I honestly dont believe in spelling out dom and glom. I remember visitng the natural history musuem in New York City of all places and speaking with a scientest there. She made an interesting point...she said "We cant necessarly rightly say that there are more desaisters or that they are growing worse or if there is simply more news and awarness of them in our technology age." (Yea I summerized what she said) Point is from that I promised I would never say this is the worst its ever been...cuase who knews over the coures of hundreds and hundreds of years. I know that the earth has cycles and things are ever changing. I know emergencies happen. I know we cant control nature or people.
What I know is that I have witnessed some amazing events these past coupld of events. Some to close to home, ok truly my soon to be home when they happened, to sit back and do nothing. For example this summer Eagle Mountain had two fires leading to manditory evacuations and Saratoga Springs had a major mud slide.
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| Eagle Mountain Dump Fire |
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| Southern Utah Flooding |
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| Hurrican Sandy |
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| Hurrican Sandy |
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| Queens New York Hurrican Sandy |
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| Eagle Mountain Dump Fire |
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| Hurrican Sandy |
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| Saratoa Springs Mud Slide...Effects of Dump Fire |
Last night as Kyle and I were watching coverage of Hurrican Sandy he turned to me and asked if we are really prepared for an emergecny and we both laughed knowing that we really only have two basic (and who knows what is in the them) 72 hour kits. We realized we have no watter stored, real food stored, or source of fuel or heat or supplies if an emergency hit and we had to make it 72 hours to a week on our own. We dont even have all our documents in order or a plan if we had to evacuate.
Add this conversation to these facts/events:
1) After we went into contract on our house the fires in Eagle Mountain started....Kyle and I said that as soon as we move in we need to start preparing for an emergency
2) We move into a ward/neighboorhood that takes emergency preparedness seriously and each house has a packet to use in case of an emergency.
3) Our ward provides the chance to purchase items for food storage each month
4) Our ward is having an emergecny drill next weekend
Kyle and I feel it is time to take emergency prepardness seriously.
We decided last night to take a weekly bite out of getting ready for an emergency. In Relief Society we were taught the importance of doing so and that it can be done 1 week at a time. Each week to accomplish one or two items to get your self prepared so that in a year you are better prepared. I look at it this way what is $5 of ones weekly grocery budget put towards emergency prepardness or evenly $10 monthly....compared to finding your self in a real emergency and not being able to fend for your self. If I lived in NYC right now and had no power Im pretty sure that gallon of icecream sacrificed each month compared to no food or water would not be a huge sacrifice.
So all that being said I have decided to tackle this project my goal is that by December 31, 2013 Kyle and I will be able to survive 72+ hours on our own, evacuate with short notice, etc. Of course as our family grows we will need to add to our supply so you can see it is ever evolving but its a start to have us ready.
I will do a weekly project/task to get us to that point and will blog it so that anyone interested in doing so can join in. I promise to do this in the most cost effective way so that we can all do it :)
Each week I will post to keep us all involved.
What this means:
1) Acutally following through and posting each week, creating a plan and doing the research.
2) Getting others involved and participating
3) Not using my 72 hours supply for my daily needs. I once built a good 72 hours kit for myself...but have used it as my main source of bandaids...that wont help me much. Nor will it help to eat ones 72 hour food...my plan there...have storage containers where the 72 hour supply goes that is off limits tell and emergecny...of course eat it if its about to expire but replace it
4) Actually blogging and folowing through...thats the only part that will be hard....I love the research, getting organized learning part.
Welcome aboard...if you are really interested in doing this with me please follow along each week.
