As the World turns, quakes, shakes and bakes. . .
Update; This piece was written several years ago, I left it up here because it contains an important message about having a "get-home or get-out-of-dodge" bag in your vehicle at all times.
Be it a financial, a man made crisis (virus) or Mother nature, you know sooner or later we humans are headed for butt kickin'. Our world is changing. Dr. Peter Vincent Pry hosts experts and discusses the effects of an EMP attack or Solar ejection hitting the US and taking out our electrical grid on blogtalk radio. http://empactamerica.org/ Dr. Pry has tried repeatedly to get bills passed by the House and Senate to protect our electrical grid. He stresses the possibilities are there and they are very much real. Americas electrical grid is old and vulnerable, and now the Obama Administration has ordered the closing of several coal fired plants across America with more to come. If the grid doesn't go down, it could happen that electricity will become so expensive and beyond the average families ability to pay the monthly bill.
Do you remember a few years back, the power outage that took out New York City? It took out most of the upper eastern seaboard, from New York to Detroit and up into Ontario. It can happen in any city at any time. With each natural disaster, think Joplin Missouri, hurricane Sandy and the many other disasters where electricity is out for a long time. It is what I feel will be the biggest crisis that, we as a nation will/are facing. Power is critical to survival of our economy and humans. With any number of situations facing us it is time to become prepared for whatever calamity shows up. My favorite scientist Stan Deyo at http://www.standeyo.com says that it's not if such a disaster will happen, but when.
If you are ordered to evacuate. . . Update: 3-2020 Run from the city before lock-down
Now I'm assuming that you have secured your 72 hour kit for everyone in the family along with a first aid kit, and potable drinking water. If you have not, stop reading this now and go do that. It will be your first line of defence in any given situation. ( I just did a google search for 72 hour emergency kits and came up with 16,700,00 sites to choose from. Get busy!)
What to look for in store bought go bag or how to build your own
An start with an ordinary backpack. (Why a backpack? If you ever have to walk any distance you will appreciate having your hands free.)
The picture gives you an example of some things you can expect to get in your ready made bag when you order it. Add food, water and an extra pair of undie drawers and you are good to go. Notice the solar light, nice touch! Don't forget a lighter or match or two.
Buying one for each member of the family can get expensive. If the $60 or $100.00 doesn't fit into the budget right now, here's an option.
Go to the Goodwill or any second hand thrift store and purchase used backpacks for about $3.00 each. Fill with regular household items that would make your life, after a crisis, into a situation that you can survive. Avoid canned goods however, they are heavy and will freeze in the trunk of your car. Instead, look at those dehydrated foods in envelopes at the grocery store. The type you just add water and heat. They last years and are not effected by heat when left in the trunk of the car. A google search landed 35,2000 sites for dehydrated store able food.
The 72 hour "get out of Dodge" bag is wonderful to have packed and ready to go in the event you have less than 10 minutes to evacuate. We live in the woods, fire is our worst enemy. We experienced a fire in the forest across the road, it was too, too close for comfort. I understand now why when firemen refer to a blazing forest as they call it "The Beast". When the guys are fighting the beast, they claim they are in the pits of hell. I can agree with that because I witnessed our beautiful pine forest burn to the ground. Each pine tree took on the appearance of a wooden stick match exploding with fire when suddenly lit.
When you are told to run, the very first thing that happens is your head becomes total chaos. "What do I need to grab, what do I need to save. Oh, my God, where's the kids baby pictures? What do we take? Where's kitty?"
Hubby and I have one bag each but at the turn of the seasons we adjust it's contents to match the weather. Living out here away from civilization, we always have a special "get you home bag" in the vehicle we are driving. If you have ever been stranded and had to walk any distance at 20 below zero with a strong westerly wind, you WILL be glad you had your special bag filled with warm clothes and comfort food.
When the pressure is on . . .
Four years ago (12 years now), I got a phone call from the Husband of our daughter. "We are at the hospital, the pains are 15 minutes apart and she just decided that she wants you to be here, can you make it?"
It's Saturday, March 1st, 5:30pm and 22 degrees outside. Hubby had to work in the morning, it was his scheduled weekend so he couldn't go with me.
"Ok, I'll be there in a little bit, tell her to hold on", I told him. As I race down the country back roads to the hospital, my 1990 Ford Explorer began to overheat. It is 86 miles from my house to the small rural community hospital in Northern Wisconsin where they are having the baby, I had driven about 50 miles by now. Not much between here and there but trees, trees and more trees. Occasionally, a house jumps from an opening in the forest or a family run grocery/gas station stands alone on a two lane paved road. This lonely gas station had already closed for the night. The only thing I can do is keep an eye on the water temperature and just keep on moving forward.
