Quote:
"You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)
Food storage and emergency preparedness is a sacrifice, it takes money and our time, but it will prove to be a great investment when needed.
Once again we hear and see in the news about a natural disaster that has effected many people. Boulder and other outlining communities in Colorado, US have been devastated by pouring rain and massive flooding.
Experts say in some areas this is the 100 year flood, in other areas the 1,000 year flood. Lives have been lost, property has been lost, personal items have been lost and many were trapped for days without any help. It took days for helicopters to get into the areas where people were trapped due to flooding, lost roads and bridges. Emergency personnel, medical help, and rescue teams could not get into those trapped. They had to wait for the rain and winds to stop so they could fly in helicopters to rescue the people. 
What would you do if you and your family were trapped for days. Could you survive on your own? Would you have food to eat and fresh water to drink? Would you have medical supplies on hand to treat the injured? Would you have a way to keep warm, a way to cook, have light and shelter? What would you do? Do you know how to use the emergency equipment (like tents, generators, cooking stoves) you have stored?
This is way I stress so much about being prepared with food and water storage, emergency supplies and medical supplies. This is why we need 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpacks for each family member. You say it will not happen to me, but do you really know that? Why not be prepared for what could come your way? Why take a chance? Weekly Assignment: 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpacks and Food Storage
This week we are continuing to put together each family member's 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpacks. Last week I gave you some other items to add to the Backpacks. Please review last weeks posting.While you are gathering those items and adding them to the backpacks please make sure you have put in the Food Kit and Water, the Personal Hygiene Kit and Stressor Kit for each family member's backpack.
Note: Some people do not feel it is necessary to have an extra set of clothes and it takes up to much room. If you do not want this then that is alright. Personally I want to be dry and comfortable in an emergency situation, especially children. If you do not want to add clothing, maybe at least have an extra set of under garments and socks. Having your feet dry is very important if you are walking.
Once you have completed them, keep the backpacks in an easy access place in your home (like a closet near an exit door), your garage or your car. It is a good idea to have one at work also. You may be at work when a disaster or emergency situation happens. Make sure your children have some type of emergency preparedness kit at school too. Check out the posting dated "Week of August 4th" (2013) for ideas.
The key to any food storage or emergency preparedness supplies is Rotation, Rotation, Rotation! Do not forget to rotate the food, water and medications in your 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpacks. If kept in the house you should be able to rotate these items once a year. If kept in the car, or garage and if hot, then you should rotate the food, water and medications about every 6 months. Do not throw the food and water away, use if up before the expiration dates and replace as soon as possible. Do not remove the food and water from the backpack until you have purchased the replacement food and water. Some food and water is better than nothing.
Once you have completed each family member's backpack (the whole family) please email me at thearkcarsonward@gmail.com. Why? You will receive a special gift, an items to add to your 72 Hour Emergency Preparedness Family Bag we will start working on the second week of October, after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints General Conference (October 5th and 6th).
Food Storage Assignment:
Each week, or when you go grocery shopping, try to add some canned or packaged foods your family will eat. Only store what your family will eat! Watch for sales so you can purchase even more. Before you know it you will have a week's supply, two week's supply, a month's supply, 3 months supply. Emergency Preparedness Ideas:
What will happen when the trucks and freight trains stop moving?
Living near the Los Angeles Harbor where large freight ships come in from China and other countries everyday we see the big semi-trucks loading up and hauling the large containers to different areas locally and around the country. As we travel across the United States on road trips we see the semi-trucks and freight trains loaded with the large containers full of food, water, live stock, medical supplies and other merchandise. Living in California we also see trucks from local farmers hauling their fresh vegetables and fruits to local stores and farmers markets. We see trucks carrying gas for our cars driving down the highways and filling up the underground gas storage tanks at gas stations. Each week the local city sanitation company comes by and picks up our trash. What will happen when they come to a stop?
"Most Americans, and maybe in other countries, take for granted the intricate systems that make it possible for us to engage in seemingly mundane day to day tasks like filling up our gas tanks, loading up our shopping carts at the local grocery store, obtaining necessary medications, and even pouring ourselves a clean glass of water. When we wake up each morning we just expect that all of these things will work today the same way they worked yesterday. Very few have considered the complexity involved in the underlying infrastructure that keeps goods, services and commerce in America flowing. Fewer still have ever spent the time to contemplate the fragility of these systems or the consequences on food, water, health care, the financial system, and the economy if there are interrupted.
A shut down of truck operations as a result of elevated threat levels, terrorist attacks, or pandemics, (or natural disasters) according to the report, have 'a swift and devastating impact on the food, health care, transportation, waste removal, retail, manufacturing, and financial sectors.' (American Trucking Associations)" (SHTFplan)
If this happened, there would be significant food shortages in as little as 3 days; there would be fear, and panic and looting; water supplies of clean drinking water will run dry in 2-4 weeks; medical care and hospitals will be jeopardized by medical supply shortages and pharmacy stocks of prescriptions will be depleted quickly; service station fuel supplies will start to run out in just 1-2 days; air, rail and maritime transportation will be disrupted; within days of a truck stoppage, Americans will be literally buried in garbage with serious health environmental consequences which cause rich breeding grounds for microorganisms, insects and other vermin; replenishment of goods will be disrupted; just-in-time manufactures will shut down assembly lines within hours; ATM and branch bank cash resources will be exhausted quickly and regular bank functions will cease. (American Truckers Association Report)
While an event that could disrupt truck transportation may be unlikely, look what happened when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. "Panicked government officials stopped all transportation flow into the region, forcing hundreds of trucks loaded with emergency supplies like food and water to wait for permission before they could enter the area. As a result, thousands of residents of the city were left without items essential for survival. As you know, it took days before truck routes were re-opened and supplies were allowed to flow." (SHTFplan) A natural disaster like a major earthquake, flooding, Tusnami, hurricane, toranado, etc., or a pandemic, could quickly shut down the trucking infrastructure.
What would happened if it was national, not just in your community? What will happen to our truck infrastructure if a major earthquake hit the southern California area, or your area? Will you be prepared to take care of yourself and your family? I sure hope so!!!
Comments: All your comments, ideas, suggestions and experiences are welcome! We all learn from each other. Thank you for your comments.
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