As Dave indicated earlier today, Hurricane Irma is big, strong, and slowly on the move. Where she’s ultimately moving to, however, is not quite clear yet, but the forecast models are troubling. I wanted to just take a minute and remind everyone to make sure they have a properly stocked first aid kit. I’m in the process of stocking mine back up and will be done with that by the end of today, with the exception of the stuff that is coming via Amazon Prime in the next day or so. After consulting with my former teammate and aikido teaching partner who was a US Army medic, I use the Mayo Clinic’s list and then add a few things. The few things I add are carry overs from when I had to get certified in combat lifesaving before my deployment. So I add quick clot, other hemostatic products like Curad’s bloodstoop bandages, Israeli bandages, tourniquets, triangle bandages, chest seals, a 10 pack of glow sticks, things like that. This is the stuff I ordered from Amazon Prime, everything else I can get at the pharmacy.
Please make sure all of your rechargeable batteries are charged, non rechargeable batteries are still good to go, and if you’ve got larger battery backup for your essential devices, such as a CPAP, make sure they’re charged up too. And water! The Florida distaster prep* list that Dave linked to recommends a minimum of 1 gallon per day per person or pet for a minimum of 3 days supply.
Remember for the purposes of use: two is one and one is none. So I tend to keep at least two, if not three of everything on hand.
I would greatly appreciate it if our formally/properly medically trained readers and commenters would jump in and add anything I missed in the comments. Thanks!
Here’s the Mayo Clinic’s first aid kit list:
Basic supplies
- Adhesive tape
- Elastic wrap bandages
- Bandage strips and “butterfly” bandages in assorted sizes
- Nonstick sterile bandages and roller gauze in assorted sizes
- Eye shield or pad
- Triangular bandage
- Aluminum finger split
- Instant cold packs
- Cotton balls and cotton-tipped swabs
- Disposable nonlatex examination gloves, several pairs
- Duct tape
- Petroleum jelly or other lubricant
- Plastic bags, assorted sizes
- Safety pins in assorted sizes
- Scissors and tweezers
- Soap or hand sanitizer
- Antibiotic ointment
- Antiseptic solution and towelettes
- Eyewash solution
- Thermometer
- Turkey baster or other bulb suction device for flushing wounds
- Breathing barrier
- Syringe, medicine cup or spoon
- First-aid manual
Medications
- Aloe vera gel
- Calamine lotion
- Anti-diarrhea medication
- Laxative
- Antacids
- Antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine
- Pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and aspirin (never give aspirin to children)
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Cough and cold medications
- Personal medications that don’t need refrigeration
- Auto-injector of epinephrine, if prescribed by your doctor
Emergency items
- Emergency phone numbers, including contact information for your family doctor and pediatrician, local emergency services, emergency road service providers, and the poison help line, which in the United States is 800-222-1222.
- Medical consent forms for each family member
- Medical history forms for each family member
- Small, waterproof flashlight or headlamp and extra batteries
- Waterproof matches
- Small notepad and waterproof writing instrument
- Emergency space blanket
- Cell phone with solar charger
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellant
- Whistle
Stay frosty!
* For those of you who don’t live in Florida and want to follow the Florida disaster prep guidelines just to be safe please add the following item to the top of the lost: move to Florida before a disaster occurs.//
Gator90
There’s a lot to be said for life in Florida; I just can’t remember any of it right now.
Gozer
Negative. Life’s weird enough for me as it is. And that list has no booze.
debbie
This is scary and I’m nowhere near Florida.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
Some packs of nonperishable, easy to carry food, like breakfast bars, wouldn’t hurt either. A weather band radio would be an asset as well for when internet and cell services go down.
Jeffro
Oh like hell I will. Gators, guns, insanity, hurricanes, more gators, LOTS more insanity…pass.
(Although the only thing Virginia doesn’t have on that list is gators, I guess.)
Steeplejack
And don’t forget to hydrate!
Mike J
You have been backing up your computer, either online and/or to an external drive, right? Put your external drive in your go bag.
Mnemosyne
One thing they always mention for earthquake prep that I don’t see on your list: sturdy shoes or boots that will protect your feet from glass and other debris. This would seem to be good advice for hurricanes as well.
TenguPhule
Wait, what?
