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Disaster Preparedness Strategies – Will Yours Work? Part I

destroyed house disaster preparedness

by Capt. William E. Simpson II – USMM

Over the past few years, disaster preparedness (“prepping”) has become a popular topic. A very large mix of people have begun preaching prepping, all having different motives for promoting their particular views on how to prepare, which makes it very difficult and confusing for people who are trying to figure out what to do. Because of this, some people end up doing the wrong things for the right reasons; they simply want to protect their families and friends. And in other cases, as a result of a lack of continuity in advice, some people do nothing at all, which may be just as bad.

Another problem is there are too many people pushing disaster preparedness concepts that are based upon fringe disaster scenarios related to events that occur in geologic timeframes of every 500,000 years and the like. While some others fancy preps and plans of action that are based upon hypothetical events driven by various illogical conspiracy theories, statistically speaking, all such events have virtually no chance of occurrence during our lifetimes or those of our children and grandchildren. And even though these views are held by a small minority of preppers, the promotion of these concepts in prepper media circles fuels false impressions by the general public that preppers in general have lost their sense of logic and common sense. Because of this, many people looking into the idea of prepping form the wrong opinion of all preppers and the value of disaster preparedness.

My advice to anyone considering disaster preparedness is to do the math without the hype. Disaster preparedness is really about risk analysis: what good is a box of guns and ammo when you actually needed a boat during a flood, because you live in a flood-prone area? Or what good is gallon jar of peanut butter when you bought only one slice of bread? Too many people today have just that problem: too much of the wrong thing and not enough to the right thing. Money is tight in today’s economy as it is without making over-allocations for incorrect or low-utility preps. The financial allocation for any disaster preparedness asset must be in proportion to its statistical utility, where items having a high probability of usefulness are capitalized in that order. Trends and emotions driven by media headlines or movies have no part in this process.

Newcomers looking for assistance and knowledge should choose to listen to credible people who are defined as such by their verifiable experience. In today’s world of Internet illusions, none of us have the time to sort through a hundred self-proclaimed experts who want our trust and respect yet fail to provide their true identities and bona-fide resumes. The best path to knowledge is to look to the experienced professionals for information, which will help assure you’re not wasting your time and money, and possibly risking your life in the process.

“Sourcing Information is like sourcing water; good water sustains life, bad water may kill you” — Capt. William Simpson – USMM

It’s hard enough to prepare for unexpected events that have a statistically relevant chance of occurring in our lifetimes without worrying or trying to prepare for possibilities that are statistically speaking, ridiculously remote. Of course, if you’re one of those people who, because they purchased a lottery ticket today, believe they are going to win Powerball tomorrow, then good luck!

This article focuses on developing disaster survival strategies that are statistically relevant to average Americans, and range from the most common localized emergencies and disasters to the more complex less frequent yet credible large-scale disaster scenarios.

How-To Develop Your Own Suite Of Preparedness Strategies

By using logic and statistical analysis, you can develop disaster preparedness strategies by taking all the hype and emotion out of the process and instead, use proven methodologies that are offered by genuine experts to prepare in a manner that is both measured and proportionate to the risk being addressed.

In survival circles discussing the very basics, you will hear about the “Rule of 3”: If a person is deprived of air for 3 minutes, that person would likely die. If a person is deprived of water for 3 days, that person would likely expire. And if a person is deprived of food for 3 weeks that person would likely perish.

Of course the Rule of 3 fails to consider exposure to the elements of nature: we all need shelter to survive. These are the realities of basic survival, and therefore we must be prepared to deal with these very simple basics as a minimum. Therefore, as an extension of that same logic, it makes sense to have a minimum stockpile of water, food, clothing, and other various supplies and equipment that would keep you alive and as comfortable as possible during various emergency-disaster scenarios and possibly longer. For instance, it’s wise to keep some supplies in your car such as several days’ worth of water, food, warm blankets, flashlight, and batteries, gloves, dust masks, small tool kit, poncho or simple rain gear, first aid kit, etc.

The pack for anybody who wants to be fully prepared for an unexpected emergency

Let’s start by examining some of the most basic unexpected events (in no particular order) which history teaches happen frequently enough to absolutely justify some level of preparedness and a plan of action to stay alive:

1. Cardiovascular Disease, Infectious Disease, Parasites, and Cancer:
Deaths by cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, parasites, cancer and stroke top most lists for the cause of death in most countries. The majority of these problems stem from food—not just how we eat, but what we eat. People who are really serious about surviving need to tend to their own health first and maintain a diet that will prevent these conditions. There are many guides to preventing disease and living longer through proper nutrition, here are a couple examples:

2. Car Accidents:
Aside from death by disease, medical accidents, and natural causes, car-related deaths ranks among the top causes of death. This statistic warrants a plan action. You may be asking; “but what can I do about this?” Being independent, most Americans would rather drive themselves instead of using mass transit, which is safer. So with that said, you can take a defensive driving course, and I am not referring to the one you’d take to get a driver’s license. In these specialty courses, you learn how to make high/low speed maneuvers, J-turns, and how to prevent being caught in dangerous situations with your vehicle. Bodyguards, FBI, and other government agents take this course, and it is available to all citizens. There are dozens of training facilities all over the US where this training is available; here is just one example:

