A few things tsomeone knocks out

In a nuclear age, one organi

The American Civil Defense Association Fall 1997 " $4.50

The SpringThat Sprunga Leak.

How the US.Weathered Oneof Its WettestSeasons Ever,

by Douglas J. Gillert

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This year's spring rainscaused many Americans to

. realize, finally, that our nationneeds to prepare better for

" disasters . Starting on page 5,Douglas J . Gillert recaps the .

" coast-to-coast impact of "ThSpring That Sprung a Leak"and explains how communities

" and individuals can prepare forfuture storms .

"

Judging from Kevin Briggs'Washington Perspectivecolumn on page 3, you won't

" have any trouble figuring theexact time a high-altitudeelectromagnetic pulse (HEMP),

" goes off over our country .:Justabout every electronic device .

" you own will stop at precisely,the time of the pulse .Preparedness expert Jambs:,'

" T. Stevens explains how to;stock up long-term food ," reserves during routinegrocery shopping. Check=outhis Prepared Pantry colurlnn

" ' on page 14 .Need a spare room? Sharon'

" Packer knows how to buildone with blast doors . Readabout it on page 13 .

"

The TACDA Store Catalog,:returns to the Journal's

" centerfold this issue. The .featured grain mill, whichwould fit perfectly in Jim

" ' Stevens' kitchen and SharonPacker's shelter, can double asan aerobic upper-body exer-

" cise machine during longwinters .

"

Finally, turn to the Upcoming ; -Events column on the insideback cover, and check out the

" many preparedness confer-ences and training seminars .

The TACDA staff00000000*000000

Journal of Civil DefenseThe American Civil Defense AssociationPromoting sensible precautions for disasters.

The rainy season that didn't want to quit .

The S~pringThat sprung

a Leak.by Douglas J. Gillert, page 5

Build your owncivil defense organization?

Sharon Packer tells you how.page 13

TACDA Catalog, page 8The Prepared Pantry, page 14

TACDA Letter to Members, page 16Upcoming Events, inside back cover

Fall 1997

ThatDissected

Feeling .Phone hang-ups will be the leastof your problems in the event ofa "HEMP" reports Kevin Briggs

page 2

The Journal of Civil Defense is the official quarterly of The American Civil Defense Association(TACDA), P0 . Box 910, Starke, Fla. 32091 ; Kevin Briggs, president ; Kathy Eiland, executive director.TACDA urges government and citizens alike to maintain sensible precautions for disasters - naturaland man-made .Copyright © 1997 Journal of Civil Defense, Walter Murphey editor emeritus ; Sensa BusinessCommunications, publishing consultants . U .S . annual subscription is $18 ; non-U.S . rate higher.To advertise, subscribe or inquire about manuscript submission policy, contact the Journal at9303 Beowulf, San Antonio, Texas 78250, journalcd@juno.com or (210) 681-8339 .

Journal of Civil Defense, fall 1997, page 1

. . .if the lights went out - and stayed out for weeks?What if your phone and computers went out, too? Allthis (and more) could happen from a single jolt ofHEMP - "high-altitude electromagnetic pulse."Over the summer, the House National Security Com-

mittee explored how adversaries could use HEMP tozap virtually every electronics-dependent device in theUnited States - from TVs to cars to ATMs - and po-tentially bring the country to a standstill.It wouldn't be hard . Any nation or rogue military

group that exploded a single nuclear weapon at an alti-tude as low as 20 miles could blanket large regions withelectronic destruction. Indeed, a 200-mile-high nuclearexplosion over the central United Stateswould cover all of the contiguous 48states with a strong electromagneticwave that could collapse our entire elec-tronics-dependent infrastructure .HEMP was first tested in 1962 when,

according to testimony at the congres-sional hearing, a 1.4-megaton nuclearweapon was detonated roughly, 250miles above Johnston Island . Thenearest cities, more than 800 milesaway in Hawaii, were shocked by elec-trical system failures.That was before the "computer infor-

mation age." If the test were conductedtoday, havoc would likely result from widespread elec-tronic failures.Testimony from Dr. George W. Ullrich, deputy direc-

tor of the Defense Special Weapons Agency, indicatedthat when the Russians conducted a test over theirlandmass, "all protective devices in overhead communi-

page 2, Journal of Civil Defense, fall 1997

cations lines were damaged at distances out to 500 kilo-meters."At the same hearing, Dr. Lowell Wood of the

Lawrence Livermore Laboratory stated "The EMP ro-bustness of the civilian infrastructure of the UnitedStates . . . is entirely nonexistent ." The country wouldcease to exist in its present form, he said.Dr. Wood went on to question "how" or "if" we would

strike back if we experienced HEMP from the detona-tion of an orbiting bomb from China, Russia, India, oreven Iran or North Korea.These are troublesome prospects, but here are some

things you can do:1 . Ask your congressional representa-

tives to assure reasonable govern-ment defenses against potentialorbiting HEMP bombs and missilesas well as a stronger civilian infra-structure against this type of attack(see TACDA Letter on page 16) .

