Disaster preparedness is not just stocking up on food and water. Granted a clean source of food and water are a primary need during a disaster, but there are other needs as well to consider if you want to be truly prepared for the worst. In addition to having a stockpile of supplies, you will also need to know how to purify water, long term food storage, administer medical care, gardening, hunt and fish, find or create a shelter, and so much more.

Many of the disasters that cause so much destruction and wreak so much havoc in peoples’ lives are natural disasters caused by extreme weather conditions. Floods, hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons and solar flares are some of the more common natural disasters that you need to be aware of and prepared for, especially if you live in an area prone to any one of these.

Be aware of the weather and what’s in the forecast. When extreme weather conditions are predicted, don’t be complacent. Make your emergency plan and make sure you have all of your emergency supplies that you will need if a disastrous weather event should hit your area.

Know what to expect for each type of disaster that you may face in your area. You may experience loss of power, contamination of the water supply, inability to get out and if you did get out, no stores to buy supplies from, inability to communicate via telephone or the Internet to call for help, inability to get needed prescriptions or medication from stores.

Based on the hardships that you’re likely to be confronted with during a disaster, make a disaster plan. Maintain a stock of long term food supplies, clean water and a water purifier, candles, diapers if you have a baby, pet food, flashlights, batteries, fuel for a generator if you have one, over the counter medications and medical supplies, and dry clothing and bedding. If you take prescriptions regularly, get refills if the weather reports an impending hurricane or other predictable disaster. You should have a 30-day supply of necessary medications on hand. Learn basic first aid. Store a disaster kit in your car as well.

Have an evacuation plan. Know where you will go and how you will get there. Map out alternate routes in case roads of one route are impassable. Have your supplies ready and packed in your car.

In cold weather, have a backup heating system in place, such as a fireplace or wood stove and a wood supply, a generator, a propane stove, a gas grill or a kerosene heater. Just be aware that the use of gas-powered appliances, such as generators, and charcoal or gas grills, increases the number of carbon monoxide poisoning cases and fatalities due to improper use of this equipment. Carbon monoxide is known as a “silent killer.” It is an invisible, odorless, tasteless gas and is highly poisonous.

A wood stove is by far the best option. We have one and it is not our backup heat supply. It is our only heat supply and warms the entire house all winter long. We gather wood during the summer and have plenty on hand to get through the entire winter by the time the weather turns cold. If you don’t have the wood, paper or magazines can even be used. Roll the paper up tightly into log size bundles. When stacking in the fireplace, stack them in such a way as to allow proper air circulation. In an emergency you can burn other wood such as lumber or furniture.

A grill is a great option for cooking your food during a power outage, however, you cannot use a grill in an enclosed area unless it is an indoor grill with a vent and fan due to the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. A gas grill is also more prone to starting fires, according to the National Fire Prevention Association. Another way to use an outdoor gas grill to warm your house is to use it to warm up bricks or rocks. They hold heat for a good amount of time. If you’re familiar with sweat lodges, that’s exactly the way they heat up a sweat lodge.

If you use a gas or kerosene heater or grill, make sure to use it with plenty of ventilation to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. If you have a generator, do not store the fuel in heated area. Gasoline and kerosene are highly combustible. Generators need to be run outdoors with the cables running in to the house. Running a generator in the house is a sure way to die of carbon monoxide poisoning.

A very creative way of generating heat in an emergency is to take leaves and table scraps from the kitchen and put them in a double layer trash bag. Dampen the leaves and scraps slightly with water and then tie the bag closed. Place this bag in a trash can and put the lid on. The compost in the can will build up heat and within a day you can feel the heat and it will last for several days. You can also use Compost Starter to speed up the composting process.

Having some hand pocket warmers that hunters often use around is a good idea also. They can help to warm up cold hands and feet quickly. You can also fill up your bathtub with hot water for a short term heat source. With several layers of blankets, beds are the warmest spot in the house and can be used by several people to conserve and share body heat.

Careful planning before disasters can go a long way. Make sure your house is well insulated. You can seal your windows and doors with blankets or towels or you can buy window sealing tape at Home Depot that seals very well to keep the heat in and cold out. When you’ve lost your heating source and are looking for a warmer place in your home, smaller areas such as bathrooms and closets have less heat loss than larger rooms or rooms with poor insulation and large windows.

In addition to flashlights and candles, kerosene lamps are a great source of light when the power is out. Make sure you have a supply of kerosene (kept outside) and wicks on hand for emergencies.

