We were reminded today that even tropical islands must be prepared.

Federal authorities today issued a natural disaster designation for Hawai’i County due to ongoing drought conditions.
The designation clears the way for affected ranchers and farmers to apply for federal relief.

According to the National Weather Service, Extreme Drought conditions persist in the South Kohala and portions of the Hamakua District of Hawai’i Island.

Hydrologist Kevin Kodama noted in a recent advisory that pastures and general vegetation over most of the district were in very poor condition causing an ongoing concern for brush fires. (Read the original article.)

During this time of year, winter snow storms are a large reality. Winter snow storms can cause major power outages in your home. If you aren’t lucky enough to have an alternative power source, having an extended power outage can be dangerous.

Hypothermia is a major concern for peoples exposed to cold temperatures during a winter storm. Over 700 deaths from hypothermia are recorded each year in the United States.

Here are a few tips to beat a winter storm. You’ll be surprised how much help a simple cardboard box can be to keep you warm:

Keep core warm
You’ll need to start by keeping your core body warm. Try to insulate against  the cold, putting on extra layers to ensure that your body stays warm and your internal organs continue to function.

In extreme situations, even items like plastic bags or pieces of cardboard can be stuffed in your clothing to protect against the cold. (Please do not choose this option over a nice winter coat.)

Try not to work up a sweat
You might be tempted to move around a lot to work up a sweat. However, in the cold, your body will be using more calories to generate heat. Working up a sweat can throw that balance off and make the situation worse.

Be smart in the activities you’re doing in the cold too. There are often reports of people who have heart attacks when shoveling snow.

This happens when people who are more used to channel surfing than exercise, leap from their couches and start lifting 40-pound heaps of snow. This kind of sudden increase in activity isn’t a good thing if you aren’t in shape. If you need to clear your driveway, get help from a young neighbor. If not, go slow and steady, taking breaks as often as you need. (Read the original article.)

The two main stages of frostbite and its symptoms are:

• Superficial frostbite – numbness, tingling, burning, itching. The skin looks frozen white and retains firmness when pressed.

• Deep frostbite – increased and eventual loss of sensation, swelling, blood blisters. The skin is yellowish and hard and can appear blackened and dead.

To treat frostbite, move to a warm area as soon as you can and elevate the affected area. Remove any restricted clothing or jewelry to keep from further inhibiting the flow of blood. Thawing should be performed by a doctor, so get to a hospital as soon as you can. If you can’t get to a doctor warm the area quickly in water between 104-107 degrees Fahrenheit (40-42 degrees Celsius). This will be a painful process, but necessary to save your digits (Read the original article.)

With a food supply for The Ready Store, you’ll be rest-assured that your food is giving you enough calories and doesn’t taste like a cardboard box.

With the Super Bowl coming up on Sunday, we wanted to pass a recipe that you can test out for the big day using your food storage items.

Hearty Meat Nachos

• Saratoga Farms Ground Beef (the amount is up to you)

• 1 can (16 ounces) Saratoga Farms Dehydrate Refried Beans

• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

• 1/2 cup Saratoga Farms Diced White Onions

• 1 envelope of taco seasoning, about 1 ounce

• 1 cup of Saratoga Farms Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

• 1 bag of plain tortilla chips

Instructions

Prepare ground beef with taco seasoning. (If you don’t want to spend time mixing the both, you can substitute Saratoga Farms Taco Mix TVP.) Prepare food storage items separately as required. Add all ingredients but the cheese and tortilla chips. Let simmer for 10-12 minutes. While it’s simmering, pour the chips into a casserole dish. Spread the mixture over the chips, sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top and place in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

(Nacho recipe serves 4.)

• Saratoga Farms Bacon Potato Chowder
• Mountain House Beef Stew
• Saratoga Farms Creamy Tortilla Soup
• Mountain House Vegetable Stew with Beef
• Mountain House Chili Mac
• Add MRE Cornbread Stuffing on the side.

Dessert

• Mountain House Raspberry Crumble
• Mountain House Blueberry Cheesecake
• Saratoga Farms Ice Cream Sandwiches

Here at The Ready Store’s headquarters, we’ve had a pretty mild winter. We’ve had some light snowfalls but we’ve gotten enough to have a descent skiing season in the Utah mountains.

