Preparedness Lessons From Y2K

It already seems so long ago, but most of us remember all of the hysteria and fear surrounding the transition into the year 2000 – known as Y2K. For several years prior, we were warned of potential computer failures as computer clocks became confused by the time references to the new century. There were fears of power grid failures, transportation stand stills, riots in the streets, people not having enough food, electricity or water.

Many people ignored the concerns over Y2K, but our family was one of many thousands who chose to prepare. The lessons we learned in doing this became valuable to us, and we have since practiced an ongoing level of preparedness in our day-to-day lives. We don’t do this out of fear — we do this out of wisdom.

The lessons of Y2K can be applied as preventive measures for many circumstances — natural disasters (hurricanes, floods, tornadoes), terrorism, power grid failure, job lay-offs, family sickness or disability — or even for charitable reasons such as being able to provide for others in need.

There are many things a family can do to take even the most basic measures toward preparedness. Some things include purchasing a generator in the event of a long-term power failure and learning to safely store a supply of gasoline; or building water storage or water capture systems (modern rain barrels) to have an independent supply of water; raising animals such as rabbits or chickens as a food source; starting a vegetable garden or orchard.

Others prepare by learning skills such as hand sewing to make use of old clothing when there is no electricity to power an electric sewing machine. Or learning to build a solar oven that can be used to bake food outdoors. Still others learn how to preserve food through canning, dehydrating or curing.

Our family incorporated some of these ideas, but the most important thing we did was to stock a one-year supply of food for our family of four. We had to choose foods that would store for a year or more and still maintain nutritional value — items such as wheat kernels, oats, rice, beans, lentils, sugar, and pasta. These had to be placed in air tight storage containers to keep out rodents, moisture and bugs.

Along with a variety of canned vegetables, fruits and meats, and items such as salt, cornstarch, and spices, we were able to set back an entire year of food for about $ 600-$ 1,000 — adding a few items on a weekly basis over a period of months and purchasing in bulk and through food co-op distributors.

We used a closet that measured approximately 4 ft. wide by 6 ft. deep and 8 feet tall to stack and store our food items — which shows that storing a year’s supply of food does not have to take up a huge amount of space. Many people are creative when it comes to making use of limited storage space — placing storage containers under beds or building shelving along the tops of hallway walls, or taking advantage of a cool crawl space.

Practicing preparedness used to be associated with fringe groups in our nation or strict religious sects who gravitated toward an extreme level of self-sufficiency. Most people have viewed those who practice preparedness as being fearful or paranoid. Nowadays, the average American is embracing preparedness for practical reasons and beginning to see the wisdom of having a Plan B for life’s unexpected circumstances.