I find it quite interesting, even entertaining at times, how some groups get all worked up over very minor changes in our climate. It’s as if a half a degree rise in temperature over the last 100 years somehow is both our fault and catastrophic as well. There are natural cycles that have occurred and will continue to occur for as long as the earth will exist.
The thought that the world population is significant enough to somehow affect the climate is very hard to imagine. Yes, there are a lot of people on this planet but relative to the size of the earth, not that many. In fact, if you took all 7 Billion of the world’s population, they would fit in the state of Hawaii – not shoulder to shoulder but each on 25 square feet of space.
So yes, the world’s population can indeed affect specific areas and regions of the earth but there is an ebb and flow on our planet and no matter what we humans do, we are subject to that cycle. Now, it’s not one simple cycle that we must deal with. Instead, there are a vast number of cycles on this planet that affect habitability.
One cycle is the rotation of the earth itself and the correlation between it and seismic activity.
Scientists have warned there could be a big increase in the number of devastating earthquakes around the world next year. They believe variations in the speed of Earth’s rotation could trigger intense seismic activity, particularly in heavily populated tropical regions.
With all this science and intelligence on our changing planet it seems we have muddied our own natural survival instincts. Did you know that there are signals given off by our planet to warn us of impending disasters?
We have so wrapped ourselves in distractions that we cannot take advantage of these signals with our physical body. Animals still react to these signals though, and while we have muted our own senses, we can rely on theirs as a natural ‘tell’ for what’s coming.
The Earth’s Natural Signals
There are many ways that our planet and its atmosphere convey approaching disasters and changes in the weather. Some of these signals can be measured by sophisticated human instruments, but they are also picked up and acted on in the animal world.
One of the most well-known is barometric pressure. You probably hear about this on the nightly news. Barometric pressure drops as storms approach. This is how animals know things like major storms and hurricanes are nearing. Hydrostatic pressure is similar, but affects the water pressure, and this is what sends fish to deeper water when the pressure drops enough.
Lesser known but just as important, infrasonic impulses are another sign the earth gives us. These low vibrations are emitted by natural disasters and can be early warnings for tidal waves, earthquakes or even volcanic eruptions. They all send the same message to animals that can sense them – trouble is coming.
Animal Signals
There must have been a time when we were just as perceptive as the animals on this planet, since we have lost much of that ability. Here are some signs and signals that you can observe from the animals around you that may clue you in to when a serious situation is heading your way.
Remember, we may not always have the weatherman to tell us when a massive hurricane is bearing down – but who needs a weatherman when animals give clear signals that trouble is coming?
The Birds and the Bees
Both of these animals are going to seek shelter if a disaster is imminent. You could watch your own bees or bees from another area head into their hive. Bees will take shelter before disaster. Birds may also be migrating in a new pattern before a serious storm. Birds typically fly south in the winter and north in the summer. Use this information to look for strange migration patterns.
Henry Streby of the University of California, Berkeley, and his colleagues discovered that golden-winged warblers take off from their expected locations more than 24 hours before storms hit. In this case, the storm in question produced tornadoes that killed at least 35 people.
On the Water
A lot of fish behavior can tell you about what’s coming. It’s a great fishing trick to get out on the water just before a storm. The coming front often turns fish on and makes them aggressive. When the storm is very close the fish can shut down. Jumping fish can be a sign of electric impulses in the air a
nd water, or even of pressure changes.
Frogs often head for higher ground, and can actually be seen climbing away from water bodies, before storms. They will also get quieter at night.
Down on the Farm
It is common for cows and other herd animals to head for higher ground before a storm. They sense the same pressure changes we discussed earlier. Horses and other pets might refuse food as well as exhibit agitated behavior. Chickens also feel the threat, and can slow or stop egg production as a result.
Man’s Best Friend
Dogs become agitated and aggressive before a natural disaster. They may bark more and be more anxious before a major weather event or other disaster. They could be wary of certain locations in the yard or on walks that they normally frequent.
Some scientists think dogs and other animals can sense the preliminary waves that signal an earthquake ahead of the destructive seismic waves. Humans can’t detect P-waves, but most animals have more acute senses than we do.
Picking up on how your dogs are acting can give you last-minute warning of an earthquake. You might not get a lot of warning, but it could be all you need to run outside where it’s safer.
Dogs are one of the best examples because you can observe them very closely for strange behavior.
