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Emergency Preparedness Planning for Bird Flu or Other Long Term Disasters
By C.R. Donovan

While no one likes to dwell on it, emergencies, whether natural or man-made, can occur at any time. Staying safe during an ice storm, flood, or wild fire can be difficult enough, but it becomes nearly impossible if you are poorly prepared. Common sense dictates that everyone has three days supply of food, water, and emergency medications on hand. But what about a situation that requires you to shelter in place for longer than three days? Could you keep your family safe if you needed to stay in your home for weeks, or even months?

It is not too farfetched to imagine that it might necessary to shelter at home for a few months at a time. During the influenza outbreak of 1918, it is estimated that nearly 100 million people died. In the event of Pandemic Bird Flu, hundreds of millions of people could become sick. Influenza often comes in waves, with each wave lasting up to three months. There could be major disruptions to public services, such as power and food supply, and medical facilities may quickly be overwhelmed. The best strategy to avoid illness is to shelter in place; in other words, stay home.

While it may seem overwhelming to try to prepare for this kind of possibility, the consequences of not preparing could be dire. Trying to go out in the midst of a pandemic to find food could expose you and those at home to a deadly virus. And it might well be futile. Grocery shelves are quickly depleted even for a threatened snowstorm. There could be millions of panicked people trying to find food and supplies at the last minute. Advance planning and preparation is essential, and may very well separate those who make it from those who do not.

If you haven’t thought about emergency planning, don’t panic, just start now. A good place to begin is Flu Wiki, a site loaded with useful information and ideas to help you get organized.

Begin by making a list of things you’ll need. The things that you need to consider to shelter in place for an extended period of time are water, food, medicines, heat, shelter, pet supplies, first aid, general supplies and tools, tasks and activities.

Water is essential. You can have an abundance of all other supplies but if you don’t have enough water, you won’t be able to make it. You’ll need to be rescued, or to leave your house in what could be an untenable situation – i.e. rampant pandemic flu.

The rule of thumb for water is one gallon a day per person. This represents a sharp decline in the abundant water we are used to using. Remember that if there is an extended power outage, most of us will lose our water supply. Often there is some warning of impending electricity loss: forecast for a hurricane, ice storm, or blizzard will give us time to quickly reinforce our water supply.

You should always have a three day supply of water on hand. For a family of four that means twelve gallons. Don’t forget to count what your animals need too. Space considerations make it impractical for many of us to store a lot more water than that. If you can, go ahead. Just circulate the water back into use after a few months. Mark the date of each jug of water that you put into storage and take the oldest ones out first.

For those who cannot store much more than ten or fifteen gallons, stock up on portable plastic water carriers. You can find them in the camping supply section of stores. Buy as many as you can – ten or twenty if possible. In the event of bird flu outbreak or other emergency, while there is still power and running water, fill your jugs. With these and your emergency three day water supply, you’ll have at least a couple of weeks of water.

You will need to think about how you can replenish your water supply, if you must stay in place longer. Locate some local water sources. Think about places you could get to even if you couldn’t drive. Think about how you might transport water home. A five gallon container weighs about forty pounds.

There is not necessarily an easy answer. Nor is there one correct answer that will work for every family. Nevertheless, it is important that you think about your water supply in advance.

One idea to consider is a rain collection barrel. High density Polythylene (HDPE) buckets are good for storing potable water. You can find them in most hardware stores. Also, think about purchasing some kind of water filter. In a long emergency, filtered rainwater might look very appealing. At the very least, it can be used to water animals and to wash.

Food is the next essential item. To stock in a couple months worth of food, you do not need to think about gourmet cooking or fresh ingredients. Your best bet is to stock up on basics that you might normally use in your kitchen. You’ll want to calculate how much you’ll need per person for each day. You should choose non-perishable supplies, meaning things that do not need refrigeration.

If you have to make do for several months, you need food that is nutritious and reasonably palatable. Start by stocking in staples, such as rice and beans. Brown rice is a good choice, much more nutritious than white, but be careful storing it for more than six months unless it is in an airtight package. Date it, and circulate rice into your regular food often. Dried beans are another good choice, and it is an easy matter to put aside several months’ worth of beans. Get a variety: kidney beans for chili, navy beans, black beans, white beans and split pea for soup, great northerns for baked beans, lentils and field peas to have with rice. Start with rice and beans; add olive oil, canned tomatoes, salt and pepper, and you have a dish that will keep everyone going.

