The plight of those in the wake of Hurricane Harvey has been weighing on my mind recently. Many of those in the hardest hit areas could ride out the major troubles of Harvey by having some basic preparedness procedures in place.
There are four basic needs to be secured during an emergency: food, shelter, water and sleep.
Water: Many people don’t know where to start when it comes to emergency preparedness, but there are a few things that are recommended. Water is by far the most important one out of all of them.
You can only last three days without water, while you can last more than two weeks without food. You will need to have some way to gather the water and purify it. If an emergency happens, the water pumps will only run for about 24 hours on emergency power before they will shut down completely and cleansing will stop. You will need to be able to filter out toxins.
A good rule of thumb is you will need 3 gallons per person per day. If you live in an arid area, water will more than likely need to be stored instead of relying on the filters alone.
Personally, I have a few different types of filters. The Sawyer water filter ($20 at any sporting goods store) can filter 100,000 gallons. You can’t beat that with any personal water filters on the market. I like LifeStraw as well, but it doesn’t have the gallon capacity of the Sawyer.
Food: Even though you can survive for three weeks without food, it will be a better time for all concerned if you have some sort of food on hand. People tend to be in better moods when they are full.
There are foods that you can store indefinitely in a cool dry place. Beans, rice, flour (in plastic canisters...properly stored), honey and seasonings can all be stored indefinitely when they are packaged correctly.
Any canned food can be stored if rotated properly. Do not buy foods that you don’t eat on a regular basis. If you don’t eat split peas now, you will not eat them during an emergency. Augason Farms have some delicious emergency food storage items that are really easy to cook.
Experimenting with these can help you find food that you enjoy and will help you feel less stressed during an emergency.
Shelter: Even though it may be hot in your area, the temperatures at night can drop below freezing. If you are out in the elements, it will lessen your chance of survival if you do not have a way to stay out of the elements. There are things like debris huts or natural items you can use to build your own shelter, but it is recommended to have a lightweight tent that is easy to set up in your emergency kit.
Sleep/Heat: Exhaustion is inevitable during an emergency. Though it is very important to sleep during an emergency, you will want to be comfortable. I feel heat and sleep go hand in hand. Most people hate sleeping when cold. Learning to light a fire with found materials can be a boon to your emergency toolbox. A lighter or flint is very lightweight and can light materials quickly, though there are other ways to light fires.
There are some very lightweight sleeping bags on the market right now (ranging from $50 to $1,000). Depending on the area in which you are located, it would be recommended to get a sleeping bag that can withstand freezing temperatures, though there are those that withstand below freezing. Use your judgement when purchasing.
If you have these in a backpack, you are one step closer to survival than many in the world today. It is better to be prepared for an emergency than not prepared and being forced to rely on help, which could be days away.
Emily Thornton is working on her master’s degree at Idaho State University.
