Historical October 1990 earthquake supplement. Original predictions, insurance prices and safety guidance are reproduced as period reporting, not current forecasts or instructions.
If an earthquake is sizeable enough to disrupt deliveries to grocery stores for a time. you will need a supply on hand. How much?
The Red Cross (assuming the worst case. apparently) recommends having at least enough water, food, medicine and other “consumable items” to last two weeks.
Here are suggested sorts of canned or dry foods.
These are listed by how often you will need to replace them with fresh supplies. since packaged foods have a useful “lifespan.” Shelf Life of Foods Use within 6 months: • Evaporated Milk • Dried fruit in metal containers • Dry crackers in metal containers Use within 1 year: • Nonfat dry or whole milk in metal containers • Canned meat, poultry. fish. • Mixtures of meat. vegetables. and cereal products in sealed cans or jars. • Canned condensed meat & vegetable soups. • Dehydrated soups in metal containers. • Canned fruits. fruit juices & vegetables • Cereal: Ready to eat cereals in metal containers. Uncooked cereal (quick cooking or instant) in metal containers. • Hydrogenated fats. vegetable oils. *Sweets and nuts: Hard candy, nuts (canned), instant puddings. • Miscellaneous: Coffee. tea, cocoa (instant). Dry cream products. Bouillon products. Kool-Aid and soda. May be stored indefinitely: • Sugar. salt Cooking In a disaster situation there may be no electricity or gas for cooking.
For emergency cooking you can use a charcoal grill, hibachi or camp stove (propane or gas). but outdoors only! You can also heat food with candle warmers, chafing dishes and fondue pots. Canned food can be heated in the can. but remove the paper label and open the can first.
If the Electricity is Off First: Use perishable food and foods from the refrigerator. Open the door as few times as possible. Second: Use foods from the freezer. Frozen food will not begin to thaw for several days, if the door is kept closed. Usually there will still be ice crystals in the center of the foods (meaning they are safe to eat) for at least 3 days after a power failure. Keep a list of freezer contents on the outside. so you can cut down on opening the door. Third: Begin to use non-perishable foods.
Original photograph caption
Original illustration of emergency-supply storage in the home and garage. From the earthquake supplement prepared and designed by King Schoenfeld, with assistance from Sue Rothschild, American Red Cross and Farmers Insurance Group. The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, October 1990. Individual artist not credited.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, October 1990.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1990_10.pdf, printed page(s) 4; PDF page(s) 4.
