How serious are you guys about emergency (earthquake) preparedness?

speaceman · #1 05-08-2006, 12:45 AM

I spent part of the weekend, going through my earthquake preperadness (or whatever emergency tickles your fancy) stuff.

About halfway through, I realized that while I was semi prepared, I really wouldn't be able to take care of my family for a week, or two or three, with my current supplies.

The things that were nagging me most were my recollections of how FUBAR katrina was, and the governemnts' (all: local, state, fed) lack of a response. Those thoughts caused me to rethink my state of preparedness.

So I was just curious if anyone on the board has actually taken the extra steps?

Things like putting enough cans of food or dehydrated emergency food away for 3 weeks or so.

Is anyone storing emergency water (gallon a day per family member) for a couple of weeks usage period?

I was flipping through the web checking out various sites, and when I started thinking that buying 2, 55 gallon plastic water drums might be a good idea, I decided to come to the board and see what all of you think.

Is putting 3 weeks worth of food and getting some serious water storage capabilities a good idea? Or is it taking it too far?

The other issue I'm thinking about is what happens when you're the most prepared person on your block and the **** hits the fan? What if everyone around you has nothing? Don't you just become a target then?

I don't know.

Anyway, I'm just looking for some perspective.

I think the two things we can count on is that we'll eventually have to go through some sort of emergency where supplies would be needed and that I don't think we should expect any help from the government for at least 3 weeks.

What would you guys do, or what are you guys doing, for your families?

Paradiddle · #2 05-08-2006, 07:31 AM

I'm heavily armed. My plan is to simply take whatever I forgot to put in the closet from a neighbor like you that stored everything or from the local grocery store...

Jeff Weston · #3 05-08-2006, 08:23 AM

Jeff's plan sounds pretty good. Just take a look in your Mormon neighbor's garage. The Mormon's I knew seemed to have stockpiles for the apocalypse.

I have no plan per se, but having three small kids, my garage is always stocked full. Costco is your friend!

I always have no fewer than 3 to 4 - 35-packs of waters, lots of canned goods, some fuel in a can and plenty of first aid supplies.

The one thing that I think is often overlooked is keeping a tidy supply of cold hard cash. It is easy to not have much on hand in the age of plastic, but when it hits the fan, cash is king ... or guns I guess.

speaceman · #4 05-08-2006, 10:26 AM

Well, assuming the whole city doesn't burn down, S.F. style, I'd be okay on food just from the stuff we have in our pantry, as well.

It's really the water that I'd be worried about. We don't keep packs of water around the house much.

I guess I need to figure out what to do about water.

Living off the water in the water heaters will only get you so far, I think.

LOL

Jeff's dastardly comments brought up one more point.

If you guys could only rely on one firearm for the emergency period, what would you pick?

Matt Pascoe · #5 05-08-2006, 10:53 AM

I live in the County and am on propane and private water, so depending on the state of our pantry I think we could be comfortable for a few weeks.

Quote:

If you guys could only rely on one firearm for the emergency period, what would you pick?

I've grown quite fond of the 30 round clip

HK SP89

John · #6 05-08-2006, 10:55 AM

Don't overlook the tank on the back of every toilet in your house.

Maybe a good plan to invest in a

water purifier

Desert Fox · #7 05-08-2006, 12:53 PM

Well, like most of we SoCal residents, I have a couple of cases of MREs + 30 days of survival rations, 15 gallons of fresh water, + 55 gallons of water heater water, flash lights and batteries + a hand crank radio and hand crank flashlight, case of toilet paper, paper towels, plastic garbage bags, first aid kit, and a lot of other stuff out of the Jeep's survival kit. I also have 30 days worth of pet food. I also try to refill my vehicle's gas tanks when they are at half full. So far this all makes sense, if you are at home when "the big one" hits. I read a study a few years back that said that there is a 39% chance you will not be at home when the next "event" happens. Even worse, you may not be able to get home for an extend period due to damaged roads, fallen bridges and martial law which could freeze everyone in place for a day or so. So there you are, you have the best survival kit in town and you can't get to it.

