over time and you have to replace them.....who cares....I replace them....at least I have some water if I need it.....

[Moksha]

Living in Magic Valley, Utah I think the one true disaster would be a large earthquake. It would be somewhat hard to prepare for a really big one since we cannot predict how safe it would be to remain in our houses due to gas line leakage.

One thing for certain, is that it would take a community effort to care for everyone and help them pull through. I have worried about some of our local gun nuts barricading themselves and taking pot shots at passing neighbors. I hope when the time comes, circumstances will be such that common sense overcomes some of their rhetoric.

A very large earthquake will leave much of the Valley vulnerable to ground liquefaction due to being built upon sandy soil. Hate to think about those I care for struggling in a quick sand situation. Hopefully their 72 hour kits will keep them afloat. I am hoping all the LDS Churches have been built sturdy enough that they can serve as temporary shelters.

[prisonchaplain]

We actually are prepared for minor emergencies...I just didn't know it.

Last night, daughter #2 had an accident. Spare provisions were prepared for the bed, and daughter #2 barely even had to stir.

Daughter #1 got a stomach virus, and we were able to transfer her to "the big bed," with hardly a glitch.

Washer and & Dryer are on 24 hour "on-call" readiness...a life prepared...gotta SMILE.

[Alaskagain]

In St Louis the church has a dry pack cannery.....we can go there and do some dry pack canning...its great.

We do water the easy way and cheap way....we put it in plastic milk jugs....yes I know everyone goes... plastic milk jugs.....they give out over time and you have to replace them.....who cares....I replace them....at least I have some water if I need it.....

Nothing at all wrong with the plastic milk jugs for short term storage. We also use half gallon and gallon sized juice containers such as Sunny D or Cranberry Juice Cocktail comes in. They are thicker plastic.

[Gwen]

Would it be better to go the water purifier route so that you can drink whatever you can find (I mean, you need some water, but more than 2 weeks is awfully tough to store and keep fresh). I do have a 19K gallon pool, so I'm set on water! , but I wouldn't drink it.

if you go the purifier route make sure you fully understand what you get and how it works. my husband is an environmental engineer and does a lot with water purification. he laughs all the time about the stuff you buy in the store. they have all the right "ingrediants" for purification but neglect how it works. a lot of systems the water has to spend a certian amt of time in the filter to be effective, the ones where the water passes through for a brief sec before it hits your glass does little. also keep in mind they have a shelf life. they loose effectiveness over time and can only productively filter so much water, then it needs replacing.