Emergency Preparedness

fr8mech · Sun Sep 16, 2018 8:53 pm

DIRECTFLT wrote:
But when the water overtops the river banks and floods your home, then all of that "preparedness" goes out the window.

WECT TV 6 in Wilmington, NC is streaming live.
Flooding Emergency is ongoing there.

http://m.wect.com/live

True, but then there’s the stuff in the car, and if I know where my stuff is, I can quickly get what I need. Rivers rarely flood without some warning. I know they warn us days in advance of flooding here. Usually plenty of time to get the gates up, and for affected people to get going. Whether they go or not is a different story.

The bigger hazard from flooding around here is the flash flood after a storm. The ditches and storm sewers are overwhelmed and the water flows out into the street. I’m not in an area prone to that, but when I was in the fire service, part of our primary response area was. In the 10 years I served, those areas flooded 4 times.

There is no warning. You have to be ready to go...right now, unless you’re ok being isolated for a day or two.

Zeppi · Mon Sep 17, 2018 6:08 am

Kestrel333 wrote:
Based in the U.K. I just make sure I never let my supply of tea get too low.

Good one

I also live in an area that has no "local" natural disasters like quakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, floods etc. We do get a lot of snow in winter but everything is set up to handle that without issues. Hence I also have very little emergency stuff in place.

So far everyone here has only been talking about such local events, but how about a global one such as the Carrington event in 1859, a huge coronal mass ejection that triggered one of the most powerful geomagnetic storms in human history. Sailors even close to the equator saw aurorae and elmsfire on the masts of their ships, telegraph operators got electric shocks and wondered why their equipment worked without a power source. Back then it had little impact as electricity was barely catching on, but imagine such an event happening today. We're so dependent on electricity that pretty much our entire civilisation would be thrown back to the middle ages. Except some military grade EMP hardened devices pretty much all electric things, especially the main grid, would just fry within minutes and cause a whole cascade of total failures. Think about it, almost everything would just cease to function and rebuilding would take months, maybe years. It would cause total chaos...

fr8mech · Mon Sep 17, 2018 2:18 pm

Zeppi wrote:
So far everyone here has only been talking about such local events, but how about a global one such as the Carrington event in 1859, a huge coronal mass ejection that triggered one of the most powerful geomagnetic storms in human history. Sailors even close to the equator saw aurorae and elmsfire on the masts of their ships, telegraph operators got electric shocks and wondered why their equipment worked without a power source. Back then it had little impact as electricity was barely catching on, but imagine such an event happening today. We're so dependent on electricity that pretty much our entire civilisation would be thrown back to the middle ages. Except some military grade EMP hardened devices pretty much all electric things, especially the main grid, would just fry within minutes and cause a whole cascade of total failures. Think about it, almost everything would just cease to function and rebuilding would take months, maybe years. It would cause total chaos...

Well, then, in that case, those "preppers" that everyone thinks are kooks will have the upper hand.

Tugger · Mon Sep 17, 2018 2:26 pm

fr8mech wrote:
So, the other thread I started got me thinking about emergency preparedness. My wife thinks I'm a little over-the-top, but I'm the type that says you can never be too ready for...whatever.

House:
-water, we've got several gallons of water in the house, plus whatever is in the water heater
-food...this is probably where we're weakest, even though we have a full pantry. There's no real "emergency" stock
-important documents are all in a fireproof lock box
-flashlights, plus batteries
-portable chargers for the phones
-$1000 in cash, different denominations in a safe
-firearms
-toolbox with assorted "home" tools. Saw, hammers, assorted large fasteners, multi-tools, clamps, pliers, adjustable wrenches, etc.
-200ft of rope, rappelling type
-between 10 and 25 gallons of gas. I always fill the cans when I get down to 10 gallons
-generator

When I lived in Texas (tornado concerns), I bolted a box to the floor in a corner of the garage. I filled that with some of the emergency supplies, plus clothes.

Cars:
-water, a couple of bottles
-power bars & almonds
-dry clothes
-$100 in cash
-knife
-ammunition
-small tool kit
-flashlights & batteries
-gloves & hat
-sunscreen & bug spray
-poncho
-first aid kit
-extra glasses
-50' rope
-My "I Have To Leave The Car Bag", Maxpedition Noatak Gearslinger::
-----firearm & spare magazine
-----water bottle
-----power bar & nuts
-----poncho
-----multi-tool
-----knife
-----20' rope
-----pen/pad
-----small first-aid kit
-----flashlight & batteries
-----power supply and charging wire for phone

I think that's it. I really should take inventory every now and again. The water and food gets rotated, but I don't dig into the first aid kits very often or remind myself of what I keep "ready".

