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Mt. Redoubt....Where have all the virgins gone? (LOCALISM FEATURED)

Mt. Redoubt - An Eruption In '09? Yesterday while standing in line at the grocery store I overheard two fellows talking about Mt. Redoubt. I was thumbing through the latest National Enquirer Alaska magazine while waiting on the cashier to figure out what the produce code for a yellow squash was when I overheard...

"All we need is to find a few good virgins and the volcano gods will be happy again."

After a round of hearty laughter the other fellow looks at him and says "yea right, do they even make them anymore."

The official news from the Alaska Volcano Observatory is that we're still experiencing significant seismic activity and runoff on the north side of the mountain, but no eruption yet. From the AVO website:

"A high intensity burst of volcanic tremor occurred from about 2:44 through 2:50 AST this morning at Redoubt. The tremor episode appears to have ended for now. There was no eruption associated with this tremor."

Today it's Mt. Redoubt, tomorrow it could be an earthquake or a power grid failure. Are you prepared for even a short term disaster?

Is your pantry stocked with enough food to feed your family for a week or even a few days? Did you know there are only a few days of food supplies on the shelves of the local grocery stores? What happens in the event of a disruption in the supply lines?

Do you have drinking water for everyone in the family? One gallon per person per day is recommended. Don't forget about our furry four legged friends. They'll need water and food as well.

How will you heat your home in the event of a power failure at 20 below? A backup generator system is relatively inexpensive to install. Even a small 2000 watt generator will run most boilers/furnaces, circulating pumps and well pumps (provided you're on a well) and a few lights. Larger 5000+ watt generators will run an entire house. Don't forget to stock fuel for them as well to the tune of 1/2 gallon per hour of use. (Figure 10-12 gallons per day x at least 5 days) 55 gallon drums are available at the Sourdough bulk fuel plant on Illinois Street. (907-452-0691 - $48 for reconditioned/$67 for new)

Do you know CPR and basic first aid? Do you have a stocked first aid kit? In a disaster you'll need to know how to treat minor and potentially life threatening injuries. Take a first aid course or better yet, enroll in an EMT course at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Hospitals and clinics will fill up fast and you could face an extended wait time for treatment.

Do you have enough essential medications if you couldn't get to a pharmacy for a week or longer? At best, running out of essential medications could make life uncomfortable but it could also become life threatening.

Do you have any cash on hand? What would happen if the ATM machine wasn't operable... or empty? Do you have enough cash on hand for basic needs? It doesn't have to be a lot, but having some good 'ol greenbacks handy is always a good idea.

Are you prepared to defend your home/family? While I don't expect the world to fall into an abyss moments after a natural disaster strikes, being armed could mean shooting dinner as well as an intruder. Some will cite this as proof I've been in Alaska too long but I'm a firm believer in being prepared.

The Alaska Department of Homeland Security has a great website dedicated to emergency preparedness. The site contains a guide that will show you how to build a seven days survival kit over the next twenty-four weeks. The Centers for Disease Control and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have voluminous information on disaster preparedness.

Wilderness Medicine by Paul Auerbach is a great medical reference for your home library. It's a no-nonsense guide to treating just about any medical issue you could possibly have. Dare to Prepare, Emergency Food Storage & Survival, and Crisis Preparedness, are all good reference books.

Alaska - The Great Land - Jesse and Kathy Clifton, Your Fairbanks Ak Spouses Selling Houses Team!

Posted by Fairbanks Alaska Real Estate Specialists Jesse & Kathy Clifton 907-699-6024 on 02/02/2009 03:54 PM

Comments (53)

Mt. Redoubt in the ActiveRain Channel

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Originally posted at: Fairbanks Ak Real Estate News & Info: Mt. Redoubt....Where have all the virgins gone? (LOCALISM FEATURED)

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53 Comments on Mt. Redoubt....Where have all the virgins gone? (LOCALISM FEATURED)

FEB

Jesse, being prepared is an important component in our lives. What if those of us in real estate didn't have some savings to see us through this down market? What if...there is a truck strike, and no food reaches the shelves of the markets? Having cash is essential as well. We need to be prepared. I imagine living where you do, it's even more than important - it is necessary!! Good post. ;-)

Good luck with the sacrifice to the volcano gods. I would definitely think that preparation would be key with this looming over you guys.

