Planning Ahead for Emergencies
http://www.foodndrinks.net/articles/8243/1/Planning-Ahead-for-Emergencies/Page1.html
Tom Selwick
Tom Selwick has worked the past 21 years in the food storage industry. He suggests buyingfood storage from a quality company so you know your food will last.
Contact Info:
Tom Selwick
TomSelwick09@gmail.com
http://www.dailybread.com By Tom Selwick
Published on 05/26/2011
There are many things you should make sure you do to protect your family in the event of an emergency. One thing you will definitely need to consider is creating a long term food storage.
It is very important that you prepare your family to protect against sudden food shortages where you will not be able to obtain food. Some of the things that could threaten your family with starvation include long term loss of employment, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis and so forth.
To protect against starvation you will need to do a variety of things. The first thing you will need to do is not rely on emergency personnel to provide you with the things that you need to survive.
It often takes hours if not days for a few emergency personnel teams to arrive. When they do, they are often overwhelmed with the amount of people who need medical and other help.
It can take weeks for enough supplies and personnel to arrive to fully accommodate the needs of everyone in the area. By then it could be too late for you and your family.
This is a risk that you do not want to take. The second thing you will want to do is build up a long term food supply that will provide for all of the members of your family and you will want to learn how to properly store it.
Food that needs to be kept cold should be put in the refrigerator at a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Freezers should be kept at a constant temperature of zero degrees Fahrenheit or below.
It is not uncommon during an emergency situation for the electricity supply to stop or for the fridge and freezer to be damaged by the elements. You will want to make sure these things are properly working and were constantly working at the right temperature before you eat the food following a disaster.
You absolutely do not want to risk developing food poisoning during a disaster situation whenever possible. Many people were probably injured during the storm and they will need medical attention.
With the medical staff stretched thin, you may not be able to receive the attention you need if you fall ill. As a result, it is better to stay safe rather than end up sorry in a situation like this.
However, if you simply lose your employment and cannot afford to purchase groceries, you will want to put items that you do not need right away in the freezer so that they will stay good for a longer period of time.
It is also a good idea to have several coolers on hand in the event that the freezer or fridge temporarily stops working. If you can get some dry ice or block of ice from a store, you may be able to keep your food items cold enough until your fridge and freezer begin working again.
This can be effective during power outages. You will also want to make sure that you store a variety of food that does not need to be kept cold so that it does not spoil.
It is important that these items have a long shelf life and they require very little water, cooking, and refrigeration. The best item is one that lasts a long time, does not need any water, and it ready to eat.
However, providing full meals for your family can be difficult when you are storing items that fit this description only. There will be and should be some items that will require some preparation, cooking and water.
The less water is uses though, the better, as water supplies may also be scarce or short. You will also want to remember to store extra items for people who have special needs.
For example, you will want to store baby food, pet food, and special diet items if applicable for various members of your family. It is advisable to avoid storing salty or spicy foods though as these things will make your body want more water.
Items that are high in protein and fat should also be avoided because they also make you want to consume more water. You do not have to purchase dehydrated or emergency-packaged meals in order to fulfill these requirements.
These meals are actually quite expensive. While they are nice to have sometimes because they are easy to prepare, there are cheaper alternatives as well.
You will want to make sure that you keep a variety of nutritional foods in your long term food storage so that you will receive everything that your body needs. This will be particularly important because your body will be under more stress during an emergency.
To protect against starvation you will need to do a variety of things. The first thing you will need to do is not rely on emergency personnel to provide you with the things that you need to survive.
It often takes hours if not days for a few emergency personnel teams to arrive. When they do, they are often overwhelmed with the amount of people who need medical and other help.
It can take weeks for enough supplies and personnel to arrive to fully accommodate the needs of everyone in the area. By then it could be too late for you and your family.
This is a risk that you do not want to take. The second thing you will want to do is build up a long term food supply that will provide for all of the members of your family and you will want to learn how to properly store it.
Food that needs to be kept cold should be put in the refrigerator at a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Freezers should be kept at a constant temperature of zero degrees Fahrenheit or below.
It is not uncommon during an emergency situation for the electricity supply to stop or for the fridge and freezer to be damaged by the elements. You will want to make sure these things are properly working and were constantly working at the right temperature before you eat the food following a disaster.
You absolutely do not want to risk developing food poisoning during a disaster situation whenever possible. Many people were probably injured during the storm and they will need medical attention.
With the medical staff stretched thin, you may not be able to receive the attention you need if you fall ill. As a result, it is better to stay safe rather than end up sorry in a situation like this.
However, if you simply lose your employment and cannot afford to purchase groceries, you will want to put items that you do not need right away in the freezer so that they will stay good for a longer period of time.
It is also a good idea to have several coolers on hand in the event that the freezer or fridge temporarily stops working. If you can get some dry ice or block of ice from a store, you may be able to keep your food items cold enough until your fridge and freezer begin working again.
This can be effective during power outages. You will also want to make sure that you store a variety of food that does not need to be kept cold so that it does not spoil.
It is important that these items have a long shelf life and they require very little water, cooking, and refrigeration. The best item is one that lasts a long time, does not need any water, and it ready to eat.
However, providing full meals for your family can be difficult when you are storing items that fit this description only. There will be and should be some items that will require some preparation, cooking and water.
The less water is uses though, the better, as water supplies may also be scarce or short. You will also want to remember to store extra items for people who have special needs.
For example, you will want to store baby food, pet food, and special diet items if applicable for various members of your family. It is advisable to avoid storing salty or spicy foods though as these things will make your body want more water.
Items that are high in protein and fat should also be avoided because they also make you want to consume more water. You do not have to purchase dehydrated or emergency-packaged meals in order to fulfill these requirements.
These meals are actually quite expensive. While they are nice to have sometimes because they are easy to prepare, there are cheaper alternatives as well.
You will want to make sure that you keep a variety of nutritional foods in your long term food storage so that you will receive everything that your body needs. This will be particularly important because your body will be under more stress during an emergency.