This report was originally published by Lisa Egan at Tess Pennington’s Ready Nutrition
Tess is the author of The Prepper’s Blueprint: How To Survive ANY Disaster.
It is currently hurricane season for the Atlantic and Pacific regions of the United States.
As I write this article, Hurricane Florence is a Category 3 storm with the potential to reach Category 4 status. As of now, the storm has an uncertain path, but East Coast folks – please watch this one closely, as some models suggest it could head right for you.
Helene and Issac could form in the Atlantic later this week. In the Pacific, Hurricanes Olivia and Norman are being watched closely.
Hurricanes are unpredictable, as anyone who has experienced one knows. This makes them challenging to prepare for, but fortunately, there are things you can do to increase your odds of survival, should one head for your region.
It is important to understand that a hurricane need not be a Category 5 to be incredibly dangerous and cause serious damage. When Hurricane Isabel hit my Virginia neighborhood in 2003, the storm was barely a Category 1. It was the first (and to date, the only – thankfully) hurricane I’ve experienced personally, and back then I really had no idea how difficult the aftermath would be.
I fully expected the “authorities” to take care of everything after Isabel passed. I thought they’d clean up all the debris and have the roads cleared and power on within a day or two.
I was seriously mistaken.
Isabel had an unusually large wind field (an example of a hurricane doing “unpredictable” things). Thousands of trees were uprooted. Power lines and telephone poles were downed all over. Hundreds of houses were damaged…many beyond repair. Hundreds of roads, including major highways, were blocked by fallen trees and other debris. The heavy rainfall caused inland flooding, which closed roads and damaged homes and businesses.
We were without power for over two weeks. Because we – and most of our neighbors – did not think to purchase generators in advance, one neighbor decided to head out to buy them for us. He wasn’t able to find any until he reached Pennsylvania – every store he checked in Virginia and Maryland was either closed due to the storm or had already sold their entire stock of generators. That gives you an idea of how hard it can be to find important supplies in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Preparing for a Hurricane
In The Prepper’s Blueprint, the importance of understanding how unpredictable hurricanes can be is discussed and emphasized. This type of natural disaster is truly one of the most difficult emergencies to prepare for simply because there are so many variables to account for. These storms can range from mild to severe and can cause wind damage, flooding, and tornadoes. You can be fully stocked with provisions, but what good will that do if your home is flooded in a matter of minutes and all of your supplies are destroyed or inaccessible? Before Hurricane Harvey made landfall last year, it was predicted as merely a tropical storm or Category 1 hurricane. In fact, many living in the area did not think much of it in terms of severity and only stocked up on supplies for a few days. Within those few days, it had developed into a Category 4 with 132 mph winds.
This hurricane primer has essential articles with supply lists that can aid you in preparing for a storm.
Should you stay or should you go?
Often, when a hurricane is approaching, government officials will issue evacuation orders to people in designated evacuation areas. Most governments use one of two terms when issuing evacuation notices. An evacuation order is when officials strongly encourage people in certain areas to move to a safer location. Personal discretion is allowed, but not advised. A mandatory evacuation order means that emergency management officials are ordering all people in the designated area to move to a safer location – personal discretion is NOT an option. People who refuse to comply need to understand that this kind of order means they should not expect to be rescued or given any kind of assistance once the storm has reached the area.
If you can leave the area before the disaster strikes, then do so, and seek shelter elsewhere.
Should you decide to stay put for whatever reason during a hurricane, adequate preparation is crucial to survival. Please check out our guide here – now, so you can prepare far ahead of the storm: Last Minute Preparedness: How To Prep For Sheltering in Place.
What about disaster shelters?
While disaster shelters may be the only option for many, it is important to understand the risks associated with them. In the article, Just How Unhealthy And Unsafe Are Disaster Shelters, Sara Tipton explains the harsh truth about such shelters:
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, many found themselves in non-profit disaster shelters, and many reported conditions that were not healthy or safe for human beings, especially children. As hundreds of thousands of people packed in close proximity to one another in Houston’s convention centers, churches, mosques, and schools all serving as temporary shelters, their basic needs seemed to be met. Food, water, and a place to sleep were provided. But the danger of an infection -both viral and bacterial– and subsequent horrible illness was high. And in close quarters, these infections could easily spread sickening many in a short amount of time.
There is another danger associated with spending time in a disaster shelter: sexual assault. Overcrowded and understaffed shelters unintentionally put all those who stay at them at risk. There’s no way a handful of people can monitor hundreds of others at all times.
The elderly are a part of the population that is particularly vulnerable during times of evacuation and emergency. They face many concerns both before a disaster strikes and immediately afterward. Hurricane Katrina is a tragic example of how devastating big storms can be to the elderly: roughly 71 percent of the hurricane’s victims were older than age 60, and 47 percent of those were over the age of 75. Most of these victims died in their homes and communities. At least 68 (some of whom were allegedly abandoned by their caretakers) were found in nursing homes. If you are elderly or have loved ones who are, please plan accordingly. Staying at home and local shelters may not be the best places for those who have special health concerns and are not able to adequately care for themselves.
Also, please don’t forget about your furry and feathered family members: take your pets’ needs into account when you are preparing for an impending hurricane as well.
What to expect in the aftermath of a hurricane
Many Americans believe that FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) will come to their rescue after a natural disaster. Unfortunately, the agency has many challenges (to put it lightly). Even if you are one of the few who manages to successfully navigate FEMA’s confusing red tape and complicated bureaucratic system to get aid, help from the agency often becomes something many describe as an “inescapable hell.”
