posted
Yes, I am a goober! We had a very small (2 something) earthquake here the other night (I think I slept through it) and it occurred to me that if we were to have a big one in the middle of the night I would be extremely, nay, embarrassingly, unprepared. So I decided to put a bag by the door with the essentials that I would want to have in case I have to dash outside in the middle of the night ever, while I am here.
I realize that this is about as silly as a Yankee making a tornado preparedness kit for visiting Birmingham but anyway, when you quit laughing, please tell me what I should include. I put in a towel, of course, as DNA recommends, and I thought some shoes would be good, in case there is lots of broken glass and stuff I have to be walking on. I put my room key and wallet with credit cards and ID and all in there. Also some clothes and underthings, in case I can't go back into the room right away. I added a diet coke and some ensure, for sustenance. Also some bandaids. Can you think of anything I've forgotten?
Edit: although this thread was originally about earthquake preparedness, it changed to be more general.
posted
aka, are you staying in a hotel? They likely have earthquake/emergency supplies stashed somewhere.
If not (or if you want to have your own): bottled water, jacket, ummm -- if you really feel like lugging stuff around, maybe a lightweight blanket, if there's an extra one?
With all that, you'll be better prepared than most Californians! Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I don't think that I would be prepared for a car-sized boulder to crash through the house, as would be the likely result here should something happen, besides the house being flattened by a really big one.
Loma Prieta was a fun little roller coaster, though. I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere near that epicenter!
Posts: 2506 | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Pshaww - I lived through a 40 second 6.9 quake. All I needed was a CPU to hug while the world disintegrated around me.
Correct me if I'm wrong, Californians - shouldn't you stay undercover during a quake (and immediately after in case of aftershocks) rather than rushing anywhere?
Besides, the traffic is horrible after - everyone else is rushing somewhere, too -
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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rivka, a blanket would probably be very smart. I will have to start another bag to have room, but really if there's a bad earthquake I will surely be glad for it.
I thought the best thing was to dash outside. Is it not?
Yes, I am in a hotel, on the second floor.
Should I run out the door into the courtyard, which is 25 feet closer, or get clear of the building altogether by going through the opposite door which is slighty farther away from me?
Posts: 5509 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
As far as earthquakes go, California is probably the safest place to be. Nearly everything is engineered to take the shocks. And the buildings that aren't also tend to be obviously old-looking. I'd be more worried about being in the rest of the contiguous States, which do have rare but powerful earthquakes -- which are also overdue according to the average in the geological record -- and few buildings designed to handle the stress.
FLASHLIGHT by your bed. Power and lights can go out. SLIPPERS by your bed. Quickly evacuating the building in your bare feet over broken glass is dangerous. And you may decide that putting on shoes will take too long. EARTHQUAKE KIT by your bed. You may decide that going out even a second floor window is safer than taking the door and hallway to the exit. Depends on how you feel about heights and climbing. Fill it with FLASHLIGHT on top. Having a spare isn't gonna hurt: dropping a flashlight while it's shining usually breaks the bulb's filament. And batteries die. DAILY MEDICATIONS including whatever special foods one needs to keep the metabolism stable. EXTRA PAIR OF PRESCRIPTION GLASSES COMFORTABLE WALKING SHOES - You may have to hike out of the area. There is a possibility of roads becoming unusable for vehicular travel, and of large fires that you don't want to stay around. SOCKS - More than a pair: blisters are painful. And wearing damp&grungy socks 'll depress ya fast. LOOSE WARM CLOTHING - Just enough for a cool night: being stinky ain't the same as being extremely uncomfortable. Layered: if you are too warm, you can always remove some. A hat or knit cap will do the most to keep you warm. SPACE BLANKETs are light and won't take up much room. DAY'S SUPPLY OF LIQUIDS - Not in glass containers: don't want the weight or broken glass. Stores will probably be opened sooner, and help will probably arrive sooner. Just don't like to rely on "probably". SMALL PORTABLE RADIO for disaster relief information. SMALL PERSONAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER - Stopping a small fire can prevent a large one. And even a small extinguisher can cool an exit door/window down enough to run or jump through it. CELL PHONE is nice, but ROLLS OF QUARTERS for pay phones is nicer. Cell phone repeaters/transcievers tend to be plugged into the local electricity lines, with low-to-no battery backup. A few downed powerlines can bring down a huge region of the electrical grid . If the power goes down, so might the cell phone system. The regular phone system is separate from the electrical grid, and tends to be much more robust in disasters. Besides, you can always use quarters in vending machines for drinks and snacks if the power stays on. LEATHER WORK GLOVES - A good pair. Cuz I'd guess if you knew someone was stuck -- and thought you could help without possibly worsening the situation -- you'd do whatever work necessary. Also good for removing broken glass from exit windows. And keeping your hands warm. FIRST AID MANUAL in a small bag. Add aspirin or similar pain reliever, benadryl, tweezers, scissors, antibiotic oinment, a few bandages, gauze roll, cloth adhesive tape, a small bottle of sterilizing solution, tampons, and sanitary pads. Everything else can be easily improvised.