TenguPhule
@Gator90:
I thought it was “there’s a lot to be said for life in Florida, but all of it is unprintable”
Amaranthine RBG
Instead of the disposable mylar emergency blankets, get a couple of these: https://www.amazon.com/Grabber-Outdoor-127008-Weather-Blanket/dp/B000CSJWWW/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1504636455&sr=8-11&keywords=emergency+blanket
They actually last.
If you can’t put plywood over your windows, get masking tape to put on to minimize flying shards.
Small tarps to cover any windows you lose.
Of you have one, gas up and check your chainsaw in case you have to remove any fallen trees.
Get a tow rope for your car – you should have one anyway, they’re great for pulling down confederate statues.
Adam L Silverman
@Steeplejack: Well played!
Though I did mention the water requirements!
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?:
The radio doesn’t have to be, but would help, an emergency one that has a dynamo hand crank and a solar cell.
TenguPhule
I’m wondering how exactly these are used as substitutions of each other.
Kelly
If you can afford it I highly recommend a water purification system. We have two for wilderness travel. One is a hand pump MSR mini works with a ceramic filter. Takes maybe 5 minutes to clean a quart. Handy if you are on the move. ceramic filter is field cleanable and lasts for hundreds of gallons. We also have a gravity feed Katadyn filter. You fill and hang the bag and have 2 gallons of clean water in about a half hour. For really mucky water have several buckets. Allow the water to settle for a few hours then run through a paper coffee filter. This extends the life of your purification filters. We did this in the Grand Canyon when the Colorado muddied up.
Adam L Silverman
@TenguPhule: There is no point in doing Florida disaster prep unless you live in Florida. I’ll go back and ad sarc tags.
TaMara (HFG)
I always kept an earthquake kit in my car when I lived in LA. I’ve been lax since living here in CO – though, no matter the season there is winter gear and a first aid kit in my car.
And I always have sturdy shoes in my car – since I’m often wearing heals, to change into in case of car trouble or stopping to help with an accident.
TenguPhule
@Adam L Silverman:
You make it sound like Hawaii has never been hit by hurricanes before.
catclub
I am pretty sure I don’t want to have to use these.
Day after Katrina rolled through, chainsaw noise all over the place, keep repeating to yourself: “Today is a good day to NOT go to the emergency room.”
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@TenguPhule:
Is there a Hurricane headed for Hawaii right now? That’s the point.
catclub
@TenguPhule: Big plastic syringe (= small turkey baster) for shooting into the mouth.
ljdramone
@Jeffro: you forgot the FLYING COCKROACHES. Virginia’s bug menace is what, gypsy moths? Asian tiger mosquitoes? Florida has FLYING FRICKING COCKROACHES.
catclub
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: I prefer the radio with a giant battery – it is in the car dash.
Adam L Silverman
@TenguPhule: 1) I have no idea where you live. 2) The Pacific has cyclones. 3) Hurricanes are the physical effects of the Taino deity Juracan. 4) The Taino didn’t live in the Pacific.
TenguPhule
@catclub:
Ah, I did not think of that. All oral administration.
Adam L Silverman
@ljdramone: We put saddles on them and ride them around. Use them instead of ponies at kiddie birthday parties.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@catclub:
Too bad that one isn’t so portable when the car is submerged in flood waters.
TenguPhule
@ljdramone: And Pythons. And snakemouth fish. All of which will find new and exciting homes under storm conditions.
SNAKENADO!
The Moar You Know
@Mnemosyne: A million times this: glassproof boots, water, and clean socks are the most effective survival tools you can have.
I was pretty traumatized after Loma Prieta in 1989, and in no small part because I was directly on top of it. My wife makes fun of me for doing it, but ever since then I carry a fair amount of survival/emergency preparedness stuff in my car – several days water and dog food (I will do just fine for a few days with no food) shovel, saw, clothes, tools. And after the last massive blackout here, where the cell towers stopped working after a few hours, I went full prepper and got my ham radio license. Mobile rig, pre-programmed repeaters.
If the power’s going to be down for a week, a cell phone even with a solar charger isn’t going to cut it. But get licensed if you go this route. If you don’t know how it works you’ll just take down the last lime of comms for everyone.
ljdramone
@Adam L Silverman: Floridians also have to put up with rats that climb trees and live on your roof, right?
