Tornado Preparedness

The following information on tornadoes is taken from the FEMA website at www.fema.gov/hazard/tornado/index.shtm.

Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Every state is at some risk from this hazard.

Some tornadoes are clearly visible, while rain or nearby low-hanging clouds obscure others. Occasionally, tornadoes develop so rapidly that little, if any, advance warning is possible.

Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still. A cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible. Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.

Here are a couple of facts about tornadoes:

• Tornadoes are most frequently reported east of the Rocky Mountains during spring and summer months.
• Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer.
• Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but can occur at any time.
• A Tornado Watch means that tornadoes are possible and you should remain alert for approaching storms. Watch the sky and stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.
• A Tornado Warning means that a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. You should take shelter immediately.

Before a Tornado - How to Plan

You should conduct tornado drills each tornado season. Designate an area in the home as a shelter, and practice having everyone in the family go there in response to a tornado threat. Discuss with family members the difference between a "tornado watch" and a "tornado warning."

Have the following disaster supplies on hand:

• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries
• First aid kit and manual
• Emergency food and water
• Non-electric can opener
• Essential medicines
• Cash and credit cards
• Sturdy shoes

Katio® Voyager™

You should also develop an emergency communication plan in case family members are separated from one another during a tornado (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school). Have a plan for getting back together. Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the "family contact." After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.

What to Do During a Tornado

If at home:

• If you have a tornado safe room or engineered shelter, go there immediately.
• Go at once to a windowless, interior room; storm cellar; basement; or lowest level of the building.
• If there is no basement, go to an inner hallway or a smaller inner room without windows, such as a bathroom or closet.
• Get away from the windows.
• Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.
• If in a mobile home, get out and find shelter elsewhere.

If at work or school:

• Go to the area designated in your tornado plan.
• Avoid places with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums, cafeterias, large hallways, or shopping malls.
• Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.

If outdoors:

• If possible, get inside a building.
• If shelter is not available or there is no time to get indoors, lie in a ditch or low-lying area or crouch near a strong building. Be aware of the potential for flooding.
• Use arms to protect head and neck.

If in a car:

• Never try to out-drive a tornado in a car or truck.
• Get out of the car immediately and take shelter in a nearby building.
• If there is no time to get indoors, get out of the car and lie in a ditch or low-lying area away from the vehicle. Be aware of the potential for flooding.

After a Tornado

• Help injured or trapped persons.
• Give first aid when appropriate.
• Don't try to move the seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger of further injury.
• Call for help.
• If you smell gas, do not turn on any appliances or switches. This includes using phones, flashlights or a cell phone.
• Turn on the radio or television to get the latest emergency information.
• Stay out of damaged buildings. Return home only when authorities say it is safe.
• Use the telephone only for emergency calls.
• Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, or gasoline or other flammable liquids immediately. Leave the buildings if you smell gas or chemical fumes.
• Take pictures of the damage--both to the house and its contents--for insurance purposes.

Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance--infants, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

When a tornado is coming, you have only a short amount of time to make life-or-death decisions. Advance planning and quick response are the keys to surviving a tornado.

Emergency Preparedness Guide - Food for Thought

This is the fifth installment of our new weekly feature entitled the "Emergency Preparedness Guide." Remember that we will post a new article each Wednesday from this guide.

Food for Thought

There are so many options to consider, how do I know what kind of food to store?

For some of us, this may seem to be the most perilous point of the preparedness journey! What food should you store? Let’s take a look at all of the options and help you decide the best path for you!

Click here to read the rest of the article >>

Water Storage Quiz Giveaway

Is everyone ready for another quiz giveaway? We had a lot of fun last time around with our Emergency Preparedness Quiz Giveaway. This time we have a new quiz on water storage. The winner will receive a 55-Gallon Barrel Combo that sells for $87.95 ($124.85 value). This combo includes a 55-gallon barrel, a bung & gas wrench, and an emergency siphon.

55-Gallon Barrel Combo

The Emergency Siphon is on sale this month for only $7.99 ($14.95 value). This simple siphon is an easy, efficient way to remove water from your storage barrel when you need it. It is packaged in a resealable zip-top storage bag. Click here for more information or to order one before the end of the month! If you purchase an Emergency Siphon or a 55-Gallon Barrel Combo during this giveaway and win, we will issue you a refund or send you the product you purchased - whichever you prefer.

