Prepping Pillars and Loss of Power

My friend, Wendy, and I wrote an e-book a while ago discussing the needs to be met when dealing with an emergency or disaster situation. We had twelve topics, so I'm going to list them for you here, in no hard and fast order.

1.   WATER
2.   FOOD
3.   SHELTER/CLOTHING
4.   LIGHTING
5.   FIRST AID/MEDS
6.   COOKING
7.   HEATING
8.   SPIRITUAL/MENTAL
9.   FUEL
10. COMMUNICATIONS
11. FINANCIAL
12. SECURITY

The reason why I don't have them in a specific, this-can-never-be-changed order is because life isn't specific. Disasters aren't specific. If you lose electricity in the summer, your needs will be different from losing it in the winter. If you're experiencing a flood, then you have a completely different set of parameters. The trick is to think practically. What, if any, disaster scenarios are MOST likely to happen to you where you are? California - earthquakes, of course. Midwest - tornados, blizzards, drought. New England - ice storms. You see my point. Give it some thought.

Today, though, I'd like to start addressing that which I started to discuss in my previous blog post - the loss of electricity. That can happen to anyone, any time, for any reason. It can be short-lived or it can be extended. It affects many if not all of our Prepping Pillars.  What we all need to do is prepare for that, because the effects can range from minor up to and including loss of life!

Let's go through each pillar to see how the loss of power can affect them.  First, water. Water, whether from the city pipes or a well, flows into our homes through electricity, which operates the pumps.  No electricity, no water. It is just that simple.  THIS is one reason why EVERYONE should store water. I'll get into the specifics of that in a later post.  If you're on city water, there isn't anything you can do to change things until the city restores the power. If you have a well, there is hope. There are a few hand pumps that can be installed alongside the motor casing of your own well pump, so you can have access to water even without power. Ask me how I know!

Secondly, how is food affected by the loss of power? That's obvious, isn't it? You have a refrigerator and a freezer. Depending on when the power outage happens, they could be stocked full to the brim with tasty, costly foods that can be spoiled if the outage is long enough. What can you do about that? That's for another blog post, also.

Thirdly, shelter and clothing. These aren't terribly affected by a power loss, except that, in a cold season situation, it will be vital to keep warm, and these two can help or hinder you in that respect. Hopefully, you'll be someplace sheltering when without power, and hopefully you have enough clothing to be able to dress in layers to keep your body warmth up should the outage last for an uncomfortably long time.

Fourth, lighting. I already touched on this just a wee bit in my previous post because, from experience, all those things have happened to me. Missing flashlights from kids playing with them, dead batteries in said flashlights once found (see comment on kids), no fresh batteries (due to their usage in electronic devices of every description), and so on and so forth.  So, I suggest having a dedicated box and shelf where you can keep your flashlights, batteries, emergency candles (NOT the attic - ask me how I know), matches, lighters, aim-n-flames, etc. Also buy some hurricane lamps and lamp oil. I prefer an Aladdin Lamp as it gives the same candlepower as a 60-watt bulb. I also like olive oil lamps (a later post). Glowsticks for littles, as they love them and find them entrancing, which you'll need if you have kiddos afraid of the dark. The main thing to remember about lighting is that it psychologically helps a lot!

Fifth, first aid and meds. Many accidents happen in the darkness, and you want to be prepared with a proper and complete first aid kit, any medications that may be needed due to accidents or prolonged power outages, and a first aid manual. This can be a major area of concern if you have a family member who is on oxygen or other aids that require electricity. We will touch more deeply on that later.

Sixth, how are you going to cook your food? Are you living in an all-electric house? Well, then, that electric stove of yours is the world's biggest paperweight during a power outage! Think of your other options - do you have a grill out in your back garden? Is it running on propane? Is the propane tank full or empty? Do you even know how to tell? Do you have an "old fashioned" barbecue for charcoal briquettes? How about a fire pit? Do you know how to start a fire, or how to cook over an open fire? Do you have cast iron or enamel pans to use over a campfire? You see, we all do have options, we just have to start thinking outside the box!

OK, I've given you enough food for thought for now. Don't get overwhelmed! This is meant to be an exercise in thinking, to get you started.  Tomorrow - how a power outage affects the next 6 pillars!
Please comment when you can!