A few other strange animal behaviors that could signal disaster are things like:
● Bats flying during the day;
● Lady bugs gather just before a heat wave;
● Monkeys can refuse food and become very agitated before a disaster. This is also true of human babies.
● Elephants have been seen to head for higher ground before a tsunami strikes. Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes, so it’s likely the elephants are picking up warning signs of the seismic shock.
A mixture of our pompous attitude towards our short-lived dominance of the earth, and an overwhelming reliance on technology, has put us at greater risk of falling victim to major disasters. We do silly things like filming tornadoes and storms rather than seeking shelter. We rely solely on the news to tell us when things are going wrong.
Of course, the biggest failure that has come from our muting of the earth’s warnings is our lack of preparedness. While animals stow away food for the winter and head to higher ground in times of disaster, the human animal is so bold that we hardly react till disaster is on the doorstep.
It is this terrifying lack of preparedness that forces so many of us to be the antithesis. Preppers use this unique time of massive technological advantage and resource access to build powerful systems that help them survive anything from a powerful thunderstorm to the world-changing disasters that will come.
Sources: https://www.overpopulationmyth.com/7-Billion-Alpha-USStates.html?185,232
www.askaprepper.com/how-to-understand-the-signals-from-animals-just-before-a-natural-disaster-strikes/
I came across an interested video clip on YouTube recently that I found quite entertaining. My wife didn’t think so and I know there are those of you who after watching this video will also question how I could enjoy watching such events. Nevertheless, I’ve always enjoyed seeing Hollywood’s depictions of end-times scenarios. I get a kick out of seeing just how overwhelmingly devastating they can create each scene with the aid of today’s super CG effects. It really is quite amazing and realistic.
This video has taken clips from twelve such movies and put them together. There’s very little voice-over during the video, but the first sentence you’ll hear is what I would classify as a very accurate statement. Something I struggle with constantly and wish I had the answer to. A young girl is heard saying, “Everyone was warned, but no one listened. A rise in temperature, ocean patterns changed and ice caps melted. They called it extreme weather. They didn’t know what extreme was. In the year 2019, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and droughts unleashed a wave of destruction upon our planet.”
First of all, based on many of these clips, living near a coastline doesn’t appear to be the safest place to reside. That solar flare deal didn’t look too appealing as well. Not sure where you could find safely in a situation like that!
But back to the underlying reason I wanted to share this video. I believe that such movies actually have the opposite effect you may think on the surface. One might think that the viewers would be incentivized to evaluate their preparedness levels and possibly commit to doing better to be prepared to confront and mitigate the effects of such devastations.
I believe it does just the opposite. I believe such movies, in spite of their entertainment value, have a tendency to marginalize such potential events. In the movies, these events are depicted on such a grandiose scale that it becomes very easy for viewers to believe such events will never really happen – it’s just the movies. These events appear so over-the-top on the reality scale that’s it’s somewhat like old time cartoons where one character is constantly being shot, blown up, smashed or thrown over a cliff just to reappear in the next scene as if nothing ever happened.
That’s the underlining problem – these films foster the belief that such things will never really happen.
So such movies simply turn potential future events into a wild roller coaster ride that temporarily scare and excite the riders. Then it is all quickly forgotten as other interesting and distracting activities present themselves. Nevertheless, I hope Hollywood keeps making such films – I really enjoy them!
Now let me be clear – I personally don’t believe that such major natural disasters will present themselves in the manner depicted in these films. If they did, there would be basically no need to prepare as everyone would be totally wiped out. I do believe however, the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and droughts will increase.
It’s been concerning to watch the increase of wildfires this summer. I can’t remember a time when there’s been so many large and devastating wildfires in the western states. California alone has had 18 such wild
fires with many deaths of fire fighters reported along with millions of dollars of property damage and loss.
I believe such events will become more and more prevalent. Even though I don’t believe California will fall off into the Pacific Ocean as a result of a major earthquake, I do believe earthquakes will present themselves is a fashion that could cause power, gas and water disruption for many weeks or months. The same could happen with hurricanes and tornadoes as well.
What if the water lines had been broken or the water supply contaminated, how would you survive?
Just think about what it might be like if you couldn’t flush your toilet for a month. What would you do?
Once the shelves have been cleaned out at the local grocery store, where are you going to go to feed your family?
