Disaster Preparedness | Tips from Just In Case Plans | 206-485-4400

Emergency Preparedness for Our Pets: Don’t Forget Fido!

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 20:14:42 GMT

Pets are family, but it can be easy to overlook the need to make preparations for their care if an earthquake or other natural disaster occurs.

Some animals seem to have their own inner warning syste; they may give us clues to impending danger even before the meteorologists do. Nevertheless, they still need our care and assistance—both emotional and physical—during and after the event.

Landline, or mobile phone?

As with people, different animals will react differently to scary events. Take a few minutes to think about how your pet reacts to things like fireworks, strangers, heavy traffic, and isolation. Do they tend to run and hide, get aggressive, run away? Plan ahead to account for those possibilities. Be sure to have ID tags, and a leash or other restraints for your pet(s) in your own Flee Bag ™.

Make Your Pet’s Presence Known

There are many incidences when it can be helpful for others to know there are pets living in your home, and disasters are one of them. One way to do this is to put a cling or decal in your window. You can purchase them online and at pet stores, among other places.

Order free decals from the ASPCA when you sign up to receive important alerts from them.

Free and Confidential

Again, as with people, pets often behave differently when they are physically injured. Even your usually-mild-mannered pooch or kitty may become testy and unwilling to let you tend their wounds. Consult your veterinarian about what to include in a first aid kit that is best suited to your pet. A generalized kit should include rolls of cotton gauze, bandage tape, antibiotic ointment, scissores, latex gloves, isopropyl alcohol, and saline solution. A first aid book specific to animals could be invaluable too.

Multiple Profiles and Addresses

In the event of a major earthquake that leaves your home uninhabitable, you may already have a plan as to where you can go to find temporary shelter, such as a public evacuation center. But, did you know that evacuation centers rarely allow pets inside? That means that you need to have a plan for where to house your four-footed friends.

If your pet already has and uses a kennel or a crate, that puts you ahead of the game. If they do not, you need to come up with a Plan B, and maybe even a Plan C.

If you have a car, and it survives the earthquake/disaster, the easiest solution may be to house your pet in it. Hopefully, you can park your car near to wherever you will be staying so you can check on your furball frequently.

Even if you have a car to use as a makeshift kennel, you would do well to research other alternatives ahead of time because there will be many unknown variables. E.g., it may be destroyed/immobilized during the event.

Do you have a friend, relative, or neighbor who would be willing to give shelter to you and/or your pets? Can you offer to help them in the same way? Are there any boarding facilities, veterinarian offices, or hotels nearby that will agree to sheltering pets in an emergency? Contact them now to ask about the possibilities and then make a list of any that intend to keep their doors open.

More About Pet Preparedness

Check the Just in Case resources page for additional downloadable information about making plans for how to help your four-legged friends survive and thrive following a natural disaster.

Practice Makes Perfect: Drop, Cover, and Hold

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 06:05:52 GMT

On Tuesday, October 17, 2024 you will have the opportunity to practice your “Drop, Cover, and Hold” skills as part of the world’s largest earthquake drill!

At 10:17 AM on October 17th, Shakeout.org invites you to join thousands of other Americans in a nationwide earthquake drill designed to develop your muscle memory so you remember what to do when the ground starts to shake.

Earthquakes DO happen, and it’s likely that if you live in the Pacific Northwest you will experience one or more in your lifetime. Know how to protect yourself!

Drop, Cover, and Hold

Quickly drop to the ground, survey your surroundings and look for something sturdy to duck under. Crawl over to it, and duck under the protective cover (e.g. a table). Hold onto the legs to keep it in place. Your objective is to protect your head and neck, which are most vulnerable to serious injury.

STAY THERE until the shaking stops.

Check out my earlier blog post, https://www.justincaseplans.com/where-will-you-be-when-the-shaking-starts for most specific information.

Attend my next Ready Freddy Prep Party to learn how to put together a personal Flee Bag™ so you will be ready to go in case the quake leaves your home uninhabitable.

Be prepared, not scared.

Smart 911 Really is a Smart Move

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 23:56:00 GMT

Call 911!

Most people–even young children–know to call 911 when they need emergency assistance. They trust the 911 operator to assess the situation and send appropriate help, whether it be police officers, EMT’s or fire fighters.

Landline, or mobile phone?

If you are calling from a landline–and those are somewhat rare these days–the 911 system tells the operator your address. However, if you are calling from a cell/mobile phone–even if the GPS function is working–your location information may not be transmitted as quickly or as accurately, and that is the only information the operator will have.

Before an Emergency

Smart 911 , on the other hand, is a free, national registration service you can opt into BEFORE AN EMERGENCY, to supply additional information that is stored in the 911 call center system. This includes information such as the names of family members (including pets), medical histories, languages spoken, photos, and more.

Believe it or not, this kind of information can be difficult to remember when you are experiencing a crisis; our minds and memories are not as sharp in emergency situations.

Free and Confidential

The information you provide Smart 911 is confidential, and it is up to you as to how much information you provide. Think of it as emergency pre-registration. It is similar to pre-registering for a visit to a doctor’s office.

Multiple Profiles and Addresses

You can create profiles for each member of your household, ensuring that if anyone in your family needs to call 911, their critical information is already available to emergency responders. And, you can register multiple addresses (home, work, school, etc.), all connected to your cell phone number.

Helpful Reminders

Smart 911 sends occasional (once or twice a year) emails to remind you to update your information. You might be surprised to realize how many seemingly small details have changed in your life over the course of the past six-twelve months.

How to Sign Up

To sign up, go to Smart911.com . TODAY . No, seriously, do it right now. This is not an item for your “I’ll do it tomorrow” list.

Be Alert(ed)!

And while you’re at it, sign up for Alert Seattle, the City of Seattle’s official emergency alert and notification system for timely texts about local emergencies. Forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes. Sign up at alert.seattle.gov

Advanced preparation provides peace of mind; get yours today.

The post Smart 911 Really is a Smart Move appeared first on Just In Case .

Summer Scramble Treasure Hunt

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 00:34:00 GMT

Hunt for Not-So Buried Treasure

Who doesn’t love a good treasure hunt? Especially when it takes place in your own backyard (or at least, in your own community).

