Here is an excerpt from this New Era, Oct. 1990 article:
Had they known then what they know now, the young people of South Carolina and California would have made a few adjustments to prepare for survival.
1. Store water. Many times after a disaster the safety of the water supply is in doubt. Having water on hand can be critically important.
2. Don’t forget food in the freezer. Because the electricity was out and freezers defrosted, many families had more food (for the short term) than they could use. Neighbors got together to barbecue steaks that thawed. Many teenagers said they never ate better than during the disaster.
3. Store batteries for flashlights and radios. It seemed like everyone in the country knew more about what was happening with the disasters than the people involved in them did. A television or radio that ran on batteries was often the only source of news. Flashlights allowed those who had them to read or play games after the sun went down.
4. Have a family plan in case of emergency. Discuss where to meet and what to do in case you are not at home when disaster strikes.
5. Photos and journals can’t be replaced. Make sure they are in a place where they can be grabbed quickly. Even better, make duplicate prints of your favorite family photos and send them to relatives out of state.
6. Additional supplies. Other items good to have in an emergency could include regularly required medicine (such as insulin); a change of clothes (work clothes would be best); a camp stove and fuel; first aid kit; games; bedding or a sleeping bag.
7. Cash and gas may come in handy. With power out, banks were closed, automatic tellers didn’t work, and service stations could not pump fuel. Usually it only takes a couple of days for generators to be brought in to get these services functioning again, but in the meantime, those with money and gasoline have purchasing power and mobility.
A friend told me a good idea to put in your 72-hour grab and go stuff: a flash drive with your digital photos, important computer stuff, etc. You could store this flash drive in your safe deposit box and update once a month or so, or just keep it with your grab and go kit.
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