It sure look's like spring, hint: it ain't.

We are being bathed in Sunshine for the next few days. A high pressure area that formed off the coast of San Francisco is somehow causing this. It makes the old bones ache for some of us. But all the same, the sunshine feels good as it warms them up. A slight contradiction, but that's ok, it's harmless. Another contradiction is the good/bad wind coming in. nNormally starting in or around April 1st, it will blow until around Thanksgiving. The prevailing wind is West to East. The storm wind from the South is another blog. Read an interesting very short wind preparation article from the National Weather Service here.

     I like kites. I like the fact the wind keeps the skeeter's away. I like to watch the sailboats and people on paddle boards using it for propulsion. Nothing can compare to a nice balmy breezy day next to the water. We live in an area that the wind is up about 6 months of the year. We also have a golf course on the island, another contradiction.  

Well the grass won't have to be watered today.

     The wind can also doom outdoor activities, surfing, boating, painting, golfing most things are made more difficult in an intense wind. Our dock was blown apart by a wind that reportedly reached 80 mph. One foot thick pylons (25 years old) were sheared at the mud line underwater. Umbrellas, lawn furniture, canopies and covers, you must secure them or forget about them. I worked with a guy who at one time worked on a wind turbine farm, in the olden days. These first generation wind turbines had no way to brake their speed. When the wind got out of control, so followed the turbine. They stopped a runaway turbine (I am repeating a story he told me) with an arrow shot from a bow. The arrow had a light line tied to it. The line tied to a rope and the rope tied to a cable (wire rope). The cable was then attached to the bumper of a 3/4 ton pickup truck. The arrow was shot into the blades above about 75 feet. The string wrapped on a blade. The first to go

They do come apart, this is not the one of which I wrote.

was the truck's bumper. Everybody ran away. The line, rope and cable immediately came unspooled. The caught blade was torn apart, rendering the machine way way out of balance. The remainder of the blades flew apart. There were pieces of the turbine, blades and generator everywhere. No one got hurt. They never tried to stop another runaway like that. 

      Most people will never have to stop a run away turbine. Now there are several ways to stop them, but we are affected by high winds in negative ways. I saw a video this morning of a little girl. She was entering her house and opened the door. The child could only hold on to the knob for dear life as it whipped her into the side of the house after the door was caught by the wind. I do believe that is a common occurance, I've been hit by a wind blown door. We just have to be aware of the wind. Sometimes we're going to get tricked by it. 

      One thing we can do about the wind is buy a kite and go fly it away from trees. 

What do you think? Tell us your wind story.

Thanks for reading jimandkate

emergencykitsplus.com

What's with the huge gate?

     I really like the movie "Kong", the one with Jack Black as the ringleader. It takes place partly on the island where the local inhabitants have based their entire lives on staying away from the genetically modified monkey. If there ever was a need to prepare for disaster, this is it. What could be done to protect the entire village?

A lot of people have questioned the size of the gate. 

     Build an altar to worship the beast and a huge fire to hopefully scare him away. Don't give him any access points past the 100 foot tall wall that was built. Don't let the kids out after dark, or after light either. Don't grow any crops outside the gate.
     There really isn't much that can be done to predict an action by an unpredictable being. There are similarities between protecting oneself against a monster and a natural disaster. I think King Kong is a little more predictible. All he had was his muscles and natural abilities. A natural catatrophic event has a lot of factors involved, weather, water, the ground shaking, flood or high winds, it's all unpredictible. With King Kong it seems possible to be able to hide from him when he's acting up. With a flood or wild fire for example, hiding would be fatal. In a panic some people do hide, others run madly away and still others freeze in place. Human reactions are highly unpredictible much like the actions a giant ape might take.
      Unpredictiblility is the major issue when faced with an emergency. Every one of them is different. In a wildfire we have fickle winds, tornado we have no idea where they will start run and end. Earthquake's are a "what was that?" moment, and the power of water is totally out of control or prediction. I lived for 3 years in the California desert near Mecca, California south of Palm Springs. There is a geological formation underground on the North shore of the Sea of Cortez called the "anvil". If an earthquake in the correct spot occurs the anvil will slip, allowing sea water to flow into California underground. The water would (some say it will happen again) rise 150 feet in some places flooding from Baja to Palm Springs.

The burning man ship Contessa on fire.

When I learned of that, I thought, the only defense would be to put a boat on the roof of the house, just in case. A person might gather a few nicknames when the neighbors see that but what else can a person do to prepare? A person doesn't want to set themselves up for failure. Other than a boat on the roof, what else is there? There are legends of sailing ships laying in the desert sands. You can read about some of them here. 
      The locals on the island King Kong lived on built a huge wall around their village. It looked to be 100 feet tall. King Kong looked to be nearly that tall as well. The people did all they could to block the beast out. Or did they? I wonder why they built a gate to the complex that allowed the giant ape to walk in upright. Most of the people I saw were average size for a person. Did they sabotage themselves with the huge gate? Why go through all that work just to build a gate? What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
Thank for reading
jimandkate
emergencykitsplus.com

What kind of bag do I need to put my survival kit in?