For a comprehensive survival plan, you must be able to meet these basic needs: shelter, food and water, air, sleep, light, heating/cooling, and hygiene/sanitation. Without these needs being met for a sustained period of time, you most likely will die. In addition to the above, to maintain a better quality of life during an emergency, you need an electrical power source, first aid/medication, transportation, protection, communication and financial security.

If you take care of the above needs when making a preparedness plan, you’ll fare far better than most during a disaster.

Zombies are mindless, reanimated corpses that are described as “the undead”. They seek out human flesh to devour and have a preference for brains. You might be wondering … how will I know when I see one? The characteristics of a zombie are unmistakable. While some may appear to look human, they have a somewhat mechanical quality to their movements, kind of like messy robots. They also appear to be dessicated, decayed and emaciated with blank, expressionless faces. They become more animated when hungry. Zombies can’t speak, but they do make gutteral moaning sounds. They’re usually wearing whatever clothing they were wearing before they became a zombie. If your girlfriend shows up looking like this, the party’s over. Don’t be tempted to talk to her or get near her. She’s NOT just having a bad day.

The “Zombie Apocalypse” is the complete breakdown of society as we know it due to a terrifying zombie outbreak that spreads like wildfire. During a global, widespread zombie apocalypse, the zombies rise and seek out human brains to eat. As one might expect, contact with a zombie is a very traumatic event, causing widespread panic which hampers societys’ ability to deal with the invasion. Even the police and other law enforcement agencies are helpless to contain the threat.

The victims of zombies normally become zombies themselves, thereby creating a rapid infestation of zombies. This leads to the rapid degeneration and collapse of society and the only survivors of a zombie apocalypse are those that are aware and prepared for it. Since zombies’ primary goal is to eat your brains and they can eat a lot of brains, big cities are where you’ll find the most zombies during the apocalypse. Rural settings and wilderness would be too difficult for them to find enough brains to remain well fed and happy. If you’re lucky enough to live in the country, you’ll be safer from the threat of zombies, but not completely immune to a zombie attack. You never know when a rural dwelling citizen has ventured into town, become infected and then returned to his home in the country, only to infect his family and others in the area. Below is a photo of a heavy zombie infestation in an urban area.

Other places that would be more advantageous in a zombie apocalypse are isolated woods, wilderness areas, or caves (just make sure there are no bears or other dangerous critters hibernating in the cave before you move in). Pack up your bug out bags and get out of dodge fast to an area that is mostly unpopulated. You might even want to consider a nice long hike of the Appalachian Trail at this time. Zombies are not noted for extreme strength and endurance and are basically kind of lazy, so they wouldn’t be likely to attempt to make that hike when they can easily find the brains they need in mass amounts in the cities. You will need a good supply of food and water, medical supplies and survival gear (all of which you can buy here on mayhemsurvival.com, fyi ).

During a Zombie Apocalypse, you will need to prepare as you would for any disaster (and you’ll need a gun and lots of ammo) or at least a good Zombie knife. The best way to kill a Zombie is to blast them in the head with a gun. They’re rather slow and somewhat stupid, so that shouldn’t be too difficult.

You might want to “Bug In” during the Zombie Apocalypse. Wandering around the same streets that they’re wandering around probably isn’t the safest route to go. You’ll need to board up your windows and secure all your doors and sit around with a shotgun (and plenty of emergency supplies) and just blast them to Kingdom Come if they manage to enter your home. Check out these cool houses that will get you through a Zombie Apocalypse. If you’re in the market for a Zombie proof house, check these out.

Of course, not everyone has the budget for the above zombie proof shelters. If you’re on a budget, this might ward of the zombies.

If you have a bunker built or a basement, make sure it is fully stocked with food, water, medical supplies and pet supplies if you have pets. Some blankets, pillows and extra clothing are also a good idea. You have no idea how long you will be fighting off zombies when the apocalypse comes.

For information on how the Zombie Apocalypse can happen, visit How Everything Goes to Hell During a Zombie Apocalypse

Hurricanes can be defined as the “Get Out of Dodge” type of disaster. After securing your house and belongings, it’s often wiser to just leave the area until the storm is over. Hurricane winds flow in a circular motion with winds that exceed 75 miles per hour, but can exceed 155 miles per hour. Forming over tropical waters, they often move toward land, causing catatrosphic damage to islands and coastal areas the most. Damage from hurricanes comes from the storm surge, heavy rainfall, flooding and flash floods, rip currents, high winds, tornadoes and microbursts.

Hurricanes are tracked and their course can usually be predicted with some accuracy, giving you ample time to secure your home and get out of Dodge. Some people choose to stay in their homes during a hurricane, but this is often ill-advised and if there is an evacuation order, you must go.