2 . Prepare for what could be monthswithout power, telephones, etc., bybuying nonperishable food suppliesand other necessities like water pu-rifiers, medicines, and things thatwould help if your ,job, grocery

store, and bank were to be unavailable for an extendedperiod.

HEMP ground coverage for burstsof various heights above the UnitedStates. (Source: U.S . Army)

Kevin Briggs is president of The American Civil Defense Association.

Views expressed in this article are those of the author and do notreflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense orU.S. government.

WasKevin Briggs

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TAW,

Seems like everywhere you stepped, you splashed .You might have drowned, but somehow, you stayed afloat .

Long enough for help to come . Long enough ito start the long road to recovery.But you'll never forget- and someday you'll tell your grandchildren about -

The SpringThat Sprung a Leak

Left. Law enforcement officers patrolthe Sherlock Park area of East GrandForks, Minn.

By DouglasJ.G llert

Copyright ©1997 by The American' Civil Defense Association .

From Vermont to Washington State, Americans struggledwith

and ultimately survived

some of the worst floodingthis century. As they slowly recovered, however, few whoexperienced the worst America's rivers had to offer would soonforget spring 1997.

t could have been worse. What if

the ravaged cities and countryside tonobody had helped the farmers

begin recovering.and merchants, homeowners and

Where the floods were worst -theapartment renters, young and old Dakotas and Minnesota -,and later

who faced this watery onslaught?

for many additional states- promisesBut help arrived - plenty of it- if

ofrelief came quickly.not as fast as many would have liked.

Most Americans didn't notice the cri-The help came from Americans out-

sis until the first week in April, whenside the flood plains and from a giant

the Red River of the North overflowedorchestration of federal and state agen-

its banks andbegan a rapid`waltzcies whose Herculean efforts virtually

across city streets and fallow farmland .willed the waters to recede and life in

Overnight, the cities of Grand Forks,N.D ., and East Grand Forks, Minn.,became household names. On theevening news April 22, people acrossthe nation saw a visibly moved Presi-

dent Clinton tour flooded streets andobserve burning office buildingscaused by ruptured fuel lines and elec-trical short circuits .Returning to Washington, Clinton or-

dered Federal Emergency ManagementAgency Director James Lee Witt to or-ganize an interagency recovery plan forthe affected states . Besides North Da-kota and Minnesota, Arkansas,Nebraska and South Dakota wouldneed major assistance . So would statesalong other river systems -West Vir-ginia, Ohio, Colorado, Washington,and the list grew .

continued on page 6

Journal of Civil Defense, fall 1997, page 5

continued from page 5One by one, over the next several

weeks, Clinton added each to a grow-ing list of disaster areas eligible foremergency assistance .Joining FEMA were the Army Corps

of Engineers, Small Business Adminis-tration, Department of Housing andUrban Development and Departmentof Commerce Economic DevelopmentAdministration . Collectively and withkey involvement from state agencies,they created a long-term recovery planto ensure peoples' immediate needswere met and their communities couldultimately rebuild .Nonetheless, Clinton urged those af-

fected by the floods to shoulder thebrunt of the recovery responsibility ."This plan will be most successful if

it supports and does not supplant ef-

page 6, Journal of Civil Defense, fall 1997

forts, resources and decision making atthe state and particularly at the localgovernment level," Clinton said .The plan offered three major thrusts :

mitigating flood hazards, assisting withhousing and reestablishing communitysustainability. The task force had itswork cut out.

Many communities -particularlyGrand Forks and East Grand Forks -remain vulnerable to flooding . Clintonurged them to become more flood re-sistant to safeguard their people andbusinesses"No community should risk the lives

of its citizens and its economic vitality

Above: Sandbag crews form a line inFargo, N . D .

because of a capricious, natural event,"he said . "Communities must becomeresistant to the risks that surroundthem."He directed the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers to implement structural andnonstructural flood protection for thesister cities along the Red River of theNorth.Looking to the larger area of destruc-

tion, Clinton directed:" FEMA andHUD to join with the

affected states in implementing anaccelerated program to purchaseflood-damaged homes in the mostseverely devastated areas

" FEMA, HUD, the Economic De-velopment Administration, Corps

of Engineers and SBA to use alltools available to support state andlocal rebuilding efforts and makethe communities disaster resistant .

Clinton also urged flood victims tobuy insurance against future flooding.

HousingShortly before Clinton's visit to

North Dakota, Witt and top officialsfrom HUD, SBA and the EconomicDevelopment Administration touredthe ravaged areas .They expedited home repair grants,

helped pay for temporary homes, andbrought in trailers as temporary resi-dences . Clinton also asked for federalassistance to help Grand Forks createnew housing resources, infrastructurefunding and low interest rate home andbusiness loans .

