Whether natural or man-made, no region is immune to the potential for disaster. Tornado, earthquake, hurricane, winter storm, or terrorist attack are just a few examples of emergencies that might require an emergency supply of food and water to be on hand. During these emergencies you may not have access to electricity, gas, food or water. By planning ahead now and gathering an emergency food supply and emergency water supply, you’ll have the food and water your family needs during a crisis.
FEMA and the American Red Cross recommend that a minimum two-week supply of food and water be stored for use in an emergency. I would recommend at least double that amount as a minimum and ideally a one year supply. And yet I understand the recommendation because most people don’t have any emergency food supply or emergency water supply. So where should you start?
First, don’t overwhelm yourself. None of us started our food storage programs with everything at once. It may take some time to build up your emergency food supply. You can start with canned goods, food bars, dried fruit, and dry mixes that do not require refrigeration. Try to store foods that your family normally enjoys eating, as this will boost morale at a stressful time. When preparing food, consider any allergies or special diets and the ages of the people you will be feeding.
As you begin stockpiling your emergency food supply, set up a rotation based on the expiration dates of the various foods. Store older food in front so it can be used before it expires. As you add new supplies, be sure to place them in the back, behind the old supplies so the rotation stays in order. Take care to use storage containers that are airtight and offer protection from pests.
An alternative to storing canned goods, food bars, dried fruit, and dry mixes that often only last six months to a year and must be rotated constantly is to purchase an emergency food supply that is freeze-dried. These freeze-dried meals require no refrigeration, are lightweight, and come packaged in resealable bags that store in plastic buckets built to stack on top of each other for compact food storage. These emergency food supplies have a 20-year shelf life and are available in sizes that will last an adult anywhere from a week to a year or more, depending on your needs. Freeze-dried meals offer a wide variety of foods so you don’t get tired of eating the same thing at every meal. All you normally need to prepare these foods is water. An emergency food supply of freeze-dried meals is my first choice because I don’t have to remember to constantly rotate food in and out of the storage area.
Your emergency food supply storage area should be cool, dry, and preferably dark. Consider the type of disaster most likely to occur in your area when choosing a storage area. For example, if tornadoes are frequent in your region, you probably don’t want your emergency food supply stored on the top floor of your home if it can be avoided, since that’s an area that’s more likely to be damaged, and therefore therefore loss of their food supply. Likewise, you wouldn’t want it in a damp basement either. In some circumstances, it may be desirable to have more than one storage location so that if one is lost, another can be accessed.
Although we may think and discuss emergency food supplies more often, emergency water may actually be more important. Most of us would survive longer without food than without water. While you can store properly treated water in your own disinfected water storage containers, it is recommended that you replace it every six months. Again, my preference would be to buy water. Here are two options. You can buy regular bottled water, which usually lasts about a year, or you can buy emergency water that is specially packaged to last 5 years and specifically designed for disaster preparedness. Either way, you’ll want to keep the expiration date in mind, but emergency water will be packaged to keep it for a longer period of time. Whichever way you choose to supply water, it’s important to have at least one gallon per person per day. The average person should drink at least half a gallon of water per day. In some circumstances, you may need to drink more than half a gallon of water per day. If you drink a half gallon, the other half gallon can be used for cooking or hygiene etc.
You will also need a way to cook during a disaster. I prefer to have a propane camp stove available for emergency food preparation. Please note that a camp stove should never be used indoors. A simple camp stove is small, easy to use, and fits most cookware. Don’t forget to have a supply of propane fuel bottles stocked with your camp stove.
Preparing an emergency food supply for your family is very important and could have a significant impact on the outcome in the event of a disaster. And while it requires some attention to detail, it doesn’t have to be difficult or overwhelming.