Prospector Ranch’s Tips on Emergency Preparedness

Picture by Natalia Radcliffe

~ Natalia Radcliffe ~

Recently here in Southern California, we were hit with a tropical storm that was the result of Hurricane Hillary forming over the Pacific Ocean. 

We were being warned we would be hit with strong winds, and torrential rain. It was looking to be quite the rainstorm to hit Southern California in a while. 

So, we prepared for the worst, and hoped for the best. We made sure to add extra bedding for the horse stalls and that the drainage in the area, and on the ranch in general, was cleared. We have a new Safari Tent that we put extra tie downs on in case of high winds. 

And, thankfully, at least here at Prospector Ranch, we were spared from an immense downpour of rain and high winds. In fact, it wasn’t really windy at all here, and we had less than 24 hours of rain. 

But, we got a small surprise during that stormy Sunday we never expected: an earthquake!

Yes, while Mother Nature was dumping inches and inches of rain onto Southern California, we had a small earthquake, that, though it was not a large one, could still be significantly felt. What a coincidence is that? 

In spite of both a storm and earthquake happening on the same day, the best case scenario seemed to happen for us, and we’re grateful the damage was minimal. 

However, events like this remind us of how important it is to be prepared for an emergency, whether it’s a storm, an earthquake, or some other kind of natural disaster or unexpected adversity. 

So, this week, we leave you with 3 tips on being prepared for the unexpected!

1) Always make sure to have some non-perishable food items stocked.

If the power goes out, and, especially on top of that, you’re unable to travel to a store to get food, it’s a good idea to have some non-perishable food items in stock in your house so you can have food for a few days if you need. Canned foods are a great example of non-perishable sustenance that last for a while in your pantry, so you don’t have to worry about restocking them often. 

2) Have working flashlights on hand.

Working flashlights are always useful to have, especially if the power goes out due to an earthquake or storm (or sometimes on a particularly hot summer day). Make sure to regularly change the batteries in your flashlights so you know you will always have power if you need it. There are also devices that plug into an outlet which act as both a movement-sensitive night light, and a flashlight when the power goes out. These can be really useful in addition to flashlights, especially if it’s dark when the power goes out, as they automatically turn on when power is extinguished.

3) Have extra water on hand.

Having at least a week’s worth of water on hand is always a good idea. We can go without food for a while, but we cannot survive without water. If it’s between water and food, humans will die quicker without water than without food. With that being said, it’s always a good idea to have some bottled water in stock that you can use if the water stops working and/or you’re unable to get to the store due to damage from a storm or earthquake, for example. Many stores have regular sales on bottled water, and it lasts for a while, so you won’t have to worry about replacing it all the time. If there is a Costco near you, they currently have some good deals on a six pack of one gallon waters. 

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