5:07 p.m. - 2003-09-15
Disaster Planning
Hi Folks - My dear Diaryland friend, AtomicBuddha, is in Virginia right now bracing for the impact of Hurricane Isabel, and I'm really worried about her, and about all the other friends I have who live on the East Coast. I've been asked before to put up my "List of Neccesary Items For Disasters" and I never got around to it, so now seems like as good a time as any.
It's kind of embarrassing - you'll all think I am totally neurotic, but we actually have most of these things!! After growing up with blizzards and working in an emergency room and now dealing with tornadoes, I admit to being a little too disaster conscientious.
Here it is, folks. This is what you need if you are facing any sort of disaster, from blizzards, to hurricanes, to earthquakes. I know it seems like a huge list, but most people have most of these things already, they just aren't organised about them. The things you don't have can be bought a couple of items a month until you have what you need.
Let's start with pets first, shall we?
FOR PETS:
1. If you evacuate - DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS BEHIND!! Remember - pets cannot go to Red Cross shelters - you will have to consider another option! 2. When traveling with your pets, remember that there is always a chance they will escape, and/or bite someone due to stress. So: take photos of each pet, preferably with you in the picture also in case you have to prove you are the owner. Put your name, pet's name, address and contact phone number on the back. If you have a cell phone, put that number. The number should not be your home phone, which may be out of service in a disaster!! Our pet photos have our cell, and our parent's phone numbers on the back. 3. Put the photos in a waterproof bag with all rabies certificates and any medical histories or notes on behaviour problems that would be important. Put your vet's name and address, and pet sitter's name and address. Write down a list of all identifying characteristics of each pet - for example, Mirage is missing two teeth from infection and has a bit of chocolate brown hair around her eye. Write down everything!! This info may need to be used by rescue services to identify your pet!! Take any medications your pet needs as well. 4. For each pet you need a leash and HARNESS, not a collar! Pets under stress are more likely to slip collars in a struggle! I have sewn tags on our cats harnesses that have our name and address and cell# written in permanent ink. 5. Each pet needs a sturdy carrier. Write your name, address and contact numbers on the carriers. In a real pinch, cats can be temporarily thrown into a pillowcase. I'm not kidding. 6. I have a week's worth of food for each pet, cheap plastic food bowls (margarine tubs!), and a CAN OPENER!! Also a bag of cat litter and litter box liners (in case I had to use a cardboard box as a litter box). 7. Water (and water bowls) for a week - I have a gallon per day for every two animals. I'm not sure this is enough, to be honest, but wet cat food also has some fluids. 8. Pet toys. No kidding. They help alleviate stress. 9. Seriously consider microchipping. 10. Too late to microchip? This is weird but...if you have a short haired, light coloured pet, you can actually write your phone number with a Sharpie marker on their fur. Write in the same direction the fur goes. Try the top of the head or other area of short fur not easily licked. I don't think you should put it on the inside of the ears as the marker could get absorbed through the thin skin - lots of blood vessels in those ears!! I've actually done this with Athena, who is hard to harness. You could also use good quality food colouring (which I believe is non-toxic) to dot the cat - there may be a lot of orange cats in the shelters, but how many will have a small green spot under the chin or on the top of the headb? It definately would help establish ownership, not to mention shelter personnel will remember your description and keep an eye out for your cat!! 11. Old towels. You need these for bedding in carriers and clean-ups.
