The first 72 hours

Hour one

1. 1.Everyone accounted for. Headlamps and shoes in the same place every night so you aren’t hunting them in the dark.
2. 2.Fill every clean vessel with tap water while pressure still exists — tubs, canners, jars, the washing machine. A hot-water heater tank is 40–50 gallons of drinkable water if you can isolate it and drain from the bottom.
3. 3.Know where the main water shutoff and the breaker panel are. If lines may freeze or leak, shut them with thought, not panic.
4. 4.Check neighbors on your road, especially anyone older. Dillsboro is small. That is an asset.

Water, then heat, then food

You will not starve this week. You can die of dirty water in this week. Treat anything that is not from a sealed heater tank or a known good well: rolling boil 1 minute. Cloudy creek water: settle, filter through cloth, then boil.

Laughery Creek is the obvious surface water. It runs agricultural and septic country. Boil it. The Ohio River is worse — industrial and barge country. Use it last.

Heat in January is the other clock. A wood stove you already have beats a fire pit you invent. Oak and hickory are the county’s gift. Burn dry wood only in the house — creosote from wet wood is how chimneys go.

Food this week

Eat the fridge, then the freezer (keep it closed; a full freezer holds 48 hours, 24 if you keep opening it). Cook the thaw. Then pantry. Do not raid seed potatoes or the laying flock on day two.

Note. Write a list of what you actually have on the inside of a cabinet door now, while the lights are on.