If there’s a medical emergency and calling 911 or heading to the hospital isn’t an option, are you prepared to provide the medical care needed?
I’ve talked with people who have the attitude of “just let me die” or put the target on the roof of my house so if bombs are dropped, one will fall directly on me and I won’t have to deal with the aftermath. I do believe there are those who are serious about choosing death over tribulation. But when it comes right down to it, I also believe the overwhelming desire to survive will trump such feelings. That’s why water-boarding is so effective. People will do anything to avoid the feeling of drowning.
The facts are that most of us will survive the initial effects of natural disasters or other catastrophic events. The question of survival really hangs on how long after the event we will survive. When food, water, shelter and medical supplies are limited in supply or are used up in the first few weeks – then what?
Military experts in the field of a potential EMP attack (electromagnetic pulse caused by a nuclear explosion at high altitudes) have calculated that within one year after the national grid goes down, 80% of the U.S. population would have perished, primarily due to starvation. It wasn’t the EMP that killed them, it was being unprepared for the after-effects.
So it will be for the majority of natural disasters, wars, conflicts and collapse scenarios – the events themselves will indeed cause much damage and some deaths but it’s the weeks and months thereafter that will prove far more catastrophic in deaths and disease due to basic unpreparedness.
So please, enjoy Hollywood’s end-of-the-world movies but view them as entertainment, not accurate predictions of how things will unfold in the last days. Yes, things will continue to get worse and more problematic as it relates to our day to day lives. It may unfold like the old fable of how to boil a frog. If you put the frog in cool water to keep him from jumping out and slowly turn up the temperature, eventually the frog will get cooked, simply because he becomes comfortable and complacent with his surroundings until it’s too late.
Let’s not be like the frog, let’s allow ourselves to be uncomfortable enough to take action now before such action is no longer an option. Remember the statement, “Everyone was warned but no one listened.” Let’s both listen and then act.
It can be a terrifying experience to feel totally at the mercy of Mother Nature. Whether it be a tornado, hurricane, tsunami, lightning strike, wildfire or an earthquake, there is absolutely nothing you can do to keep the event from happening. It all comes down to riding it out and surviving the effects of the disaster and creating a plan of survival dealing with the after effects.
Just a few days ago, a 7.0 earthquake hit the Indonesian tourist island of Lombok leaving thousands homeless and resulted in 98 dead with that number expected to climb. There were more than 230 who were seriously injured primarily by falling objects.
One report by the Associated Press quoted a tourist experience when the quake struck, “We were sitting there having dinner at about 7 o’clock last night, we just felt a really big sort of shaking and the lights went off and everyone just ran,” Australian tourist Kim Liebelt said as he waited with other travelers for a flight out at Lombok’s international airport.
“And then the roof started falling down on us, rocks and rubble and then just everyone running to get away,” he said.
Unfortunately, this is how most earthquake related deaths occur, objects falling on individuals. Death or injury can come from large furniture of appliances toppling over or items falling off the walls or shelves. Or in more severe cases, buildings falling or collapsing on those inside.
Fortunately, for most of us who live in a first world country like the United States, most home construction in the last fifty years with wooden framed walls would be far more resistant to collapse in an earthquake when compared to rock or brick homes in third world countries.
Nevertheless, the threat of serious injury or death still exists in our homes if a significant earthquake strikes.
There are three primary causes of injury or death in the event of an earthquake. Let’s discuss each and how we can mitigate the potential of injury.
Falling Objects
As we furnish and decorate our homes, most of us don’t give much thought as to the potential of furniture or appliances falling over or items falling off the walls. We simply want our homes to look nice and feel homey. This doesn’t have to change but it would be extremely beneficial if a few extra steps were taken.
This should be a family affair – get everyone involved in the process of making your home earthquake resistant. It will significantly help the younger ones understand the importance on thinking ahead and preparing to avoid possible injury.
The family should go into each room of the house and together analyze the items in the room imagining that the room was being violently shaken. What would fall, what would topple over, what would break? Make a list of these items of concern and then determine how to keep the item in place.
Anything with a high profile will surely fall over. If it’s a large book shelf or entertainment center, there would be a significant amount of weight from additional objects that could crush a small child.
Any of these items must be anchored to the wall. One method I’ve used is with cabinet screws and large fender washers. I’ve driven screws through the shelves into studs in the wall. I’ve positioned the screws about three fourths the way up the shelf in a place where they can easily be covered by books or other items.
