How To Be Prepared After A Natural Disaster
Are you prepared? If you are reading this blog, I’m sure you are, or you’re at least trying to be prepared. Can you feed families who have not prepared for a natural disaster? I feel I am over the top prepared, according to some people. I don’t really care for the word survivalist. It’s not me, but I am prepared for the unexpected.
A Natural Disaster
I feel strongly to update this post from a few years ago. A few earthquakes are surrounding some of the states and cities on the west coast. The news mentioned if we have an earthquake around 7.1 which California did last night, we will feel aftershocks for years.
I was a prepper before the word became popular. It’s a way of life for me and I know it is for so many of you as well. I applaud you, and you know it! I love hearing from you that you are doing what you can to be prepared for a natural disaster or whatever comes your way.
Will Our Neighbors Be Able To Feed Their Family?
Somedays, I wonder if we can feed families that have maybe only one or two days’ worth of food in their pantry. I’m aware families have been told by a few churches, and government agencies to store food for emergencies. I have been at luncheons and I will casually ask people sitting at my table, “Have you thought about storing food and water for emergencies?” Some people have said, “I can’t afford to buy any extra food or water to store.”
Feed Families-Church Food Assistance
I have also heard someone say they were in a church food assistance program and said they have to throw out the excess cans of tuna they were given because they can only eat so much tuna. Oh, yes, I was in shock, I couldn’t say anything. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. Well, you know what I mean. I was shocked and disappointed that they didn’t think to save those cans for an emergency or give the cans to others in need. At some point, food handouts will stop, right?
Feed Families-Church Serves Food
There is a wonderful church (not this picture) in Southern Utah that serves food to families in need every Sunday from donations they receive from local grocery stores, other churches, and out of their own pocket. The pastor told me once “This may be the only meal these people get all week.” I have seen him and his family at Costco piling up food for their Sunday meals. It’s humbling and a blessing to all those involved.
Feed Families-Where To Start
- We need to teach our families to be self-reliant and not depend on other people or family members unless they have no other choice (stop entitlement).
- Our families must feed, clothe, and hydrate themselves without government assistance (stop entitlement).
- Every family should jot down what they eat each week and throw another can of food in the grocery basket each time they shop.
- All families should have a plan as to how much food they need to store for emergencies. This will help you: Food Storage by Linda
- Please store water to hydrate your family. I suggest 4 gallons per person per day. Please don’t put yourself and your family in a position where you have to stand in lines after a disaster at the county buildings, prepare today, not tomorrow.
- You can count on riots shortly after we have a disaster, people get mean when they are hungry and thirsty. Let’s get real here and do our part to be prepared. Think about how many people live in your community and how many of those people can be housed, clothed, and fed if there is a true emergency.
- It would be very hard for me to turn away hungry people, BUT they have known for years to be prepared. Who is listening?
- Please do not use the excuse that you can’t afford to store food storage. You can’t afford NOT to store food storage or store water. Period. There are cheap foods, for instance, pasta, beans, rice, canned vegetables, and canned fruits.
- Grow a garden, learn from neighbors how to get started, or visit your local garden nurseries. The food you grow someday may be the only food you have to eat. Learn to dehydrate food when it’s on sale or from your garden. Visit your local farmer’s markets when foods are in their harvest season and producing healthy bounties.
- Visit your local State Extension service since they will teach you the safe ways to preserve your food, whether by dehydrating, water bath, or pressure canning. Please be safe in your preservation methods. I see so many dangerous canning ideas on the internet. Four Foods Not Safe To Can by Linda
- Learn how to cook from scratch to stretch your grocery budget. Buy the basics and learn how to use them: What You Need In Your Pantry by Linda
- Learn to make bread, biscuits, tortillas, and crackers, it will save your life and your budget. Borrow your grandma’s cookbooks or recipe cards. We all need to know how to make the items listed above. Plan a get-together and share your cooking skills. You and those you invite will need them sooner than you think. Trust me on this one.
