Disaster Skills: Fill Your Tub

Summer is the beginning of hurricane season and when one of these massive storms is predicted for your area, prepare for a water supply interruption by filling up the bathtub with cold water. Plug the drain with a stopper and cover it with several pieces of duct tape, whether it tends to leak or not. Then fill the tub until the water reaches the overflow (that metallic disc near the top of the tub). Regardless of the fact that you have your own well in a rural area or you are on a municipal supply, there’s no guarantee that the water will keep flowing during and after a hurricane; but with a bathtub full of water - you now have a backup for toilet flushing, cleaning, cooking water (if it will reach boiling temperatures during food prep) and even for drinking water (after disinfecting it, of course). Sure, bathtub water is less than appetizing, particularly from a nasty looking tub. But it’s more pure than the flood waters after a storm, which may be your only alternative without a glorious bath basin of H2O. And if the idea of an open bathtub of water is just too vile, you can purchase a plastic bag called a “water bob” that is designed to hold a tub full of water and keep it clean.

If there ever was a year to get some preparedness training….
We are glad to get you up to speed with our Disaster Crash Course and Bug Out Weekend.

 Written by Tim MacWelch First draft published on outdoorlife.com