Category Archives: Emergency Preparedness

Spanish Power Outage

On April 28, 2025, most of Spain, Portugal, and a tiny piece of France were plunged into darkness when the power grid covering the Iberian peninsula unexpectedly crashed.  Since the system had to be restarted from scratch, it was 23 hours before everyone had power and the system was declared back to normal.  Lights went out, trains had to be evacuated, and a large portion of mobile phones ceased to function.

The image above shows one of the busiest streets in downtown Vigo, Spain, population 293,000.  The Wikimedia Commons photographer, Seoane Prado, notes that only the faintest glow is shown from the residential windows.

There was a time when electric power was properly regarded as a luxury, and something the people could do without if they had to.  I’m not aware of any catastrophes resulting from this power outage of almost 24 hours.  But especially if you were in an elevator, or a train car, or even on a dark street, it would have been a major inconvenience.  And if much more time had passed, it could have been catastrophic for some.

Are you prepared for a power outage?  We suspect that most of our readers are, but it doesn’t hurt to mentally run through your checklist.  We have pointers for preparing for a power outage at this link.  For the more serious case of a power outage during winter, we have this further advice.  Although it has definite limitations, one device that you have can be a godsend (if you’ve done some advance preparations) is your cell phone, and we provide that information at this link.



1965 Fallout Shelter/Ham Shack

1965AprQSTShown here, in QST for April 1965, is the fallout shelter and ham shack of Nathaniel Cole, WA6TOG. He had a contractor cut a deep trench in the hill, into which he lowered a corrugated pipe. At one end was a concrete bulkhead, and the other end was a concrete storageroom. Bunks for 6-8 people (the article reported that he had six kids) were welded to the pipe, and an entry tunnel led from the storage room to the surface, with a door of 2-1/2 inch laminated plywood.

The radio operating position was at the rear, where pipes led up to the antennas. There were an additional three four-inch air vents.



Britain, Germany Issue Emergency Guidance

UKwebsiteOn April 2, 2025, Britain joined other European countries in issuing guidance to the public to prepare for emergencies.  According to press accounts, flooding was the most common risk, but other emergencies could be pandemic, cyberattacks that cut off the internet, or a nuclear war in Europe.

And Germany, in addition to encouraging citizens to stock up on needed goods, is calling for schools to provide civil defense training to prepare students for war scenarios.

The UK list of recommended supplies includes the following items: (The links are to previous posts on this site discussing them in more detail, or to inexpensive items available at Amazon.)

Most of our readers are ahead of the curve, and are prepared in excess of these bare minimums.  But even so, it doesn’t hurt to look through a list like this, and make sure you have these items available at home, at work, in your car, at school, or wherever you might find yourself when disaster strikes.  And, of course, not all of your neighbors are prepared, and it might be helpful to nudge them in the right direction by pointing out that mainstream media in countries throughout Europe are now encouraging basic preparations.   You can click here for all of our posts on the subject of emergency preparedness.

We hope there won’t be a war.  But it doesn’t hurt to take at least some minimal preparations to help you should there be one, or even a more mundane emergency.



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Vitamin C in an Emergency

File:Sollip-cha.jpgAbout the cheapest way to stockpile an emergency supply of food is to get mostly rice and beans, because they will supply most of your nutritional needs at an extremely low cost. (See our earlier posts–this one, and this one, for more information.)   But that diet would be lacking in some essential vitamins.

According to the book Nuclear War Survival Skills, the first vitamin deficiency that will inflict persons living on an austere diet of rice and beans will be scurvy, due to the lack of any vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The first symptoms might appear within a month.

Fortunately, this particular effect of a famine is extremely easy and inexpensive to prevent.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is 90 mg/day for men, and 75 mg/day for women. (However, these doses are probably more than necessary, since about 10 mg per day will probably prevent scurvy.)  This dose would be extremely inexpensive to stockpile a supply for many years. For example, this bottle on Amazon contains 110 tablets of 500 mg. In other words, one pill could be crushed up to meet the RDA for a family of five, with some to spare. Just three bottles would last a family of five an entire year.  This site recommends doing exactly that–grinding up one 500 mg pill and adding it to a drink, which will meet the RDA of the entire family.