There are many kind of bags available for sale, they are available almost every where a person goes. A carrying device really needs to be fitted for the person who is responsible for it.
     Children: Depending on the size and age of the child the bag should be easy to carry and relatively light. A backpack seems to be the best option, In the event of an emergency a backpack set up near an exit may be the easiest for a small person. The child can place a few items in the kit, whether it be food, clothes or a jacket. Toss a hat in it as well.

I need a bigger bag mom. 

     Families: Depending on how many members are in your family will depend on much you will have to carry. The adults in the family will be carrying the bulk, as well as directing the response needed by them. An adult in good health will be able to have a backpack and pull a rolling bag. That will leave one hand free, a lot of equipment can be put in two bags.
     Teen's: The best thing to do is let the teens choose their own bags, they have to be comfortable with it as well as functional. Teen's will want to add some items in the bags.
     Older Adults: If you have a family member who is older(my mother in law is 93), ask him or her if they could carry a bag out. Just a bottle of water will be a contribution. It seems a rolling bag of managable size will be best. Place a jacket, socks, a hat and shoes in the bag.
     People with disabilities: It depends on the disability of course, If a person can walk with the use of two canes He or she may be able to use a backpack, but perhaps not be able to carry or pull another bag.
   

OK, put the handle for the wheeled bag in my hand.

The main point is not to over load any one person, we should each be responsible for most of our own gear. There are exceptions of course, the most important task is to safely get everyone out. In the event of an evacuation I am sure there have been plenty of well planned escapes, and some where emergency kits did not make it out. That doesn't mean the evacuation wasn't a success, it just means some things were overlooked, it's going to happen. A discussion and planning in advance is primary, Loading the kits re-enforces the planning, rehearsal plants it in your mind. It works and it doesn't take much time to do in advance you'll be happy you took the time.

Thanks for reading jimandkate

emergencykitsplus.com

Warning Horns, Bells and Whistles

I read a newspaper article this morning comparing the Oroville Dam spillway situation and the Coyote Creek flood in San Jose.
     Oroville, was evacuated, it appeared to be organized enough to get people to a safe spot, then they returned home. Oroville had no 911 reverse alert calls, no evacuation horns instead people were notified door to door. It was a planned response, it seems and sounds a little primative but in times of emergency people step up to the plate. Neighbors called neighbors, they walked next door to help others, they did what needed to be done. Oroville has one hour if the dam fails until the water level in town reaches 100 feet deep, they had to leave. In my opinion whoever made the decision to evacuate the town, (I'm sure it was more than one person) used common sense and a rock solid decision.

What! What do you mean we have to leave!

      Coyote Creek, the people in the flood area got no advance notification. The system has been in place for years, but no one was trained to use it, so no one was notified. The first residents heard to evacuate was when the water was rising in front of their homes. The system installed is a reverse 911 system, a common system, it just wasn't in operation. I give the Mayor an atta boy for coming out afterward accepting all responsibility stating the "buck stops here."

Man, that was loud!

      On the small island my wife and I live on has an alarm system, right out of the 1960's, it's an air raid siren, we have I think 4. It's tested on the first Wednesday of each month at 11:00 am. Sometimes I still raise my head and have to think if it's "real" or a "test". Hmm let's see, what day is this, who says I don't need a cell phone. We live and breathe levees, water, wind and our time rises and falls with the tide, it's a lifestyle. If we have a levee breach people on the island have designated evacuation areas. Most are at a nearby marina, from there we walk out, 2 miles for us.
      The urgency in setting up a working system depends I believe on how immenent the threat is. In Oroville, the tallest dam in the US, the threat is ominous. For Oroville residents it is part of their life. To us on the island the threat is always here, high water, tide or not, we live it every day, our levees are looked at every day during the Fall, Winter and Spring. In the Coyote Creek flood the dam is there, the water is there and the creek flows through that section of town. However there was no percieved threat even though the place flooded approximatly 20 years ago, most people forgot. I believe urgency is the deciding difference, and both Oroville and Bethel Island are in comparison small, Bethel Island very small. There are a lot of different facets to notifying people I'm sure, however I think a feeling of urgency to set up a system could be the deciding factor of it's success or failure. I'm sure San Jose will fix the system they have and most likely end up with a state of the art design, due to because that's what they do.
       Well what do you think? Am I way off base, kinda correct or something else? Let us know I'd like to hear your comments.
Thanks jimandkate
emergencykitsplus.com

Lost and Found

It's said that Daniel Boone was asked if he ever got lost while he was wandering around the wildness. His answer was "Naw, but I got bewildered once." You bet, I have been as well, but actually it's been more than once. In my younger years I would often backpack with my son and daughter's. The area we hiked in is in the Sierra's between Yosemite and the Sequoia Nevada's just east of Fresno California. It's a really pretty place.

