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Preparing a Natural Disaster Food Supply

I’ve never paid much attention to the natural disasters that could occur in Texas. But every year Texas is affected by hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, wildfires, and drought. To me, Texas feels safe. Although Texas isn’t a hotbed for seismic activity, earthquakes have been felt in the state. After yesterday’s earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan, I have been devoting quite a bit of thought to disaster preparedness – both of natural proportions and apocalyptic (zombie or otherwise).

I started asking myself if a disaster were to strike, would my family be prepared? The answer is no, we would be struggling and possibly even desperate. Plan for the worst, hope for the best. That’s my new philosophy towards pregnancy and it most definitely applies to this scenario.

After doing some basic searches on emergency preparedness checklists, I realized there wasn’t one to address my family’s situation. The lists on the FEMA and Red Cross websites are a good starting point but in no way comprehensive. Establishing an emergency food and water stockpile was the first thing that stood out for me. We can’t survive without food and water so starting with any other items just seems like a waste. Sustaining my family is paramount and everything else is just luxuries.

Below you’ll find my bare bones grocery list which suits my family’s personal tastes and/or dietary needs. I hope you’ll find this helpful and are able to use this as a starting point for preparing your family for a natural disaster. Depending on the item, individual servings seem to be the best option as your lack of proper storage could be limited.

  • Water – the general consensus seems to be 1 gallon of water per person, per day. A minimum of a three day supply should be stored. Don’t forget to include extra water for pets!
  • Peanut butter
  • Canned meats – chicken and tuna
  • Canned veggies – beans and carrots for us
  • Canned fruit – peaches, pears, and applesauce
  • Canned soups
  • Oatmeal
  • Crackers
  • Granola bars
  • Powdered milk – mostly for Cakes. If you buy powdered milk, you’ll need to plan for extra water as well.
  • Vitamins – a jar of multi-vitamins to compensate for any vitamins and minerals lost due to a lack of variety in your diet. Remember to have an extra bottle for the kiddos as well!
  • Dog food – I usually let the dog food get pretty low before ordering more so I need to start allowing for some reserve just in case. You’ve gotta look out for the animals since they can’t plan ahead!
What’s on your disaster preparedness grocery list? Are there any items you think I’m missing and should add?

Emily

Monday 14th of March 2011

I think a lot of people are thinking about this lately! In addition to food, you can buy an emergency kit that has various things from water purification tablets to waterproof matches. Thanks for the ideas!

Emily @ Busy Mommy

kate

Sunday 13th of March 2011

someone gave us a 72 hour preparedness kit as a wedding gift (at the time i thought it was kind of a weird wedding present but now i think it's the most valuable thing we could get from someone!) i haven't thought much about being prepared for a natural disaster until just recently! thank you for such a great reminder! you've made me start to think about what items we need to stock up on just in case. great post!! thanks!

Simply Being Mommy

Sunday 13th of March 2011

Diapers if you have little ones and wipes! When we were without electricity after Hurricane Ike, wipes came in really handy for all types of reasons.

Penelope

Sunday 13th of March 2011

This is actually something I should do…thanks for the idea and the list.

stlavonlady

Sunday 13th of March 2011

This is always so good to think about! My daughter is so good at reminding me with all the drills and practicing they do at their school. I love that! We do practice drills at home too. Helps everyone know just what to do and go if something were to happen.

Also, thanks for visitng and commenting. : ) Samoas are my all time favorite GSC. YUM!! I love the ice cream they have out, but I haven't seen the cookies in the store. I am on the look out now! lol I also came across a homemade recipe I keep meaning to try and then post. THat could be dangerous. lol

Take care!!

Julie