Even more economical would be this jar of vitamin C powder. It contains about 226,000 mg (226 grams) of vitamin C (a quarter teaspoon contains 1250 mg). That means that it contains about 2500 servings of the RDA–it would be enough to last one person almost seven years.

Of course another option would be to store multivitamin tablets.  In many ways, that is a better option, since this would assure you of a supply of other vitamins, in addition to vitamin C. The cost is somewhat higher, but still reasonable. But the cost of vitamin C is practically zero, and it is the vitamin that you would need before any other.

We think that given the low cost, stockpiling vitamin C would be prudent for everyone. But we also realize that not everyone will be doing it. Fortunately, even if you find yourself in a food crisis unprepared, the vitamin C problem is easily solved.

If you had to forage for all of your food, it’s quite likely that you would starve to death: You simply can’t get enough calories to keep yourself alive over the long term. However, almost anywhere you live, it is quite possible to have vitamin C in abundance simply by foraging.

Your best source of vitamin C will vary depending on where you live. But for me, I have three abundant sources: dandelions, creeping charlie, and pine needles. Any of these will give an abundant supply of vitamin C. There is zero possibility that my cause of death will be scurvy.

Dandelions.

The dandelion (taraxacum) is edible in its entirety, and is an excellent source of vitamin C. The leaves are the easiest part to eat, and you can find good instructions on doing so at this link.

The roots (not unlike the root of a potato, but on a much smaller scale) might actually provide a few calories for your trouble. But just by consuming the leaves, you’ll get all of the vitamin C that you need. They can simply be included in a salad, as you would lettuce. Or, you can just eat them as they are. The veins of the leaf, especially if they are mature, can be quite bitter tasting. But if you simply remove this part by cutting out the middle, you can just put a leaf in your mouth and eat it. According to WebMD, a cup of dandelion greens contains 19.2 mg of vitamin C.  So just half a cup would provide the bare minimum necessary to prevent scurvy.

Creeping Charlie.

Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea) is considered by many to be a weed, but it is found in many a suburban yard. All parts of the plant are edible, and it has a minty flavor. Again, you can simply eat the leaves, but a good way to consume it is as a tea. You can find instructions at this site.  Basically, you just put the washed plant material in a jar, fill it with boiling water, and wait an hour. You can drink the tea either hot or cold.

I’ve been unable to find the exact dose of vitamin C, but creeping charlie is said to be high in the vitamin, and it seems likely that drinking the tea on a regular basis will fend off scurvy.

Pine Needles

Eastern White Pine (U.S. National Park Service)The needles of many (but not all) pine trees are a good source of vitamin C. In particular, the white pine is an excellent source, and the needles can easily be made into a tea. You can find instructions here, but the recipe is very simple. Just add the needles to water and bring it to a boil. Then, let it steep for 10-20 minutes and strain.

In the winter of 1536, explorer Jacques Cartier and his men were suffering the effects of a disease unknown to them, scurvy.  Thanks to the Iroquois,pi the made a miraculous recovery after being given pine needle tea.

Sprouting Seeds

If you have beans stored as part of your emergency food storage, then another alternative to obtain vitamin C in a food emergency is to sprout them.    Even though the bean does not contain vitamin C, the sprouts do contain this essential vitamin.  The process for sprouting them is easy, and you can find complete instructions in Chapter 9 of Nuclear War Survival Skills.

In a food emergency, foraging for food is unlikely to satisfy many of your needs.  But it will easily provide you with one necessary nutrient, vitamin C.  But still, the cost of buying the vitamin before the emergency is so low that it’s the obvious choice.  But if faced with an emergency where you failed to prepare, remember that this particular deficiency is fairly easy to solve.



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EU Urges Citizens to Prepare for Emergencies

We reported a few days ago that France is encouraging all of its citizens to prepare a 72-hour emergency kit. Now, the same advice is coming down from the European Union. The X video above is from Hadja Lahbib, the EU Commissioner of “Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management.” The recommendations are familiar to most of our readers.  Every citizen of the EU should have a survival kit consisting of:

We like to think that most of our readers are prepared in excess of these bare minimums.  But even so, it doesn’t hurt to look through a list like this, and make sure you have these items available at home, at work, in your car, at school, or wherever you might find yourself when disaster strikes.

