Hopefully you're able to translate experience to preparedness, if you weren't already, and given California propensity for earthquakes (where the Tubbs fire occurred), that you have enough food and water stockpiled for at least a few days, if not longer. These days an earthquake preparedness kit might also consider including a small solar panel and an old cell-phone.
One of the interesting things I've done over the years is look at earthquakes and analyzed different preparedness strategies. Top three learnings, post earthquake living is just like camping so keeping current on camping skills and gear means you are ready to camp out on you lawn; medically trained people are easier to find than supplies put a laceration kit in your go bag, if you need it finding a nurse or doctor is easier than finding supplies; water filtration is easier than water storage, keep infrastructure that can hold water but it doesn't have to be full. That said having your cold water supply go through a 50 gallon tank means it is constantly replaced and when you shut off the water you still have 50 gallons to work with.
In my car my bag has a laceration kit, water purifier straw and, hydration bladder. Also comfortable shoes for hiking and a hat. I can walk from anywhere in the Bay Area home in 2 days so that is the prep window.
Evaluate the risks for where you live and have the appropriate supplies. In the Bay Area, for example, you should be ready for a large earthquake. You should also be ready for common scenarios such as extended utility outages.
If this article is right and there is a risk of a large earthquake that will release a century of pressure buildup, it might be good to keep a week or two worth of supplies, including a bucket with attachable toilet seat lid, bag of saw dust, and a shovel to bury the waste.
If you're in a home, you might want to make sure that your supplies are more easily accessible from the perimeter of your structure in case enough damage is done that your home is not able to be entered. Ideally, a backyard shed or storage box would be the best place to store your supplies. If that's not available, in a garage near the rolling door or by a back door of the house.
If as much damage occurs to water and waste water infrastructure as they fear, and if your home becomes inaccessible, it might be prudent to make sure that you also have several changes of clothes and a pair of boots in your kit.
Basically, pretend that you're preparing for a week-long camping trip in the middle of nowhere and pack accordingly. Tent, sleeping bag, clothing, supplies, small solar panel to charge a phone, etc. It'll take a lot more space but it will make the (potential) experience a lot more tolerable.
You should only prep for disaster if you want to survive a disaster, which is rare for more people. I live in earthquake country, and though I have not experienced anything larger than M4 in the past 28 years, stochastically we can expect a very large ($BILLIONS, with massive short term problems) quake at some point in Northern California in the next 50 years.
The items I describe fit on a single shelf (except the water; I have a water filter and a nearby stream, so I only keep a few liters on hand).
This is general advice for earthquakes and other disasters:
- As soon possible, gather fresh water. Drain the pipes in sinks and showerheads; if you don't have enough containers, fill up the bathtub.
- Have non-perishable food on hand (cans mostly). Mind the expiration date.
- Have a deadbolt (if you are worried about your neighbors).
- Invest in a good first aid kit and learn how to use it. They sell larger ones designed to live in your car or home (not the portable, throw-in-backpack kind).
History channel shows and the like give preppers a bad name, but prepping, as highlighted in this article, doesn't need to involve guns and bunkers. In fact, your own government probably wants you to be prepping (at least the US does):
If you find yourself worrying about things like earthquakes and fires, there's an extra benefit to prepping: you can rest easy knowing you've done what you can.
If you live in (most parts of) California, you should be prepared for an earthquake, including a few days without water, at minimum. Wildfires and power outages are another risk that it is absolutely rational to prepare for, in many locations.
Everyone should have at least 3 days of food and water stockpiled. Especially if you live in an area where you might experience a natural or man-made disaster (doesn't Turkey get lots of earthquakes?).
You want food that can be eaten unheated, all the better if it's not in cans so you don't need a can opener. Get some biscuits or crackers, some canned meat (corned beef or tuna), and canned or dehydrated vegetables (soaking them works well enough). Dehydrated potatoes are also light and compact, and provide good energy. Chocolate is also a great compact source of energy, and lasts for a long time. Grab some muesli/granola bars as well for eating on the go.
A standard tin of corned beef will last a couple of days. A mixture of corned beef, dehydrated potatoes, and dehydrated peas will keep you going for a long time. I've eaten a pot of it all mixed together and gone until the evening eating hardly anything while climbing mountains.
