How I Saved Food for Typhoon No. 19


In this article, I will introduce how I secured food supplies without rushing to supermarkets and other stores during this emergency. I had items prepared for emergencies, some things I bought a few days before the typhoon, and others I prepared just before it hit.

台風19号
Typhoon Hagibis Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (https://www.jma.go.jp/jp/typh/)

Items Prepared for Emergencies

I had drinking water, specifically 12 liters of 6-year preserved water, so I was relieved in that regard.

国産7年保存水2L×6本入り

Items Bought a Few Days Before

I also had some things I bought in advance, like dry noodles and retort-packaged ramen. Since the typhoon’s forecast had been known a few days in advance, I had the time to buy these items without any rush.

Nissin Foods: Nissin Chicken Ramen 5-Pack, 6 Units

I also had pasta at home.

Things Prepared Just Before

Rice and bread.

Rice

Typhoon Hagibis was scheduled to make landfall on . The 12th was a day of heavy rain, but the forecast predicted that the wind would pick up only in the afternoon, and we could still use electricity in the morning. So, on the morning of the 12th, I made about 6 servings of rice in total.

Bread

Fortunately, we had a home bakery machine. So, on the morning of the 12th, I made two loaves of bread by adding wheat flour (strong flour) and yeast.

Home Bakery Shiroka

The home bakery can make not only bread but also cheese and rice cakes, so I highly recommend it.

Both wheat flour and strong flour were something I had bought at the nearby supermarket, so I didn’t have to rush to the store.

I froze the made bread, and it can be eaten even when naturally thawed, so it would sustain us even during power outages or water cuts.

Without electricity, water, and gas, ramen and pasta wouldn’t be enjoyable to eat. Therefore, I planned to consume the ramen and pasta first. I would keep the rice and bread until the electricity for the refrigerator and freezer stopped working.

Ideal Emergency Supplies

Although we managed to get through this time without worrying too much about food, I believe that having the following set stored would ensure we wouldn’t face immediate food shortages no matter when a typhoon strikes.

Long-Term Storable Water

This refers to the water I had stored.

Japanese 7-Year Storable Water 2L x 6 Bottles

Emergency Food

Canned goods are a good option. Additionally, there are food items made from alpha rice that can be prepared with water (I actually had some a few months ago, but I had to discard them as they were past their expiration date, and I haven’t bought new ones yet). Specifically, the following items:

4-Person/3-Day (36 Meals) Emergency Food Set with Alpha Rice and Bread Cans

Although making bread and rice felt like I made too much, it was a temporary solution to get us through the emergency.