EMERGENCY/CONTINGENCY!EARTHQUAKE!

[oneidaone]

Aloha No! Howzit my fellow eGulleteers! We're doing fine here in Kaneohe and I know from

a phone chat that GLOSSYP is well and un-scathed from our earthquake of 6.5 this morning.

Helloooooooooo! what a wake up we had!!!!!!!!! So I was dying for coffee and my arm/wrist

is in pain from surgery on Wednesday......YIKES!!!!!! Anyway we had some GROUND coffee here

and I am thanking god and the little lady at Long's Drugs that demonstrates said coffee which I bought a bag from the other day.......So we have NO ELECTRICITY NO PHONES NO NOTHING

and we realize "AH HAH! plunge pot in the cupboard!" and then the dreaded ground coffee.....

Hey man, I've got to say, it was a dream cupajo as we drank the first cups and the the second

with Bailye's ad kaklua - sorry for the typos and misspellings, it ain't easy havnng surgerry

0n the right hadnd! Any boyd eles have good tips for dusasters? We Finally got our power

on almost 15 hrs/later. More later on the aftermath but now it's 140 abd ne abd my wrist need

to wrrrest,,,,,,,,YKKES i'm so bad typub!!!!!!!! Avoid surgery if possible!

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[Pat Churchill]

I come from New Zealand where we are prepared for such emergencies (more or less...) given our susceptibility to earthquakes.

Typically we would keep a reasonable amount of stuff in the pantry like cans food that could be consumed without heating if necessary. Our kids used to take a supply to school at the beginning of each year. At the end of each year it would be given to charities who provided emergency supplies to people needing groceries. This would include cans of spaghetti, baked beans, rice pudding etc. We have a large plastic jerry can that holds maybe 50 litres of water. We kept it in a wardrobe and drained and refilled it every 3-6 months, putting a dash of chlorine in the water.

The following comes from the latest issue of the NZ Guild of Food Writers newsletter which I received today, and will give you an idea of the sort of thing we are told in terms of preparedness for an emergency.

It's been copied from a pdf so might look a little raggy...

Being prepared for a disaster is crucial if you live in New Zealand. We are at the mercy of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and, possibly, tsunamis. The weather this winter has been a reminder that this is the season when disaster is likely to strike. Food is essential to survival, and as food writers we have knowledge that we can use to educate our readers on how to maintain nutrition. The New Zealand Food Safety Authority prepared this article about food safety during an emergency.

Food safety in an emergency

It is important to be aware of how to get information on food and water safety during an emergency. This will come from your local authority and public health unit and it is likely that different areas of the country will face different issues. But when it comes to food, the same preparation applies wherever you live.

Prepare a survival kit

There are many things you can do to minimise the impact on your health before disaster strikes. Put together an emergency food survival kit. Do it now and make sure you include the following items to last at least three days: canned and/or dried food - ham, fish, fruits, vegetables, cereals, tea, coffee, powdered soup, salt, sugar, sweets, biscuits a can opener a primus/portable gas cooker or barbecue to cook on

eating equipment - utensils, knives, pots, cups, plates, bowls, matches, lighters

bottled water - 3 litres per person per day

bottled water - 1 litre for washing food and cooking each meal, washing dishes and washing yourself

milk powder or UHT milk.

Check and renew food and water every year, taking into account any medical or dietary conditions in your family. If you have babies or children, make sure they have enough suitable food. If you live in a flood-prone area keep your food survival kit above the likely reach of flood water.

Minimising food and water spoilage

During an emergency you need to ensure you have the right facilities available. Normal household appliances, such as fridges and ovens, may break down. Your food could spoil faster and your water supply could become contaminated. To avoid this, follow these steps:

eat perishable foods, for example bread and meat, first as they spoil faster than non-perishable food eat canned foods last

minimise food spoilage by opening the fridge or freezer only when you need to take food out

do not eat vegetables or fruits that have been lying in flood water

cover all food with plastic wrap or store in waterproof containers

leave bottles, drink cans and water containers in the fridge (if it’s working) to keep them cold

throw out rotting or tainted food before it spoils other food.

Hygiene

Maintaining hygiene around food preparation and cooking requires more thought than normal.

always wash and dry your hands before preparing food – if water is in short supply keep some in a bowl with disinfectant

ensure all utensils are clean before use

cook food thoroughly

cover food with plastic wrap or store in waterproof containers

keep a supply of fly spray

rubbish containing food scraps must be protected from flies and rats by wrapping or putting in a sealed container.

Water for cooking, dishes, and washing yourself

The following household facilities can be used to cook, wash dishes, and wash your hands:

hot water cylinder

toilet cistern - as long as no chemical toilet cleaner is present

bottled water

spa/swimming pool - use only for washing yourself and family.

Boil or purify water before using it in food preparation and to avoid cross-contamination of food. Once boiled, cover and store in a clean container and place in the fridge (if it’s working) or in another cool place. Re-boil the water if it is not used within 24 hours.

If you do not have power to boil water, purifying tablets or bleach can be added to ensure its safety. Add five drops of household bleach per litre of water and leave for 30 minutes.

Food safety after an emergency

Knowing what is safe to eat during the clean-up phase after an emergency can become a guessing game. Understand what may or may not be safe to eat:

any food that retains ice crystals and where the packaging has not been damaged or opened can be safely refrozen

foods that have been defrosted can still be used if they have recently defrosted and can be kept cold, ie the fridge is working again

defrosted food cannot be refrozen

inspect the food. Does it smell or appear different, has the colour changed and does it have a slimy texture? If so it is probably unsafe to eat

do not use any tinned food that has been damaged (for example if it has split seams, is swollen or has been punctured).

