In light of the recent flooding in Colorado and all the damage that has occurred as a result, we want to share a series of posts from one Colorado woman’s perspective. Opinions expressed are hers and do not necessarily reflect those of Emergency Essentials.
If you lived through the recent flooding in Colorado and want to share your story, please email [email protected].
We asked Sandy to share how she prepared:
I have been preparing for emergencies for a while now. I grew up back east in upstate New York and had learned from my parents to always be prepared for any emergency. Everyone thinks you need to spend a lot of money to prepare for an emergency. I have learned that is not true. I am a single lady and I recently had to deal with the floods in Colorado and my preparedness was put to the test. I also recently helped my son who was stranded in the Colorado floods realize he needed to start preparing as soon as possible. You never know when an emergency can happen.
I have been preparing for a variety of emergencies. I just finished canning and dehydrating everything from my garden this summer. This is the first season I have ever used a
dehydrator and had fun with it. I have a lot of freeze dried and dehydrated food from
Emergency Essentials that should be enough for months if I am unable to get to a store. I am trying to get enough food stored up for at least one year. It came in handy this past week when everyone was packed in the grocery stores and I didn't have to leave my house. I have all the necessities to survive if I was stranded and had to stay at my home. I also have two dogs that I have to prepare for. I have extra food and treats for them sealed in the Emergency Essentials
buckets. Also, have a bug out bag for the dogs that you can grab in a hurry if you need it.
I must admit my favorite items are my two
bug out bags. I have one in my car that is stocked full of everything I need if I get stuck at work or stranded away from home. . One thing that’s important to have in a [car emergency kit] is packaged water. I learned by storing water in my car that due to the heat of the summer, jugs of water do eventually leak because of the heat of your car.
(Editor’s note: A great way to store water in your car without leakage is to use small portable water containers like the Aqua Blox, Aqua Literz, or Datrex Pouches. These water pouches are not affected by heat, but can freeze in the winter, causing the packaging to expand, but not burst. The only way they will leak is if there is a hole in the pouch or box.)
If I am at home and have to leave in an emergency, I have a larger bag that is stocked with enough supplies and food to last close to two weeks. I'm prepared to survive outside if necessary for a while, also. If you have to survive outdoors, don’t forget to pack an extra set of clothes and shoes. Lastly, a great way to collect emergency supplies is to check out
sales and what you have around the house for most of the stuff you need to survive.
Check out the Rest of the Series:
Why I Prepare: Lessons from the Colorado Flood Part 1
1 comment
J
Sorry, if you’ve ever been trapped in flooding you would know your car can be useless and driving a treat to your safety and life. If your food and emergency supplies end up under water, what good are they? You can’t plan for everything. Telling someone they should have know better is not very kind or helpful, really. You can try to prepare, but disasters are rarely orderly and all the planning in the world may not help. You can have a pantry stocked with food and a tornado could wipe it out in a minute. I think people just want to think "this could never happen to me because I’m prepared". You always hear move to higher ground in a flood. In this case the ‘higher ground’ flooded as well. Basic backpacking supplies would be a good thing to keep on hand, to grab quickly. I was just an awful situation. BTW, I lost all of my belongings, photographs, many of which were in plastic bins, it didn’t help.