CBS New’s headline today warned of more Ohio River flooding after extreme weather had already taken human lives in the Midwest. Areas in Houston, still recovering from flooding 6 months ago, are now watching their rivers as poorly developed neighborhoods recognize their increased risk of future floods. Vulnerable people are looking for aid wherever they can find it.
Government Aid
In a world where states are requesting money to accommodate their water needs, what are your personal responsibilities for your personal property and well-being? Are you willing to wait for government money and help to cover your needs? Of course not. If we’ve learned anything in the past decade, we’ve learned that we can not and should not use the government as a safety net when it comes to covering our needs, especially our water/safety needs.
Avoiding Flooding
Federal money is going to cities with poorly planned housing in flood zones. The question is, where is the responsibility of the citizens? When making possibly the biggest financial decisions of their lives, did anyone look at maps? Did anyone consider proximities to rivers, canals, etc.? What about positioning inside neighborhoods? The higher you are, the less likely you’ll have to deal with devastating flooding. While states may ask and beg for federal dollars, chances of individuals seeing any financial relief from damage to a poorly placed home are slim.
Take Control
So what does that mean? It means, you do what you need to do to be prepared. If you’re able to move to higher ground, of course, do so. If you’re not able to move, what are your options? Are you doomed because your mortgage has tied you to a house that may betray you? Not necessarily. There are things you can do. While you are high and dry, it is time to prepare. It’s time to stock up on sandbags. It’s time to build up landscaping to minimize flooding. Research diverting water, landscaping, and other options for flooding prevention. In other words, it’s time to assume you’ll receive nothing from the government and take control of the situation you are in.
Part of taking control is understanding your vulnerability. Store your food and water. Store physically high and low, spread out your resources so you can use them in different types of emergencies. But have enough resources for you and your family to ride out any storm that comes your way. If you have to ride out a flood, make sure you have enough clean water and food to do so. Even better, get away before you become stranded. Grab your Bug-Out Bag and go. Go before traffic stalls and before you can’t get out of the city.
The takeaway? Your preparation is your responsibility. It’s not the government’s responsibility. It’s not your community leaders’ responsibility. If you’re reading this, you probably already understand this concept.
What comes to mind when you think of “The Plague”? A few months ago you probably thought that it was a long lost, eradicated disease that killed hundreds of thousands of people a long time ago. However, as a resurgence of the disease hit Madagascar in November, we all realized that we are never completely safe from diseases we thought were gone.
Is The Plague truly a threat? And if so, what do you need to know about it?
Is The Plague Truly a Threat?
The easy answer to this question is no, not today. It seems that it’s been contained to Madagascar. While nine other East African countries were threatened due to trade, no cases were found off the island. Also, while over 200 people were killed out of 2300+ people who were affected, that number peaked, leaving new cases pretty minimal today. That’s the short answer.
The long answer is, yes, possibly yes. Yes, the disease was contained and treated. However, in a time of world travel and world trade, you can never discount the possibility of the spread of any disease. So here’s the information you need.
How Does The Plague Even Start?
The Plague originates from a flea that carries a bacteria called Yersinia pestis from dead animals to live animals or humans. The bacteria enter the bloodstream, causing the infection.
Types of Plague
Bubonic Plague– The infection is localized to the lymph glands and ducts. Within a week fever, vomiting, and headaches occur as lymph glands swell and become painful. Eventually, extremities develop gangrene due to lack of blood supply. If left untreated by antibiotics, there is a 90% mortality rate.
Pneumonic Plague – The organism infects the lungs. This form is the most dangerous form because it can be spread from human to human. It still has the original source (flea bite), but can be transmitted by microdroplets from breathing, coughing, sneezing or through mucus. This infection causes coughing, eventually coughing up blood and ultimately, respiratory and circulatory failure. There is a 100% mortality rate if left untreated by antibiotics.
Septic Plague– The infection spreads to the blood. This can cause super-infections that can shut down organs, also causing death.
Prevention
Again, there are no known cases outside of Madagascar, so there is no indication that there is a definite threat. However, for precautionary purposes, there are some things you can do to prevent infection.
1- Invest in particulate masks. When traveling keep a mask close by. If you notice extreme coughing, wear the mask. Even if you aren’t concerned about the Plague, other respiratory diseases can easily be transmitted in airplanes, trains, etc.
2- Check with your doctor/pharmacy to ensure they have easy access to the antibiotics Streptomycin and Tetracycline, which have been proven to treat the infection. If administered within 24 hours of the infection, chances of survival are significantly greater. If a pandemic ever occurs, you need to make sure you have access to the appropriate medications. There is no immunization so treatment is the best option.
Luckily the risk for a Plague pandemic was localized and minimized fairly quickly. However, it was a good reminder that we are not immune to diseases we thought were eradicated.
Sources:
http://www.who.int/csr/don/27-november-2017-plague-madagascar/en/
http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/13/health/plague-madagascar-decline/index.html
September is National Preparedness Month. With this being said, it is always important to be prepared for any emergency that may occur. One of the easiest things a person can do start preparing is to have a bug-out bag.
A bug-out bag is full of food, water, and emergency essentials. Every prepper has their own idea for emergency essentials, as well as every location has a different need for emergency essentials. The most common emergency essentials are a change of clothes, matches, a flashlight, a basic first aid kit, something to put food in, a radio, and a utility knife.
To help each of our Preparedness Members start a bug-out bag, we’ve designed an infographic to help guide you through the process. It is a list of essential items to use for your “Do it yourself bug-out bag.”
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Are you missing some of the necessary items? If so, Food Insurance® has you covered. Click the links below to see the best emergency supplies available, at the best prices available.
Complete Bug Out Bags
Empty Backpacks
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Water Filtration
Cooking Supplies
First Aid Kits and other Tools
Before you can decide on a plan of action during a natural disaster, you will first need information on the overall affected regions and information on what is and isn’t safe. If you live in an area that is prone to severe weather, you may already have a few alert systems in place. But everyone, no matter where they live, should have some way of finding out whether or not they are potentially in danger. Part of your emergency preparedness plan should include setting up a number of alert systems so that you can be informed in the event of an emergency situation.
Continue reading “Receiving Weather Alerts – A Prepardness Must.”
Yes, it is extremely important to prepare as best you can for a natural disaster, to have at least a 72- hour kit, to have a fire-escape plan, to know how to purify water. All of this will be essential in providing for your family if and when worst comes to worst. But chances are, when the storms do hit, you won’t have absolutely everything you need. There is no way to predict which type of natural disaster will come your way or when it will come. Because this is the unfortunate case, we must do the best we can to prepare by taking an educated guess of what may be in store for us, planning carefully for that scenario and hoping for the best.
Continue reading “Networking: The Best Survival Tool”
Many people work on emergency preparedness in their own homes—having freeze-dried food, water storage, and emergency supplies. Some people put together entire disaster preparedness kits and plans, which is all fine and well. Nevertheless, suppose a person is well prepared in their own home, but their neighbors aren’t. On whose door will those unprepared neighbors be knocking for help? Hmm… let’s guess. Continue reading “Organizing Your Community for Disaster Preparedness”
The more people who are prepared when a disaster strikes, the better off everyone will be. Imagine living in a place where every single person had a well-stocked food storage supply, and enough survival gear to live comfortably for several months. If everyone was prepared during an emergency, grocery stores wouldn’t be bombarded, people wouldn’t be inclined to attack others, and the community would be able to pick itself back up quickly and efficiently. Continue reading “Community Emergency Preparedness”