Prepare for the worst and make sure you can survive on your own. We cannot emphasize this enough.
While the bad weather hurricanes bring usually sticks around for 12 to 24 hours, there are other dangers that often linger for much longer. As I mentioned earlier, after Hurricane Isabel struck my city, my neighborhood was without power for over two weeks. Some areas in the Hampton Roads region were without electricity for even longer. Some roads were closed for more than a week.
There are five possible life-threatening scenarios that hurricane victims must understand and prepare for.
1. Contaminated water
Water contamination is common after a hurricane. The facilities that remove contaminants from drinking water are typically unusable if they’re inundated with floodwaters, or if they do not have the power needed to run their pumps or the ability to get fuel for their generators. The water supply could be tainted with anything from unpleasant but relatively harmless gastrointestinal invaders like Norovirus to more serious bacteria like Vibrio, a potentially deadly microorganism.
Ideally, you’ll have enough water stored for you and your family. Water is a top preparedness priority. Aim for a supply of 3 gallons of water per person/day, minimum, stored in food-grade containers. If you have pets, you’ll need to make sure you have enough water for them too. Remember, while water is crucial for proper hydration, you’ll also need to use it to prepare food and for sanitation purposes. I don’t think there’s such a thing as having TOO much water stored.
For more on water storage, please see Emergency Water Storage Ideas for Every Type of Disaster and 5 Short-Term Methods to Store Water.
Even if you believe you have adequate water stored, be sure to learn about water purification methods and devices as well…just in case. Always ensure the safety of your water by properly filtering or boiling it before use.
There are portable water filtration systems you can keep on hand in case of emergency. The Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System is one of them. It’s a compact, portable, three-part system that can be put together and placed over a drinking vessel like a water bottle. This system comes with a straw that you can use to drink directly through the filter itself. It can also be hooked up to a Camelbak water pouch.
2. Flooding
The risk of contracting an infectious disease is heightened after a hurricane, in large part due to flooding. Flood water is a perfect vehicle for pathogens: it can harbor bacteria, different viruses, and fungi – and often is contaminated with sewage and hazardous chemicals.
There are numerous reasons to avoid flood water entirely. Wading through it – even if it is shallow – can cause drowning because moving water can sweep you off your feet, and can rapidly transport you to deeper bodies of water. Snakes and other dangerous creatures (depending on where you live) can lurk in flood waters. Debris could be floating in it, and could cause serious harm. And, of course, electrocution is a deadly risk – fallen power lines may have exposed the water to electricity.
To protect your home from flood damage, learn how to properly create a sandbag barrier or consider investing in a system called AquaDam.
If you live in a flood zone, special preparations are in order. The following articles can help you better prepare.
- Are You Ready? How to Survive a Flood
- Disaster Supplies for Flood Preparedness
- A Step-By-Step Guide to Preparing for Disasters
3. Blackouts
A major risk after any hurricane, blackouts can be devastating for those without a plan.
From refrigerators to cell phones, people have almost become completely reliant on electronic devices for their survival, and for this reason, a blackout can have disastrous implications for the ill-prepared.
In late October 2012, Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast and left widespread, long-term power outages in her wake. On October 31, over 6 million customers were still without power in 15 states and the District of Columbia. On November 7, 2012, 600,000 people were still without power. After Hurricane Ike hit in September 2008, our very own Tess Pennington and her family experienced a power outage that lasted more than three weeks!
In an article about her experience, Tess wrote, “In retrospect, I was naive in my preparedness planning. I was planning for the best-case scenario rather than the latter, as well, there were many aspects of preparedness that I hadn’t considered and paid the price for it.”
The grid in New York City is still vulnerable, nearly 6 years later. But NYC is not the only part of the US that has an aging and weak grid that is susceptible to damage – much of the US power grid is vulnerable.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prepare your family for power outages.
- Be ready to prepare food off the grid.
- Stock your pantry and bug-out bags with nutrient-dense food that does not need to be refrigerated or cooked to eat, like nut butter, nuts, seeds, granola bars, protein bars, and dried fruit.
- Fill up your vehicle’s tank while you still can – gas stations rely on electricity to power their pumps.
- Be aware that most medication that requires refrigeration can be kept in a closed refrigerator for several hours without a problem. If unsure, check with your physician or pharmacist. Have a backup plan in case your power is out longer than a few hours.
- Know where the manual release lever of your electric garage door opener is located and how to operate it. Garage doors can be heavy, so know that you may need help to lift it.
- Keep a key to your house with you if you regularly use the garage as the primary means of entering your home, in case the garage door will not open.
- Have cash on hand in case ATMs are down and stores are not able to process credit cards.
- Learn how to protect your food supply when the power is out. To be proactive, begin using perishable foods in the freezer and refrigerator to minimize food spoilage. Also, to keep items as cool as possible during a power outage, limit the number of times the refrigerator or freezer door is opened. If you are concerned that your meat may spoil, preserve it beforehand, by either the canning method or the dehydration method.
- Freeze soda bottles filled with water and place them in the refrigerator during outages – they will help to maintain the optimum temperature.
- Stay indoors and try and keep your body temperature as normal as possible.
- Close window blinds and curtains to keep your home cool.
- Turn off or disconnect appliances, equipment (like air conditioners) or electronics in use when the power went out. Power may return with momentary “surges” or “spikes” that can damage computers as well as motors in appliances like the air conditioner, refrigerator, washer or furnace.
- Consider purchasing at least one gas-powered generator. They require about a quarter gallon of gasoline for each hour of use. This means you will need to keep plenty of extra fuel on hand. For a blackout period lasting 3 days, it would be wise to keep at least 15 gallons stored in your house for use in your generator (or car).
