One of the home tasks I wanted to accomplish this summer was to clean up and organize the garage. Over one-third of the floor space is covered with stacks of boxes that are in turn stuffed full of folded packing paper. Even as I unpacked things back in April 2013, I wasn't sure I was going to stay here for very long so I kept all that packing paper. Boxes and boxes of it.
Well, it looks like I'm going to be here for a while (vet school is four years long), so I decided it was time to let go of all that paper. It was also time to turn the garage into a workable and organized work space.
And as part of that effort, I decided to build my emergency kit. Cleaning up the garage allowed me to allocate space for it. You've heard of these kits--plastic bins that contain things that one might need to wait out or even survive a natural disaster. Around here, that would be an earthquake. Or the zombie apocalypse. I'm putting my money on the earthquake happening first, though.
The relative risk of strong shaking isn't too high where I am, and I'm too far from the coast to worry about tsunamis. However, when (not if) the big one hits off the Pacific NW coast, we could lose power for many days. And unlike hurricanes and tornadoes that come in fixed seasons, an earthquake could happen any time of the year. What if it happened during the winter? What if my house was damaged so I couldn't stay in it?
I've been reading up on county, state, and federal recommendations for what the emergency kit should contain. If nothing else, it should have water, water, and more water. My kit has 20 gallons. Enough for me and the animals for a few days.
My kit is actually four large plastic bins stacked in a corner of the garage that I deemed to be most stable but accessible even if the garage itself collapsed. Each bin is labeled with its contents on the top and side and its lid is secured with a strap; the straps are also part of the kit.
I put in tools, including a saw, hammer, nails, screwdrivers, camping shovel, zipties, duct tape, electrical tape, rope, utility knife, tarp, and gloves. There is a flashlight in each of two bins with extra batteries. I've got a bin that contains cat food, dog food, a litter box and some cat litter, sleeping bag and inflatable ground pad, two fleece blankets, a pack of "space blankets", and a small duffel bag with clothes and shoes for me, including an old pair of boots. I put in canned food (soup and tuna and beans), dried fruit and nuts, a box of crackers, a jar of peanut butter, a can opener, and some utensils, including bowls for food and water for the animals. I tossed in some old leashes and collars for the dogs. Stacked near the kit are crates that I could use for Mimi and the cat. I included paper towels, toilet paper, plastic food containers, ziplock baggies, and trash bags. I put in some money too. I added a first aid kit, purchased online, but I added a tube of Neosporin, a box of large non-stick bandages, and tape.
These kits are not supposed to be static--you are supposed to continually revise them. If nothing else, you need to eat the food every few months and replace it with new stuff (I already know I will regret the one can of Spam that I included). I still have a couple of items that I would like to add: a radio and one of those fancy portable chargers that are supposed to stay charged for months. I've got to do some research before I lay down any money for those.
When I could, I used items I already had (like the clothes and camping stuff). But I had to purchase some new things, including the bins. My total cost for everything is around $300. I know that seems high for one person, but the animals have to have water and food too. And except for the food, most of the stuff I bought will not need to be replaced or even tended to.
I may not ever need to open those bins but I'm glad I took the time to put them together. It was interesting to think about what I might need in that kind of emergency. And it's reassuring knowing they are within easy reach.
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