Why We Prepare
NATURAL DISASTERS
1) What most people calling Prepping, really isn’t any different than what our grandparents did as part of daily life. (Gardening, canning, curing meat, hauling water from a well, etc.)
Boy Scouts moto: Always Be Prepared
2) Natural Disasters = hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, Tsunami, etc.
Hurricanes:
Katrina (2005) – Broken Levy, destroyed much of the city. Fema > Superdome> No Water> Lawlessness.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/20/AR2005102000858.html
“That night, 25,000 people were inside including 400 people with special medical needs and 45 who required hospitalization. The center was short of toilet paper, water and food, the last of which was adequate through Tuesday only because a Coast Guard helicopter crew found and broke into five abandoned FEMA trailer trucks at Bahamonde's direction, Bahamonde said yesterday.”
Other information: Keyword search Google “Katrina, Fema, Superdome”
Sandy – Fema again failed to respond adequately. No food, water, power, etc. Destruction across 3 states.
“In the United States, Hurricane Sandy affected 24 states, including the entire eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and west across the Appalachian Mountains to Michigan and Wisconsin, with particularly severe damage in New Jersey and New York.”
Lessons from Sandy = http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/10/after-hurricane-sandy-time-to-learn-and-implement-the-lessons
“These lessons should have been learned before—from Hurricane Katrina to the Gulf oil spill—yet the nation continues to fall short in terms of planning for catastrophic disaster response and recovery. It is time for the U.S. to stop brushing these shortfalls aside, and to ensure that the country is truly prepared for the next major disaster.”
Earthquakes:
Haiti – heat, poor sanitation, people polluting fresh water supply, outbreak of disease, no food, looting. (Many diseases broke out due to poor sanitation such Cholera, Malaria, and Dysentery)
Volcanoes: Ancient Pompeii, Indonesia, New Zealand
(Dust, smoke = Pumas (microscopic concrete in your lungs) = Suffocation)
Tsunami: Indonesia (2004) – “The shock had a moment magnitude of 9.1–9.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The undersea megathrust earthquake was caused when the Indian Plate was subducted by the Burma Plate and triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean, killing 230,000 people in 14 countries, and inundating coastal communities with waves up to 30 meters (100 ft) high. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Indonesia was the hardest-hit country, followed by Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.”
Pandemic: Spanish Flu, Bird/Avian Flu, Swine flu, Ebola… common cold and flu season.
>> ALL THESE NATURAL DISASTERS ARE UNAVOIDABLE<< BUT YOU CAN PREPARE YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY FOR THE AFTERMATH; WITH FOOD WATER SUPPLIES AND TRAINING<<< NOT ONLY TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE INCONVENIENCE OF THE DISASTER< BUT TO BE OF HELP TO OTHERS<<
Another ‘man-made’ disaster that seems to be on everyone’s minds is the State of our current Economy. >> Largely based on the US Dollar losing its status as the World Reserve Currency, also known as the Petro-Dollar. This is concern is natural. Many of us have been through the market crashes of 2001 and 2008. While these events are not usually life threatening, it effects people lives in disastrous and long-lasting ways. Jobs are lost, pensions are wiped out, and people lose their homes.
Some people may ask: “Why should I be concerned about the economy?” That is a fair question.
The US Economy is not isolated from the rest of the world. We are all connected, like the links of a chain. And any chain, is only as strong as the weakest link. Many other links in that economic chain have failed already.
Argentina 2001, 2008, 2014 http://www.jec.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/5fbf2f91-6cdf-4e70-8ff2-620ba901fc4c/argentina-s-economic-crisis---06-13-03.pdf
Zimbabwe, Iceland, Greece, Cypress… EURO ZONE
Oil Export countries are currently in financial trouble, due to low Crude prices.
CURRENT ECONOMIC NEWS = BREXIT >> Britain debating Exiting the Euro-zone
>>>US BANKS ARE NOW FLOATING THE POSSIBILTY OF NEGATIVE INTEREST RATES<<<
-Venezuela – Economy has been imploding for roughly a year. Venezuela is an Oil Exporter with a Socialist Govt. Venezuela is currently suffering through a FOOD CRISIS due to the failed economy (Baltic Dry Index). Groceries are out of food. The Govt is rationing supplies to grocery stores. Using the current grocery stores as distribution depots. And restricting ANY bulk food purchases = No functioning Costco in Venezuela.
While in the US, we would be seeing FEMA and National Guard hand out supplies from the back of trucks. OR going door to door delivering water like in Flint, Michigan. Which is a much less efficient method of distribution, yet gives the Govt much more control over those resources.
Due to all the global economic woes, many are losing faith in the ability of the US Govt to keep these economic issues outside of the US.
GIVEN THE RECORD OF FEMA BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE RELIEF AFTER NATURAL DISASTERS, MANY PEOPLE ARE REALIZING THEY CANNOT RELY ON THE GOVT FOR HELP WHEN THEY REALLY NEED IT.
LOCAL DISASTERS
- MOST COMMOM IN THE NORTHERN MID-WEST = TORNADOES and STORMS
Causing power outages and flooding, each causing damage lasting for days or weeks.
- MAN-MADE Disasters = Home fire OR someone loses their job.
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GROUP SPECIFIC
Historically, Governments have used locations such as churches, as ‘Outreach Facilities’ in order to provide relief in disaster situations. As well as schools, and sports stadiums. People have always naturally turned to the Church as a place of Sanctuary and Aid; looking to the Church for help; simply as a place they feel safe and to rest, just to satisfy the basic needs of Water, Shelter/Warmth… perhaps a Toilet. This is also one reason why many churches serve as a collection point for the Food Drive supporting local food banks.
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GROUP AND COMMUNITY
EACH GROUP, EACH INDIVIDUAL, NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE YOUR VULNERABILITY TO THESE EVENTS AND HOW BEST TO COUNTER THEM. HOW SECURE IS YOUR WAY OF LIFE AND LIFE STYLE?
The TASK of preparation is much easier, if there is a larger support group contributing to the effort. Facing the prospect of formulating a Preparedness Plan as an individual can be a very daunting thing. But if a group or community is capable of coming together as a cohesive unit, then your probability for success increases exponentially.
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PUBLIC and DISASTERS
The mindset of the public, in regards to Natural or Man-Made Disasters, is that of complacency. “That won’t happen here” or “That’ll never happen to me”. Because of this mindset, what do we see every single time we get word of a major storm? The public runs to the grocery store for those basic essentials. Milk, Bread, Eggs, Water, Batteries. Yet not having the foresight of grabbing those items earlier. Hundreds of people rush to the grocery, crowding the isles, creating such chaos as seen on Black Friday. You don’t want to be one of those people, in case of a serious disaster.
We saw how WELL the public is prepared for disaster, in the examples given earlier.
The public generally over-reacts, and panics. This PANIC in turn causes additional damage and injuries. You can chose to be part of that panic, or you can chose to be prepared for such events and provide for your family and avoid the chaos.