Well, alright, let's head that-a-ways for a while then. 

   I was with a friend in the early 1980's, my kids were not with us, we were hiking near the John Muir trail. The mountain we were using as a base is the furthest east a road goes, the eastern slope at Crowley Lake was visible. There is a lot of miles of nothing but miles and miles up there. One day about mid morning I left the camp to take a short "go see" walk, I had looked down the hill and it was calling me. I was wearing a small pack with some water and other things in it, I disembarked. I was carefully (I thought) keeping up with where I was, my confidence was high. Making a map in my head, this clearing I came in here, remember that rock, that cliff, those trees yep, I was on top of it. I was gone for about 1/2 hour and decided it was time to go back to camp, so I turned in my tracks and began looking for familiar landmarks. The mountains are deceptive, so many trees look alike, rocks, cliffs, trails they all lose thier meaning. It took me a while, I was in denile, but I was bewildered. More than that, I was profoundly lost. I had no idea where I was or where camp was or how to get back. We have a tendency to walk down hill, it's easy to travel a long way with little effort, that's exactly what I did. I knew I had been walking down hill for a long time, instead of turning and going back up, I continued down. I was extremely lucky, I came to a creek. We were all taught in Boy Scouts when you get lost stay dry number one and number two if you come to a creek or river it will lead you to a road or town. (Backpacking link) I followed the creek, it was the right thing to do. By this time it was dusk, I figured the guy I was with was at least wondering where I was, at worst gave me up for gone and went home. By the time I made it to the single lane mountain road, I recognized where I was, I took a left. I had a long uphill hike ahead of me and would not reach camp for at least an hour or more. I had walked about 1,000 feet when I saw a yellow 4 wheel drive pickup heading my way, it was my hiking partner. I was so happy to see him, I was found. During that time of year the cowboys are bringing their cattle down the mountain to the valley, my partner asked them to help find me. We had to go find them to call them off, we did, they were happy I was found and life went back to normal.
   I started out going on a 10 minute walk, it ended up being about a 10 hour ordeal. The only survival gear I had was a canteen, (in the late 70's early 80's no one bought water in bottles.) matches, some peanuts and my knife, not much planning, heck I was only going to be gone for a few minutes.

But, is there an internet connection here?

   The Boy Scouts taught me another thing: "Be Prepared", I learned a lesson. It was a dumb mistake, but a good lesson. I'd like to hear your comments, it's hard to admit it when you are lost, have you ever been faced with that situation?

Thanks for reading jimandkate
emergencykitsplus.com

Hats and wearing them

I'm a hat wearer. I wear mostly broad brimmed hats, "Cowboy" hats some people call them. Not all broad brimmed hats are "Cowboy" hats. I wear mine because I am prone to skin cancer. In a survival situation it is logical to me that a hat is needed. It's hard to tell how harmful that long exposure to the sun will be.
    When I first came to California in 1970, the intensity of the sun was immediately a dominating factor as far as I was concerned. That was prior to the bare head look. Still, a lot of people went hatless. I am now bald but back then it was a work in progress. I sunburned my head to a tomato color. The pain escapes words.

Owww!

That is when I decided to wear a hat, forever after, when I'm in the sun.
    I wore "baseball" caps for a long time, switching between broad brimmed and caps, until I got skin cancer on my ears and nose. (Check out the precautions here). That incident told me to wear only brimmed hats. Now, for the most part, I do. I prefer during the winter a wool hat with a 2 1/2" brim. It has fold down ear muffs and a forehead muff as well. It does OK in the rain, or the heat. However, in the rain I prefer to wear a leather fedora style hat with a 2 1/2" brim. During the winter the sun is not as intense. I have several hats I wear during the summer.  I prefer 3 or 4 inch brims and a lighter constructed hat in the heat. I have what I call an Arizona Sombrero. It is not the typical rolled end Sombrero. This one has a floppy 12" brim, Huge. I wear it when the sun is extremely hot (August, September) and I want to protect my neck and shoulders as well. It's great for gardening. I look a little strange but, Oh well. My prefered summer hats are made of straw or a similar material. My "go to hat" is constructed of Palm leaf fiber, in true "Cowboy" hat style. The brim is 4" and offers very good protection of my ears, nose and neck. Due to the wind where I live, I make sure to have a chin strap. A chin strap can be wide and bold or like all of mine a rawhide boot lace. Anything to keep it from blowing away. It is automatic for me to flop my hat on as I'm leaving the house.  I don't leave home without it. I look at wearing hats as a survival requirement. In the winter I want the warmth to stay in. During the summer I want it out. I don't want to sunburn my bald head ever again. Skin cancer hurts when it's frozen off, and the shade is great. Sunglasses work better under a hat.

