April: Wildfire and Earthquake Awareness (cont'd)

Last time, I spoke a lot about wildfire preparedness. What about earthquakes? What is an earthquake? How do I stay safe in one?

Earthquakes are more than just a shaking house. It's the tectonic plates in the earth's crust moving. Some of the plates collide with each other and form mountains, some pull apart and lava seeps through, and some submerge under the other, forming volcanoes. In Southern California, we feel earthquakes that slide back and forth. The San Andreas fault slides sideways. Every time there is an earthquake, we move a little bit closer to San Fransisco. Now that's a scary thought!

The major safety precautions that need to be taken for an earthquake are:

• Anchor your telephone and life support systems.
• Protect head and neck.
• If you are outside, move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires.
• If inside, hold on to something sturdy (more on this below). Avoid mirrors and windows, fireplaces, and tall cabinets.
• Prepare for aftershocks.
• If trapped, cover mouth, tap on a wall or a pipe, and don't light a match.
• If in a car, pull over. Avoid overpasses, tall signs, and bridges. 

One of the dangerous things that can happen in an earthquakes are that the earth can liquify. There may be a great presence of mud, either from broken pipes or liquifaction. Pipes can break, making tap water unsafe to drink - this is why water storage is so important, even more so than food. There could be landslides. Buildings may be dangerous to enter. Roads may buckle, making it unsafe to drive. There are many more.

If inside, they used to teach us to go under our desks at school. Now they are teaching to go next to your desk. That way, nothing can collapse on your head. It's called the Triangle of Life. It's a pretty easy concept. Look at these pictures:

Sometimes, as a result of an earthquake at sea, we have to be careful of tsunamis. As soon as it is safe to move, go to higher ground. This should honestly be done after any earthquake, especially for those who life very close to the coast. If you are already out of tsunami zone, just stay where you are. Don't add to the traffic panic. Remain where you are for several hours. Sometimes tsunamis have large waves lasting for 10 hours or more. When officials announce it is safe to return to the coast, you may do so.

The most important thing for evacuation to safety is this: know where you are going ahead of time, and be able to reach a safe place by foot. Plan something for family home evening relating to this.

Tuesday Storage Additions (LATE)

Again, sorry for the delayed posts! I've been quite whelmed (but not overly) with school, 2 jobs, buying a house, plus church callings!

This week for our 72 hour kits, add an emergency phone list. Include the numbers of local friends/relatives, fire and police department (other than 911), an out of state contact, an out of city contact, and a doctor/poison control. I highly recommend including the police station and fire station numbers, because if there is a disaster, think of how trafficked 911 will be.

This month for our long-term food storage, we're adding oats. Go to this website to view the prices and sizes available at the cannery. You can even print off the form and have it all marked up, just so it's easier when you go!

How's your long term storage been going? I'm having a hard time working through mine, honestly. I think that fresh is so much more refreshing than canned! But that's why we rotate! To learn what we are willing to eat in times of need.

Feel free to email me (found in the Contact Me section) with any recipes, activity ideas, or food storage tips! I love hearing from you!

Motivational Thought

“We will see the day when we live on what we produce.”

            President Marion G. Romney

I apologize for the lateness! My husband and I have been really busy buying a house, so now we definitely need to work through our food storage!

April: Wildfire and Earthquake Awareness

This month is an Emergency Prep month. There are four during the course of the year. We will be focusing largely on Wildfires and Earthquakes, as they are a direct threat to our geographic location. I also want to make it known that Japan had another earthquake. It was an aftershock of the large one last month, and there are tsunami warnings throughout Japan again. 

Wildfires are particularly a threat during hot, dry, windy months. We have a month or two to prepare ourselves for potential damage. Some ways you can prepare:

• Keep yard plants, trees, and shrubs well trimmed, and dispose of dry plant debris. 
• Store gasoline, oily rags, and flammable materials in approved safety cans. 
• Make sure your house has firefighter access. 
• Make sure you are able to get out of your house if a fire were to start from the inside.
• Make sure you can get out of the neighborhood if a fire started somewhere nearby. 
• Know and have easy access to the precious items you would choose to take with you.
• Plan ahead for needs of children, elderly, and pets. 
• Have your chimney inspected twice a year. Keep them clean, and know how to properly put out a chimney fire. 
• Make sure smoke detectors are working.

The most important emergency items you should have prepared are as follows:

• plenty of water for each person
• at least 3 days of food
• first aid kit
• clothing, shoes, and blankets
• flashlight, battery powered radio, wrench set and fire extinguisher
• sanitation supplies
• special items, such as glasses, medication, etc.
• important documents

To be continued... Soon I'll talk more about earthquakes, and since they are rather relevant, tsunamis. I'll also be talking about ways you can help your neighbor in an emergency.

Tuesday Storage Additions

Today for our 72-hour kits, we're adding cash! Any amount that you find appropriate will do. I would recommend $25 or more per person. You could also add this in increments, if adding a large sum all at once is daunting. If you're going with that option, add $10 or $20 a week until you reach the amount you want.

This month for our long-term food storage, we're adding oats! It may seem a little redundant, as we just had the month of grains, but nevertheless, we're adding. If you feel prepared as far as oats from the previous months of building, then you may not need to add very much to your storage this month.

