Planning and Preparation
YOU NEED TO GET PAST THE “ITCAN’THAPPENTOME” ATTITUDE and under
stand that disasters can occur anywhere, anytime. The best way to prepare
is to keep a few key items handy, just in case, in your home survival kit.
Like any survival kit, the one for your home must be tailored to your
region and the events that are most likely to occur there. I live in Ontario,
Canada, where earthquakes are rare. However, there’s a good chance we could
be struck by a blizzard and suffer a subsequent blackout, which could mean
I’d be out of power, out of water (since I’m on a pump system), and out of
heat. And if it was a prolonged blackout, I could eventually run out of food.
I recommend that you keep in your survival kit a oneweek supply of
everything you need to live. Refer to the checklist in the back of this book
for everything you’ll need to include.
Signaling
THEABILITYTOMAKEANEFFECTIVE SIGNAL is important in disasters at or close
to home. People are often trapped after natural disasters and need to signal
for rescue, which is bound to come eventually. But if you’re trapped, you
will definitely need to let people know where you are and how you are.
Water
IF YOU HAVE THE LUXURY OF KNOWING IN ADVANCE that a disaster will occur,
fill your bathtub, as well as any other sink or receptacle you have available,
with tap water. This is routine at our house when bad weather is on the
way, and has paid off more than once. A water filter (not the cheap one
that sits in a pitcher in your refrigerator) is useful if your supply becomes
tainted or if you’re getting your water from a nearby river or lake.
Remember that the water in the back tank of your toilet is perfectly
drinkable, as it comes right from the tap and never contacts the bowl itself.
Ice cubes that you’ve left in your freezer are another potential (though
admittedly limited) source.
(^344) | Survive!