Mirrors and large pictures hanging on the walls can also create a real hazard in an earthquake. Taking the time to make sure these items are anchored into a stud and not just on a nail through drywall will help keep them fro
m falling.
Then there are all the smaller items we us to decorate or homes, many of which are glass. Even a small vase falling off the top of a shelf could cause serious injury or death to a child.
There are solutions to this as well. I’ve used museum putty to securely attach such items to shelves, mantles and counters in our home. This putty is very sticky and never dries out. Just a small amount around the bottom rim of the item and then firmly push it down where you want to place it and it’s not going anywhere.
Fires
Fires are very common as a result of an earthquake primarily due to natural gas lines being ruptured. Now there’s not much you can do to keep this from happening outside your home but inside is where you need to focus.
The primary culprit of a home fire resulting from an earthquake is the water heater. Filled with water, a typical 55 gallon water heater can weigh up to 700 lbs. As a result of its small foot print and tall profile, even though it’s attached to both water and gas lines, if it starts rocking violently, it will break both the water and gas lines.
Now, the slightest spark will ignite the open gas line and the potential of the house burning to the ground is very high.
On most new home construction, anchoring straps for the water heater are required. If you water heater is not strapped to the wall, go to Lowes or Home Depot and purchase the straps and get them installed right away. It’s an east DIY project.
Also, knowing how to shut off the gas and electricity to you home could save your home from burning. You should show and teach every member of your family how to accomplish these tasks. You will want to attach a gas valve wrench to your gas meter so you will always have the necessary tool to shut off your gas.
Flooding
Flooding comes primarily from three different sources.
1) Ruptured water lines, both inside and outside your home.
There should be two shut off valves for the water lines that come into your home. One should be out in your yard by the street where your home line attaches to the main water line feeding all the homes on your street. You will typically need a long water key or a wrench to shut off the water at this location.
Then there is the hand valve located inside your home typically right where the main water line enters your house from the outside. Both of these valves can become difficult to close over time with mineral deposits building up. You should close and open these valves every year or so to keep them easy to for any family member to shut off.
2) Ruptured dams on lakes and reservoirs that are upstream from your home. This scenario would typically affect a much smaller number of families. Nevertheless, in the event of a severe earthquake, immediate evacuation to higher ground is the only way to save lives. Saving one’s home should not be a concern – saving lives should.
3) Liquefaction of the soil. In sandy, loose soil, when the earth shakes, it brings water to the surface. This is called liquefaction. Depending on the soil condition of where you live, this may or may not be a concern. Back in 1964, 
there was a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in Niigata, Japan. Due to the poor soil conditions, liquefaction caused major flooding and some building simply toppled over as the soil underneath them was displaced by water.
Earthquake preparedness should be a family affair. Simple awareness and a few minor Saturday afternoon projects will go a long way in providing the safely and peace of mind you and your family deserve.
Experience is an excellent teacher but often the cost of such experience can be extraordinarily high and even catastrophic. So rather than having to personally deal with each potentially devastating consequence of every possible personal experience, we can show true wisdom and learn from the experiences of others.
Unfortunately, far too often we catch ourselves saying, “That would never happen to me” or “I’d be smarter than that” or “What’s the big deal? Can’t people just take care of themselves?”
Even though there is an overabundance of examples of individuals and families experiencing terrible consequences of their poor decisions or lack of good judgement in the preparedness aspects of their lives, far too few of us take heed and try and learn from such experiences.
One prime example of this deals with the devastating wildfires that are sweeping through many areas of California. As of the date of this blog, there are 16 wildfires raging throughout the state of California. The city of Redding has been hit especially hard where 90,000 residents have had to evacuate due to the wildfires.
According to local officials, “Thousands have fled a terrifying wildfire, the so-called Carr Fire, as it tore through an area of northern California after tripling in size to 28,000 acres. Late yesterday, crews found the body of a bulldozer operator, who had fought to contain the fierce blaze. The wil
dfire crossed the Sacramento River and now threatens hundreds of homes on the western fringes of the city of Redding. ‘It’s just chaotic. It’s wild. There’s a lot of fire, a lot of structures burning,’ said Scott McLean, a Cal Fire spokesman for the crews battling the wildfire.”
