What to Do During a Mass Evacuation

evacuation

What to Do During a Mass Evacuation

evacuation

A survey conducted by the West Virginia University shows that 40 percent of the people surveyed would leave/evacuate during a crisis but do not have a destination in mind. A large percentage of the same respondents also ranked high, the probability of a terrorist attack in their area. The same survey indicates low levels of confidence in the government’s preparedness/planning as far as handling a mass evacuation from any given area. The take away from this study is that you, as an individual must prepare, educate, practice and not rely on anyone but yourself during an evacuation. In some cases, the evacuation routes in and of themselves itself can become a disaster area. Planning is crucial.

Certain natural disasters can be forecasted ahead of time to some extent, and in particular hurricanes, tropical storms and certain types of flooding. Terrorist attacks cannot be predicted or forecasted. Analysts and experts can only assume an attack could happen and evacuation orders would not be issued unless there was a definitive time and place of an attack, and logic dictates if they had that much information the attack could be prevented. Therefore, any attack would be a surprise and any mass evacuations plans would be improvised at best.

Planning Ahead

You have to know in which direction to travel and this is easily determined if the disaster is a natural one, you simply head inland during a hurricane using predetermined routes. During a flood, you evacuate to higher ground, before you are trapped. Therefore, the question is which way you should travel when it is not a natural disaster. Suppose for a minute that a nuclear device was detonated in a city close to you or someone released chemical or biological contaminates in the area. It is not likely the government would have the answers before you had to evacuate to protect yourself, in other words you cannot wait on instructions from the authorities. You have to be ahead of the situation and you must move fast so you are not caught up the traffic and pedestrian snarl. Information is essential.

First, you must have an idea of where you are heading. Rural areas are ideal regardless of the disaster. Terrorist groups and others that seek to create chaos will target symbolic structures/monuments and heavily populated areas. Thus, ground zero as it were, will be centered in or near cities. Take the time to know the surrounding area and not just in one direction map out a radius. It is crucial you do not waste time deciding direction of travel if you have to vacate the area.

Ideally, you can evacuate in a vehicle, but be prepared to go it on foot if needed. You may find that several miles from your home that the roads are blocked, destroyed or otherwise impassable. Therefore, have your essentials packed and ensure each member of the family or group has their own pack with essentials so they can survive if they become separated. Avoid bridges and interstates because that is where the majority of people will be. You can maneuver along secondary roads, and it may be easier to bypass obstructions by going around them. You cannot go around blockage on a bridge or certain other major highways.

Do not stop for anyone unless you know him or her to be law enforcement. During a major disaster Martial Law is likely to be enacted, which means federal troops can be deployed to enforce local laws, make arrests or detain individuals and quarantine areas as they see fit. Avoid troops unless your life is in danger because many times they will simply detain people and sort it out later. Keep in mind if there are demonstrations or riots they will not know if you are part of the problem or not. They will be acting for and with consent of the federal government and in particular the Commander in Chief.

Staying informed of local, national and worldwide events can give you a heads up if something does happen. Even if a nuclear device, chemical or biological weapons strikes a city hundreds of miles, away, your community will be affected and you should under these circumstances move from your area. Move away from the affected area to a predetermined rural safe zone. Many times armies will “soften” a target by a surprise attack of this nature and then move ground troops into other areas before the citizens and the government can gain some semblance of order.

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Common Survival and Preparation Mistakes

Common Survival and Preparation Mistakes

Common Survival and Preparation Mistakes

Common Survival and Preparation Mistakes

Over packing, it sounds counterproductive because logic dictates you can never have too much, but you can have too much when it comes to preparing for survival. It is all about priorities. In some peoples’ minds, they assume they need what is currently in their home to survive away from home, which is impossible of course. If forced to evacuate you may only have what you can carry in a backpack or if you are fortunate, enough to be able to escape in a vehicle you have more options but the big screen television is not one of the options. There are things essential to your survival and there are the things you only think are essential.

Wilderness Survival Kits

People typically over pack and thus begin to leave their survival kit behind because it becomes burdensome.

