1957 Aleutian Tsunami
On the left, a major wave arrived at Laie Point on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii. On the right, the arrival of another major wave showed more extensive inundation.
(Images: National Geophysical Data Center)
A deep crater formed atop Pu`u `O`o as the summit of the cone collapsed.
(Image: U.S. Geological Survey)
All of the above have a Hawaii history and since I recently received a really useful fuel cell power emergency kit, I was reminded that it’s time to review or set-up an emergency kit for the family that contains the basics for a disaster that may last a few hours, a day or even a week. Following is a very brief portion of the State Civil Defense webpage…look at the date…it’s May already…so what, you say…or you go click…June to November in Hawaii is Hurricane season, so think about what your plan is…what you need to wait out various factors like power out, cell phone out of charge, you can probably add a few of your own, but I encourage you to visit this web page and others like it to put your own plan together and start putting together your emergency kit. http://www.scd.state.hi.us/
Preparing For Disaster: Being prepared for disaster is important. When disaster strikes, you may not have ample time to respond and ensure the resources you and your family need to survive are available. Moreover, hundreds of other families in your area share the same concerns, and it will be difficult to get access to the necessities you need due to shortages and competition. Do not wait until the last minute and get caught in this situation. Disaster-time civilian response requires sound decision-making and action to save the lives of families and friends.
When determining your emergency needs, plan for the long haul. In any major disaster scenario, it may take 72 hours or more for emergency personnel to reach you. Emergency preparedness kits should contain the essentials your family needs to survive during a disaster. Having two is ideal; a multi-purpose kit that with provisions for more activities for the home, and a transportable slimmed down kit with bare necessities for survival when on the go. Any preparations should be accompanied by an emergency plan. Know where your family is and how to keep in contact in the event of a disaster. Most of all keep informed. Find out what disasters you may be affected by and plan accordingly. Determine and manage your emergency needs as required.
Recommendations for Disaster Preparedness Kit
When preparing a disaster preparedness kit, first plan for the essentials for survival. Think practical first, and think comfortable second. All essential needs should be able to fit in a 5 gallon bucket. Absolute necessities include food, water, and warmth. Foodstuffs should be high energy non-perishables and kept in sealed air-tight containers. Made-ready meals and canned goods are excellent choices for emergency food sources. It is safe to ration, the body can be maintained on half of your average caloric intake during an emergency. Provisions should include enough food supplies to last three days for each family member.
What about the fuel cell power emergency kit I mentioned? The Medis Xtreme Fuel Cell Power Emergency Kit is the world’s first eco-friendly, personal fuel cell power system that delivers emergency lighting and mobile phone power when a user needs it most. Here is what the fact sheet for this kit says:
A better way to prepare for the next blackout
Power blackouts leave millions of people exposed and vulnerable every year. And traditional batteries may not help when it’s time to power up the emergency essentials such as flashlight, most smart phones, regular cell phones as well as MP3 players, PDAs, Bluetooth accessories and more.
The Medis Fuel Cell Power Emergency Kit is built around the world’s first personal fuel cell, delivering emergency power when a user needs it most. Unlike batteries, the Medis Fuel Cell does not self-discharge over time, so it’s always ready to deliver instant power.
Users simply activate the Medis Fuel Cell Power Pack by squeezing it to access 20 watt-hours of instant energy for charging the user’s cell phone multiple times* and the powerful 14-LED flashlight (included) for up to 100 hours, along with other portable devices.
Thanks to the Fuel Cell’s long shelf life, users can stock up on multiple Power Packs for the home, office, car and boat, knowing that they’ll always be ready for use.
Medis’ patent-pending fuel cell technology is an electrochemical energy source that generates its own energy without the need for outlets, charging, or limitations of batteries. Unlike the toxic contents of batteries, it’s a green, eco-friendly, and recyclable energy source with full UL and CE approval.
Disaster can strike at any moment. Be prepared with the Medis Fuel Cell Power Emergency Kit.
* Number of charges may vary depending upon phone or device and amount of energy available in device battery
Highlights
- The world’s first fuel cell Power Pack in an all-in-one emergency kit
- Better than battery power – doesn’t go flat on the shelf, doesn’t need charging from the wall and doesn’t contain toxic, hazardous chemicals
- Instant power – get emergency light and phone access the moment you need them.
- Versatile – compatible with many standard mobile phones, MP3 players, Bluetooth accessories and more; includes connector tips for Nokia phones, Mini USB and Micro USB devices.
- Long shelf life – stock up with multiple Power Packs for home or office.
- Green, eco-friendly, clean, alternative energy source – It’s one of the greenest sources of backup power in the world and it’s recyclable.
- Tech Specs & Package Contents Electrical Characteristics:
• Output Voltage: 3.6-5.45 Volts
• Output Power: 1W max
• Output Current: 220 mA max
• Operational Temperature: 32°F (0°C) - 104°F (40°C) - Fuel Cell Power Pack Physical Characteristics:
• Power Pack Dimensions (Before activation): 2.7” (68 mm) W x 3.8” (97 mm) L x 2.2” (57 mm) D
• Power Pack Dimensions (After activation): 2.7” (68 mm) W x 3.8” (97 mm) L x 1.4” (37 mm) D
• Weight: 185 grams (6.50 oz) - Included Connectors:
• Mini USB, Micro USB, Standard Nokia, Nokia (2mm) - What’s in the Box:
• Medis 24/7 Power Pack Fuel Cell Energy Source
• Advanced 14 LED Flashlight
• Standard Charger Cable with Standard Nokia Tip
• Additional Tips include Mini USB, Micro USB, Nokia (2mm)
You can find these kits on Amazon and also the replacement fuel cells after you use the one in the kit. Time to get started on your family emergency kit. Visit http://www.medistechnologies.com/ for additional details.
I’m still getting questions about backup. As regulars will recall, I wrote about Rebit backup in March and was very impressed with it. Now, they have added to their product line with software that will allow you to backup as many as 6 PCs. At first glance, that looks like a good idea for a small business, but what about your average family? Guess what, statistics show that more than ever are multi-PC ones. So, this could very well be the answer to your prayers. The cost is $79 and using it is as simple as I explained in my March column. You just plug in an external hard drive that you have quick-formatted and insert the the software CD and that’s it…your hard drive will automatically backup your complete computer, operating system, programs, files, pictures, and music too. When the hard drive is full, it will continue to backup by overwriting the oldest incremental backup, so you always have the most up-to-date version. What about PCs in different parts of the house? You have a choice, either carry the hard drive around to each PC or laptop, or use a different hard drive for each. I did this for my wife’s as her PC is downstairs and mine are up. External hard drives are not all that expensive anymore…I got a 1 TB one on Amazon for $104 and that was a few months ago, so I’d bet they have come down more, since then.
Another option is to use an internal hard drive you may have, perhaps from an old PC or because you replaced one with a bigger size. I actually had an external HD I had purchased a very long time ago that is 250GB, pretty good size for a backup, but the power cord was faulty, needed to be wiggled every now and then to turn the HD back on…not very useful if you are trying to do a backup. I finally got all the backup files off it…with a lot of wiggle stops and starts and was considering buying a new external HD for the downstairs PC when I ran across an article about installing hard drives in external enclosures. I had done this a number of times, but the picture showed the external HD model I have so I decided to read it. Turns out the author had the same problem I had…bad power cord so all he did was take the drive out of the enclosure and put it into one he bought for that purpose, which only cost $16. I was able to do this with an enclosure I had previously purchased to use with a HD I had replaced on my HP which turned out to be a bad one I couldn’t use, so in the end, it all worked out just fine.
If you do decide to go this route, be sure and get an enclosure that matches your HD, either a SATA or a EIDE. Look at these cables and you will see which will fit your HD, and of course, you can do it with a HD from either a PC (3.5”) or from a Laptop (2.5”) both are available. Once you are done you are ready to do a quick format and then install the software. I backed up my PC, my Laptop and my Netbook on my 1TB HD and as I said the other one, downstairs is connected to the 250GB HD I plugged into the external enclosure. I rotate the connection on the 1TB between the 3 a day at a time and it is working like a charm.
Another important item you should consider when you are setting up your backup for your computer(s) is an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) This allows you some time during a power failure to save any work you are doing and to shut down the computer or laptop you are working on to avoid problems. There are lots of good ones to choose from…you just need to know the specs on your equipment to decide which will work for you. They come in small size and large.
Kim Komando has a good article on this under the buying guide heading…look for surge suppressors.
That should keep you busy for awhile, so start now and be ready for anything. Remember to be careful out there on the web, but have fun too! To help you in that category, here is a url you will really like: http://www.allmyfaves.com/ pick your category, click on the logo and you’re there..it’s that easy!
Until next time,
Aloha, Lou
