September 1, 2017
Dear Everyone:
It’s purely a coincidence, of course; but in the aftermath of
Hurricane
Harvey and all the minute-by-minute coverage of the flooding in
Texas, what should pop
up on my “To Do List” this week but “Check Emergency Supply Box”.
This is a reminder to take a look at the Emergency Supply Box (ESB)
about every other month. Of
course, I have an ESB.
Everyone should have one.
Some people call it a
Hurricane
Box, or an Earthquake
Box. Basically, it’s a box,
of some sort, containing emergency supplies.
Someone recently asked what is in my ESB.
Which suggests that this person doesn’t actually have one of
their own. What should a
basic ESB contain?
First Aid Kit,
plus various assorted bandages
Flashlights, with
extra packs of batteries
Hand-crank radio receiver
Plastic sheeting
Duct Tape
Couple of
clotheslines
Some bungee cords
Paper plates, plastic cutlery and cups
Some old clothes
A couple packs of
playing cards and a book of card games
All contained in a large toolbox complete with extending handle and
wheels to roll it around.
Much too heavy to try to carry.
I keep it stored out on the patio, under cover, of course.
Some people elect to keep their ESB in the basement or attic or
garage. That’s fine as long
as you can reach the basement or attic in an emergency; and assuming you
have a garage.
You may have noticed that there is no food or water in there.
That’s because six gallons of water weigh too much and would
never fit in the toolbox.
Those are in the front closet.
Food is in the kitchen cupboard.
The basic idea is to have enough to keep you alive for the first 72
hours. That’s how long you
should expect to be on your own before official help arrives.
Of course, the flooding in Texas demonstrates the fallacy of that “rule
of thumb”. If the water
level is rising above your lower lip, waiting another three days is sort
of out of the question.
And what you keep in your ESB is entirely up to you, although there are
plenty of people eager to offer advice.
www.ready.gov is a good
place to start. In my
opinion, you can do a lot with plastic sheets, duct tape and some
clothesline. Ask any
Boy Scout.
As for the playing cards.
Have you noticed all those news reports of people sitting around the
rescue shelter with nothing to do but worry about things they can’t do
anything about? Playing a
game of cards would help while away the time.
One of the first games any child learns to play is “Go
Fish!” Do you remember
the rules? I don’t.
I’m pretty sure I could remember how to play
Gin Rummy.
Two players, ten cards each, try to assemble three-or-four of a
kind in groups. But I
couldn’t remember how to play
Hearts if my life
depended on it. Hence the
book of card games that I picked up at a discount book store some years
ago.
And the reason for checking the ESB every other month or so is simple.
How old are those batteries?
Would those old clothes actually fit, if needed?
The middle of a real emergency is not the time to discover that
your old pair of pants has been hosting a nest of baby spiders, is it?
Thought for the Day: Check
your ESB! And count your
blessings that you’re not floating through downtown
Houston these days.
Love, as always,
Pete
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