The old girl chugged along, finally arriving at the hospital and I get to be there when my daughter delivers a perfect baby girl. What a joyous occasion, it's now 3:30 am, Sunday morning. All the excitement over, now it is time to find some place to get some shut eye. I give hugs and kisses and leave the hospital in hope of finding a motel close to the hospital. My options are limited however, most places are family run and also turn out the light by 11 p.m. this time of year. By now it is 10 degrees outside, the old Explorer fires up nicely and I begin my search for a motel. Only I don't make it very far, maybe a quarter mile when steam begins rolling out from under the hood and the car begins to lurch. With the cold weather and hot water screaming from my engine compartment I could barely see. I turned the car around and slowly crept back to the hospital parking lot. My daughters house is 45 miles away in the other direction, too far for this car to go.
The parking lot of this very rural hospital is nearly empty so I was able to park close to the building. The emergency room should be open so I make my way to that door. I wait for someone to buzz me in. I wait, I shiver, I wait. I walk around to another door, "Use Emergency entrance after 8:00pm" the sign says. I walk back to the emergency room door, no one is at the desk, still! What to do? No one had cell phones at that time. I'm exhausted, so I decide to go back to the car and take a nap until the hospital opens up and I can get my son-in-law to look at my car. I get back to the car and open up the hatch in the back of the vehicle looking for my emergency bag filled with all kinds of warm, comforting stuff. What? It's not here! How did that happen? Damn, now I remember, I took it in the house to update it and with all the excitement of my new grand baby, I forgot to grab it. Damn, damn, double damn!
I spent a couple of really cold hours in the car before someone finally showed up at the emergency room desk and I was able to get back into the hospital. Hubby (baby's Grandpa) had to get someone to take his shift in the morning so he could come get me. The car didn't get fixed until Monday when our Son-in-law was able to replace the thermostat. Everything did turn out alright this time but what a lesson I had. It could have turned out very differently. I never, ever leave the house without checking to see if I have a *comfort-get-me-home* bag in the car.
As important as food and water are after a disaster, something else is equal to in importance.
Sanitation. Keeping yourself and your stuff clean and dry. I can't stress enough the need to keep your world clean during and after a crisis. Referring back to Joplin, Missouri, they are occasionally still in the news. Looks like the heat mixed with rain and debris from the tornado has become the breeding ground for a black fungus. The fungus is being found in open wounds of the clean up crew and in the lung tissue of the deceased.
Take nothing for granted. Make your "get me home bag" as secure as possible by putting like items together in plastic bags. Nothing is more frustrating than having cold, wet feet only to find that your extra warm pair of socks is soaking up the shampoo that is running free all over the inside of your bag.
See "Dare to Prepare", by Holly Deyo's is the best preparedness book anywhere out there. She spent years putting this together, if you can think of it, it is probably in the book. http://www.standeyo.com/
http://countrylife.lehmans.com/
The man in this video is William Forstchen, the author of "One Second After".
Update; This piece was written several years ago, I left it up here because it contains an important message about having a "get-home or get-out-of-dodge" bag in your vehicle at all times.
Be it a financial, a man made crisis (virus) or Mother nature, you know sooner or later we humans are headed for butt kickin'. Our world is changing. Dr. Peter Vincent Pry hosts experts and discusses the effects of an EMP attack or Solar ejection hitting the US and taking out our electrical grid on blogtalk radio. http://empactamerica.org/ Dr. Pry has tried repeatedly to get bills passed by the House and Senate to protect our electrical grid. He stresses the possibilities are there and they are very much real. Americas electrical grid is old and vulnerable, and now the Obama Administration has ordered the closing of several coal fired plants across America with more to come. If the grid doesn't go down, it could happen that electricity will become so expensive and beyond the average families ability to pay the monthly bill.
Do you remember a few years back, the power outage that took out New York City? It took out most of the upper eastern seaboard, from New York to Detroit and up into Ontario. It can happen in any city at any time. With each natural disaster, think Joplin Missouri, hurricane Sandy and the many other disasters where electricity is out for a long time. It is what I feel will be the biggest crisis that, we as a nation will/are facing. Power is critical to survival of our economy and humans. With any number of situations facing us it is time to become prepared for whatever calamity shows up. My favorite scientist Stan Deyo at http://www.standeyo.com says that it's not if such a disaster will happen, but when.
If you are ordered to evacuate. . . Update: 3-2020 Run from the city before lock-down
Now I'm assuming that you have secured your 72 hour kit for everyone in the family along with a first aid kit, and potable drinking water. If you have not, stop reading this now and go do that. It will be your first line of defence in any given situation. ( I just did a google search for 72 hour emergency kits and came up with 16,700,00 sites to choose from. Get busy!)
What to look for in store bought go bag or how to build your own
An start with an ordinary backpack. (Why a backpack? If you ever have to walk any distance you will appreciate having your hands free.)
Buying one for each member of the family can get expensive. If the $60 or $100.00 doesn't fit into the budget right now, here's an option.
Go to the Goodwill or any second hand thrift store and purchase used backpacks for about $3.00 each. Fill with regular household items that would make your life, after a crisis, into a situation that you can survive. Avoid canned goods however, they are heavy and will freeze in the trunk of your car. Instead, look at those dehydrated foods in envelopes at the grocery store. The type you just add water and heat. They last years and are not effected by heat when left in the trunk of the car. A google search landed 35,2000 sites for dehydrated store able food.