In scenic Baltimore, rats live in your basement or down the alley in your neighbor’s backyard like nature intended.
Kelly
@The Moar You Know: I carry rain gear and a warm layer on all my outings to make through the night if I’m stuck out unexpectedly. This only happened once, when I was 15. Made quite an impression. Recent events on Eagle Creek in the Columbia Gorge have reinforced my opinion.
Jeffro
PBO’s statement on DACA just went up…
The Moar You Know
Oh yes, also: you can’t think “three days and I’m good”. We were without electricity for 10 days and water for two weeks. And no way out of the county: literally every single in/out was blocked by landslides, and the terrain was/is far too mountainous to try offroading it out. Evacuees frequently cause the same road blockages because of course everyone flees at once. So you may be stuck for a while.
One thing you don’t want to do it store gasoline. Even with Stabil it’s unusable after 3 months under perfect conditions, and post-disaster, well, nothing is perfect. Keep the car filled up.
Butch
An emergency list should include provisions for pets, including one that isn’t mentioned – which is to know where they hide when they’re frightened (particularly true for cats). If it’s time critical you don’t want to be frantically searching for a pet.
The Moar You Know
@ljdramone: We have those fuckers in CA as well. Rats suck.
Major Major Major Major
I assumed part of the preparations for surviving a disaster in Florida would be not being in Florida.
Amaranthine RBG
@The Moar You Know:
Nah, with fuel stabilizers, it should be good for at least 6 months.
The commune I belonged to in the 90s rotated gas on a 9 month program and there was never any problem.
Gas that has “gone bad” will be darker and have a different smell than usable gas.
sam
Some lessons from my Hurricane Irene, Sandy and NYC blackout experiences – (apartment dwelling specific) – first, at the recommendation of a friend, instead of more flashlights, get a few LED lanterns. Flashlights are obviously useful and necessary, but if you’re basically camping out at home for a day or two post-storm without electricity, Lanterns are SO much more comfortable/convenient to use than flashlights.
I normally keep one of those giant britta filtered water tanks on my counter (it doesn’t fit in my fridge), and I make sure it’s filled to the top, and I fill ALL of my water bottles with filtered water before hand. In NYC, they always recommend also filling your bathtub with water before any storm hits – both so you have additional potentially drinkable water (we have relatively good water in NYC), but also so that you can manually refill your toilet tank with water if the need arises – toilets will continue to flush with water in the tank, but the tanks won’t refill if you live above a certain floor because the pumps need electricity to defeat gravity at a certain point. (also, it’s really funny to see your cat try to stop in mid-air when she realizes that the “empty” tub she loves to jump in is actually filled with water).
Lastly, if you have a gas stove with an “electric start”, pull out the manual or google your stove model – while the electric start needs electricity to ignite the stove (normally a safety feature to avoid the whole ‘continually burning pilot lite’ thing), there is a way to bypass this with matches/a lighter if you need to, so you can still cook hot food.
Ghost of Joe Lieblings Dog
I’d like to ask whether anyone here knows how / where a person might get some solid training that goes a bit beyond the one-day Advanced First Aid / CPR / AED course. (Long ago I had a Red Cross “Wilderness First Aid“ course that must have been 10-12 weeks, one night a week … that’s the sort of length and scope I’m thinking of.)
With kind regards,
Dog, etc.
Millard Filmore
A good web site to keep track of all major storms in the northern Atlantic and Pacific is:
https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/storminfo/
Elizabelle
My nephew in the Coast Guard is evacuating his Florida Keys residence. Everyone out for Category 5.
JPL
@sam: Someone mentioned this item yesterday..
https://www.amazon.com/WaterBOB-Emergency-Drinking-Storage-Gallons/dp/B001AXLUX2
JPL
@Elizabelle: Hope they are safe while evacuating.
Steeplejack
@Adam L Silverman:
You did mention acquiring the water, but I thought it was important to stress the other side of the equation. Just following what Command Master Sarge says!
JMG
Winter storms account for the most damage here in Eastern Mass. So to add to that list, I always move a whole bunch of wood from the woodpile to the screen porch if a storm is coming. Losing power in the cold is very bad news if it lasts more than a day or so, but I know how to cook in the fireplace.
Betty Cracker
@Elizabelle: Poor thing will be in a nasty traffic jam unless he’s leaving by boat! Hope he stays safe.