- Invest in a good soup pot. You can make so many good soups with beans, rice, pasta, or vegetables. Soup Pot or Dutch Oven
- Be prepared to cook without electricity or your gas stove after an unexpected natural disaster. If we have a gas leak we will have to turn off our gas lines. Invest in a Butane Stove and Butane Fuel or an outside Dutch Oven with briquettes. This way you can at least make a pot of soup or boil water.
Final Word
I hope you realize, and I know so many of you do understand, the urgency at hand to be able to feed families that are not prepared at all. Many of us can feed our families, but how can we teach people that they need to stop depending on help from others, including the government? Thanks for being prepared, you get it, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. May God bless this world, Linda
Keep preaching it because now more than ever people need it. For those doing it take pride in each and every step you take. One more meal, one more evening of firewood and all the rest of preparedness that goes along with it is a great accomplishment.
I’m not a prepper I’m an old school survivalist. That name was made bad by the media in the 90s but doesn’t refer to my actions at all.
For those just starting don’t get overwhelmed just eat that steak one bite at a time. Be proud of what you are doing but don’t brag as it can become counterproductive.
Hi Matt, thank you for this powerful statement!! I LOVE it! You are so right!!! Thank you, Linda
By the time I finished reading this article, I had tears running down my face. “Getting ready” for the economic collaspe that’s coming, is the one thing I have on my mind in everything I do. I preach Food Storage, and Survival, to everyone: I establish a friendship with. But very few are listening. Most tell me that age old excuse: “I, We, can’t afford it”. And “I don’t have the room and on and on with the excuses”. I then tell them, “put in some food anyway”. “A couple of can’s each and every time you go to the store will add up and you won’t miss the extra $1 or $2”. “One thing: when it all comes down, DON’T come to my house, because we will be locking up and locking down……..” But, all I can think of is the children and the animal’s. That just makes me cry my heart out. FOR GOD’S SAKE AND THE SAKE OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD, PUT 3 TIMES THE AMOUNT OF FOOD FOR YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND THE NEIGHBORS TOO. Chances are, your neighbors haven’t. Beans and rice can sure go a long way to help feed people and the pets. Dogs are protection, warning system, and cat’s are rodent control. BOTH are living hot water bottles and comfort. I wish everyone the best and thank you Linda.
Hi Emma, your comment is beautiful! It’s really hard for us who believe we must be prepared to comprehend doing nothing for whatever excuse they may have. I have been dirt poor and I still found a way to store beans and rice. I grew up poor although I never thought I was poor. My mom (single mom) knew how to stretch a dollar and taught her 3 daughters by example to do the same. I have always had a pantry full of food, nothing fancy but I could feed my family. BUT, I know how to cook from scratch. My concern when we have an economic collapse and a severe power outage and we will is that a lot of people will not know how to take care of themselves. May God bless them to open their eyes. Hugs to you Emma, we will survive! Linda
Linda, The one thing that I didn’t see on your list of things to learn how to make is Homemade
Noodles. I made some the other day and I thought about you and I didn’t remember you ever mentioning them. So easy and very few ingredients. I love making them but don’t do it very often but
if it comes down to it, I can do it.
When it comes to supplies you have mentioned Good Will stores or Thrift stores but don’t forget
garage sales. Years ago my favorite meat grinder broke and I tired to replace it, I hated the new one. I went to a garage sale last weekend, a gentleman was cleaning out his storage unit. I stopped in and looked around. There sitting on one of the wagons was a meat grind like my old one. I grabbed it and made sure all the piece were there. So for 3.00 I have a wonderful meat grinder.
You mentioned fault lines. Don’t know if many know about where they are but I live
in Missouri and we have the New Madrid fault a few hundred miles ( more or less) from where I live
so at any time it could go. I THINK I have plenty of food for myself to live on, but the one thing I
do have is a tent. A lot don’t think about that, you will need shelter. I Found a great 3 room tent for
under 100.00. I have a cot also to sleep on if my trailer is unlivable. I store these in my storm
shelter to be safe. Emma mentioned your pets…. I have bought cans of dog food to keep on hand and
also I buy bags of dog food. I have a large ‘ Rubbermaid” type garbage can with a lid and that is where
I keep my dog food.
