A Possibility For You

Hi ! I just wanted you to picture yourself driving in the snow....if you cannot, maybe this video will help...(Elvis fans will enjoy this!)

Scenario #2 You are Stranded In Your Car

"Tis the season!
It is November...and fast approaching December and W I N T E R !

Here in the high desert we have had snow and we have had roads closed and people stranded.

Scenario #2 is
You are Stranded in Your Car
Snowing or not...it will be cold...and you need to be ready.
You may be driving along fine and then something happens and your car won't go.

You may be on a lonely road...you will have to keep warm to survive!

IF A BLIZZARD TRAPS YOU IN THE CAR OR IF YOU AR STRANDED IN VERY COLD WEATHER, KEEP THESE GUIDELINES IN MIND:

1. Pull off the highway. Turn on hazard lights and hang a distress flag from antenna or window (This is where a brightly colored bandanna comes in handy!)

2. Remain in your vehicle where rescuers are most likely to find you. Do not set out on foot

unless you can see a building close by where you know you can take shelter. Be careful. If it is snowing, distances are distorted by blowing snow. A building may seem close, but be too far to walk in deep snow.

3. Run the engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour to keep warm. When the engine is running, open an upwind window slightly for ventilation. This will protect you from carbon monoxide poisoning. Periodically clear snow from the exhaust pipe.

4. Exercise to maintain body heat (isometric exercises,etc) but avoid overexertion. In extreme cold, use road maps, seat covers, floor mats for insulation if you do not have blankets. Huddle with passengers and use your coat for a blanket.

5. Take turns sleeping. One person should be awake at all times to look for rescue crews.

6. Drink fluids to avoid dehydration.

7. Be careful not to waste battery power. Balance Electrical energy needs-the use of lights, heat, and radio-with supply.

8. Turn on the inside light at night so work crews or rescuers can see you.

9. If stranded in a remote area, stomp large block letters in an open area spelling out HELP or SOS and line with rocks or tree limbs to attract the attention of rescue personnel who may be surveying the area by airplane.

10. Leave the car and proceed on foot-if necessary- once the blizzard passes.

Scenario #1 No Water Flows From Your Tap

5 years ago, in our Relief Society, I began a project with the aim to teach and inspire the sisters of our ward to be prepared in the event of an emergency scenario.

I am now going to re-visit those scenarios (I had posted most of them on an old blog:www.survivalmode.blog.com) which you can still go to.

The first scenario.....




Scenario #1

You have no usable water flowing from your faucets.



This can happen if the city’s water pipes break during a big earthquake, or something can just happen in your neighborhood that wipes out your water supply. Or somehow the city’s water supply can become harmful.

Do not take a shower in bad water, by the way.

We prepare for this scenario best by purchasing bottled water in the amount of one gallon a day per person in your family for 2 weeks. If this is too much, do as much as you can…for 4- 5 days, for example. I find that having water in one gallon containers such as you purchase at the grocery store is a very handy way to obtain, and to use emergency water.

Since you won’t be able to flush your toilets, you need to have on hand packages of those white 13 gallon kitchen trash bags. You lift the lid of your toilet and place an opened 13 gallon trash bag down in your toilet, letting the sides of the bag flow out over the rim of the toilet and then put the seat down and the toilet is ready to use. Then you tie up the bag of human waste and dispose of it somewhere. Go potty in comfort… No need to squat over a bucket!

Some folks like to store extra water in those big blue 55 gallon water barrels (which I wrote about in a separate post previous to this one.) You can use the water in your water heater, also.

One of the best things you can do is to have a water filtration system. I use the Seychelle system ...please see my post on that.

Blue Water Barrels and Accessories

This is the 55 gallon Water Barrel that is offered on many preparedness sites and range in price from $55 to $75. The arizonabarrels.com sells them for $18 !

Our ward is now able to buy them for $15 from a special dealer. You do need other equipment, though. Hence, this post. Please read on. Thank you.

I was able to get the screwed on caps off with my fingers, but only because they were not screwed on tight. I highly recommend getting one Bung wrench as they are called...This one sells for $6.95 at beprepared.com.
You need to fill your barrel with water with a food grade hose...available at Walmarts. Regular hoses have lead in them and are not to be used for drinking.
This is a pump for you to use to get the water out of your barrel.

Portable Water Filtration System

Here's the story: I love water. Fresh tasting clear water. When I go to other cities, often the water taste bad, feels bad in my mouth. I believe we here in Victorville have pretty tasty water. I drink it from the tap. I , though, am aware of the chemicals they put in water here-we get a report from the Water Department regularly. Sometimes it scares me to see that long list of chemicals.

I am aware that when I am traveling, there may not be a source of clean good tasting water. Or we might have a natural disaster that will prevent us from having clean water.

To be a more prepared person, I have decided to purchase a portable water system.

Why?

Well...I don't like buying and using all those clear plastic water bottles: Long story for another post.

Also..another thing that motivated me was listening to my son who, for his work, had to do some survival activities up in the mountains which included using a portable water filtration system. They had to use water from a lake, some streams.

So, curious to see if the LDS Church Distribution Center offered something like this, I checked it out.

I bought the Seychelle Water Filtration Kit (my son used a different name brand system) from the online LDS store and was pleased to find it was a lot cheaper on that site than it was on other sites. I paid $16.50 about 6 months ago and the price recently went up to $22.00. On other sites, this same item costs $59.95!

Here it is...very nice .The plastic bottles Seychelle uses are environmentally safe, re-usable, can be recycled. They will not leach and are BPA free. Yippee! I'm in!

Water Filtration Bottle Kit

This advanced bottle removes up to 99.99 percent of pollutants and contaminants found in drinking water. Produces up to 100 gallons of filtered water. Kit contains one 28-ounce water bottle and two filters. Bottle includes an insulator sleeve and clip.

Water Filtration Kit

(1 Each)

$22.00 USD Item # 08381000

Purchase this item from... store.lds.org

This would make a great Christmas gift, don't you think?

A Prophet Speaks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhIQZGxeY6E&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Prepare Yourself For The Great Day of The Lord

Fiery accident on the 110

Girl, 2, dies in fiery accident on the 110 Freeway in Highland Park

This story has consumed me most of the day. I kept trying to think what could have been done?

Doors were locked so no one could open them to get the girl. Someone broke the window to try to get the girl. Flames kept people from getting the girl. What if it was me? What if I was the mother?The car bursts into flame. This is so hard to deal with. Maybe have good sharp scissors handy to cut the straps and get her out of the car seat fast and drag her to the front of the car and out the door with you. Split second timing. But you are in shock. Whta if there was a fir extinguisher handy?

But everything is on fire. This is just a tragedy.

I believe every car should have a fire extinguisher.

And a good heavy sharp pair of scissors to use to cut child's seat belt in a hurry.

Girl, 2, dies in fiery accident on the 110 Freeway in Highland Park

This story has consumed me most of the day. I kept trying to think what could have been done?

Doors were locked so no one could open them to get the girl. Someone broke the window to try to get the girl. Flames kept people from getting the girl. What if it was me? What if I was the mother?The car bursts into flame. This is so hard to deal with. Maybe have good sharp scissors handy to cut the straps and get her out of the car seat fast and drag her to the front of the car and out the door with you. Split second timing. But you are in shock. Whta if there was a fir extinguisher handy?

But everything is on fire. This is just a tragedy.