Hi everyone! I’m doing a different Blog this week, but one I feel is so important for all those who live on the West Coast of North America. I have put together an EARTHQUAKE PACKING LIST, which is much more extensive than I have ever seen before. I took the lists I could find and drew the best from each, and then added quite a few of my own, plus explanations.
Please forward this blog, or even better perhaps, copy and paste the list to an email and send it to all your friends on the West Coast, and ask them to forward it to their friends too. You might very well save a life if you do. As I reported in this week’s newsletter (http://www.thegentlewaybook.com/nl-032610.html), the Fire Chief in Riverside County, California says they are now experiencing earthquake “swarms” with over 100 of these small “mini-quakes” just in the last 30 days, and he’s quite concerned they’re headed for a major quake.
Here’s the list.
EARTHQUAKE PACKING LIST
Tom T. Moore
Copyright 2010
http://TheGentleWayBook.com/quakes.htm
TOP 10 ITEMS TO HAVE NOW!
1. WATER—1 GALLON PER DAY FOR 3 DAYS FOR EACH PERSON
2. TENT—YOU’LL NEED ONE WHETHER YOU EVACUATE OR STAY
3. PLASTIC TUBS TO HOLD EMERGENCY ITEMS
4. DRY FOOD—3 DAYS MINIMUM, PREFERABLY 7 OR MORE
5. FLASHLIGHTS WITH EXTRA BATTERIES
6. IMPORTANT PAPERS—Copies of Birth Certificates, Passports, Financial
7. TOILET PAPER—LARGE SUPPLY
8. TOILET SUPPLIES—SOAP, PLUS SEE LIST BELOW
9. MEDICINES—Including copies of prescriptions
10. PET FOOD & SUPPLIES—At least 2 weeks minimum
NEXT 10 ITEMS—ALMOST AS IMPORTANT!
1. CASH MONEY (Small Denominations & Coins)
2. CLOTHING—Including jackets and rain gear
3. SLEEPING BAGS, BLANKETS, OR SPACE BLANKETS
4. DUST MASKS (Sealed)—Recommended M-100’s or higher
5. HANDI-WIPES, WET-N-DRYS, HAND SANITIZERS
6. STURDY WALKING OR HIKING SHOES
7. CAR ADAPTER—For charging cell phones and other electronic items
8. CAN OPENER and/or SWISS ARMY KNIFE
9. RADIO—PREFERABLY SATELLITE—EXTRA BATTERIES
10. WRENCH TO TURN OFF GAS AT YOUR HOME
After putting together these two lists, then start adding to the plastic tubs with items you already have on hand in your home. Check them off as you go. Then start buying the rest—some of which you may find at garage sales, Ebay, or Craigs List to save money.
Below is what the Los Angeles Fire Department lists to have on hand in case there is an earthquake. I think it is flawed, as this list assumes there will be only a localized earthquake and not a series of “Chile Style” continuing earthquakes. Many of these items will not be needed if you evacuate, but I am listing them all for you to choose what is important to your family. It is not complete, so I’ve added a number of things in a list below, assuming you’ll want to leave. Buy these items over two or three months so the cost doesn’t make such a big dent in your pocketbook. Here is the list:
· Ax / Maul (min. 6 lb.)
· Broom
· CASH MONEY (Small Denominations & Coins)
· Cheese Cloth (To Strain Particles From Water)
· Clothing
· Coil of Wire
· Coils of Rope 1/4″, 1/2″, 3/4″ (25′ – 50′)
· Compass
· Crowbar or Claw Tool (36″ or Longer)
· Dry Food
· Entertainment Pack – Family Photos, Notebooks, Literature, and Games
· Fire Extinguisher (We recommend a dry chemical type with a minimum size rating of 2A -IOBC, with an earthquake restraining strap, a hose type nozzle, and a metal head.)
· Flashlight With Batteries, Chemical Light Sticks and Matches, In Waterproof Container
· Hammer and Nails
· Plastic Garbage Bags (Heavy Duty, 30 Gal. or Larger)
· Plastic Sheeting Rolls (4 Mil. IO’ X 25′)
· Radio – Satellite is best (Battery Powered Portable)
· Screwdrivers
· Shovel (flat head and pointed)
· Sleeping Bags, Blanket, or Space Blanket
· Small and Large Plastic Bags
· Tarp (PVC or Canvas, Minimum Two, 8′ X IO’)
· Tent (Family or Tube Type)
· Walking Shoes and Socks plus Road Map
· Water – (Bottled plus strainer straw)
· Work Gloves
SANITATION SUPPLIES
· Dust Masks (Sealed)—Recommended M-100’s or better;
· Handi-wipes, Wet-N-Drys, etc. for water free cleanup
· Insect Sprays
· Plastic Bags – heavy duty garbage can size and smaller zip-lock types
· Portable (Collapsible) Camp Toilet with Chemicals
· Powdered Chlorine Lime – (proper storage is required, it is an oxidizer and it is corrosive)
· Toilet Paper (A very large supply)
· Toilet Supplies – Towelettes, Shampoo, Toothbrush and Toothpaste, Razor and extra Blades, Deodorant, Sanitary Napkins, Etc.