So the question then shifts to, how much do you carry in your vehicle or on your person at all times. Unlike a storm or flood, in which there is some forewarning by a day or so, an earthquake is a "come as you are" event. What you have with you when it hits is what you will have to sustain you during immediate aftermath.

Food for thought,

Fred

Paradiddle · #8 05-08-2006, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by speaceman
If you guys could only rely on one firearm for the emergency period, what would you pick?

Poor maintenance by California's DA has made it possible to purchase an AR lower again in CA. There are some buildup rules, but you can assemble it CA legal for right around $900 (for very nice quality). 5.56 is cheap, very easy to shoot, accurate, and deadly. A great, light quick shooting easy to use rifle that you or your wife could handle. PM me if you are interested and I'll tell you how to get the parts.

Handguns are retarded for anything other then VERY close quarters and shotguns are limited.

Jeff

norcaljr · #9 05-08-2006, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paradiddle
Poor maintenance by California's DA has made it possible to purchase an AR lower again in CA. There are some buildup rules, but you can assemble it CA legal for right around $900 (for very nice quality). 5.56 is cheap, very easy to shoot, accurate, and deadly. A great, light quick shooting easy to use rifle that you or your wife could handle. PM me if you are interested and I'll tell you how to get the parts.

Handguns are retarded for anything other then VERY close quarters and shotguns are limited.

Jeff

a 12ga is a very good way to change the mind of a unarmed person from wanting to do you harm

If I need to reach out and touch someone, thats what the M14 is for

Also, I have enough water for 2 weeks at the house and the tools and pumps to get water from one of the many local creeks, ponds and lakes.

for my family it would a food issue than anything else. Anyone know where I can get MRE's for a good price ?

speaceman · #10 05-09-2006, 12:40 AM

Quote:

[i]

Also, I have enough water for 2 weeks at the house and the tools and pumps to get water from one of the many local creeks, ponds and lakes.

for my family it would a food issue than anything else. Anyone know where I can get MRE's for a good price ? [/B]

I'd be curious too, with regards to the MREs.

As for one of the many local creeks, that pretty much leaves me with the L.A. river.

I'll take my chances with the toilets in my house, if it comes down to it.

speaceman · #11 05-09-2006, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Also, I have enough water for 2 weeks at the house and the tools and pumps to get water from one of the many local creeks, ponds and lakes.

for my family it would a food issue than anything else. Anyone know where I can get MRE's for a good price ?

I'd be curious too, with regards to the MREs.

As for one of the many local creeks, that pretty much leaves me with the L.A. river.

I'll take my chances with the toilets in my house, if it comes down to it.

Desert Fox · #12 05-09-2006, 06:45 AM

Check out Brigade Quartermaster at:

http://www.actiongear.com

for MREs. They currently have Sure-Pak 12, which are high class
MREs for $74.99 for 12 meals. Each meal contains all caleries necessary for one day's requirement.

From time to time, they also carry U S military issue MREs that cost about $60 for a case of 12.

Check with your local Army Surplus stores. They also carry MREs, but the meals may be very close to their expiration date.

You could also just check the web for MREs. No telling what you'll find.

Fred

Jeff Weston · #13 05-09-2006, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by speaceman
I'd be curious too, with regards to the MREs.

As for one of the many local creeks, that pretty much leaves me with the L.A. river.

I'll take my chances with the toilets in my house, if it comes down to it.

Shalom,

SOS Survival Products is just up the freeway from you, net to Performance Products/4WDHardware. You can get pretty much anything there, including MRE's by the case.

http://www.sosproducts.com/

They are having a parking lot sale on June 9-10.

speaceman · #14 05-09-2006, 09:48 AM

Cool, thanks. I'll check it out.

Joe Dillard · #15 05-09-2006, 10:00 AM

I was living in Olongapo City, Philippines when Mt. Pinatubo erupted. I guess this is about as close to a big emergency as I've lived through.