What do do before a hurricane

• Make sure your bug out kit is stocked and ready to go and make a family communication plan
• Be aware of your surroundings and know your escape routes. This is especially important if you are on vacation or in unfamiliar territory.
• Know what your elevation level is where ever you are. If at home, this information will help to determine if your property is prone to flooding.
• Be especially aware of the hazards if you are staying or live close to levees or a dam.
• Know the hurricane evacuation routes for your area and know where to go to reach higher ground. Plan out your route in advance should you need to evacuate.

Make plans to secure your property

• Installing straps or additional clips to secure your roof to the frame of your house will reduce damage to your roof.
• Make sure that your shrubs and trees around your house are trimmed. This will make them more resistant to snapping and breaking during high winds.
• Make sure your downspouts and rain gutters are clear of debris
• High winds can cause very expensive damage to the structure of your house. Make sure your garage doors are reinforced and if you don’t have built in storm shutters, board up your windows with 5/8” marine plywood. Get it cut to fit your windows for easy installation.
• Bring in everything that is not tied or bolted down, like your garbage cans and outdoor furniture and decorations.
• If you have a boat, you’ll need information on how and where to secure your boat.
• Having an emergency backup generator for emergencies will make life more comfortable if you have a power outage for an extended period of time.
• If you live in a high-rise building, you’ll want to take shelter on or below the tenth floor, even if that means that you’ll need to leave that building to get to a safer area.
• Ideally, if you have the space and means, you might want to consider building a safe room.

If you live in an area that is prone to hurricanes, you should protect yourself financially with flood insurance.

What to do during a hurricane

• Tune into your TV or radio for information. It’s a good idea to have a battery powered radio and extra batteries in case of power outage.
• Close all of your interior doors and secure all of your external doors. Stay inside and keep away from glass doors and windows.
• If you are instructed to do so, turn off your utilities. Turn off propane tanks. To help preserve fresh food during a power outage, turn the thermostat of your refrigerator to it’s coldest setting and keep the door closed if you aren’t instructed to turn off the utilities.
• Keep your blinds and curtains closed. If there is a lull in the winds, it could be the eye of the storm and winds will pick up again.
• Go to the lowest level and stay in an interior room, closet or hallway. Take refuge under a table if possible. Avoid elevators.
• Unless it’s an emergency, avoid using the phone to keep lines free for emergency communications.
• Make sure you have a well stocked emergency preparedness kit with food and water and medical supplies. Fill large containers and your bathtub with water.

Should you evacuate?

Keep informed and know if local authorities have ordered an evacuation. Follow their instructions if they have ordered an evacuation.

Mobile homes or temporary structures are unsafe during a hurricane, even when they are fastened to the ground. Hurricane winds are more intense at higher elevations. If you live in a high rise building or a mobile home, evacuate. You should also evacuate if you live on the coast or near a body of water such as a river or floodplain or on an island waterway.

What do do after a hurricane

• Keep updated on the conditions in your areas by listening to NOAA Weather Radio or your local news station. Have a battery powered radio and extra batteries available in case of a power outage.
• Be aware that due to heavy rainfall, there’s still danger from floods after the hurricane has ended.
• Have a communications plan for all family members. If you become separated from family, contact the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS/1-800-733-2767 or visit the American Red Cross Safe and Well site: www.safeandwell.org
• The American Red Cross also maintains a database to help you find family. Contact the local American Red Cross chapter where you are staying for information. Do not contact the chapter in the disaster area.
• If you left the area during the hurricane, follow instructions from your local authorities for returning to the area after the storm.
• If you cannot return home and have immediate housing needs. Text SHELTER + your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA) to find the nearest shelter in your area (example: shelter 12345).
• For those who have longer-term housing needs, FEMA offers several types of assistance, including services and grants to help people repair their homes and find replacement housing. Apply for assistance or search for information about housing rental resources
• Limit your driving to necessary driving only and stay away from flooded areas and damaged bridges. Stay indoors if possible. The streets may have downed electrical wires, damaged building structures, fallen objects, and damaged bridges, roads and sidewalks.
• Stay away from loose or downed power lines and report them to your power company immediately.
• Check outside of your house for downed power lines, damage to the structure of your house, and gas leaks before you enter. If you there are still floodwaters around the house, or if you smell gas or if your house has been damaged by fire, stay out until authorities or a qualified building inspector or structural engineer inspects and tells you it is safe.
• Take photographs of any damage you find for insurance purposes.
• In case of power outage, do not use candles until you’re certain there’s no gas leak risk. Use a flashlight, but turn it on outside of the house before entering. Batteries can create a spark that could ignite gas if it is present.
• Don’t let your pets out. Keep them close and under your control. Be careful when clearing out debris. Use a stick to poke around debris and watch out for poisonous snakes or wild animals.
• Make sure you have well stocked disaster preparedness supplies. Listen to the news for information on the water source and don’t drink tap water or cook with it until you’re sure it’s not contaminated.
• Throw out spoiled food from the refrigerator.
• When cleaning up debris, wear protective clothing and rubber gloves.
• Don’t tie up the telephone with phone calls except for emergencies.
• A backup emergency generator is a very handy piece of equipment to have during an extended power outage, but never operate one inside your home or garage or other enclosed places. Carbon monoxide can build up and remain in the area for hours, even after you’ve turned the generator off.

