It sure is hard to imagine these days, but our world once thrived without electricity. This past week certainly had our community reeling didn’t it? Some places are still without power after 10 days. As our family faced this power outage, we used the time to talk with our kids about being prepared and how our communities used to work without electricity.
Our kids seemed shocked at the idea and felt a bit of panic once they started realizing everything they couldn’t use because it requires electricity … one of the things we did while the power was out was huddle together and make a list with the kids of everything that required electricity, then we had them put things in order of importance, and finally we brainstormed together a non-energy using replacement.
Fireplace for central heat, candles & flashlights for light, BBQ or wood stove for cooking and boiling water etc. We took a look at the food we had on hand and made lists of food that would be easier to deal with given the limited cooking options for such a large family. Sometimes you have to be in it to realize what you truly need. But also, everyone will be in different circumstances so take a look at your reality and brainstorm how to be more prepared.
Our recent ice storm was predicted but not to the full extent of what we experienced and therefore so many families found themselves caught off guard and not prepared. We hear the call all the time to have 2 weeks of supplies on hand in case of emergency, but how many people have those supplies? I heard the weatherman say to avoid roads and prepare to stay home because it would cause poor driving conditions. I went shopping a few days before and loaded up my fridge and a few pantry items so I wouldn’t have to go anywhere for a few days having three kids, one teenager, two adults and two senior dogs in our house. We also had firewood in the cellar to stay extra cozy! But by the 2nd round of freezing rain, our power went out a little before bedtime.
All night we listened and jumped to snapping branches, falling trees, transformer after transformer lighting the sky and it didn’t take long before I had a really bad feeling. Between the PNW and Texas, our nation seemed to be crippled by these winter storms and I can’t help but reflect on how we could all be better prepared and a bit more self sufficient. Within 2-3 days our fridge/freezer was spoiled and 6 people can go through A LOT of non-perishables when they are cold and bored!
We are so reliant on “the system” working - but what happens when these large failures happen and don’t only affect a small community but an entire region and nation as transportation is halted and fuel is in a shortage and entire power grids go out!?! As difficult as this situation was, I am grateful it wasn’t worse and we had the basics. There are lessons to be learned and they are right in front of us. You’re going to need more than a few candles and some canned soup so hunker down and start putting together your preparedness list and supplies!
I spent years in the Oregon National Guard training and working domestic operations and our responses to wildfires and local flooding. I have seen first hand what being caught off guard and unprepared looks like and I want to help make sure everyone in our community has the resources now to get themselves and their own communities ready. The biggest event we continue to train and prepare for here in Oregon is the Cascadia Earthquake that could happen anytime in our region. If you are unfamiliar with this event, get yourself educated on the Cascadia Earthquake here on the Oregon.gov.
The Oregon website has so many incredible tools and resources for getting prepared to be self sufficient. It is important to understand that when a large scale emergency like this occurs, we will not have services to help. Our government will be overwhelmed and will have to rely on OTHER states emergency response teams to come assist us. For instance, Oregon’s fuel reserve is in a compromised location and will likely not be accessible in the Cascadia event, this will require the entire region to wait for fuel to be brought in by ships up the Columbia river … this process alone could take weeks to months depending on the disaster level. So think about this one fact alone when you are thinking you will just use your generator or propane stove/BBQ. Those resources will be overwhelmed immediately as we saw with our small ice storm this past week as gas stations ran out of fuel and lines for propane were hours long.
This point brings me to a topic I care so much about. The power of working together as a COMMUNITY! I hear time and time again from friends in the suburbs and other neighborhoods, downtown etc. that they don’t know/don’t care for their neighbors. We all need to step out of our comfort zones and recreate community in our neighborhoods. You can do more by taking first aide classes, disaster preparedness classes and volunteering to learn new skills with your fire department or community resource agencies. When it gets really tough, we will really need to take care of each other.
I would suggest getting a list together of who lives where in your neighborhood and what their strengths are, what supplies they have and how you can all work together in case of an emergency. You should know where your frail seniors live, your overwhelmed and low income families who may need extra help etc. CHECK ON YOUR NEIGHBORS! Don’t assume everyone is prepared or knows what to do, I’ve seen several stories of people dying in their home from carbon monoxide from using propane heaters inside to stay warm or downright freezing to death in their homes.
All of this can seem so daunting and overwhelming but start small and keep in mind the basics to survive. Take this most recent event as a reminder to get stocked up because it’s only a matter of time for a larger scale event. We really need to be ready and have supplies to last our families two weeks so we can be more self sustaining and not bog down the services when the time comes.
Our List
3 dozen candles (slow burning) you can cook with these too (see picture below)
4 flashlights with 2 extra sets of batteries
1 lantern with 2 extra batteries
2 dry cords of firewood
multiple lighters/matches/firestarters
4 - 5 gallon water drums for cooking + drinking ( we live near a stream for other water needs)
Freeze dried fruits & Veggies (Thrive Life)
4 Cases of MRE’s, these allow you to cook your main entree using their heat pack which required just a couple ounces of water! (Meals Ready to Eat, good old military rations)
Multi-Vitamins for adults + kids
Something to boil water over a fire (we use this camping French press)
New distractions for kids (coloring books, new puzzle they haven’t seen, books to read)
First aid kit + basic first aid book! We lost cell/internet service too with this recent storm so having resources on hand will be a necessity if we don’t have internet or a Dr. in the community.
Clothing of course but be sure to always have access to Winter clothing incase disaster strikes during colder temperatures.
Personal hygiene items (baby wipes to keep clean, toothpaste, deodorant, female products)
$500 cash - but be sure to always ask for bartering options if the grid is out.
Emergency thermal blankets
Walkie-talkies between neighbors
35lb extra dog food (we change this out every 3 months)
Solar generator - this is a large investment but one I don’t think I can overemphasize enough! Even if you have solar panels on your house, they are likely on-grid panels so when the power company goes down, your panels aren’t going to supply your home with power unless you have a backup battery (from $7K+). A gas powered generator will cost around $1000 but you will be reliant on having gasoline (approx. 1 gallon per 8 hours of use with just essentials plugged in). Consider it!
*Be sure to consider your own families needs if you have pets, babies etc. make a list of the items you MUST have for them.
To use candles for cooking and heating, simply put the candle in between a triangle of canned goods and place your cookware on top. Too easy! Makes great eggs, quesadillas, canned soup and more!
If you don’t have a fireplace or firewood, make a fort with mattresses or use tents indoors to create a smaller space you can regulate with body heat and blankets in extreme cases of cold.