Communitysustainability"Any community which has experi-

enced flood devastation of thismagnitude has also had its very exist-ence threatened," Clinton said .Confronting civic leaders, he said, are :

Preserving historic downtown andresidential areas

" Ensuring a clean, safe and healthyenvironment

" Maintaining a vital work force" Building and repairing an infra-

structure to support developmentBuilding and repairing housing

" Assuring the community is takingthe necessary steps to avoid futureflood-related devastationCapitalizing business, particularlysmall business .

continued on page 10

Water, water everywheredisplaced .Tennessee - Twenty-five bridges and

200 miles of road damaged ; fiveshelters opened .Texas - Two confirmed dead, seven

injured by tornadoes in seven counties .Heavy rains and tornadoes also hit

Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Northand South Carolina and Alabama .And, of course, there were the north

central states of Minnesota, NorthDakota and South Dakota that experi-enced a series of weather disasters,culminating with the spring floods .They survived, of course - those

hearty Americans who refused to givein or give up . Oh, it'll take years torecover and rebuild for those along theOhio and Red River of the North . And,although the worst may be behindthem, for others, the eerie prevalenceof storms this year was still being feltas the leaves began to turn and thedays grew shorter and cooler. Ask thecitizens of Corpus Christi, Texas, whenthe worst rains fell this year, and they'llprobably tell you October! With twomonths left in the year, all anyone inAmerica could really do is take a deepbreath and pray for a long dry spell .

- Douglas J. Gillert

Bad weather, it seems, comes indroves .What will go down as a record year

for adverse weather across the UnitedStates actually had its origins in asystem of storms and tornadoes thatstruck with a vengeance last Novem-ber. More tornadoes would strike in thespring, for'example in Arkansas, wherethe Federal Emergency ManagementAgency deployed scores of emergencyworkers to help the state recover fromup to 20 twisters that left at least 24people dead and hundreds moreinjured .Meanwhile, heavy winter snowfall

and ice storms across the northernstates sent residents along major riversystems scurrying for sandbags andput the U.S Army Corps of Engineerson permanent overtime . No sooner hadthey rescued their communities fromwinter's icy grip, than they were facedwith a spring meltdown of the accumu-lated snow and ice . And, of course,spring rain-- in bucketfuls .By March 3, according to a FEMA

update, the damage wrought by theserecord storms was already extensive :West Virginia - The American Red

Cross opened 13 shelters in 14counties affected by flooding .Ohio - The governor declared a state

of emergency following flooding in 14counties . State officials reported 68single-family homes destroyed and379 severelydamaged . Alsolost or damaged :more than 140mobile homes .Kentucky -

Fifty-twocounties affectedby flooding,seven casualtiesreported,thousands ofresidents

Below. The railroad underpass at Wash-ington Street and DeMers in Grand Forks,N . D . The water beneath the railroadunderpass is about 24 feet deep.

Photo by Phil Cogan, FEMA

Journal of Civil Defense, fall 1997, page 7

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continued from page 7

He ordered HUD, the Economic De-velopment Administration, SBA, Corpsof Engineers, Department of Energy,Department of Agriculture and FEMAto provide short- and long-term plan-ning and technical assistance to thecommunities most heavily impacted.Assistance, he said, should cover eco-nomic development, housing, land use,public and private financing, energy ef-ficiency and mitigation .

Later, as Congress withheld approvalof the relief package, Clinton took hiscase to the public . On May 24, duringhis weekly radio address, the presidentchided Congress for politicizing thepublic welfare.

"In North Dakota, I saw not only thedevastation of the floods, I saw the de-termination of the people -proudpeople doing their level best to surviveand get on with their lives," Clintonsaid. "They don't expect free rides andhandouts, but they do have a right toexpect us to do the right thing by them,as we have by their fellow Americanswhen they were down and out."While Congress dawdled over finan-

cial aid to flood victims, disaster reliefagencies responded in force to themounting crisis . Even before Witt be-gan assembling his task force, elementsof the Department of Defense reactedwith manpower, equipment, suppliesand shelter. Fifteen miles east of its

What flood experts tell homeownersFor hundreds of thousands of Ameri-cans affected by the spring floods, it'slikely too late to avoid high repair andreplacement costs for damagedproperties .But now is the time, say state and

federal hazard mitigation specialists, tolessen the damage from future floods .

If you're repairing a home or replac-ing its contents, a'few extra stepscould pay future dividends . The FederalEmergency Management Agencysuggests homeowners answer threequestions:

What is my flood risk?Find out if there's a history of floodingin your area and if your home islocated in a flood zone . Communitybuilding officials or floodplain manag-ers keep flood maps on file that willprovide answers .

What flood protection measuresshould I take?If your home was destroyed or se-verely damaged`by the spring floods,consider moving out of the floodplain

page 1 0, Journal of Civil Defense, fall 1997

or elevating repaired dwellings . Again,local' officials may be able to advisewhich option is best .Where flood damage is not extreme,

FEMA suggests several, relativelyinexpensive but effective steps tominimize future damage :" Anchor a fuel tankrInstall a septic back flow valve" 'Putin a floating floor drain plug,

or move or raise any electricalbox, water heater, heating systemor washer and dryer."Constructing a flood barrier at

vulnerable points on your land .

Do I need flood insurance?Once you identify your risk and takeappropriate flood protection mea-sures, you should protect yourfinancial investment by purchasingflood insurance on your home and itscontents .For information on the National

Flood Insurance Program, contactyour insurance agent or call theprogram toll free at (800) 427-4661 .

