Hello, and welcome to Hurricane Prep Week! Now, you might be wondering what does Hurricanes have to do with Wellness? Trust me if you have ever been in a disaster unprepared you would know your wellness is at stake. Even though here in Florida we prepare for hurricanes, I grew up in NY and we prepared for blizzards. The concept is the same with one having to deal with extreme heat and humidity and the other with extreme cold. This post may contain affiliate links.

We have been in Florida now for 16 years. We have only had to evacuate once and trust me that was enough. We generally stay as long as it is a 2 or lower, and that is nerve racking enough. The older I get, however, the more inclined I am to leave rather than deal with all that. It is quite scary. Each year we learn something to new to be more prepared and efficient. I used to keep the big bin with all kinds of stuff in it to take if we needed to leave. Trust me that is a pain when you leave. Now, I stock up on things we may not think about like batteries, flash lights, candles, lighters, matches, solar lights are awesome when you don’t want to run candles, solar chargers if possible, can openers, and extra utensils just to name a few. Over the next week I will be discussing some of the things people may not consider even if they think they are prepared. Trust me, we didn’t.

For day one I want to cover food and cooking. If you watch, or read, prepping videos they tell you to have all kinds of non-perishable foods on hand. While this is true there are a few things to consider.

1. If you follow a special diet due to a health condition you may be putting your health at risk with these foods. They are generally high in sugar, fat, and sodium. I have learned that I can transport a bag of apples and bananas just as easy as I can transport a box of Pop Tarts and cereal. When we did have to evacuate we did take some foods with us for in the car. Honestly, it was just easier to take cash and buy food when we got to wherever we were going. It saves space in the car for other important items, such as pets and people. Apples, bananas, grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers and other fresh, but convenient foods do not need to be refrigerated and are much healthier. For me, with CKD, those prepared foods are going to mess with my system. Just be sure to have a knife or other items needed for peeling, slicing, cutting, etc.
2. When we returned from our 3 day evacuation is when all the fun began. We had no power for a total of 7 days. This is not fun! Not only are you extremely hot and uncomfortable but keeping cold food cold, and making hot food hot, was no picnic. Luckily, I had been collecting coolers for years and we were able to buy ice every day to keep the coolers cool. I think one day we couldn’t get ice, but the coolers still remained cool enough. We did lose some food, like eggs, they can’t be submerged in their container. But, if you put them in a plastic Tupperware container they will be OK. After this episode we actually were able to get an extra freezer and we can start collecting ice and put it in there if we think we will need it. My husband was also able to convince me to buy a generator after that evacuation. Now, a generator will not run all of our electricity. But, it will run your fridge and maybe a fan or two, and some lights. I am not actually sure as we have never had to use it. If you do buy one be sure and run it every now and then to keep it healthy. We also have a Propane grill that we make sure the tanks are full at the start of the season. You don’t need a big one, a small one will work. If you don’t like Propane or can’t afford it, a Hibachi grill with charcoal works great too! We also have a burn pit where if worse got to worse we could cook over that. Trust me there is plenty of wood lying around waiting to be burned. Just keep in mind to have propane, charcoal, and dry wood or other kindling available to start the fire. Wet wood takes forever to get to burn. When one of these babies come people flood the stores and buy up everything, whether they need it or not. Below, you will see a couple of videos that will show you how to make an affordable rocket stove. Cement blocks are only like a dollar. That way you could have things like eggs, cheese sandwiches, or even meat if you have a way to cook it. You can boil water, make coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or even cook a whole meal if you let the coals get hot enough. These are for outdoor use only.
3. One quick thing I wanted to note about evacuating to a storm shelter, even a medical needs one. You have to bring your own supplies, and they often do not allow your pets to come though they may help you house them at a pet shelter. They do not provide food, or water. Once you are in, you are in, until the storm is over and they say it is safe to leave. So, no fast food ordering, or running out to the store. Convenience foods will most likely be your only option so choose the healthiest and best for your medical needs and have at least 3 days worth of food and water to take with you. This would be for each person in your home that is going with you.

It does seem overwhelming, but if you spend just a few extra dollars each time you go to the store you can get a good supply ready. Just be sure to check expiration dates, especially at discount stores, and either use and replace, or set aside only for disaster prep. Don’t forget water or some kind of drinks. Drinks don’t actually have to be cold to hydrate you, they are just more enjoyable that way. Also, don’t forget about food and water for your fur babies. You can collect rain water for washing dishes, or for pets to drink. There will be plenty of rain water to collect in a hurricane or tropical system. I will do a whole post on evacuating with pets.

You can read my original post on preparing with CKD, on my homeschool blog. Then, I have another post here, that adds to that first post. Like I said you learn as you go. If you have some good tips on food and cooking after a disaster, please share in the comments. If you have ever had to evacuate or been through a tropical system I would love to hear from you in the comments about your experience. Come back each day to see what I share.

Disclaimer

If you, or someone in your family, has a medical condition, learning CPR, and First Aid, especially when 911 may not be able to respond, could save a life.

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