Prepared?

Ang · #1 (**permalink**) 06-03-2005, 03:17 AM

1 June started the long (6 month) hurricane season for us, so this is a time to really think about being prepared for a disaster (perhaps we already should have been prepared!)

Anyway, do you guys have your 72-hour kits, emergency supplies, and 1 year of food storage? I have to admit that we only have emergency supplies and very little food storage. It is something we always say we'll work on, and then we don't keep at it. But after all of the activity last year with 2 hurricanes hitting the center of the state (Orlando), we are much more geared toward listening to our leaders and getting ready. It's too bad that we had to have that happen in order for us to listen. I feel like the slothful, unwise servant!

Leiahs · #2 (**permalink**) 06-03-2005, 08:40 AM

do you guys have your 72-hour kits, emergency supplies, and 1 year of food storage?

No, no and no.

We don't even have a working flashlight at the moment!! Last month's enrichment included a class on 72 hour kits especially, and the woman who prepared the lesson had a *fantastically* organized system, but I still sat there completely dumbfounded at all the work she put into it (and continues to put into it as children grow and needs change). Not to mention I wouldn't even know where to put any of this kind of stuff - we barely have storage room for our possessions as it is. But you're right, it is something that needs to be worked on.

SIL and her family moved to West Palm Beach last year, and had to deal with the effects of THREE hurricanes. What a welcome to the state of Florida! They suffered very little damage to their home, just a couple torn roof shingles and one tree lost, but lots of people in their neighborhood and town were a lot worse off. We visited at Thanksgiving, and even then it was amazing how much damage there still was that people were dealing with. I hope this year is a much gentler hurricane season!

dancincuti · #3 (**permalink**) 06-03-2005, 09:21 AM

We too have nothing prepared.

I really need to get going on *at least* the 72-hour kit!! I mean.....we have all these stores near us that specialize in food storage/emergency prepardness kits.....and I have yet to get more than one flashlight in my house!!

I really shouldn't laugh at it, it's a big problem, or could be. Thanks for the reminder. Maybe I'll get with my two S'sIL and we can all work on ours together.

I hope too that this season stays calm for you. Coming from Michigan I know about natural distasters, ie: tornados!! At least with hurricanes you have a little warning. With tornados, we just had to hope and pary everything held.

SeattleMom · #4 (**permalink**) 06-03-2005, 09:42 AM

I started my 72 hour kit after 9/11. It's still not entirely complete! And now that we have the bub we really have to get that updated. My excuse for not doing anything right now is that I'm going to have to make up new ones in England anyhow (who mails over granola bars etc.?). We do have some emergency supplies, but no food storage. Feeling like a major slacker on that one. In the event of an major emergency we'd end up eating the dog (just kidding, Buster!).

Marianne

katiemac · #5 (**permalink**) 06-03-2005, 10:11 AM

We have 72 hours kits that are sitting in plastic bags because I haven't finished them. I still need to get some backpacks to put everything in. DD has her own little kit but there is not much in it because she will be with one of us in the event of a disaster. We just built our second house last October and we have a big front porch with cold storage underneath it. We keep saying we are going to put our food storage in there, but of course we have procrastinated! I have been told that updating your 72 hour kits every General Conference is a good way to remember to do it.

kitkat5505 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-03-2005, 10:37 AM

Funny you asked, last night at enrichment we had a lady talking to us about food storage. We have no food storage, 72 hour kit, etc. We have a storage room with enough room to start one but we just haven't yet. I know we need to. The lady giving the lesson last night told a little story about the Prophet and food storage. A group of people were speaking to the Prophet and one person told him he'd be remembered for bringing so many temples to the world, another said he'd be remembered for bringing the Church to the world. But the Prophet said he'd be remembered because he was the Prophet nobody listened to. He was speaking in regards to food storage. Only 1% of the Church membership has adequate food storage.

HKkatie · #7 (**permalink**) 06-03-2005, 07:00 PM

I am probably the biggest hypocrite because I'm on the Enrichment committee in our Branch and every month we've been trying to have some sort of preparedness display and short talk, besides the main point of the night. Anyway, with that said, I don't have any 72 hour kits or food storage either. Mainly because we have NO SPACE. People say, "Put it under your beds", well, that would be nice except we already have stuff under our beds! lol. We do have a little bit of cupboard space that we haven't filled up yet, but since money is so tight right now, it's hard to build up that storage. As for the 72 hour kits, I really want to get it done, but again, we don't have space to keep it. I suggested to dh that we get another small bookshelf with doors or something to keep them in, but he is sooo anti-clutter that he shot that down right away. Anyway, I know they are not good excuses and I need to get my butt in gear too...

There is this one family in my branch that is totally loaded and they live in a mansion (seriously) and everyone in the Branch is like, 'if there's ever an emergency in HK, we're all coming to your house!" lol.

Ang · #8 (**permalink**) 06-04-2005, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by kitkat5505

The lady giving the lesson last night told a little story about the Prophet and food storage. A group of people were speaking to the Prophet and one person told him he'd be remembered for bringing so many temples to the world, another said he'd be remembered for bringing the Church to the world. But the Prophet said he'd be remembered because he was the Prophet nobody listened to.

I'm glad you mentioned that, Kara. My bishop talked about it, but generalized it to just "the prophet nobody listened to." That was, to me, the saddest thing I'd heard in a long time.

Anyway, I just worked a scrapbook convention for extra $$. Since I don't scrapbook (hope you still like me anyway), I walked away with the $$ so a portion of it is going to emergency preparedness. The weather people are forecasting a bad season for hurricanes this year!

Whitney, we have tornadoes down here, too! And on top of the hurricanes last year, there were quite a few tornadoes that touched down! When I moved here I thought I'd be rid of those guys (I'm originally from Kentucky where we had them a lot), but I was wrong. ARGH!