Jump Start Your Personal Contingency Plan
For Apartment Residents and Seniors
by Sally Strackbein
Everyone needs a personal contingency plan. Remember the last hurricane that caused power failures. How long did the power outages last? Multiply that amount of time by a factor of two or more and stock enough food, water and supplies to sustain you for that length of time. You may need to stay at home for that long. My 82 year old mother was without electricity for 6 days after Hurricane Floyd, even though her area suffered only moderate wind and rain.
This list below should sustain two adults. Cans and packages normally contain more than one serving. Preparing meals for just one person when there is no electricity for refrigeration is wasteful. Sharing with another person makes sense. In times of emergency, cooperate with others. Try to find at least one other person to plan with. You will each provide things the other forgot.
2 Week Shopping List for 2 People
Category
Buy food from each category
Quantity
Protein
Canned: tuna, fish, meat, chicken, ham, etc.
14 cans
Meals
Canned: Stew, ravioli, chunky soup, chow mien, chili, hash, etc.
14 cans
Vegetables (low sodium, where available)
Canned: mixed vegetables, corn, carrots, peas, green beans, beets, spinach, hominy, tomatoes, etc.
28 cans
Fruit
Canned or dry: peaches, apricots, pears, apples, prunes, raisins, oranges, pineapple, juices, etc.
28 cans or packages
Starches
Ramen noodles, egg noodles, instant rice, angel hair pasta, crackers, instant mashed potatoes, canned potatoes, yams, stuffing mix, (buy quick cooking style)
Several boxes or cans
Beans
Canned: baked beans, pork and beans, kidney beans, garbanzos, pinto beans, etc.
7-14 cans
Dairy
Evaporated milk, dry milk, Parmalat, non-refrigerated cheeses, etc.
As many servings as you like
Breakfast
Cereal, granola bars, instant oatmeal, Ensure, etc.
Enough for 28 breakfasts
Comfort food/drink
Coffee, tea, cocoa mix, cookies, no bake pie crust and filling, etc.
Miscellaneous
Vitamins, bouillon, salad dressing, vinegar, oil, condiments, sugar, creamer, ketchup, spices, peanut butter, packets of mayonnaise and pickle relish
Important: If you don't have a manual can opener, buy one. Avoid foods that need a lot of water or more than a few minutes of cooking. Water and cooking fuel may be scarce.
Plan no-cook meals. Eat canned vegetables as a salad, with salad dressing or vinegar and oil. You can eat tuna, ham or chicken with a vegetable salad or mixed with mayonnaise packets.
A Sterno Stove is a good solution for warming food. It can be purchased at any store that sells camping supplies (Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Sporting Goods Stores). You cannot do any major cooking on this type of stove, as it does not get hot enough. Heat small quantities at a time.
Store 1 gallon of water per person for each day you are preparing for. You can purchase bottled water or you can bottle it yourself from tap water. You can buy collapsible water containers wherever camping supplies are sold. Another option is to wash out soda bottles and fill them with water. If you store your own water, treat it by adding 4 drops of unscented chlorine bleach to each 2 liter or half gallon bottle of water.
Have plenty of paper plates, paper towels, plastic utensils and plastic garbage bags on hand. Trash pick-up may not be as reliable as you are used to.
Stock up on wet wipes or waterless hand sanitizer. They are available where soap is sold. Eyeglass cleaning wet cloths are handy also.
Have several sets of thermal underwear if you live in a cold winter climate. Layer clothing to keep warm. Don't forget gloves. It might get cold indoors. Drape blankets over your dining table and use it as an indoor tent to keep warmth encapsulated.
Keep flashlights, battery operated lights, battery radio and plenty of extra batteries on hand.
Retrieve anything you may need from storage before you need it.
Have at least one telephone that doesn't need electricity.
Get an extra prescription refill even if you have to pay for it yourself. Buy extra over the counter medications or supplies you will need. Prepare a first aid kit.
Attend an emergency preparedness meeting of residents and property managers as soon as possible. If there is no meeting planned, get together with other residents and organize one. It is very important to be familiar with your building or association's emergency plans. Get information on the emergency readiness status of:
Heating and ventilation systems
Electronic access systems
Elevators
Service staff - will they be on duty in case of emergency? What about their families?
Food service - are there plans to store non-perishable food? For how long? Is there any vulnerability in preparation or storage equipment?
Talk with neighbors and friends. Share ideas and plans. You don't have to do everything yourself when you plan together.
www.y2kkitchen.com Y2K Kitchen, The Book sally@y2kkitchen.com
12030 Sunrise Valley Dr., Suite 300, Reston, VA 20191