This blog post summarizes a first-hand account of emergency preparedness from Evelyn Bradley, a freelance columnist who moved from the southern U.S. to Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.). She learned hard lessons about winter storms and prolonged outages.
It outlines practical, experience-driven steps for preparing your household for extreme weather. The focus is not only on basic survival but also on maintaining comfort and a sense of normal life during extended disruptions.
Practical essentials: power, food, water and small comforts
Bradley’s story is a useful case study for anyone who needs to adapt emergency readiness to local risks. After being stranded by a major snowstorm in her first P.E.I. winter, she refined a household plan that proved valuable when post-tropical storm Fiona struck in 2022.
Her approach distills into four core pillars: power, food, water, and the often-overlooked category of small comforts that preserve routine and dignity during outages.
Power: alternatives and low-tech resilience
Not everyone can or wants to buy a generator, but maintaining communication and light is critical. Bradley demonstrates low-cost, low-tech strategies that work in real situations.
- Charge smart: Keep laptops and portable battery packs topped up when power is available; you can use one device to recharge another.
- Pre-download media: Store movies, audiobooks and podcasts offline to reduce the need for streaming during outages.
- Hand-crank and solar radios: Essential for receiving official updates when cell service is unreliable.
- Layer lighting: LED lanterns, headlamps and candles (used safely) provide redundancy.
Food: planning, fuel diversity and real meals you’ll enjoy
Long-term readiness isn’t about bland rations — it’s about maintaining nutrition and morale. Bradley emphasizes planning meals around ingredients you actually like and being able to cook using multiple fuel sources.
- Stock staples: Grains, canned proteins, beans, and long-lasting dairy alternatives.
- Fuel flexibility: Butane stoves, small camping stoves or an alternative cooking method reduce reliance on electric ranges.
- Meal planning: Rotate your stock and cook with what you enjoy so you’re more likely to use and replenish supplies.
Water: storage, treatment and palatability
Water is non-negotiable. Bradley’s tactics are practical and inexpensive to implement.
- Fill bathtubs: A simple way to hold a supply for sanitation and flushing.
- Store bottles and growlers: Keep sealed containers ready for drinking water.
- Treatment options: Purification tablets or a small filtration system, and flavour packets to make treated water more acceptable.
Small comforts and routines: preserving humanity under stress
Perhaps the most important lesson from Bradley is that preparedness should preserve routine and dignity.
Entertainment, clothing, hygiene and simple rituals reduce anxiety and help families cope.
- Low-water hygiene: Baby wipes, dry shampoo and basin washing keep morale and health up.
- Comfort clothing and bedding: Layers, warm blankets and comfortable garments matter more than you think.
- Routine and entertainment: Board games, downloaded shows and a schedule help maintain a sense of normalcy.
Here is the source article for this story: Why my emergency kit includes the things that make me feel human