Health Options Alan Titchenal  & Joannie Dobbs                    Saturday , October 21, 2006

Isle blackout shows need for the basics

Hawaii is a fragile ecosystem -- for all living creatures, including humans. However, we often remain oblivious to how much the island ecosystem can affect us.

The earthquakes and electrical failures provided a small taste of human fragility. This experience points to both short- and long-term concerns for the interdependence between our needs and our ecosystem.

With no electricity, immediate concerns center around food and water.

Both tourists and those who rely primarily on restaurants and takeout food find themselves without access to the usual bounty of food sources. Suddenly, the food environment is very different, and sources of food are greatly reduced.

Question: What lessons can we learn from this disaster?

Answer: We all tend to get complacent about staying prepared for disasters. If this was just a one-day problem for you, think about how this would unfold if it lasted for two, three or more days. Likely, few of us were prepared for that. Some excellent and comprehensive guidelines on what to include in a disaster preparedness kit are available at the U.S. Homeland Security Web site at www.ready.gov.

Along with the usual tips to have at least three days' worth of water and nonperishable food for each person, there are many other recommendations that you might not think about -- until the need arises.

It can be very helpful to have the ability to cook some food. Consider keeping a propane-fired burner or barbecue on hand. Even some charcoal and a hibachi can be handy for cooking some of the perishable food that would otherwise be lost to failing refrigeration.

In addition, a good meat thermometer that can penetrate food and measure the internal temperature can help to decide if perishable food is still safe to eat. Ideally, the thermometer should include the range between 30 and 150 degrees F.

Once cold foods such as meat, fish and poultry reach 40 degrees and higher, they rapidly become unsafe to eat due to bacterial growth. Hot foods that drop below 140 degrees also soon become unsafe.

Other basic needs that are easy to overlook include prescription medications, an extra pair of glasses, sunscreen, important family documents, cash or traveler's checks, a first aid kit and some books and games for children.