Emergencies - What You Can Do

Many individuals and families prepared for Y2K. While that was beneficial, preparedness should be viewed more as a way of life rather than a one-time event. Emergencies happen every day. Blizzards, fires, tornadoes, riots, a pandemic, or simply fixing a sewer line can effect anyone at anytime. Ways to help families and individuals weather these situations involve emergency preparedness and "getting back to basics." To ensure his own or his family's health and safety, one may want to have on hand some food, water, supplies, and medicine. If one wishes to help his community, he might consider becoming an amateur radio operator and help with communications between fire and police departments or hospitals. Perhaps there is an interest in solar energy or raising rabbits for personal consumption. Home schooling is another option families may choose. These are only a few ideas to help someone start thinking about emergency preparedness.

In 2003 Colorado experienced what is considered the worst blizzard in 90 years. See family photos from this "event."

Just before Christmas 2004 Central Ohio experienced a crippling ice storm.  This experience helped our family see how our personal preparedness fared.

The following is a list of books, web sites, and businesses that can help a person prepare for emergencies. It can also be viewed as information on general emergency preparedness. The resources listed have been recommended by various emergency-related groups. Beyond Infinity receives no monetary compensation for any listing in the web sites and business sections. Each of the books listed has been specifically recommended. Also, there will never be more than 20 books listed. So, the selection should be a compilation of the best, weeding out less valuable publications. Enjoy and thank you for your visit! Please return as new information becomes available. Please report any problems such as broken links you encounter with this site. Also, feel free to recommend your favorite self-sufficiency book, web site, or business for inclusion on this page.

Page last modified February 24, 2021.

Page written by Mary-Frances Bartels

Comments, suggestions, and corrections appreciated.

The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery 20% discount The most recommended book!			Making the Best of Basics by James Talmage Stevens 20% discount Also comes highly recommended
Back to Basics: How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills by Readers DigestAnother highly recommended book			Don't Get Caught With Your Pantry Down by James T. Stevens
How to Develop a Low-Cost Family Family Food-Storage System by Anite Evangelista 20% discount			Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Healthcare Handbook by Werner, Thuman, and Maxwell
How to Live Without Electricity and Like It by Anita Evangelista			Where There Is No Dentist by Murray Dickson
The Complete Book of Survival by Rainer Stahlberg 20% discount			When the Big One Hits by Jerry and Jay Boyd

• Countryside and Small Stock Journal - A personal favorite
• Backwoods Home
• American Survival Guide

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Web sites (alphabetical order by title)

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Businesses

Since this page was created many of the businesses have closed. I am still soliciting additions to this section. If you have a business you think should be listed here, please e-mail me. Reciprocal links to either this site would be appreciated.

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Personal Experience of Ohio's Ice Storm of December 22 - 23, 2004

On December 22 a weather system spanning the central two-thirds of the United States brought snow to areas that rarely have snow, including southern New Mexico and Texas.  In Ohio this system brought the worst ice storm in twenty years.  About half a million Ohioans, mostly in Central Ohio, were without electricity for several days.

Our family had just moved to our "home beyond the sidewalks" three weeks prior to the storm.  We were not unpacked and could not find simple items such as boots, hats, and mittens.  While we had a 55-gallon water supply stored when we lived in Denver, we had none yet at our new location.  Our solar electric system also was still packed.  Indeed we had not even determined how the system was to be installed on the new property (weather in Ohio is not nearly as conducive to solar energy as that in Coloraedo).  Lastly, we had no clue as to where our SAME NOAA radio was.

We figured that since we relied on a well for water and septic for sewer we were already well on the way to independence.  We also had about four acres of land with which to raise a few animals and have a decent-sized garden.  The arrival of the ice storm quickly taught us some of the gaping holes in our preparedness plan, as well as emphasized the places where we were fairly well prepared.

Below is a list of srtengths and weaknesses I found with our "lack of" preparedness strategy.  The flooding that occurred a couple of weeks later further reinforced the need for the family to be adaquately prepared.

Areas of Strength

• Woodburning stove provided enough heat to keep family fairly comfortable
• We were easily occupied with simple games and were contented to simply "relax" by the fire
• We knew our neighbors and set up a "check up" system to make sure everyone was okay
• We had a Freeplay Radio with which to listen to local news. This radio has since been discontinued, but feel free to search for comparable ones.
  
• We had a 4WD SUV allowing us to get out when we wanted
• We had a few candles and flashlights with batteries
• We had a couple of Nighthawk Carbon Monoxide (Our furnace man says this is the best on the market) and smoke detectors (musts when using a generator or woodburning stove or fireplace)
• We had plenty of blankets and sleeping bags for warmth
• We had a regular telephone (not cordless)
• We had amateur radios - alternative communications (cell towers were down)

Areas of Weakness (some were due to having just moved)

• Had no water supply because electricity was needed to power water pump.  We had not yet filled our 55 gallon drum with drinking water.  We melted snow for drinking water, but since this was so labor intensive dehydration was a problem even though it was winter.
• We were behind in household chores meaning we had many dirty dishes at the onset.  We needed disposable dishes, preferrably paper which could be used to heat after use.
• The new house had a sump pump which runs often.  Without power the basement started to flood.  A generator was purchased which kept the basement dry.  Purchasing a generator during an emergency is not the best way to procure such equipment. The generator we purchased was the older version of this Honda inverter generator.
  
• More carbon monoxide and smoke detectors would have provided added safety.
• Emergency deep cycle batteries were not charged
• Had no alternative way of generating electricity
  
• We were low on some animal feed (did have enough to get through emergency)
• We were low on wood for the woodburning stove (did have enough to get through emergency)
• We had little easily prepared food (purchased some a day or so into the emergency)
• We did not have our S.A.M.E. NOAA Weather Radio unpacked. We now use a Midland NOAA SAME Weather Radio.