- Do not connect a generator to a home’s electrical system. If you use a generator, connect the equipment you want to run directly to the outlets on the generator. Do not run a generator inside a home or garage. For more on safe generator use, please read This is One of the Unspoken Dangers That (Silently and Quickly) Kills During Emergencies.
- Leave on one light so that you’ll know when your power returns.
- Use the phone for emergencies only. Listen to a portable radio for the latest information.
- Access to fire will be critical in a blackout. Be sure to have at least three different ways to make fire, such as a magnesium and steel fire-starter, matches, and butane lighters.
- Lanterns will be effective alternative light sources as long as you keep kerosene in storage. Speaking of fuel, you may also want to use propane for use in a barbecue grill or for other propane-powered appliances.
- Having extra flashlights will make a fundamental difference during a power outage. Keep extra sets of batteries for each flashlight.
- If you don’t already have a first-aid kit now is the time to get one. Sanitizing gel is also a smart item to have in your supplies.
- A radio with a crank generator will enable you to hear emergency alerts without having to ubackup-up power.
- Have at least 3 days of clean clothes ready for each family member.
4. Supply shortages
If you live in an area where people shift into panic mode at the mere mention of snow flurries, you know that grocery stores can become a chaotic scene in the days prior to the expected weather. We rarely get snow in this part of Virginia, so when it pops up in the forecast, stores quickly run out of bread, milk, and water.
As you can imagine, everyone and their second cousin will be scrambling to stock up on supplies in the days before an impending hurricane. The closer it gets to landfall, the worse the situation gets. This is why getting ahead of the crowd is crucial – to your stockpile and your sanity.
Obviously, food, water, and gasoline are items that can quickly become scarce in the event of an emergency. But, there are other items that some might not think to purchase in advance of a big weather event. These include bleach and other chemical disinfectants, cleaning supplies, disposable gloves, trash bags, toilet paper, and home repair supplies.
Regarding toilet paper – hurricane survivors tend to grossly (pun intended) underestimate how much they are going to need. Toilet paper is used every day and when it runs out, things can get very, very unpleasant. Why add to your misery? This is an item that is very much worth stocking up on. On average, consumers use 8.6 sheets per trip – a total of 57 sheets per day. Multiply that by a week-long storm and a family of 5 and you are going to run out quickly if you don’t buy enough.
5. Tornadoes
As if dealing with a hurricane isn’t enough, it can bring along a particularly dangerous partner in crime: tornadoes.
Hurricanes and tropical storms are collectively known as tropical cyclones. Tropical cyclones and tornadoes are both atmospheric vortices.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “Tropical cyclones may spawn tornadoes from a day or two prior to landfall to up to three days after landfall. Statistics show that most of the tornadoes occur on the day of landfall, or the next day. The most likely time for TC tornadoes is during daylight hours, although they can occur during the night, too. Although statistically, the largest number of tropical cyclone tornadoes occurs on the day of landfall, some of the biggest and most damaging outbreaks have taken place 1 or 2 days after landfall.”
“A tropical storm has all the ingredients necessary to form a tornado: They have multiple supercell thunderstorms, they contain the necessary instability between warm and cold air, and they create wind shear, an abrupt change in wind speed and direction which can create swirling vortices of air,” explains 6abc.
Most hurricanes that make landfall do create at least one tornado. “The majority of those tornadoes are short-lived and of the weaker EF0 or EF1 variety, but some can reach EF2 or EF3 intensity,” according to The Weather Channel:
Tornadoes from tropical systems make up an average of over 20 percent of all United States tornadoes during the month of August, and sometimes 50 percent or more of all tornadoes in September, said Dr. Greg Forbes, severe weather expert for The Weather Channel. Most of the tornadoes develop in bands of thunderstorms and intense showers outside of the eyewall about 50 to 250 miles from the hurricane or tropical storm center, he said.
Brian McNoldy, a researcher at the University of Miami, explained the phenomenon to Live Science:
“It’s pretty uncommon to not have tornadoes with these,” he said. Tornadoes mostly form over land, instead of over water, because the land slows down surface-level winds, creating even more wind shear, McNoldy said. Tornadoes form wherever these pre-existing supercells happen to be, he added, but meteorologists are still unable to predict exactly where tornadoes will strike.
Most tornadoes occur in a tropical cyclone’s outer rain bands, about 50 to 200 miles from the center, but some have been spawned near the inner core. “In a hurricane’s outer bands, tornadoes represent a burst of concentrated destruction in an area that otherwise might not see the devastating levels of wind produced by the hurricane’s core,” according to a CNN report.
Hurricane-produced tornadoes are difficult to predict – they tend to appear quickly and with little to no warning. For this reason, it is very important to pay attention to the weather and to be prepared for a tornado (or several tornadoes!) to strike.
Are YOU ready for a hurricane?
Earlier this year, AccuWeather Atlantic Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski predicted the United States will see 12-15 tropical storms in 2018 – of which, 6 to 8 are likely to become hurricanes, and 3 to 5 are likely to become major hurricanes.
For more on hurricane preparedness, please read Hurricane Expert Warns: “Prepare for the Worst-Case Scenario”… The U.S. Could See Up to 5 Major Hurricanes in 2018.
For cautionary tales and advice from people who have experienced hurricanes, please read 20 Hurricane Survival Tips From Real-Life Scenarios.
Stay safe out there!