Get ready for the second annual Summer Scramble, a West Seattle Treasure Hunt, coming August 1st through the 4th. And, as with all the events I sponsor, it’s FREE!

Play by yourself, or gather a team. Download the clues and the map and find the solutions that will lead you to local businesses and “treasured” West Seattle public sites. Last year, I focused on city parks. This year, many of the non-business locations are historically significant West Seattle sites.

Every team that solves all 25 clues and submits selfies to prove it, will qualify to win the contents of one of the three treasure chests. The chests are filled with a variety of goodies, mostly donated by local businesses, including Just in Case.

Last year, 88 teams registered (with an average of 3 persons per team) for the first annual Summer Scramble. 20 of those teams solved all 40 clues (we’ve reduced the number this year) to qualify for the treasure chest drawing.

Registration for this year’s hunt opens soon. More information at wondersinaliceland.com/summer-scramble

If you have a business you’d like to promote by donating a prize to the treasure chests, just let me know. Alice@JustInCasePlans.com

The post Summer Scramble Treasure Hunt appeared first on Just In Case .

How to Survive Summer Smoke

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Summer Brings Sun… and Wildfire Smoke

Remember the days, not so very long ago, when we didn’t know what an N95 mask was? It seems as if COVID and increasingly common wildfires, took away our innocence.

Whether the wildfire smoke comes down from Canada, up from California, or originates right here at home, it can be a serious health hazard.

Here are four steps you can take to help you and your loved ones stay safe when wildfire smoke is in the air.

For more on this topic, follow this link to The Public Health Insider.

The post How to Survive Summer Smoke appeared first on Just In Case .

Where Will You Be When the Shaking Starts?

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 00:48:00 GMT

Drop, cover and hold

Drop, cover and hold is the recommended means of self-protection if you are indoors when an earthquake starts. It’s good advice, and you should commit it to memory. Earthquake drills are easy to do, and will help you and your loved ones (especially children) commit the actions to muscle memory.

But what if, when the ground starts shaking, you aren’t at a place where there is something to duck under?

If you are in your car:

If you are driving when the ground starts to roil, pull over, stop and set the parking brake. Do NOT exit the vehicle until the shaking stops. As best you can, avoid parking near overpasses, bridges, power lines, and light poles.

If you are in bed:

If you can safely crawl under your bed , do so. If not, turn onto your stomach so you are lying face down, and cover your head and neck with your pillow. Hold onto the bedposts, if available, with both hands. Do NOT leave the bed until the shaking stops. When you do get up, put on sturdy shoes (not slippers) before getting up. Stepping on broken glass is one of the most common post-earthquake injuries, and will make evacuation extremely difficult.

If you are indoors…

…but there is no solid surface to hide under, crawl and crouch next to an INTERIOR wall — one with no windows or hanging mirrors overhead. STAY PUT until the shaking stops. Note: one of the most dangerous places to be in an earthquake is near an EXTERIOR wall.

If you are in a wheelchair:

If possible, get next to an INTERIOR wall, then stop and set the brake to lock the wheels. Bend forward and cover your neck and head with your arms or a pillow if there is one nearby. Stay put until the shaking stops.

If you are in a store:

Drop to the floor, if possible, near a shopping cart or under a clothes rack. Cover your head and neck, and hold on. Stay put until the shaking stops.

If you are near a shoreline:

Drop to your knees and stay put until the shaking reduces to a level that allows you to stand safely. Walk quickly to high ground/inland. The danger of a tsunami is real.

If you are in a high-rise:

Drop, cover and hold until the shaking stops. If you need to evacuate the building, be sure to use the stairs and NOT an elevator.

Remember, no one knows when the next earthquake will strike or where we will be when it does. Imagining the above scenarios ahead of time may help you know what to do — it may even save your life!

If you want more tips, visit JustInCasePlans.com to request a free, 20-minute phone consultation.

The post Where Will You Be When the Shaking Starts? appeared first on Just In Case .

There’s no predicting an earthquake

Tue, 21 May 2024 04:05:00 GMT

When will the next major earthquake hit? No one knows.

Hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, even tsunamis all give us advanced warning, but science still hasn’t figured out how to predict an earthquake more than a minute or so ahead. That puts the preparation pressure on. Time could be running out… we just don’t know.

The Rule of 3’s

Yes, there are tons of actions you can take before, during and after an earthquake, but to concentrate on the most important ones, let’s assign three recommended actions for each phase.

3 Things: Before the Earthquake Begins

3 Things: Under Your Bed

You might want to keep your Flee Bag under your bed as well, if there is room. The trunk of your car, if you have one, is also a great place to store it.

3 Things: During the Earthquake

DO:

DON’T:

3 Things: Once the Ground Stops Moving

* Natural gas is the most critical utility to check. If you hearing hissing, or smell the tell-tale odor of “rotten eggs”, shut the gas off immediately. And don’t try to turn it back on yourself – that requires a professional.

*Electricity only needs to be shut down if you see sparks or smell burning wires.

*Underground water pipes will brake during a major earthquake, so there will be no running water, which is why you stockpiled the bottled water. Sewer pipes will break, too, so don’t flush the toilets. Flushing will bring the contaminated water back up, rather than flushing it away.

Coming full circle, you can now grab your Flee Bag if you need to evacuate your home. If that is the case, go to the nearest emergency Communication Hub for more information about how the event has affected your community.

What? You don’t know what a Communication Hub is, or where the nearest one is located? Click here to see a map of Communication Hubs in West Seattle.

Questions? You know where to find me. Click here to schedule a 20-minute free phone consultation.

The post There’s no predicting an earthquake appeared first on Just In Case .

What is a Communication Hub?

Tue, 14 May 2024 06:58:00 GMT

What is — and isn’t — a communication hub?

In the aftermath of a major disaster, accurate, up-to-date information will become an invaluable commodity.

Phone lines will likely be down, making communication with friends and family difficult. Texting is likely to be your best bet, but it may be delayed as well.

Whether radio and television stations can broadcast after a major earthquake will depend on various factors such as the extent of damage to infrastructure, the availability of backup power sources, and the resilience of the broadcasting equipment.

