Earthquake Shake Out: Lessons Learned

Doctrine and Covenants 38:30
"I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear."

This "Shake Up" was an excellent, though ridiculous experience for me today. Here are the lessons I learned, just for starters:

1.) We have really tried to prepare for emergencies where we might lose electricity, but the preparations we have made would be pretty useless in an earthquake scenario. This is bad news considering this is the most likely catastrophic event in our area.

2.) We have several kerosene lamps and lanterns throughout the house. These are great in case of a loss of electricity, but would be pretty useless in the case of an emergency due to their very breakable/flammable nature.

3.) We have lots of food storage (though not as much as we'd like). The problem is location. We live in a pretty small home, so really the only space we have for storing these items is below decks in "the dungeon." If our old, rickety home came crashing down, it would take at least several days to dig them out.

4.) We have some excellent equipment for food preparation, but this equipment is also located in places which would be inaccessible or could potentially be damaged beyond repair.

5.) We have a latrine setup... which is located in the same lame place.

6.) Our 72 hour kits are well equipped with non-perishable items, but the food is out of date and needs to be replaced. This is bad because if our food supplies got buried in rubble, we wouldn't have a backup food supply until we could dig them out.

7.) If we had to make a quick exit from the house, we don't really have supplies (like long, protective clothing, boots, work gloves, etc.) in a good place to use to dig out important items.

8.) Our water barrels are located near an exterior brick wall and could easily be damaged, resulting in the loss of all our emergency water.

9.) We have never gotten around to taking inventory and pictures of our valuable items to submit to the insurance company should a disaster arise.

10.) Most of us run around the house barefoot all day. Shoes belong in a certain place, but rarely find their way there. This could be a huge problem when trying to exit a crumbling building, or even just getting through a room with broken glass.

11.) We have not secured any heavy furniture to the walls, and our water heater is not anchored or fitted with flexible piping.

12.) We have no real plan for communicating when individual members of the family might be separated during a disaster.

13.) A lot of the "safest" places in the house are actually occupied by furniture and would be hard to get to for a person in a panic.

14.) The pre-emergency communication in our neighborhood is lacking in planning and leaves some to be desired.

15.) Our gas tanks in our vehicles are generally filled to less than half full - a problem if a need arises to "bug out."

Basically, we have a lot of work to do to be more prepared, and it made me a little fearful, due to our lack of preparation. But we will pick and work on one thing at a time, as time and finances allow. For example, we can update (and upgrade) our 72 hour kits and make sure they are in areas that are not as likely to be buried so that we have a few days' food supply while trying to dig out the rest of the food. We hope to adjust our budget to accommodate better preparation. Our list is a little overwhelming, but again, if we eat the elephant one bite at a time, it is progress.

I also learned and experienced a lot of positives.

1.) I have amazing kids who watch out for each other! During one of our drills, my 13-year-old was really angry with his 4-year-old brother and was attempting to escort him to his room. But although he was so angry, when the "earthquake" hit, his first response was to drag him to a safe place and shield him with his own body! No way!

2.) Most of the kids were quick to remember the plan and drop what they were doing and go directly to the closest, safest spot. (Not the 4-year-old. We decided that in this drill, he would not be killed, but definitely seriously maimed. I guess that's an improvement?)

3.) Many of the things that we need to do to be more prepared will be super easy to do, free, and great Family Home Evening activities.

4.) I want to be more involved in our home preparations, as well as our neighborhood planning for emergencies, which will take effort but will be well worth the rewards of seeing my loved ones and friends as safe as possible.

6.) Preparation goes beyond having "stuff" and includes attitudes, skills, and work.

5.) My "stuff" is nowhere near as important as my people.

6.) I'm grateful for my 4-wheel-drive vehicles in case there are problems with the roads.

7.) We do have quite a bit of equipment (including emergency shelter, cooking equipment, etc.) stored in more accessible places, which will be a huge benefit if a disaster arises.

8.) We have amazing friends and neighbors who will band together to help each other in emergencies.

Hopefully this has been an opportunity for all of us to take stock of our preparations and decide to do a little more - whatever we have the capacity to do. Although I feel a little overwhelmed by what has yet to be done around here, I can remember to do my best to prepare (whatever my best may be), and take comfort in my efforts and have faith that the Lord will magnify my efforts. I am still a beginner, but all that the Lord expects of me is my best.

- Katie

Earthquake: Shake Out

Tomorrow morning, April 17th, at 10:15 AM, the state of Utah will be conducting the largest earthquake drill in state history. This drill will test our communications and preparedness structures. Due to the geographical nature of the LDS church setup, the State frequently uses church leadership and members to assist with coordinating efforts and communication. Each city should have a plan of action and communication. If you are unfamiliar with your area's plan, check with your local Bishop, or check your city's website. Our neighborhood plan consists of block captains and lieutenants who report to a coordinator. This coordinator reports to the bishop, who reports to the stake president, who reports to the city representative. It's important to know who your block captain is and get to know them. If you don't know who your block captain is, check with your bishop.