The 72 hour "get out of Dodge" bag is wonderful to have packed and ready to go in the event you have less than 10 minutes to evacuate. We live in the woods, fire is our worst enemy. We experienced a fire in the forest across the road, it was too, too close for comfort. I understand now why when firemen refer to a blazing forest as they call it "The Beast". When the guys are fighting the beast, they claim they are in the pits of hell. I can agree with that because I witnessed our beautiful pine forest burn to the ground. Each pine tree took on the appearance of a wooden stick match exploding with fire when suddenly lit.
When you are told to run, the very first thing that happens is your head becomes total chaos. "What do I need to grab, what do I need to save. Oh, my God, where's the kids baby pictures? What do we take? Where's kitty?"
Hubby and I have one bag each but at the turn of the seasons we adjust it's contents to match the weather. Living out here away from civilization, we always have a special "get you home bag" in the vehicle we are driving. If you have ever been stranded and had to walk any distance at 20 below zero with a strong westerly wind, you WILL be glad you had your special bag filled with warm clothes and comfort food.
When the pressure is on . . .
Four years ago (12 years now), I got a phone call from the Husband of our daughter. "We are at the hospital, the pains are 15 minutes apart and she just decided that she wants you to be here, can you make it?"
It's Saturday, March 1st, 5:30pm and 22 degrees outside. Hubby had to work in the morning, it was his scheduled weekend so he couldn't go with me.
"Ok, I'll be there in a little bit, tell her to hold on", I told him. As I race down the country back roads to the hospital, my 1990 Ford Explorer began to overheat. It is 86 miles from my house to the small rural community hospital in Northern Wisconsin where they are having the baby, I had driven about 50 miles by now. Not much between here and there but trees, trees and more trees. Occasionally, a house jumps from an opening in the forest or a family run grocery/gas station stands alone on a two lane paved road. This lonely gas station had already closed for the night. The only thing I can do is keep an eye on the water temperature and just keep on moving forward.
The old girl chugged along, finally arriving at the hospital and I get to be there when my daughter delivers a perfect baby girl. What a joyous occasion, it's now 3:30 am, Sunday morning. All the excitement over, now it is time to find some place to get some shut eye. I give hugs and kisses and leave the hospital in hope of finding a motel close to the hospital. My options are limited however, most places are family run and also turn out the light by 11 p.m. this time of year. By now it is 10 degrees outside, the old Explorer fires up nicely and I begin my search for a motel. Only I don't make it very far, maybe a quarter mile when steam begins rolling out from under the hood and the car begins to lurch. With the cold weather and hot water screaming from my engine compartment I could barely see. I turned the car around and slowly crept back to the hospital parking lot. My daughters house is 45 miles away in the other direction, too far for this car to go.
The parking lot of this very rural hospital is nearly empty so I was able to park close to the building. The emergency room should be open so I make my way to that door. I wait for someone to buzz me in. I wait, I shiver, I wait. I walk around to another door, "Use Emergency entrance after 8:00pm" the sign says. I walk back to the emergency room door, no one is at the desk, still! What to do? No one had cell phones at that time. I'm exhausted, so I decide to go back to the car and take a nap until the hospital opens up and I can get my son-in-law to look at my car. I get back to the car and open up the hatch in the back of the vehicle looking for my emergency bag filled with all kinds of warm, comforting stuff. What? It's not here! How did that happen? Damn, now I remember, I took it in the house to update it and with all the excitement of my new grand baby, I forgot to grab it. Damn, damn, double damn!
I spent a couple of really cold hours in the car before someone finally showed up at the emergency room desk and I was able to get back into the hospital. Hubby (baby's Grandpa) had to get someone to take his shift in the morning so he could come get me. The car didn't get fixed until Monday when our Son-in-law was able to replace the thermostat. Everything did turn out alright this time but what a lesson I had. It could have turned out very differently. I never, ever leave the house without checking to see if I have a *comfort-get-me-home* bag in the car.
As important as food and water are after a disaster, something else is equal to in importance.
Sanitation. Keeping yourself and your stuff clean and dry. I can't stress enough the need to keep your world clean during and after a crisis. Referring back to Joplin, Missouri, they are occasionally still in the news. Looks like the heat mixed with rain and debris from the tornado has become the breeding ground for a black fungus. The fungus is being found in open wounds of the clean up crew and in the lung tissue of the deceased.
Take nothing for granted. Make your "get me home bag" as secure as possible by putting like items together in plastic bags. Nothing is more frustrating than having cold, wet feet only to find that your extra warm pair of socks is soaking up the shampoo that is running free all over the inside of your bag.
See "Dare to Prepare", by Holly Deyo's is the best preparedness book anywhere out there. She spent years putting this together, if you can think of it, it is probably in the book. http://www.standeyo.com/
http://countrylife.lehmans.com/
The man in this video is William Forstchen, the author of "One Second After".
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