As individuals, there’s not a whole lot we can personally do to stop a wildfire. It is far beyond any one individual’s ability to control such a devastating event. So what can we learn from the experience of others who are caught in such a difficult situation?
According to some reports, “Roads out of the city were jammed with motorists trying to escape the flames, social media postings showed. Thousands of residents were forced to flee the blaze.
Residents of western Redding who had not been under evacuation orders were caught off guard and had to flee with little notice, causing miles-long traffic jams as flames turned the skies orange.
‘When it hit, people were really scrambling,’ McLean said. ‘There was not much of a warning.’”
That last line should cause us to evaluate our preparedness levels. “When it hit, people were really scrambling. There was not much of a warning.”
In most cases, there is very little warning that extreme danger is imminent. We usually assume such events would unfold like the forecasting of an approaching hurricane where one might have several days to prepare. I happen to live in earthquake country and unfortunately, there will be no warning before an earthquake strikes – one must simply be prepared assuming it could take place at any minute.
Many of those who fled the wildfires in the Redding area lost everything as their homes were consumed by the fires. Even though “things” can be replaced, there are items of sentimental value as well as medications, important documents and survival essentials that could all be lost if proper preparation and practice are ignored.
What would you do if you had only ten minutes to evacuate your home? What would you take? What would you leave behind?
Under stressful, panic circumstances, ten minutes may feel like 60 seconds and as a result, precious lifesaving preps may be left behind never to be used. Now there is little that can be done to alleviate or remove the stress that will naturally occur when such a sudden event takes place but one can make the few available minutes far more productive in taking the items that are most important and potentially lifesaving.
There are two basic levels of emergency evacuation preparedness that each individual and family need to understand and embrace if we are to learn anything from the experience of others.
1) Essential life-sustaining bug-out-bag. This is a project where you can take the time to make sure all the essentials are safely packed away in a backpack for each family member. The items would include water, food, emergency light and heat, shelter and first aid just to name a few of the basics. Each kit should have enough food and water to last f
or at least 72 hours. Personalize each backpack to the needs of the individual.
What is equally critical is where you keep your bug-out-bags. If you store them away somewhere in the basement or garage where they eventually get covered up by stored Christmas decorations or miscellaneous “junk” we accumulate over time, under a panic scenario, we may not be able to locate them.
Make sure they are in a closet or room close to an outside door and check them often to make sure any expired items are replaced and they are easily accessible to everyone in the household. Now everyone knows exactly where to go to get and take the essentials of survival.
2) Important and meaningful documents and items. This area can be quite a bit more involved and time consuming depending on the number of items you choose to include in this category. This is definitely an area that cannot be left till the last moment of you will potentially spend all your precious little time trying to locate just one or two items.
The best method I’ve seem is an old-school approach that can easily be modified or updated to reflect what’s most important to you. It all revolves around the simple 3X5 cards we’re all very familiar with.
This is how it works: Enter each room of your house and list on a 3X5 card the items in that room that if possible, you’d want to take with you. Now you have to be careful and keep the list very brief. Remember, almost everything in your home can be replaced. So on you 3X5 card, list only the critical items in order of importance so if there’s only enough time to grab one item, the most important one is at the top of the list.
Make this a family project. Get everyone’s input and make sure everyone’s in agreement as to these additional important items. Review the location of each item. It may be helpful to list the specific location of each item on the card as well.
Now it’s essential to keep this card in its specific room in a location where’s it’s easy to find by everyone. Over time, you want need to update the items on each card. Every three to six months, it would be wise to go through a dry run with your family to make sure everyone not only knows where the bug-out bags are but understands how the 3X5 card system works.
Now, should a stressful emergency evacuation be required, you can with confidence assign each family member to be in charge of one or more rooms of the house and gather the items on the list. This will significantly increase your ability to remove all the most precious items from your house in the most organized fashion possible.
Don’t forget the gear bags! The last thing you want to have to deal with is how to carry all the additional items out of your house. You shouldn’t have an issue with your bug-out-bags as all of your survival gear is neatly packed inside a backpack. But what about all the other miscellaneous individual items you’ve listed on your 3X5 cards. You need a way to easily pack them up and haul them out of your house.
Keep an appropriately sized empty gear bag in each room that is designed specifically to hold the items listed on the 3X5 card. This will greatly speed up the process of gathering and removing everything that’s important to you.