You will also need a First Aid Kit, but we'll do that last. In the meantime, you'll also need:
1. Address books with contact numbers for places to stay, friends, family, etc. 2. Flashlights and batteries. Can't get them in a pinch? Look for those tiny little keychain flashlights. They're better than nothing!! 3. Plastic sheeting - save grungy shower curtain liners and also plastic dropcloths from painting. This is to cover blown out windows. 4. Duct tape or masking tape (maybe mailing tape?), to tape up the plastic. 5.Trash bags 6. Extension cords 7. Safety goggles or glasses 8. Matches and candles - but do not use them if you think there are gas leaks!!! Know where your house's gas shutoff is!! (and water shutoff, too) 9. Sponges and old towels and paper towels 10. Paper plates and plastic utensils. Save those plastic sporks next time you eat fast food! My "paper plates" are actually the recycled plastic trays from store bought sushi! Improvise! 11. Utility knife 12. Work/garden gloves 12. ATM, credit cards, insurance papers and also the phone numbers for all these. 13. Change of clothes, and toiletries. 14. Blankets and pillows, or sleeping bags. Might as well throw in a tent if you have one. 15. Bottled Water - 1 gallon per person per day. Don't forget canned veggies/beans have some drinkable liquid in a pinch. And why water? Guinness has all the vitamins and minerals you need if the stores are out of bottled water! Or what about juice? Or canned bouillion? Toilet/washing water can be stored in empty detergent bottles, buckets, or the washing machine. Drinking water can be put in old juice/milk bottles if it is changed frequently and boiled before using. In a pinch, use any storage containers you have - buckets or whatever!! Don't store in the bathtub in a tornado or hurricane - you may have to get into the tub to protect yourself from the storm!! 15. Camp Stove (don't use if gas leaks!) and a pot or Boy Scout type mess kit. 16. Kerosene lantern, but again don't use if there are gas leaks!!!! 17. Battery radio and/or TV. I have a eight inch combination. In a pinch? Does your Walkman have a radio? Sometimes the AA batteries for these are easier to get than C and D batteries for the larger radios and TVs. 18. Camera and film - to record damage for insurance. 19. Dry and canned foods with CAN OPENER!! 20. Basic tools: Hammer, nails, shovel, crowbar, rake, cordless drill, ropes, hand saws, caulking gun, axes, bungee cords, shut off wrench for water supply, pliers. 21. Basic clean up supplies: mop, bucket, wheelbarrow, ladder, grill and gas, coolers (tip - store your supplies in coolers), tarps, gas cans, cleaning supplies, plywood (I scavenge this from people who are remodeling and throwing it out). 22. If you are staying in a tornado, hurricane area - set up a place with a mattress you can get under, away from windows!! Please go to Google for more info on how and where to set this up!! 23. Gas up your car. 24. Fire extinguisher.
25. Most of my friends up North know how to handle blizzards, but do ya'll have hot water bottles? Lovely if your heat goes out, and you can even melt and boil snow on a camp stove for them in a real "Blizzard of '78" situation.
HUMAN/PET FIRST AID KIT: The Red Cross offers pet/human first aid classes - please consider taking one so that you know how to use these items!!
1. Medications you and pets are on 2. Gauze sponges 3. Rolled Gauze and bandages 4. Material for splinting - for pets a tongue depressor, popsicle sticks or roll of newspaper works. 5. Adhesive tape 6. Non adherent sterile pads 7. Scissors 8. Latex Gloves when dealing with unknown human blood!! 9. Towel 10. Small bowl, wash cloth and small soap. 11. Muzzle - injured pets may bite! 12. Digital rectal thermometer 13. Hydrogen Peroxide 14. Rubbing alcohol 15. Topical antibiotic like Neosporin 16. Anti-itch cream like Benadryl 17. And Benedryl in pills, too, for allergic reactions 17.Sterile saline eyewash 18. Glucose paste or corn syrup, if you or pet is diabetic 19. Styptic powder 20. Petroleum jelly 21. Penlight or flashlight (to check pupils, etc.) 22. Needle nose pliers 23. Dixie cups (can be used to put over impaled objects which should NOT be pulled out) 24. An Elizabethan collar the right size for your pet 25. Phone number of your vet and your doctor - put it right on top of the kit!! 26. Baking soda 27. Baby shampoo or Dawn dish detergent 28. Put a plastic coke bottle half full of water in your freezer to use as an ice pack in a pinch. You can also use a cold can of soda. 29. A mirror (to check for breath)
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