Jesse Clifton, mountain man.

Great post Jesse !! lol... and way to grab us with an intriguing title !!!!

Nicely done

Sheldon

O.K., I'm ready. Got enough water. I keep about 20 gallons on hand. I learned that from experience living with a well.

Got enough food for a month and I'm not eating this year anyway.

Got a 12 ga. in case I have to shoot one of those deer that feed in my back yard early in the a.m.

Got a fireplace and about 2 cords of wood. That wouldn't heat much of this huge house for long, I fear.

Then, there's always the motel in Leesburg, which is where I wind up when the elec. goes out anyway.

Good post. Very timely.

Interesting post. Somehow I can't bring myself to "stockpile everything" just in case...I do like to be prepared and try to be. "Whatever will be ...will be"

Portsmouth NH Real Estate

"Do they even make them anymore" LOL! The way some of these young kids dress and act these days, it does make one wonder doesn't it? I hope this turns out to be much ado about nothing (nothing much anyway) but stay safe and keep us posted!!

Jesse...

This is a fantastic public service post, and we are hoping for the best for everyone in the area. Excellent post and a well-deserved feature my friend!

What a great post-and a necessary one. One thing you might want to add to the list is a full tank of gas. After that power failure up and down the whole East Coast several years ago not one of our vehicles (we have 4) had enough gas at that time to get us away from the power failure area. Luckily we had enough food & medicine (it was summer) to get us through until the power came back. The stores stayed open to sell anything that did not need refrigeration for cash only obviously but it was a little scarey to know you were stuck and couldn't go anywhere because you couldn't get gas anywhere. We now try to keep at least two vehicles with a full or close to full tank all the time.

Jesse, those are great tips for being prepared in the land of the midnight sun...or even the innercity. Volcanoes, hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes, and tornadoes can all cause power failures. Chances are there is something that can happen, no matter where you live that could change your normal routine for a week or more.

Great post Jesse- I sent your last one about the volcano to my friends who are acoompanying us on our Alaska cruise in May. She actually is looking for the masks!

Having lived in Buffalo NY, we're used to stockpiling for the big snowstorms! 20below though is way too cold for me!

Be safe, thanks for the list.

It's pretty creepy keeping an eye on volcano forecasts. I remember when Washington's Mt. St. Helens went (lived there then).

Jesse, I've been following your this on TV and I am always thinking about you and you family. Be safe.

Jesse: Growing up in California, we worried about earthquakes, in the Mid-West it is tornado's. I would rather stand on the epicenter of an earthquake than be in the path of a tornado! I cannot imagine a Volcano - Be safe, we are all here for you. Love, love, love the Alaska pics. Bear on the log is my favorite.

It is a good thing I am not your mother! I am very worried about you.

Loving this post! I have enough food the entire neighborhood in a disaster, according to my husband :) I don't stock up on water and will reconsider that now. You just never know. If it ever hits 20 below here in Huntsville, I won't have to worry about shooting my dinner. I'll shoot myself first, LOL.

Seriously, this is a great post for your Alaska folks What a great idea!

This is a good post Jesse. And a good laugh! Instead of a few virgins, maybe you could try...umm...a few left over Realtors ... (like me?) Sorry - it's been a very long day and I'm a little punch drunk. Thanks for the "miss you". I have nothing to say these days other than "get the VOE" and "change the mortgagee clause". sigh ...but I'm still here, wallowing in lurkiness, being a voyeur. ;-)

I hate to say it but I'm not thoroughly prepared for any of those scenarios. I have that hopefully it will not happen to me attitude, and Ill work on that in 09.

If I were a betting man <I'm not>...I would wager to say 80+% of folks are not prepared, I know if I lived there and understood the risks, I would probably only be 20-40% prepared.

Running up to Y2K...many friends of mine were stockpiling, and I thought..how bad can it really be?

But I know Mother Nature and man-made events are completely different animals.

Hi Jesse...My suggestion, grab Kathy and head for Virginia.

Kate

Yep, everybody better stock up, if Alaska's anything like NJ you won't be finding any virgins!