In many cases, radio stations have backup power generators or alternative power sources to ensure that they can continue broadcasting even if the main power supply is disrupted. However, if the earthquake causes significant damage to transmission towers, antennas, or studio facilities, it may affect the ability of radio stations to broadcast.

Additionally, earthquakes can disrupt telecommunications networks, making it difficult for radio stations to transmit signals to their intended audience. However, emergency communication protocols are often in place to prioritize essential communications during disasters, which may enable radio stations to continue broadcasting critical information to the public.

And then, there is the human factor. Will there be personnel, both in front of and behind the camera, to report the news? Surely, television and radio personalities will want to be with their loved ones, as much as we will. Can we really expect them to report to work soon after a catastrophe if they weren’t at the station when it happened?

If crews are available, the ability of radio and television stations to broadcast after a major earthquake depends on preparedness measures, the severity of the earthquake , and the effectiveness of response and recovery efforts.

Ultimately, we will need to rely on our neighbors for eyewitness accounts of what is happening around us. Fortunately, Seattle has a network off communication hubs run by well-trained volunteers to facilitate the process.

Much of the general public is unaware of this system, but they will likely benefit from it anyway. If this is the first you have heard about it, now is the time to spread the word.

What is a communication hub?

It’s important to know what a communication hub is, and how it differs from an evacuation center .

Simply put, community emergency hubs are places where people gather after a disaster to help each other.

More precisely, a communication hub is a location that serves as a central point for coordinating communication and disseminating information. Following a disaster, volunteers get to work setting up pre-determined physical locations stocked with equipment such as ham radios, satellite phones , or computers connected to the internet. These hubs facilitate communication between emergency responders, authorities, and individuals — you and your neighbors — in the community. They are also your best source of current, reliable information about how your neighborhood, in particular, has been affected by the current adversity.

What is an evacuation center?

Evacuation centers (aka, emergency shelters) are available for people who have been evacuated and are unable to reach their homes, or whose homes are unlivable.

The American Red Cross is a major provider of emergency shelters and strives to open them within 72 hours after a natural disaster. The intent is for a shelter to provide sleeping support items such as cots, blankets and pillows, meals, shower facilities, medical services and other support services.

If your home is left uninhabitable by a storm and you need to go to an emergency shelter or evacuation center, the American Red Cross advises you to bring the following supplies with you.

WHAT TO BRING:

Notice that these are the same items I recommend that you have in your personal Flee Bag™ . This is no coincidence!

If you want help and/or advice about assembling a Flee Bag , sign up for one of my free Ready Freddy Prep Parties , which I offer approximately every two weeks at various West Seattle locations. Dates and times are listed on the link above.

Be aware that many evacuation centers will not allow you to bring your pets. If you find yourself in this situation, one suggested solution is to contain your pet(s) in your car, if you have one.

Below is a map of the Communication Hubs in West Seattle, provided by WestSeattleBePrepared.org . Take a minute now to identify the ones nearest your home.

The post What is a Communication Hub? appeared first on Just In Case .

What’s Under Your Bed?

Tue, 07 May 2024 21:10:00 GMT

Bedtime creates vulnerability

Perhaps the most vulnerable place you are likely to find yourself when an earthquake occurs, is in bed. If you are awakened by the shaking, you should either roll onto your stomach and cover your head and neck with your pillow, or duck under the bed itself.

The most common injuries following an earthquake are from broken glass and falling objects. If the quake happens at night, when you are sleeping, you are most likely to be lightly dressed and certainly shoeless, so your chances of stepping on broken glass when you get out of bed, are high. Hopefully, nothing fell on you while you were still in bed, and/or the pillow protected you if something did fall.

Now, before you face this situation, is the time to plan ahead. Is there enough room under your bed for you to find protection there? If there isn’t, is it because the bed is too low to the ground, or is it because you use it as storage space?

If it’s the latter, consider making some changes. Find other places to use for storage. and reserve the under-bed space for disaster related supplies.

What is above your bed?

If your bed is beneath a window, or if you have a mirror or framed picture hanging over your bed, consider alternatives.

What should be under your bed?

Under your bed is an ideal place to keep your Flee Bag™ (you’ve already assembled one, right?), which contains the supplies that are essential to help you survive the first 1-3 days following a major earthquake or other disaster.

Among the items that are either in, or next to your Flee Bag™ , you should have

These items will protect you from the most likely dangers you may encounter after severe shaking, and until you can assess the damage to your home.

Now is the time to banish those dust bunnies and replace them with your earthquake armor.

If you have questions, or need more tips, schedule a free, 20-minute phone call with me here .

* Disclosure: If you purchase these items via the links I have provided here, I may receive a small commission from Amazon.

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Attend a Ready Freddy Prep Party

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 04:39:00 GMT

Are you ready Freddy?

For some reason, that’s a question I ask my dog(s) when it’s time to go on a walk. I don’t remember why and I don’t remember where I picked it up, but it stuck in my head and I’ve been saying it for years now, so it seems only natural to use it as a catch phrase related to disaster preparedness.

Now I’m offering free public workshops to encourage disaster preparedness, and I’m calling them Ready Freddy Prep Parties .

The 45-minute Ready Freddy Prep Party emphasizes the importance of creating “go kits”, which I prefer to call “Flee Bags”.

I show participants how to assemble a Flee Bag, which is designed to get you through the first few days following a natural disaster.

I also share tips, tricks, and effective strategies for taking those first steps to prepare your home and keep your loved ones safe.

I encourage registrants to BYOB (bring your own bag) — duffle bag, backpack or wheeled luggage — to get started with some inexpensive, basic items I make available at the event, at cost (i. e. no mark-up).

The next Ready Freddy Prep Party is Saturday, April 27th, 2 PM at West Seattle Coworking, 9030 35th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98126.

Two more are scheduled for Saturday, May 4th, 3 PM, location TBA, and Saturday, May 18th, 1PM, location TBA.

If you’d like to attend a Ready Freddy Prep Party , please pre-register by sending an email to alice@justincaseplans.com. Or use this link. Ready Freddy Prep Party schedule. Limit of 15 people per session.

