# what disasters are you looking to prepare for?



## Jack

I'm wondering what people are preparing for ?

tornadoes we dont get here but think they would be similar to cyclones we do get

presonally i am looking at larger , more global problems

reversal of the global magnetic feilds is on the cards, just when ..

meteor strike , the world goes through a meteror cloud every year in August some of these are 30 miles acros but most are pea size or smaller

the polar ice is now melting at a rate thought to take 1000 years but its taken 3. if this does not stop, the sea could rise 20 meters globally. reducing living areas by 60% .. 90% of cities are below this level.

what do you or are you preparing for ??


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## bkt

Jack said:


> I'm wondering what people are preparing for ?
> 
> tornadoes we dont get here but think they would be similar to cyclones we do get
> 
> presonally i am looking at larger , more global problems
> 
> reversal of the global magnetic feilds is on the cards, just when ..
> 
> meteor strike , the world goes through a meteror cloud every year in August some of these are 30 miles acros but most are pea size or smaller
> 
> the polar ice is now melting at a rate thought to take 1000 years but its taken 3. if this does not stop, the sea could rise 20 meters globally. reducing living areas by 60% .. 90% of cities are below this level.
> 
> what do you or are you preparing for ??


Dealing with alarmists. That's my primary concern.

Reversal of the magnetic poles will take some time and all will not be lost when this does occur.

We have mapped the trajectories of many space rocks and none of them are in danger of crossing our path (while we're there) any time soon. If there were a cataclysmic collision, there wouldn't be anything to prepare for; you're dead.

North pole ice is melting, but ice is building up at the south pole. Ice which sits in the water is already displacing it as much as if the ice were in liquid form, so I'm not worried that our coastal cities will disappear any time soon (though arguably, that would solve many of our societal problems).

In all seriousness, my family is preparing to stay as comfy as possible should all power and gas go out for an extended period during the worst weather our locale has to offer (very cold, snowy winters).


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## Ineffable Aces

I am prepared for zombies, mutants, and aliens. With the current political climate now on the radar, I am forced to be prepare for socialists and the new SS-KGB types that appear to be just around the bend. Reminds me. I need more ammo.


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## Fetthunter

We're in the country and only a few minutes from a 300,000 person city, which has TONS of defense contract companies (Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, etc.), TONS of biotech companies, and an Army arsenal. It's not so much a terrorist attack that I'm worried about (although during the 1980s we WERE #4 on the "hit list" behind Washington DC, NYC, and NORAD). No, today I'm more concerned about a virus escaping one of the biotech companies, one of the missile manufacturers blowing up half the city, or some toxic ooze escaping. Plus, we're 22 miles away from a nuclear power plant (Though safe, it's just something else to think about). Any of these situations, while bad enough, would also certainly cause people to panic/freak out. And that's what I also try to prepare for - the "human factor", which is often more dangerous than an actual event.

Like we saw several weeks ago with gas prices, there doesn't HAVE to be a crisis - just the assumption of one - to actually create a crisis. If there's a catastrophe locally, all Hell's going to break loose, and I want to be sure that I can ride out the situation. We have a decent stockpile of supplies. They come in handy, since we're always getting tornadoes, floods, ice storms, and other "fun" weather. Just pays to be prepared for many reasons.


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## guyfour

> Ice which sits in the water is already displacing it as much as if the ice were in liquid form


Are you sure, sometimes if I have ice in a cup and it melts the cup can overflow if it's near the top...


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## TechAdmin

Mostly an energy crisis IE no petrol and an outbreak of the flu or other sickness are the two more likely mass emergencies I think could happen in my lifetime.


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## Smithy

I think there are probably 2 categories of disaster one can prepare for.

1) Common disaster

The Common disaster is the bad storm, when you get bad storms once every few years. Tornado Alley, Hurricane Alley, these places know this problem. The Northwest gets good windstorms every so often. The mid-atlantic, too. California gets earthquakes. In any event, it's something that happens, has happened many times, and is sure to happen again. It's disruptive, you need adequate supplies to hold you over until things get rebuilt or back to normal, or if you're in the epicenter, give you time to relocate/rebuild.

2) The Uncommon Disaster

Uncommon Disasters are major terrorist events, biohazards like bird flu, massive infrastructure shutdown (pipeline destruction, Interstate collapse, etc), economic implosion that leads to supply disruptions. These are the times where a year's supply may come in handy, and where subsistance gardening, water catchement, and dry storage allow you to live for an extended time without going to the store. If the banks go down for a week or more, and your ATM card doesn't work, do you have enough? If the truck supplying your local food mart doesn't arrive, do you have enough? If there's a quarentine on your neighborhood, and limited supplies are trickling in, do you have enough? 

I think #2 is what most people think of on this forum, from what I've seen so far. And it's good to have a stockpile, and a plan. I try to consider the various #1 scenarios as "practice" for a possible #2. If I can keep the family going just fine for a week, cut off from the community for resupply, that's an excellent beginning. By then, in any major disaster, the next move will be clear, whether it's to shelter-in-place, head to one of my distant evacuation places (extended family and friend's places), or adapt to a massively changed environment where the rules are all different (apocolypse scenario).


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## Fetthunter

nine said:


> Are you sure, sometimes if I have ice in a cup and it melts the cup can overflow if it's near the top...


As far as I know, he's right. Displacement is displacement. One cubic inch of ice will displace one cubic inch of water, etc. When the ice melts into water, the level does not rise, as the volume has already been displaced by the ice to begin with.

I think I'm thinking of that correctly... LOL


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## Old Sarge

I agree with BKT & Smithy. Even though the threats of a global disaster are always lingering in the backs of many minds, I truly think the elected powers will keep it in check.
More common disaster preparedness to me is from a natural disaster, such as a bad winter storm, loss of power, extreme cold, flooding, tornadoes, high winds, etc. Living in the Ozark Mountains, we have experienced all of the above, on several occasions in the past few years. We stock up on supplies, and hope for the best. In my families case, we have a heat pump, propane heaters, and a fireplace. The latter two will run without power. We keep a big generator ready to go, should the power outages last more than a day or so. Back in the sticks as we are, our priorities are pretty low,compared to the big cities. When the power lines go down, we are prepared for whatever is dished out. 
About 10 years ago, I built a nice substantial storm cellar, while my neighbors stood around and snickered, making remarks, like "chicken little" etc. But now that it is completed, and it's the only one for miles, EVERYONE knows where we live, and will be inviting themselves over.


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## wildman800

I prepare for a nuclear event. By being prepared for the worst threat, I'm covered for all the more likely scenarios (hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, etc.)

Beware the stober!!!!


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## TechAdmin

Really plague/pandemic flu would be my main certain for most likely to cause issue. Government would have little action if there was no cure and it was transferable easily. Businesses would shut down, people would stop wanting to go into public. Big issues.


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## JW Parker

I believe water expans a little when it freezes. As far as that rise in sea level, Al Gore's people really cussed me for my idea. The dead sea is a mile or so below sea level. It has a surface area of a little over 400 sq. miles. The low lying desert around the sea covers another 600 sq. miles. So a 1000 sq. miles X 1 mile = 1000 cu. miles. Bleed it off.


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## Blister

bkt said:


> Dealing with alarmists. That's my primary concern.
> 
> Reversal of the magnetic poles will take some time and all will not be lost when this does occur.
> 
> We have mapped the trajectories of many space rocks and none of them are in danger of crossing our path (while we're there) any time soon. If there were a cataclysmic collision, there wouldn't be anything to prepare for; you're dead.
> 
> North pole ice is melting, but ice is building up at the south pole. Ice which sits in the water is already displacing it as much as if the ice were in liquid form, so I'm not worried that our coastal cities will disappear any time soon (though arguably, that would solve many of our societal problems).
> 
> In all seriousness, my family is preparing to stay as comfy as possible should all power and gas go out for an extended period during the worst weather our locale has to offer (very cold, snowy winters).


I agree with all of this and those are also the lines we are thinking along. Preparing to hole up here for whatever may happen.

The main focus is food and clean water and possibly in the near future, some alternative energy sources. We are building things like hybrid ovens (which aren't new and we have the materials ready) that will heat water, part of the house and cook food. Also planning to build a strawbale extension next to the house (mobile home) and one day get rid of the mobile home. 15 more bags of concrete and I'll be ready to roof it.

We are not so worried about ammunition and firearms. Most everyone in this area has guns and if it came to a gun battle, most would be dead or wounded. We want to draw as little attention as possible while doing these things.

There's a lot of things you can't prepare for, so we aren't going to waste our time thinking about them.


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## guyfour

FEMA: Are You Ready?

So really I should watch tv, put in a filter, and chill?


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## JeepHammer

Jack said:


> I'm wondering what people are preparing for ?
> 
> tornadoes we dont get here but think they would be similar to cyclones we do get
> 
> presonally i am looking at larger , more global problems
> 
> reversal of the global magnetic feilds is on the cards, just when ..
> 
> meteor strike , the world goes through a meteror cloud every year in August some of these are 30 miles acros but most are pea size or smaller
> 
> the polar ice is now melting at a rate thought to take 1000 years but its taken 3. if this does not stop, the sea could rise 20 meters globally. reducing living areas by 60% .. 90% of cities are below this level.
> 
> what do you or are you preparing for ??


Same thing farmers always prepare for....
*A bad crop season!*
Everything else is just minor to that!

Floods, droughts, tornadoes can kill the growing season, you you need about two years worth of canned goods to get you through at about any given time...

We had a flood this spring, we did fine and fed a bunch of our neighbors...
We made it fine through that.

We had hurricane in '92 that simply removed the garden and most farm goods from southern Fla. where I was living.
We made it fine through that...

We had a tornado that removed large sections of cities, farms, gardens in '90. 
We made it fine through that.

'89 we had floods of epic proportion,
We made it fine through that.

'77 & '78 we had blizzards that lasted about 6 weeks,
We made it fine through that even though we had to dig tunnels in the snow to get to the firewood stacks!

Same as always, you need to preserve food for short and intermediate storage, storing some potable water isn't a bad idea, about a gallon per person per day,
And if you don't have a cool, dry place in a non-flooding area, DIG/BUILD ONE!


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## TheBlackRabbit

I worry about humans. I have a family to protect now and other people are the biggest danger to them. 

I want to prepare for chaos and anarchy and the breakdown of the social contract. These are the things that can ruin a country. These are my worries.


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## TechAdmin

Destruction of food crop like a disease would be a major issue. Haven't put much thought into that. I've been reading about the death of bee colonies. A similar issue with staple crops could be a major issue.


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## ke4sky

*National Preparedness Guidelines*

See

DHS | National Preparedness Guidelines

Critical Elements

The Guidelines defines what it means for the nation to be prepared.
There are four critical elements of the Guidelines:

The National Preparedness Vision, which provides a concise statement of the core preparedness goal for the Nation.

The National Planning Scenarios, which depict a diverse set of high-consequence threat scenarios of both potential terrorist attacks and natural disasters. Collectively, the 15 scenarios are designed to focus contingency planning for homeland security preparedness work at all levels of government and with the private sector. The scenarios form the basis for coordinated federal planning, training, exercises, and grant investments needed to prepare for emergencies of all types.

The Universal Task List (UTL), which is a menu of some 1,600 unique tasks that can facilitate efforts to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from the major events that are represented by the National Planning Scenarios. It presents a common vocabulary and identifies key tasks that support development of essential capabilities among organizations at all levels. Of course, no entity will perform every task.

The Target Capabilities List (TCL), which defines 37 specific capabilities that communities, the private sector, and all levels of government should collectively possess in order to respond effectively to disasters.

The guidelines document can be downloaded at:

http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/National_Preparedness_Guidelines.pdf


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## samhain

In our neck of the woods, hurricanes are the big ticket item. 

If I've got the hurricane issue covered, then I'm covered for most everything else (except NBC warfare).


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## SteveT

JW Parker said:


> I believe water expans a little when it freezes.


My best recall of my high school chemistry agrees with this. Water does occupy greater volume when frozen, it has to do with the molecular structure it takes on when it goes solid - if you don't believe that, put a can of soda in your freezer and take a look at it in 4 hours (and be prepared to clean up a mess too  )


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## kc5fm

*Social Distancing*



nine said:


> FEMA: Are You Ready?
> 
> So really I should watch tv, put in a filter, and chill?


That pretty much sums it up.

There's more in a compilation from the Centers for Disease Control and the Health Department.

If the _bug_ hits, will you go to work where others are sick?

Will school be in session? If not, who's watching your children while you work?

In the public safety arena, the Firefighter, LEO, Paramedic all work extra jobs to make ends meet. The City, County, State declares a disaster. *Which* of the three jobs owns the one Public Servant?

In the emergency management disaster recovery mode, there's a saying that goes like:

*Back to School* Get Schools open first
*Back to Work* When folks can start getting back to work, their mental assessment of things is better. This is one reason why some of our recent disasters have been so hard.
*Back to Normal*

So, your summary of watch TV , filter, and chill gets the nuts and bolts of a pandemic.

Watching TV (or listen to your battery powered AM radio or weather radio) should get you the information you need to know about where's food, sheltering in place, how long, etc.

Filtering is designed to keep you from breathing the bug. It's not been that long ago that _Bird Flu_ was killing folks in Asia. The picture shows a person with a mask behind a bird. While this type of filter is not the HEPA filtering recommended for your air conditioning, it is something seen following a disease outbreak.

In the case of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), do you see the same guidance as for _influenza_? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Therefore, wash your hands, keep personal stuff personal, sit out optional public events all have their place in what you will hear following an outbreak (and now, even before ).

I hope the chill part is not because you are sick. 

Seriously, though, of the six items mentioned by the CDC, two of them involve minimizing human contact:

1 Avoid close contact.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

2 Stay home when you are sick.

If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.


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## ke4sky

*H5N1 - Avian Flu Backgrounder from CDC, VDH*

*There is no imminent threat, but government must still prepare for a pandemic scenario "just in case&#8230;"*

CDC Washington Testimony June 22, 2006

_*"Even if bird flu does arrive on U.S. shores on the wings of a migratory bird, the virus is unlikely to make the inroads in poultry - or in people - that it has in less developed countries." *_- Dr. Anthony Fauci, National Institutes of Health

*"One migratory bird does not a pandemic make" *
*Because: *

*US producers keep commercial poultry isolated from contact with wild birds

Most people in the US have limited contact with live poultry or their droppings

H5N1 here won't be what you see in countries in which there is no regulation

Nor is H5N1 likely to change soon to become easily transmissible from person-to-person: *

Clusters of human H5N1 cases have been identified in countries that have reported H5N1 cases. Nearly all of the cluster cases have occurred among blood-related family members living in the same household. While most people in these clusters have been infected with H5N1 virus through direct contact with sick or dead poultry or wild birds, limited human-to-human transmission of H5N1 virus cannot be excluded in some clusters. The current cumulative number of confirmed human cases of avian influenza A/(H5N1) is available on the WHO Avian Influenza website. Despite the high mortality, human cases of H5N1 remain rare to date.

Signs of change in the virus&#8230;

An early warning would be if health care workers caring for someone who caught H5N1 from a bird got sick

Hopefully the epidemic (in birds) will run its course before the virus evolves to become transmissible between people.

CDC - Avian Influenza (Flu) | Current H5N1 Situation

*H5N1 impact to date:*

200 confirmed cases worldwide,

109 human deaths in nine countries, mostly in Asia

Forced slaughter of 200 million fowl causes significant economic impact.

*Potential threat and action plan:*

Airline passengers arriving from afflicted areas pose greater threat than birds

Vaccinate most likely human spreaders

*Actions to mitigate against economic and infrastructure impacts.*

*In a worst case&#8230;*

In absence of control measures, a "medium level pandemic:"

National economic impact $71.3-$166.5 billion

*According to VA Dept. of Health:*

In the Commonwealth of Virginia - Potential worst case

2,700-6,300 deaths
12,000-28,500 hospitalizations
575,000-1.35 million outpatient visits
1.08 to 2.52 million people becoming sick

*Preparation and control measures will reduce potential impacts*

*Annexes to local government COOP Plans:*

*Planning, response and recovery for functional areas:*

*Public Health Working Groups:*

Vaccine and anti-viral distribution
Community disease prevention
Surge capacity
Laboratory and surveillance
First responders and mass casualty
Legal considerations
Communications and notification
Essential needs

*Critical Infrastructure and Resource Management Working Groups*

Functional support
Policy support
Public safety
Infrastructure - operational continuity 
Redefinition of essential services
Policies and procedures
Emergency staffing plans

*While we may or may not face a pandemic near term, experts seem to agree that when we do face a Pandemic such as one that could stem from H5N1, as much as 25-40% of our workforce might be absent caring for loved ones, or from illness themselves. For additional resource information, agencies should refer to the Fairfax County Influenza Response Plan at *

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/pandemicflu/countyplan.pdf


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## Goldenhawke

I happen to live in earthquake country, and it's going to be real interesting when those tectonic plates shift. In my locale, the freeway passes the San Andreas (the most famous and most likely to give) fault in 5 places, so our escape will be very limited. Running parallel to, and oft times underneath, the freeway are electrical, water, sewer, and all sorts of other stuff to make life for people on ground zero.

My family is preparing for pretty much everything faced in earthquake scenarios: Lack of shelter, lack of utilities for an extended period, lack of transportation routes for immediate relief and/or evacuation, lack of food and potable water, fires and the air they will pollute, civil unrest, and, of course, aftershocks.

In a way, I sort of envy those of you who live in hurricane and tornado country. It'd be nice to see when earthquakes are coming.


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## endurance

If I were to prioritize, it would be:
Grid failure (could be caused by nearly any of the below, but also about 100 other things from EMP to tree branches. Do you have another way to heat your house?).
Severe *winter storms* here in Colorado (driving kills four times as many Americans as homicide).
Serious oil/*fuel shortage* (over the last 20 years the supply chain has become more and more efficient, to the point that at any given moment, there is only 20-22 days of gasoline. A single Cat 5 storm hits Houston and it wouldn't just be Houston that has a problem).
Major *volcanic eruption* anywhere in the world (think Tambora and the year without a summer of 1816 and the world cereal supply down to 80 days).
Economic *Depression* (not just a recession, but a 10% retraction in economic growth).
*Pandemic* (We're almost ready for H5N1, so it'll probably be something completely different now).


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## Homer_Simpson

Winter storms, tornado in my area.

Worried about shortages due to disasters in other areas, no fuel, lack of food due to no fuel or disruptions in transportation.


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## dunappy

Well we don't get most of the "natural" disasters, ( ie no floods, tornados, huricanes, earthquakes etc) we only have to worry about wildland fires and my house and property is pretty secure from them.

I prepare for:
1. loosing a job and not having income to feed us. 
2. man made disasters of what ever type. 
3. Winter storms which don't happen often, but we do have occassionally. We've survived a couple weeks of no electricity already.


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## endurance

With my experience with wildland fires (with the forest service from 1987-2000), I can tell you that the difference between a well prepared home and an unprepared home makes all the difference. My hat is off to you for being a good land owner and taking steps to make their job easier. It's an investment of time and energy that can pay off in spades if that day ever comes.

As for shortages and energy flow, there's a couple things I've discovered when I was doing more investing in the energy markets. The first is that our total oil reserves including the Strategic Reserve have never been bigger and continues to grow. The second is the quantity of finished product on hand at any given time has never been lower. As a result, supply of crude isn't an imminent threat, it's distribution and refining capacity that are the limiting factors. There are a limited number of pipelines between refineries and distribution center and anything that messes with them or the refineries (with about 25% of the US refinery capacity in Houston alone), supply can run out quickly.

Crude supply including Strategic Reserve:








This is a bit like comparing apples to oranges, as this charge is total crude volume and the below chart is number of days of supply.

Finished gasoline:








Note the low points in 2005 and 2008. That's Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Ike. I don't recall what the low point in 2007 was, does someone else?


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## Backwoods

While I try to keep in mind any scenario most of my prepping is centered on things like natural disasters, short or long term power outages caused by them or some type of breakdown in the infrastructure leading to food shortages, major outbreaks of crime, rioting, looting etc...........Disease outbreaks, temporary job/income loss.

I don't worry too much about meteors, shifting poles and such...................


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## EvilTOJ

JW Parker said:


> I believe water expans a little when it freezes. As far as that rise in sea level, Al Gore's people really cussed me for my idea. The dead sea is a mile or so below sea level. It has a surface area of a little over 400 sq. miles. The low lying desert around the sea covers another 600 sq. miles. So a 1000 sq. miles X 1 mile = 1000 cu. miles. Bleed it off.


The Dead Sea is 1,378 ft below sea level, not 5280 feet. The catchment for the dead sea is 14,500 square miles. The Pacific Ocean alone is 69.4 million sq mi in area. Even a rise of only an inch in elevation would flood the Dead Sea many times over. So using it for 'overflow' isn't going to work.

As for what I worry about, because the regulars like political upheaval and Captain Trips, this is earthquake country.


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## jebrown

Goldenhawke and others living in the greate Los Angelses area.
I now live in Oklahoma but I lived in the San Gabriel Valley from 1955 to 1992
I experienced all of the eartquakes there during that time. As well as the Landers quake f in April 1992. the largest earthquake to hit california in the 20th century. The Big Bear quake followed 2 hours later;. I started my career as a disater specialst with the Red Cross in Pasadena in 1978. That is when I started learninig about earhquakes. I also took a class in earthquakes from the geology department at the Mt. San Antonio(Mt. Sac.) community college in Walnut Ca.
The San Andreas fault does not I repeat does not lie close to any freeway. I am guessisng you are refering to the I-210 freeway. Obtain a map of earthquake fults and you will discover that the San Andreas fault lies on the east side not west side of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Yes it does pose a major earthquake threat to the Los Angeles area.


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## O6nop

I can't think of any disasters that would displace me from my home, at least not any naturally ocurring ones, but I prepare for that just in case something comes up that I didn't think of. I prepare for that as if I might go camping for an extended period of time.

I'll be concentrating on disasters that will not remove me from my home.
Off the top of my head, the disasters I'm most concerned about:

Illegal home invasion.
Economic - layoff, illness, fuel & food prices, etc
Rationing of some sort - food,fuel,water, etc.
Catastrophic natural disaster - flood, drought, tornado, earthquake?,Hurricane?

Epidemic disease, terrorist attack, martial law
Morlock attack
Extraterrestial attack
3rd marriage


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## endurance

O6nop said:


> I'll be concentrating on disasters that will not remove me from my home.
> Off the top of my head, the disasters I'm most concerned about:
> 3rd marriage


I'm thinking your ex and my ex must have had the same attorney.


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## Woody

I’m in the camp with 06nop with my top 2 being home invasion and economic troubles. I don’t see a mass society collapse into chaos happening in the US. Possibly in areas, as in the LA riots, but not around where my home is or the entire US. A natural disaster is always a possibility that has to be planned for but again, my area is not in a prime zone.


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## AgentFlounder

Off the cuff, about all we're prepared for is a blizzard which is about a once every few years event here on the CO front range. You may remember we had 3 blizzards back to back in Dec 2007. We were a-ok, so I guess we are adequately prepared for that one. 

But I hope to learn more tips here for other disasters.

I think there's much to be learned from the field of IT Disaster Recovery Planning / Business Continuity Planning. 

The basic idea is (1) identify threats like fire, flood and (2) the likelihood of each and (3) impact to business (or family in this case). Then (4) select cost-effective mitigations to address the most likely threats.

Cost could be combination of dollar value, ongoing maintenance cost, difficulty of storage. Put your preparation effort/cost where it will do the most good.

People are pretty bad at intuitively judging risk and probabilities of threats. Look up heuristics and biases.

Having a methodology and actual facts/research is a huge help in preparing properly (rather than emotionally). Analysis of the threats/likelihood and the cost/benefit of mitigations is the key. 

Rather than dreaming up terrifying movie-plot apocalypses to prepare for, it'd be more prudent to leave the fear and emotions aside and look at the likely threats and risks and address as many of the most likely with the most effective mitigations possible.

I think different preparations are needed to deal with home emergencies (fire, burglary, CO leak, gas leak, flooding) versus common natural disasters versus larger scale disasters versus various apocalyptic scenarios.

Anyway hope these thoughts are of benefit to someone...

Michael


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## Jerry D Young

I prepare less by type of disaster than I do by basic needs. The needs are pretty much the same, no matter what the disaster. As I meet my goals for the basics I do specific things for specific disasters. There really aren't that many individual elements that aren't appropriate for several sets of circumstances. My ultimate goal is to be as self-sufficient for as long of a period as it is practical to be in modern society.

This is a list of the things I consider when I’m making preps, in no specific order after the first four:

Armageddon
Global nuclear war 
Limited nuclear war/attack
Chemical/Biological war/attack
Weather Modification attack
Major conventional war
New colonial activity (Fr., Sp., Port., It., Germ., Japan, China, Russia, UK, Brazil, Ven.)
A new Persian Empire
Invasion of the US
Regional climate change
Global warming
Global cooling/Ice Age 
Celestial object impact/near miss
Nemesis induced Oort Cloud meteorite rain
Black hole appearance
Dark matter/anti-matter incident
UN/One World Gov
NWO
US Coup 
US revolution
Government Tyranny
Anarchy
CME (Coronal Mass Ejection)
Ozone layer depletion
Solar radiation increase/decrease
Gamma ray burst from neutron star collision
Earth orbit shift
Magnetic pole shift
Rotational pole shift 
Earth Core Cooling
Massive tectonic activity
Grand Alignment induced tectonic activity
EMP attack (Electro Magnetic Pulse)
Major nuclear power plant incident
Utilities failures 
Terrorism in about a thousand different forms 
Martial Law 
Travel restrictions
Communication restrictions
Weapons restrictions
New, more restrictive assault weapons ban
Total gun ban
Local/regional gun grab
Gold/PM restrictions
Gold/PM recall
Rampant inflation
Major economic depression
Nationwide/global economic breakdown
Personal financial breakdown 
Loss of job
Personal/family catastrophic illness
Bank closure/failure/mandated bank holiday 
Strikes/boycotts/embargoes/price controls
Food shortages/price increases
Water shortages
Shortages of goods and services for a variety of reasons
Peak oil
Fuel shortages/price increases
Methane Hydrate release
Gulf Stream shutdown
Overpopulation
Rapid Population Decline
Social break down
Widespread civil unrest/riots 
Aztlan/Reconquista Uprising
Civil war
Ethnic war
Racial war
Religious war
Resource war 
Refugees
Becoming a refugee
Landslide/mudslide
Brownout
Blackout
Avalanche
Hurricane
Hypercane
Tornado
Earthquake
Flood
Sea level rise
Sea level drop
Tsunami
Mega Tsunami (La Palma, West Antarctic Ice Sheet)
Volcano
Mega Volcano (Yellowstone Caldera)
Lahar
Pyroclastic flow
Blizzard 
Hail
Lightening
Heat wave
Antibiotic resistant bacteria
Epidemic
Pandemic
Pestilence 
Forest fire/wild fire
Fire storm 
House/apartment/building fire
Drought 
Crop failures 
Hazmat incident 
Medical emergency
Local major accident (aircraft/auto/rail/building)
Airplane crash
Automotive accident
Shipwrecked/marooned
Becoming lost in the wilderness
Becoming lost in the megalopolis
Crime wave 
Local major crime 
Dangerous wildlife confrontation
Wild animal rampage
Addictive Entertainment
Eco-system collapse
Out of control bio-genetics/bio-technology/Nano-technology/robotics
Sub-atomic particle research accident
Extraterrestrial biological contamination
Evidence of extraterrestrials
Hostile extraterrestrials
Peaceful extraterrestrials
Biblical flood
Biblical plagues
Second coming
A New Messiah
The Anti-Christ
Zombies/vampires/werewolves/other supernatural dangers (just kidding!)


----------



## ke4sky

*HVA - Hazard Vulnerability Assessment Tools*

If you Google the above subject there are lots of resources. Here are a few:

http://training.fema.gov/emicourses/E464CM/02 Unit 2.pdf

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/michiganprepares/HVA_225485_7.pdf

http://www.njha.com/ep/pdf/627200834041PM.pdf

http://www.proventionconsortium.org/themes/default/pdfs/CRA/NOAA2001.pdf

http://www.allhandsconsulting.com/toolbox/SAR Program Development.pdf


----------



## Largecar

Our basic survival senario is to be prepared for whatever may come at us as a family. In our location tornadoes are the worst natural disaster. However the state of the economy is most pressing in our survival plans. The simpliest things like water, food and shelter is what prompted us to be prepared and set in supplies. Too many people rely on the government to take care of them. Having a practiced plan is the key to survival in 
IMHO.


----------



## The_Blob

that's _*some*_ list, Jerry D...

one question tho... WHY would you consider _*literal world ending*_ scenarios (close gamma bursts, armageddon, tangential black holes, hostile extraterrestrials, Biblical plagues, The Anti-Christ) when preparing?... wouldn't that be rather pointless, except maybe for praying?

just asking...


----------



## Jerry D Young

Some of them might not be world ending. But if they are, I plan on going on as long as I can, go down fighting if the situation calls for it, and, yes, being ready to meet my maker is part of my preps.


----------



## The_Blob

so... "he who dies last"... still dies?


----------



## grumpyhillbilly

Wow, just signed up with this forum, glad to see some folks are as flaky as I am!

I'm preparing for the economy to collapse, the government to collapse or marshal law to be declared. Granted where I live I can't see marshal law being inforced considering I live on a quarter mile dirt road in a very small town.


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## ke4sky

*Greetings from Berkeley County*

My BOL is near the Sleepy Creek Public Hunting Area over in Berkeley County on the Back Creek valley side.


----------



## Arkansas_Ranger

About the only real "natural disaster" that could hurt me where I'm currently at is a tornado in which case my house could be gone in seconds. Second to that, there's a railroad track not far from here, and a U.S. highway about a tenth of a mile down my driveway where hazardous materials could spill. Both could kill me in an instant so I don't really prepare for those. Likely (I'm LE), I'd have to go deal with the damage anyway. I'm not concerned about the martial law-type things since again I'd probably have to work to survive that.


----------



## CVORNurse

Arkansas_Ranger said:


> About the only real "natural disaster" that could hurt me where I'm currently at is a tornado in which case my house could be gone in seconds.


I take it then that you are far enough south that when New Madrid Fault blows you are out of the danger zone.


----------



## VaultBoy308

grumpyhillbilly said:


> Wow, just signed up with this forum, glad to see some folks are as flaky as I am!
> 
> I'm preparing for the economy to collapse, the government to collapse or marshal law to be declared. Granted where I live I can't see marshal law being inforced considering I live on a quarter mile dirt road in a very small town.


Aye'.... there is nothing wrong with being flaky on this issue friend. I'm actually concerned about this specific issue too. I'm in California and if martial law were declared and the after effects of a worst case scenerio economic crisis would be my main concern in regards to disaster preparedness.


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## jebrown

Vaultboy
For your own safety you shouldn’t be too concerned about martial law and economic collapse. The probability of these scenarios happening are very slim.
It is a given that you need to be concerned more about house fires flooding and earthquakes. I lived in several cities in the San Gabriel valley for 37 years. I started a 22 year career with the Pasadena Chapter of the Red Cross in the late ‘70’s. Extensive background in disasters with them.
If I knew where you lived I could advise you more in depth as to what disasters are the most common in your area..
I was in almost all earthquakes including the Landers earthquake on June, 28, 1992. It was a 7.3 on the Richter scale, the largest earthquake to strike in California during the 20th Century. Also the 6.4 Big Bear quake that followed three hours later. I missed the San Fernando earthquake in 1971 as I was serving in Viet Nam at that time.
Any thoughts or questions please feel free to contact me.


----------



## chiefcw2

*Disaster du jour!*

Displacement is displacement... except... when a majority of the ice rests on a landmass. That being said the biggest threat besides our own bankers and politicians is the threat of nuclear or bio attack and the mass crossing of our borders by drugistas and narc-miltitia gangs. We all need more ammo and a community plan to manage an invasion from the South.


----------



## VaultBoy308

jebrown said:


> Vaultboy
> For your own safety you shouldn't be too concerned about martial law and economic collapse. The probability of these scenarios happening are very slim.
> It is a given that you need to be concerned more about house fires flooding and earthquakes. I lived in several cities in the San Gabriel valley for 37 years. I started a 22 year career with the Pasadena Chapter of the Red Cross in the late '70's. Extensive background in disasters with them.
> If I knew where you lived I could advise you more in depth as to what disasters are the most common in your area..
> I was in almost all earthquakes including the Landers earthquake on June, 28, 1992. It was a 7.3 on the Richter scale, the largest earthquake to strike in California during the 20th Century. Also the 6.4 Big Bear quake that followed three hours later. I missed the San Fernando earthquake in 1971 as I was serving in Viet Nam at that time.
> Any thoughts or questions please feel free to contact me.


I actually live in the Central Valley, Fresno County to be more specific. We have never had any major natural disasters specifically in my area. Course the news today stated that Merced had a funnel cloud which is rare in this area.



chiefcw2 said:


> Displacement is displacement... except... when a majority of the ice rests on a landmass. That being said the biggest threat besides our own bankers and politicians is the threat of nuclear or bio attack and the mass crossing of our borders by drugistas and narc-miltitia gangs. We all need more ammo and a community plan to manage an invasion from the South.


Well chief I have have to concur on you there. I know once two close buddies who live in the southern border towns and their main concern is their kids. Rather the news likes to show it or not but the crap happening down there has formed coteries of civilian militias who just want to protect their communities, especially in Arizona. This is all what my buds down there have told me from before. This could all be hearsay of course, but I still imagine the border patrol would be putting more attention to these...what they would more likely call them "rogue" or "vigilantes" groups. We are already being invaded friend.


----------



## skip

CVORNurse said:


> I take it then that you are far enough south that when New Madrid Fault blows you are out of the danger zone.


We are near Lake of the Ozarks, better than 150 miles from the Fault. But according to the FEMA map, we still are in danger of mild to moderate damage base on a the size of the 1812 quake.


----------



## jebrown

Vaultboy
I have been in Fresno many times. Neat town. I have hauled produce out of that area back in the '70's. Since you are in an isolated area so to speak it usually doesn't get much media attention. Check with you local fire department and the city emergency manager for earthquake history in Fresno
Also the library mighy be of some help. Look up the Coalinga earthquake on Wikipedia.
I don't know how far you are from Coalinga, been gone from Los Angeles for 16 1/2 years. On May 2nd 1983 a 6.5 earthquake struck there. It was felt from Los Angles to the south and Susanville in the North. Ther were 5,000 afer shock. 894 of them were 2.5 or larger. Ther was an IBM Selectric typewriter on adesk in one of the school offices. It was thrown about three feet into a wall. It was calculated that it traveld at 35 mph. 
A major tremblor form the San Andreas fault will have a severe impact on Fresno. It is a good idea to find out how far you are from that fault line. The Rd Cross will provide you with disater training and information on all disasters that have and will involve Fresno. 
Very high winds, heavy rain and flooding along with summer heat and drought are some of the disasters that can hit your area. Not familiar how close you are to any railroad tracks uou might be. I know there is a major North south highway that runs through you town. Also learn about what factories and wherehouses tha migh have a hazardous material incident. Know how close it is to yo0ur home and how it will effect you.
Talk about coincidense, We had several tornadoes here in Oklahoma today.
Some were quite large but they haven't give out any EF-Fujita scales yet. They wer about 70 to 80 miles Southeast of me. The severe weather season doesn't start untill the middle of next month.
The New Madrid earthquake actualy consisted of three earthquakes. Two on December 16, 1811 and one more on Februrary 7, 1812. It was an 8.0 that was felt in a 50,000 square mile area and to a lesser degree over 1,000,000 square miles. . It rang church bells in Boston Massachusett. The strongest earthquake in the lower 48 states ever.


----------



## jebrown

Matial law, government take over, economic collapse, roaming zombies. Are all paranoid fears. 
The illegal aliens and drug smugglers coming up from Mexico don't pose a serious threat. They just want to make entry and then head for wherever they are going. Causing unecessary trouble would only bring there travels to an unwanted halt. 
More lies and paranoia form those who hate ******** as they like to call them.
I don't want to hear any backlash about not knowing what I am talking about. For 37 years I lived and worked in and among them. In los Angeles.
I am not defending them because I know from seeing first hand how the destroy the economy. 
I had a neighbor who was a DEA agent and his brother was a Boarder Patrol officer. I am well aware as to what goes on. 
Fear mongers and those who spread half truths do more damage than the invaders.
Vigilante Justice is not justice at all. Just a bunch of cowards with no self- confidence and low self-esteem hiding behind guns. The only thing they ever do is poke each other in the ribs and bragging about being violent. Yeah, it only took 50 of us to track one illegal but we got him.
A word of caution. Thes drug smugglers have substantually more experience then the vigilantes and thier fire power make your high-powered guns look like BB-guns.
I am on our side about what is right and what is wrong about illegals coming here.
There is so much paranoia going around today. People hear something from some one without knowing all of the facts.


----------



## ke4sky

*Security Alert -*

Juval Aviv was the Israeli Agent upon whom the movie ' Munich ' was based.
He was Golda Meir's bodyguard -- she appointed him to track down and bring
to justice the Palestinian terrorists who took the Israeli athletes hostage
and killed them during the Munich Olympic Games. Congress has hired him as
a security consultant. He predicts the Obama administration will be tested 
by a terrorist attack upon the U.S. to occur within the next few months. 
Aviv believes that our security is a joke -- we have been reactionary rather than proactive in developing strategies that are truly effective.

For example:

* We only focus on security when people are heading to the gates. *

Aviv says that if a terrorist attack targets airports in the future, they
will target busy times on the front end of the airport when/where people are
checking in. It would be easy for someone to take two suitcases of
explosives, walk up to a busy check-in line, ask a person next to them to
watch their bags for a minute while they run to the restroom or get a drink,
and then detonate the bags BEFORE security even gets involved. In Israel ,
security checks bags BEFORE people can even ENTER the airport.

*Aviv says the next terrorist attack here in America is imminent and will
involve suicide bombers and non-suicide bombers in places where large groups
of people congregate.* (i. e., Disneyland, Las Vegas casinos, big cities (New York, San Francisco, Chicago, etc.) and that it will also include shopping
malls, subways in rush hour, train stations, etc., as well as rural America
this time (Wyoming, Montana, etc.).

The attack will be characterized by simultaneous detonations around the
country (terrorists like big impact), involving at least 5-8 cities,
including rural areas.

*The world is quickly going to become 'a different place', and issues like
'global warming' and political correctness will become totally irrelevant. *

Aviv says terrorists won't need to use suicide bombers in many of the larger
cities, because at places like the MGM Grand in Las Vegas , they can simply
valet park a car loaded with explosives and walk away.

Aviv says all of the above is well known in intelligence circles, but that
our U. S. government does not want to 'alarm American citizens' with facts. 
He says that Americans don't have to be concerned about being nuked. Aviv says the terrorists who want to destroy America will not use sophisticated weapons. They like to use suicide as a front-line approach. It's cheap, it's easy, it's effective; and they have an infinite abundance of young militants more than willing to 'meet their destiny'. The next level of terrorists, over which America should be most concerned, will not be coming from abroad. But will be, instead, 'homegrown' -- having attended and been educated in our own schools and universities right here in the U. S.

*He says to look for 'students' who frequently travel
back and forth to the Middle East . *

These young terrorists will be most dangerous because they will know our language and will fully understand the habits of Americans; but that we Americans won't know/understand a thing about them. Aviv says that, as a people, Americans are unaware and uneducated about the terroristic threats we will, inevitably, face.

*So, what can America do to protect itself? *

Aviv says the U.S. needs to stop relying on satellites and technology for intelligence. We need to, instead, follow Israel 's, Ireland 's and England 's hands-on examples of human intelligence, both from an infiltration perspective as well as to trust 'aware' citizens to help. We need to engage and educate ourselves as citizens; however, our U. S. government continues to treat us, its citizens, 'like babies'. Our government thinks we 'can't handle the truth' and are concerned that we'll panic if we understand the realities of terrorism. Aviv says this is a deadly mistake.

In comparison, Aviv says that citizens of Israel are so well 'trained' that any unattended bag or package would be reported in seconds by citizen(s) who know to publicly shout, 'Unattended Bag!' The area would be quickly & calmly cleared by the citizens themselves. But, unfortunately, America hasn't been yet 'hurt enough' by terrorism for their government to fully understand the need to educate its citizens or for the government to understand that it's
their citizens who are, inevitably, the best first-line of defense against terrorism.

Aviv also was concerned about the high number of children here in America
who were in preschool and kindergarten after 9/11, who were 'lost' without
parents being able to pick them up, and about schools that had no plan
in place to best care for the students until parents could get there. (In
New York City after 9/11 this was days, in some cases!)

He stresses the importance of having a plan, that's agreed upon within your
family, to respond to in the event of a terrorist attack. He urges parents to contact their children's schools and demand that the schools, too, develop plans of actions, as they do in Israel .

Does your family know what to do if you can't contact one another by phone?
Where would you gather in an emergency? He says we should all have a plan
that is easy enough for even our youngest children to remember and follow.

*Aviv says that the U. S. government has in force a plan that, in the event
of another terrorist attack, will immediately cut-off EVERYONE's ability to
use cell phones, blackberries, etc., as this is the preferred communication
source used by terrorists and is often the way that their bombs are
detonated. *

How will you communicate with your loved ones in the event you cannot speak? You need to have a plan.

-------------------
Suspicious Items - PRIMARY INDICATORS:

Things that do not belong to anyone present
Packages, bags, briefcases, luggage
Unusual location, not normal, out of place
Delivered by unknown service / person
Just "appears"
"Bulging" or misshapen containers
Capped containers with muddy liquid 
Or textile wick
Releasing vapors, odors, "hissing" ! ! !
-------------------
Suspicious Package - PRIMARY INDICATORS:

Item neither expected nor requested
Listed sender did not mail or ship
Postmark doesn't match return address
Any parcel not delivered by a usual method

-------------------
Suspicious Mail - PRIMARY INDICATORS:

Hand-written labels
Poor penmanship, misspellings
Excessive tape, protrusions 
Merely "looks odd," trust your intuition!
Too much postage, particularly stamps
Stiff or thick envelope over 1/4" or 2 ounces

-------------------
Other suspicious items:

Unusual electrical components
Wires or batteries which appear out of place
Unusual plastic tubing, bottles, aerosol containers, gas cylinders
Particularly if near HVAC return air intake 
Any pipe with end caps in place
Any vehicles parked in unusual locations

-------------------
Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) PRECURSORS:

Theft of explosives, blasting caps or fuses
Rental of self-storage space
Delivery of chemicals
Directly to a storage facility
Rental, theft or purchase of a truck or van
Having large carrying capacity
Modification of a truck or van for carrying heavier loads&#8230;	
Rental trucks with hazardous cargo placards parked in non-industrial settings
Moving outside usual trucking routes
Unattended and driver cannot be located
Any unattended passenger vehicle or van with apparent heavy load

---------------------
MORE BOMB PRECURSORS:

Reported small "test" explosions
Most often in rural or wooded areas 
Walk-in patients with chemical burns
Anyone with untreated chemical burns
Person with missing fingers or hands
Purchase, or attempted illegal access to facility blue prints

----------------------
BUILDING EVACUATION CRITERIA:

Have a planned facility evacuation / assembly area
Prior to use check assembly point for suspect items
If any suspect item or vehicle is present
Use your alternate assembly point
DO YOU HAVE an alternate assembly point?
Use terrain features or solid objects as shielding
If evacuating INSIDE a structure go to farthermost lateral point at least several floors below the device
Avoid assembly areas within 300 ft. of building near windows, or any overhead glass
Avoid areas with flammable / hazardous materials
Take a roll call and account for all absentees
300 ft. from small devices if you have shielding
1000 ft. MINIMUM from large devices in the open
If truck bomb is suspected, don't stop at 1000 ft. get "as far away as possible."

------------------------
ALERT CITIZEN RESPONSE - NOTIFY PUBLIC SAFETY - Activating Resources:

Notify on-scene police or fire department personnel ! 
If none are present&#8230; then withdraw to a safe distance
300 ft. for a small device, if you have shielding
1000 ft. MINIMUM for large device in open
(get as far AWAY, UPHILL, UPWIND as possible")
DON'T use cell phone or 2-way radio - may activate device!

-------------------------
*Use a landline to CALL 911 !*

CALL 911 from a safe distance!

WRITE down location, time, license plate numbers, descriptions of observations while memory is fresh

INFORM call taker at public safety answering point where you are, how to reach you later - witnesses will need to be interviewed by police

Follow all instructions of public safety personnel.
--------------------------


----------



## 10101

My major preps are dedicated to losing my job


----------



## doc66

Zombies. If you're ready for zombies, you're ready for anything.


----------



## Canadian

I've got the Z's covered.


----------



## endurance

I've been prepping since the Cold War. For a while it seemed that nuclear war was inevitable. Prepping for it was hell because the degree of preparation for something that catastophic involved accepting not only the immediate toxic effects, but also the lack of any real return to normal for a very long time, if ever. After the Berlin Wall fell, things got much easier for a while. Food for a year was more than enough, terrorism was (and still is) a local problem that ultimately can be recovered from quickly because most of the country is uneffected. If we've learned anything from Katrina it is that those who stay behind suffer the worst, those that move out of the area and find a new life elsewhere stand to recover quickly and thrive.

Now I think we're getting back into the difficult to prepare stuff. This economy means finding a way to trim the fat in your lifestyle and do things that make your home a homestead. Turning a suburban home into a producer rather than a consumer of wealth means gardening, planting food producting trees, running a side business in the evenings out of your home, and economizing through energy conservation. It may mean moving toward, rather than away from downtown areas to save transportation expenses. It may mean getting to know your neighbors better so you can work together on community gardening, crime prevention, and mutual aid.

My realization of the immenent threat Peak Oil poses on our lifestyles has completely reshaped my thinking. