Disaster Preparedness

[CDB]

Here's a question for you all: are you prepared for a disaster, and/or what level of preparedness do you think is reasonable? For me personally I always have a go bag ready, change of clothes, some nonperishable food. No gun anymore, but I'm thinking of buying a shot gun. Essentially that's where I'm at, enough to carry on my back and make a real quick get away.

However, I've been thinking of moving out of state, somewhere more rural, and if I do I'm thinking I want the house I live in to have a shelter of some kind. Not full on Montana survivalist, but enough to survive for a while if disconnected from the rest of the world. My friends think I'm paranoid just for having the go bag. Too many zombie movies they say.

What do you think? Small shelter too much in this day and age? For me it's a matter of expect the best, plan for the worst or at least something approaching the worst. Seems reasonable to me. I don't expect the world to explode, but you never know what some terrorist ******* or dictator in a funny hat might have up his sleeve at any given moment and how it might affect you is my thinking on the matter. Be prepared.

 

[Iron Warrior]

I am prepared for an earthquake but I'm not prepared for something extreme. I guess it's better if something like that takes me out instead of a Mack Truck on the highway or a student who shoots up the school I work at.

 

[CDB]

I am prepared for an earthquake but I'm not prepared for something extreme. I guess it's better if something like that takes me out instead of a Mack Truck on the highway or a student who shoots up the school I work at.

How do you define extreme though? An earthquake can be pretty damn extreme from what I've seen.

 

[Iron Warrior]

How do you define extreme though? An earthquake can be pretty damn extreme from what I've seen.

If it's something crazy that would destroy the house than I'm fvcked. Something over 8.0 would probably do it so that's extreme in case. The 1989 earthquake (7.0) only destroyed my Nintendo since it was on top of the TV and smashed onto the floor.

 

[Xodus]

Here's a question for you all: are you prepared for a disaster, and/or what level of preparedness do you think is reasonable? For me personally I always have a go bag ready, change of clothes, some nonperishable food. No gun anymore, but I'm thinking of buying a shot gun. Essentially that's where I'm at, enough to carry on my back and make a real quick get away.

However, I've been thinking of moving out of state, somewhere more rural, and if I do I'm thinking I want the house I live in to have a shelter of some kind. Not full on Montana survivalist, but enough to survive for a while if disconnected from the rest of the world. My friends think I'm paranoid just for having the go bag. Too many zombie movies they say.

What do you think? Small shelter too much in this day and age? For me it's a matter of expect the best, plan for the worst or at least something approaching the worst. Seems reasonable to me. I don't expect the world to explode, but you never know what some terrorist ******* or dictator in a funny hat might have up his sleeve at any given moment and how it might affect you is my thinking on the matter. Be prepared.

The way I figure it is, depending on the situation, If I have enough bullets, I can get whatever else I need.

Maybe that is a dickhead attitude, but in something a little more extreme than a winter blizzard or an earthquake (very localized disaster) it would be me and mine against any and all.

I have a 'go' bag packed as well, enough to get me started anyway.


X

 

[Dr Packenwood]

I have a couple of guns, clothes are easy enough to pile into my gym bag, and food isn't a problem, but water would be.

As far as staying home during a disaster, water wouldn't be too much of a problem, and the wood pile is there for the winter months.

 

[yeahright]

I guess it depends upon what it is you're preparing for. I have a family so most of my emergency scenarios (except a fire) involve hunkering down at home.

First, I chose a home site that isn't subject to flood. Then I had a home built for me that's up to the latest safety codes.

I have water, canned food, medical supplies....and just to be paranoid some iodine pills to give my kids in case of radiation (they were $5 and I bought them on impulse).

But seriously, what I worry about are earthquakes (I grew-up in southern California), volcano (I live a couple hundred miles from an active one and remember the last time it blew - ash like snowdrifts), or serious blizzard (pretty rare where I live).

I'm not really preparing for zombies, terrorists, or black helicopters.....just bad acts of nature that a man should be prepared to protect his family from.

 

[CDB]

Not having a family is a plus in a survival situation I think.

On a side note on the gun issue, has anyone else noticed how Hollywood foley artists treat guns in movies? I'm no gun expert but I've shot more than a few and can make my way around them, and one thing I do know is they don't make that much noise unless you fire them. It seems in movies anytime someone so much as looks at a gun it sounds like a hoard of midgets in tap shoes runs through the room clickity clacking like crazy. I don't get it and it always annoys the hell out of me.

 

[Dr Packenwood]

Not having a family is a plus in a survival situation I think.

On a side note on the gun issue, has anyone else noticed how Hollywood foley artists treat guns in movies? I'm no gun expert but I've shot more than a few and can make my way around them, and one thing I do know is they don't make that much noise unless you fire them. It seems in movies anytime someone so much as looks at a gun it sounds like a hoard of midgets in tap shoes runs through the room clickity clacking like crazy. I don't get it and it always annoys the hell out of me.

I like how they pull the trigger on an auto like a 1911, and it makes a click noise every single time when its out of ammo. Never mind the slide isn't back and locked from the last round they fired.....

I dont understand why they don't just use a real gun to make the sounds in the studio. I can take my .44mag DE, pull the slide back, record it, done. Release the slide, CLACK, done. Pull the hammer back, click, done.

I wish I could have been a foley artist. Seems like they don't do a very good job anyway.

Next time you watch a movie and a door is locked and the actor rattles the door knob, watch how many times the knob is moved versus how many times you hear. I've yet to see one even close.

