Disaster Preparedness

[caregiver222]

Today we had a 19 hour power outage. She lives on the upper floors of an apartment building.  Although required by law to have battery back-up emergency lighting those lighjts failed on every floor of the building due to a lack of maintenance. I drill the aides on such situations and have a special draw willef with a dozen "throw away" fireman's flashlights, four LED lights, and a large LED lantern with two sets of extra batteries. I installed battery operated power-off emergency lighting within an interior stairway. I also keep a case of 50 cyo-lume lightsticks. You can never have enough of these.  I prohibit candles. Because of the son's Parkinson's debilitation I keep cyo-lume sticks taped to the side of his bed, as well as a pair of sealed firemans's flashlights. I keep two plastic frozen half-gallon jugs of water in the main refrigerator constantly so in the event of an outage food won't immediately spoil. Interestingly, the building apparantly depends on an electrically driven water pump and both the hot and cold cold water failed. So the TOILET went. Goodness gracious. Fortunately we had twenty gallons stocked in a closet, but it never ocurred to me that in a big city the water would suddenly stop. I also use two inch painter's tape (like masking tape) and seal around the edges of the refrigerator immediately after an outage. Always interested in other peoples ideas on the subject.

[caregiver222]

Also, everyone in the area started using their cell phones, so communications went temporarily out, except for land lines. Something to think about. The other occupant is my 102 year and a half year old sweety-pie, and I went out today and bought two small battery operated fans, which I did not have. It got as bit hot inside. One thing would be helpful, Dr. Choi, is for you to post water sterilization guidelines and suggestions. No one will question your credentials to do so, and I think this is really necessary. Much of the material on the subject on the Internet is inaccurate.

[Med Help]

How to Store Water
  
Store your water in thoroughly washed plastic, glass, fiberglass or enamel-lined metal containers.

•  Never use a container that has held toxic substances.

•  Plastic containers, such as soft drink bottles, are best. You can also purchase food-grade plastic buckets or drums.

•  Seal water containers tightly, label them and store in a cool, dark place. Rotate water every six months.
  
Emergency Outdoor Water Sources
  
If you need to find water outside your home, you can use these sources. Be sure to purify the water according to the instructions below (Three Ways to Purify Water) before drinking it.
  
  
• Rainwater
• Streams, rivers and other moving bodies of water
• Ponds and lakes
• Natural springs
• Avoid water with floating material, an odor or dark color.
• Use saltwater only if you distill it first.
• You should not drink flood water.

If an earthquake, hurricane, winter storm or other disaster strikes your community, you might not have access to food, water and electricity for days, or even weeks. By taking some time now to store emergency food and water supplies, you can provide for your entire family. This brochure was developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the American Red Cross and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Having an ample supply of clean water is a top priority in an emergency. A normally active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot environments can double that amount.

Children, nursing mothers and ill people will need even more. You will also need water for food preparation and hygiene. Store a total of at least one gallon per person, per day. You should store at least a two - week supply of water for each member of your family.

If supplies run low, never ration water. Drink the amount you need today, and try to find more for tomorrow. You can minimize the amount of water your body needs by reducing activity and staying cool.

If a disaster catches you without a stored supply of clean water, you can use the water in your hot-water tank, pipes and ice cubes. As a last resort, you can use water in the reservoir tank of your toilet (not the bowl).

Do you know the location of your incoming water valve? You'll need to shut it off to stop contaminated water from entering your home if you hear reports of broken water or sewage lines.

To use the water in your pipes, let air into the plumbing by turning on the faucet in your house at the highest level. A small amount of water will trickle out. Then obtain water from the lowest faucet in the house.

To use the water in your hot-water tank, be sure the electricity or gas is off, and open the drain at the bottom of the tank. Start the water flowing by turning off the water intake valve and turning on a hot-water faucet. Do not turn on the gas or electricity when the tank is empty.

Three Ways to Purify Water

In addition to having a bad odor and taste, contaminated water can contain microorganisms that cause diseases such as dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis.
You should purify all water of uncertain purity before using it for drinking, food preparation or hygiene.

There are many ways to purify water. None is perfect. Often the best solution is a combination of methods.

Two easy purification methods are outlined below. These measures will kill most microbes but will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts and most other chemicals. Before purifying, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom, or strain them through layers of paper towel or clean cloth.

BOILING

Boiling is the safest method of purifying water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes, keeping in mind that some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking.  Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers. This will also improve the taste of stored water.

DISINFECTION

You can use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms. Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, color-safe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners.  Add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes.  The only agent used to purify water should be household liquid bleach. Other chemicals, such as iodine or water treatment products sold in camping or surplus stores that do not contain 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient, are not recommended and should not be used.

While the two methods described above will kill most microbes in water, distillation will remove microbes that resist these methods, and heavy metals, salts and most other chemicals.

DISTILLATION

Distillation involves boiling water and then collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed vapor will not include salt and other impurities. To distill, fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot's lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water) and boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.