- Douglas J. Gillert

namesake, Grand Forks Air Force Baseopened its gates and hangars to sheltertownspeople fleeing the flood waters .During the height of flooding, the basetook in up to 3,000 displaced residentsa day.When authorities ordered Grand

Forks' only hospital evacuated, AirForce aircraft ferried them to hospitalsin Minneapolis .What was amazing about the Air

Force support was the fact many of thebase's airmen were among those thefloods drove from downtown homes.At final count, more than 700 airmenand their families faced the same un-certainty and financial strain as GrandForks' other residents .Despite the plight of its own people,

however, the Air Force continued sup-porting the community after the floodsubsided . Grand Forks high school students held their spring prom in a basehangar.Meanwhile, the National Guard or-

dered more than 2,000 members tostate active duty in Kentucky, Minne-sota, North Dakota and South Dakota .The guardsmen worked side-by-side

with the Army Corps of Engineers .Convinced it faced a record flood, theCorps' St . Paul (Minn.) district officehurried to improve and reinforce leveesand provide technical assistance to lo-cal governments throughout the RedRiver Valley and along other rivers andtributaries in the tri-state region. TheCorps also helped strickened commu-nities reestablish water and sewerservice, provided debris removal andinspected structures . By the end ofMay, the district had spent nearly $15million for emergency operations, andby June 30, another $19.5 million inFEMA funds for recovery activities . At

continued on page 12

What you should know about federal flood insuranceIfyou're in a flood and suffer personal property damage or losses, don't automaticallythink "federal assistance . "In fact, most forms of federal disasterassistance aren't available unless thepresident declares a major disaster.This is true for individual and family

i grants for personal property and thetemporary housing program adminis-tered by the Federal EmergencyManagement Agency.And, according to FEMA, 90 percent

of all disasters aren't declared .

Other federal assistance facts" Most assistance comes as a loan

that you must pay back withinterest .Average individual and familygrants total only $2,500 .

"To qualify for home repair assis-tance, your home must haverelatively minor damage that canbe repaired quickly.You can't qualify for rental assis-tance unless your home isdestroyed or severely damaged.True, the Small Business Adminis-tration offers disaster home loans,but their average duration is 18 .5years at $140 a month! Theaverage monthly payment for a$50,000 SBA home damage loanis $320 a month .

What abouthomeowners insur-ance?Don 't such policies coverflood damage?No. Homeowner policies don't cover

flooding .There has to be a way to prepare for

the possibility of future flood damage .And there is . Depending on where youlive, you can buy a National FloodInsurance Program policy for anaverage of $300 a year.

How NFIP worksFEMA created the NAP in 1968 to

provide affordable flood insurance topeople who live in areas with the most

risk of flooding - called special floodhazard areas . People can buy theinsurance no matter where they live inan NFIP community except wherecovered by the Coast Barrier Flood Actof 1982 . The act discourages buildingin fragile coastal areas by prohibitingthe sale of flood insurance .A community can apply to participate

in the NFIP if it's interested in floodinsurance eligibility or if FEMA notifiesit that it contains one or more specialflood hazard areas .FEMA authorizes the sale of flood

insurance in the community, up toemergency program limits, rangingfrom $35,000 far a single-familyhome, plus $10,000 for contents, to$100,000 for other residential andnonresidential' properties .After assessing the community's

degree of flood risk and developmentpotential, FEMA may arrange a study todetermine base flood elevations andflood risk zones.Or, if it finds the community to be at

minimal risk of flooding, FEMA mayconvert the city to the NFIP regularprogram without a study.For an at-risk community, FEMA

provides a flood insurance rate mapoutlining base flood elevations and riskzones.The communitythen has six months

to adopt base flood elevations in itslocal zoning and'building code ordi-nances and meet other requirements .Once the city adopts more stringentordinances, FEMA converts thecommunity to the NFIP regular pro-gram.Whyseekinclusion in the regular

program?Because it pays more -up to

$250,000 for residences plus$100,000 for contents, $500,000 fornonresidential properties and small

businesses plus another $500,000 forcontents .Communities notified as flood-prone

have a year to apply for participation inthe National Flood Insurance Program .If they don't apply, they becomeineligible for federal financial assis-tance to buy, build or rebuild in specialflood hazard areas.But FEMA would like to see commu-

nities guide development away fromhigh flood risk areas. National floodinsurance regulations minimize theimpact of structures built in specialflood hazard areas by requiring themnot to cause obstructions to the naturalflow of floodwaters .As a condition of participating in the

NFIP communities must ensure thatstructures built within special floodhazard areas adhere to strict floodplainmanagement regulations.

Many homes still at riskAlthough the insurance doesn't cost

a lot, most Americans still aren'tprotected against flood loss .According to the Federal Insurance

Administration, of the 10 millionhouseholds located in special floodhazard areas, no more than a quarterare covered by national flood insur-ance .Maybe they don't think they're at risk,

but this spring, millions of Americanslearned differently. Fortunately, morethan 18,000 communities have agreedto stricter zoning and building mea-sures to control floods, according tothe Insurance News Network.Most insurance agents can provide

information about national floodinsurance . Or you can call the NFIPtoll-free number at (800) 427-4661 .FEMA recommends making that callnow.