Some may be confused and rightly so about what a survival kit is. Some believe you must have enough food and water in one to survive forever and will pack and pack until they cannot even shoulder the bag. A survival kit is designed to provide you the tools and materials to collect and purify water, hunt and fish for food and to build a shelter. It is not designed for you to carry all of the food and water you may need and it provides the tools to build a shelter were ever you might be stranded. Your kit is designed to take over if you become lost or stranded and the supplies you packed for the time you expected to be hiking or camping are depleted.

Stockpiling Supplies At Home

The wrong type of foods and containers.

There are situations where you may have to evacuate your home. You will need supplies for the trip and for when you arrive at a destination. People tend to believe they will always have their home to live in during a crisis and do not prepare for the possibility of leaving. To prepare for any situation you would need foods that can be packed and carried on your back. Some preppers have safe areas they plan to escape to using vehicles, but vehicles break down and safe houses or areas can be destroyed or even taken over by others. Keep in mind all foods must be such that they can literally be eaten from the can or package. You may not have time or the resources to start a fire and prepare foods such as dehydrated ones.
Prepare, for sheltering in place and prepare for the possibility of sheltering in the wilderness because your current location has become hostile. Home canning is ideal for long term survival but glass jars are not ideal for carrying in a backpack and dehydrated foods require water and preparations so have a variety of foods to suit whatever action you must take. Do not make any assumptions, you must plan and prepare for all possibilities.

Some may brag about how well prepared they are and encourage others to do the same

It is important that everyone prepare so everyone can survive and not be a burden to others but some will not prepare for whatever reason. The ones that did not prepare will be looking for those that did, some will ask for help and others out of desperation may try to take what they need. Do not advertise you are prepared because you will become a target once disaster strikes.

Putting all of your supplies in one place.

Having all of your supplies in one place is not ideal. You may be robbed and lose all of your supplies, you may have a fire or the disaster itself may damage your home. Cache supplies even if it is in the backyard in the ground or in a secure shed. Bury them in various locations so if you do have to evacuate you can supply or resupply as you move out. Cache provisions along the evacuation routes, making sure you have alternative routes mapped out with supplies cached along those as well.

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Preppers Must Have List

preparedness_list

Preppers Must Have List

preparedness_list

Before getting started, you must consider the amount of supplies needed for a specific time and then consider what happens when you run out of supplies. There are no guarantees and what you thought would only be a week may turn into several weeks or even longer and you find yourself running out of supplies. The must have list for anyone preparing for any type of situation must include the tools and materials to develop alternative sources of food and water.

Additionally, once you have calculated how much food and water you need and for how long assume your calculations are wrong. Friends, neighbors and strangers along with possible damage to your structure and supplies will have an impact on how long they last, thus your calculations are wrong. This emphasizes the fact that you need more than just food and water you must have the means to produce more.

1. You must have the ability to grow your own food for a prolonged crisis. This means you should be gathering seeds and materials needed to raise food in any environment to include one where the soil is contaminated. Foods can be raised without soil by using hydroponic methods.

2. You will need to the materials, tools and skill to preserve any foods you can acquire, by either canning, pickling, smoking, salt curing or drying.

3. Have the tools to take care of a garden

4. Materials to construct a greenhouse such as plastic or Plexiglas, and the frame work either PVC or wood.

5. You will need the tools for hunting such as long bows, firearms and cross bows along with trapping supplies.

6. You will need an energy source such as wood, coal or wood/vegetation pellets.

7. You need personal protection along with an evacuation plan if your area turns hostile and the most reliable protection is a firearm but do not limit yourself to just one type. You will have to consider the area you will be protecting when choosing a weapon. People in urban areas will have to choose differently than someone in a rural environment.

The list could be endless, but keep in mind you cannot possibly stockpile enough food and water to last you essentially your entire lifetime, so you will need a reliable and renewable food source you control. You will need the knowledge, skills, tools and materials to construct and repair your shelter, make tools, and essentialy start over if there is a total collapse of the financial and manufacturing sectors.

