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Can I Stay At Home after the BIG ONE? This is a BIG, big question. We’re not talking a ‘regular’ earthquake here. We’re talking destruction on a scale we’ve never experienced. So – Can you stay? FIRST – Read the “Should I Go To a Shelter?” file already posted. If you or your family: experience major injuries, end up overtaxing yourself by caregiving under strenuous circumstances, lack health care needs/medications, have outstanding medical conditions that make staying a bad idea, notice fires that keep springing up in your neighborhood , OR you absolutely need electricity and clean water, and your house has been completely destroyed … then, NO you should not stay. Leave while you can and DO NOT become part of the problem. First Responders will ALREADY be stretched to the max and the choices you make about trying to “stick it out” at home could mean endangering the people who are with you, as well as First Responders who would have to try to come to your rescue later. And there are other people who need help more than you do. Yes – there are those people who will need help RIGHT AWAY and maybe you aren’t one of
them. But if you PROBABLY WILL NEED HELP, and it isn’t an emergency RIGHT NOW, then maybe you can be a little helpful by making the trek out on your own. Just sayin’. However, if road conditions prohibit you from going anywhere, you may yet need to stay home for a little. So – read on. So – CAN YOU STAY? Maybe. You need to know that going back into a house that “looks” like it only has minor damage and living in it – given that we will have aftershocks that could be equal to the original BIG ONE – is foolhardy, dangerous and downright irresponsible. The occasional trudge through the house for short jaunts to get supplies is still dumb, but could serve the purpose you need. THEREFORE, you will need to be able to exist OUTSIDE of your house for a while. Think about items you need to be self-‐sufficient. You’ll need a ready supply of Shelter, Supplies, Food, Water, and Warmth. SSFWW.
Shelter: Do you have an RV/CAMPER/VAN that wasn’t damaged? Do you have a yard that wasn’t torn up by faulting and have camping equipment that you know how to use? Are all of the areas where the RV sits, and the “camp site” will be put, far enough away from things that could fall on them? In other words – are there no large/tall trees, overhead power lines, utility poles, building overhangs, tall buildings, chimneys, retaining walls? Just because it hasn’t fallen yet doesn’t mean it can’t!!! Supplies: Do you have a source of light? A radio? Do you have sources of energy for your phones, radios, rechargeable batteries? Do you have a First Aid Kit that’s up to the job of taking care of larger injuries? Do you have tools of all kinds – like shovels, saws, hammers, screwdrivers, a broom, a crow bar, work gloves, duct tape, a wrench and pliers. Do you have a fire extinguisher? Do you have supplies for making a toilet? (See The Potty File) Do you have several kinds of rope? Do you have a change of clothes and sturdy shoes/boots? Do you have some kind of helmet (bike, motorcycle,
football)? Do you have a way to filter water and to make potable water? Food: Do you have and can you get to a ready supply of food? Food in the shape of: 1) Things in the refrigerator that you will eat first, 2) Food in the freezer that you will start working on second, 3) Dried foods in a closet or sheltered area that you can work on and finish 3rd (vs eating all the cereal the first day), and 4) Food in cans/jars that
can last you for a goodly duration. And, can all of this food last you for up to two weeks? Do you have a means of cooking or warming the food OUTSIDE? The outdoor cooking area needs to be able to be
turned on when in use and being watched, and turned off when not in use. Period. These could be: grill, camp stove, a low, stable (low center of gravity) fireplace/fire pit – chiminea or fire pit table. Building a fire pit or campfire in your own back yard is HIGHLY DISCOURAGED!! Any sparks that set off a fire could
be fatal! Never mind that you could run into a gas line!! Always be vigilant. And, do you have extra fuel? Cannisters, tanks, charcoal, wood, whatever. Do you have matches, starters, lighters? Or … does the thought of eating cold creamed corn from a can seem okay to you? If you’re really hungry – I can almost guarantee that it’ll be delicious. For more see: The Food File. Water: Do you have enough water for drinking for every person? Drinking water on most lists amounts to ½ gallon of liquid/day per person. That’s around – give or take: -‐ 6 – 12 oz cans/person/day; -‐ almost an entire 2 liter bottle/person per day (or 2 – 1 liter bottles); -‐ 8 – 6 oz tiny cans/person/day; -‐ 3 ½ -‐ 20 oz bottles/person/day of fluid; -‐ or 4 – 16 oz bottles (my Perrier – and “regular water” bottles) /person/day. YOU DO THE MATH!! That’s a lot of fluid that must be drinkable. For 14 days. Notice I, personally, didn’t say WATER that must be drinkable. Drinking fruit juice counts as hydration. But, seriously, some of
that hydration should be done with water. Too much soda, fruit juice, etc. can be bad for teeth/gums, especially under the circumstances. That’s not all … you WILL need lots more water than that. The estimate is another ½ gallon for every person/day for cooking, personal cleanliness, cleaning pots/pans and utensils/dishes, washing clothes, putting out fires, wiping up messes,
brushing teeth, rinsing off/out items … the list goes on. You get the point. You may even need to purify water that’s not perfect because you’ll need more to drink
or use in cooking. See: The Water File. Warmth: Do you have plenty of blankets? Sleeping bags? Are you prepared for rain, snow, humidity? Do you have emergency blankets? Let me caution you again, that building a regular camp fire in your yard is a bad idea. If all you’re going to do is stand around the fire and get warm, it’s an especially bad idea. You waste the fuel that could be used for cooking and the night is only going to get longer and darker and colder. Best to have some thoughtful solutions before you make yourself and others suffer the cold.
Finally: Beware your vanity and pride. Be mindful that you are not considering the health and welfare of others so that you can “be all that.” If your personal “survivor” kicks in and you forget to see the fear/desperation and helplessness in those around you, then the cost of STAYING could be too high. My site, https://myeqpreppartner.com, has several files that can help get you on the road to preparedness for staying at home. Please refer to the Projects page where you’ll find: The Potty File, The Water File, The Food File and much more. My Earthquake Preparedness Partner Diane Koster Make Notes __________________________________________
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