What about you guys? What do you have ready to go, if anything? Anything I missed?

Always smart to be prepared, to think ahead. I have basic prep stuff, I have most of the stuff on your list but is part of my household items or my tools etc. We always have more than needed water on hand, and a lot of snack bars etc. chargers etc. And I am a fanatic for having good flashlights (Your's can't shine for at least a mile? What kind of lame flashlight is that? ;-)

) with fresh batteries. Also have a generator.

One thing you don't have listed that I suspect you just left off (or suggest you add) is matches! I have a stash of matches and lighters as well as candles etc.

Don't worry about people trolling you. It seems to be a thing nowadays, no one is immune. Meanwhile:

Tugg

trpmb6 · Mon Sep 17, 2018 5:34 pm

I was reminded of this event a little earlier and it made me think of this thread. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1700_Cascadia_earthquake

Kenneth Murphy, who directs FEMA's Region X, the division responsible for Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, put it quite dramatically: "Our operating assumption is that everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast."[18]

fr8mech · Mon Sep 17, 2018 8:47 pm

Tugger wrote:

One thing you don't have listed that I suspect you just left off (or suggest you add) is matches! I have a stash of matches and lighters as well as candles etc.

Between my boy’s camping box and the other stuff, I can start a fire almost by thinking about it.

A while ago, my son’s troop had a “fire starting” demonstration. Basically, the older boys showed the younger ones all kinds of ways to start, and maintain, a fire without matches or a lighter.

Tugger wrote:
And I am a fanatic for having good flashlights (Your's can't shine for at least a mile? What kind of lame flashlight is that? )

Having worked nights the majority of my career, plus my fire service, I know the value of good lighting. You can’t open a drawer in the house without finding a flashlight. The only problem is the batteries. A lot of these lights don’t come out very often and the batteries fail and ruin the light. I’d love to say that I’m on a rotation schedule, but I’m not nearly organized, or ate up enough, to even remotely claim such a thing. So, most of the lights are stored with batteries in close proximity.

Tugger · Mon Sep 17, 2018 9:20 pm

fr8mech wrote:
Tugger wrote:

One thing you don't have listed that I suspect you just left off (or suggest you add) is matches! I have a stash of matches and lighters as well as candles etc.

Between my boy’s camping box and the other stuff, I can start a fire almost by thinking about it.

A while ago, my son’s troop had a “fire starting” demonstration. Basically, the older boys showed the younger ones all kinds of ways to start, and maintain, a fire without matches or a lighter.

I have actually done the whole "Castaway" test. Love that scene, learning to actually create fire is easy....once you get the concept of what is needed (hint: suitable fuel, heat, oxygen)! For any fire, my goal is always to have it light with one ignition. I consider it a failure if I don't. (It just makes me think about what I am doing.)

Tugg

Zeppi · Tue Sep 18, 2018 8:11 am

fr8mech wrote:
Well, then, in that case, those "preppers" that everyone thinks are kooks will have the upper hand.

I guess, but even the most hardcore prepper would be in trouble eventually I'd say.
Only the most nature-attached and self sustaining rural communities would really stand a chance, in cities total mayhem would break out probably within a week as people start looting for food and fuel, especially if it were to happen in winter. My grandparents told me stories about the final months of WW2 in Germany, city dwellers would come to their farm trying to trade gold, diamonds and other jewellery (money was basically worthless) for a loaf of bread, some eggs or a bag of coal. In such an event the situation would probably be quite similar but global.

trpmb6 · Tue Sep 18, 2018 1:27 pm

Zeppi wrote:
fr8mech wrote:
Well, then, in that case, those "preppers" that everyone thinks are kooks will have the upper hand.

I guess, but even the most hardcore prepper would be in trouble eventually I'd say.
Only the most nature-attached and self sustaining rural communities would really stand a chance, in cities total mayhem would break out probably within a week as people start looting for food and fuel, especially if it were to happen in winter. My grandparents told me stories about the final months of WW2 in Germany, city dwellers would come to their farm trying to trade gold, diamonds and other jewellery (money was basically worthless) for a loaf of bread, some eggs or a bag of coal. In such an event the situation would probably be quite similar but global.

