Disaster Planning: Stocking up on Food and Water
Having enough food and water in your house is as important as anything else in an emergency. The average person should be drinking at least a half a gallon of water every day. Those who live in hot, dry climates need to increase that to one gallon, as do children and nursing mothers and those who fighting illnesses. The recommendation is to store one or two gallons for each person and make sure that you have a two to three week supply for each person. That can be quite a bit, depending upon how many there are in your family.
It is best to use plastic or glass containers or an enamel-lined metal thermos. Please do not even think of using old bleach or household chemical containers. The best containers to use are one gallon milk jugs and two or three liter soda bottles. Be sure to refill them with fresh water at least twice a year. You can find water outside your house if you need to in these: rainwater, ponds, rivers, lakes, streams, natural springs, creeks and brooks. Make sure you use an active carbon filtering pitcher to filter the water before you drink it.
If your activity level goes down, then you can survive on half of your normal amount of food and even go without any food for a few days. Children and pregnant women should not reduce their food intake, it is not safe.
There are some foods that you need to avoid if your supply of water is limited: high fat and protein foods and salty foods. These will make you very thirsty. Salt-free crackers along with whole grain cereals and fruits and canned foods packed in water are your best bets. Don’t bother buying expensive or unfamiliar foods for your emergency supplies. You are better off using dry mixes and canned foods and other foods to stock your shelves, and it is better to keep all those familiar foods on hand. This will lift everyone’s spirits and help you all cope better. You also should make sure that you have enough to see you through two weeks time. Gradually increasing the amount you keep on hand will help you to make this possible.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
* Keep your food in a cool, dry area.
* Always keep your food covered.
* Open those boxes and cans carefully and re-close them tightly each time.
* Store those cookies and crackers in Ziploc bags that are kept in tight containers.
* Put any sugar, nuts or dried fruit into air-tight containers to keep them fresh.
* Make sure that your food is fresh you eat it.
* Always use your oldest foods first and make sure that your supplies are fresh. Write the dates on with a marker. The newer items go in back and the older ones go in front.
You do not need to be in a disaster to be affected by it. It makes you wonder how people can survive such a traumatic event. If you have all the supplies you need, making it through whatever disaster come at you will not be too difficult.
