First… this is a perfect example of why everyone in the U.S. should have THEIR OWN emergency supplies.
The next disaster is always just around the corner. But we never know which corner.

FEMA looks like they are preparing best they can for the event, but please realize the government, at best, can do only so much.

Okay…

You know to store water and food. Water is more important than food. Rule of thumb is to store three times as much as you think you should. You won’t be sorry.

You can look though this site for some poignant recommendations about everything else.

In this post I’m going to be thinking out loud about some things that aren’t on most lists. But could be really, really handy.

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Potassium iodide: should you stock some?

That is a big question in the wake of the Japanese nuclear disaster. The true extent of the release of radioactive materials from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station’s six reactors is hidden behind an inscrutable corporate wall, with the willing help of the Japanese government and all the governments of the world who want more and more and more nuclear power plants.

Radioactive iodine-131 from has been found, well, just about everywhere. (more…)

A week ago I posted ‘A Pause’.

Everything is still in the air, all is still waiting, we are still on pause.

There is movement in the undergrowth, a lot of scurrying, but the big game is keeping out of sight.

The date of January 15 has been generally bandied about by all sides for the release of the indictments from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. It looks like, possibly, it is a real date. But there are never any guarantees in the maelstrom that is the Middle East.
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Nothing much doing in the Middle East that is out of the ordinary.

An aid ship for Gaza was not allowed to dock in Egypt for overland transport of the supplies. Pretty much a non-event, it does show that the blockade of Gaza is still in full swing.

Israel today held another big military exercise on the border with Lebanon. It made hardly a ripple in Lebanese press. They are becoming quite used to it. I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Depends on viewpoint, I suppose.

Israeli sources are publicly trumpeting the clandestine monkeywrenches that the Mossad has been throwing into the Iranian nuclear program. They keep saying over and over that the program is now 3 years from being able to make a Bomb. I’m sorry, but that seems a little optimistic.

Even in the news releases, the crucial qualifying phrase ‘by themselves’ is softly included. (more…)

Hurricane Earl is roaring up the East Coast, and millions of people are wondering if it will hit their area hard. Forecasts for hurricanes are helpful, but far from guaranteed to be accurate. The next 24-36 hours should tell the story. Hopefully it will have a happy ending, if you are one of those threatened.

Emergency Supplies

Even now there may be time to make a little difference. I suggest you do what you can. In the areas most likely to be hit, stores have already been overshopped, and crowds have made getting things difficult. Hopefully there are some items left on the shelves. Question is… is it worth going to the store? If it is dangerous, no it isn’t. If you can get in and get some things and get out without a confrontation or being hijacked, sounds like it may be still worth a try. Use wisdom.

When disaster strikes, stay away from stores. You’ll only find trouble there at that point in time.

Let’s assume you can get to a store and they have some stock left. If it were me, I’d get things in this order:
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One of the primary sources for emergency food in the United States is Nitro-Pak

There are good reasons.

1. ‘Iron-Clad’ 120-day Guarantee

2. Free Shipping in the continental United States over $100, most items.

3. Over 50,000 products

5. Guaranteed lowest price. If you find a lower price on an in-stock item, they will match it.

6. In business over 25 years.

7. Most orders ship in 24 -72 hours, although the time can get much longer when there is a perceived crisis, and then they also run out of the most popular items.

They have MRE’s, Emergency Food Units, Freeze-Dried Food.
They have Earthquake Survival Kits, Camping Survival Supplies, and Survival Food.
They even have esoteric emergency supplies like Space Food, Potassium Iodide and Nite-Vision Equipment.

Is this beginning to sound like a commercial?

Yes. It is a commercial. I would like you to go there and see if you find yourself saying… oh… I do not want to wait until it’s too late. I want some things on hand NOW. And start being actually prepared.

Have I gone through this checklist and made sure I have nearly all of what they suggest?
Yes. And I have a lot more of some categories, like first aid supplies.

Humor me. Go to Nitro-Pak. and click on 72 Hr. Survival Kits. Then when the next window comes up, click on 72 Hr Survival Kits. At the top of the page that comes up, you will see **72 Hour Emergency Info & Checklist. Click on that.

You will be shown an extremely well-thought-out emergency checklist.

The first part is a list of reasons why you should actually do something to be prepared. It is interesting.
The second part is the checklist with links to many of the supplies themselves. It is vital.

You can print out this checklist.

It is free.

Please take a little time and consider the checklist. As I’ve said, and as they say… because it is so true… when an emergency strikes it will be too late.

I never use binoculars. Except when I really need them.

I can go for months without picking up the pair I’ve had for several decades. And then suddenly I really need them. There might be something out at sea I really need to see, or an aircraft I’m curious about. I pick them up, sling the strap around my neck (I always put the strap around my neck because binoculars by their very nature are easy to drop) and suddenly my sense of sight is magnified enormously. I see what I need to see and then I’m done with them for however long.

I’m awfully glad I have them. Especially for emergency situations when I might really need to see something approaching.
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There are all sorts of categories of emergency power, but I’m narrowing my focus today to a backup battery for lights and small appliances.

Many of you have a backup power supply for your computer. It has enough electricity stored to allow you to shut your computer down safely when the power goes out. If you have a large enough backup, it may allow you a few minutes of using your computer before you shut it down. Depends on the capacity of the battery and how much current your devices draw.
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I know where things are in my garage storage area. There are also emergency lights and flashlights in various places. Even at night, there is some light from moon and/or stars, or from the streetlight that is not too far away. That’s a good thing, because there are sharp instruments and tools and very sturdy iron pieces sticking out from equipment, and I really do not want to run into any of them.

I was totally surprised one night when the garage door light went out before it’s normal turn-off time and suddenly… I was in total darkness. The power had gone out. It was very cloudy, so no moon or stars, and for some reason the emergency light did not come on automatically. So… total darkness. Now, most of the time I don’t really need light in a dark place. But this time, it was totally unexpected and I did not have time to orient myself to where I was in relation to the things I do not want to run into.
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