Earthquake Preparedness : Rumble Rations : Disasters: Food, survival equipment and especially water are required ingredients in being ready to survive hard times.

It’s been nearly a year since a 7.1 temblor rumbled beneath the streets and homes of Northern California. For those living in Southern California, it was a grim preview of what might occur here. One of the most memorable TV images at the time was the San Francisco policeman walking through the destruction of the Mission District, bellowing orders like a preacher delivering a sermon: “Prepare for 72 hours without services. Store water. Turn off the gas. There are only 90 minutes of daylight. Don’t just stand there.”

These last-minute exhortations have been preached by disaster relief agencies for years. Some say it can be hours or even days before relief organizations are able to provide shelter for the newly homeless or distribute emergency supplies, food and water to the needy. In really devastated areas, it can take up 72 hours for help to arrive. This is why people must be able to take care of themselves.

“We have a lot to be worried about in terms of the potential for a major earthquake,” says Evelyn Tribole, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Assn. “If the freeways are knocked out, it may be hard for people to get to the grocery store.” She believes it is imperative for consumers to have a separate food supply containing items the family likes, provided that the food is occasionally rotated into the regular family meals. “Food is the one thing that can bring you together in time of disaster.”

Andrew Rose, internal affairs associate for the American Red Cross Bay Area, disagrees on the importance of storing food at home. He says that supermarket warehouse supplies of food are sufficient to meet the needs of the public during “moderate-size events.” In fact, as long as evacuation isn’t necessary, Rose cautions that warehousing too much food can be “dangerous.”

“Everybody concurs that there should be food on hand,” Rose says. “It’s a good idea to keep (adequate) pantry supplies. But when you stockpile, you generally don’t rotate and (food) goes bad. There are other items that are definitely more important during an earthquake.”

These items include flashlights, a first-aid kit, portable radios, fire extinguisher, alternative means of cooking, plastic trash bags, gloves and spare batteries.

Still, food is a necessity. A surplus of non-perishables and water can be kept in the kitchen pantry, as some suggest, or stored compactly in an easy-to-access location. Either option will allow a family to select meals that are fresh and safe and can be eaten anywhere with a minimum of time, equipment, energy and water.

Water should be the first priority. This essential liquid (humans can survive longer without food than without water) is often called the forgotten nutrient, Tribole says. But “in times of survival, water becomes very precious.” Earthquakes often break water lines, leaving water supplies contaminated; so a minimum of half a gallon per-day per-family member is suggested for drinking and food preparation. Another half gallon is recommended for washing dishes and personal hygiene--bathing, brushing teeth, etc.

Although water stored in clean, airtight plastic containers usually is safe to drink indefinitely, it should be changed occasionally. Avoid metal containers, which can give it an unpleasant taste. Check reserves regularly for leaks and cloudiness.

Base the amount of food set aside on the daily needs of each family member. The Four Food Group Plan is a useful tool for estimating this intake. In general, allow two cups of milk daily for adults, four cups for children; two servings of meat, eggs, peas, beans and nuts daily; five servings of fruits and vegetables; and four servings of breads and cereals.

Emergency food reserves should be stored in water-resistant and airtight containers. The area should be dark and dry, with a temperature of 70 degrees or less, suggests the University of California Cooperative Extension booklet, “A Food Plan for Emergencies.” The lower temperature will increase shelf life. Dampness can cause cans to rust.

For easy storage, keep supplies in a box, basket, tub or plastic can. They can be placed under a table near the front door for a quick exit “. . . just in case the whole kitchen is wiped out,” Tribole says. There should be sufficient space for cooking and serving supplies such as pans, non-electric can and bottle openers, plastic cutlery, paper plates, cups and napkins, a measuring cup and matches.

Although canned goods will usually keep for a long time, they should be replaced twice yearly to ensure good color, flavor and appearance. Items in paper must be replenished every three months.

Keeping emergency food in the pantry is a different matter. It requires that food supplies be rotated more frequently. The oldest foods should be used as part of weekly menus, then restocked. A recycling date record could be kept so you know when it’s time to use the next box of cereal or can of tuna. Tribole also suggests dividing cupboards into the four food groups (milk, meat, breads and cereals and fruits and vegetables), to help make sure there is a balanced variety of foods on hand.

The well-stocked emergency larder should contain a wide variety of non-perishable foods to eliminate boredom. Be sure to purchase sizes that the family can eat in one meal, since there may not be any electricity for a refrigerator during the emergency. Processed cheese, canned meat and meat mixtures (especially those with pop-top cans), dried eggs, cooked dry peas and beans, fruits and vegetables, juices, cereals, crackers and cookies all should be provided. Tribole recommends that consumers include as many nutrient-dense items as possible, though. One cup of beans, for example, will meet a third of the day’s protein needs and 100% of the folic acid requirement.