Ruviana
@TaMara (HFG): Heels. Heels! This one makes me crazy so I had to mention it even before reading the rest of the thread./Pedant.
Ohio Mom
@TenguPhule: Plastic syringes are good for squirting liquid medicine down the throats of squirmy and uncooperative toddlers (are there any other kind?).
Aim for the back of the throat and they end up swallowing it before they know what is going on. At least that is the theory.
I have to add, my knowledge of first aid procedures is prett scant. I am not sure I would know what to do with half the things on that list, especially if I couldn’t use Google to guide me.
Elizabelle
@Betty Cracker:
@JPL:
Thanks. Will keep you posted. They are heading to Orlando. This is nephew’s first big hurricane; he just finished training this spring or late summer.
Betty Cracker
This will be my first hurricane with a fish tank. Anyone got good tips? I’ve had to aerate the water by hand before during long power outages triggered by lesser storms, which is a pain in the ass. Can you use those bubble tablets that folks use for bait buckets with fresh water tropical fish? I’m guessing no, but I’m not sure.
Adam L Silverman
@Steeplejack: Carry on then.
Jeffro
Um…PBO’s statement on DACA just went up 20 minutes ago…
Kristine
@Ghost of Joe Lieblings Dog: NOLS offers courses. I took a two-day through REI, but they offer more in-depth training as well: https://www.nols.edu/en/courses/wilderness-medicine/
Some of the more in-depth courses require travel.
dmsilev
@Jeffro:
Sigh. I miss him.
Elizabelle
I wonder if rebuilding from these storms will be as good as stimulus spending; if we’re going to see an economic boost out of this, in the relatively short run?? Seems like it would be a lot of jobs, and supply chain …
SiubhanDuinne
What are “Israeli bandages” and how are these bandages different from all other bandages?
catclub
@TenguPhule:
I remembered without looking it up: Hurricane Iniki!
being an island, hurricanes that pass by Hawaii hit nothing, so there are probably many of those in the Pacific.
Amaranthine RBG
@Betty Cracker:
You can buy pressurized tanks that release oxygen into the water without having to use electricity. There are also battery operated pumps for under $100.
There’s also this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-frYe_WPxMc
A Ghost To Most
I have two backup power sources that I keep charged. One, a Goal Zero, I can charge from a portable 100w suitcase solar panel in 5-6 hours.
Spanky
@Betty Cracker: Get one of these suckers (I have one in each car). Note the 120V outlets. Don’t know how much current your pump pulls, but this should keep it going a few hours on a full charge.
Roger Moore
Not on the list but undoubtedly a good thing to have in an emergency kit: diversions to help you pass the time. It’s likely you’re going to spend a lot of time cooped up waiting for stuff to happen. A deck of playing cards- waterproof would be helpful- or something similar you can wile away the time with is going to help you keep your sanity. Multiply the importance several fold if you’re going to have children around.
catclub
@Elizabelle:
Short answer is basically: No. Reconstruction just moves activity around, does not increase activity much. Something about opportunity cost.
TenguPhule
@Elizabelle:
Trump is deporting the workers and getting into trade disputes with our material suppliers.
danielx
Only potential upside to Irma hitting Florida: sweet narcissist tears when Mar A Lago gets converted to landfill material.
TenguPhule
@catclub:
We dodged nine last year.
This year has been better so far. But we still have 3 months till the season ends.
gvg
@Betty Cracker: there are battery operated air pumps. I think fishing stores sell them for bait. repouring the water from high up does the best manual airation. longer time falling picks up more air and carries it deeper in the tank. I didn’t lose power long when I had tanks but I don’t miss that worry. Also keeping reef tanks cool involved floating frozen 2 liters, 1 per day.
Kelly
A threaded plastic bucket lid turns a plastic 5 gallon bucket into a watertight crush resistant easy to carry container.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Encore-Plastics-12-in-White-Plastic-Bucket-Lid/50094688
I use these on raft trips, plenty sturdy.
gvg
@catclub: I think that is incorrect assuming the government does spend.