As for water, you'll want at least 2 litres per day, and you'll want to rotate your stock every 6-12 months as water does go stale.
If you want to set yourself up for longer term, I'd suggest getting a gas cooker or something to cook on, and then you can also boil water to get clean water. The alternative for long term water is iodine or other purification tablets, but they taste nasty.
Apart from food, you'll also want to keep some medical supplies: bandages, sling, tape, gloves (these are important!). Toilet paper is also essential.
You'll want to keep all this stuff in a box or bag that you can easily grab and get the fuck out. I live in an earthquake prone area, so it pays to be prepared here.
Californians especially are woefully unprepared for disaster. I started a local company (http://expresssurvival.com) selling survival kits and emergency gear to try to help the community get prepared and realize the importance of having those supplies when that next earthquake hits.
Most of us understand that its not a matter of if, but when we will need those emergency supplies, but as someone pointed out earlier, we are "whistling past the graveyard."
I haven't done too much, but that's because I'm generally prepared with 2 months food/water supply for general purpose emergencies. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we're expecting a pretty large earthquake as we're statistically overdue. Once panic has set in, it's too late to prepare for much of anything. Preparing is taking action beforehand, not after. I mean, if we even get news of 100 degree weather in this part of the country, the air conditioners fly off the shelves. When there's a possibility of a snow storm, everybody panics at once and empties the grocery shelves.
Though "prepping" has gotten a bad reputation because of the folks going to extremes building underground bunkers, some level of preparedness is prudent.
Many government recommend at least three days' worth of supplies for self-sufficiency:
Natural disasters, yes. Many of us in hurricane-prone areas stock up on batteries, LP gas, water, easy food before the season starts. One or two-week power outages are no fun.
A friend of mine in SoCal keeps earthquake supplies in multiple closets in his home, to improve the odds that he'll at least have water in case of a partial collapse. He takes earthquake preparedness very seriously.
Get off HN right now and go and make your bug-out bag.
It should contain all your valuable documents, medication if you need it, first-aid kit, spare water bottles, emergency food and water for 5 days, backup cell device, etc.
Nobody living in a quake zone should be content with themselves unless they have a proper bug-out bag prepared .. you don't want to be fighting for scraps in SoCal after a big quake.
(I once watched two little old ladies - grandma's - beat the shit out of each other in a 711, fighting over the last bottle of water on the shelf..)
My preparation so far is the same as earthquake preparation - to be sure that I have a supply of food and water for a few days. It seems like a pretty reasonable generic preparation for disaster. I am interested in doing more, but it isn't really clear to me what else would be useful.
Prepare? Absolutely. I can't speak to the state of California's earthquake preparedness, but there should absolutely be supplies and equipment stationed throughout the state in preparation for it. It is my understanding that San Francisco, for example, has water cisterns throughout the city for fighting fires in such a scenario.
It is dumb not to prepare for disasters we know will happen.
Due to Earthquakes, California asks that you have at least 3 days of supplies on hand at all times, with 7 days of supplies being prefered and 14 days of supplies being the best. Same thing from my county and city. They all know that when "The Big One" hits, your average citizen is going to be on their own for at least a couple of days.
I live in a country with regular earthquakes and recent experience with the government response to massive emergencies.
Our preparedness is this: Water for 3 days, food for less than a week. Those things come in quickly from the government.
After that initial couple of days, what people in stricken areas are desperate for: batteries to charge their phones. Toilet paper. Soap. Diapers. Sanitary pads. Plastic bags for waste.
After that, the most important thing is having enough savings to rebuild your life after your home, belongings, town, job are all gone.
There's a lot of ifs to all that. I think if I were going to do something to prepare for disaster, I'd have a big store of water and shelf-stable foods on hand first.
Everybody, anywhere in the world, should have at least 3 days supply of food and water stored at home for in case of emergency. Ideally, you should have it in a container, along with other emergency supplies such as a first aid kit, a radio, and a flashlight.
It is normal for emergency services or the military to take up to 3 days to get the essentials running again in the case of a natural disaster such as an earthquake.
When I used to live in an earthquake prone city, I always had a bag with a hard hat, gloves, a flashlight, and some other emergency essentials ready to go.
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