Yesterday I wrote about the fact that I have no emergency kit in my home.  I have some water, maybe two gallons, which isn’t enough for two people and two cats … and that’s it.

I started thinking about emergency preparedness when I read this guide that a friend of mine wrote after last week’s earthquake [...]]]>

Yesterday I wrote about the fact that I have no emergency kit in my home.  I have some water, maybe two gallons, which isn’t enough for two people and two cats … and that’s it.

I started thinking about emergency preparedness when I read this guide that a friend of mine wrote after last week’s earthquake activity in California and Haiti.  “Prepared” is not usually a word in the ADD vocabulary.  While many of us are great in an actual crisis, with the adrenaline focusing our attention for the rare occasion, getting ready for a crisis isn’t something that comes naturally.

Then there’s the fact that many of us live our lives in a state of almost-emergency.  There are so many things demanding our attention RIGHT NOW, because the dog wants to go out and Jenny can’t find her permission slip and you have that big report due tomorrow and your spouse had to work late and you forgot to plan a menu for this week and there’s no clean laundry; and the thought of a disaster that might happen someday is just not going to get our attention.

Emergency preparedness seems so overwhelming too.  There’s all that water you need to stock up on, and that food, and first aid stuff, and need to find a place to put it all.  But first you need to figure out what all you need to have together, which means you need to find a list or something, and read up on procedures, because if you’re going to do it you might as well get all the gadgets you could possibly need right?  Oh crap, isn’t that the sound of the cat throwing up on Timmy’s art project?

Fortunately you’re not in this alone.  You can take action, right now, by reading my friend Kathy’s guide to earthquake preparedness (a lot of it will transfer to other emergency situations such as floods or blizzards) called “Earthquakes: how to prepare for one“.  She will tell you what supplies you need to survive a disaster in your home, what you should have ready if you need to leave your home, and how to prepare your pets for a mandatory evacuation.  She’ll also tell you how to prepare your family so that everyone will know how to cope in an emergency.

Still feeling complacent?  Check out BarbRad’s description of the Paso Robles quake in 2003.  It was only a 3.8.  To put that in perspective, the 4.1 that hit the Bay Area last week felt exactly like our washing machine spin cycle, which shakes the bedroom quite a bit.  And yet, two women died when buildings collapsed on them, and Barb’s house was in shambles.  Seriously, click through and look at the pictures of her office. I would never have believed a 3.8 could do anything like that.

You can save a lot of money by making your own emergency kit, but for a lot of ADDers I suspect this is one of those times when it’s worth it to pay for convenience. Let’s face it, the priority here is getting it done fast so it’s there when you need it. Fortunately, there are all kinds of emergency kits available to meet anyone’s needs.  I’ve featured some of them here.  Click on the image to learn more:

Evacuation kit for cats -- first aid supplies plus three days of food and water

Got cats? They need to be prepared for emergencies too. Keep a disaster from becoming a ‘cat-astrophe’ with this Cat Evacuation Kit. This kit contains everything you need to sustain your cat for three days. This kit comes with a three-day supply of cat food and water (food and water have a 5-year shelf life). You’ll also get a litter box, a four-pound box of litter, a collapsible travel bowl, pet wipes, a six-piece first aid kit, and a safety collar. This kit also contains a fun ball with bell, and a package of treats to help your furry friend feel more relaxed. This kit comes inside of a soft-sided nylon pet carrier, which has been rated for pets up to 25 pounds. No Assembly Required.

Emergency Kit Contains: 5 Year Shelf Life Cat Food, 3-Water Pouches 4.225-Ounce, Pet Water Bowl, Cat Collar with Toy Mouse, Cat Treats, Cat Litter Pan, Bag of Cat Litter, Litter Scoop, Pet Wipes, Pet ID Tag, 3-Antiseptic Cleansing Wipes, 1-Inch Gauze Roll, Triple Antibiotic Ointment Packet, 1 Pair Nitrile Gloves, Pet Carrier.

Evacuation kit for small dogs -- first aid supplies, food, water, and clean-up bags for three days.

How about dogs? Earthquakes? Fires? Floods? They can all be ‘dog-gone’ scary, but you and your dog will be prepared with this Small Dog Evacuation Kit. This kit contains the supplies you need to sustain your small dog for three days. This kit comes with a three-day supply of food and water (food and water have a 5-year shelf life). You’ll also get a pack of doggy “clean-up” bags, pet wipes, first aid kit, a collapsible travel bowl, and a leash. This kit also contains a rawhide bone and a chew rope. This kit comes with a soft-sided nylon pet carrier, which has been rated for pets up to 25 pounds. No Assembly Required.

Emergency Kit Contains: 5 Year Shelf Life Dog Food, 3-Water Pouches 4.225-Ounce, Pet Water Bowl, Pressed Rawhide Bone, Chew Rope, 6-Pet Waste Bags, 15-Foot Tie Out Leash, Pet Wipes, Pet ID Tag, 3-Antiseptic Cleansing Wipes, 1-Inch Gauze Roll, Triple Antibiotic Ointment Packet, 1-Pair Nitrile Gloves, Pet Carrier

Two Person, Three Day Emergency Kit

Emergency kit for two. Because you never know when there will be an emergency situation, it’s wise to always be prepared. To avoid being caught unprepared, make sure that you have the Grab ‘n Go 3 Day Emergency Kit 2 Person Backpack on hand at home, at school and at the office. Each kit contains enough emergency supplies to sustain two people for three days. The three basic essentials, as recommended by the American Red Cross, are in every handy backpack.

Each kit contains enough emergency supplies to sustain two people for three days, as recommended by the American Red Cross. There’s food, water and emergency blankets, plus a First Aid kit (33 piece), two 12-hour safety lightsticks, dust masks, nitrile gloves and an emergency whistle. Each kit also contains emergency ponchos and pocket tissues.

Emergency Evacuation Kit for Four People

Emergency Kit for Four. Each kit contains enough emergency supplies to sustain 4 people for three days, as recommended by the American Red Cross. Each kit includes 4 water boxes, food supply, 4 emergency ponchos, 4 survival blankets, 4 12-hour lightsticks, 4 pair nitrile gloves, dust masks, pocket tissues, emergency whistle, leather gloves, 4 pair goggles, 3 bio-hazard bags, premoistened towlettes, emergency communication plan/contacts, first aid kit that has 107-pieces and a backpack. The kit, in a handy backpack, can be stored at home, at school, and at the office.

I live in the SF bay area, a mile or two from the San Andreas fault.  Last week there were a few smallish quakes on the Calaveras Fault, also in the Bay Area.  And the fault that’s really supposed to blow is the Hayward Fault, also in the Bay Area.   Southern California [...]]]> I know I’m not.

I live in the SF bay area, a mile or two from the San Andreas fault.  Last week there were a few smallish quakes on the Calaveras Fault, also in the Bay Area.  And the fault that’s really supposed to blow is the Hayward Fault, also in the Bay Area.   Southern California had four quakes last week.  And then, of course, there’s Haiti.

Part of being organized means being prepared.  Every household should have an emergency kit and an evacuation kit, and they should be stored in a place where everyone in the family can find them.  I don’t have either of these things.

Well, I guess that’s one more thing on my list.