***
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Tess Pennington is the author of The Prepper’s Blueprint, a comprehensive guide that uses real-life scenarios to help you prepare for any disaster. Because a crisis rarely stops with a triggering event the aftermath can spiral, having the capacity to cripple our normal ways of life. The well-rounded, multi-layered approach outlined in the Blueprint helps you make sense of a wide array of preparedness concepts through easily digestible action items and supply lists.
Tess is also the author of the highly rated Prepper’s Cookbook, which helps you to create a plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply and includes over 300 recipes for nutritious, delicious, life-saving meals.
Visit her website at ReadyNutrition.com for an extensive compilation of free information on preparedness, homesteading, and healthy living.
If people are staying, then churches can get organized as emergency shelters, stock up on inexpensive dehydrated food and water, and then help impoverished folks or elderly who cannot flee AND share the Gospel.
They go together perfectly. If you love Jesus Christ, it likely was because someone shared their testimony.
You can offer baby sitting, games for kids, music, prayer circle, open up the clothes closet as some will be ill dressed and lacking proper shoes. You likely already have a food bank. Someone in the church likely has grilling equipment and camping gear.
This is not hard, you just step outside your comfort zone.
14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16
Churches are the LAST place you should go during a hurricane.
Half of the people in these type shelters are the dregs of society, the homeless, psuedo homeless, people with no money, bottom rung of society.
This is a breeding ground for crime and you would be in a room with a LOT of them.
During Hurricane Rita in 2005 my church hosted about 500 evacuees. Half were drunk the entire time, they stunk, they stole from the church, one of them shit on the floor in a sunday school room when there was a bathroom less than 50 feet away.
Regular people have a plan, stay with extended family, get a hotel or stay with friends. Shelters are the last place you should go.
Best advised, if you don’t live where storm surge will kill you, don’t evacuate. Being without power or a tree falling on your house won’t kill you.
Hurricanes are nothing more than a large thunderstorm that lasts for about 3 hours.
JS,
Hurricanes/ Typhoons last longer than that, it all depends on how fast they are moving and how big they are. Plan on at least 2 days of wind and rain, 4 days of storm surges, and then weeks if not years of recovery.
I did some work today and will do more tomorrow getting ready for Olivia.
Agreed about evacuation. I’m prepped to sit most everything out. stay home if you can. My houses are pretty well designed and built for hurricanes and earthquakes.
I have been through 5 of them, and three hours is about right.
Top winds for three hours. Power out for 3 to ten days. Boil water warnings. Blocked roads. No gas.
Hurricane Lane which just side swiped us, gave me two days of heavy rains(28 inches in 24 hours at one point), and moderate winds all around the area. Super Typhoon Pamela, 1976, I experienced the eye and the eyewall. That storm had 2 days of very strong winds wind and about 4 days of heavy rain.
Maybe our Pacific storms don’t move as fast as yours. I believe Lane slowed to 2 MPH at one point. I know Pamela stalled over Palau for a day or two.
For you that don’t know, The difference between a Typhoon and hurricane is which side of the date line it is on.
What an idiot. Yep Jebus loves you thats why he threw that hurricane at you stopid sheep. Witness that testamony idiot. Religion is gonna get you killed. Karma for your ignorance. Show me a single person aka believer tgat ever got everlasting life??? Just one person? Jihn 3:16. You think he got everlasting life? He must not believe the crap he even wrote himself. Where is he? Been dead like every other moron. Witness that testamony. Stupid is. Low IQ morons believe that crap.
If your right and we are just future fertilizer,,Bummer?
My gas tank is full, just in case. I am 20 miles from the Atlantic. Never left before. After storm they will steal everything they can find so its hard to leave. Trees are everywhere here. Pray it goes back out to sea.
After the power goes out, you will have to clean out the refrigerator or the rotting food will stink up your refrigerator and make it unusable for the future.
Or you hook it to your little 3500w inverter generator and runnit till you either use up the food or run out of fuel,,, if ya did a little plannng the fuel wont be an issue
The author writes like a panicked frightened sheep. Oh boy one hurricane and it was a Cat 1. And now she bexomes an expert spreading the word. In nearly 30 years I been through about 10 Hurricanes ans one huge no name storm. Evacuated 4 times in fear my vehicle would be flooded out. Quick click the book link. Buy buy buy you fearful sheep. Suckers born every minute. ~PT Barnum.
Also, Some of the dumbest lowest IQ people I ever met were church going religious morons. Lazy people love religion, its the excuse book for procrastinators and lazy people caus God will fix everything. Stupid is.
And all you nees a generator for is to keep your food cold in a fridge. How about eat the parashable food in the week prior to the hurricane instead. Another bad advice tip from this author. Generators will get ya killed. Noisy and idiots put them inside houses and then die from carbon monoxide poisoning. More stupid is advice by ignoramouses.
Off Topic:
Today September 7th, 2018
Dr. David Duke on Rense Radio Archives
Very passionate and informative show
Saudi Arabia, the Saudi family did 911
Girls in the United Kingdom being groomed
For prostitution. 100 thousand girls raped and sold
By Muslims
Brought into the U.K. by (((you know who)))
_
_
Dr. David Duke is a racists piece of shit. Fuck him.
J stiner bought into the lefty’s propaganda raycis nonsense. David Duke is a very smart intellegent white guy who loves his white race and heritage and hates to see America destroyed by the commies and trash people. David Duke tells the truth that lazy people cant accept. You see its just easier to ignore the truth and call him a raysis. Go watch the video john s. Then decide. OK?
VetetansToday is another great site exposing the truth.
How about we exercise some Freedom “FROM” Religion on this website? Plenty of thiae moron sites ro poat your nonsense. I like to deal with facts and truth. Not superstitions and fantasy or witchcraft cult BS.