You can download the Tropical Storm Preparedness Guide here.

Other floods such as a flash flood, develop very quickly and can occur after just minutes or hours of a heavy rainfall, or failure of a dam or levee, or the sudden release of water held back by ice. Flash floods are very dangerous, with a fast-moving wall of water that has mud, debris and rocks in it that can do a lot of damage. Flash floods can flatten trees, move boulders and destroy bridges and buildings.

One way to help flood proof your house is the apply a waterproof sealant to the foundation of your home. Another thing you can do is to build a floodwall with sand bags that will help to keep water from coming into your home.

There are things that you can do to lessen the impact of flood waters.

Should the flood waters come into your home, make sure you should disconnect all electrical appliances and utilities and move to the upper levels of your home. Take emergency food, water, dry clothing, blankets, pillows and medical supplies with you as you don’t know how long you will be there. A battery powered radio would also be helpful so you get the news on what’s going on in your area. If you’ve got a bug out bag prepared with all of those supplies in it, take that to higher levels in your house. If you live in an area that is subject to flooding, it’s probably a good idea to store your emergency flood supplies at the higher level of your home.

Do not attempt to walk or drive through flood waters. Six inches of water can sweep you off your feet, plus standing water can be charged with electricity from downed power lines. Flood waters can also be contaminated with gasoline, raw sewage, oil or other hazardous materials.

If the water reaches the bottom of your car, it can cause stalling or loss of control. Most vehicles will float in a foot of water and most vehicles, includes SUVs and trucks will be swept away in in two feet of moving water. In addition, the depth of the water isn’t always obvious. Areas where the flood waters have receded can also be dangerous. The road may have been weakened or damaged and may not support the weight of a car.

Stay out of damaged buildings. Floods can cause damage that you can’t see and it can be dangerous to walk around a flood damaged building.

Staying healthy after a flood

• Damage to septic tanks, cesspools, pits and leaching systems are hazardous to your health. Repair the damage as soon as possible.
• Stay tuned to your local news stations so you know whether or not your water supply is safe to drink.
• Use a disinfectant to clean everything in your house that got wet. Mud carried in from flood waters can be contaminated with chemicals or sewage.

Cleaning Up and Repairing Your Home

Even if the power is out in your area, turn off your electricity at the main breaker and leave it off until your house is dry enough to turn it back on.

Download a copy of the report, Repairing Your Flooded Home. It has helpful information such as:

• Entering your home safely after a flood.
• Protecting your home and belongings from further damage.
• Keeping a record of the damage for insurance claims.
• Checking for gas or water leaks. Getting gas and water service restored.
• Cleaning appliances, furnishings and other belongings after a flood.
• Once you have a record of all the damage, it’s time to contact your flood insurance agent to discuss your insurance claim.
• Check your radio stations for information on federal, state, local or other organizations that are providing assistance.
• Always check references and qualifications of contractors if you hire a company for repairs and cleanup, especially if they are people driving through neighborhoods offering to help in the cleanup and repairs of your home.

Are you looking for some excellent pemmican recipes?

Wait, what is this thing called pemmican and where did it come from?

For starters, pemmican is originally a Cree word for rendered fat. Pemmican is a food used by a variety of Native peoples for many generations, and was adopted by the fur traders in the 18th and 19th centuries. It likely originates from North America. Native American scouts who spent a great deal of time on the go depended on having portable, high-energy, highly nutritious, and filling foods that would last for long periods of time. Often times pemmican was their food of choice.

This amazing stuff is a dried mixture of meat, berries and rendered fat (also called suet or tallow). It is an invaluable survival food that when prepared properly using good pemmican recipes can last anywhere from several months to several years without refrigeration!

Pemmican is a great asset to have with you while exploring the wilderness even today. Though most classic pemmican recipes require the use of meat and fat, it is also possible to make it vegetarian as described below.

Here are some great pemmican recipes you can try out to make this amazing food. Try out the following 4 recipes and see which one you like best!