Emergency Siphon

How to enter:

1. Click here or on the yellow button to take the Water Storage Quiz.

2. Send us an email at blog@BePrepared.com with 'Water Storage Quiz Giveaway' in the subject line and let us know what your score was.

That's it! We hope you enjoy the quiz. All emails received through Wednesday, April 7th will be entered into the drawing. The winner will be chosen at random and posted on the blog no later than Thursday, April 15th.

Please note: We welcome emails and entries from everyone; however, free shipping of the 55-Gallon Barrel Combo is included to the 48 contiguous United States only. For any locations outside this area, the winner is responsible for arranging and paying their own shipping costs.

Emergency Preparedness Guide - Portable Pack Preparedness

This is the fourth installment of our new weekly feature entitled the "Emergency Preparedness Guide." Remember that we will post a new article each Wednesday from this guide.

Portable Pack Preparedness

Are you worried about your family during an emergency evacuation? Take the weight off your shoulders by putting on a backpack of supplies!

Click here to read the rest of the article >>

Emergency Kit - "Hello stranger, it's been awhile..."

Do you have a preparedness or food storage experience, tip, recipe, product review, etc.? Become a guest blogger on Preparedness Pantry and earn a $20 Emergency Essentials gift card! Click here for details.

Here is a submission from Emily in Missouri:

Emergency Kit - "Hello stranger, it's been awhile..."

My mother gave us a 72 hour kit for Christmas one year to kick off our emergency preparedness. The bright blue backpack sat ready by the garage door. It sat, and it sat, and it sat. Years later, I decided it was time to check on our goods. To my surprise, most of our goods were well past their expiration dates.

3-Day Emergency Kit

I called the makers of the fine products and discovered that it is definitely NOT safe to consume any edibles past their expiration date. Funky granola bars, goodbye! The water however, was still okay to keep around (most pre-packaged water products have a shelf life of 5 years.)

Pre-packaged Water

The need to update my emergency kit prompted me to go a little further. I now have two backpacks. Backpack #1 is filled with food and beverage items: jerky, granola, peanut butter, trail mix, snack bars, Twizzlers to keep smiles on our faces, and of course water. Backpack #2 is filled with other essential items like toilet paper, candles, flashlights, tarps, tube tents, solar blankets, a first aid kit, emergency cash, and a little more water.

Now in the event of a devastating tornado or earthquake, my husband and I can each grab a backpack and know we'll be okay for awhile.

Earthquake Preparedness Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Steve from Maryland who has won a 3-Day Emergency Kit in our Earthquake Preparedness Giveaway. Thank you to everyone who entered and for your comments on earthquake preparedness. We wanted to share a few of those comments with everyone:

"In preparing for an earthquake, one of the seven tips that really stuck out to me was be prepared (by making a plan and having kits). My brother-in-law and his family are in Chile and have been having a horrible time finding food and water even though their city had minimal damage. The stores are selling out and then shutting down - no restocking."


"As a Southern California native, I would add an 8th step: Earthquake drills. Practice (either mentally or physically) what you would do if an earthquake struck while you were at home, at work, at school, at the store, the movies, in a hotel, driving etc. Where would you duck and cover? What should you do if you’re in your car? Essentially, practice steps 5-7 on the preparedness list and be aware of your surroundings all the time. If you are well rehearsed, you will be less panicked when an earthquake strikes."


"The other night I discussed this with my oldest daughter who lives 5 hours away, and will be discussing with one child still at home, and another attending school 2 hours away. The peace of mind knowing what my household will do in an emergency is a relief, but the peace of mind knowing that my grown children with my grandkids have a plan is double relief."

Our next giveaway promises to be a fun one, so check back soon!

Emergency Preparedness Guide - Store for Thirst First!

This is the third installment of our new weekly feature entitled the "Emergency Preparedness Guide." Remember that we will post a new article each Wednesday from this guide.

Store for Thirst First!

I felt like I couldn’t last an afternoon without my bottle of water, so how would I fare in an emergency?

The other day, I spent the afternoon helping at my daughter’s school. I usually carry around a bottle of water with me, but I had forgotten my bottle in the shuffle of bringing in supplies. I came home later that evening and downed a HUGE class of cold water. As hungry as I was, it was the water that I was really yearning for. It was then that I began to think about this new journey of Preparedness I was planning on taking with you, and it struck me that if I could barely go a few hours without getting uncomfortable without water, it should be top on my preparedness priority list!