In addition to what you need to survive, you will need items for barter. Even if you do not drink alcohol or use tobacco products, you should have an adequate supply to trade for items you may need such as specific medical supplies. It is not recommended you trade ammunition or weapons, and only trade medical supplies if you have more than enough for you and your family’s use. You must always consider your family’s welfare first when it comes to bartering.

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Emergency Preparation Checklist

checklist

Emergency Preparation Checklist

checklist

Emergencies happen quickly and by their very nature, they happen without warning Therefore, you have to be prepared at all times. Having an emergency preparation checklist can help you evaluate your status at a moment’s notice. It is important that every member of your family or group have access to the list.

The Plan

Your home is typically, where you will do most of your planning. However, the checklist should also include plans for what to do if a family member is at work or school.

1. You will need to have alternative routes to and from the workplace and schools in the event the roads, bridges or highways are damaged

2. You should have in your vehicle an extra cell phone battery, flashlight, a phone charger, important phone numbers to include contact information for school officials, walking shoes and clothes appropriate for the season.

Your Home

• An evacuation plan is important. You must have an area where everyone gathers in the home during an emergency

• Know what exits to use and include windows. If you have a multi-story home, have emergency ladders in each bedroom for emergency evacuation out an upper story window. You must have drills so everyone has a chance to use the ladders.

• Know how to shut off the main gas line at the meter, keep a tool and flashlight by the back door so you can find the meter in the dark and can shut the line off. You can keep tools and a light in the meter box if so equipped but most meters are exposed to the elements. Also, have a flashlight by the main electrical breaker.

• Check off the hot water tank when you have strapped it to the wall it so it will not topple over causing flooding

• Know how to find the emergency evacuation routes out of your area and know where all emergency shelters are located

• Make sure you have adequate emergency supplies of food, water and first aid kits.

• Have your emergency supplies packed so they can be easily carried in the event you have to evacuate

• Have important documents in one place and protected from water and other damage and make sure they can be gathered and carried with you

• Have a staging area outside of the home if it becomes damaged

• Make sure you have ample propane if you have an outdoor grill this may be your only means of cooking

• If possible, store emergency supplies in various locations such as a secure shed away from the home or in a detached garage in the event your home is damaged. This protects some of your emergency provisions. Make a point to gather large water storage containers such as 50-gallon food grade plastic barrels. Redundancy is the best back up plan so if one cache of supplies is damaged you must have another close by, and the same theory applies to staging areas and emergency exits always have an alternative.

• Make sure you vehicle is always ready to go

The checklist list is not comprehensive so you have to make adjustments for specific disasters such as earthquakes, so check off that no bedrooms have wall-mounted televisions, or have wardrobes or bureaus that can topple onto a sleeping person. Make sure your safe room does not have skylights, outside walls or brick fireplaces.

Outside your home trim or remove trees or branches that can fall and damage your home. If you have a privacy or security fence around your home and it has a locking gate make sure all family members know where the key is because if members have to evacuate out of an upper story window you do not want them trapped in the backyard.

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Preparedness the First Steps

backpacker

Preparedness the First Steps

backpacker

Much of the focus throughout this year (2012) has been on the so-called doomsday preppers, and there is even a show dedicated to preppers. Preppers are individuals that take preparedness to a new level and many dedicate their entire time and financial resources to getting prepared. You may watch these shows and wonder what you should prepare for because most if not all preppers have a specific scenario in mind thus, they prepare based on that. Therefore, some of you may be overwhelmed because literally anything can happen, so how do you prepare for all possibilities.

First, you must realize that regardless of the disaster you will always need the essentials to maintain life. Shelter, water, fire/energy, nourishment and medical care are essentials you will always need. However, certain situations will require specialized clothing and equipment to survive such as a nuclear detonation or the release of chemical and biological contaminates into the community. Preparations for nuclear, chemical and biological attack are the next level after you have gathered the essentials for survival. Presumably, the crisis will disrupt your utilities, such as electricity, water and gas for cooking and heating. This is where you begin; you must prepare to live without modern conveniences.