Through the tragic events of these wildfires, we have one more opportunity to learn from the experience of others so we don’t need to deal with the painful consequences of not being properly prepared ourselves.
Being prepared for an uncertain future is much more than just having a little extra food and water stored. There are so many possible trigger points in today’s world that preparedness needs to become a mindset and not just a something to check off your to-do list. When one embraces the need to make preparedness a life-long process and not just an event, then one truly becomes an asset rather than a liability. I’m afraid far too many are relying on the government or others to rescue them in times of need. It may be helpful to take the time to consider possible events that one could face in the next five years.
Natural Disasters (weather related)
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Heavy thunder storms
Flash flooding
Mud/rock slides
High winds
Hail
Severe winter weather
Avalanche
Extreme high heat
Drought
Wildfire
Natural Disasters (non-weather related)
Earthquake
Volcano eruption
Tidal wave/Tsunami
Man-made Disasters
War (conventional, biological, chemical or nuclear)
Toxic material emission or spill (from a train, semi-truck or nearby plant)
Riot or other civil disorder
Nuclear plant melt down or other nuclear disaster
Terrorism Fire
Government action against you
Stock market crash
Severe depression
Plague or disease outbreak
Personal Emergencies
Kidnapping
Mugging, robbery or other criminal attack
Unemployment
Financial disaster
Death in family
Home destroyed by fire
Random acts of violence
This is certainly not a definitive list of possible events that could create a need to rely on your preps, but it’s a good starting point. As you consider these possibilities, you may also want to consider the underlying purpose for your preps – that of basic survival. If your preps will not provide the essentials of basic survival, you will want to re-think your priorities.
When it comes to survival, it can be reduced to “The Rule of Three”. You may be military, firefighter, law enforcement, rescue worker or just plain folk with an inordinate amount of common sense. Regardless, it never hurts to revisit the basics. And all of the basics can be summed up in ”The Rule of Three” which says, absent sudden death (such as an accident) or terminal illness, your survival is generally contingent upon you not exceeding:
3 minutes without breathing (drowning, asphyxiation)
3 hours without shelter in an extreme environment (exposure)
3 days without water (dehydration)
3 weeks without food (starvation)
Starvation
Most preppers‘ are stocking food. You will note that starvation is the slowest form of death among the Rule of Three. You would likely have three weeks before you starve. Your level of physical exertion has an impact on the body‘s caloric requirements. Personally, I might survive starvation for five or six weeks as I‘m carrying a lot of extra weight (just in case!). Don‘t call me over weight, call me prepped! Keep in mind, your survival strategy must consider the likelihood of you being separated from your food supply in an emergency. When that happens, stay calm, focus on any immediate threats or hazards and remember that you have three weeks to implement Food Plan B or Plan C. You do have a Food Plan B and Plan C, don‘t you?
Dehydration
Dehydration occurs much more quickly than starvation. As such, water supply is much more critical to address in an emergency. Consider that in a temperate climate and without exertion, the human body requires approximately 2.5 liters of fluids per day. In extreme heat this requirement goes up significantly. Diarrhea can lead to rapid, catastrophic dehydration as well. Given that water is far bulkier to store and/or transport than food, and that dehydration is potentially a far more pressing concern than starvation, your ability to procure water in an emergency should supplant food in your ranking of survival priorities. Stated simply, water is far more important than food. What is your home-base plan for water? What is your mobile plan for water?
Exposure
Exposure occurs far more rapidly than dehydration. Hot or cold, you could find yourself unable to function in less than three hours. Immersion in cold water, such as breaking through ice, could reduce your time to act down to mere minutes. So what‘s your shelter strategy when you‘re away from home-base? In the north, temperatures can fall to minus 40 F in the winter. If you have an accident on a slick road late at night in such conditions, you will likely not be waking up ever again unless you have prepared for such an eventuality. Exposure kills in hours, or less. Countering exposure is your number two priority for survival in any emergency situation. Yet most preppers are not thinking about exposure while stocking their pantries. Prepare for exposure.
Asphyxiation
Asphyxiation kills in three minutes. This is the emergency situation that gives you the least amount of time to react for your survival. This is your Priority One survival issue. An interior fire is the most common cause of asphyxiation. Do you have a home escape plan in the event of a fire? If not, make one – it might save your life. Unless you‘ve been in a burning building, I guarantee that you cannot imagine how blinding the smoke is nor how quickly a structure can become fully engulfed. If you have children, periodic rehearsal of the escape plan is mandatory. In the unthinkable event of a fire, panic is inevitable. Rehearsal helps to moderate the flight reaction, which might otherwise lead to death.
