Miscellaneous Disaster Preparedness Information

Updated 27feb10

Power outages, fires, floods, earthquakes, wind, and storms can interrupt utilities, phones, stores, ATMs, and travel. You can be forced to leave your home because of flooding, sewage backflow, fire, chemical accident, or terrorist threat. These things occur when you are least prepared.

The large disaster relief organizations can provide basic relief for a lot of people, but need a few days to get set up. Wise people are prepared to handle problems on their own for 3 days to a week.

Do not buy any survival kits or anything you are not familiar with. After the power goes out is not the time to try something out. Do not waste your money buying "special survival food". It will probably get old before you need it. Just keep your regular canned goods stocked.

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A clever water distillation system

If you have a working stove, but no clean water, you can distill using a big pot. Fill the pot halfway with dirty water. Put the lid on upside down, so the handle points down. Tie a cup to the handle. Start simmering.

The steam condenses on the upside-down lid and runs downhill to the handle. From there it drips into the cup.

Do not let dirty water get on the outside of the cup or it will contaminate the clean water when you pour it out.

Alternative setup: Put a brick in the pot and set the cup on the brick. This isn't as good because the brick displaces a lot of water, reducing your still's capacity.

Sand filtration system for making creekwater (mostly) safe to drink

Start with a clean 5-10 gallon bucket
Punch some holes through the bottom
Make drip-guides: hang a string from each hole (run between holes and tie) so the clean water will drip straght down
Make spill catchers: Tie rags together and wrap around the bucket several times to stop water from running down the outside
Hang it waist high from a rope
Line the bottom with a towel
Fill with 18" or 500cm of clean sand (better still, mix in crushed charcoal, chalk, or diatomaceous earth)
Top the sand with gravel
Top the gravel with small rocks
Put a collection container underneath
Pour water in carefully until it comes out clear (don't spill any)
Once it starts coming out clear it is probably drinkable
Remember that anything that runs down the outside of the bucket will wind up in the drinking water
For best results, put 1/2 teaspoon of bleach in each gallon of water you pour in
If the sand moves around put more rocks on top