- Douglas J. Gillert

Journal of Civil Defense, fall 1997, page 1 1

Photo by Andrea Booher, FEMA

continued from page 10

its most basic level of support, the of-fice provided more than 4.5 millionsandbags and 235 pumps to state andlocal emergency operations .Almost taken for granted, the Ameri-

can Red Cross brought relief to floodvictims throughout the crisis . By theend ofApril, the federal relief organi-zation had opened 26 shelters for 6,200people in the Dakotas and Minnesota,and served 235,600 meals to floodedfamilies and emergency workers.Red Cross officials estimated flood

relief expenses would reach at least$13 million for the hardest hit statesand another $38 million-plus for floodrelief in the southeast and Ohio Valley.State by state, the amount of required

funds seemed to rise at the same rate asthe flood levels . Individual donationssustained the Red Cross effort, andCongress finally released funds to be-gin federal aid.

page 1 2, Journal of Civil Defense, fall 1997

By Aug. l, North Dakota residentsand towns received more than $285million in federal and state assistance .

In this state hardest hit by the springfloods, more than 36,000 residents ap-plied for assistance after Clinton'sApril 7 disaster declaration . FEMA ap-proved some 24,000 housing grantstotaling $49 .5 million; North Dakota'slabor department administered morethan 6,300 unemployment claims total-ing nearly $4 million; and the NorthDakota emergency management de-partment approved 6,500 households toreceive individual and family grantsworth nearly $9,million .Also in North Dakota, the SBA ap-

proved 6,323 low-interest disasterloans totaling $154.5 million and 771economic injury development loansworth $23 million . FEMA obligatedmore than $42 million in infrastructuregrants to the state to reimburse stateagencies, local governments, special

Above: House that floated off its foundationnear Arboga, Calif.

districts and nonprofit agencies fordamages caused by winter storms andspring floods . FEMA also provided$30 million to reimburse costs of otherfederal agencies that provided disasterrelief. These included the Forest Ser-vice, Transportation Department andArmy Corps of Engineers .Flood relief in Minnesota totaled

more than $110 million by Aug. 18 .Other states received less funding,based on costs incurred in those states .In most cases, flood victims were re-

quired to file for federal assistance byearly August . But FEMA and otheragency officials concede it will takeyears for the hardest hit to recover theirlosses .

Douglas J . Gillert is a freelance writer based in

Northern Virginia .

f you're concerned aboutcivil defense and want to

promote bomb shelters, hereare some suggestions fromCivil Defense Volunteers ofUtah, now starting its 11thyear of community service .

1 . Build your own personalhome shelter. You can'tsuccessfully promoteshelters otherwise .

2 . Keep a journal . Recordwhat you learn . I'm stillupgrading my journal andlearning from other folks .

3 . Keep confidences . Emer-gency preparedness is aprivate issue . We keep allnames, locations of shel-ters, equipment, motives,etc ., confidential .

4 . Help others in their con-struction . Let otherslearn from your mistakes .We spend hours workingout problems and makingsure the shelters are con-structed properly.

5 . Make yourself availableby phone . We try to beas approachable forthose here in Utah, asothers throughout the na-tion have been to us .

6 . Be willing to show andtell . We show our per-sonal shelters to peoplewho genuinely want tosee them .

7 . Study. Read everythingavailable on civil defense .

Living (athe Sh

One organization's approach to bomb shelters,community relations and longevity.

By Sharon

Keep current on nationalsecurity issues .

8 . Consult with specialists .We call all over the UnitedStates to find experts toanswer our questions .

9 . Share . Take every oppor-tunity to talk about civildefense . Lecture toschools . Talk to neigh-bors, acquaintances,strangers .

10 . Don't be offensive .We've found we don'tconvert people - justeducate them . Those thatunderstand the threat willlisten and act .

11 . Learn from your ownlectures . Keep a runninglist of questions peopleask, and hand out thesequestions at the begin-ning of your lectures asmind teasers .

12 . Teach to their capabili-ties . Don't overwhelm ortry to impress people .Stop when they're tired .

13 . Find a permanent meet-ing place . Don't be afraidto ask for a donatedmeeting place .

14 . Have interesting speak-ers . Give the people agood show. Seek outknowledgeable, entertain-ing speakers .

15 . Stress the multiuse ofthe shelters . These shel-ters would save many

c

lives in not only nuclearwar, but in earthquakes,fires, hurricanes, winterstorms, and tornadoes .

16 . Don't mix agendas . Ourmessage is civil defense .In our regular meetingswe never address religionor politics, nor do wemention firearms orhand-to-hand combat .We stick to nuclear ef-fects and survival afterwar.

17 . Enlist the help of others .Look for people whomight have a little extratime . Seek the help of re-tired couples .

18 . Encourage group partici-pation . We invitemembers to give demon-strations or shareinteresting articles atmeetings .