I don't look as dazzeling as the Duchess does, but
I bet she is striking standing in the garden.

    Everyone is different (thankfully), hat wearing is one of the differences. If you're like me and wear them all the time, or a person that never wears one, we are well advised to put one in our Emergency Responce kits. We  need one in a disaster situation.
    Are you a hat wearer? Love them or hate them I'd like to hear about it.

Thanks for reading jimandkate
emergencykitsplus.com

Sandbags

Rain has been falling throughout the state for the past few days, everywhere that is except where we live. The storms have gone around us, I'm not sure if that is called being lucky or not but that's the way things are. Skunkpuppy and I sat outside for a while this morning as is normal for us. She is continually looking over her shoulder making sure I haven't retreated to the house. I managed to video two Canadian Honkers on my neighbor's dock, they were in the wind and light drizzle. The dog was not interested in them which is odd for her, normally on her morning patrol every bird, squirrel, rabbit, and turkey is rushed away by her. I am of the opinion one of the geese took issue with being chased and had a head to head with her. None the less she's not messing with them any longer, as far as I'm concerned it's good.

Southern California received a considerable amount of rainfall as evidenced by the news reports and in the local paper. The Los Angelos river is full to the point of overcoming the walkways on each bank, normally it has very little water flowing through it.

Northern California has received rain as well, flooding has been reported in many areas around San Francisco. Further north in Butte County substantial rainfall has been reported also, as we recall the Campfire started in Butte County.

Tornado warnings were issued last night, one in Chowchilla in the Central Valley, and another North of Sacramento, these are rare events. Last week one touched down within 100 yards of my daughters home in Clovis. They have several acres which serve as the company lot for their tree trimming business. High winds and heavy seas as we would refer to nasty weather while out at sea.

Rain is forecast to continue for the next few days, we may still feel the impact as of now we are facing 2 mph winds and overcast skies. There is some snow on the Diablo Range, it's fairly commonplace usually it does not remain long. Flooding is not a threat here but sandbags are still being made available to us, so far they are needed throughout the state but not here.

Sandbags are heavy, some are really heavy, but not heavy enough for massive flows of water. One cubic yard of water weighs 1700 lbs (2000 k) six inches of flowing water is able to knock an adult over. To prevent the water rising to a space invading level that must be kept dry, most local governments will supply the bags and the sand, we supply the labor fill the bags. A mixture of 1:10 cement to sand is the recommended mix, however in a pinch, any soil will serve. Shovel the mixture into a burlap bag (it won't work with plastic bags) set the bags in place then wet with water, after drying it will form a semi-permanent barrier. Preparation can begin a few weeks prior to an anticipated event, caution is advised to keep the materials and full bags dry.

 Click here for emergency sandbagging construction.
   
When erecting a sandbag dike the sewed end of the 1/2 filled burlap bag must face into the flow otherwise the sand will be washed out. Lay the first course on a level surface, be sure while setting them to flatten the tops and sides. The first course of bags must be at a minimum 3 deep, the second 2 deep and the top course 1 bag deep. The height of the dike determines the depth of the first course of bags. A pyramid structure is very stable and will resist the pressure of the water when constructed properly. The completed sandbag dike should not be expected to direct flow higher than 2 feet, at that height, it will act as a dam if constructed properly. Set the bag, fold the open top under the body, aim the sewed end towards the flow, stack in a pyramid and your sandbag dike will work. However left in place the burlap will deteriorate over time, in most cases just a few weeks.

Proper construction aids strength. 

Don't use bales of straw or hay as a dike, they will merely wash away and water will permeate them. A temporary dike is meant to direct water, not totally dam it up, although it will work as a dam for a while. If a longer lasting dike is needed due to recurring flooding a more durable berm should be constructed. The permanent structure can be an elaborate cement wall or a hand dug ditch. The intent is to keep the water from invading the space you want to protect. Keeping in mind the basic intent and which way the water flows will able us to construct a good solid temporary or permanent flood control dike.

Well, this is a start, only 1,000 left to go. 

It is advisable once again as I normally do when talking about flood water, not to use it for anything, it is polluted and may be toxic. During a flood, the water flows through farm fields, roads, golf courses and all areas lower than where the water originates. Often sewer lines, sumps, and septic tanks back up and everything there rise to the top. If you come in contact with flood water, wash affected areas with hot soap and water. Wear rubber boots and rubber gloves, lift properly and dress warmly.

Thanks for reading and sharing, pay attention to the weather and if possible prepare early and practice building a dike. Thanks again.

Jacques Lebec  Natural Self-Reliance