In the extremely unlikely event that a disastrous earthquake strikes while you are in California, and the even more unlikely event that you happen to be in a strongly affected region, and you are in your hotel, haul the hotel's blanket out with you along with your Earthquake Preparedness Kit.
posted
And don't forget your shotgun to fight off the ravaging hordes of undead that we all know clog the streets after any major disaster. A year ago my housemates and I set mock Zombie invasions. One housemate would shamble around as the living dead and the rest of us had to figure out how we'd get out alive. Like ak says, you can never be too prepared.
Also, ak, be sure to label your earthquake kit. Judging from your personality you probably also have a tornado kit, hurricane kit, flood kit, fire kit, giant-meteor-strike kit, WMD-assault kit, blackout kit, snowed-in kit, acid rain kit and a late-for-work kit. You'd hate to grab the wrong one. Wouldn't your face be red then, huh?
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
I remember the Loma Prieta quake. Probably the biggest one I've ever been in, and I was still a good ways away from the epicenter.
quote:Correct me if I'm wrong, Californians - shouldn't you stay undercover during a quake (and immediately after in case of aftershocks) rather than rushing anywhere?
That's exactly correct. After the major quake has happened you want to stay protected. Aftershocks can happen for quite some time afterward, and the larger the initial quake, the larger the aftershocks will be.
quote:You should go ride it out in the door-jam.
Actually, this is not correct. It used to be that people recommended getting into a doorway thinking that the reinforced nature of the door structure would help, and of course people have heard of duck and cover, getting underneath something sturdy like a bed or table. But lately people have seen that these techniques really don't help that much. The thing they trained us in when I was a dorm proctor in college was called "Triangle of Life." Rather than getting under something sturdy, you crouch next to it. The idea is that something if a building collapses on top of something sturdy like a couch or whatever, there will be a triangular-shaped void created next to it (the couch or other heavy object acts kind of like a tent pole), and that's where you want to be.
This technique isn't being taught as widely as it should be. Even the Red Cross and FEMA don't seem to be getting away from the duck and cover routine. But this has been statistically shown to work much better.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
I think you need one of those airbags from the mars lander that wouldn't deflate. And a titanium umbrella.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Another thing, in case it wasn't clear: you do still want to "duck and cover" when using the Triangle of Life technique. That is, you should still get down as low as possible and try to cover your neck and head. It's just not called "duck and cover" in order to avoid confusion with the other method.
posted
Okay, no major earthquake last night, however... HOWEVER... for those of you who laughed (eyes mac) I want you to know that we had a FIRE ALARM in the hotel which meant I woke up from a sound sleep to this incredible din, and had to run outside to sit in the very chilly night air for half an hour before we were allowed back in. Thanks to my handy dandy earthquake (and fire alarm) preparedness kit, I had clothes to wear, a towel to sit on, shoes for my feet, a jacket, my hotel room key, a cell phone, my ID and credit cards, ensure, and a diet coke with me, and a blanket to wrap up in. I was sitting pretty, in other words, on the lawn of the courtyard when I might have been rather chilly in the never never without it.
Hah! I KNEW there was a good reason for this.
aspectre, that is a GREAT LIST! Thanks for that. I didn't even have a flashlight on my list.
BtL, I only have the one kit, it's an all occassion kit. Good for every type of disaster there is. But I left my shotgun at home. They wouldn't let me carry it on the plane for some reason.
When I got back up near my room, Steve, the guy in hotel engineering that I knew from having been working with him for the last week or so, pointed at me and said, "YOU are the one who caused this!" <laughs> I was terrified that I'd left something hot and shorted out in my control system or something and there had been a fire at the generator. Thank goodness that wasn't it. Turns out someone had been having a heck of a party in their room down the hall from me and lit something on fire.
posted
I like the triangle of life idea, but there isn't really anything sturdy in this room. Hmmmm. It's true that it would take me at least 20 seconds to dash down the hall, down the stairs, and out the door. That's really too long, isn't it?