19 . Make a shelter display.We were fortunate tohave a full-size shelterdisplay assigned to theState of Utah . We showthis display at state,county and preparednessfairs . We have also madesmall shelter displays totake to lectures . If a pic-ture is worth a thousandwords, then a model isworth a thousand pic-tures .

20 . Clone yourself. Encour-age members to teach in

their own neighborhoodsand civic groups . Video-tape lectures and putthem out for loan .

21 . The organization mustwork for the people, notthe people for the organization . We do notcharge for our lectures .Any money from duesand donations is spent onreal expenses and main-taining and moving theshelter display . We takeno salaries and makenothing on the shelterconstruction .

We hope these suggestionswill be of help to you . We'dappreciate any feedback,suggestions or help . Reachus at :

Civil DefenseVolunteers of Utah

F0 . Box 8171Midvale, Utah 84047

www.netoriginals .com/uss

Sharon Packer, of Salt Lake City, isthe co-founder and president of CivilDefense Volunteers of Utah.

Journal of Civil Defense, fall 1997, page 1 3

page 14, Journal of Civil Defense, fall 1997

A column about stocking and enjoyingyour own in-home grocery store,

Here's how to start the process.First, know the 15 categories of food and nonfood:

1. Water - emergency supplies and purifying system .2. Wheat, other whole grains, flours, and beans.3. Powdered milk, dairy products, and eggs - stored as

whole dried milk or skim (nonfat) .4. Sweeteners -honey, sugar, and syrup -

essential sugars for many food prepara-tions

5. Cooking catalysts - salt, oil, andleaveners essential to food prepara-tion and body development (least ex-pensive category to store) .

6. Sprouting seeds and supplies - fresh,green, live whole foods.

7. Medications, and first aid kits .8. Basic supplements - vitamins, miner-

als, herbs.9. Fuels, energy, and camping gear.

10 . Personal, family, infant, and pet careessentials .

11 . Canned and dried filets, veg-etables and soup .

12 . Kitchen staples - condimentsand seasonings .

This issue: getting started .

By James T. Stevens

from Making the Best of Basics - Family Preparedness Handbook

Almost everyone accepts the concept of being prepared foremergencies . However, when it's time to do the actual planningand acquiring the necessary items, most of us are simplyoverwhelmed by the enormity of it all .

13 . Meats and seafoods,14 . Domestic maintenance and preparedness .15 . Pleasure foods-snacks, beverages, sweets, and

treats .Next, consider these guidelines for stocking your pantry :1. Walk through your home taking a "fresh" look at your

household goods as being supplies for in-home stor-age. So maybe you don't have a year's sup-ply of food yet, but maybe you have a year'ssupply of seasonings, lots of canned goods,

or packaged food mixes.2. Get boxes and begin sorting storageitems as you find them . Make the best of thethings you already have . Most people aresurprised to find how much they have on

hand already. You'll soon realize that pre-paredness is really a matter of awareness of what

you have at your disposal for potential needs.Now you're ready to start storing. Begin with

. .safety net" purchases . These are food andsupplies which would sustain life shouldan emergency occur before your totalpreparations are completed .Build your "safety net" through a

process called planned copybu_ving.

This means buying extra cans, jars, or packages of food-stuffs, medicines, and household products you routinelypurchase.Safety net purchasing might include either or a combina-

tion of the following methods ofplanned copybuying:m Dupli-buying : As you buy food items for immediate

use -buy anotherfor your in-homefood storage pro-gram . Do this every time you shop. This doesn't includebuying perishable and low-priority items, of course .This method allows you to acquire foods you normallyuse, while eventually building a reservoir of foodstuffs .Perhaps for the budget-limited, this is the only way toget some foods in the "safety net"

n Multi-buying : Buy a large supply of anything you usewhen it's on sale . As seasonal food and product specialsare offered by the stores, you'll maximize your pur-chasing power through bulk buying . This isthe preferable way to acquire food storageitems more quickly, but it requires a greater fi-nancial commitment and resources toaccomplish.

In essence, either form of copybuyingis an easy and simple method tobalance your acquisitions.Finally, as you plan your shop-

ping list, maximize your pur-chasing power." Learn to use coupons effec-

tively when shopping .Discover food wholesalers,buying clubs, or establish co-operative grocery clubs witha group of friends-what-ever it takes to get lowerprices and expand your pur-chasing dollars .

" Find or establish barter or ex-change organizations. If thereare no organizations of thesetypes in your area, start one.Consider starting with your

Storing fresh water is one ofthe firststeps in preparing for emergencies. The30-gallon storage container and conve-nient handpump shown at right are avail-able through the TACDA Store.

extended family, neighbors, church group, or other or-ganizations with which you are familiar.

" Join or start a shared resources group. Find others whoare, willing to share the costs and use of expensiveequipment, for example. The equipment then is ownedcollectively and no one family must bear the entire ex-pense of expensive nonfoods items .Use mail order for those storage items that you cannotobtain locally or are more costly when bought locally.

Knowing how to organize, maintain and fully utilize asensible, continuing, workable in-home food storage pro-gram becomes a matter of self-education and self-imple-mentation for each family in advance of a natural,man-caused, or personal disaster.Next issue: planning a oneyear storage supply.

