Asheville – Asheville City Council has proclaimed September to be Emergency Preparedness Month.
Buncombe County is no stranger to preppers. It has its share of homesteaders, co-ops, communes, permaculturalists, and just plain provident people with wisdom and foresight. It has lots of vendors of hydroponic gardens, the STARS Gold-rated sustainability college Warren Wilson, Carolina Readiness Supply, and a host of smaller prepper stores. Preppers like these know that being ready to surf disasters is a way of life and not something to try on only in September.
Preppers often get a bad rap, though. They’re viewed as greedy hoarders, maybe even a little senile or schizophrenic. A recent Florida hurricane came with some lessons. One was that preppers with food and water storage and chain saws were able to help their entire neighborhoods. One friend, however, had done everything right but found himself exhausted as he appeared to be the only person for miles who had had a mind to prep. This speaks loudly to the advantages of talking up the benefits of prepping with neighbors and doing some cost-sharing.
To raise awareness, the city is publishing weekly bulletins throughout the month. The first post features a video from FEMA. Personal preparedness will go a long way toward not getting ticked off at the government because it takes a week or so to respond. The video first instructs the viewer to know the types of emergencies that are most likely to occur in their area. City staff has determined that “floods, lightning strikes, and winter weather like snow and ice storms” are primary local emergencies; and “power outages, property damage, and disruption to food and water supplies” can follow. Prospects for unemployment, disabling injuries, and supply chain shortages are not out of the question either.
The FEMA video stresses the importance of having a plan for where to go and what to do in different types of emergencies. Preppers establish meeting places and contact plans so they can account for everyone in their family. They also conduct drills, just like in school, so the response becomes automatic. One girl was told to have a plan for date rape. She decided that if she was in the car, she would lean on the horn, and that’s what she did. By way of contrast, when one disabled person who was dependent on others to get him out of his house was asked what he wanted to do in the event of a fire, he merely replied, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Building a kit with enough provisions for a week or so is another stellar idea. If a flood or tornado is coming and evacuation orders are delivered, precious seconds can be spared if everybody in the family has their own grab-and-go bag. Recommended items for inclusion are food, a gallon of water per person per day, medications, and important documents. The FEMA video narrator stresses the importance of packing what is deemed essential by each individual, as a man is shown tucking a roll of toilet paper into his bag.
Other items that may be useful are listed at ready.gov/kit. These include a battery-powered or hand-cranked radio and a NOAA Weather Radio as cell towers may be knocked down, a flashlight, a first-aid kit, extra batteries, a whistle, a dust mask, plastic sheeting and duct tape for improvisational sheltering, wipes, trash bags, local maps, cell phones with chargers and backup batteries, a wrench or pliers, and a can opener. A more advanced list includes cash, sleeping bags, assistive devices for the handicapped including glasses, baby supplies, changes of clothing, a fire extinguisher, matches, disposable plates and cups, paper and pencil, and books or games. Items subject to water damage should be protected accordingly, and perishables should be rotated regularly before they go to waste.
Pet lovers will want to pack a few days’ supply for their furry friends as well. Having a pet crate is strongly recommended. Another idea is to have a picture of the owner and pet together to help with locating the animal should he be separated from the family.
The city also points out that disasters don’t always strike at home, where your grab-and-go bags are sitting. They advise packing a kit to keep at work and making a car kit as well. Sometimes people find themselves parked in a traffic jam on the interstate for days in freezing weather. A well-prepared car will always have a lot of fuel, jumper cables, an ice scraper, a cell phone charger, a food supply, and blankets.