Stock in canned soups and stews, tuna, canned vegetables, peanut butter and jelly, and canned fruit. Watch the canned fruit. Store it on cool dry open shelves. The acidic content of fruit means that fruit does not have the staying power of other canned products – plan on circulating any canned fruit in to your food supply within 1 year of purchase. As an alternative, stock in dried fruit. There are many kinds of dried fruit available and they will store a long while.

Additionally stock in dried milk, as well as coffee, tea, and cocoa. Add pancake mix (the kind requiring only water), pasta, crackers, nuts, and cereal. Again, check these periodically and circulate back into your food supply. Don’t forget condiments and other extras that will liven up your diet, such as sugar, salt and pepper, ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, vinegar, honey, spices and seasonings. Jars of special pickles, olives, capers or mushroom caps could be especially comforting to pull out after being cooped up at home. Chocolates, power bars, or sweets can be tucked in at the end.

You should start by stocking in basic foods that will keep you alive. Stock the basics for two weeks, then for four. Once you achieve that, you can start adding in extra items for variety and flavor.

You may need to be creative to find a place to store several months’ worth of extra food. A spare closet can be devoted to this, or some shelving in the basement. The garage is fine if your weather isn’t freezing. Just make sure to check things periodically. Make sure non-canned items are airtight, to guard against mold, insects, and rodents. Write a date on everything and devise a system that works for you to circulate items back into your regular food supply. That way, stocking up is not as unaffordable.

Also of prime importance is medication. If there are any essential medications that someone in your family needs, try to put aside a supply for at least two or three weeks. Then, discuss with your doctor whether you can obtain a larger advance supply. If this is not possible, ask your doctor what he or she recommends you do to get a prescription refilled in the event of an emergency.

Beyond essential prescription medications, it is a good idea to have basic over the counter medications on hand as well. These could be very tough to find at the last minute, when everyone is scrambling for the same thing. Stock in pain relievers, anti-diarrheals, antacids, allergy medications, laxatives, and sleeping aids. Don’t forget essential toiletries such as toilet paper, sanitary pads, diapers, tissues, toothpaste, dental floss, and soap. Also don’t forget multivitamins to keep everyone in top health.

You also need to think about basic household items. You may need to provide light. Flashlights and extra batteries are a good start. Also stock in candles and plenty of matches or lighters. You might want to consider picking up an oil lamp with a bottle of lamp oil refill.

Heat may also be an issue. If you have a wood furnace or wood burning stove, you will be in reasonable shape. If not, you need to consider how to provide heat, if you live in a cold climate. A portable kerosene heater, with a back up supply of kerosene, is a good consideration. So is a backup generator, if you can afford it. Extra thermal blankets and warm clothing can help. Again, there is no magic answer here, but prior thought and preparation can make a big difference.

For cooking, you will need to consider making do without electricity. A camp stove can be used, as well as a smaller one burner backpacker’s stove. If you are burning a wood stove, you can heat food right on top. Never use a barbecue grill inside as the fumes are very dangerous.

It would also be wise to put together a comprehensive first aid kit, if you don’t have one already. Other things that could come in handy are buckets for waste disposal, plastic bags, and bleach for purifying water. Don’t forget to buy a can opener that doesn’t require electricity.

Don’t overlook your pets. You need to provide enough food and water for them as well. If you have cats you’ll need cat litter too.

Lastly, when considering a period of time spent in relative isolation with your family, you’ll want to prepare for some things to do. Many of your normal activities could be disrupted, particularly anything dependant on electricity. That may well be very daunting, especially for those with children. Stock in plenty of books, board games, cards, and puzzles. Pick up items you need for that hobby you always wanted to pursue but never had time for, like woodworking or embroidery. Keep a journal. Take up sketching. With some forethought, you can fill this time with meaningful and enriching activities.

Disaster planning and preparation is nothing to panic about. But it is something to take very seriously. Stocking in food and supplies presents different challenges for every family. For some, it represents a financial burden. If this is the case, try to pick up a few extra things every week until you have a one week supply of essentials. Then work for a two week supply. Keep adding a little at a time, and know that being somewhat prepared is better that no preparation at all.

Finally, stay informed. The Flu Wiki site is a great source for the latest information and ideas on emergency preparedness. You owe to yourself and to your family to stay on top of emergency planning.

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