While we’re having a lax in snowfall, Global Warming scientists are scratching their head because parts of Europe have been experiencing record low temperatures and huge amounts of snow and ice.

Officials reported 20 more deaths from the cold in Ukraine and nine more in Poland, bringing the overall toll from a week of frigid weather in Eastern Europe to 112.

Emergency crews were working overtime across the region as temperatures sank to minus 26.5 F. (Read the Fox News article.)

In other parts of Europe, thousands of people have been trapped in the snow.

At least 11,000 villagers have been trapped by heavy snow and blizzards in Serbia’s mountains, authorities said Thursday …

The harshest winter in decades has seen temperatures in some regions dropping to minus 30 C (minus 22 F) and below, and has caused power outages, traffic chaos and the widespread closure of schools, nurseries and airports.

The stranded in Serbia are stuck in some 6,500 homes in remote areas that cannot be reached due to icy, snow-clogged roads with banks reaching up to 5 meters (16 feet). Emergency crews were pressing hard to try to clear the snow to deliver badly needed supplies, and helicopters were dispatched to some particularly remote areas in Serbia and neighboring Bosnia. (Read the Chicago Sun Times article.)

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who are caught in the middle of this snow storm. The Red Cross has already sent aid to the effected parts of Europe. If you would like to donate to help their cause, please visit the International Red Cross website. The emergency funds will be used to increase their support in temporary shelters which have been set up in both countries.

I know this sounds like it’s straight out of a movie, but it’s not. Reportedly, there is a bacteria that has started spreading across parts of the United States and the United Kingdom that eats your flesh!

Potentially deadly strains of MRSA that are easily passed between people outside of hospitals are increasing in the UK, experts said today.

Extra vigilance was required around MRSA strains, including USA300, which has spread across the US and is now seen in the UK, says Dr Ruth Massey of the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Bath.

USA300 is a deadly strain of the superbug which can lead to a flesh-eating form of pneumonia, and passes easily through skin-to-skin contact.

It is resistant to treatment by several front-line antibiotics and can cause large boils on the skin. In severe cases, USA300 can lead to fatal blood poisoning or a form of pneumonia that can eat away at lung tissue.(Read the full Huffington Post article.)

The specialists however, are mentioning a few ways that people can avoid transfer of the bug.

They can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and hugging as well as sneezing and coughing.

One strain, called USA300, can lead to blood poisoning or a form of pneumonia that eats away at lung tissue.

The bacteria are usually resistant to several types of antibiotics and can cause large boils on the skin…

Prof Williams added: ‘If you’re on a crowded tube or bus and you sneeze you can spread the bacteria.

‘But your sneeze can also land on a metal surface and when someone else gets up from their seat and steadies themselves on the hand rail they can catch it.’

However, MRSA was also prevalent in the nose and the hair so might be spread by scratching the head and then shaking hands, he said. (Read the Metro UK article.)

The good news is that there has only been 150 – 200 reported cases of USA300 per year over the last three years in the UK.

When you find a good deal on something that you normally eat, buy a case of it. Store it and use it. It won’t take long before you’re only eating on sale items. Now you only need to buy the fresh stuff. Keep building your food storage by looking for food that is on sale. You’re now saving 30%-60% on your groceries. Use that money to reinvest in your food storage. (Read the original article.)

I know one family put #10 cans in cases on their sides behind the couch. The couches were a generous distance from the wall, but they did not worry about that.  You can also make bedside tables, end tables beside the couches and a coffee table with cases of food and cover them with a cloth to match your decor. You could buy an inexpensive tablecloth or sheets and cut them up to fit over these.  Also in closets, if you hang all the short clothes like pants and shirts on one side, you can fit some food storage underneath.  Put a board on top if you need to put shoes also in that space. (Read more of Leslie Probert’s articles.)

Communication is one of the most important things during an emergency. If can provide you peace of mind and help you to know what to expect moving forward.

Before an emergency
If you know that a natural disaster is coming, make sure that your phone is all charged up. TechnoBuffalo – a technology outlet, recommends that you leave phones plugged in during an emergency unless it’s a thunderstorm. If there is some type of surge, you don’t want your phone to get zapped too. (Read the TechnoBuffalo article.)

It’s also very helpful to prepare other members of your family before an emergency on how to communicate. Collect a list of emergency contacts and make sure that you and your children have the list in your phones.

