Are you ready?

This morning I was talking to my sister who lives in Vermont. Things there are in bad shape and her town is without water. It will be a very long process to get things back to normal there. It is easy to think of all the things you need in case of an emergency AFTER the emergency happens.  You wish you had water. You wish you had flashlights. You wish you had a way to cook your food.  All the things you take for granted suddenly mean so much more. You miss turning on a faucet and watching water come out. You miss taking a hot shower. You pretty much miss everything you had just moments before - and now is gone. Here at Yesteryear Acres we have had to face emergency type situations a couple of times.  The worst was a horrible ice storm that happened several Christmases ago.  We were without heat, water, electric - well everything that matters.  It went on for over a week.  Last September Hurricane Ike rolled through Ohio of all places and left us without water and electric for 10 days. You just never know when an emergency will arise. It is best to be prepared. My sister just said today on the phone that she is the "grasshopper" from the Aesop's Fable, "The Ant and The Grasshopper"  Well I am sure you can all guess that I am the ant.  So here is our Emergency Prepared List.  It is good to have these items stored someplace safe - just in case. 

5 Gallon Thermos Water Jug

Cooking pans/pots for campfire – coffee maker, sandwich grill, dutch oven – things to use to cook over open fire

Camp Shower

Canned Food, meats, veggies

Dehydrated Food – beef jerky, tomatoes, green beans, corn etc.

Water – at least 10 gallons saved for an emergency along with bottled water

Firewood

Insulated Cooler

Water purifier

Matches or lighter with refill fuel

Galvanized Wash Tub (for washing outside)

Rain Barrel or 55 gallon drum to catch water off of gutters

Emergency recharge station (works off batteries and will recharge cell phones)

LED Flashlights

Batteries

Ice packs

Blankets

Vegetable Seeds ( you never know – it is good to have a ration of seeds for the next season)

Very well stocked first aid kit – including vet wrap, butterfly strips, bandages – large and small, finger splints, slings etc

Solar powered – fill in the blank – anything you can have that recharges via solar energy – good to have flashlight, radio etc.

Handwarmers

We also are sure to fill our bathtub with water whenever we hear about a bad storm heading our way. That way we have enough water to flush toilets, wash up, do some dishes etc.  We also fill all our water jugs and containers for drinking water.  We have a storm readiness procedure we follow without fail.

Hopefully you will never need this list - but believe me - if you are in an emergency situation - you will be glad you got it beforehand!  If you can think of anything else to add to the list, please feel free to share.  We all want to be prepared!