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Can Freddy Find you?

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 21:16:00 GMT

I have never been good at reading or following paper maps, so when GPS came on the scene twenty-or-so years ago, I was thankfully saved from a fate of perpetual wandering around looking for house addresses. At the time, I was beginning a career in real estate sales, so successfully navigating to homes was vital to my success!

Now, I have become so reliant on GPS systems to get me where I need to go, that I sometimes plug in an address even when I think I know how to get to my destination.

I am aware, however, that following a major disaster, GPS systems may not work, so first-responders will need to rely on old-school, low-tech — i.e. physical house numbers — methods when answering distress calls. Obviously, it behooves us to help them.

In my role as a disaster preparedness coach, I stress to my clients the importance of clearly posting their house numbers in a highly visible location on their property.

Notice that I did NOT say, on your house. That’s because your house may not be clearly visible itself. Perhaps it stands back from the street or is obscured by hedges, for example.

Choose a spot for the house numbers that is easy to see from the street. Fences and mailboxes are often ideal locations.

Be sure to choose a size (the larger, the better) and font style (simple is better than fancy) that are easy to read.

Color is also important for increased visibility. Black numbers show up better than silver, for example, on white or light colored paint.

When I checked the website of a big-box hardware store , prices for house numbers ranged from less than $1/numeral for 3″ vinyl, reflective, stick-on numbers, to around $10/numeral for 5″ “floating or flush mount” house numbers.

Although the 3″ numbers are better than nothing, I recommend spending more, if you can afford it, to get larger numbers.

The homeowners of the house in the image attached to this post, got my full attention, and you can bet that EMT’s would have no trouble finding their house!

If you need help with the physical process of posting the numbers, perhaps a friend or neighbor might be willing to help.

This is a great opportunity for me to let you know about a non-profit group I belong to called West Seattle Timebank .

Timebank is an international organization with hyper-local chapters. The purpose is to foster opportunities for neighbors to help neighbors, using time, rather than money, as a means of exchange.

Members post offers and requests stating their needs and wants and then “bank” the time they give and receive. Other members do the same. When you need something, you dip into the pool of talent and ask if anyone can help. When you have a skill or talent you want to offer, you let the group know and see if anyone needs your help.

Honestly, explaining the system is more difficult than using the system. And it’s free. As I said, Timebank members exchange time, not money.

But, back to the topic at hand.

Homeowners in rural areas may find it more challenging to find a suitable location to post their address, but such homes tend to be even harder to find, so the potential benefit is even greater. Often the turn-offs to rural homes are from roads with high speed limits, giving the driver less time to look without risking a rear-end collision, or impeding traffic behind them.

Because I feel so strongly about this particular step in disaster preparedness, I have created an on-going contest I call the Find Me Freddy Frenzy! It’s designed to encourage and give incentive to homeowners to post their house numbers conspicuously.

Here’s how it works.

Freddy (that’s me) is combing West Seattle looking for homes with prominent house numbers, and taking pictures of them. Every day he posts a new one on Instagram, @justincaseplans . If you see your house, you have 48 hours to contact me to claim a $10 gift card to a West Seattle business of your choice.

Submit a selfie of your own well-marked home for another chance to win. Follow @justincaseplans on Instagram, and check in daily to see if you are a winner! How fun and easy is that?

This just goes to prove the old adage, there is safety in numbers!

The post Can Freddy Find you? appeared first on Just In Case .

Prepare to leave a legacy

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 20:05:00 GMT

Unlike hurricanes, tornados and some other natural disaster, earthquakes are totally unpredictable . Even the most recent technology can do no better than to give us a couple of minutes warning — and that’s being generous. That means we have to get ready now. As in, today.

No Crystal Balls

Need more convincing? Searching the internet for “best guesses” about when the next big earthquake is likely to hit the Seattle area, the statistic I’ve most often seen quoted is a 23% chance in the next 50 years. Another estimate is as low as 14%, and another is as high as 75% in the next 50 years. The scariest estimate I found was from the USGS (United States Geological Society). The folks there believe there is a 70% chance that our area will experience one or more quakes of magnitude 6.7 before the year 2030!

Like I said, no one really knows.

By the way, if you’re interested in tracking earthquake activity in our area, check out the website MyNorthwest.com , where they post their earthquake tracker .

My Legacy

Depending on your age, fifty years may seem like a long time from now. I, for instance, will be dead well before we hit the 50-year mark. Those odds seem to be in my favor, so why am I concerned?

Well, I have two reasons. First, they could be wrong, as in way off. Second, even if I’m no longer alive to suffer the consequences, others that I love will be, and I’d like to think that a part of my legacy to them will be a mindset of preparedness. They are more likely to include preparedness in their lifestyle if I have modeled it for them.

What safety behaviors do you want to model for your loved ones?

The post Prepare to leave a legacy appeared first on Just In Case .

Water, water everywhere

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 22:28:00 GMT

“Water, water everywhere, [but not a] drop to drink.”

That’s one of the few Shakespearean quotes I know, so I love it when I get a chance to reference it. Only, as it turns out, it ISN’T from Shakespeare. It’s from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner , by Samuel Taylor Coleridge . (I’m glad I Googled for verification before posting this.) That’s my first embarrassing admission for this post.

Regardless of who wrote it, it’s a good segue into the topic of this post, which is about water , and how much of it we should have on hand in case of emergency.

How much do I need?

The experts advise us to have one gallon per person, per pet, per day. Those same experts (and I really do believe they know what they are talking about), say that we should be prepared to be on our own – i.e., without assistance from any first-responders – for at least fourteen days following a major natural disaster. That is math even I can do.

I live alone, so I should have fourteen gallons of water on hand for emergencies. That’s a lot of bottled water. But wait, I have a dog, so that number just doubled! You may be thinking, ‘I don’t drink that much water in a day’. That’s true, but some of the water is for cooking and sanitation .

This leads to my second embarrassing admission. Even though I know and preach those statistics, I realized the other day that I don’t have anywhere near that amount of bottled water stashed away. I did at one time, then I kept whittling away at it for various occasions, and soon I was down to eight gallons…total! Not even enough for me, let alone for both me and my dog. I am twenty-one gallons below the recommended amount. Again, that’s a lot of bottled water. It’s a lot to haul home from the store (I will probably opt for delivery, or else stock up a little at a time), and a lot to store away in a home.