I was at a Civil War re-enactment in the early 1990s when Duke was running for senator in Louisiana.
That asshole showed up and tried to turn it into a campaign rally.
It really upset everybody at the re-enactment because immediately the news media tried to turn the civil war re-enactment into a KKK rally.
Re-enactors are not racists, but rather lovers of civil war living history and battle history.
During the evening campfires people talk about civil war tactics and what various generals should have done in different battles.
If he was talking about taking down war memorials and what can be done.vote for me?
B from CA… all of that info and more found at veteranstoday. On the hurricanes, in today’s financial climate you are on your own if not in the hardest hit areas.
In Hawaii, this kind of preparation is normal for us.
The one thing that confuses me is –
“Close window blinds and curtains to keep your home cool.”
In a Typhoon or Hurricane most people board up the windows.
to protect from debris flying around.
Hurricane Olivia is due to hit me on 9/12/18. I probably won’t board up, but many of my more exposed neighbors will.
I live in a kind of wind “bowl” so we never get the really high winds.
I make sure the chain saws work and are sharp as that is my biggest threat, fallen tree limbs. I can clear our local back roads much quicker than the very busy county guys(they concentrate on the main roads).
Rellik
We may get a good thumping this time, you folks just about got cleaned up and here goes again!
Stay frosty bud
Big generator burn big gas, seems a 1000 will handle everything except the microwave,? A 100 watt crockpot, a 150 watt solar panel , don’t they make 12 volt crockpots for truckers? Maybe requiring less solar panel? A crockpot that runs off a solar panel? But the darkness of the sun ? A hand crank or bicycle crank generator . I read you can use the generator in an old treadmill. Or wind generator replacement motor? Many how to videos. And seems bicycle power generator is 100 % No gas ,no wind ,not enough light? But probably very important calorie burning bad , exercise good , utilization of resources?
Again storing food in near indestructible plastic gas cans , might be the way to go in hurricane country.
I deployed into Hurricane Katrina as it made landfall as part of a tactical response team to relieve local agencies. I was re-deployed into Rita & Wilma affected regions as well, for a total of 6 months in the disaster zone, including significant field time in upper & lower 9th wards. The stories I could tell about what goes on at evacuation sites (fema & ARC shelters) would fill several books & leave you all in utter disgust. Rape & pedo issues was an ongoing problem, prostitution wasnt hard to find, horders would keep eveything they could find, even trash and bring it back to thier shelter. Resources get stripped thin really fast, expect minimal everything – if your lucky. Nothing moves outside the shelters, I recall some people attempting to walk to the 1 open walmart in Baton Rouge, from NOLA, as it was all that was available. Inside the shelters, youd need to get in line for lunch, at breakfast time (no joke) and when the food ran out, get out of line because thats when people lost it and got violent..including attacking volunteer ARC nurses and food handlers.
The smell, noise, crime, sickness/contamination and sheer unlimited BS was literally never ending.
This is a good article and mirrors many of my own experiences & opinion.
As someone whose been there up close & personal: You have but 2 choices. Leave early – VERY EARLY – with what you can haul (which means being prepared at all times for such an event and know how fast roads get grid locked, gas stations dry up, have your route planned,etc) and understand either the storm or looters will pretty much take care of anything left behind.
OR
hunker down in place and prepare to go unsupported in everyway for what can be easily for weeks, stave off the looters and undesirables that WILL migrate into the area for easy pickings.
We also encountered gang elements that moved in quickly from outside areas to either re-establish or establish new turf (normally for drug trade). This was actually a big problem and one I would not have suspected. Both animals & people will go feral at some point. Starving dogs will pack up and they also was something many people would not expect. (day 5 of not being “taken care of” by those either on their own or in shelters, was a real eye opener) What I saw, was not panic, it was more like “primitive” mindset, were no item was too small to not kill a person for. The animal in humans comes out, even from ordinary people. The list of threats FOLLOWING the storm, was far greater than the storm itself. If you stay behind, you need a rock solid plan,a rock solid back up plan (bug out), mutual assistance from neighbors or family, plenty of supplies and most of all, a very tactical/descrete presence…the people we found weeks later (alive) that made it out ok, were the ones that no one even knew was there and had no reason to ‘come out of hidding’ until things, like ROL had been restored!
This old coot has experiencing a dozen major hurricanes. I also avoid depending on a government which is incompetent at best. Here are my conclusions.
Hurricanes basically boil down to 4 things: Wind, Rain, Waves and Storm Surge. With due diligence in choosing property location and construction, wind rain and flood will not force evacuation. Waves are bad. Very bad. Storm surges can be bad. If you are wealthy and can afford to live on the beach, arrange a safe and dependable bug-out option, return home and rebuild it that is fine. Others should AVOID WAVES AND STORM SURGE.
Lastly, to evacuate risks becoming a refugee. NEVER become a refugee.
Prep Yes. Fear Not.
Nature has a way to cull the weak. Whether it be weak tree limbs or ignorant people. Both need to be discarded. And before long new growth replaces the weak and ignorant. Hurricanes are a good thing. Helps reduce the usless eaters and I now have a few years of excellent firewood stacked and covered. Go with the flow folks, nature is your best friend.
