Storing Food and Water for Emergencies

Storing Food and Water for Emergencies

 

by: Val Hillers and Chelsy Leslie 

12/4/2001

An earthquake, flood or storm may result in loss of electricity, water, and natural gas supplies.  Damage to roads can hinder delivery of food.  In a big disaster, it could be several days or longer before even basic services are restored.  Experts advise that everyone keep at least a three-day supply of emergency food and water. If you keep these basic supplies in an easy-to-carry container, they will be easily accessible in case of emergency.  If you live in an earthquake-prone area, store the emergency supplies as close to an outside door as is feasible.  Keep a small version of the disaster supplies kit in the trunk of your car.

 

Food Storage

It's important to have food on hand that doesn't need refrigeration and can be eaten with little or no cooking.  Store foods familiar to you - a crisis is not a time to learn to eat new foods.  Canned foods are most likely to survive the damage of a flood or earthquake and still be usable.  Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables, and soups are excellent choices.  Avoid stocking too many foods that are high in salt and increase thirst.  

Store one or two manual can openers with your emergency food supply.  Canned foods can be heated indoors with canned heat (such as Sterno).  Charcoal grills, hibachis and camp stoves must only be used outside.  

Foods which work well for emergency food storage:

--Ready-to-eat, canned meats, fruits and vegetables

--Smoked or dried meat like beef jerky

--Juices - canned or powdered drink mixes

--Dried soups

--Milk - powdered or canned

--Peanut butter and jelly

--Crackers

--High energy foods such as nuts,trail mix and hard candy

--Cookies and granola bars

--Dried fruit

--Instant potatoes

--Cold cereals

Every six months, use these items and replace with new items for storage to ensure good quality.

Additional Items To Store For Emergency Use

--Flashlight with spare bulb and batteries

--Battery-operated radio with spare batteries

--Knife, shovel, hammer, nails, rope or cord

--Chlorine bleach and an eye dropper for water treatment

--12-hour light stick

--First aid kit

--Paper towels, toilet tissue, and plastic bags

--Packaged hand wipes

--Matches and money in a waterproof container

--Blankets and extra clothing

--Disposable plates, eating utensils, and cups

--Candles

--Prescription drugs used routinely such as insulin

--Aspirin or other pain relievers

--Rubbing alcohol

--Anti-diarrhea medications

--Anti-bacterial cream or hydrogen peroxide

--Vitamin supplements

Water Storage

Store at least 3 gallons of water for each person in the household (1 gallon per person per day).  

Store your water in thoroughly washed plastic containers.  Do not reuse plastic jugs that contained milk, food, household chemicals or other toxic substances because it may not be possible to remove all traces of food or chemical from the plastic.  Plastic containers with a tight fitting lid, such as soft drink bottles, are the best.  You can also purchase food-grade plastic buckets or drums.  

To prepare containers for water storage, either wash in dishwasher or wash thoroughly by hand in soapy water.  Rinse well to remove all traces of soap.  

Fill containers with clean tap water and seal tightly. Label the containers and store in a cool, dark place. Use or throw out the stored water and replace with a fresh supply every six months.  

If the water is safe to drink, no special treatment is needed before storage.  If you use tap water that is chemically treated (by a commercial water utility company, for instance), do not add bleach or other agents to the water unless directed to do so by the local department of health.

If you have freezer space, some of the drinking water can be frozen.  If electricity is lost, the ice will increase the time that foods stay frozen in the freezer.  When the ice melts, it is available for drinking water.

Treating Water In Emergencies

If a safe supply of water is not available, or if your usual supply becomes unsafe for drinking, you must treat the water before it can be used for drinking, cooking, or brushing teeth.  There are two ways of treating water: boiling or adding bleach.  If the supply has been made unsafe because of untreated surface water (floods, streams or lakes), boiling is the better treatment.

If the water looks cloudy, it should be filtered before treating.  You may use coffee filters, towels (paper or cotton), cheese cloth, a cotton plug in a funnel, etc.  Use several layers for best results.  You can also use filters designed for camping and backpacking.

Boiling

Boiling is the best way to purify water that is unsafe because of bacteria.  Place the water in a clean container and bring it to a full boil and continue boiling for at least 3 minutes. Boiled water should be kept covered while cooling.

If you are 5,000 feet or more above sea level, increase the boiling time to at least 5 minutes.

Purifying by adding liquid bleach

If boiling is not possible because of lack of fuel or electricity, or equipment, the water can be treated with liquid household chlorine bleach (such as Clorox, Purex, etc.). Do not use scented or "color-safe" bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners.

Place the water (filtered if necessary) in a clean container and add bleach.  For each gallon of water, add 16 drops of bleach or about one-fourth teaspoon.  Two-liter soft drink bottles are about one-half gallon in size; use 8 drops or 1/8 teaspoon bleach for each of these bottles.  Mix the water and bleach thoroughly and allow to stand for at least 30 minutes before using the water.  If the water is cloudy, or very cold, increase the standing time to 60 minutes before using.  If the water does not have a slight bleach odor after standing, repeat the bleach treatment and let stand another 15 minutes.

Note: Chlorine will not kill Cryptosporidium cysts, which may be present in flood waters.  Cryptosporidium can cause severe illness in persons who are weakened because of health problems.  Boiling is the best treatment in these situations.

  Copyright © 2001 Washington State University.

All rights reserved. Disclaimer.

Last Updated: Sept 1, 2001

This is information that was given to me by a friend. It is good info to have even for the beginner and the seasoned Food Storage and Emergency preparedness person. Basics is the place to start. All credit goes to those list on the page!