The latest wave of cold temperatures and winter weather to strike portions of the United States has once again proven that Americans are generally unprepared. Many Americans rush to grocery retail outlets in a panic, to stock up on food, presumably to avoid either driving in inclement weather, or the possibility that the business’ might not be open during the storm.

It can be a real madhouse inside grocery stores just prior to a winter storm. Recent images from inside a major retailer in North Carolina show the aftermath of people buying up everything in a frenzy. Truth be told, when everyone is on the same strategy, it’s a bad strategy. When you try to stock up at the last minute, you are taking a risk that there will be products left in stock. But shelf-clearing snow storms are only short term events. What will happen if a situation arises where everyone is rushing to buy a longer-term supply all at once? You don’t want to find out.

The threat is always real until it becomes a promise in motion. In this day in age, there are many situations aside from winter weather that would necessitate us to remain sheltered for some time. The real panic should come now, not at the hands of a severe winter weather advisory. The opportunities for disaster are endless. Would you be prepared if a cyber-attack took out electronic payment methods? What if a new pandemic was spreading like wildfire, making it unsafe to venture outdoors?

Basic preparedness is your responsibility, and a growing number of Americans are waking up to the possibilities. In recent years, preparedness item sales have increased in the US. It’s a good start, but the clear majority of Americans still remain unprepared. If most households kept a rotating stock of foods boasting a long shelf-life, there would be no need to depend on your neighbors, or even federal relief efforts during times of crisis.

When selecting foods for your emergency stockpile, you need to consider several possibilities. Power might be an issue, which could lead to trouble cooking and refrigerated foods spoiling. Try to have a powerless method of heating up food, such as firewood and kindling; a propane grill, Sterno, etc. If you can boil water without power you will be in great shape.

Some good and simple foods that are essential to have on hand include pasta, sauce, rice, beans, cereal, powdered milk, soups, canned meats, canned fruits, canned vegetables, dried fruits, peanut butter, summer sausage, coffee, sugar, tea, honey, beef jerky, nuts, salt, spices, hard candies, and bottled water.

Sources:

WakingTimes.com

OffTheGridNews.com