Talk to your children, and designate, an emergency contact person. It’s preferred that it be someone outside of your regional area. If you have family that live in another state, they would make great emergency contacts.

During an emergency
If your family has a plan, they should only have to communicate to tell you that they are OK and they will meet you in the emergency spot. The Federal Communication Commission recommends the following points:

• Limit non-emergency phone calls. This will minimize network congestion, free up “space” on the network for emergency communications and conserve battery power if you are using a wireless phone;
• Keep all phone calls brief. If you need to use a phone, try to use it only to convey vital information to emergency personnel and/or family;
• For non-emergency calls, try text messaging, also known as short messaging service (SMS) when using your wireless phone. In many cases text messages will go through when your call may not. It will also help free up more “space” for emergency communications on the telephone network;
• If possible try a variety of communications services if you are unsuccessful in getting through with one. For example, if you are unsuccessful in getting through on your wireless phone, try a messaging capability like text messaging or email. Alternatively, try a landline phone if one is available. This will help spread the communications demand over multiple networks and should reduce overall congestion;



• Wait 10 seconds before redialing a call. On many wireless handsets, to re-dial a number, you simply push “send” after you’ve ended a call to redial the previous number. If you do this too quickly, the data from the handset to the cell sites do not have enough time to clear before you’ve resent the same data. This contributes to a clogged network;
• If in your vehicle, try to place calls while your vehicle is stationary; (Read the original article.)

Charging
Imagine you are lost in the forest and your cellphone battery just died. There are a number of items that could help you out in this situation. There are a number of flashlights/radios in the industry that have charging inputs. You can purchase a handcrank flashlight/radio or purchase solar panels. The handcrank is the cheaper solution (but the solarpanels will make you feel like a Jedi!).

Winter storms have been dropping tons of snow quickly across the northern United States this last week. Cities in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania received blankets of snow in short amount of time.

With inclement weather being a real danger at this time of year, we want you to be prepared in case of an emergency at home or while you’re on the road. Car kits can be very helpful in case you get stuck in bad weather or are stuck away from your home for a time.

Here are a few things that you should use when creating an emergency kit for your car:

The first thing that you’ll want to take care of is your basic needs – water, food and warmth.

Water. Water is going to be important in the winter and in the summer heat. It’s important that you pack enough water for each family member. Obviously, you’re not going to be packing a 50 gallon water tank in the back of your car. You’ll want to pack your water supply in pouches or small water bottles. We recommend a narrow water container that can take up limited room in your car.

Food. You probably can’t pack enough food in your car to live off of for a long time. You’ll want to pack foods that are small and compact. Consider purchasing some MRE meals if you live in cooler parts of the United States. Temperatures above 100 F (38 C) can shorten the shelf life of your MRE. If you live in a hotter part of the United States, consider purchasing Calorie Food Bars.

Warmth. If your car breaks down, you won’t be able to use the car’s system for warmth. You can use an emergency blanket – they usually fold up to a pocket-size pouch. It’s also smart to include a few ponchos in case you need to walk in the rain or snow.

Lights. Include flashlights and flares in the kit. There are a number of cool flashlights and emergency lights that you can put in the kit. There are some that prop-up and can sit on top of your car to indicate an emergency. Consumer Report recommends that you “choose one that is bright and weatherproof. In addition, a flashlight with a magnet, flexible mounting system, or a stand will free up your hands for other tasks. Also, have extra batteries and a bulb available.” (Read the Consumer Report article.)

Flares can be used to signal a passing car that you need help or to indicate your location. Don’t ever use them as lights inside your car.

First Aid Kit. A first aid kit is always a good idea and you’ll never regret having one inside your car.

Tools. Be sure to include some basic tools that you can tighten or loosen items on your car. It’s also important to include tow ropes, jumper cables, a shovel and some sand in case you get stuck. Also consider including a pocket knife and a compass.

Gloves. This always comes in handy. Imagine if you’re headed to a fancy event and you have to get under the hood on your way there. Gloves are a great way to keep yourself clean or to be able to grab onto hot things if you need.

Radio and Batteries. Be prepared with backup batteries in case you find your batteries have run out. If you have the means, a radio is a great purchase. There are a few two-way radios that would really come in handy – including radios that have solar panel inlets and phone charging outlets.