While fire is a common cause, there are other causes of asphyxiation worth your consideration such as carbon monoxide poisoning – usually from a combustion source in the home. This has also occurred in vehicles stranded in snowstorms. Vehicles were left running so the heaters would work and accumulating snow shrouded the tailpipe resulting in vehicle exhaust entering the passenger compartment.
Other poisonous fumes can cause asphyxiation as well. Tanker trucks, rail cars, chemical and other industrial plants often have hazardous materials that, in an emergency situation, could cause you grave bodily harm if exposed.
Take some time with your family and review “The Rule of Three” as it might relate to a variety of emergency situations. Assuring our families have the understanding and skills necessary to survive life threatening occurrences will provide peace of mind that we’ve done what matters most as we continue with our life-long process of being prepared.
Emergency preparedness sometimes takes a backseat to immediate needs and wants. Since preparedness items aren’t used regularly (or sometimes at all), they can be pushed to the back of the budget. Unfortunately, like many things, if you aren’t prepared before a disaster’s forecast, it’s going to be too late. Just like you don’t put your seatbelt on as a car is smashing into your car, you can’t stock up on necessities as the rain starts to fall.
Insurance and Preparedness
Insurance is a necessary part of life. Health insurance, life insurance, auto insurance, etc. are expenses that we incur because we know they are important. The same can be said about preparedness items. They are essential when the need arises, you just hope you never have to use them.
Like most insurance policies, you don’t have to pay a huge lump sum to purchase preparedness items. If you plan correctly, you can spread out the purchase of the essentials you will need over months and years.
Supply and Demand
The hurricanes, mudslides, floods, fires, and earthquakes of 2017devastated populations close to home. During that time there was a huge spike in sales on emergency preparedness sites. Unfortunately, for so many people, those items were not readily available. Water containers were sold out in minutes, as were several food items. Items to fill 72-hour kits were stocked out for months. Shipping times were increased because of washed out roads and backlogged needs. Even preparedness distributors had to wait extended times for inventory orders because suppliers couldn’t keep up with the new demand. It took months before the suppliers were able to send complete inventory. Had there been one more disaster, some food items would have been back ordered for 6+ additional months.
Wisdom and Foolishness
During the spike of natural disasters, we received lots of phone calls. Those phone calls varied greatly. Some wise, experienced people called to place their monthly orders. When those orders took an extended time, they calmly accepted the situation and were grateful they had what they had. Some of them even offered to send excess supplies to those who needed them. They were okay because they had the basics. They were prepared.
Unfortunately, there were many panicked callers needing water containers, 72-hour kits, and other food storage items immediately. When their orders were not fulfilled in time for the disasters, they canceled them. Their mindset was not focused on the long-term, but rather the here-and-now. Not only were they not prepared for the current disaster, they didn’t consider the fact that natural disasters were not once in a lifetime events instead of yearly threats. How much better off would they be today had they kept those orders and waited for fulfillment?
Confidence in Your Preparedness
If you’re reading this, you’re probably pretty prepared. You know that the time to prepare was yesterday. You know that preparedness isn’t a single event, but a mindset of evaluating and reevaluating your needs constantly. You’re pretty wise in your planning. We’re happy to help you stay up-to-date on the things you need.
If you aren’t prepared, that’s okay. Today is a great day to get started. May we suggest you begin with a 72-Hour Kit? You can also start your food storage as you go along.
If you want to know more about specific preparedness topics, items, trends, etc., let us know. We’re here to help you be as prepared as possible.
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.”
Share this Image On Your Site
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
Emergency Food Kits
Water Filtration
Cooking Supplies
First Aid Kits and other Tools
The biggest earthquake ever recorded in the U.S. was in 1964 in Prince William Sound, Alaska, registering at a devastating 9.2 on the Richter Scale. Unfortunately, Alaska, Hawaii, and the West Coast of the United States are highly susceptible to these ground-splitting tremors. These states can blame volcanic eruptions and the shifting of tectonic plates in the Pacific Ring of Fire for all that movement; yet, it’s important to note that the other states can experience earthquakes too. Continue reading “Earthquake Preparation Tips”