Recipe #1

In this pemmican recipe, we are basically disassembling and reassembling the meat. Fresh meat rots quickly; once the flesh and fat are separated and processed, each in the way that works best for it, they can be reassembled and will remain preserved for an extended period.

This pemmican recipe is quite easy to make and a variety of ingredients can be used. Following is my step-by-step preferred method; feel free to substitute meats and fat sources. In doing so the most important guidelines to keep in mind are to be sure your meat is lean and completely dry, and to use rendered fat that will not melt (such as the fat of ungulates) while the pemmican is being stored and used.

Dry the meat.Choose a warm, dry, sunny period and start early in the day to take full advantage of available drying time. I prefer large chunks (like thigh and shoulder) of meat that are already quite lean, like summer venison.

If such is not available, clean all visible fat and connective tissue from the meat, then slice as thinly as possible, preferably across the grain (dries faster that way) and place on a drying rack in full sunlight. If yours is a warm dry climate, you may be able to keep your slices 1/4 inch thick and get them dry in a day. If your area is humid, slice as thinly as possible.

It’s best to get the meat dry in one day, to lessen the chance of spoilage. Test for dryness by bending each piece, particularly where thick. Those needing more drying time will be rubbery; those dry enough will be brittle and crack. Take them indoors so they do not reabsorb moisture overnight. They are best kept refrigerated.

If conditions are not ideal for drying, use a supplemental fire. What you are creating here is jerky, which can be stored and consumed as-is, but it is not a complete food because it does not contain fat. Do not try to live on it! Natives will either use jerky as an ingredient in a complete meal, or will use it in their next pemmican recipe.
Grind the meat. Use a commercial grinder, or pulverize, as Natives would.
Render the fat. editor: here is link I found to help with that)
Combine meat and fat, in a ratio of about two parts meat to one part fat.
Pack in airtight containers Cleaned intestine, bark, glass or plastic containers can be used.
Store in a cool, dry, dark place.

Recipe # 2

Ingredients:

4 cups lean meat (deer, beef, caribou or moose)
3 cups dried fruit
2 cups rendered fat
Unsalted nuts and about 1 shot of honey

Instructions:

Meat should be as lean as possible and double ground from your butcher if you do not have you own meat grinder. Spread it out very thin on a cookie sheet and dry at 180 degrees F for at least 8 hours or until sinewy and crispy. Pound the meat into a nearly powder consistency using a blender or other tool. Grind the dried fruit, but leave a little bit lumpy for fun texture. Heat rendered fat on stove at medium until liquid. Add liquid fat to dried meat and dried fruit, and mix in nuts and honey. Mix everything by hand. Let cool and store. Can keep and be consumed for several years.

Recipe # 3

Ingredients:

2 lbs dried beef (see recipe 1 for drying instructions)
1.5 cup raisins
Beef suet

Instructions:

Grind meat to fine pulp in a blender. Now add in the raisins. Chop this mix enough to break up the raisins and mix in well. Melt the suet to a liquid and pour into the mixture, using just enough to hold the meat and raisins together. Now allow this to cool slightly. Put this into a pan and let it cool completely. Next, cut the pemmican into strips, than divide it into bars of about 4” long by 1” wide. Bag these separately and you can store them for several months.

Recipe # 4

Ingredients:

Dried lean beef, buffalo, or venison (see recipe 1 for drying instructions)
Beef suet
Seedless dried fruit

Instructions:

Melt the suet until it becomes golden brown and liquid. Strain out any solids. If you cool it, re-melt it and strain it again it will improve the shelf life of the pemmican. Grind the meat into a powder. Chop or grind dried fruit and add it to meat. Pour liquid suet onto meat/fruit mixture. Mixes best if suet is warm, and allows you to use less of it. Now, press the pemmican into a tin using a spoon. Let cool in the fridge, than turn it out and cut into bars the size of candy bars. Wrap each bar in wax paper or paper lunch bag, label and store.

Recipe # 5

Ingredients:

2 cups dates
3 cups powdered jerky (or powdered tofu-jerky)
2 cups raisins
Honey (as a binding agent, add as much as needed)
2 cups nuts

Instructions:

Grind all this material together, except for the honey. Add in the honey a little bit at a time, and mix well each time. Pour into pan until about three quarters of an inch thick or make them directly into bars. Refrigerate and cut bars out of pan. This is a sweet concoction and in cold climates, honey can be replaced with suet and processed just as in pemmican recipes seen above.