 

[EasyEJL]

I do still need to get that 3m hurricane film on my windows

 

[BIGG DOGG]

interesting subject... I live in southern california and about half the state is on fire right now so i have been continplating the same thing. I dont own a gun but think a shot gun is very Appropriate.. I have a buddy that is stock pilled with weopons.. his house is where we have all decided we would meet..i really think that i need to take this more seriously... Especially with all the movies i have seen(the new dawn of the dead,and 30 days of night).. i think a back up plan is a good idea

 

[T-Bone]

Here's a question for you all: are you prepared for a disaster, and/or what level of preparedness do you think is reasonable? For me personally I always have a go bag ready, change of clothes, some nonperishable food. No gun anymore, but I'm thinking of buying a shot gun. Essentially that's where I'm at, enough to carry on my back and make a real quick get away.

However, I've been thinking of moving out of state, somewhere more rural, and if I do I'm thinking I want the house I live in to have a shelter of some kind. Not full on Montana survivalist, but enough to survive for a while if disconnected from the rest of the world. My friends think I'm paranoid just for having the go bag. Too many zombie movies they say.

What do you think? Small shelter too much in this day and age? For me it's a matter of expect the best, plan for the worst or at least something approaching the worst. Seems reasonable to me. I don't expect the world to explode, but you never know what some terrorist ******* or dictator in a funny hat might have up his sleeve at any given moment and how it might affect you is my thinking on the matter. Be prepared.

Makes me wonder what you did when all the hype about the year 2000 computer glitch was going on?. Where were you on December 31st, 1999 at 11:59 pm?

 

[T-Bone]

On a side note I did survive "Ice Storm 98" as they were calling it back then and I lived in one of the hardest hit areas.

 

[CDB]

Makes me wonder what you did when all the hype about the year 2000 computer glitch was going on?. Where were you on December 31st, 1999 at 11:59 pm?

Drinking somewhere with friends, I honestly forgot where. I figured the whole Y2K thing was overblown. At most it would have amounted to a blackout or something similar. But I've also seen major blackouts, and I was the only one who knew how to cook without electricity. Look at the droughts hitting the southeastern US, how many of those people have water laid up for drinking, and how much? A day's worth, a week's? After 9/11 how many people were stuck in the city, no place to sleep, nothing to eat, no clothes to change into, etc.? Katrina, need I say more? Especially when you look in to what actually happened and how the government actively worked to stifle aid from reaching those people, turning away doctors, morticians, using highly trained medical people and fire fighters to hand out flyers, locking people up, claiming they had no means to move them while hundreds of busses sat unused less than a mile away.

Disasters happen. Not being prepared for them is just plain irresponsible in my view. Trusting the government to protect you given its record is borderline insane.

 

[T-Bone]

Drinking somewhere with friends, I honestly forgot where. I figured the whole Y2K thing was overblown. At most it would have amounted to a blackout or something similar. But I've also seen major blackouts, and I was the only one who knew how to cook without electricity. Look at the droughts hitting the southeastern US, how many of those people have water laid up for drinking, and how much? A day's worth, a week's? After 9/11 how many people were stuck in the city, no place to sleep, nothing to eat, no clothes to change into, etc.? Katrina, need I say more? Especially when you look in to what actually happened and how the government actively worked to stifle aid from reaching those people, turning away doctors, morticians, using highly trained medical people and fire fighters to hand out flyers, locking people up, claiming they had no means to move them while hundreds of busses sat unused less than a mile away.

Disasters happen. Not being prepared for them is just plain irresponsible in my view. Trusting the government to protect you given its record is borderline insane.

Yep you are right. I suppose I was luckily I survived the Ice Storm. It was the worst storm I had ever seen. Can you believe my employer actually told me I had to get into work, even if I had to walk?,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_Ice_Storm

 

[Irish Cannon]

I live in the FL panhandle and have lots of canned food and bottled water for hurricanes. Other than that, I don't have much. I do have a 12 gauge, though; although, I don't know what good that would do me during a hurricane.

 

[T-Bone]

I live in the FL panhandle and have lots of canned food and bottled water for hurricanes. Other than that, I don't have much. I do have a 12 gauge, though; although, I don't know what good that would do me during a hurricane.

Its good for when you see people on your property!. Just put down your beer first!

 

[CDB]

I live in the FL panhandle and have lots of canned food and bottled water for hurricanes. Other than that, I don't have much. I do have a 12 gauge, though; although, I don't know what good that would do me during a hurricane.

Preparing for the disasters you're most likely to be hit with makes sense. If you're one of the few who are prepared and help from the government is forethcoming when an emergency does hit, you might need that gun

 

[Vitruvian]

Good thread, CDB.

The true threat that gets either overlooked or overkilled, depending on what circles you run in, is pandemic.

 

[CDB]

Good thread, CDB.

The true threat that gets either overlooked or overkilled, depending on what circles you run in, is pandemic.

True, but I figure there's very little I can do about that one myself.

 

[Vitruvian]

Well, you got the right idea so far. Being away from crowds, cities, etc. would greatly cut down on exposure risk, but even that wouldn't be surefire. Evidence from the 1918 pandemic showed spread from major cities into rural areas of the Dakotas occurring in less than a couple months.
That and stocking normal essentials is about all you can do. Consider what would occur if our "just in time" delivery system failed..........

 

[Xodus]

Makes me wonder what you did when all the hype about the year 2000 computer glitch was going on?. Where were you on December 31st, 1999 at 11:59 pm?

I was working along with countless other IT professionals. I had also worked the prior 26 weekends patching systems and testing applications to make sure the rollover went smoothly as it did.


:type:



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[EasyEJL]

I live in the FL panhandle and have lots of canned food and bottled water for hurricanes. Other than that, I don't have much. I do have a 12 gauge, though; although, I don't know what good that would do me during a hurricane.

It wouldn't do much good during the hurricane, but if after the hurricane you decided you needed to leave your house and go elsewhere, the shotgun could make sure you got there.