Where to store all that water?

Where to store all that water and other supplies is a question I’m often asked by my clients during their in-home Readiness Assessment. After the interview portion of the assessment, we do a walk-through of their home and property to find an answer to that question. Sometimes it’s obvious, but more often it takes some ingenuity and planning. You may be tempted to go for larger sized containers – five gallon or more – but keep in mind that when the time comes, you may need to move your stash to another location on your property. Five gallons of water weighs 41.7 pounds, so besides simply moving it, consider whether or not you could lift it to pour a glass of water to drink.

Expiration dates and BPAs?

Here’s a piece of good news. You can ignore the expiration date you may find on bottled water. Adding expiration dates to bottled water was a marketing ploy designed to convince you that you need to replace it. Not true.

Aren’t there harmful chemicals (BPAs) that leach into the water from plastic bottles? Not enough to kill you. You would die from dehydration decades before you’d detect any physical reaction to BPAs. In an emergency, any clean water is better than none. And honestly, that’s a first-world concern, isn’t it?

Is it really worth the storage space?

If you decide it’s just too difficult to store that much water, consider this. In the event of a major quake, all the underground water supply pipes WILL break. That means no running water for a long, long time. Yes, you might be able to find water from secondary sources such as your water heater tank or your toilet tank, but before using it you will have to purify it, and I’m pretty sure you won’t want to have to mess with that.

Two-question pop quiz!

How much bottled water do you have on hand right now?

When will the next earthquake hit?

Questions? Wanna talk? Take advantage of my free, 20-minute phone consultation .

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Non-Electric Indoor Heaters

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 06:06:00 GMT

One of the questions I ask my clients during the In-Home Readiness Assessment, is whether or not they have a non-electric heat source in case the electricity goes out following a natural disaster. Most do not, which isn’t surprising.

Then, the conversation usually turns to discussion of portable heaters and if they are safe for indoor use.

The good news is, there that are several types of space heaters that can safely be used inside your home, provided you pay close attention to monitoring carbon monoxide levels while you are using them.

I also ask my clients if they having working carbon monoxide detectors in their home (most do), so that addresses the potential problem from the get-go.

My house is totally powered by electricity, so I bought a propane heater several years ago, along with a couple dozen, sixteen-ounce disposable cylinders. I haven’t had any power outages since then, so I haven’t had to use it indoors, but I did use it in 2020. That was during the worst of the Covid outbreak; it helped keep my guests warm when we huddled under my carport for a holiday get-together. (We were still practicing social distancing at the time.)

The heater I chose, Mr. Heater Big Buddy turned out to be pretty simple to use, but I’m glad I had the chance to practice before I actually needed it. If you buy a new heater for emergency use, I highly recommend you give it a practice run. Times of crisis are not a good time to try learning something new.

In addition to propane heaters, you can also buy indoor space heaters that run on natural gas , and kerosene . I have not tried these myself, so I can’t recommend them, I am simply providing you with a starting point for your own research.

Take care to make sure any unit you buy is rated for indoor/outdoor use , as most are only tailored for outdoor use. Again, the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning is the big concern. Carbon monoxide is odorless, so the effects sneak up on you.

NEVER leave any space heater on when you are sleeping, even if it says it’s safe for indoor use, and no matter what the manufacturer says. Actually, manufacturers of space heaters will usually issue the same warning, because they don’t want to risk being sued for wrongful death! That’s how real the danger is.

The (further) good news is that all these units are fairly inexpensive. The three I have linked to here sell for between $130-$200. Of course, you can spend much more, and none of these is going to heat your whole home, but they should at least keep you from freezing to death.

Another interesting note about heating sources during a blackout. If you have a gas fireplace , it may or may not provide heat without using electricity. DO NOT, however, try to heat your home using your gas oven. The previous caution regarding potential carbon monoxide poisoning applies. There’s a reason why some people try to commit suicide by sticking their head in an oven.

If money is not your main concern, you may want to consider investing in a home generator that WILL heat your entire home during a blackout. Rather than link to a specific company, this YouTube link by Ask This Old House , gives information about how to choose a system. (Full disclosure, I din’t actually watch the whole video. Hopefully, the title of the video is truly indicative of its contents.)

Below are links to information I got from ChatGPT before writing this post (also linked in the article). As you will see, I did not directly use any of the text in my own post; what fun would that be?

ChatGPT transcript regarding non-electric heaters. https://chat.openai.com/share/d32930c5-8ef2-4354-8251-2d20801b8654

ChatGPT transcript regarding home generators. https://chat.openai.com/share/1406922b-dceb-4e94-8616-48ebcc2dbbd0

ChatGPT transcript regarding the need for electricity with gas fireplaces. https://chat.openai.com/share/9cbd47d5-289b-4997-9bb4-8e3b11636b1f

I hope this gets you thinking, and planning, about how you will keep yourself and your family safe and warm during the next blackout. I welcome your thoughts and comments.

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Disasters and Mother Nature vs. Human Nature

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 06:38:00 GMT

Mother Nature

When you hear references to “Mother Nature”, do you think of flowering fields, majestic mountain ranges and rolling seas? Can you feel the warm sunshine on your face and the solid ground beneath your feet? Those are all comforting experiences of our life on this planet we inhabit… most of the time. But, like every parent, Mother Nature also has her bad days – her moody days – when you know to stay out of her way. Think erupting volcanoes, earthquakes, wildfires, floods. Yep, those are all brought on by that same loving Mother.

Leaving Mother Nature aside for the moment, let’s talk about Human Nature. (Note for the grammarians out there, I am purposely capitalizing the term Human Nature as if it were a title on par with Mother Nature.)

Human Nature

What characteristics do you associate with Human Nature? I guess it depends on the people in your life, but let’s be generous and use descriptors such as, kind, loving, generous, and conscientious. Then again, Human Nature has its own moods, propelled by degrees of fear, greed, envy, etc. And when those thoughts and feelings get the best of us, procrastination is often the result. Yes, Human Nature can cause us to stick our heads in the sand, like the proverbial ostrich, to avoid facing unpleasant realities – as if that will prevent bad things from happening.