Tips for Making Good Pemmican

Here are some tips for you to improve your ability to use pemmican recipes properly, and make good pemmican:

Talk to your local butcher to acquire the suet. A local co-op butcher might have the healthiest choices in terms of organic meats. You may be able to acquire the suet for free in certain places.
When rendering (melting) the suet, be careful not to burn it or make it smoke.
The warmer the climate you are going to be using the pemmican in, the less fat you need in it.
This is also true for the time of year. Use less fat for the summer time, more for winter.
Label what you make, especially if you try different recipes.

Lastly, remember to experiment with your own recipes. The key points for making pemmican are to make sure that you render the fat (suet) properly and to make sure that the meat and fruit you put into the recipe are very dry, not cooked or partially dry.

Try making some pemmican of your own today!

I’ve only experienced the mild type so far. It was in Hawaii, years ago. The worst damage it caused was glass jars leaping from store shelves in the local grocery stores and crashing to the floor. The buildings and roads were not actually damaged. If you live along a fault line, you’ll need to take precautions that can help prevent damage to your home.

There are several things you can do to make your home more earthquake proof. One of them is making sure that your home is bolted to the foundation. You may need to hire a contractor to do this for you. There are some that specialize in preparing homes for earthquakes.

Another step you can take is to bolt your heaviest appliances, like your stove, water heater and refrigerator and/or freezer to the floor. Again, if you are not handy around the house for these types of projects, hire an electrician or plumber to do this for you. Other things you can do are:

1. Use safety locks on the inside of cabinets (like the child safety locks you can purchase to prevent children from getting into cupboards).
2. Fasten down TVs, computers, and stereos and fasten shelving to walls. Be aware that heavy hanging plants and light fixtures are likely to fall during an earthquake as well as heavy pictures over your bed.
3. Always have a fire extinguisher available. Fires are very common after an earthquake.
 The biggest threat during an earthquake is from things falling on you. During an earthquake, if you can get under a desk or table, do it. If not, get to an interior wall and drop down and cover your head and neck until the earthquake stops. Be sure to turn off your gas and electricity when the shaking stops until you can access the damage.

What to do during an earthquake:
If you’re indoors when the earthquake happens, stay there. Keep clear of windows, heavy appliances and furniture, and fireplaces. Stay out of the kitchen and don’t run outdoors or downstairs while the building is shaking. You may get hit by flying debris or glass. If you’re outside, try to get to an open area away from power lines, buildings, chimneys and anything that can fall on you.

If you’re driving in a car, move your car as far out of traffic as possible and stop. Do not park on or under an over pass or bridge or near trees, signs, light posts or power lines. Stay in your car until the earthquake stops and when you do start driving again, watch out for fallen rocks and other debris, large breaks in the roadway, and bumps in the road as you approach bridges. Due to the damage that an earthquake can do to bridges, it’s best to avoid using them until the damage has been accessed and they are deemed safe to use.

If you are in the mountains, be cautious of landslides and falling trees and rock.

Things to do after an earthquake

You’ll need to wear study shoes to prevent injury from debris and broken glass. It’s also likely that there will be aftershocks.

If there are people who are injured and need medical help but none is available:
- In case of bleeding, apply pressure on the wound and wrap with clean cloth or gauze.
- Administer CPR to a person if they are not breathing.
- Cover injured persons with a blanket to keep them warm. Don’t move a person who is seriously injured unless they are in danger where they are.
- If possible, seek medical help for serious injuries

• Call for help if there is a fire in your home or neighborhood and try to put it out. A fire extinguisher is an essential piece of equipment for earthquake preparation.
• If you suspect broken gas pipes or you smell a gas odor, shut of the main gas valve. If there is any damage to your electrical wiring, shut off your power at the main control box.
• Steer clear of fallen power lines. Do not touch downed power lines or any objects that have come into contact with them.
• Clean up any toxic or harmful substances that may have spilled such as gasoline, kerosene, bleach, lye, medications, drugs, etc.
• If your chimney is damaged, don’t use it, as there is a danger of poisonous gases or fire.
• Open doors and closets and cupboards with caution. Things may tumble off of shelves.
• Don’t eat any food or drink any water from open containers that were anywhere near broken glass.
• If you’ve lost power, eat up the food in your house that will spoil first. If you don’t open the freezer door frequently, the food in your freezer should hold out for a couple of days at least.
• Do not light your gas stove if there’s a possibility of a leak. Use a BBQ or camp stove outdoors only.
• If your water supply has been disrupted, you can drink the water from a water heater, canned vegetables and any melted ice cubes in your freezer. Do not drink water from a spa or swimming pool as there may be too many chemicals in it to be safe.

