Prepping for an emergency

If you ask my husband, he will tell you I am a scattered mess. On a good day, I have a hard time remembering what day of the week it is, and what’s on my calendar. It drives him crazy, but I like to think it’s because I have so many other things going on in my head — issues at work, being a good wife, mom, friend, co-worker, etc. — that I don’t have a lot of room for anything else. I may not have my shit together, but there is one thing I know well and practice, and that, my friends, is emergency preparedness. 

I guess you could say I’m a “prepper,” or maybe I’ve just watched too many seasons of The Walking Dead, but life throws a lot of craziness at you that you can’t plan your way out of. Knowing that I’m taking steps to protect myself and my family when it hits the fan gives me some peace of mind that we will be ok.

It all started when I was working in emergency management in an area prone to hurricanes. As the public information officer, it was my job to go out and explain the risks we faced as a community and encourage residents to plan for the worst. We all like to think the unthinkable won’t happen to us until it does... so you better be ready. 

According to Ready.gov, a well-stocked emergency kit should contain enough food, water, medicine, and general supplies for each member of the family to last you three days. This is because three days is about how long you can expect first responders to get to you after a major emergency.  

You can go out and buy a pre-made kit, or you can build your own. Building your own can be cost-effective and educational if you have kids, but the best part is it’s totally customized based on your family’s needs. 

“If you don’t usually consume a big pot of spam or beanie weenies, don’t put it in your emergency kit.”

For food, non-perishable is best. Think of the food and meals you already enjoy and stock your kit full of those things. If you don’t usually consume a big pot of spam or beanie weenies, don’t put it in your emergency kit. You want items that are high in protein and have some carbs to make you feel fuller, longer. A full food supplies list can be found online, but here is a sample of mine:

Personal Kit

• Peanut butter

• Tuna

• Canned chicken

• Dried pasta

• Rice

• Beans 

• Lentils

• Dehydrated potatoes

• Pasta sauce 

• Bone stock and bouillon (for cooking and soups)

• Protein bars

Toddler Kit

• Shelf-stable yogurts 

• Apple sauce

• Canned fruit

• Oatmeal

• Crackers and pretzels

• Macaroni and cheese

• Kids protein shakes 

• Pudding

• Toys, games and comfort items to keep busy and distracted

A few weeks ago, as we found ourselves on the receiving end of what the CDC officially confirmed was a global pandemic, I went to the store to stock up on a few things. A three-day supply isn’t going to cut it for two weeks of social distancing. 

For someone who allegedly doesn’t have it together, I was relieved to see that I was fortunate to be in a much better position than most of my shopping counterparts who were shelling out hundreds of dollars as they stocked up on emergency supplies for the first time. Some looked frightened, others were wild-eyed, but I felt empowered knowing that all of my prepping was actually paying off. I had what I needed to properly care for and feed my family. 

You might chuckle at your neighbors who dashed out and cleared the shelves of bread, milk, and toilet paper, but the need for food and to use the bathroom are two of our most basic primal needs. When everything else is chaos and slipping through our fingers, stockpiling these things makes us feel like we have some control. And that feeling can soothe almost anyone in an emergency. 

Crises cause stress, and they can have a serious negative impact on our mental health. But we will come out of this. Our health and the health of our loved ones is the most important thing, so I hope you feel empowered to do everything you can to protect them from any type of emergency. If I can do it, so can you!