· Water purifier (Don’t rely on the cheese cloth above)
THINGS THEY DIDN’T LIST
· Adapter for recharging cell phone in your car;
· Air Mattress;
· Backpacks for each person—in case you have to hike out
· Bicycles—with Bike Carrier
· Boy Scout Fieldbook or a survival guide;
· Camp Stove with a one month supply of fuel;
· Can opener—one that is easy to use;
· Candles;
· Cargo straps to tie down containers, suitcases, duffle bags, etc.;
· Car keys—extra set;
· Cell phone(s) and chargers—both car and normal plugs;
· Clipboard for sheet with your destination that you leave;
· Deck of Cards and Paperback Books (in case you get stuck);
· Extra batteries for the radio and flashlights;
· Eye glasses—extra set;
· Games for Children;
· Gas can(s) to attach to the back of your vehicle;
· Gas siphon tube (do internet search);
· Gas topped off every few days
· Hand sanitizers;
· Important papers—Originals or copies of your birth certificates, passports, financial papers, and so on;
· Infants, disabled, and elderly special items they require;
· Jumper cables and/or battery charger;
· Knapsacks or canvas bags for each person’s personal items;
· Laptop and/or Blackberry with all cords including car plug-in;
· Map with A, B, and C designated escape routes (no bridges);
· Medical book for diagnosis and treatment;
· Medicines AND photocopies of prescriptions;
· Multi-function Swiss Army knife;
· New tires if needed for car;
· Padlock;
· Pens and “Sharpies” for writing on odd surfaces, filling out forms;
· Photo albums;
· Plastic bowls for each member of the family with lids;
· Plastic forks, knives, and spoons;
· Ponchos with hoods plus waterproof pants for the whole family for inclement weather;
· Portable fast charger for cell phone;
· Rubber gloves—prevents infection;
· Safety pins;
· Sectioned tent poles for the tarps;
· Sunscreen;
· Tire and air mattress air pump that runs off your car battery;
· Towels;
· Tow rope for car;
· Trash Bags;
· T-Shirts;
· Video Record of everything in your dwelling;
· Warm coats, sweaters, caps and gloves—you can pack last year’s coats in the kit;
· Whistle;
· Wrench for turning off the gas at your house
DON’T FORGET YOUR PETS!
Buy or make up an emergency kit for them. Recommended:
· Pet food for a minimum two weeks, but a month is better;
· Water;
· Water purification tablets. If you run out of bottled water, they will need to drink from whatever is available;
· Thermal or warm blanket;
· Sweater or coat if your pet is used to wearing them outside in the winter;
· An extra collar and leash;
· Toys;
· Bowls for food and drink—preferably collapsible to cut down on space;
· Emergency supplies, from nose to tail;
· Sanitation bags;
· Medicines for your pet(s);
· Microchip your pets in case you become separated.
NOTES: Please note that perhaps you will not need all of the above, but do you really wish to take the gamble? Even if you are planning to leave when the Precursors begin (Coronal Mass Ejection, animal and bird migrations), there’s always the chance that you’ll become immobilized because of mechanical problems, freeway wrecks, or a crush of humanity that overwhelms local facilities in the city or town that you reach. You want to be able to take care of yourself for literally weeks, if not months. I really don’t think you want to spend months in an Army tent with 10 to 100 other people, depending upon the size, do you?
The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) so far have shown ineptness in responding to the needs of thousands of people in a disaster, such as Hurricane Katrina. FEMA barred workers from entering 70,000 trailers in storage nationwide with the concerns about hazardous fumes, especially formaldehyde emissions. Yet at the same time, more than 48,000 other trailers continued to be used by hurricane victims in Louisiana and Mississippi. I would rather live in a tent than a FEMA trailer. Multiply the Katrina event by multiple times and you can just imagine how little help you can expect from the government for months after these disasters. A series of “Chile Style” earthquakes would affect literally MILLIONS of people on the west coast.
I highly recommend, if you can afford it, the family size tent, if you don’t wish to buy or rent a RV or travel trailer. You don’t know how long you may have to live in it, so the larger the better. If they run out locally, shop on the internet, but the earlier the better. For those of you without camping experience, the tarps are what you can sit under and cook under in inclement weather or hot sun. Once you’ve secured housing wherever you relocate to, donate the tent to another family, so that they don’t have to live in a large refugee tent. You’ll someday be rewarded for that act of kindness.
Many of the above emergency items come in kits that you can purchase online, instead of having to buy them piecemeal, such as the ones found on www.redcrossstore.org. Search the internet for the best deals.
The Los Angeles Fire department recommends storing these supplies in a container that will not be buried under falling objects. They recommend a large trashcan. I would amend that to say that you should consider large square plastic bins that can easily be loaded inside your car or even tied onto the top with straps. Trashcans are for those people who think they are going to stay around after the earthquake. You may wish to consider buying a rack for the top of your car (permanent or portable) that will allow you to carry more supplies with you.
SPECIAL NOTE FOR EVERYONE LIVING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA:
If there are a series of “Chile Style” earthquakes—one after another, after another—there will be huge clouds of dust lifted into the air, which may remain for weeks or even months. Do you really want to subject your family to respiratory problems the rest of your lives by breathing this toxic dust? And keep in mind that there will be very little running water with water pipe breaks, so you’ll run out of water after three days—then what? You need to leave the area and go as far as you can—Phoenix or farther. There will be a crush of refugees streaming in, so the farther the better, and away from the clouds of dust. Even if the first major quake is not near you, LEAVE! The next one may very well be.
ONE FINAL NOTE:
There will be chaos after the earthquakes, and I’m sure you don’t want to be forced to try and defend your family from marauding gangs. SO LEAVE!!
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Tom
Tom T. Moore
TomTMoore6(at)aol.com
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