Might sound grim, but your goal is to basically outlast everyone else in hiding while the masses kill each other off. Really depends on how quickly an apocalyptic event takes over. Survival comes down to what you do in those first hours. Or even minutes.

Tugger · Tue Sep 18, 2018 2:55 pm

I appears there are two different things being addressed in this thread: 1.) Regular emergency preparedness; and 2.) "Doomsday prepping".

It is always wise to prepare for known eventualities, whether this means having a kit on hand always or a plan and knowing what you will do. This isn't expecting the breakdown of society, or planning on being on your own for a lengthy period of time (a few days to a week+ maybe?). It generally is friendly and open to working with others also in need. The idea being that you are smart and prepared and do not add to the disaster that the community resources (police, emergency response teams, etc.) are dealing with. If everyone were to do this, the community quickly recovers, personal needs are addressed and family members are safe from further harm for the near future, and each can help more in the community to rebuild what physical things were damaged.

Doomsday preppers are another story, they plan to be on their own (whatever scale they have planned for) closed to outsiders, waiting out whatever befalls the rest of their former community. Secure from outside threats. Then the plan is to have the power to protect "your own" for an extended period of time and be independent of whatever comes next. With the hope being that they will negotiate from a position of strength (I think many expect to be the "lone survivors") when things start to recover.

Tugg

Zeppi · Tue Sep 18, 2018 2:57 pm

Yeah I certainly wouldn't want to be in a city when the shit hits the fan.
Thing is this is not an unlikely event, it's guaranteed to happen again and we (or rather our electricity systems) are totally unprepared for it.

trpmb6 · Tue Sep 18, 2018 4:06 pm

Zeppi wrote:
Yeah I certainly wouldn't want to be in a city when the shit hits the fan.
Thing is this is not an unlikely event, it's guaranteed to happen again and we (or rather our electricity systems) are totally unprepared for it.

Zombie apocalypses don't scare me. Resources would be so abundantly available after a month or so once the majority of the population is zombiefied. Yes long term it would be a problem in that things begin to break down and are no longer usable. But you have literally years to re-establish.

It's a coronal mass ejection shutting down our satellites and electrical grids that scare me the most. We would likely have pre-warning and so we would have some preparations. But once it hits, I don't believe people will behave nicely. Mob mentality will take over. I suspect the government has a detailed plan to enact in such an event. And perhaps it will be more than enough to maintain order. But I'm not going to bet on that. I'd be curious what the numbers say in regards to how quickly we could recover from such an event.

fr8mech · Tue Sep 18, 2018 5:01 pm

Tugger wrote:
I appears there are two different things being addressed in this thread: 1.) Regular emergency preparedness; and 2.) "Doomsday prepping".

Like, I said, I’m good for 5 days, maybe 7. Given a little adequate warning, I can add to and stretch to 2 weeks.

Now, if I decide we “have to” go, because of imminent societal breakdown, I would load up the car as best I could and pick a direction that could get me as far as possible, as quickly as possible before the roads bottle up. In order for that to happen, I’d need to make the decision pretty early in the warning period (if there is one). And, quite simply, my emergency preparations at home would argue against leaving its relative safety.

Chances are, rather than leave (since it would be too late to get anywhere) folks in the neighborhoods would start to band together and establish a “bunker mentality” in order to ride out the event.

trpmb6 · Tue Sep 18, 2018 5:09 pm

Bunker mentality is one option, especially if you're close with your neighbors. My neighborhood is full of USAF personnel, both active and retired. Most of them would likely be called away I would suspect, depending on the emergency. That would leave a large portion of the neighborhood rather vulnerable, or the spouses and children may be taken along with them. Unsure. That doesn't leave too many left.

That being said, I do have a general understanding with a group of my friends on where we all plan to go in various situations. It's not something we've specifically sat down and discussed. More of a, we're drinking playing an apocalyptic style board game and someone throws out a "what-if." General consensus is to come to my house within 24 hours, after that we move to the next location we all agree would be a good rural secured location, one we all know how to get to. This makes me sound like a prepper but it's just a thought game we've played out in the past. Went so far as to say "this person probably won't make it" type of things haha.

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