These Simple Steps Could Mean The Difference

used under Creative Commons license from pthread1981

It’s looking like The Aporkalypse is not quite the global doomsday that was predicted.  And that’s cool.  I appreciate that.  I mean, I know folks are dying from it.  But the daily deaths are far less than the average daily deaths from normal, every-day, plain vanilla influenza.

So, we got that going for us.  But, it still provides a great reminder that perhaps we should do a little planning for the future.  These epidemics are only going to increase in severity and frequency, so it would be smart of us to do some small things now that would pay off later, if we should need them.  And if we don’t need them, well, we’re that much more prepared, eh?  Some preparations have the added benefit of increasing your readiness for other problems as well.  How about job loss, or natural disaster, or serious illness?

For instance, If the Swine Flu did go badly, wouldn’t it be a good idea to have set aside some basic supplies?  We’re so used to running down to the store for everything, and keeping very little food and water in the house, that a disruption of a day or two would put a lot of us in a bad spot.

Disruptions don’t happen, you say?  What if folks got a little paranoid and cleared out the store shelves before you could purchase anything?  It happens all the time before every hurricane in the Gulf states.

What if restrictions were placed on interstate travel, and the supply trucks couldn’t get in to restock the stores?  Those plans are already on the books, and part of every state’s Emergency Response protocols.

What if the combination of an epidemic and our current financial meltdown result in large numbers of people pulling their money from banks, and then there’s nothing left to pay for YOUR supplies in an emergency?  That’s historically been a common occurrence in prior natural disasters.

For some more real-life examples of what can happen when the unexpected comes calling, check out Sharon Astyk’s most excellent blog “Casaubon’s Book-Real Life Food Storage Stories.”

Now I’m not advocating that we all hole up in our basements and shoot on sight.  I’m suggesting we have a bit of forethought.  One of my favorite maxims is “Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.”

What can we do?  How can we plan?  The first step is to simply increase what we’re already doing;

• purchase a few more cans of food or a couple extra pounds of beans or rice each time you normally shop.

• Each time you finish a gallon of milk at your house, rinse it, fill it with clean tap water, and set it on the floor of a closet, or on a sturdy shelf in the basement.  You should aim for a minimum of 2 gallons of water per person per day, for as many days as you think necessary.

• Begin considering ‘half full’ as the minimum that you’ll allow your car’s gas tank to fall.  Always keep at least half a tank in your cars at all times.

These simple, easy steps will start you on the path to ensuring you’re not caught flatfooted when challenges find you.

What other simple measures can you come up with?  Let’s hear them in the comments!