Things that you should not do in an earthquake include:

• If you turned your gas off, do not turn it back on. Have the gas company do it after they’ve determined that there are no gas leaks.
• Until you’re absolutely certain that there are no gas leaks, don’t use lighters, matches, barbeques or camp stoves, or electrical equipment and appliances. You could create a spark that results in a fire or explosion if there is any leaking gas.
• Don’t tie up the telephones if they are working. Use them only in case of a fire or medical emergency. The lines are needed for emergency response.
• Make sure you have emergency food and water stores available as well as first aid supplies. It may be some time before you can do any grocery shopping or get medical attention for injuries.
• In all likelihood, firefighters, paramedics or police will not be available to help you immediately.
]]> http://mayhemsurvival.com/disaster-preparedness/earthquake-prepping/feed/ 0 http://mayhemsurvival.com/disaster-preparedness/why-you-need-survival-prepping/ http://mayhemsurvival.com/disaster-preparedness/why-you-need-survival-prepping/#comments Sun, 09 Dec 2012 23:55:46 +0000 admin http://mayhemsurvival.com/?p=4626
There’s a movement gripping the nation. Some have said it is a movement of nutbags and whackos. The movement is the Prepper movement and it has become more and more accepted as mainstream. Without knowing it or having a name to tack to her condition, my mother was a prepper. She lived through the depression and her parents and three children lived in poverty. My mother remembered vividly going to bed hungry and moving from apartment to apartment, often in the middle of the night because they couldn’t afford the rent. Her experiences during the depression shaped the rest of her life.

She was obsessed with having enough food and stored extra food in her pantry. She canned vegetables from the vegetable garden and put up preserves from the fruit trees. My father was a hunter, so the freezer was always full of deer meat and other wild game. Her favorite saying was “Waste not, Want not.” As children who didn’t grow up hungry, we got a little tired of hearing it. She wanted to see clean plates at dinner time. If we didn’t want everything that was on our plates, she would remind us that there were starving children throughout the world that would love to have those leftovers.

My mother’s siblings had similar obsessions. Her brother hoarded clothing and shoes, having had little but rags during their childhood and her sister … well, she just hoarded everything from daily newspapers to linens and gourmet food items in her fridge, all in unopened packages and unused, even the food in the fridge. She was a bit of an oddball.

There was no movement to attribute their hoarding tendencies. It was a byproduct of hunger and poverty during their childhood. There was no organization or method to their hoarding. Each had different things that they valued and stored away for a rainy day.

Today, Prepper fever is more organized. There is a lot of literature available about prepping and many products that make prepping for disaster really easy, even if you live in the city and don’t have the means to raise your own vegetables and animals.

Being raised by parents that had endured so many years of hardship undoubtedly influenced me as well. I still feel like I should “clean my plate” and do not like to waste even small amounts of food. I also like to build a life that is as self reliant as possible in this modern world. We live in the country, have well water and grow and can our own vegetables. Much of the meat we eat is still wild game from my brothers’ hunting trips. We have chickens for eggs and fruit trees all over the property.

While we have canned goods and other supplies for the short term, we also have long term food storage supplies that last as long as 25 years. Unfortunately, most canned goods will not last that long. The long term food supplies are packed in durable buckets and are freeze dried. Easy to store and easy to prepare in a disaster, they can sustain a family for a long time and also last long enough that they are edible whenever a disaster strikes.

You never know when a disaster will strike or what kind of disaster will strike. It could be a earthquake, tsunami, hurricane, tornado, floods, pandemic, bioterrorism, nuclear meltdown, an economic/government/societal/financial meltdown, or even the Zombie Apocalypse (ha ha). You won’t have the luxury of knowing when it will happen or what kind of disaster it will be in advance. That’s why you need to take steps to be prepared for the worst so that you and your family are safe, no matter what is in store.



You only need to be a victim of an enormous hurricane like Katrina or Sandy, live in an area where a nuclear power plant has a meltdown, or to live where earthquakes and/or tsunamis are likely to appreciate the value of advanced preparation for disasters. Why wait till it happens and then wish that you had prepared for such an event? If you have the power to make your family safer, well fed, and more comfortable in a crisis situation, wouldn’t you do it? You buy homeowners and auto insurance, hoping that you’ll never actually need it. Survival prepping is the same thing. You prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.

There are actually two types of survival preparation. One is “bugging out” or evacuating when a disaster happens, taking with you the supplies that you can easily carry (bug out bag) to ensure that you have emergency supplies to carry you through until it’s safe to return home.

You might be in a situation where a natural disaster has occurred and you need to stay in your home for some time until help arrives. Your area may have been struck by a earthquake, tornado or floods, blocking all escapes routes and preventing you from “bugging out”. You don’t always have enough advance notice of a disaster to get out of dodge. Staying in your home may be your only option.