Juice from canned vegetables and fruits can be used to prepare dishes that might otherwise strain the water supply. Fruit juice, for example, can be heated and stirred into quick-cooking or instant enriched cereals; liquid from canned corn or green beans will add nutrition and flavor to dried staples such as pasta, instant potatoes and rice.

Sterilized whole fluid milk and canned evaporated are preferred over nonfat dry milk powder, which requires rehydration. Unlike pasteurized milk, which requires refrigeration, sterilized whole fluid milk remains fresh for eight months if unopened. Serve chilled, or pour the milk from one container to another several times to improve the taste.

Other non-perishables include: all-purpose biscuit mix, peanut butter, infant and pet food, coffee, cocoa and nuts.

“It’s OK to include some fun foods too,” Tribole says, such as instant puddings, miniature boxes of cereal, dried or canned sugar-free fruits. “Unless you are absolutely starving, three days is short term and pickiness might still be there. But remember you’ll be rotating these into your everyday diet so you’ll want to stay on your nutritional track. You don’t have to let all your nutritional practices go by the wayside.”

To obtain a copy of the California Dietetic Assn. booklet, “Nutrition Survival Plan: A Food Guide for Emergencies, Big and Small,” send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Nutrition Survival Plan, 3170 4th Ave., Third Floor, San Diego, Calif. 92103.

To order “A Food Plan for Emergencies” from the University of California Cooperative Extension, send $1.75 to ANR Publications, University of California, 6701 San Pablo Ave., Oakland, Calif. 94608-1239. Make checks payable to UC Regents.

For a free copy of the booklet, “Safety and Survival in an Earthquake,” write to American Red Cross, Health and Safety Department, 2700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles Calif. 90057.

TWO-WEEK FOOD SUPPLY FOR FOUR Food Groups: Milk Suggested Foods: Evaporated milk or instant nonfat dry milk Unit Size: 14 1/2 ounces or 1 pound 9 5/8 ounces No. of Packages: 38 cans or 5 packages Food Groups: Canned meat, poultry, fish, and spaghetti mixtures or cooked dry beans and peas Suggested Foods: Baked beans, sauce cooked dry beans, beef stew, chicken fricassee, chicken and noodles, chop suey or chow mein, corned beef, roast beef hash, meat balls in gravy, ravioli, tamales, spaghetti with meat balls, tuna and noodles Unit Size: 1 pound No. of Packages: 14 cans or jars Food Groups: Canned poultry or fish Suggested Foods: Boned chicken or turkey, crab meat or lobster, shrimp or tuna Unit Size: 5 to 7 ounces No. of Packages: 8 cans or jars Food Groups: Canned fruits Suggested Foods: Apple sauce, apricots, berries, cherries, cranberry sauce, figs, fruit cocktail, grapefruit or orange sections, peaches, pears, pineapple, purple plums or stewed prunes Unit Size: 1 pound or 8 ounces No. of Packages:16 cans or jars or 10 cans or jars Food Groups: Canned vegetables Suggested Foods: Asparagus, green beans, kidney beans, lima beans or wax beans, beets, carrots, corn, mixed vegetables, mushrooms, peas, sweet or white potatoes, spinach or other greens, sauerkraut, tomatoes or squash Unit Size: 1 pound or 8 ounces No. of Packages: 15 cans or jars or 9 cans or jars Food Groups: Juice Suggested Foods: Apple, orange, pineapple, tomato, cranberry juice cocktail Unit Size: 1 pint to 1 pint 2 ounces No. of Packages: 13 cans or bottles Food Groups: Instant or quick-cooking cereals Suggested Foods: Oatmeal, cream of wheat or oat bran Unit Size: 14 to 16 ounces No. of Packages: 1 package Food Groups: Ready-to-eat cereals Suggested Foods: Assorted ready-to-eat cereals packed 10 individual boxes to a carton Unit Size: 8 1/2 to 11 ounces No. of Packages: 4 cartons Food Groups: Baked goods Suggested Foods: Brown bread, plum, fig or date puddings Unit Size: 11 or 12 ounces No. of Packages: 2 to 3 cans Food Groups: Baked goods Suggested Foods: Cookies; date-nut, fruit-nut or chocolate-nut rolls or bars; melba toast or rye wafers Unit Size: 7 ounces No. of Packages: 1 to 5 packages Food Groups: Spreads for breads and crackers Suggested Foods: Jam, jelly, marmalade, apple or peanut butter Unit Size: 12 ounces No. of Packages: 3 to 6 jars Food Groups: Spreads for breads and crackers Suggested Foods: Cheese spreads, bacon, Cheddar, pimiento or pineapple Unit Size: 5 ounces No. of Packages: 7 jars Source: University of California Cooperative Extension