Side note. On my BOL property I have a doe and 2 fawns and they cime out and play daily just 10 to 20 yards from my cottage porch. Momma calls tgem over and they hook up to mommas milk sack. So very cute to see. The spotted fawn are less than 2 ft tall at the shoulders. Its quite a site to see rabbits turkeys and deer all together at the same time interaction together. The key to witness thus is I put out a half dozen cups of cracked corn and throw out in the area to attract them in. Sqirrels doves and cardinals also take advantage of the corn. A 40-50 lb bag of corn is like $8 from Tractor Supply. A cheap food plot. The rabbits are really starting to multiply. I wont go hungry here and all for a bag of $8 corn. I toss out whole corn at about 6 PM for the deer. They come out look for me, stand there as I toss the corn, then wslk inside and about 5 mins they then come to feed on it. Get as one with nature. I wave my hand to the doe qnd she wags her tail knowing its ok. Its alnosr like a communication signal as I am no threat. She does teach her fawns fear. And dont get to close to man. I can respect that. Nature is mans best friend. Take care of it and it will take care of you.
Deer and turkey cohabit very well. The deer with their great hearing and nose lend to the binocular eyesight of the turkey. When they’re out in the field together its almost impossible to close the gap on them.
“personal discretion is NOT an option.”
So, go to the Katrinadome.
https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.364664146.2847/sticker,375×360-bg,ffffff.u2.png
I’ve lived through many in South Florida……last being Irma….make sure ALL of your preps are done…board/shutter windows…make sure genset is ready. Have PLENTY of gasoline…as shipments WILL be delayed (even though we are less than 100 miles from port)…took 3-7 days to get a good flow of fuel. Couple that with a generator burning 1 gallon an hour……you need 15-20 5 gallon cans of fuel……BE PATIENT! Power WILL go out….longest I have been out is 7 days…but some around me took weeks to restore!
If anyone thinks helping the impoverished and homeless is rainbows and unicorns, then they are not fit for ministry.
Each of us has committed terrible sins. Your sins are just as bad as your brother’s and sister’s sins. And they all piled up on the wounded crucified body of Jesus Christ.
1Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5For every man shall bear his own burden.
6Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Galatians 6:1-10
This is what helping the prodigal is like. This is what spiritual blindness is like when we are indignent about helping sinners.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7c-XY695hk
24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
27Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. 28Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. 29The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. 30Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. 31Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
John 12:24-32
If we come to our senses and genuinely love Jesus, then when we make errors, we admit that we are just stupid rebellious men, and not true servants.
The impoverished and the homeless smell bad, are foulmouthed, are drug addicts, are prostitutes,are criminals, etc.
They are not perfect, innocent, and well-adjusted…
…and so that is why Jesus came to the Earth to rescue all.
Guess what? Your sins stink. You are foulmouthed. You abuse substances. You are sexually immoral. You are a criminal. Jesus loves you anyway.
Jesus wants to draw ALL men to himself. He needs servants not indignant self-righteous men.
A grain of wheat must die to self or else be alone.
I’m so amused by atheism and agnosticism. They don’t realize there is no proof for either of these systems. In fact, they are less logical as something cannot EVER come from nothing but needs a primary cause. This is fatal flaw for these systems due to infinite regression!
They try to get you to believe that all the mass in the INFINITE UNIVERSE arose from nothing! That is IMPOSSIBLE!
This makes atheism and agnosticism nothing more that just more faith based religion as there is not a shred of evidence for it.
Look at Occam’s Razor. It’s classic science and philosophy. When you have two competing ideas, the most logical and least complicated one is CORRECT until evidence demonstrates otherwise. This is wy throughout human history, the great thinkers through consensus agreed there had to be intelligent design.
There is nothing random about DNA and RNA. These are complex codes like computer languages.
There is nothing random about Life. It uses complex subsystems which all rely upon each other. You cn’t have digestion without a muscular system and you can’t have that without a skeletal system and you can’t have that without a nervous system and you can’t have that without a circulatory system. It cannot evolve.
In fact, when the latest study on RNA was just completed, they without the data and findings as instead of evolution, they found no change over time but spontaneous life arising and complete!
That is evidence against Darwin!
Look at the Golden Ratio! That is intelligent design in galaxies, in seahorses, in flowers, in pine cones, in ferns. It shows up in every architecture as the most logical engineering. It is intelligent design!
It frankly is moronic to deny intelligent design.
If you go down the dark path into atheism and agnosticism through extreme skepticism, don’t be surprised that it leads to the total loss of objective morality. This means that without that standard, there is no good or evil,no right or wrong, no truth, no justice and no meaning to life anymore.
It literally unravels enlightenment as there is no basis to determine validity anymore.
From there you became a nihilist. And then you feel you are just an animal functioning as a biological robot and lose free will.
This is why those poor lost souls become sociopaths and ultimately psychopaths hungering for violence. They feel no restraint.
Ultimately they are impotent as Nature is in control…not their Will.
Instead of Nietzche’s Ubermensch you get total impotence.
And this plays right into Lucifer’s hands to possess you.
This is why they talk about cannibalism, mayhem, violence, using their weapons, and destruction.
It’s the antithesis of Life as they have lost all meaning and can no longer determine what is valid anymore.
In such a world, there is no joy nor love. It’s rape and death of every single soul and annihilation. Congratulations. The absence of YHWH is Hell and that is the ultimate destination of atheism.
Here’s a possible scenario, just read 70% of Pakistanis marry their first cousin, Obama had 8 years to bring them in. .? They will have 100 men groups.? The worse inbred group on the planet? Scientists have studied the symptoms, an it ain’t good! We will be forced to group up big time , you leave your wife and kids grouped up. Women have to cowgirl up, The worse time in the history of humans, And only the smart vergins get through the door.
I observe that the official response to both Hurricanes and Wildfires, in the US, involves the usage of MASSIVE amounts of fossil fuels.