How's your 3-month supply coming? Remember to always be rotating! I just found a box of stale crackers in my cupboard, and was disappointed! Shouldn't I be setting an example of constant rotation and providence?! Anyway, they're still edible, just not as fresh. Avoid this! Rotate!

Article from Yahoo.com

Reuters – Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints gather around the Mormon Salt Lake Temple …

By Laura Zuckerman – Sat Apr 2, 11:17 am ET

SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) – While the nuclear crisis in Japan unfolds a continent away, Mormon-dominated communities in the western United States say the disaster overseas is bringing close to home a lesson about preparing for the worst.

Emergency planning and the long-term storage of food, water and medical supplies are central practices by the 14 million worldwide members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The tradition stems from doctrine - "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear" - established by Joseph Smith when he founded the church in 1830 in upstate New York. It also stems from the persecution that drove his early followers from the Midwest to the Rocky Mountains in 1847.

Present-day Mormons, concentrated in the United States in Utah, California and Idaho, say preparedness and self-reliance are a way of life and not signs of survivalist leanings or knee-jerk responses to disasters.

"It's not a sudden, spectacular program," said Craig Rasmussen, spokesman for the church in Idaho, second only to Utah for the highest percentage of Mormons.

Worries about radiation from Japan's crippled nuclear plants have spurred sales in the West of potassium iodide to block absorption of cancer-causing radioactive iodine even though U.S. officials say minor amounts detected in the air, rainwater or milk in 15 states pose no health risks.

At a time of renewed interest in how to cope with calamity in a region where Mormonism is the prevailing religious, cultural and social influence, companies selling dehydrated, freeze-dried or canned foods in bulk are reporting rising sales.

Don Pectol, vice president with Emergency Essentials Inc., a retail and online emergency supply chain based near Salt Lake City, said top sellers are powdered milk, water purifiers and meat processed to extend shelf life.

'NORMAL BEHAVIOR'

Pectol said the spike came after harmless levels of radiation were detected in states like Utah, Idaho and Arizona and the upsurge is similar to one that happened when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005.

Another online seller of stored food said on its website that dried dairy products and powered eggs were temporarily unavailable.

University of Colorado sociologist Kathleen Tierney, head of a national institute that tracks society's reactions to disasters, said potential nuclear threats place people on heightened alert.

She said fears lessen with measures like stocking up on food or remedies because a sense of control replaces the feeling of helplessness.

"It's normal behavior during uncertainty," said Tierney, director of the Natural Hazards Center in Boulder, Colorado.

Mormon Mark Oliverson, a dentist and father of three in the remote mountain town of Salmon in central Idaho, said he and his wife routinely add and rotate items in the family's year-long supply of food. The couple also attends the church's workshops on emergency planning, food storage and other practices that make up so-called provident living.

"It puts you in a position to take care of yourself and provide for your family through hard times - and that puts you in a good position to help others," he said.

Church leaders say that principle allows it to respond to emergencies worldwide.

In the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, Mormon missionaries working in areas near Japan's stricken nuclear reactors were moved to safety.

Officials said congregations in Japan have since set up an emergency response committee to organize volunteers distributing food, water, fuel and blankets.

The hazard center's Tierney said models like that confirm studies that show "we are better people in disasters than in day-to-day situations."

Eric Erickson, head of a group of Mormon congregations in the eastern Idaho community of Rexburg, where 90 percent of 24,000 residents are church members, said the crisis in Japan would likely prompt local leaders to fine-tune emergency plans and communications systems.

"Katrina provided us the opportunity to re-look at things and revisit those principles; this will be another," he said.

(Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Greg McCune)

Motivational Monday

"Those who structure their standard of living to allow a little surplus, control their circumstances. Those who spend a little more than they earn are controlled by their circumstances. They are in bondage”
President N. Eldon Tanner "Constancy Amid Change," Ensign, Nov. 1979, 81

General Conference this weekend was incredible. I felt like there was a strong theme of providence and self-reliance in several of the talks. Please share any of the great messages you've heard!

Starting Party!

Here are some ladies in Lisa's incredible garden.

This is where the goodies and socializing happened!

Lisa made these cute cupcakes with candy veggies on them, sticking with the theme of the party!

Filling our egg cartons with soil-less seed starter.

Adding seeds!

This is my finished product! I planted cilantro, basil, carrots, cucumber, dill, cantaloupe, and tomato.

I also grabbed a few onion starters! They smell incredible. So sweet and potent.

Everybody left the party excited about their new seedlings!
Here are some great things Lisa taught us about using gardening as a method of food storage:

• Seeds are way more economical than buying produce at the store. Seeds yield much more weight in produce. If you buy heirloom seeds, that means they are not genetically altered. If you grow produce from heirloom seeds, you will be able to plant what you harvest, and yield more produce next year. Many other seeds are altered to only grow one generation. This way, farmers have to buy more seeds.
• Starting seedlings indoors is easy. Most plants will grow better outside, in mildly warm weather, indirect sunlight, and plenty (but not too much water). Warmth is more important than light - but light is important too.
• Use a soil-free seed starting mix when starting seeds. Soil often has diseases or weed seeds in it. 
• Packages you buy in little paper envelopes are acceptable food storage, but each year you store them, you lose yield. They will realistically last for only 2-4 years. The only way to get longer life for your seeds is to buy heirloom, and have them sealed from air access.