Start With the Basics and Work Up From There

How do you decide how much? The amount of supplies and materials depends on what you are preparing for. Do you simply want to be ready for power disruptions during a natural disaster or do you believe in a doomsday scenario. Some believe they will have to survive on their own for years if not for their entire life if certain scenarios play out, and others feel it may be only a few years before communities and government are operating again.

As history has shown us natural, disasters can be devastating and are made even more so when people and communities are not prepared. You can be without utilities for several weeks while living in a home that is damaged or even living in a tent in the front yard. This is the effects of any disaster whether it is manmade or natural. If you survive the crisis itself, you must then survive the effects. As stated before, emergency supplies and materials are not necessarily disaster specific, and without the basics, you will not survive to have to worry about nuclear, chemical or biological attacks.

You will need at least two weeks of food and water if planning for natural disasters. Typically, experts and community leaders recommended a 72-hour supply, but that recommendation is outdated. As you prepare remember you will have to perform all tasks without the benefit of electricity.

For those that believe in the doomsdays theories you will need enough provisions to get you through at least the first two years. You will need to develop a reliable food source such as gardens and raising livestock. It will take several years to begin producing enough to preserve so you will need enough food and water as you begin preparing for long-term survival. You must not have the worry of providing for your family while you work on alternative sources for survival.

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Lessons from Japan 2011

nuclear warning

Lessons from Japan 2011

nuclear warning

On March 11 2011 a 9.03 magnitude earthquake struck the Pacific coast of Tohoku, The earthquake is now referred to as the great East Japan earthquake. It was the strongest earthquake ever to strike Japan and one of the five strongest ever in the world. The tsunami caused by the powerful quake had waves up to 133ft/40.5m high. The waves washed 10 miles inland along some areas. Estimated deaths were over 15,000 with thousands more considered missing. Unfortunately, the earthquake and tsunami caused Japan’s nuclear reactors to meltdown spewing radioactive material into the air and water. It will be years before any accurate accounts of damage and deaths from the meltdown can be calculated. The earthquake was so powerful it shifted the earth’s axis by 4ins/10cm and moved the main island of Japan 8ft/2.4m.

The Earthquake Was the Most Powerful Ever

The first lesson from this disaster and others is that history is no indication of the future. Just because it has never happened before does not mean it will not happen at some point in the future. Preparations were made and reactors built based on probabilities. The 9.03 quake was not in the equation and thus the buildings and reactors could not withstand the powerful quake. The waves where 133 feet high an unimaginable height, that simply swept over anything to include the reactors in its path. Millions of people were displaced without shelter, water, food and medical care. The numbers were overwhelming even for the most prepared among them. Essentially, they had procedures in place that did not come close to being adequate because of the power of the earthquake and tsunami.

Japan has had numerous earthquakes over the years they are expected to happen and they do prepare for them. The buildings in Japan are designed to withstand the shock, and yet it was not enough because no one ever imagined. The lesson of course is to expect the so-called unexpected and if prepared properly logic dictates then nothing is unexpected.

Why build a nuclear reactor that can only withstand an 8.5 or even 9.0-magnitude earthquake when there is always the possibility of a 9.03 or even a 9.5 or 10.0 magnitude. Can no one imagine a 10.0 no one imagined a 9.03 either?

Disasters are devastating and one can never know how much so until one occurs and that is where unfortunately lessons are learned after the fact. However, there are certain things that are expected to happen yet no one seems to prepare for the worst. They hope for the best and essentially “wing” as it were. Instead, people should be preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.
Governments have a tremendous influence on outcomes. In some societies, the government dictates reaction and public disclosure is not allowed so other countries cannot always learn from the disaster. Transparency is important, so lessons can be learned no matter how it makes the authorities look. Governments sometime are so caught up how they look and public disgrace is to be avoided in some cases over the lives of its citizenry.

Others may have ideas if everyone knew the true magnitude of the situation but hiding behind veils of duplicity and secrets does not allow the world to prepare for the next disaster, possibly a 10.0 earthquake.

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