With Hurricanes, people consume fuel getting out of the way of the storm, including sitting in traffic jams.
With Wildfires, the fire-fighting itself also is extremely fuel dependent.
Predictably, one of our larger crises will occur when liquid fuels are not available for responses to weather events.
even when the storm is gone and you have no damage you might not have electricity for one or two weeks, that is something to plan for.
https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/Hurricane-Florence-Expected-Rapidly-Intensify-Serious-Rainfall-Threat-US-East-Coast
The predicted model shows a Cat 4 possibly a Cat 5 when it hits on Tuesday. Storms often weaken until they hit hot water and then reintensify.
That website is pretty good for checking weather based upon models.
If trying to help someone else to prepare…like a relative, it’s way easier just to invite them over. They are apt to be daft, nervous, and make many mistakes. For example, people buy candles, but then burn too many and not in jars. In history, our ancestors used a a “candle follower”. People who take care of these at churches make sure that candle followers are in place as otherwise they drip. In a pinch you wrap foil and then dripping is reduced and the candles last far longer. If they haven’t bought candles, go the Latino section in the grocery and there will be candles in tall jars as “votives” since many Mexicans are Roman Catholic. These are very long lasting candles. To relight onethat has burned down, light a dry pasta noodle, and it will reach the wick.
If many are burning, there is a good chance they will set of the smoke detectors. Make sure the kids don’t leave them burning. A mirror propped up behind a candle in a jar will direct the light.
If you have common sense, which most people lack, you can use liquid parafin candles which burn much more efficiently but if it spills,it is dangerous.
The article says to never hook your generator directly to your house. If you know what you’re doing and are using the correct wires for the load, it’s perfectly safe. My bf’s grandpa was a power linesman and even he’d plug his genny into the dryer outlet to backfeed the panel! Just turn off the main breaker before doing so and watch the neighbour’s houses to see when the power comes back, then kill the generator BEFORE throwing the main breaker back on. That’s what we do. It’s just not practical for us to run fifty extension cords outside or modify the well pump wiring to plug into a socket and then change it over afterward to go back into the panel. If you aren’t comfortable with this method (say you don’t trust yourself to remember to kill the main breaker), there are kits you can buy and get an electrician to install with built-in safety switches and stuff so you don’t have to do anything other than fire up the generator. Once power comes back on, the system switches over automatically. But yeah, you absolutely most definitely can hook your generator directly to your house as long as you do it right.
Burned bird,
Most newer generators come with GFI breakers. Most back feeds won’t work unless you set up a good ground on your generator. They do that on purpose so you won’t back feed the system. Just buy some good extension cords.
Yes, but watch the length due to voltage drops! That drop in voltages makes current spike. That means tripping the breaker. Touch your cord and see if it’s physically warm. It s shouldn’t be too long. That’s a classic error as they try to get it located far away due to ventilation issues.
If your in a solid structure preferably masonry, hide from the wind, run from the water; storm surge is the greatest danger. If your in a stick frame or worse trailer home, the winds themselves is dangerous.
At a minimum they’re very disruptive.
Atheists are the least trusted people in poll after poll. Maybe because it’s clear that it’s not merely a disbelief in a deity, by bile spewing HATE that exists in their malevolent souls. And while altruism is a natural byproduct revealed in Christian ministry, in studies, atheists were the least likely to volunteer, to use their special gifts helping others, or open their wallets.
And this is self-evident every time they communicate. By all means, you’re doing a great job revealing your hidden desires. When your ugliness is vomited out, all the better so everyone witnesses it.
While you can often get fuel out by hand pumping in an emergency, the only safe way is with spark arresters and brass fittings to prevent a horrendous fire. You really should look it up sometime in case of an emergency. You don’t just wing it.
The problem with gasoline is the fumes are so volatile and highly flammable unlike other fuels. Some idiot always gets hurt when setting brush fires to control burning because they don’t realize this phenomena.
Look up haybox cooking. That is how our ancestors had a crockpot.
You heat to boiling, cover, put it in an insulated box, throw blankets over it, and it simmers ver six to eight hours.
Here is a video explaining how easy it is to do off-grid. Our ancestors used woodstoves but didn’t run them all the time as it would be too hot and wasted precious wood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hm7IVGjVVA
I see too many shows where survival and or bushcraft folks grill their food. This is stupid. During survival you cook your food in a pot to reserve all the nutrients like fat and by haybox cooking, this requires far less fuel. Stews and soups allow the cook to throw in offal and unmentionables like insects, snails, etc into the stew pot where no one is the wiser. You can always throw in white clover blossom to significantly boost the protein.
https://www.livestrong.com/article/462446-red-clover-vs-white-clover/
You should be able to find white clovers in any meadow in America. That is survival food that even kids can identify and harvest.
If you have unscented bleach, you can purify regardless of boiling, but boiling ensures low levels of pathogens. A single bag of pool shock, which anyone owning a pool would have, could save an entire neighborhood.
If you can find dry cow manure, a little burns very HOT with low ash. That’s what ranch hands used as there may be no seasoned dry wood.
In a pinch, with neither, you use the SOLDIS method. You filter the water as best you fan, put it in bottles that are sealed, and sit them in full sun on a hot roof. The internal temperature will rise and kill the pathogens BUTof course doesn’t do squat against agricultural runoff like fertilizers and pesticides. Be careful.
The SOLDIS method is what missionaries and volunteers in 3rd world regions will use until something more stable can be found as many are deforested and so lack heating sources.