Some of the links above are to inexpensive sources on Amazon.  Some of the links are to our prior posts where we go into more detail.  You can click here for all of our posts on the subject of emergency preparedness.

We hope there won’t be a war.  But it doesn’t hurt to take at least some minimal preparations to help you should there be one, or even a more mundane emergency.



Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning that this site earns a small commission if you make a purchase after using the link.

France To Issue Emergency Guidelines

KitDUrgenceAccording to news reports, France is preparing an updated guide for its citizens for preparing for and surviving possible emergencies, including nuclear attack. Reportedly, the guide is being reviewed by the Prime Minister, and should be in the hands of the public by this summer.

The excerpt above shows recommended contents for a family emergency kit. First on the list is a radio with spare batteries. Other items are medicines and a first aid kit, a pocketknife, non-perishable foods for all family members, including pets and infants, and warm clothing. Also on the list are a flashlight and/or candles, a charger, six liters (1.5 gallons) of water per person, and extra eyeglasses and keys for the car and house. Rounding out the list are games to pass the time, and copies of important documents.

Production of the document comes on the heels of similar preparations in the Nordic countries.  There is an English versions online of the Swedish “In case of crisis or war.”

We are sure that most of our readers are prepared at least a minimal broadcast radio, which could provide lifesaving information in case of an emergency in which the Internet is unavailable. Even an inexpensive radio such as this one along with extra batteries could save your life in an emergency.  (And for added flexibility, make sure your  flashlight  uses the same type of batteries.)

For more Emergency Preparedness pointers, see our earlier posts on the subject.



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Product Review: Holy Locust Biblical Energy Bar

LocustBar2

Bottom Line: John the Baptist ate well in the desert.

Hieronymus Bosch's St. John the Baptist in the Wilderness

Hieronymus Bosch’s St. John the Baptist in the Wilderness

We recently received a free sample of the Holy Locust Biblical Energy Bar from the manufacturer, in exchange for an honest review.   According to the Bible (Matthew 3:4), John the Baptist sustained himself in the desert on locusts and wild honey. It should be noted that the locust is perfectly kosher to eat (Leviticus 11:22).

While locusts are still eaten in some parts of the world, theyIsraelFlag have fallen out of favor in Western diets. But thanks to Israeli entrepreneur Dror Tamir, that’s changing. He founded Holy Locust to revive that lost Biblical food to feed the masses. He is in the midst of a 1000 day quest to replicate John the Baptist’s diet, and you can follow on Instagram.  His company, Holy Locust, is making available locusts sourced from the banks of the River Jordan. Products include roasted whole locusts, Biblical protein shakes, and Biblical energy bars, consisting of dates, nuts, and locust protein. The protein used in the bars and shakes is locust flour, made from dried locusts ground into powder.

Trying the Holy Locust Bar

Of course, as soon as we heard of this innovative food, we wanted to give it a try. In exchange for our honest review, Holy Locust provided a sample, which arrived in the mail from Israel today.

LocustBar

As you can see from the nutrition facts above, the bulk of the product is dates, followed by peanuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, and ground cashew. Locusts make up only 2% of the product. At first, it sounded as if they were skimping on the marquee ingredient. But when we gave it some thought, it sounded reasonable. Before being added, the locusts were dehydrated and ground up. I couldn’t find definitive information as to the water content of locusts, but according to this article, the water content of another insect is 58%. Since most living things are mostly water, this seems reasonable. The locusts are there mostly for the protein, and they are apparently an excellent source of protein. So it seems reasonable that adding 2% of practically pure protein adds a huge boost to the other ingredients.

Most importantly, the Holy Locust bars taste great! You can watch the video below of my uboxing (unwrappering) of this unique product and my first taste.

The most prominent flavor, of course, is the dates. The snack tastes not unlike many “fruit and grain” bars. There was no particular taste from the locusts, but the overall flavor did complement the dates. Again, it tastes not unlike any other fruit and grain bar you might find in the snack aisle of your favorite supermarket.