To give folks an idea as to it's magnitude - the Readers Digest article claimed the Mt. Pinatubo eruption to be approximately seven times more powerful than Mt St Helens. Later on, higher numbers were mentioned.

Onbase in Subic, we had no electricity for nearly a month for most of the wrecked navy base. Water was the same.

We (us volunteers who helped evacuate Clark Air Force Base who were hit harder than us), absorbed ~55,000 people in the matter of a couple days. What a mess. Total devestation surrounded us. IIRC, we lost ~160 buildings onbase at Subic.

Miraculously, we lost only two children during the entire event who died as a result of the gymnasium roof collapsing on them. They were evacuees from Clark.

Gotta run. More to follow later.

speaceman · #16 06-03-2006, 08:37 PM

I just want to thank everyone for the ideas and help.

I got sqaured away this afternoon, after visiting SOS.

They pretty much had everything I needed, all in one spot.

I decided to go with one 55 gallon water barrel, with the two water heaters we have as back up.

Now I just have to get everything organized and stored in a resonable place somewhere in the backyard or detached garage.

I'm figuring the garage would probably be easy enough to get into, even if it were damaged by an earthquake, that it would be okay to store all the supplies in it.

What do you guys think?

Stu Olson · #17 06-04-2006, 05:49 PM

I was thinking about that earlier as I read the first part of this thread. If you can't get to the supplies, they won't help.

I would think that storing them in most any location in the house would work as long as it was at or next to an external wall (with a window if possible?). Having it centrally located in the house simply means you may have to dig through more rubble to actually reach it.

Just my 2 cents.

PAULHEAD · #18 09-30-2006, 11:39 AM

So in storing water for long periods of time does it have to be treated or can you just fill up a 55 gal drum with tap water and stored it in a dark cool place?

speaceman · #19 09-30-2006, 07:33 PM

There are write ups on the internet on how to store water.

I don't have the links anymore, but google search "earthquake preparedness" or "distaster preparedness" and you'll run across the websites that talk about storing water.

If I remember correctly, you can use 5 drops of regular bleach per 50 gallons and store the water in a cool dark place and it'll be fine.

SOS supplies (sosproducts.com) sells the water prep chemicals for specific amounts of gallons of water, for around $12 (it may have been more or less, I can't remember). It's basically bleach with some other stuff thrown in.

If you're storing in plastic, don't store directly on concrete, as the concrete will leach harmful chemicals through the plastic into the water.

Change water every 5 years to be safe.

PAULHEAD · #20 09-30-2006, 09:07 PM

Cool, thanx.

speaceman · #21 09-30-2006, 09:32 PM

BTW, SOS sells barrels (55 gallon) plus a water pump, bung wrench and treatment chemicals as a package for around $75.

YOu can also get smaller sized barrels for less.

Personally if I had it over to do again, I'd get 2 30 gallon barrels instead of one 55.

THe 55 gallon is damn heavy and unweildy to move around when full.

If you don't already have storage barrels and are considering it, you may as well check out SOS and see if the package deal is for you.

You get everything you need all at once that way.

(There are other places that sell similar items. I only recommend SOS because I have used them and everything was satisfactory.)

Jerry Bransford · #22 10-01-2006, 03:59 PM

I have 18,000 gallons of emergency water stored in a large concrete storage facility in my backyard.

mrblaine · #23 10-01-2006, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by speaceman

If you're storing in plastic, don't store directly on concrete, as the concrete will leach harmful chemicals through the plastic into the water.
.

I don't believe you.

speaceman · #24 10-01-2006, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mrblaine
I don't believe you.

I read it on the interwebz so I have no idea as to its actual veracity.

I found the link from the L.A. Fire Dept earthquake preparedness website:

DO NOT STORE ANY PLASTIC WATER CONTAINER DIRECTLY ON CONCRETE. The concrete will leech chemicals into the water, contaminating it. Concrete will also degrade the plastic bottle causing failure.