At one time I had mentioned to my Pastor about having food storage as we live out
in the country and if something happens we could serve meals ( if we can get to our church). He
looked at me and said we can always go to the store in town ( 7 or 8 miles away) and buy food to
cook. I looked at him like he was crazy, but I knew right then to give up.
You are so right about growing your own food. It doesn’t take a lot of land but of course the
more land the more you can plant but like I have said before this year I can’t have a garden do to
my knees but I do have tomatoes and other veggies in big flower pots. I have been eating cherry tomatoes already.
Hi June, you’re eating cherry tomatoes, I love it! Great tip about the tent, we may need shelter if forced to leave our homes. It’s really sad what your Pastor said about just going to the store to get food but you can see why a lot of people think the same thing. I refuse to stand in line anywhere, and I will not stand in line to get water or food from our city or county buildings. This is why we prep, we store food and water and no one has to tell us. We just do it.I’m glad you mentioned about the pets, that’s critical to store water and food for them as well. The meat grinder story is the best, talk about a fabulous find!!! $3.00!!! I’m glad you mentioned about making noodles, I will write a post about how to make some. Great tip!! Linda
Linda – Great post considering the recent/ongoing earthquakes in California.
That being said, those are in California – they don’t affect me. At least that is what someone said to me since the first one this week! That is like saying, “It won’t happen to me.” Of course not every one will have the same disaster and some of us will lose all of our hard won food/water storage when something happens but.. I would rather have the insurance and not need it that need it and not have it.
As for trying to “tell” someone what/how to store or be prepared, if they are not ready for the message, they will probably give you the “look” – you know the one – like you are crazy and they are not!!
Hi Leanne, I think I know exactly what the look is that you are talking about. LOL! Stay safe my friend, Linda
Good morning, Linda! Your blog was a good reminder for me as I’m making a shopping list,lol. Reading thru the comments was a good thing too, as sometimes I think ‘I cant afford extra this week’. Well, that’s true if I were to buy only ready-made foods. I have extra time this week so I think I will buy stuff for casseroles (way cheaper!). Doing meals from scratch certainly leaves that extra money to buy canned goods to store.
Your stories about food handouts/church meals really hit home. This last week I took a 4day mini-vacation to spend time with family. One day I helped (with my sis who is a regular volunteer) at a free hot meal program. Over 350 guests! I wonder what would happen if suddenly this charity couldn’t serve due to a crisis. I think food handouts would initially increase then dwindle dramatically from a long term event. The entitlement mentality was certainly present in many of the ‘guests’. Far too many were long-term ‘regulars’ already, while we have a booming economy, even for menial jobs. One guy got belligerent because he couldn’t get a sack lunch to take with him (employment is required to get one) after being served a wonderful supper. A few were upset when they only got grapes when the Mandarin oranges ran out. One bright spot was a conversation I had with another volunteer: she had needed to come to this place for both breakfast and supper for a time. When she got back on her feet, she determined she would volunteer, and does so 4 evenings a week. She said she now buys a few extra cans of food every paycheck, ‘just in case’. And, she added that even if her utilities were turned off, she could still eat. I think she is a great example of how a person can become more self-reliant.
I wonder how people can bury their head in the sand, not think about ‘just in case’, with all the info that is on the internet. I must add, it seemed almost all the ‘guests’ at The Banquet had a smartphone they checked, responded to, while waiting in line or while eating.
Hi Wendy, some of those people are given a phone from the government, yep it’s true. Google FREE PHONES for low income, don’t get me started. Maybe they should give them a flip phone. Of course not, they need the internet. I love the story about the person giving back, that’s the best thing ever!!! I think people would be surprised by how many people need free meals. It’s actually quite sad. Great comment, Linda