The cost of the bars is $19 for a box of six bars. If you order one or two boxes, shipping is a flat rate of $14.95. If you order three or more boxes, shipping is free. So they are not currently a cheap snack, as we’re sure you can find a comparable product at a lower price at your supermarket. But they are certainly an affordable product, if you wish to try this sustainable protein source. For the full locust experience, a small jar of whole locusts, oven roasted, is available for $12. The net weight of that product is not shown, but it appears to be about a dozen individual locusts.  Other reviews I’ve seen are positive, and it looks like one of these would also be a tasty snack, suitable for a salty component of trail mix.

If you wish to cut out the middleman and capture your own locusts, you can find some recipes on this page.

No, John Didn’t Eat Carob Beans

Invariably, when Holy Locust mentions their product, some troll comes along and announces that John the Baptist wasn’t really eating locusts.  I have a feeling that some of these people ordinarily consider themselves to be biblical literalists, but they’re just too squeamish to accept the fact that insects could be a food.  The competing theory is that when the Bible says locust, it doesn’t really mean locust.  Instead, by some convoluted logic, it really means the beans of a carob tree pod.  This argument is easily put to rest.  In the original Greek, the word for locust is ἀκρίδες (akrides).  This word appears one other place in the New Testament, Revelation 9:3, “And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.”  It strains credulity to think that carob beans are going to one day descend from the sky and start attacking.  It’s clear that when Matthew said locusts, he was talking about locusts.  I’ve had carob before, and it’s a somewhat tasty alternative to chocolate.  But it’s not what John the Baptist was eating.

Insects for Emergency Preparedness

Since one of the focuses  of this site is on emergency preparedness, it hasn’t escaped our notice that during a food emergency, locusts and other insects might constitute an emergency food source. Among many reference works on the subject is Insects: An Edible Field Guide by Stefan Gates.  While it would not be economical to stock up on locusts for use in an emergency, one might gain some confidence in the locust as a nutritious food item now.  And a good way to do that is to try some from Holy Locust.

Bottom Line

We know that most of our readers are not squeamish.  And even those who are squeamish might overcome this condition by trying this healthful and tasty snack.  While they’re a bit pricey, keep in mind that they come with bragging rights that you ate the same thing as John the Baptist.  Their high protein sustained him in the wilderness, and they’ll do so for you as well.
תהנה מהארוחה שלך!

 

 



Some links on this site, such as Amazon links, are affiliate links, meaning that this site earns a small commission if you make a purchase after using the link. Links to Holy Locust, however, are not compensated in any way.

Telling Directions with the Sun

1965MarBLSixty years ago this month, the March 1966 issue of Boys’ Life carried a feature by William “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt showing a number of methods to determine the points of the compass. The method shown above, if you had the time, was exact.

1965MarBL2A faster but less accurate method was shown at the left. You place a straight stick in the ground so that it casts no shadow. You wait, and the inevitable shadow will be pointing approximately west. How close the method worked depended on how close you were to noon, and how close you were to the equinoxes.



1925 Emergency Foot Bridge

1925FebSciInvBridgeA hundred years ago this month, the February 1925 issue of Science and Invention gave these self-explanatory plans for constructing an emergency foot bridge. It had the advantage of being able to use it as you constructed it, since you pushed each new section into place.

Each support was a pair of jumping poles. You would form them into an “X” shape, and then push them out ahead. Perhaps some student will be inspired to turn this into a science fair project. Or perhaps a scout looking for a good pioneering project might be inspired. (If the water below is deeper than ankle-deep, then the current Guide to Safe Scouting calls for participants to wear a life jacket.)



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Broadcast Station Protection Program, 1984

1984RadioFalloutShelterShown here is some key station in the Emergency Broadcast System, after it was equipped to stay on the air after a nuclear attack. The diagram appears in a 1984 FEMA publication, Broadcast Station Protection Program, which outlined the program. Much of the hardening would be paid for by the government, such as construction of fallout shelters for station personnel, emergency generators, and remote pickup equipment to link the station back to the EOC.

The cost of stocking the station with food and supplies for the staff was the responsibility of the station owner and licensee. Facilities were designed to be adequate, although austere.