Our city's communication plan includes a laminated signal that residents are advised to place in their front window after the emergency passes. It is the basic size of a file folder, which can fold closed or opened. One side is green and says, "All Okay!" This side is displayed when all members of the household are fine and do not need medical attention or outside help. The second side is yellow and says, "Help Soon!" This side is displayed when there is a non life-threatening injury or a problem that requires outside help, but not immediately. The third side is red and says, "Help Now!!" This side is displayed when there is a life threatening injury or a problem which requires immediate help. Our city is asking us to display these signs in our windows tomorrow morning after we hold our earthquake drills in order to practice our communication chain. If you have not yet received your signal, ask your local bishop or block captain how to get yours TODAY so that you'll have it in time for the drill.

Utah Shake Out is the perfect time to get some planning done for yourself and your family. At our house, we realized that although the danger of an earthquake is really quite high in our state, our family has really never had any discussions or drills to prepare for such an event. So this morning we took the opportunity to have a real talk and a few drills and some fun. We live in a 70-year-old house, built before construction was done with seismic activity in mind. We had to make a few adjustments to the usual wisdom because of this. We also needed to make it clear to the kids that the plan for an earthquake is different from the plan for a fire.

We began by discussing a few facts:
*In our home, the doorways are not load-bearing, so we should NOT crouch in a doorway.
*Our home is made of un-reinforced masonry, so it is very important to take cover near an interior wall, away from crumbling brick and breaking windows.
*When taking cover, it is important NOT to run out of the house, because a large proportion of injuries happen when people are struck by falling debris while trying to get outside. It is therefore safer to stay where you are and not try to leave the house until the shaking stops.
*It can be very dangerous to wander from room to room looking for a safe place to take cover, so it's important to know the places in each room that are the "safe" places, and only move a few steps away from your original location.
*If you are in bed when an earthquake hits, it is best to stay put in the bed and cover your head with your pillows, instead of trying to move to a safer spot.

Then we went through the house, looking in each room for hazards and for the safest places to take cover.
*We looked for interior walls, especially corners.
*We checked for sturdy furniture to crouch under.
*We looked for hazards like falling items, glass, windows, etc. to stay away from.
*We looked for cupboards that could fly open and empty their contents, or large furniture such as book shelves that could come away from the wall and cause injuries.
*We looked up to see if there were any light fixtures that could potentially come down.

Finally, we had several practices in each room. I would yell, "Earthquake!" and the kids would move as quickly as they could to the closest safe place, duck down, cover their heads, and grab onto something sturdy close by (like the legs of a table if hiding under it).

We made a few discoveries and adjustments. For example, our poor 4-year-old would be a dead baby if left to his own devices. The poor kid just ran in circles from room to room screaming, "That's it! I'm dead! I'm dying!" He then made a "dead face" and fell to the floor. Nice. We adjusted by making sure the older kids knew to grab him if they are close by and take him with them to their safety spot. We also clearly need more practice. Some of the kids treated it like a game, while others took it very seriously. We saw that some of the kids didn't really have a clear understanding of what an earthquake is and what it looks like so we watched a few videos of earthquake footage. We discussed what people did right and what they did wrong in the videos, like taking cover vs running through the house, or staying put vs trying to run outside and getting crushed by falling debris.

Unfortunately, we have a lot of work to do to prepare for an earthquake, like securing furniture and water heaters, etc. But we are sure grateful for this drill and the attention it is helping us to focus on getting prepared. Here is a list of fantastic websites that can help you get prepared. Even one thing at a time (like holding your first earthquake drill) is a step in the right direction. We all have to start somewhere!

-Katie

Utah Shake Out
Ready.Gov Earthquake Info.
USGS Earthquake Info. Page

Wheat Keeping, or, Adventures in Sublimation

D&C 89:14 All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth.

When it comes to long-term food storage, an excellent place to start is with a growing supply of grains, especially wheat. Wheat is relatively inexpensive, versatile, filling... it's the staff of life!

I like thinking about Joseph of Egypt and his responsibility to store up grains in the 7 years of plenty, so that when the 7 years of famine came, the country had enough food, and to spare. Some of us might not currently be in a "time of plenty." Some of us may be experiencing our "years of famine," and are now consuming what may have been stored up for this very time.

Vance and I went through one of these times early in our marriage. Our ward had the opportunity to have a turn with an electric can sealer for #10 cans in the bishop's garage for a little while. We had just received a nice bonus and had decided to use it for taking advantage of this opportunity. Using oxygen absorbing packets and #10 cans, we dry canned flour, sugar, pasta, brown sugar (a HUGE no-no, but we didn't know!), and other staples. Later on, things got lean in the pocket book, and it was a huge blessing to have those basic ingredients stored away.

Although this method is a fantastic one for long-term storage, I did notice that when we used the flour that had been in the cans for a few years, the oxygen absorbers had left the food with a funny flavor. Their effectiveness comes from iron inside the packets which react with moisture and air in the food to create rust and neutralize the oxygen in the container. Although the rust and iron do not come into contact with your food, I could still taste the rust in the flour. Also, the oxygen packets are not a reliable and safe method to use if you're storing your food in plastic buckets.