What I have been wondering is about banks. Houston area is a lot of real estate wiped out. No flood insurance because it wasn’t mostly flood areas means I think a lot of people are going to walk away leaving the banks with bad loans. that has a lot of bad potential. In addition the insurance companies are going to decide where they will reinsure. the fact that Texas doesn’t do zoning or permits means they had hazards like chemical plants next to residences. I can see the insurance companies saying start zoning and enforcing safety or we won’t insure anyones house. The no zoning lax safety regs is stupid and self destructive and has to add to the damage cost.
NoraLenderbee
@SiubhanDuinne:
*delight*
jl
@Elizabelle:
” I wonder if rebuilding from these storms will be as good as stimulus spending; if we’re going to see an economic boost out of this, in the relatively short run?? Seems like it would be a lot of jobs, and supply chain …”
No, not as good. We get a temporary fiscal stimulus out of disaster relief due to a sudden rush of spending. But the spending is to replace and repair wrecked stuff. A good stimulus spending bill would create new wealth, rather replace lost wealth. Over longer term than a few years, we would be better off if the hurricane had not hit major economic centers or agricultural areas, and we could spend the money on a net increase in capital stock.
Economically, a lot of disaster relief spending is more like spending to maintain a sudden and unusually large depreciation in capital stock. Which is why it is silly to bicker over spending offsets to that kind of government expenditure, or at least most of it. Conventional national income and product accounting used for government expenditure doesn’t make the distinction between the two.
Edit: sometimes good economists like Krugman, DeLong or Stiglitz talk up the economic advantages of fiscal stimulus from disaster relief spending, and make the point that it is helpful and that offsets in other fed spending areas should not be required. But they are implicitly comparing to the horrible awful no good status quo of harmful reactionary and bad faith GOP macroeconomic policy.
trollhattan
NOAA Hurricane Hunters have a Twitter account with airborne pics from Irma’s eye.
Top sustained winds of 185mph? Mama-mia!
La Caterina (Mrs. Johannes)
@gvg: The banks will get bailed out, but not the homeowners. Many loans are now held by hedge funds that bought ’em pretty cheap during and after the 2008 crash.
/foreclosure atty
chris
President Obama: https://www.facebook.com/barackobama/
ruckus
@Mnemosyne:
When everything in the house achieved ground level during the last big one, everything breakable, became that way. That included everything in the refrigerator. So you want non breakable dishes and cups and food that doesn’t need refrigeration as well.
jl
@catclub:
” Short answer is basically: No. Reconstruction just moves activity around, does not increase activity much. Something about opportunity cost. ”
That is only true if economic is close to full employment. That is a tricky issue right now. Unemployment rate says we are close to that. But prime age employment to population ratio says we are not. To extend at we below full employment, some of disaster relief spending will do more than shuffle the time and place money is spent.
Mnemosyne
@ruckus:
I saw your email late last night, so I responded back.
When Northridge hit, I was living in a crappy bachelor apartment in Culver City (not even a single!) so I didn’t have any dishes to lose. My books got flung pretty far, tho.
TenguPhule
@ruckus:
Paper or plastic.
MomSense
@SiubhanDuinne:
You are absolutely brill, SD.
Aleta
Thanks Adam.
I keep a kit where I work in the summer where there are no drs or med facilities, and lots of power outages. Two things: An accurate thermometer has mattered a lot sometimes, and the drugstore digital thermometers stop working fairly quickly, so I try to have an unused one or two every year in case.
This year I got some some waterproof solar lights that are lightweight and store flat, very quick to inflate. Will float, and have low, high and flash settings. The specs seem to be changing, but the ones I got fully charged in 6-7 hours to 65 lumen (were usable before then) and lasted around 10 hr. (Newer ones supposedly last 12-24 hr, charge in 8.) Nicely bright and I could read on high. They have charge indicators, and one type has a setting for an sos pattern flash. They cost $15-20 on their site, but the mailing list brings discounts. Called Luci inflatable solar lights.
Sawgrass Stan
Okayyyyyyy… got the First Aid list. I have band-aids and disinfectants, the rest not too much. Local Publix mkt. ran out of water at 10am, local TV now showing completely bare shelves. local Home Depot says it will be getting more plywood at 6pm, sold out now. Been thru hurricanes all my life, but you’re never really prepared. Tentative plans for a big post-Irma BBQ with all the meat from the freezer when the power goes out, a la Wilma in ’05. I remember that hurricanes were kind of fun when I was a kid; as an adult, not so much. Got our supplies, but sitting around in 100-degree heat for two weeks was the worst last time. Hope that it’s the worst this time.
catclub
@jl: I liked you answer further up better:
[and replacing wrecked stuff is just bringing you back up to where you were]
catclub
@Sawgrass Stan:
we had no electricity but we still had water. So, shower in the dark, stand naked in the dark and let water evaporate off. As cool as it got those days.
ruckus
@Mnemosyne:
Saw that this morning. Sounds about right. I have to look and see what time we need/want to be there. I don’t think we need to be there all that early, OTOH when do you want to be there?
