I recently did a preparedness spreadsheet which inventoried all of the preparedness items I could think of in my Bug in closet and bug out bag. I have been focusing on solutions for getting water and holding water when I realized the value in figuring out what empty vessels I could easily deploy in an emergency situation with a bit of warning or without.
I now have identified and itemized all larger empty containers- igloo drink cooler, canning pots, 5 gallon buckets etc. I realize that knowing where I will get my water from is only task 1. Staging it in containers that fit the task will be next on the list.
That way I won't have to touch my rotated/bottled water stock first thing, and maybe not for days I thought about what pots I would consider boiling water in. I considered what water I would use for sanitation, for cleaning and save the higher valued water for cooking and drinking.
I did the same thing with my "cooking" options, all the way from a "dutch over over fire", to propane campstove, white gas campstove, charcoal BBQ, sterno and chafing dishes, and even an old "shabu shabu" japanese charcoal cooking pot that could be used in a pinch. Bad news is I have 6 different cooking fuels and systems. Good news is I have 6 different cooking systems. I have randomly been increasing my fuel stockpiles for each.
Sounds like small bottles of propoane are a high demand item, eh?

I was one of the lucky one in MO in that I was just outside the area of lost power in the ice storm, only power blinking a few times. Reading everyones posts about their experiences really got me to seeing how inadequite my preparations were for that ice getting to me.

I also got to thinking about the earthequake threat here in the Midwest and how it would effect me. I researched online sites and found I would be one of the lucky ones in MO, but realized how even though I wouldn't get damage to my house, the effects on life will be huge.

Very few people seem to pay attention or even have a clue how much a large earthquake at New Madrid MO will disrupt thier lives. The destruction of property will only be the tip of the iceberg.

The experts are saying the odds of a large quake hitting in the next 30 years are alarmingly large.

I for one am looking at what I have done to prepare for power outage and or quake and realize I am not prepared in the least.

LasD02,
How do you fill, empty etc? I would like to use this in the summer for recycling my sump pump water and using on my garden.

Your experience brings up some good points. Out here in Brisbane right now the govt is telling new constructors that they should consider including a 5,000 liter reservoir tank for holding rainwater and recycled water. I've seen rural folks that pump wellwater into 10,000 gallon on site containment vessels just in case. I've also noticed how many big water tanks sit atop roofs of buildings in Manhattan.

Self reliance used to be the norm a while back in our country. Then we got urbanized and folks started relying too much on the promises of service providers and govt officials that their basic needs would be provided for and adequate planning was being done to prevent catastrophic loss of service to a community. Yep, reality is a big dog sometimes, come to bite you in the backside.

The next home I acquire will be built to my specs, with an independent water source, power source, long term storage for both, and well fortified. I will put up enough supplies that I can weather such events, and locate in a region which is not such a big risk for calamity, knowing that nothing is 100% immune. I will also maintain adequate and varied transportation capabilities so that if bugging out is necessary, I stand the best chance of doing so.

Not everyone has access to every option, so I guess you do what you can, learn from your experiences, and adjust your priorities accordingly.

The good news is that having spent a portion of my life living on The Hayward Fault in No CA, and having lived through the 89 quake, one of the upsides is that disaster preparedness for earthquakes seems to be better documented and thought through than many other calamities. From bolting down houses to foundations to strapping water heaters, there exists a much better "to do" list than specific preparations for ice storms, power outages etc.
I have learned much more in the last 60 days on this site from the accounts in Seattle and MO regarding these scenarios than any other source.
Getting others to prepare is the same for eathquakes and ice storms... most don't. some do a little and a very few have a decent plan.

How deep is your well? A good water pump should be good in an emergency or just to use occassionally. If you're on a farm, you should have room to build a cistern and store water in the ground outside the well.

Last year I purchased two 30 gallon blue water barrels so as to have a supply of fresh water if the city water became disrupted or contaminated. I purchased two 30 gallon barrels rather than a single 55 gallon barrel because in the past I have found 55 gallon barrals to be to hard to easily move around. So far the two barrels have worked well for me, though I have never actually "needed" them. Two barrels also gives me the potential to store them in different locations (garage and storage shed for instance) making it more likely I could get to at least one if something catastrophic happened. Adding bleach takes care of keeping the water safe. I also "try" to rotate the water every 6 months, but don't always succeed.

In addition to the barrels, I puchased a small self-priming siphon intended to fit into the standard opening on the barrels. However, I found that the pump did not actually fit the opening in the barrel. The opening on the barrel was bigger then the threads on the pump. The pump still works, but is less stable and there is a bigger risk of contamination. I brought this up in case somebody else is going to buy both a pump for use with water barrels. Maybe you can be more careful about finding a combo that fits together correctly. I haven't yet investigated if I can find an adapter at the local hardware store.

I also ended up purchasing a special tool for screwing/unscrewing the hexagonal plug that fits in the bung holes of the barrels. While not a requirement, it sure works well and is much easier for me to use then a crescent or pipe wrench.

Lastly, I am also interested in having some method of collecting rainwater from my homes gutter system. I'm not sure of the best way to do this yet. My downspouts actually go directly into underground drains, rather then ending in a curve where where the water falls on a splashblock. Like most homes, my downspouts are also attached to the house. This makes it virtually impossible to get rainwater into a barrel that is 3ft tall without modifications to the downspouts. I'm thinking I would need to cut my downspout off about 4ft above the ground and then add some sort of hose or spout that could direct the water into my barrel. I guess I would also want some method of directing the water into the existing drains when I am not using the barrel. I also picture some sort of course and fine filters to remove as much solid matter as possible. Up here in the Northwest my gutters fill up with 1 inch long pine needles way faster then I care to clean them out. Every rain storm or wind storm results in a cascade of these pine needles onto my roof where they are washed into my gutters and some percentage then make it down the downspout. Hence the desire for a filter to screen out as much as possible.

Lots more research needed on my part I see.

capsu78,

When filling, I simply run the garden hose into the garage and have a full barrel in about 5 min., emptying on the other hand, is more of a chore. The fastest way is to manhandle the barrel onto its edge and roll it out into the driveway, once in place, I let it fall on its side (they are built to take abuse), and open the plugs to drain. I recently bought one of these:



I'm going to try emptying them next time with drill power!

Does anyone have any experience with in-ground cisterns?

I've toyed with the idea of placing several small (less digging) plastic barrels below ground to store rain water for flushing/garden/etc.

The idea of having a small water garden above it with a overflow pipe that would feed the cistern (help keep sediment out) seems do-able.

Any thoughts from the engineers? (non-engineering input welcome as well)

I live a few miles north of Springfield. Even 3 or 4 days into it some stores & hotels were still losing power.

Lost power for 10 days. Really deep well. The bathtub water worked great for flushing toilets.