Winter Driving Tips For Icy Roads In South Deschutes County

Add weight to balance your vehicle and make it handle better. 

With the season's first significant snowfall in mid-November, the  LaPine Fire District Fire-Medics have responded to five serious motor vehicles accidents in just the first two days, due to winter roads! There were many more slide-offs (fortunately no- injury).

Here are 10 very important winter safety driving tips - starting from the easiest and least costly. Note the first six cost little or nothing and you can start doing them immediately and improve your winter travel greatly! Click here to read the entire story.

Quake Off Vancouver Island

The quake's epicenter is marked by the red star on this map released by the U.S. Geologic Survey.

Activity related to The BIG ONE? 

PORT HARDY, British Columbia - A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the sparsely populated west coast of Vancouver Island early Friday afternoon, officials reported.

The quake struck at 12:41 p.m. at a depth of about 14 miles. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, and there is no danger of a tsunami, officials said. To read the rest of the story, click here.

Survival Food Recipes and Off-Grid Cooking: Healthy Spinach Pasta With Fresh and Storage Foods...

Survival Food Recipes and Off-Grid Cooking: Healthy Spinach Pasta With Fresh and Storage Foods...: Use fresh produce when available to save storage foods!
One way to stretch your storage food and prepper dollars is by taking advant...

Weather Emergencies Make Vehicle a Survival Boat

Whether it's evacuations in California ordered as a result of tsunami waves caused by the Japanese earthquake, flooding in Ohio, Tennessee and Pennsylvania this week, or the unexpected break-down in the desert or mountains, many people wind up on their own or even stranded in their vehicle, which becomes a kind of lifeboat.

But what is in that lifeboat to help an individual or a family cope with adverse conditions? Too few drivers keep basic tools and other necessities and helpers to endure a night or more alone in a car, or the basics to get a damaged car back on the road.

There are a few small things you can carry to make life on the road easier. Click here to learn more!

Use a Trash Bag for a Quick Emergency Shelter

I first noticed trash bag shelter use at an Iowa State University football game in the early 70s. The weather got really bad during the half, with snow, rain and wind.
But one row of die-hard Cyclones pulled out a roll of plastic trash bags, cut holes for their heads and arms, and weathered the storm. I don’t recall how the football team did!
Since then, I’ve taken shelter in trash bags on a variety of outdoor activities. Trash bags are particularly valuable on hunting trips, because a large bag gives you a place to lay meat while you’re butchering.
Obviously, if you anticipate bad weather, be prepared for it, stay home or take along a  lightweight, four-season backpacking tent.
But you can adapt a trash bag into a very effective emergency shelter. Here is how to choose the right one for your survival kit and how to use it.

FEMA Projects Earthquake Disaster on Oregon Coast

Roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure will be severely damaged by the Cascadia earthquakes.

The Number One concern of all five Red Cross Chapters in Oregon is how to react to the  inevitable earthquake that is bound to occur about 75 miles off the Oregon coast. Projected to be as bad as a level 9, it will have a profound impact on some 13 million people along the California, Oregon and Washington coasts.
Read this Associated Press story about what computer experts project will happen when “The Big One” hits!

Make a Personal Earthquake/Emergency Survival Kit

These common items, available everywhere, can give you a fighting chance to survive!

HERE’S THE SCENARIO: The earthquake hits while you’re at work. The office walls start to shake and the pictures start to fall. Alarms go off. Head pop up above the cubicles, as people, with no idea of what to do, look around. Some will sit back down and get back to work.
Now what? Stay? Go? Logout, then go? Ignore the situation?
Knowledge is key to survival, but you also need some basic survival tools you can carry with you everywhere. Here are some suggestions for a wardrobe survival kit. When it's properly packed, you'll forget you have it on you - and that means you'll take it along!

Apocalypse When? Could the Northwest be Next?

ODOT projects that most bridges in Central Oregon will fail during the Big One.

The tragic earthquake and tsunami news from Japan deservedly got worldwide attention. And the earthquake in New Zealand the week before, on Feb. 22, also attracted international attention and concern.

But will warnings of potential earthquake problems in the United States get some of that concern and attention?

I hope so! 

Here are some reliable sources, and their take on the danger from earthquakes that Central Oregonians face!

THE BIG ONE: What Happens During the Mega Quake in Central Oregon?

The Little Deschutes may not end up being a reliable source of drinking water!

The potential for a massive earthquake occurring off the Oregon coast and directly affecting the tricounty area (Central Oregon) is real, say experts, which is why La Pine City Councilor Stu Martinez got a new job not long ago.

At a council meeting last spring, Martinez’s colleagues asked him to “get the ball rolling” to prepare for a large-scale disaster. To that end, he will review disaster preparedness plans for La Pine and the surrounding south Deschutes County area.

“The city needs to be capable of dealing with an emergency down here, and we asked Stu to give us an update,” said La Pine Mayor Ken Mulenex. “We don’t totally know what is in place, or what to plan for in this area. But as a community, we have to be ready.” (To read the rest of this story, click here.)

How to Stay Cool During a Power Outage/Heat Wave Emergency

What happens when  the "Big One" occurs along the Cascadia earthquake fault along the Oregon coast and it's really hot in south Deschutes County? 

And how much worse will conditions be if this catastrophe happens during the winter when it’s really cold?

On the other hand, how will you stay cool and safe, if an earthquake, forest fire or other natural disaster knocks out the power grid when the temperature is really hot? If you don’t have to evacuate, how can you stay cool inside your house without power?

Here are some tips for getting through heat spells!

Off-Grid Cooking: Camp Chef Twin Burner Propane Stove

This setup has served me well, in the wilderness and on my patio!

When I bought my Camp Chef double burner propane stove nearly 20 years ago, I never dreamed it would be so useful, get such hard use or last so long!
After shopping around with my elk camp stove criteria in mind,  I bought a Camp Chef double burner. I have never regretted the purchase, and the stove has never let me down.
A stove like this is also a valuable survival tool. It allows you to cook, boil water and prepare meals for groups of people when there is no electricity or gas. My Camp Chef is part of my off-grid cooking setup and a valuable part of my emergency preparations.
To read my review, click here!

How To Choose The Best Sleeping Bag

These synthetic winter bags got slightly damp, but dried out quickly!

One of the things you don’t want to have to improvise is a good sleeping bag. If you can’t sleep at night because you’re cold, the next day is guaranteed to be exhausting. Too light a bag can put you in danger of hypothermia. Too heavy a bag may be  too hot for comfort and impractical for easy transport. Here’s how to pick a good bag to meet your specific needs.
Click here to read the story!

What is the Potential for an Earthquake in Oregon and How would it Affect South Deschutes County?

An earthquake on the Oregon coast could severely damage infrastructure in Central Oregon.

Earthquakes have been in the news recently, particularly with the extensive coverage of the devastation in Japan. And most people probably would agree that some sort of preparation would be a good idea.But really, what could an earthquake on the Oregon coast do to you in Central Oregon? Could it have an impact on  areas further inland?
Well, several state agencies are very concerned! Imagine a power outage, darkness and no communications. Then imagine that the grocery stores run out of food.
Listen to SurvivalCommonSense.com Radio and find out what James Roddey, Earth Sciences Information Officer with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries thinks the disaster risk might be!!
Click here to listen to the interview! (The Roddey interview starts about 15 minutes into the show, if you don't want to listen to the survival recipe!)