And aspectre, keeping the kit by the bed is a better idea than beside the door. You are right. Depending on how damaged the building is, it might be necessary to go out the window or something. That's another good thought.
Posts: 5509 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
aka think about falling debris. You need to get to the spot that will protect you from breaking windows and shattering mirrors. Even the glass from pictures hanging on the wall. (My map of Narnia suffered a tear during the Northridge earthquake from falling off the walls and the glass.)
Running outside will simply expose you to more shattering glass and then falling brick as well. The bathroom is a pretty decent place for the same reason as it makes a good tornado shelter... all the pipes add strength. BUt ONLY as long as you have a heavy towel covered over you to protect you from falling glass. I learned the doorframe method. The triangle of life sounds like a recent improvement on it though.
posted
Well, this was a thread I remembered, so I resurrected it to talk about emergency preparedness in general. Hurricane season is upon us, for those with exposure to Atlantic-ward, and also for people in the Pacific, though they are called something else there (cyclones?), for reasons I don't entirely fathom. Anyway, it's a very good idea to have enough food and water and stuff readily available in easily transported form to last for three days in case of emergency. Nothing is certain, and no matter how carefully we plan, those plans gang oft aglay, as Robert Burns tells us. However, many times preparedness makes the difference between life and death, or between being able to help out your neighbors and being the one needing help that nobody can easily give.
For Latter-day Saints (do we have a hyphen and a lowercase D? I never can remember) our church's inspired counsel is that we be prepared with 72-hour kits for our whole family. I can't find any emergency preparedness info on LDS.org (note to self: email Joel Dehlin about that) but here's the schtuff on family home storage. This inspired counsel covers a lot more events than just physical disasters, including death of a breadwinner, loss of jobs, shut-down of the banking system, cessation of interstate commerce during an epidemic, lack of food on grocery shelves for any conceivable economic reason, widespread power outages, and on and on, all of which have happened for one reason or another in living memory. FEMA's checklist for what should go in your 72-hour kit.
The Red Cross recommends the same thing. 3 days of food and water plus essential emergency supplies for the whole family. The link is to one such kit for one adult sold through their store.
Here's their list: # Backpack # Battery Powered Flashlight (batteries included) # Battery Powered Radio (batteries included) # Emergency Blanket # Food Bars (4,800 calories total) # Work Gloves (one pair) # Light Sticks (3 each; one lasts 12 hours) # Moist Towelettes (6) # Breathing Mask (NIOSH-N95) # Plastic Sheeting (10'x10') # Rain Poncho # Personal First Aid Kit # Roll of Duct Tape # Water (2 quarts) # Water Container (2.5 gallon) # Whistle # Emergency First Aid Guide # Family First and Preparedness Guide
posted
I actually had a teacher whose roof collapsed in the Northridge EQ (she lived in Northridge, unsurprisingly-- I think she was 0.03 miles from the epicenter) and her son survived because he had fallen out of his bed and was in the Triangle of Life when the apartment fell on it...
As far as earthquakes, this is what we were taught to have in the earthquake kits by our beds/bedroom doors:
-clothes -sturdy shoes -blanket (often Space Blanket) or towel (very multi-purpose item!) -food -water -pressure bandages, a few band-aids, aloe vera gel, disinfecting wipes/pads (usually rubbing alcohol but not for me! I carry chlorine- or betadine-based cleansing wipes) -any necessary medication (extra inhaler for me) -copies of vital documents in a waterproof pouch, including a phone number for an out-of-state family emergency contact -sunscreen -brimmed hat -flashlight -batteries -duct tape -ziplock freezer-weight bags (can be used for anything from storage to containing biohazard materials such as fecal materials or soiled bandages if nothing else is available)
Since they have become widespread since then, I have included
-extra cell phone battery in case I am able to get my cell phone (I keep it by my bed, too)
and since I have little kids I include
-diapers and wipes and plastic bags for sealing them in -extra clothes, hats, and shoes for the kids -a couple of small books and toys for comfort
Note: these are NOT our 72-hour kits. These are our earthquake-specific kits-- in case we're unable to immediately access our 72-hour kits, which are too bulky to store under the bed (being stored in frame packs.)