So, you can see how Mother Nature and Human Nature can be at odds. Mother Nature is for sure going to occasionally throw life-threatening tantrums (aka, natural disasters) on our doorsteps. Human Nature tempts us to ignore this reality at our own peril.

Mother Nature is mostly unpredictable; she doesn’t often give much warning, especially in the Pacific Northwest, where earthquakes are our biggest threat.

The good news is, we probably still have time to prepare. I say “probably”, because an earthquake could happen at any time.

But, Human Nature tempts us to believe that we have time. It tells us we can put off gathering up emergency supplies, we can wait to talk about where we will meet up if we aren’t with our loved ones when the ground starts shaking. There’s no real hurry, Human Nature whispers in our ear; it probably won’t happen today or tomorrow. But what if it does? Will you regret your procrastination?

Procrastination

Procrastination is a truly formidable force to overcome , but you CAN do it! You know you want to. Ask your favorite search engine to show you ‘tips for overcoming procrastination.’ Just that simple act can put you on the path to preparing for natural disasters.

It’s probably safe to assume that if you have read this far, you haven’t reached the level of preparedness you want to achieve. The coaches at Just in Case can help you defeat procrastination. We exist to help you prepare for natural disasters. Yes, you can do it on your own – we even provide free resources to that end – so, why haven’t you?

Accountability

Accountability is a key ingredient to overcoming procrastination. Just in Case coaches provide accountability through our In-Home Readiness Assessment, followed by 8 weeks of virtual coaching. We call this our Classic Umbrella plan, because we’ve got you covered.

Click here to Schedule a Free Phone Consultation, or book an appointment for your In-Home Readiness Assessment now.

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Stay Home Activities for Kids and Parents

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 01:26:00 GMT

Stay-home activities for kids can be tricky to think up, but I’ve made a list of 23 and counting.

A couple of weeks ago I published a list of suggestions for things adults can do to make the time productive and enjoyable.

Here are 23 of the most creative ideas I found for how to keep kids occupied during the lockdown. Some are activities for kids to do by themselves, others are for adults and kids to do together. All are free.

If you need more ideas, here’s the source of much of my inspiration.

https://parade.com/1009774/stephanieosmanski/things-to-do-with-kids-during-coronavirus-quarantine/

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16 Ways to Make Coronavirus Self-Isolation Work for You

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 08:04:00 GMT

If the coronavirus has forced you into self-isolation , why not make the most of it?

If you suddenly have extra time on your hands because you are working from home and crossing planned events off your calendar, try something new. Here are some suggestions that just might improve your quality of life.

~ Exercise (your body) ~ Walk, bike, stretch, do yoga. Begin that exercise program you’ve been promising to start, or take the dog on extra walks. No dog of your own? Borrow a neighbor’s!

~ Exercise (your brain) ~ Try Sudoku , a jigsaw puzzle (hop on NextDoor.com and ask to trade with neighbors), or a crossword puzzle. And check this out. If you like the LA Times crossword, but hate waiting for them to publish the answers, point your browser to LACrosswordAnswers.com for immediate gratification.

~ Prepare ~ The coronavirus caught us all off guard, but there are other potential disasters, such as earthquakes, that we should all prepare for. There will never be a better time. Schedule an appointment for an in-home Readiness Assessment and download our free preparedness checklists .

~ Purge ~ Channel Marie Kondo and start de-cluttering your home.

~ Learn ~ Take an online course on a topic of interest. Maybe learn a new language!

~ Write ~ Have you always wanted to write the next great American novel? Or what about your memoir? Take up journaling .

~ Listen ~ Sit down with grandma, grandpa, a favorite aunt, or anyone you’d like to know better and interview them about their life and times.

~ Scrapbook ~ Print out those photos that are trapped in the cloud and put together a photo album or scrapbook. Or try virtual scrapbooking with a website such as Pinterest .

~ Strategize ~ Create and implement a personal budget and let it put you on a path to achieving your financial goals.

~ Garden ~ Plant something — flowers? vegetables? trees? — or mow the lawn before the spring growth spurt catches you off guard (or is it just me that happens to every year?)

~ Explore ~ Find a new trail or park to wander; maybe even your own neighborhood.

~ Reconnect ~ Write a letter to a long-lost friend or mentor, letting them know how they affected you and your life.

~ Cook ~ If you don’t know how, ask someone to teach you. If you do know how, teach someone else (your kids?), try some new recipes, stock your freezer.

~ Fantasize ~ Let your mind wander and dare to reimagine your life.

~ Meditate ~ There is no one correct way to meditate. Explore different ways until you find one that appeals to you. Learn or recite The Serenity Prayer; it may bring you unexpected peace of mind.

~ Read ~ Reacquaint yourself with the public library. You can check out books and movies online. Order a free e-copy of my novel at SinceILastSawYou.com , using the promo code URSPECIAL.

These are just a few possibilities. What others can you suggest?

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Hand washing prevents spread of coronavirus

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 19:11:00 GMT

It may be hard to believe, but hand washing is the top recommendation for preventing the spread of the coronavirus and every other virus. It seems deceptively simple, but it’s true. This advice comes from the CDC (Center for Disease Control), as well as top pathologist, James Robb, MD.

Following is a lengthy, but worthwhile article from a top pathologist and molecular virologist, James Robb, MD FCAP

It provides detailed information with everything you need to know about the coronavirus and how to protect yourself against infection.

Date: February 26, 2020 at 2:35:50 PM EST

Subject: What I am doing for the upcoming COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Dear Colleagues,

As some of you may recall, when I was a professor of pathology at the University of California San Diego, I was one of the first molecular virologists in the world to work on coronaviruses (the 1970s). I was the first to demonstrate the number of genes the virus contained. Since then, I have kept up with the coronavirus field and its multiple clinical transfers into the human population (e.g., SARS, MERS), from different animal sources. The current projections for its expansion in the US are only probable, due to continued insufficient worldwide data, but it is most likely to be widespread in the US by mid to late March and April.