3. Violent Crime:

We live in a world where there are enough people who care less about the rule of law to warrant proficiency in self-defense. The job of the police is not that of your personal bodyguard or protective service. Therefore, basic martial arts training for defensive use is warranted (including physical fitness training). I also recommend that everyone of a proper age take a gun safety course that is administered by a certified trainer. If you elect to have a gun in your home, then there are additional safety precautions needed, which include the proper education of any children in the same home, as well as securing any weapons from unauthorized use. If you feel you need to carry a gun, then it would be prudent to take a concealed-carry training course, again, administered by certified trainers who can also guide you in the choice of a handgun for your individual needs as well as obtaining the licensing required to carry a concealed firearm. There are hundreds of training facilities across the U.S.; here is just one example:

4. Accidents – Injuries:

Accidental injuries, lacerations, broken bones, heart attack and stroke are a major cause of death and disability, and in many cases were preventable if a trained person had been on scene early enough. Everyone (including children 6-8 yrs.+) should be trained in both CPR and First Aid. This training will come in handy in many situations. Many organizations provide training for free, or for a small fee if you need to be certified. I have found that the certification courses are more detailed and develop greater proficiency in these skills. In most cases, there will be a training facility in your own neighborhood. Many fire departments will provide training courses as does the American Red Cross, which provides courses across the US:

5. Fire:

Fires cause a tremendous amount of property damage, injuries, and loss of life, and they certainly represent a threat that everyone should be prepared to deal with. You can learn a lot about fire safety, firefighting, and useful tactics during a fire by simply contacting your local fire department and attending some classes. I have found that almost universally, the dedicated people at your local fire station will be happy to help you develop your knowledge and skills in this area.

6. Flood:

Flooding poses a frequent risk to both property and life. Do you live in an area that is prone to flooding? Or within the 100-year flood plain? Sometimes it’s not obvious, and it pays to make some inquiries to your local county authorities. If you live in any area that is at risk to flooding, then you need to have a basic plan to deal with this risk. If you are unsure as to how to proceed, you can certainly contact your local emergency mangers or fire department, who have experience in these matters. If you live near any body of water, it certainly makes sense that everyone in your family should be able to swim. And it wouldn’t be unreasonable to have a small portable boat for such an instance.

7. Earthquake:

Many areas of the United States are subject to the effects of earthquakes. Compared to other unexpected events, they occur with less frequency, but when they do occur, they do so without notice, and with sufficient force, they can inflict tremendous property damage and cause many injuries and deaths. Here again, your risk analysis will pay dividends in determining your strategy and its cost in time and assets (money).

New Relocation Manual Helps Average Americans Get Out Of Harms Way Before The Coming Crisis

Interestingly, structures that are built on solid rock are affected very little by even the strongest earthquakes. However, most structures are not situated on solid rock, and are greatly affected by earthquake. In fact, there are some areas of the United States that are subject to a phenomenon known as liquefaction, where whole buildings can sink into the ground during an earthquake. Here’s what that looks like:

If you have established that your home (or where you work) is in an area vulnerable to earthquake, then it makes sense to have a plan in place.

Secondary events as a result of an earthquake add to the complexities of such a disaster and include fire, falling debris (during and after), explosions from gas leaks and electrical hazards from exposed wiring and high voltage lines on the ground. Additionally, there are environmental hazards from toxic smoke, dust and possibly chemicals in the air during and after the initial event. Clearly, this is a disaster scenario that requires many preps and training. Here is a starting point for your due diligence:

8. Severe Weather Events (Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Ice/Snow Storms):

Every year the US is stricken by severe weather events. Your preparedness in regard to such weather events should, as in all potential scenarios, be in proportion to the frequency and scale of such events. For instance, if your home is fifty miles inland and on high ground from where a hurricane might make its landfall, you will not have the same concerns that someone right on the coastline would have.

The upside to hurricanes is that they can be forecast with great accuracy and this provides a large window of time for advanced preparations. This fact should not be construed as a window of time to get prepared. If you live anywhere that can be affected by hurricanes, you should have all of your preps completed well before hurricane season starts. The same holds true if you live in an area subject to severe winter weather, where having an adequately sized generator and fuel supply will help when the power fails. This also applies to heating systems and fuel (wood, oil, gas); these systems must be ready to go before the seasonal adverse weather.

Tornadoes are more problematic than hurricanes from the standpoint that they can strike with little or no warning in some cases. However, thanks to modern technology and things like Doppler radar, conditions that promote funnel cloud formation and tornadoes can be forecast in advance. However, in order to take advantage of this technology, you must have the proper preps, which includes a radio receiver with a weather alert feature. Here is an example of that system in an actual tornado:

Given the incredible power and extremely high wind speeds associated with tornados, properly constructed underground shelters should be considered for use in tornado prone areas given the level of safety they can offer during such short-term events.

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