We also have 72-hour kits and a car kit, as well as long-term storage. And my family does too and always did growing up. My dad also keeps flashlights and extra batteries in every room in the house in case of a middle-of-the-night emergency that causes a blackout and damage we may need to see to avoid. I'm not quite there yet 'cause my kids steal flashlights like crazy. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Great posts, both of you. Definitely something to keep in mind.
Glad that kq mentioned sunscreen - very important. Also, water purifier or purification tablets - available at any place that sells camping supplies because water can often be obtained, just not water that is suitable for drinking.
And I want to stress that everyone, everyone no matter where you live have a national weather service alert radio with a battery backup. For those of us in tornado country - we rely far too much on sirens. The sirens were intended to warn people who are outside, not to warn everyone. With today's well-insulated houses, and plethora of electronic entertainment, you can't rely on being able to hear a siren over your tv and if you're not on a local channel you can't count on tv alerts. Have an alert radio - they aren't expensive for basic models and some of the more expensive ones have built-in lanterns and over useful things but if you don't want the extra bells and whistles you can get one for under 20 bucks.
And, I would add one should throw in a shotgun and ample shells to defend oneself against both aliens and undead because you cannot be too sure what you'll be faced with. Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
I'll just add a few things here that weren't mentioned on the previous lists:
1. I'm a big fan of LED lights - they may cost a bit more, but usually they run brighter and you don't have to worry about bulbs breaking.
2. Gloves - even a ten dollar pair of leather work gloves can be amazingly handy (sorry), but if you are preparing for something like hurricane season, you may want to invest in water-proof material.
3. Lighter and/or matches.
4. Multi-tool or a couple of basic tools - crowbar, hammer, screwdrivers, adjustable crescent wrench. If you have trees on or near you, a camp saw.
5. Baseball cap or similar headgear to keep the sun off or rain out of your eyes.
6. Sub-bags: a backpack for keeping gear "at hand" versus a larger gym bag or duffle bag for holding everything.
7. Non-perishable foodstuffs: jerky, crackers, trail mix and so on. I also suggest a box of gatorade or similar sports drink mixes, particularly for extreme heat.
8. Baby wipes and hand sanitizer are good to have, children or not. You may not have enough water to wash hands or bathe and these will work in a pinch.
This seems like a lot, but KQ already addressed the idea of supplies versus projected need and duration: 1. What do you need right fracking now. 2. 1-3 days at home or elsewhere. 3. 4 days or more.
Taking a first aid class is also highly encouraged - just because you have a spiffy first aid kit from WalMart doesn't mean you know how to use it.
-TMedina
Edit: I include a pocket knife as a matter of course - and I could wax poetic for hours on the particulars of knife selection.
Posts: 5413 | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
Umm... I know this is a stupid question, but...
If you're in a small building that is in the center of a golf-course -- A golf-course free of trees and any other buildings -- Anyway, wouldn't it be safer to ride out the storm outside then, where there won't be any falling debris?
You'd just be out of luck if there were a lightning storm at the same time as the Earthquake.
Posts: 438 | Registered: May 2006
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posted
Mighty Cow, it's a triangle between the side of the object, the floor, and the diagonal between them. The collapse happens ON TOP OF them.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Mighty Cow, that was interesting on Snopes. Now I don't know who to believe, though! I was totally convinced by the triangle of life thing. It still seems to make sense.
Following Snopes' links did lead me to these disaster pages from the Red Cross. There is one for blackouts, earthquakes, drought, fires, floods, heat waves, etc. Good information!
posted
Yeah, I've read through many disaster kit lists. I guess the Red Cross lists in Tatiana's post are pretty good.
I'm pretty skeptical of all of them. Sure, they list practical items and at first glance, they appear complete, but those lists should NOT be interpreted too strictly.
I made my own, which accommodates the threats I might face and the practical limits of preparing to face those threats.
I live in an apartment, and there's precious little space to store that many items. Oh, I'm pretty sure I could make the space, though it would be pretty conspicuous, given my lack of closet and storage space.
Which leads right into problem #2, the disasters I can practically prepare for. Personally, I'm not going to waste time preparing for terrorism, volcanoes, tsunamis, mudslides, hurricanes, earthquakes, or floods**. Given my geographical location, scratch those.
For the disasters I can plan for, many would require evacuation. There's a decent chance, in these scenarios, where none of my stockpiled kit would survive and/or be accessible afterwards. So, the kit has to be portable. My kit is designed to be 'grab and go'.
Here's what is in my kit:
2 bottles of water
Heat reflectivity blanket
Small folded raincoat
Rubber, submersible IIRC, flashlight
Batteries + spares
Work gloves
The things I'll grab if time permits: Scanner Computer backup Digital camera (the compact one, not the huge one. )
Things I need to add, but haven't yet: Personal documents Some first-aid stuff
I also keep some items in my car, mostly extra clothes.
** I know it sounds weird to discount flooding, because most places are susceptible. This decision is made based on geographical area, again. If I have to worry about a flood here, then it's either a regional disaster (dam failure) or the second coming of Noah's flood. In other words, there's some serious stuff going down elsewhere, and the flood is probably the least of my concerns.
Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
I just bought a premade 72 hour kit. It seemed to include everything I would need. And then I added more water and food. I also added some iodine tablets and koolaid with sugar (purified water can taste pretty nasty).
Posts: 1001 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
I love this thread! Disaster is a word I know well. I am a supervisor for the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team. I felt it necessary to make a kit of my own, not just for my/my significant other's safety, but so that I could better advise people better when they make one. Here are a few things I added to the basic lists provided by Tatiana and from other websites:
-self-powered flashlight and radio -books, crossword puzzles, a deck of cards, notebook, pen/pencils (if we had to move to a shelter, we'd need something to do, right?) -pet items (extra food, leashes, ziploc bags) -street maps -daily medications, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, anti-diahrreal medicine, pain killers left over from a recent shoulder injury
I still have a few things to get such as:
-copying important papers (insurance, birth records, etc.) -another pet crate -phone list, making sure to make an out-of-town contact because local calls are sometimes more difficult than long-distance -whistle -duct tape (what doesn't it do?!) -plastic sheeting -food for three days (this has proven difficult) -tools (hammer, screwdriver, knife)
My kit, which is a large Rubbermade bin, is kept in our front closet, closest to the door. I also keep water in pantry. I recently bought this kit from the Red Cross and keep it in my car. We keep a large flashlight with spare batteries in the laundry room. Each of us have first aid kits in our cars, and I have a space blanket as well.
I have tried to prepare us for the worst possible scenerio (nuclear war). Short of geiger counter, I think we're set and shall live to repopulate the earth!
Posts: 2064 | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
These emergency preparedness kits do not contain gear for the vast majority of emergencies.
You should all download and print up the official document used to petition for a presidential pardon, always handy. The Zombie Survival Guide is a must. Also, fruit roll-ups.
Posts: 15421 | Registered: Aug 2005
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National Severe Weather Awareness Week is this week. Aside from being a good reminder to rehearse your understanding of weather terminology and severe weather-related procedures, this week is also great to remind people to:
Create an emergency plan for their home
Create an emergency kit
Check the batteries in their smoke detectors (hey, don't take any chances. )
My list hasn't changed much from what I posted previously. My situation in life hasn't changed much and I'm still only planning for a limited number of scenarios/disasters. I see no sense in planning for situations that won't happen.
The tips and information posted in this thread are a great source of information. If you have not created an emergency kit or done any planning for emergencies, I would advise you to start here. Start now.
Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
Did I ever tell the story about the time our oven overheated and started a fire that filled the house with smoke, and becuase of Sesame Street and our family emergency drills, Emma (who was just barely over 2 at the time) knew how to crawl on the floor and check the door before opening it to get out? I was so proud of her.
Morals of the story: family emergency drills and escape plans are essential, and Elmo is good for something. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Any real emergency preparedness kit needs a machete, a copy of the Zombie Survival Manual, and a printed up petition for presidential pardon.
Posts: 15421 | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
Huh. I have my list in front of me at the moment, and I realize I don't have anything resembling a knife in it. That'll teach me to double-check things!
Posts: 1813 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
Thanks for the bump. I've been meaning to do this for a while.
quote:Originally posted by aspectre: ... aspirin or similar pain reliever...
Aspirin is probably not the best choice, unless you're concerned with heart disease. It's an anticoagulant, and it's not all that good of an anti-inflammatory agent. Ibuprofen and similar would make more sense.
Posts: 1810 | Registered: Jan 1999
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posted
Tylenol is generally considered safest for the most people, IIRC. It also has less incidence of stomach discomfort if taken on an empty stomach.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
True, but since Tylenol is not an anti-inflammatory, an NSAID like ibuprofen is probably a good idea too.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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