Are you ready?
This rough hurricane season has brought on a whole host of articles and TV shows about how to prepare in advance for an emergency or natural disaster. One focus has been on having a ready packed bag to take with you to your roof (or boat, or shelter) in case you need to bail out of your house quickly.
I was watching a show recently that had a few ideas for your emergency bag that were new to me:
- Petroleum Jelly and Cotton Balls – coating a cotton ball with Vaseline and lighting it (because of course an obvious thing to have in your bag is a lighter) can burn for 5 minutes at a time. Handy for light, a tiny bit of warmth or to let someone know where you are.
- Peanut Butter – It comes in its own waterproof container and is packed with good fats, calories, and protein.
- Emergency Escape Axe – This example has several built-in tools in addition to the axe function in case you need to cut your way out of a building.
A few tips from the South
On a lighter note, my Aunt Marcia has a recipe for Emergency Gumbo that she swears is ready in 30 minutes. Gumbo makers, you know that is a quick prep time. Is it called Emergency Gumbo because in a pinch you need to feed 10 or more people and need a quick solution? Or is it called Emergency Gumbo because when Junior gets his hand bit off by an alligator in the swamp, the first reaction is to make gumbo?
Only those from Louisiana can know for sure.
And last, my grandmother, Hope, swore by always having Emergency M&Ms on hand. This is helpful if you are antiquing in Roundtop, Texas or at the mall and have a sudden hunger attack. The M&Ms allow you to continue with your important shopping without stopping for lunch.
Between the axe, the M&Ms and the gumbo, I hope this was a helpful blog on preparing for any emergency that might come your way.