Here is what I have done and the precautions that I take and will take. These are the same precautions I currently use during our influenza seasons, except for the mask and gloves.:

1) NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.

2) Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc.. Lift the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.

3) Open doors with your closed fist or hip – do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and post office/commercial doors.

4) Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.

5) Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where other people have been.

6) Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home’s entrances. AND in your car for use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects when you can’t immediately wash your hands.

7) If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!

What I have stocked in preparation for the pandemic spread to the US:

1) Latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves for use when going shopping, using the gasoline pump, and all other outside activity when you come in contact with contaminated areas. Note: This virus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these droplets land are infectious for about a week on average – everything that is associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially infectious. The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon. This virus only has cell receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs) The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.

2) Stock up now with disposable surgical masks and use them to prevent you from touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you – it is lung-specific. The mask will not prevent the virus in a direct sneeze from getting into your nose or mouth – it is only to keep you from touching your nose or mouth.

3) Stock up now with hand sanitizers and latex/nitrile gloves (get the appropriate sizes for your family). The hand sanitizers must be alcohol-based and greater than 60% alcohol to be effective.

4) Stock up now with zinc lozenges . Zinc lozenges have been proven to be effective in blocking coronavirus (and most other viruses) from multiplying in your throat and nasopharynx. Use as directed several times each day when you begin to feel ANY “cold-like” symptoms beginning. It is best to lie down and let the lozenge dissolve in the back of your throat and nasopharynx.

I, as many others do, hope that this pandemic will be reasonably contained, BUT I personally do not think it will be. Humans have never seen this snake-associated virus before and have no internal defense against it. Tremendous worldwide efforts are being made to understand the molecular and clinical virology of this virus. Unbelievable molecular knowledge about the genomics, structure, and virulence of this virus has already been achieved. BUT, there will be NO drugs or vaccines available this year to protect us or limit the infection within us. Only symptomatic support is available.

I hope these personal thoughts will be helpful during this potentially catastrophic pandemic.

You are welcome to share. Good luck to all of us!

James Robb, MD FCAP

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September is National Preparedness Month

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 00:18:00 GMT

September is National Preparedness Month . Several government departments and agencies such as FEMA , and The Department of Homeland Security , promote the event. Their goal is to create awareness about the need for families, individuals and communities to be prepared for major disasters before they happen.

The need for advanced planning is very real, and not limited to natural disasters. The City of Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management lists 18 different hazards it considers to be worthy of their attention and ours — various scenarios that make us vulnerable if we are not prepared.

The events range from the most likely (earthquakes and snow storms), to the less likely (hazmat incidents, volcanic eruptions, and active shooters). Any major disaster that affects a significant geographic portion of our city or state will likely overwhelm government assistance resources (i.e. first-responders) for up to two weeks. This means that the average citizen will be on their own for as long as 14 days . Do you have enough supplies on hand to last that long? Few families do.

Fortunately, we do not live in a vacuum. Even though first-responders may not be able to reach us right away, most of us have neighbors. And although they may be equally ill-prepared, pooling our resources may be our saving grace, IF we begin before the emergency happens.

The State of Washington’s Emergency Management Division offers Map Your Neighborhood , which is a program for organizing neighbors. The program provides a written plan that guides neighbors through simple steps to help improve their readiness for emergency events. The tried-and-true, easy-to-implement program has been featured on KING5 News.

You can download an overview of the Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) program from our Services page . Just scroll down to the free downloads portion of the page.

The City of Seattle offers its own version of MYN called SNAP , (Seattle Neighbors Actively Prepare).

If you’d like to start with something less ambitious, Just in Case offers a free half-hour presentation to neighborhood and community groups. For more information, contact us at info@justincaseplans.com or (206) 708-9800.

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Emergency Rations: What’s For Dinner When Disaster Strikes?

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 18:58:00 GMT

“If you’re hungry enough, you’ll eat anything.”

That’s the common maxim, and it’s true, of course, but for most of us spoiled Americans, it takes a long time to reach that point. And before we get there, having familiar food on hand can provide a great deal of comfort in times of stress. (They don’t call it “ comfort food ” for nothing.)

So, deciding what food to include in your emergency kits/reserves can be a more significant question than it seems.

If it’s a short-lived emergency (e.g. your car breaks down on a deserted road), you can get by nicely with a bottle of water and a couple of power bars from the emergency kit in your trunk or glove compartment (hopefully, the expiration date isn’t long past).

If you lose power in your home, however, and you don’t know how long it’s likely to be out, you’ll want to eat up the perishable food in your fridge first, then move on to items from the freezer and supplement with canned or packaged foods from your pantry.

In the case of a true disaster, when you have no power and help isn’t likely to arrive for many days, choices become more limited. What should you have on your shelves and in your kits?

Your options expand significantly if your emergency supplies include an apparatus for heating water, e.g. a * camp stove or * Bunsen burner , because there are a lot of decent packaged foods that just require you to add hot water. Most of these have a shelf life of many years — even decades. Yes, decades!

Many canned foods now have “pop top” or tab lids so you won’t go hungry if you forgot to include a manual can opener in your supply kit. Check out this YouTube video that demonstrates an ingenious method for opening a traditional tin can without a can opener.

If you want the option for hot meals without the need for hot water, MRE’s are one option. MRE stands for meals ready to eat. They were developed by the military to feed soldiers in the field. Modern day versions come with heating devices that are activated by cold water. I have no idea how they work, but I was fascinated by the concept when I tried one. It’s worth noting, however, that although the food in these MRE’s usually has a very long shelf life, the heating mechanisms can expire long before the food does.

Most foods with extended shelf-life are freeze dried and vary in their quality and nutritional value. High levels of sodium are common, since salt acts as a preservative.

If you decide to include freeze dried foods in your kits, here are two companies that provide high quality products that will keep you out of the hungry-enough-to-eat-anything category.

Mountain House – Meal kits for camping and emergencies.

Thrive Life – Freeze dried snacks and meals that can be eaten cold or cooked.

If you have others you recommend, please leave a comment.

The post Emergency Rations: What’s For Dinner When Disaster Strikes? appeared first on Just In Case .