Jessie, good post and so needed...I think people shall take your advice just in case when the virgins would not be found...lol...but on a serious note....we all shall be thinking about some supplies, safety plan etc..it doesn't matter if you are in AK, in the tornado alley or somewhere else...

Stay warm. With smiles,

Great post - another thing I learned from our local Red Cross is to be prepared to leave your house in 10 mintues. Pretty scary when you think about it. Would you have the cash, medicines, diapers/formula/special food for family members/pets if you needed to walk out the door in 10 minutes? How about a charged cell phone and numbers for relatives? They recommend keeping a large rubbermaid like tub with copies of everything you would need, cash etc. Also include a list of anything you would need to add at the last minute.

Thanks for the reminder, whether people are facing a possible natural disaster or not, it's an important message. Hope everything turns out OK.

Jesse - This is a stellar post about preparedness, my friend. But more importantly, DO they make them anymore? ;)

Only in Alaska do people think it is up to each's own to survive! The rest of us, outside, just wait for the FEMA trucks to show up. I know, we're spoiled babies.

I lived in Cold Bay for 2 years with emergency gear, water, etc. ready to go in the artic entry closet. Thanfully, we never had to use any of it.

The one thing I really miss about Alaska is Northern Lights. Whenever you see them, see them for me.

In 2006, one of my goals was to set up emergency food and supplies, as I know one should. I accomplished the goal, but since then I finished the supplies and did not replace them.

Maybe, this post will get me back to the stores to replenish my pantry. BTW, I thought grains would be a good emergency food, but without electricity or gas, it would be a challenge to cook the beans and rice. This is where a generator will come in handy. Thanks for the reminder.

Right now, I need to get ready for tomorrow's storm. We are expecting one whole inch of snow.

Great Post! No matter where you live you could be the victim of a natural disaster. Does it seem like there are more of them lately, from floods to fires to earthquakes, hurricanes and tornados and most recently the relentless cold weather bringing ice storms and snow. It seems that a lot of the United States has suffered disasters. I live in Lake Arrowhead, in the mountains of Southern Califfornia. We have had our share over the last few years with major fires. In the 10 years I have lived here we have been evacuated twice, once for 13 days and the last time for 6 days. When we came home all was well, but many of our neighbors were not so lucky.

They keep talking about the "big one", earthquake you know. As a native Californian, I have been through a few, don't like them at all. I used to keep an earthquake box in my car and also at home, but over the years it has been forgotten about. So thanks for the reminder, because you never know when something will happen. My goal this week is to get my earthquake box ready. I hope I never have to use it.

I really enjoyed the photos on your site.

We went through this with Hurricane Ike ... always be OVER prepared!

Living through the hurricanes of 2004 when we got to the point where we figured there were hurricanes circling the Atlantic just waiting to hit us, we appreciate the value of being prepared and also taking heed when threatened by Mother Nature. Hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes are no laughing matter. Your post is a great reminder to your fellow Alaskans.

Should always try to be safe rather than sorry -- does not hurt to keep some things for emergencies.

That was a wonderful start to your Localism post! I loved the little bit of humor winding up with a packed loads of tips for safety and weathering through natural happenings. :)

FEB

always great points in these uncertain times

Jesse - Great localism post on a subject that is locally significant and nationally reported. I like the humor, the update, and the call to be prepared.

It is always good to be prepared Jesse. There must be a virgin or two up there in the great white north? Anyway, you would think the temperature up there would cool that puppy down, 26 below. This is why I will never visit in the winter!

Jesse,

I have wanting to take a trip to Ak for a long time and reading you post makes me want to go even more. Looks like beautiful country.

Jesse,

We've been thinking about you every time we see Mt. Redoubt on the news. Congratulations on the little yellow star. This is the best kind of post--it's useful!

Mike in Tucson

Jesse, this post is awesome for your folks in Fairbanks but this advice would serve folks in all areas getting ready for a big weather event or a disaster. Do they make them anymore? I am sure you made a fast friend there in line at the grocery store, that is awesome.

As to shooting my dinner, not so sure my neighbors would understand nor take too kindly to me getting after their cat ;0)

Nice heading!

While I can't say I'm prepared to shoot my food, (pink flamingo's are a tad scrawny down here in Florida) because of our history with hurricanes, we do tend to stay prepared for disasters.