Origuy
@Ghost of Joe Lieblings Dog: If you’re in Northern California, Foster Calm does several different training sessions. I took the Wilderness First Aid class, which was 16 hours over two days. The Advanced course is 40 hours, and the Wilderness First Responder is 80 hours, a lot of which is practice, practice, practice. The first day of the two day course is all about spinal protocol, as a major class of wilderness injuries is falls.
jacy
Having survived Katrina, I can attest to the usefulness of a solar cell phone charger. Also, lots of big, sturdy insulated coolers. Also make sure every pet has a collar with your info, even if said pet is always indoors. Know where your shut-off valves for gas and water are.
jacy
Another helpful hint we used when we ran out of battery power at night — you can make really good sconces with aluminum pie plates, some little rocks or gravel and solo cups. put a taper in, and you get lots of good reflection to play games at a table. This was really important for the kids, who got freaked out when we didn’t have any lights. And we had lots of jigsaw puzzles for the long days when we were stuck.
debbie
@dmsilev:
And there you have it. Republicans are not decent people.
Roger Moore
@catclub:
Slightly longer answer: it will only provide a real stimulus if the economy is depressed. If there were lots of construction workers looking for jobs, something that created work for them would be a stimulus. If there’s already plenty of work for them, creating more work will just move them from one job to another.
SiubhanDuinne
@NoraLenderbee:
@MomSense:
Aw, thanks, you both :-)
But it was a serious question — I’ve never heard of an “Israeli bandage” before this, and just wondered if it’s perhaps a new (to me) term for something I’m familiar with under another name.
a thousand flouncing lurkers (was fidelio)
@SiubhanDuinne: Here you are! It sounds like a highly specialized bandage of applying direct pressure, without requiring someone to manually apply pressure–the bandage will do all the work once it’s applied.
SiubhanDuinne
@a thousand flouncing lurkers (was fidelio):
Thank you! Very interesting history!
Keith G
@SiubhanDuinne:
You can’t use them after Friday sunset.
Art
A few additions based upon general knowledge and Florida experience for your consideration:
Medications –
Calcium carbonate tablets – double down on digestive aides because everyone is nervous, missing sleep, and food and water are not likely to be what everyone is used to:
Generic Tums, big bottles for big kits, small rolls for small kits. Treats sour stomach, indigestion, acid buildup. Cheap, safe and they are good for you. In a pinch kids treat them as candy if you get he flavored ones.
Pepto, generic is fine, MOM, and loperamide are sure to be used.
Keep a supply of aspirin handy for heart attacks. According to MD friends they can buy you time and can make a big difference in outcomes. Also my preferred headache relief. A small travel packet is cheap and light.
IMHO the most versatile medication is diphenhydramine, Benadryl. Allergy relief, sleep aide, for motion sickness, and from a capsule scissored open, a topical anesthetic. Add a few drops of water and it is helpful paste for insect bites. One hundred generic capsules goes for a couple of bucks.
Protection from insects – Florida is full of crawlies. After any major rain and flooding it is even worse. Mosquitoes, gnats, horseflies, houseflies, and no-seeums will get in your face and drive you nuts. I have seen grown men cry out of frustration:
A cheap head net over a cap can save your sanity, 2$ at the big box. Get a dozen and make friends.
Repellent is necessary, get the good stuff. 100% DEET is the gold standard and what I use. More modern, and less toxic, stuff may be available and useful but I go for what I know.
A couple of fogger cans can make an area a safe zone for a time.
A small amount of Dawn, or other good detergent, mix with water and applied a spray bottle is what you need for sinking fire ant rafts and getting the ants off people.
Gear-
Cheap polyester stretch work gloves with latex reinforced palms, $10 for a dozen, are handy at preventing injuries as people dig through the wreckage.
