Food Allergies and Natural Disasters

Since my foray into the world of food allergies, I've become aware of many difficulties people with food allergies face on a daily basis. Whether it's accurate and clear labeling of food products or general confusion about what a food allergy is and how "just a little bit" of the offending food is NOT okay, having a food allergy isn't an easy experience.

I'm lucky, my food allergies are not life threatening. For those who have life threatening food allergies, some so sensitive that a mere speck of peanut dust can cause their throats to close and / or cardiac arrest in just seconds, the experience must be even more difficult.

Last night, my husband and I were discussing how prepared we were, in case of a natural disaster. Japan just suffered, not only a horrible earthquake but a devastating tsunami. Survivors are now depending on whatever resources they can access. Shelters aren't always accessible and resources are frequently limited due to the sheer numbers in need, during a large-scale disaster. Oregon's coast, the entire West coast, is well overdue for a large earthquake and tsunami and in my estimation, we are much less prepared than the country of Japan.

Now that I'm a parent, I think about these things in ways I never considered before. My husband has always been aware and somewhat prepared --a former member of Portland Mountain Rescue and an Eagle Scout, he thinks about safety and preparation in ways that I don't (in fact, I used to laugh at my dad, also a former Eagle Scout, for being so prepared for a disaster). I realized, during our conversation, that I had used up my husband's emergency stash of water and while it will hopefully never be necessary, I needed to replace it sooner rather than later.

While at the grocery store this morning, grabbing a jug of water for storage, it occurred to me, how it is doubly important for people with food allergies to have supplies on hand. I'm allergic to casein (dairy) and tree nuts (specifically almonds). During an emergency situation, what if my only options for food are almonds and products containing dairy? Gluten is a huge issue for many people, particularly celiacs; what if the only food available at a shelter are wheat crackers? These things matter, especially if you have a life threatening food allergy. I don't know what most shelters stock but it's safe to guess they stock things that are inexpensive, easy to store long-term and fill people up quickly. Nuts, crackers and powdered milk are all good candidates and if you can't eat them, what will you do? This is something we need to think about now, when we aren't faced with an emergency situation.

Here's an emergency supply list .pdf from Homeland Security

While planning will never be a complete guarantee, it is all we have to help ensure we have supplies necessary if something does happen. What supplies / ideas do you have for emergency-preparedness?