JCD illustrations by Pamela Thornbloom

James T. Stevens is a preparedness author based in San Antonio . HisMaking the Best of Basics - Family Preparedness Handbook isavailable through the TACDA Store.

Journal o1 Civil Defense, fall 1997, page 1 5

Dear

page 1 6, Journal of Civil Defense, fall 1997

For members ofThe American Civil Defense Association

Fall 1997

First off, thanks to all who have written to express their support for the newJournal format, etc . We greatly appreciate your encouragement .

Below is an example of what you may want to mail to your congressionaltives about the EMP (electromagnetic pulse) threat highlightedington Perspective (see page 2) .

I would like to know your thoughts on the vulnerabi-ties of theUnited States infrastructure to a single nuclear EMP (electromagneticpulse) burst above our country . I have read with interest some of theexpert witness testimony from the July 16th meeting of the HouseNational Security Subcommittee on EMP chaired by Representative CurtWeldon . What is being done by Congress to mitigate these threats? -am very concerned that these threats not be ignored and thatreasonable actions be taken to reduce them and strengthen ourinfrastructure .

I believe we need to have a national. capability to detect anddestroy orbiting bombs that might be disguised as satellites . I alsobelieve we need to be able to shoot down an incoming ballisticmissile long before it threatens our country with high-altitude EMP .I also believe we need to strengthen our critical power, banking,transportation, communications, and computer infrastructures torebound rapidly after such an attack . What are you doing about thesevery real threats? What do you recommend a citizen do at a personallevel in our [district or state]? Do you support a rapid deploymentof national defenses against potential orbiting bombs and againstballistic missiles in their early boost phase from nuclear capablecountries? If not, why not? Do you support a re-establishment of anextended national food reserve that is spread evenly throughout theUnited States and can be distributed in times of infrastructurebreakdown, whether due to EMP or other major disasters? If not, whynot? Thanks for answering and addressing these questions .

The Journal of Civil Defense does not takeresponsibility for the accuracy of thefollowing information. Any or all of theinformation is subject to change withoutnotice .

1997December 2-4Partners for Smart Growth Conference,Baltimore. Info : Urban Land Institute, 1025Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W., Washington,DC 20007-5201 ; (800) 321-5011 ; e-mail :smartgrowth@uli.org ; WWW:http ://www.uli .org/educate/education/smartgro.htm l . Sponsors : U.S .EnvironmentalProtection Agency and the Urban LandInstitute .

December 2-5Ninth Annual Chemical Emergency Prepared-ness & Prevention Conference, Pittsburgh .Info : Vtec2, 252 Newton Road, Richboro, Pa .18954; (888) 429-6289 (toll free), -or- (215)942-2088, fax:(215) 357-3613 . WWW:http://www.vtec2.com/cepp97.htm. Sponsor: U.S .Environmental Protection Agency Region III .

December 4Improving Local Emergency Management,Madison, Wis. Info : Disaster ManagementCenter, c/o Department of EngineeringProfessional Development, College ofEngineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 432 North Lake Street, Madison,Wis. 53706; (800) 462-0876 ; fax:(800) 442-4214 ; e mail :custserv@epd .engr.wisc.edu ; WWW:http ://epdwww.engr.wisc.edu/ . Offered by : DisasterManagement Center, University of Wisconsin.

December 4-5Third International Conference on theManagement of Droughts, Valencia, Spain.Info : the Iberdrola Instituto Tecnologico,Seminario Permanente 'Ciencia y Tecnologiade Agua, Edificio Albia-2, 7o E-48001 Bilbao,Spain ; tel : 34-4-424 .2400;fax : 34-4-424 .9648; e-mail :intec@iderdrola.es . Sponsors : IberdrolaInstitute of Technology and others .

December 7-10Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) 1997 AnnualMeeting, Washington, D.C . Info : SRA, 1313Dolley Madison Boulevard, Suite 402,McLean, Va . 22101 ; (703) 790 1745 ; WWW:http ://www .sra .org

December 8-9Practicum in Emergency Preparedness -Short course, San Francisco . Info : DianeWolcott, Emergency Preparedness Planningand Management Program, U.C .-BerkeleyExtension, 1995 University Avenue, Suite300 Berkeley, Calif 94704-4704 ;(510) 642-7537 ; fax : (510) 643-8290 ;e-mail : dlw@unx.berkeley.edu ; WWW:http://www.unex.berkeley.edu :4243. Offered by :

University of California at Berkeley.December 8-12

Fall Meeting of the American GeophysicalUnion (AGU), San Francisco. Info : AGU,2000 Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C .20009; (202) 462-6900 ; WWW: http ://www.agu .org . Th e fall AGU meeting includesa Special Session on "Hazard Mitigation : Useof Real-time Information" sponsored by theSubcommittee on Natural Disaster Reduction(SNDR), Committee on Environment andNatural Resources of the National Scienceand Technology Council . Contact : PeterWard, U.S . Geological Survey, 345Middlefield Road, MS 977, Menlo Park, Calif.94025; (415) 320-4736 ; e-mail :ward@andreas .wr.usgs.gov . Also see-www.agu .org/meetings/fm97top.htm i formore information and instructions forsubmitting abstracts.