I’m sure most have had simple, temporary power outages and know how uncomfortable life can be if you’re not prepared to live without electricity for days or weeks or even longer. It’s a completely different story if you are prepared. Without electricity, you can’t cook and the fresh foods in your refrigerator spoil. I live in the country and we have a well that is powered by electricity, so we don’t even have water when the power is out, but even if you have city water, a clean water supply may not be available after a natural disaster. What if you can’t get into town to buy safe, bottled water?

Without power, you won’t have access to a computer and phone lines could be down. You may not even be able to communicate with the outside world during a disaster. If you’d like to know how you’d get by during a disaster that disabled electrical power, gas, clean water and communication with the outside world, just turn it all off for a few days. That should give you a pretty good idea of some of the challenges you’d have and how well you are prepared for it.

With the right preparation, you and your family could be eating well balanced, nutritious meals, drinking clean water, and if you were really prepared with a backup emergency generator, you could have power.

Natural disasters are the most common disasters that people might encounter in their lifetimes, and in some areas, more than once in their lifetimes. Some areas are regularly hit by earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, tsunamis, and typhoons. Other areas are subject to crippling blizzards in the winter. In fact, last June, I was caught in a super derecho, and I had never even heard of a derecho.

A derecho is a fast-moving storm that tears through an area and flattens trees and power lines. This one left millions of people without power for days and in some places weeks. This was combined with a record breaking heat wave which made living without air conditioning nearly unbearable.

We were without power for five long, very hot days. Everything in our refrigerator and freezer was spoiled and our well didn’t work without electricity to power the pump. Because of all of the downed power lines and trees, we were unable to get out of our road that leads to town. It took several days before the trees and power lines were cleared from the roads.

People in New York and New Jersey were severely affected by Hurricane Sandy this year also. Most of us saw the devastation Sandy hit southern New Jersey and there was a massive amount of flooding, structural damage and disruption to both travel and peoples’ lives. New York City was also hit hard. This storm system was around 1,000 miles wide at times and caused around $30 billion in damages and 100 deaths in the US.

No one will ever forget the devastation that Hurricane Katrina brought, nor the catastrophic nuclear meltdown after a tsunami hit Japan. These are extreme cases, but they happen and you never know when or where they will happen.

Will you and your family be safe if one of these deadly natural disasters occurs where you live? The only way to get through a natural disaster safely and more comfortably is by preparing in advance of the event.

]]> http://mayhemsurvival.com/disaster-preparedness/why-you-need-survival-prepping/feed/ 0 http://mayhemsurvival.com/survival-food-2/beef-jerky-recipe/ http://mayhemsurvival.com/survival-food-2/beef-jerky-recipe/#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2012 14:02:46 +0000 admin http://mayhemsurvival.com/?p=4610 Total Time:
20 hr 20 min
Prep
20 min
Inactive
8 hr 0 min
Cook
12 hr 0 min

Yield:
10 to 12 ounces

Level:
Difficult

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Special Equipment: 1 box fan, 4 paper air-conditioning filters, and 2 bungee cords

Directions

Trim the flank steak of any excess fat, place in a zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up.

Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice the meat with the grain, into long strips.

Place the strips of meat along with all of the remaining ingredients into a large, 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Place the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.

Remove the meat from the brine and pat dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat onto 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug in and set to medium. Allow the meat dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer’s directions.

Once dry, store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.

]]> http://mayhemsurvival.com/survival-food-2/beef-jerky-recipe/feed/ 0 http://mayhemsurvival.com/survival-food-2/homemade-beef-jerky-recipe/ http://mayhemsurvival.com/survival-food-2/homemade-beef-jerky-recipe/#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2012 13:53:20 +0000 admin http://mayhemsurvival.com/?p=4605
Total Time: 15 hrs
Prep Time: 9 hrs
Cook Time: 6 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 15

Units: US | Metric

4 lbs london broil beef or 4 lbs flank steaks
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, more if you like it hot
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 cup soy sauce or 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Frank’s red hot sauce

Directions:

1 Trim all fat off meat.
2 Cut steak in to 4 inch strips.
3 The steak should be about 1/2 inch thick.
4 It’s easier to cut meat partially frozen.
5 Pound meat lightly, you don’t want it too thin.
6 Add all ingredients in a large bowl.
7 Mix well.
8 Cover and refrigerate overnight (8 hrs).
9 Line cookie sheets with tin foil.
10 Place steak strips on sheets, don’t overlap meat.
11 Set oven at lowest temperature. (150-175°F).
12 Bake six hours, turning after three hours.
13 Jerky is done when meat is dried out, depending on your oven.
14 Worth the wait!

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