FEMA says - Get a Survival Kit - Eskom may collapse this winter

SA Public Enterprise Minister warns of tough winter
Saturday, March 23, 2013 at 04:08pm

South Africans should brace themselves for what could be the most difficult winter as electricity supply remained constrained, the Public Enterprise Minister Malusi Gigaba said on Saturday.

“We need to worry about how we are going to go through this winter,” Gigaba said.

“We need to change our behaviour... instead of using heaters people should rather use blankets.”

Source: IOL News

Eskom issues warning on power supply
March 18 2013 at 10:38pm


South Africa’s power utility Eskom said on Monday that available spare supply on its electricity network had fallen to just over one percent of total capacity due to a sharp increase in unplanned outages.

The available capacity includes gas-fired emergency reserves.

The tiny difference between peak demand and available capacity brings Eskom close to the tight margins that led to rolling blackouts that hit Africa's largest economy in early 2008.

While there are no rolling blackouts planned for now, Eskom has asked consumers to cut demand to ease strain on the system.

Source: Business report

Get a Survival Kit

FEMA served up a public service announcement suggesting that we all get a survival kit, in case our ‘world is turned upside down’.

I wonder if they know something…

Get a Kit
Make a Plan
Stay Informed

The following is a pretty good basic list of items for a survival kit, based on recommendations from ready.gov.

NO survival kit is the perfect kit for everyone, but ANY survival kit is better than none.

These kits can be tailored for a wide variety of needs and use-case scenarios. The contents are simply up to you. You should consider having one in your car (commonly referred to as a 72 hour kit to get you from point A to point B during an emergency or disaster), or at home as a ‘bug out bag’, at work, while you travel (vacation?), or other places/locations where you spend time away from home.

If you don’t already have one, consider getting started. At least think about it.

Once you’ve put one together, you will probably find yourself adjusting it from time to time. It is a good idea to consider the seasons and adjust the contents for that. Keep in mind expiration dates for food and medicines, and replenish or replace when necessary.

Again, this is a recommended list from FEMA including the following items…

Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Survival Kit:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• Local and Regional maps
• Cell phone with chargers

Additional Items to Consider Adding to a Survival Kit:

• Prescription medications and glasses
• Infant formula and diapers
• Pet food and extra water for your pet
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
• Cash or traveler’s checks and change
• Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
• Fire Extinguisher
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
• Paper and pencil
• Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

Also watch the FEMA video on YouTube: Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Stay Informed

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