Why do we need to worry about oxygen in the food, anyway? No matter how hard industries try to keep the creepy crawlies out of our food, and no matter how hard we try ourselves for that matter, some insects will find a way. Whether there are full-grown insects or simply eggs, something needs to be done to safely eliminate them and prevent them from infesting our food, without posing a threat to those actually eating the food. And since living things can't survive without oxygen, we remove it. We don't want to treat our foods with chemicals, either. It will compromise the longevity of the product, and when push comes to shove, we may want to sprout our grains to gain added nutrients and this can be a problem with chemically treated grains.

Oxygen packets are the perfect solution for dry goods which are being stored in cans, but what about dry goods that are packed into plastic buckets? These are not good candidates for the oxygen packet. This is where we learn a magic word. Sublimation. Kinda rolls off the tongue, huh? "Yes, I store my grains with the use of sublimation." We're fancy here. Sublimation is the process in which a solid turns into a gas without first becoming a liquid. (There's your science lesson for the day, cool experiment to follow.)

This is where our good friend, dry ice, comes into play. Sorry men, we are not going to be making dry ice bombs, root beer, or witch's brew. *Sigh* But, that same goodness that gives your homemade root beer its bubbles is going to keep your family alive 30 years from now. Is that not awesome?! Dry ice is simply frozen carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is heavier than oxygen (and un-sustaining of animal life), and that's what makes this trick work.

Instructions:

When storing dry goods in plastic buckets, place 1 ounce of dry ice per gallon of container size in the bottom of the bucket or other plastic container. (Be sure to first wipe off any ice crystals to prevent the introduction of moisture.) Pour your dry item over the dry ice to fill the bucket almost to the top. Place the lid onto the container, but don't seal it all the way (or you WILL have a dry ice bomb). This allows the oxygen to escape, without allowing a transfer of new oxygen back into your container. Wait for all of the dry ice to sublimate. You'll know it's done when the bottom of the bucket is no longer cold to the touch. At this point, you can finish sealing your container, and you're good to go for the next jillion years... Or 30.

This works because as the dry ice sublimates, the carbon dioxide begins to fill the bucket from the bottom up, pushing the oxygen right out the top, leaving nothing left for your little enemies of wheat to breathe. Dastardly.

-Katie-

For more information on long-term storage methods, visit the LDS church website, here. There you'll find information on this dry ice method, oxygen absorbers, vacuum sealers, and examples of which kinds of food are acceptable and unacceptable for long-term storage.

Water Storage 101

" Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."


Just as we need spiritual water we also need physical to survive. Can you think of a time you really needed water? Maybe a hiking trip or long drive between stops? You were thirsty but the most any of has gone without water is maybe a day.

I remember I was on a 50 mile backpacking trip through the mountains of Nevada as a teenager, and we relied on streams along the way for our water. One evening we had been hiking all day, and we were out of water. On the map it showed a stream bed at the bottom of the hill we were on. We hiked down only to find out the stream was dry. We kept hiking down the stream bed hoping and praying that maybe a spring of some sort would appear. After another hour of hiking we finally found some water. I was very relieved.

I remember how thirsty I was then , and cannot imagine going days without water. Even more now I would not be able to handle seeing my wife and kids thirsty if something happened, and I did nothing to prepare.

If the water supply is tainted or if there is an earthquake it can take several days to weeks to get water. We need to have some on hand to survive if something like that happens.

I urge you to start now with a water supply, however big or small.

Vance

How Much Water do I Need?

You should have at least a three-day supply of water and you should store at least one gallon of water per person per day. A normally active person needs at least one-half gallon of water daily just for drinking.

If you can get more than three days you should. We have four 55 gallon containers right now with plans to get more. Right now Macey's grocery store has an excellent deal on these @ $29.00.

If you cannot get those, or have room for them, start small with pop bottles in the closet or under the bed (see containers below). Every little bit helps, and may be life giving to your family if something happens.


Containers

Use only food-grade containers. Smaller containers made of PETE plastic(PET plastics are coded with the resin identification code number "1" inside the universal recycling symbol- most pop bottles.), usually located on the bottom of the container. or heavier plastic buckets or drums work well.
Clean, sanitize, and thoroughly rinse all containers prior to use. A sanitizing solution can be prepared by adding 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to one quart (1 liter) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.
Do not use plastic milk jugs, because they do not seal well and tend to become brittle over time.
Do not use containers previously used to store non-food products.


Water Pretreatment

Water from a chlorinated municipal water supply does not need further treatment when stored in clean, food-grade containers.
Non-chlorinated water(water from a well etc) should be treated with bleach. Add 1/8 of a teaspoon (8 drops) of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) for every gallon (4 liters) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.

Storage

Containers should be emptied and refilled regularly.
Store water only where potential leakage would not damage your home or apartment.
Protect stored water from light and heat. Some containers may also require protection from freezing.
The taste of stored water can be improved by pouring it back and forth between two containers before use.