Any open flame can be problematic but a cheap hurricane lantern and some lamp oil or kerosene gives just enough light to comfort people. I don’t know as it really works but citronella oil might keep some of the bugs away. Funny how people gathered around a $10 lantern. Kids seemed a little calmer. YMMV.
Get lots of triangle bandages and/or bandannas. They are unlimited in their versatility. You can use them as ties to splint a limb. As a sling. As a makeshift tourniquet. As a hat and drape to keep the sun and insects off your head. Field expedient footwear. One young lady, lacking a shirt, made a fetching top for herself. Possibilities are limitless.
Stock up on trash bags. You can’t have too many. The thicker ones are like gold. Tote, rain-wear, waterproof storage, tarp. A bit of light line and couple of wads of cloth or acorns (anything rounded and substantial), they go into the bottom corners to give you something to tie to, converts a trash bag into a backpack. You can do the same with a pillow case. This can be a handy way of carrying your first-aide kit and keep your hands free. Last big event a neighbor, desperate but inspired, double bagged his laptop and PC. He lost his monitor and peripherals but still had all his data and information even though both units were under water for a day and abandoned for a week.
Paper towels are handy. They are often the only clean surface for miles. Have a large supply and bag them up so they stay dry. A bit of paper towel and some duct tape makes a durable bandage. Cheap paper towels are okay, but the best value are the reinforced ones.
Good list, thanks, hadn’t thought about this stuff for a long time.
Mnemosyne
Oh, and one kinda morbid thing I learned in my basic first aid class: NEVER try to remove a foreign body from someone (ie a piece of glass, a chunk of wood, etc). You could very well do far more damage by removing it than if you leave it in place. Stabilize it so it doesn’t move and seek medical attention immediately.
SiubhanDuinne
@Keith G:
*Snort.*
PIGL
@debbie: No, they’re really not. They used to respect social norms which allowed them to assume the guise of decency, a glamour, as it were. But they have broken the spell.
Gravenstone
@catclub: For a sucking chest wound, apply plastic wrap about 2″ larger in all dimensions than the wound. Tape only three of the four sides down. That way the plastic pulls against the wound when they inhale, but allows any air in the chest cavity to escape when they exhale. Not as fancy as Adam’s chest seals, but it’ll work in a pinch.
Gravenstone
@Ghost of Joe Lieblings Dog: Maybe see if you can get a first responder medical course from your local technical or community college. That’s the level of training for most volunteer ambulance services. Long ago I was trained to that level for my work response team (chemical plant). They made a change to focus only on a cadre of the team having that training rather than the majority, so I haven’t been certified in about 15 years, but I still keep the training at hand.
Art
A little late, and not strictly first-aide, but I’ll leave this last tip based upon experience in Florida:
After the rain and wind the sun comes out. In normal times people spend the vast majority of their time in air conditioned indoor spaces. After the storm you might not have ‘indoors’ to go to. But far before things are that bad power is likely to be out so lights, air conditioning, TV, and internet are likely out. Which means people are going to spend a whole lot more time outdoors. I’ve mentioned bugs, it is hard to overestimate the discomfort they inflict, but Florida is also The Sunshine State and pasty-white people used to living in well shaded climate-controlled environments are going to be facing something they had forgotten about.
Florida is a semi-tropical area. The sunlight and UV radiation, because the sunshine comes at you through less atmosphere due to the latitude, is much more dangerous at ground level. I have seen many really bad, dangerous to the point of needing medical help, sunburns when frog-belly-white folks get out into the Florida sunshine. The sun down here is vicious.
If possible maintain a stock of clothing appropriate to the conditions. Light, loose, long-sleeve, natural fiber clothing is the way to go. Wide brimmed hats and sunglasses are handy. Sunblock lotions are good but, given that it may be weeks before things return to normal, you are going to need a lot of it if you are protecting large parts of many bodies. Appropriate clothing is the better bargain.
Cover the places everyone forgets: Tops of bald heads, noses, tops of feet. Sunburn can sicken and kill. But long before that they can debilitate and make you miserable.
Loose and natural fiber clothing.
Sunblock and zinc oxide creme.
Sunglasses.
Wide-brimmed hats.
Tarps and some way of erecting them as a sun shelter. This will also help avoid heat exhaustion.
Be safe. Be careful. Be prepared.