Emergency Preparedness Resources

    I’m sure many of us have looked up at the Castaic Lake Dam and wondered what would happen if it failed. Could an earthquake take it out? Could age, wear, and tear or poor engineering eventually cause it to fail? Could flooding overwhelm it like the Oroville Dam in 2017? The answer is sadly "yes," to all of the above. It can fail. Anything is possible. We should just expect it to and get ready for it. The next question is: where would the water go? This link will send you to the California Department of Water Resource's approved inundation maps if the dam were to fail:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/10jp2sQJvvSi6HtEc-jl1zGwc-2a4MTdT/view?usp=sharing Take your time to look at the map and become familiar with it. My first thought when looking at these maps was relief because my home wasn’t in the flood zone but then I realized that almost every possible evacuation route is in the flood path. I would expect the freeway to be heavily damaged from the failure of

 

  There Was Bread   By Bishop W. Christopher Waddell First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric October 2020 "As we seek to become temporally prepared, we can face the trials of life with increased confidence." Link to talk:  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/25waddell?lang=eng     We Will Prove Them Herewith ( Abraham 3:25 )   By Elder David A. Bednar Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles October 2020 "Now is the time to prepare and prove ourselves willing and able to do all things whatsoever the Lord our God shall command us." Link to talk: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/12bednar?lang=eng     Embrace the Future with Faith   By President Russell M. Nelson President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints October 2020 "The future will be glorious for those who are prepared and who continue to prepare to be instruments in the Lor

Check this page often as we will continue to add to it. 7/15/21 Notes & Suggestions: 1. New email address for Sylmar Home Storage Center is:  wel-hsc-sylmar@churchofjesuschrist.org 2. To get on Debbie Kent's email list, email avfoodstorage@gmail.com with your name, city, and state that you are from. Ask to be added to her email list in order to get updates about her amazing virtual classes that she often holds monthly. Seriously, her wealth of knowledge and the time she takes to prepare and share is an amazing resource for us to have free access to.  3. Inflation, rising food prices, drought conditions, shockingly high gas prices, supply shortages, and supply chain disruptions are hard to miss these days. If you haven't noticed, it means you need to pay closer attention. Please take action to adapt your lifestyle to be able to handle current and future conditions as we continue to face repercussions from the pandemic and other unfortunate things going on around the world th

Check this post often as it will continually be updated with new recommendations.  The links are just to help you get started with figuring out what a product is and where to maybe find it. The links may not always be the cheapest option so it's good to shop around online.  Keep in mind that if you invest time in watching for good deals, you can often find products on sale, especially around holidays. However, follow your feelings because if you procrastinate too long, you might find yourself having regrets later on if something happens and certain things become unavailable or overpriced due to increased demand.  Sign up for Sylmar Home Storage email list by emailing sylmarhsc@gmail.com General Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness websites: https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng https://www.sosproducts.com/ https://rainydayfoods.com/ https://pleasanthillgrain.com/?_vsrefdom=gpbr&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Branded&utm_term=www.p

Set spiritual & temporal preparedness as a priority.  "YOU are your OWN first response." The following are some suggestions of where you could start...  1. Email sylmarhsc@gmail.com and ask them to add you to their newsletter mailing list.  2. Fill out "Ward Emergency Inventory Survey" ASAP and send info to castaicprep@gmail.com. 3. Create or update your 72-hr kit and car emergency kit. Include items for warmth. 4. Secure items in your home. Strap down your water heater. Secure breakable & glass items. Find a way to lock cabinets. Secure bookcases and large furniture pieces so they won't fall over. Put closed-toe shoes next to your bed. Make sure you have the tools accessible that you'd need to shut off utilities. Locate where utility shut offs are located.  5. Study content in the emergency prep binder to know how to react to various emergencies.  6. Gather, organize and secure your important documents/valuables. Make sure you have proper insurance

In addition to reviewing the following materials, it would be wise to take photographs of your home, inside and out, to document your valuables for insurance purposes. Then you will be able to reference those photos in case of theft or damage from natural or manmade disasters.  As for important documents, it is best to keep them in a safe place, ideally in an actual locked safe of some kind. As an example, we use this fire and water resistant file to keep our important documents organized and portable in case we have to evacuate. We found it on amazon at this link . (click on the word "link") https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/fema_safeguard-critical-documents-and-valuables.pdf https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/ready_document-and-insure-your-property.pdf

As of January 2021, below are the most up-to-date flyers from the Sylmar Home Storage Center. Their business hours vary and often change so it is best to sign-up for their newsletter or call to make sure they're open when you plan your trip.  As of January 2021, the Home Storage Center Hours are:  Tues/Sat 9am-11am, Thur. 3pm-5pm Email sylmarhsc@gmail.com and ask to be added to their email list.  They share very useful information regarding products, sales, how to store & cook food storage, virtual classes, recipes, etc. as well as important information regarding when they are open and what they do or don't have in stock.  Check out the following links for additional food storage and preparedness information: https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/food-storage?lang=eng https://pleasanthillgrain.com/preparedness https://www.sosproducts.com/ https://mountainhouse.com/ Below is an example of an order form from the Home Storage Center for January 2021. You can find ord

  Please see additional links for valuable information/resources: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/effak_Toolkit_20190904.pdf https://www.ready.gov/financial-preparedness https://www.usa.gov/flec https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/family-finances?lang=eng

   Additional Links: https://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/children.pdf