December 15-17Sea Rescue Operations Seminar, Singapore .Info : Carol New; tel : (65)540-5216 ;fax: (65)542-9890 ; e-mail :saanet@pacific .net. sg .

1998January 11-1678th American Meteorological Society (AMS)Meeting, Phoenix, Ariz . Info : AMS, 45Beacon Street, Boston, Mass . 02108-3693 ;(617) 227-2425 ; fax : (617)742-8718 ;'e-mail : amsmtgs@ametsoc.org ;WWW:" http ://www.ametsoc/AMS/.

January 12-24Community Based Approaches to Disaster`Management Course, Bangkok . Info : SannyJegillos, Senior Manager, Learning andProfessional Development, ADPC/AIT,PO.Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120Thailand ; fax : (66 2) 524 5360 ; e-mail :sannyj@ait.ac.th -or- Ipdadpc@ait.ac.th .Offere d by: The Asian Disaster PreparednessCenter (ADPC) at the Asian Institute ofTechnology (AIT) .

January 20-23Corporate/Public Agency Coordination andInterdependence -Short Course, SanFrancisco . Info : Diane Wolcott, EmergencyPreparedness Planning and ManagementProgram, U.C .-Berkeley Extension, 1995University Avenue, Suite 300 Berkeley, Calif.94704-4704 ; (510) 642-7537 ; fax: (510)643-8290 ; e-mail : dlw@unx. berkeley.edu;WWW:http://www.unex.berkeley.edu :4243.Offered by : U .C - Berkeley.

January 22-23Seminar on Seismic Design, Retrofit andPerformance of Nonstructural Components,San Francisco. Info: ATC-29-1 Project,Applied Technology Council, 555 TwinDolphin Drive, Suite 550, Redwood City,Calif. 94065; (415) 595-1542 ;

fax : (415) 593-2320 ; e-mail :ate@atcouncil .org . Offered by : AppliedTechnology Council,(ATC) . Abstracts dueSeptember 15,1997

February 4-8Earthquake Engineering Research Institute(EERI) 1998 Annual Meeting, San Francisco .Info : EERI, 49914th Street, Suite 320,Oakland, Calif. 94612-1934 ; (510) 451-0905 ; fax : (510) 451-5411 ; e-mail :eeri@eeri.org ; WWW: http ://www;eeri .org.

February 10-13-Second International Conference onEnvironmental Management (ICEM2),Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia :Info : Conference Secretary ICEM2, Depart-ment of Civil and Mining Engineering,University of Wollongong, NorthfieldsAvenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia;(61-42-213055 ; fax : 61- 42- 213238 ;e-mail : icem2@uow.edu .au ; WWW: http ://www.uow.edu .au/eng/conf/icem2 .htm i . -Includes sessions on slope stability andlandslide management, risk and decisionmaking, environmental hazards legislationand policy, seismic risk and earthquake'resistant design .

February 16-2029th Annual Conference and Trade Expositionof the International Erosion Control Associa-tion (IECA), Reno, Nev. Info . ECA, RO. Box774904, Steamboat Springs, Colo,80477-4904 ;1-800-455-4322 or(970) 879-3010 ; fax : (970) 879-8563 ;e-mail . ecinfo@ieca.org .

February 18-19Children's Emergencies in Disasters:

A

National Workshop Orlando, Fla. For abstractguidelines see: http ://www .tema.gov/fema/c chdiz,htm ; or call (202) 884=4927 ; fax:(301) 650-8045 ; ore-mail :kallen@emscnre.com . Presented by the

`

Health Resources and Services Administra-tion, Maternal'and Child Health Bureau, theFlorida Emergency Medicine Foundation, theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administra-tion, the Federal Emergency ManagementAgency, and the Substance Abuse andMental Health Services Administration . (Heldin conjunction with the1998 InternationalDisaster Management Conference seebelow.) . Proposals for presentations andpapers are due June 30, 1997 :

February 19-22Disaster '98: international Disaster Manage-ment Conference: "Assessing Threats to YourCommunity", Orlando, Fla . Info : Disaster '98Registrar,' Florida Emergency MedicineFoundation, 3717 South Conway Road,Orlando, Fla. 32812-7607 ; (407) 281-7396or (800) 766-6335 ; fax (407) 281-4407 .

Check this box.Join The American Civil DefenseAssociation (TACDA). . .. . .and help promote sensible precautions todisasters .An annual membership includes a year's sub-

scription to the Journal of Civil Defense and theevery-other-month newsletter, TACDA Alert, plusdiscounts on purchases at the TACDA store (seecenterfold) .Annual individual rate : $25; annual organization

rate : $100 .An annual subscription to the Journal of Civil

Defense (without TACDA membership) costs $18(non-U .S . rate higher) .Sign up by contacting :TACDAP 0. Box 910Starke, Fla. 32091(800) 425-5397http://www.tacda.org/forms/membership.htm i

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