My thoughts are with all of you in Alaska.

Stay safe!

A good, timely post especially for this time of year with all the ice storms lately.

Hi Jesse! Do you know how difficult it is to get a Localism feature?!! You ROCK Jesse! Great info and I'm still LMAO at Lenn's comment about not eating this year--seems we're on the same diet!!

Hi Jesse - a fun way to remind people to be as prepared as we can be. Having suffered through the ice storm here before Christmas that wiped out power for hundreds of thousands of people in NH and surrounding states, I can tell you that you just never know when you might need all that stockpiled stuff. Better to be prepared and not need it than to need it and not have it - I always keep that saying in mind, it fits so many situations.

I've been hearing about your volcanoe on the news lately - stay safe!

Ann

And remember your pets, too, Jesse. When the tree fell on my house last year, I had a spare cat litter box, bags of litter, water bowls, food bowls, food and medicines sitting next to my cat carriers, all packed and ready to go if something happened in the middle of the night. I didn't want to be bumbling around the house with a flashlight trying to assemble these things. I also know where the closest motel is located that will accept pets. While I can survive just about anything, pets are pretty defenseless in these situations.

Congratulations on your localism feature. Well deserved!

Hopefully Redoubt will forget what it is suppose to do. You know develop some of that senile stuff....

Nice Post! I try to be prepared, but then I worry myself to death about these type of things! By the way, I absolutely love your pics. on the side of your post, they are amazing!

Wow! I love this. HARD CORE! We have similar issues here in idaho...the fault line, potential effects from future Mt St. Helens eruptions or McKinley eruptions, etc. The same mentality is pervasive around here. People are preparing...I guess I better get going and get prepared too.

What an attention grabbing title and a great post too! Like Simone in Maryland I started stockpiling in 2005 or 2006, and then used it all. Guess I better start getting prepared all over again. Good Luck to everyone in the area.

Great post, Jesse. Everyone believes that it can't happen to them. I learned the hard way when I lived 35 feet from the Delaware River a couple of years ago when the greatest flood of all happened here. I had time to grab my toiletry bag with meds and get in the car. I barely made it through the water to safety with just the clothes on my back. Better to be prepared, and don't wait until the last minute.

Love the pictures and your state also. Been there!

Jesse,

Thanks for the timely reminder! Yesterday I picked up a copy of a booklet put out by FEMA that deals with most natural disasters and started my WATER SUPPLY last night. However, they recommend putting all the items in big plastic tubs.... which I would never be able to lift into the van! Instead, I pack the supplies in unused backpacks,of which I have several! I've had them packed for quite awhile now and ,thankfully, have never had to use them. I'll be laying them out on the floor tonight and reorganizing them according to the FEMA guidelines. As I tell my family,... water, cash, gas, grab packback & GO , since our "disaster" would probably involve water!!!!

Thanks for the reminder and good thoughts to you,

Kathy Opatka Re/Max OCEAN CITY,MARYLAND

Jesse, what a beautiful post! I don't know if my nerves could handle living next to that! Whew. We prepare for hurricanes, tornado's, tropical storms and just about everything else but a volcano erupting? Wowser. That's scary!

I lava you! LOL (ROTFL)

I keep telling my wife I need another gun, MY O/U is too pretty to shoot some one, I need a good old fashioned pump and some buck shot!

Don't forget your dust mask Jesse. Remind your friends. Drop them off to your clients. I was a proud Alaska resident the last time Mt. Redoubt dusted us, it sounds like you are in for another dose.

I know you're ready, but make sure your clients are ready. They'll never forget you did that for them. In a day or two, it's going to be virtually impossible to find those dust masks. Grab them up now.

Stay safe and warm.

Great post, you guys! I was thining about those poor people in Kentucky who've had no electricity or heat for days! How do they blog?

FEB

Jesse,

This isn't the first time I've read your blog, but wanted to say GREAT JOB with this one. My brother-in-law just landed his dream job in Alaska working for a private naturalist and will be providing tours for 8 months out of the year in your neck of the woods - and then traveling through Europe for 2 months for them promoting their program and the beauty that is Alaska.

I'm kind of fond of my home (North Idaho) but *** dream *** of coming to Alaska some day.

Again, GREAT job here!

Maryellen