Click here to read the rest of the article >>

Earthquake Preparedness Giveaway

Have you noticed how many major earthquakes have been occurring lately throughout the world? Have you recently evaluated your emergency supplies? We encourage you to be sure your family is prepared.

We recently posted an article on our blog entitled "Earthquake Preparedness." It lists 7 major steps to take for earthquake safety. We hope that many of you had a chance to read it.

3-Day Emergency Kit

The prize for our "Earthquake Preparedness Giveaway" is one of our 3-Day Emergency Kits. This kit is an assembly of basic emergency items for one person for up to 3 days. This kit stores well in a range of normal temperatures and includes food, water, shelter, warmth, first aid, light, communication, and more! It is valued at $86.82 and makes a great addition to your preparedness supplies.

Entry Instructions:

To enter this giveaway, send an email (with "Earthquake Preparedness Giveaway" in the subject line) to blog@BePrepared.com with your answer to the following question:

What is one of the 7 major steps to take for
earthquake safety?

You can find the answer in our Earthquake Preparedness post. Click here to go to the post.

All emails received through Wednesday, March 17th will be entered into the drawing. The winner will be chosen at random and posted on the blog no later than Thursday, March 25th.

Please note: We welcome emails and entries from everyone; however, free shipping of the 3-Day Emergency Kit is included for the winner to the 48 contiguous United States only. For any locations outside this area, the winner is responsible for arranging and paying their own shipping costs.

Emergency Preparedness Guide - Prioritizing Your Preparedness

Here is the second installment of our new weekly feature entitled the "Emergency Preparedness Guide." Remember that we will post a new article each Wednesday from this guide.

Prioritizing Your Preparedness

As with any journey, having priorities and a detailed itinerary will help you navigate the bumps on the road and ensure you reach each landmark successfully!

Here we are, embarking on our amazing journey to Preparedness! As with any trip, it is wise to have your path marked and the landmarks highlighted to help you along the way. If you prioritize your preparedness, you will be able to cover the most important items first, and then move on to a more rounded supply! Just like following your trusty glove compartment map, we are going to be following a priority list of preparedness to keep us on the road to our destination! Are you ready to map out our journey? Let’s begin!

Click here to read the rest of the article >>

Bean Variety Combo

Have you included beans in your food storage? These #10 cans of beans in the Bean Variety Combo have oxygen absorbers enclosed, are low in moisture, and are one of the least expensive food products relative to the nutrition they produce. Keep them below 70° F in a dry area and you are set!

Bean Variety Combo

Beans are high in protein, dietary fiber, iron, and B vitamins. They have little fat content (only 2-3%) and no cholesterol.

You can grind beans just like wheat to get bean flour. You can use the bean flour as a thickening agent in soups, sauces and gravies. In addition, you can replace up to 25% of wheat flour with bean flour in order to increase the protein content of your food. Bean flour is a great way to use and rotate your beans without having to soak, boil or simmer them.

Our Bean Variety Combo is on sale this month for only $49.99! You get one #10 can of each of the following: Black Beans, Kidney Beans, Lentils, Pinto Beans, Small Red Beans and Small White Beans. Save 27% off the price if purchased individually. Click here to go to the Bean Variety Combo on our website.

We plugged the Bean Variety Combo into our free Food Storage Analyzer™ for a 35-year-old female and got the following nutritional results:

Items included in the Bean Variety Combo

Food Storage Analyzer™ results for the Bean Variety Combo

What Do These Results Show?

As you can see, the combo has a total of 30,720 calories which is 15.36 days worth for a 35-year-old female. Only 3% of those calories come from fat (no saturated), and there is no cholesterol.

A good use for this combo would be to supplement your current food storage - you wouldn't want to eat just beans for 15 days! For example, those 30,720 calories would give you an additional 300 calories per day for 102 days to supplement your current food supply.

As far as the nutrients are concerned, take the number of days (15.36) and multiply by the percentage to see how many total days you have for each one:

• Carbohydrates - 26 days
• Dietary Fiber - 153 days 
• Protein - 56 days
• Calcium - 16 days
• Iron - 52 days

Just two of these combos will supply 10 months worth of Dietary Fiber!

Bean Cookbooks

Here are a couple of great cookbooks to help you with using and cooking beans: Cookin' with Beans & Rice and Country Beans. Click on the images above to see all of our great cookbooks.

