When it comes to emergency preparation, I try to be a realist. I am not laying in a supply of powdered beef stroganoff to last for months, nor expecting a violent landscape worthy of films like Mad Max. But I’d be a fool, living in an area where my water supply crosses two major quake…
Category Archives: Products
Emergency Prep On Your Smartphone
I love the way that smartphones bring libraries-full of information to our pockets. That includes the information we need to prepare for emergencies as well as instructions to respond to emergencies in the moment. For the iPhone, there is a wonderfully complete and easy-to-navigate app by evolvingmonkeys.com called simply Emergency Preparedness Checklist and Guide. Developed…
Are You On Pinterest? See My “Masters of Disasters” Picks
I have a bunch of tools that have become my go-to favorites for emergency preparation. I think of them as my “masters of disasters.” So that you can share them, too, I’ve put them on some bulletin boards on Pinterest. Right now I am working on three bulletin boards: my top picks for emergency supplies…
New Emergency Water Storage
My tap water crosses two of California’s eight major earthquake faults before it arrives in my glass. Though many upgrades have been made, the aqueducts that deliver that water were not built with a major earthquake in mind. If a major earthquake struck right now as I type, the flow of water from the Sierra…
An Insurance Professional Talks About California Earthquake Insurance for Homeowners
If an earthquake damaged your California home, do you have insurance that would allow you to rebuild? Yesterday I sat down with Brian Seto, a Farmer’s Insurance agent in South San Francisco, for a quick refresher course in earthquake insurance for California homeowners. He had some information and tips to share to make the subject…
Protect Your Assets With a Video Home Inventory
Imagine that a fire, flood, hurricane, or tornado struck where you live. What if you had to make an insurance claim for everything in your home? How long would it take you to name the contents of every drawer, every closet, every room? Making a home inventory protects your financial well-being, making it possible to…
Are your photos safe at home? How to protect precious memories in a disaster
When asked what they would grab on their way out the door in an emergency (assuming that all family members were safely out), many people say they’d take their photographs. But what if you’re not at home when the fire, flood, or other disaster strikes? Now it’s easier than ever to protect those cherished photos….
Three uses for a trash bag in an emergency
It doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming to improve your emergency preparation. You can take a small step next time you go to the grocery store. Pick up a box of large, thick plastic trash bags to add to your emergency supplies. The Eagle Scout in you will find all sorts of uses for…
No land line? Charge your mobile phone with solar power
Mobile phones are great, but if your power is out for a couple of days in an emergency, so is the charge on your phone. Here’s a well-designed and useful product to add to your emergency supplies. The Solio solar charger is a compact powerhouse that harnesses the sun. It stores power, holding a charge…