Susan S. is a housekeeper from Taylor County, Florida.
She lived near Ezell Beach with her 4-year-old Chihuahua mix named Lucy.
Then Hurricane Helene made landfall on September 26, 2024, as a Category 4 storm.
Susan had evacuated before the storm hit.
When she came back the next day, her house was gone.
Not flooded or damaged…
Gone.
She walked up and down her street looking for where the storm may have carried her home but couldn’t find it.
“It’s gone. I don’t know where it’s at. I can’t find it,” Susan told the Associated Press.
Her entire neighborhood had taken direct hits from three hurricanes in just over a year.
Everything Susan owned was swept away, including her remedy cabinet, her first aid items, and any health-related gear she had.
Susan lost every modern convenience in a moment.
This is why knowing old-fashioned natural remedies matter in disasters and survival scenarios.
Our grandparents and ancestors knew how to treat common health problems with simple ingredients from the pantry and garden.
Most of us have forgotten those skills.
But in a disaster, when the pharmacies are closed and the roads are blocked, those old remedies could be standing between you and real suffering.
So, here are five lost remedies from the old days that still work.
Honey for wounds:
Raw honey has been used to treat wounds for centuries.
It has natural antibacterial properties that help prevent infection.
Honey creates a moist environment over the wound that promotes healing.
Studies have shown that wounds treated with honey heal faster than those treated with many standard dressings.
Apply a thin layer of raw honey directly to minor cuts, scrapes, or small burns and cover with a clean bandage.
Do not use processed store honey for this purpose.
Raw, unfiltered honey works best because it retains its natural healing compounds.
Ginger for nausea and stomach pain:
Ginger has been used for hundreds of years to calm upset stomachs.
It works by blocking certain receptors in the gut that trigger nausea.
Grate half an inch of raw ginger into a cup of hot water.
Let it steep for five to ten minutes.
Add a squeeze of lemon if you have one.
Sip slowly.
This works for motion sickness, morning sickness, and general stomach upset.
Ginger is also a natural anti-inflammatory, which means it can help with headaches and joint pain too.
Clove oil for toothaches:
Tooth pain during a disaster with no dentist available can be miserable.
Clove oil contains a compound called eugenol that acts as a natural numbing agent.
Soak a small piece of cotton in clove oil and press it against the painful tooth.
Hold it there for several minutes.
The pain should ease within a few minutes.
If you do not have clove oil, chewing on a few whole cloves releases the same compound and can bring relief.
Salt water for sore throats and mouth infections:
Dissolve one teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water.
Gargle with it and spit it out.
Repeat as often as needed.
Salt water reduces swelling, kills bacteria, and helps draw infection out of the tissue.
This is one of the simplest and most reliable remedies that has been used for centuries.
It also works for cleaning minor cuts and scrapes when you have no antiseptic.
Peppermint for headaches and congestion:
Peppermint has been used as a remedy for headaches and stuffy noses for generations.
If you have peppermint oil, apply a few drops to your temples and massage gently.
The menthol in peppermint widens blood vessels and can ease headache pain.
For congestion, add a few drops of peppermint oil to a pot of hot water.
Drape a towel over your head and breathe in the steam.
If you have no oil, peppermint tea works too.
Sip it slowly and breathe in the steam as you drink.
Drawbacks to natural remedies:
Not a replacement for real professional care:
Natural remedies can help with minor ailments and provide relief in a pinch.
But they cannot treat broken bones, deep wounds, severe infections, or chronic conditions.
If you have a health-related emergency, you still need professional help as quickly as it becomes available.
Allergic reactions:
Some people are allergic to honey, certain herbs, or essential oils.
If you have never used a remedy before, test a small amount on your skin first.
During a disaster is not the time to discover you have a reaction to something.
Dosage uncertainty:
Unlike pharmacy medications, natural remedies do not come with exact dosing instructions.
Too much ginger can irritate your stomach lining.
Too much clove oil can burn your gums.
Use small amounts and increase gradually until you feel relief.
Our grandparents relied on these remedies every day.
They did not have a pharmacy on every corner.
Instead, they knew which plants, spices, and pantry items could ease pain, calm a stomach, or treat a wound.
These are just a small list of natural remedies you can use in an emergency.
Write them down and keep them with your preparations so you can care for yourself and your family.