What’s In Your “Go” Kit?

Sun, 02 Jun 2019 16:07:00 GMT

What’s in your “Go” kit?

Emergency supply “Go” kits come in all shapes and sizes. If you are making your own, the first question you should ask yourself is where you will be storing it and what length of event you want to prepare for.

“Go” kits differ from large-scale supply stashes in that they are intended for emergencies that require you to evacuate your home, office or classroom in a hurry.

We recommend that you first concentrate on creating a “Go” kit (sometimes called a “bug out bag”) with the essentials you will need if you have to evacuate your home in a hurry. Typically, the supplies in a “Go” kit are just intended to get you by for a day or so, until you can find other shelter.

Each member of your household should have his/her own “Go” kit, stored in a closet or under their bed. Pack each kit in its own backpack , duffle bag , or wheeled suitcase. You may need to transport it a significant distance, so you don’t want to pack more than you can carry (that’s why the wheeled suitcases are so nice. Look for them at thrift stores). This is especially important to consider for young children.

Once you’ve packed the 13 essential items — starting with water, food and first aid — you can consider adding items that could be important for both your survival and your comfort if you aren’t able to find immediate alternative shelter.

We highly recommend storing an additional “Go” kit in the trunk of your car, since you may not be at home when the disaster happens.

If you are building a large, stationery stash of supplies to keep in the house, garage or storage shed for extended emergencies that don’t require you to evacuate, you can include some heavier “luxury” items, such as a camp stove. Clean, 30-gallon yard waste containers work well for this purpose.

Here are some products you might want to consider. We have provided links that will take you directly to these items on the Amazon website. To return to our website order page from the Amazon page, simple click on the “back” button.

Please note that we have NOT NECESSARILY used these particular items ourselves, but are recommending them based on what we perceive to be the best combination of quality, utility and price.

If you have experience with these, or any other products you think our readers would appreciate hearing about, we encourage you to share your stories/comments with us. (Please, no product promotions from vendors.)

First-Aid Kit

Solar charger for USB devices

Weather radio/radio/flashlight combination, hand-cranked

Mylar thermal blankets (aka Space blankets)

Rain ponchos

Water purification tablets

Can opener, manual

Hand sanitizer

Antiseptic towelettes

Propane camping stove

Furniture wall anchors

Survival whistle with lanyard and carabiner keychain

Roadside emergency beacons

Air filter (particulate) masks

Download our free checklists to see what else you might need.

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Earthquakes: “The Big One” is coming

Tue, 07 May 2019 18:57:00 GMT

If you are a native of the Pacific Northwest, or have lived here for long, you know that “ the big one ” is our code name for an earthquake that will cause major destruction to our homes and significant interruption to our way of life. And we have good reason to believe the experts who tell us it’s a matter of when, not if.

But earthquakes are not the only disasters that threaten us. The City of Seattle Emergency Management team identifies 18 different disasters * they consider likely enough in our area to warrant our attention. 18! And not all of them are “natural” disasters.

They include: active shooter incidents, disease/pandemic (such as influenza), excessive heat, fires, floods, hazardous materials incidents, infrastructure failures, landslides, power outages, social unrest, snow/ice/extreme cold, terrorism, transportation incidents, tsunamis, volcanoes, and windstorms.

That list gives us all a lot of reasons to put some serious time and effort into getting prepared… but it’s so easy to procrastinate. And the more we hear that others also procrastinate, the easier it becomes to justify our own inaction. Unfortunately, no excuse is going to hold up in the aftermath of a true disaster.

It may be that “the smallest deed”, aka “the first step” is to ask for help! Since we are all in the same boat (i.e. natural disasters are equal opportunity events — they affect the poor, the rich, and the in-between equally), anyone you ask will gain as much as they give. So ask your friends, your family, your neighbors, your local government officials , or Just in Case , to help you start preparing for the inevitable emergency. You will never regret it.

To see what conditions most endanger your particular home, check out the Seattle Hazard Explorer map.

*See page 25 of the SHIVA Report .

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How It All Began

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 19:57:00 GMT

Just in Case: The story behind the business

Being a native north-westerner, I am keenly aware that “the big one” (i.e. a truly destructive earthquake) could happen at any time, so when I moved into my new home many years ago, I decided to follow the advice of my trusted real estate agent and put together a serious stash of emergency supplies.

I bought a 32-gallon yard waste container and filled it with canned food, first-aid supplies and some camping gear. Then I gave it a dedicated space in my basement where I hope it will be accessible if the house ever falls down around it,

As time passed, my good intentions of rotating the stock of canned goods kept getting pushed down to the bottom of my “to do” list. Before I knew it, 13 years had passed! When I finally got around to checking on the contents, I discovered that the fruit juices had actually eaten through the cans, creating mold that destroyed the entire contents of the barrel. The only things that survived were a single-burner camp stove and some stainless steel utensils. I couldn’t even reuse the barrel because the odor from the mold permeated it, too, and would have leached into the new supplies.

After kicking myself a few times for my costly procrastination, I consoled myself with the knowledge that at least I had a list of the contents, so it would be fairly easy to reconstruct the kit.

Wrong!! The project stretched out over several weeks as I schlepped from store to store shopping for what I needed. Being the frugal DIY’er that I am, I couldn’t allow myself to just order things online or buy everything from one big box store. That would have taken just as long and/or cost twice as much.

After I purchased all the replacement stock, I still had to catalogue it all (otherwise it’s just a big barrel of who-knows-what) and assemble it for accessibility.

Once finished, I felt a great sense of pride and accomplishment. I also had an “Aha! moment. Now I understood why more households aren’t as prepared as they might like to be — or dare I say “should” be?

As I tried to imagine how parents with young kids, in particular, would ever find the time and energy to take on this task, it occurred to me that there might be a market for the service. That’s when I conceived the idea for Just in Case , a professional service designed to facilitate emergency preparedness, beginning with a readiness assessment.

It’s a business I can feel good about because it gives me the ability to make a living doing work that benefits everyone.

This site provides an abundance of resources — many are free — to help you get ready for “the big one” … Just in Case.

Whether you need/prefer to DIY or hire me to help you, consider this:

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