Mandatory evac:
Hatteras Island (Dare County, NC)
https://wtkr.com/2018/09/10/mandatory-evacuation-ordered-for-dare-county/
50 minutes ago
http://www.wlox.com/story/39013842/mandatory-evacuation-ordered-at-biloxi-gulfport-long-beach-harbors/
Mandatory evac Mississippi
Biloxi
Gulfport
Long Beach Harbors
UNC Wilmington
Classes canceled
Voluntary evac
https://www.wsoctv.com/news/north-carolina/unc-wilmington-issues-voluntary-evacuation-order-beginning-monday/830679296
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2018/09/09/carolinas-virginia-brace-massive-storm-florence-churns-toward-east-coast/?noredirect=on
States of Emergency decared
North Carolina
South Carolina
Virginia
17 minutes ago
Your most difficult items to haul are water and fuel with the latter extremely hazardous and not suggested due to road congestion and accidents.
Hopefully all your photos are scanned and stored digitally.
During peak times, credit and debit cards may crash the system. Have cash on hand or it’s possible transactions may not go through.
Looting is a possibility so take valuables or store them in safety deposit boxes which is generally safer. I’m not a fan of the latter. There are several instances where these can be witheld like in cases of probate.
Officials in Charleston SC are mandating sandbags
Widespread shortages across grocery stores in the Carolinas. Sheets of plywood are briskly being sold.
You missed the window of opportunity.
There are reports of first responders being told to be responsible and bring two weeks of medications as they may be unable to leave.
It’s possible it could strengthen and slowly work towards landfall.
I would fully expect gun confiscation if it gets to be a Cat 5 as happened in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. There were people who were preppers and managing just fine who then got temporarily arrested (even old ladies) and their weapons and ammunition taken. Some never got them back even to this day. It’s wise to plan for that eventuality.
First responders and the military use a code that is sprayed on the house. It’s called urban search and rescue markings. You should already know this and how to interpret it.
This means widespread powerages and blown transformers and downed power lines and organization to send utility workers from out to state to cope. Stay safe guys. I hope everyone’s insulated electrician’s gloves have been tested.
I’ve been through hurricanes, typhoons, and noreasters.
Afterwards people burn wood as fuel…but they wait to get it ready and so it’s all sloping wet.
The best way to stack it is the German style Holzhaussen. It’s round and stacked to repel moisture. Then you tarp and rope it, so it’s secure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW5o1ek07Og
You’re going to have to hussle as it may take 2-3 hours to redo it.
By the way, that kind of pile makes an extraordinary signal fire.
Now most survivors don’t have a lick of sense and will waste wood by building too big a fire. And they won’t share a cooking fire which is dumb.
In a pinch, since folks often have brick patios with swept in sand, then you can remove bricks and fashion a rocket mass stove, and this very stable developing high uniformed heat due to design and thermal mass but only needs twigs. So you could go around and show survivors how to do it, so everyone is not wasting wood when you all need it.
It burns so well that little ash is produced. Plus the cooking surface is very rigid so it’s ideal for cooking in a pot or skillet. This reduces accidents and burns because dingdongs ordinarily do not cook over a fire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onMbSLuC7Oc
It makes far more sense to cook for 2-3 families then for three familes to seperately make standard fires…because if the power is out for 2-4 weeks, you all will be cussing over the lack of firewood.
It’s dumb for three to boil water to make formula or to make Lebanese Mountain Bread when one person can do it.
Plus a neighbor might be elderly but can do other things like watch a baby, or help kids with the home schoolin’.
South Carolina Evacuation Info
https://scemd.org/prepare/know-your-zone/
If you’re inland and in the likely affected area, it may be wise to thaw meat from the freezer and use your reusable canning lids and can that meat rather than lose your investment. You can just about count on firing the generator up but if there’s issues, why waste all that meat? The problem is proper meat thawing takes time in the refrigerator. You’re running out of time.
Tattler reusable lids are approved for canning meat.
https://reusablecanninglids.com/about
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR9_pgc_hWg
The meat should be used in a year ideally. Only go two years if this is not your first time. Otherwise this is a trial by fire.
You don’t want to try to do last minute canning AND deal with an incoming storm.
During some ice storms in the past, some generators and fuel were stolen around these parts. Don’t let that happen. Stay alert on watch.
You can try filling up recyclable plastic bottles with water and freezing them to maintain temperature.
When there are issues boiling water so people can stay clean, it sure helps calm the wife and daughters down if there are plenty of moist towelettes. You are aiming for the illusion of normality. Otherwise you’re going to constantly be boiling water. Ladies who are fussy get irate especially when they have long hair and can’t take a shower. A houseful of them is rough to begin with under the best circumstances.
About now, some moron is telling other fools to fill old milk jugs with water. If you look on reputable preparedness sites, they tell you to never do this. The reason is milk has caesin proteins init which adhere to the inside of milk jugs. No matter how many times you wash them, you can’t clean them. This means any water stored will acquire bacteria. Great. What stupidity.
While you can no longer stack them, anyone can take storage totes, empty them out, clean them, and then put a tremendous volume of water in them. The standard size is 18 gallons. With that much water, each could not be stacked as they weigh 8.34 lbs times 18 gallons so 150.12 gallon-lbs.
That is the kind of issue with water storage. Whatever folks put water in, has to hold up. It’s why a water bob is suggested and most preppers should have one. And smarter preppers have pristine 55 gallon water containers. And in the rural areas, farmers have water containers that are reinforced.
If someone was concerned, they could go to a farmer’s supply or someplace like Rural King, and get a water storage tank in barious sizes that will fit a pickup truck.
It really is impossible now to buy water in bottles and that is ridiculously expensive.