You should always be prepared for a disaster. If you follow the guidelines above they may stop you from becoming ill - the last thing you need on top of other problems you may already have

Food safety is just one step in staying safe during and after an emergency.

To find out more visit the Civil Defence website: www.civildefence.govt.nzwww.civildefence.govt.nz

This sort of info is included in our phone directories.

I've been living in Australia for a year and haven't felt any earthquakes here in that time nor do I expect to (though I did feel a tremor when I returned to NZ in June briefly!!) Here bushfires are probably more of a threat. But preparedness for any sort of disaster is wise.

At work in NZ I used to keep a pair of sports shoes in my desk in case an earthquake struck the high-rise I worked in - high heels are no good in emergencies like tramping over rubble etc. We had a civil defence cabinet on each floor with emergency supplies (including body bags).

When our kids were at primry school the school had a list of people who could pick them up in an emergency if we (parents) were unable to do so.

Serious stuff.

But being prepared is being in charge. Don't be afraid to formulate your own family plan. We did. Thankfully we've never had to use it yet.

Edited October 16, 2006 by Pat Churchill (log)

[SheenaGreena]

I was in that nasty earthquake of 89 or 90 (I forget) in san francisco and I remember my parents using the grill an awful lot. I think we were out of power for a week or so. I was 6 or 7 years old when this happened so my memory is a little foggy.

so yeah, we had eggs and bacon on the grill and a whole mess of other things that were cooked on the grill along with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

I hope you are doing okay, were a lot of people hurt during your earthquake? I haven't heard much on the news

[SuzySushi]

We're all fine. The quake woke us (well, the dog & me, anyway!) up at 7 am. We live in the suburbs in central Oahu, about 150 miles away from the epicenter. All electric power on Oahu went out a few minutes later. It wasn't restored in our neighborhood till after 10 pm -- 15 hours later. I heard a deep rumbling, then felt the house shake, dishes rattled in cabinets, and I knew immediately what it was (I'd been in earthquakes in Japan).

Luckily it occurred early on a Sunday morning, when most people were still home and traffic was light. There were no fatalities or major injuries and no tsunami following the quake. Since our cable TV (if not the TV stations themselves) was off the air till the electricity was restored late last night, I'm just catching up with accounts of damage in other parts of the state through the newspaper now.

We're always well-prepared for emergencies, had flashlights & batteries, a transistor radio, and a pantry full of food (and 5-gallon jugs of bottled water, which we didn't need). Our 10 year old daughter got pretty bored as the day dragged on, however. She's so much a child of the 21st century, tuned into the Internet, the TV, and her Nintendo (which she couldn't recharge when its battery went low). What did "civilization" ever do for entertainment without electricity!

Last night, my husband and I discussed what changes we'll make in preparation for the next emergency (since we live on an island that's subject to hurricanes and tsunamis, it's not a question of "if" but rather "when"):

1) Attach a railing to the cabinet that holds the TV, so it can't slide off and crash to the floor. Luckily, all our bookcases (6 foot tall) are tilted back and bolted to the wall, so none of the books or knickknacks fell off. Everything on top of my computer hutch did and was scattered all over the floor!

2) Keep a stock of "D" batteries for our two camp lamps. We have plenty of "AA"'s for flashlights and the radio, but if we'd needed to use the camp lamps for more than a few hours, the batteries would've run out.

3) We hardly ever let the gas tank in car get more than half-empty, but this is added impetus for us to stop and fill up on the way home, even if we're "too tired."

4) Buy a portable tabletop butane stove -- e.g. cassette-feu. At lunchtime, my husband took hotdogs over to the gas BBQ at our condo's pool (it was raining, but my daughter and a friend who was sleeping over wanted to go swimming anyway!), so we all had hot hotdogs and buns for lunch. But what he really wanted during the day was a cup of hot tea--and no way to make it. By nightfall, no one could cook outdoors because it was pouring.

[moosnsqrl]

So glad no one was killed and, it appears, few serious injuries. We live near the New Madras fault and, periodically (when insurance profits are slumping, I suspect ) there is a prediction that something will happen but no on takes it very seriously. I just told the S.O. what I was reading (advice from NZ native about disaster prep) and we agreed that it was an eye-opener to hear about others' threats/fears. We're not without ours - there are tornadoes and ice storms that knock out power and take their toll periodically - but not to the extent that our kids take contingency kits to school each fall.

Anyway, glad those of you in the 50th checked in - I always think of my eG compadres all over the world whenever anything of this sort occurs. Considering the make-up of our society, the inability to cook or acquire primo fresh foods is a fairly serious matter, but nothing relative to personal safety.

[Portia_Smith]

Pat's advice is spot on - I should really get organised and make sure we have enough food for an emergency. I've printed out the list - thanks. Although we're living in central London, I think it's wise to make sure one can survive for a few days without needing the supermarkets/power/water et al. It must be a hangover from the more disaster prone places I've lived.

When I was growing up in Australia, my mum always used to tell me to keep a can of easy open cat/dog food in the car on long remote journeys. (we're from Mount Macedon - it's hardly the outback!) as you'd never, ever eat it unless you were terribly desperate - unlike chocolate, which - let's face it - will tend to vanish if stuck at the lights, let alone on a remote off road trip up the Birdsville track.

I've never put the friskies in the glove box though.