Don't pass up this great opportunity to add some nutritious beans to your food storage!

Mozy Online Backup Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Jenice from California (originally Montana) who has won a 100 GB 1-year Mozy Home online backup account! Thank you to everyone who took the time to find the answer to the question and enter this giveaway.

Speaking of the question, the answer is: "Mozy has seismic safeguards that can withstand a 7.5 magnitude earthquake." Perhaps this week would be a great time to review your preparedness plan in case of a natural disaster. Check out the post we just published on Earthquake Preparedness to get started.

Remember to check back often to read our newest posts and find out about our next Giveaway!

Emergency Preparedness Guide - Introduction

We would like to introduce a new weekly feature on our blog entitled the "Emergency Preparedness Guide." Each Wednesday we will post a new article as part of the Emergency Preparedness Guide. These articles will help guide you through the emergency preparedness process. We know that you'll enjoy these weekly posts so let's get started!

Passport to Preparedness

You are headed on a fun and greatly anticipated journey. Maybe you are excited, enthralled by every turn in the road and every bump along the highway to your destination. You would consider yourself to be well prepared, complete with your detailed itinerary in hand, and your passport ready. You know just what landmarks you want to see and how to reach them with your GPS or map. You know exactly what your expenses will be, and you’ve got the funds you need to get you there. You’ve actually taken this trip many times and you know the familiar road beneath your feet and returning again is a pleasure.

Click here to read the rest of the article >>

Earthquake Preparedness

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there have been 5 major earthquakes worldwide so far in 2010:

• 1/12/10, Haiti, 7.0 magnitude
• 2/4/10, Offshore Northern California, 5.9 magnitude
• 2/18/10, China-Russia-N. Korea border, 6.9 magnitude
• 2/26/10, Ryukyu Islands Japan, 7.0 magnitude
• 2/27/10, Offshore Chile, 8.8 magnitude

Earthquakes can be very dangerous and can occur at any time of the year. Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the chances of death, serious injury, or property damage.

According to the Earthquake Country Alliance based in Southern California, there are 7 major steps to take for earthquake safety:

1. Secure it now! Conduct a "hazard hunt" to help identify and fix things such as unsecured televisions, computers, bookcases, furniture, unstrapped water heaters, etc. Securing these items now will help to protect you tomorrow.
2. Make a plan. Planning for an earthquake is not much different from planning for a party or vacation. Make sure that your emergency plan includes evacuation and reunion plans; your out-of-state contact person's name and number; the location of your emergency supplies and other pertinent information.
3. Make disaster kits. Everyone should have a disaster supply kit stored in accessible locations at home, at work and in your vehicle. Having emergency supplies readily available can reduce the impact of an earthquake. Your disaster supplies kits should include food, water, flashlights, portable radios, batteries, a first aid kit, cash, extra medications, a whistle, fire extinguisher, etc.
4. Is your place safe? Most houses are not as safe as they could be. Whether you are a homeowner or a renter, there are things that you can do to improve the structural integrity of your home. Some of the things that you might consider checking include inadequate foundations, unbraced cripple walls (a short wall built upon the foundation of a house that produces a high crawlspace), soft first stories (click here for details), unreinforced masonry and vulnerable pipes. Consult a contractor or engineer to help you identify your building's weaknesses and begin to fix them now.
5. Drop, cover, and hold on! Learn what to do during an earthquake, whether you're at home, at work, at school or just out and about. Taking the proper actions, such as "Drop, Cover, and Hold On", can save lives and reduce your risk of death or injury. During earthquakes, drop to the floor, take cover under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on to it firmly. Be prepared to move with it until the shaking stops.
6. Check it out. One of the first things you should do following a major disaster is to check for injuries and damages that need immediate attention. Make sure you are trained in first aid and in damage assessment techniques. You should be able to administer first aid and to identify hazards such as damaged gas, water, sewage and electrical lines.
7. Communicate and recover. Following a major disaster, communication will be an important step in your recovery efforts. Turn on your portable radio for information and safety advisories. For most Presidential declared disasters, resources will also be available from federal, state, and local government agencies.

 

Kaito® Voyager™

Another great resource for earthquake safety and preparedness is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This is a very comprehensive site concerning disaster preparedness. You can also find additional information at the U.S. Geological Survey website.

Keep in mind that the best way to survive an earthquake is to be prepared for it. You can have greater confidence in being safe by knowing that you have made preparations for natural disasters that may come your way.

During recent years, cell phones have become a daily necessity. Portability and convenience are top priority and smart phones have come to replace phone books, computers and maps in our on-the-go lifestyle.

What did we ever do without them? Well, we had conventional landline phones that stayed inside our homes. But the value of landlines has been called into question as cell phone popularity climbs.

Many families have been dropping their landline telephones in favor of a family cell phone plan. "The landline is too expensive" and "everyone in the family has their own number anyway" are common reasons for getting rid of the landline. So if everyone has a cell phone, we can all be in touch in emergencies, right? Wrong!

Your cell phone is only as useful as its power - both in its battery and service through your carrier. Natural disasters have shown us time after time that cell phone towers are not invincible. Hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and floods can damage and even destroy them, making cell phones completely useless. Also, in the United States, there is no requirement for cell phone companies to have systems to keep them online (including the towers) when the electricity goes out. Although some towers may have limited backup power ability, they are not required to do so.

Cell phone towers can also get crowded and deny others the ability to make calls, which would likely happen in an emergency. Landlines, however, can be used in the same situations and they work fine.

Power outages can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks. If you have a landline, always have a least one corded phone that will work when the power is out. In these conditions, you will most likely be unable to charge a cell phone; so your smart phone will last as long as its battery, assuming that its tower is even functional. Of course, if you have the Wavelength™ or the Charger™, you can charge your phone when the power is out. But remember that many of the cell towers may be incapacitated.

Cell phones are great tools for calling for help if your car breaks down or sending texts to announce the new baby. But for natural disasters, it's best to have a landline phone. They are much more reliable in extreme situations and do not need to be charged. Plus, the service costs less per month than a night out to dinner and a movie!

Smaller Bites

Do you have a preparedness or food storage experience, tip, recipe, product review, etc.? Become a guest blogger on Preparedness Pantry and earn a $20 Emergency Essentials gift card! Click here for details.

Marla in Utah offers the following idea for planning 3-month storage meals:

Smaller Bites

The best way to get started on your food storage meal plan is to break it down into smaller "bites." To build a three-month supply, a family chooses 10 breakfasts, 10 lunches, and 10 dinners that they really like to eat and which contain ingredients that store in cans, bottles, packaged boxes, or the fridge/freezer.

Once the meals are chosen, it's time to make a shopping list for the ingredients and multiply the items by what would be needed to make each meal ten times.

For example, I've chosen a meal called "Stuffing Dinner with Gravy" for one of our dinners. The recipe is simple and easy and includes the following:

1 family sized box of stuffing, chicken flavor
12.5 oz. can (or equivalent freeze-dried) chicken breast
15 oz. can, drained (or equivalent freeze-dried) corn
2 packets chicken gravy

Follow instructions on stuffing package for water and butter. Add chicken and corn. When boiling, add stuffing. Mix and stir until just combined. Put on lid and turn off stove. Let sit 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff. Serve with gravy.

I would also serve this dinner with a canned or freeze-dried fruit like mandarin oranges or peach dices. So, my shopping list for this meal would look like this:

Chicken flavored stuffing mix (10)
12.5 oz canned or freeze-dried chicken breast (10)
15 oz. can or freeze-dried corn (10)
Chicken gravy packets (20)
Canned or freeze-dried fruit (10)

Freeze-Dried Fruit Combo

Some ideas for breakfast are: pancakes and syrup, muffins, toast and jam, cold cereal with milk, oatmeal with brown sugar. Some ideas for lunch are: chicken noodle soup with crackers and pineapple chunks, ramen noodles and mandarin oranges, tuna sandwiches and pickles, peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, chili with cornbread.

Strawberry Oat Muffins

Just as in my shopping list example above, I would break down the ingredients for each meal chosen and multiply by 10 to buy what I would need to have a three-month supply for my family.

Just remember: 10 dinners, 10 lunches, 10 breakfasts...10 times each!

Another important category to account for is treats! Let's be honest, many of us love to enjoy a cookie or brownie once in awhile for dessert and if times were tough, a treat would really be appreciated! So, make sure to put some of those items in your plan as well and buy as much as your family tends to eat over a three month period.

What I really love about this plan is that it's VERY easy to rotate! Since we're eating the meals regularly, I'm re-buying the ingredients regularly and keeping my storage fresh.

I hope you find this as helpful as I have!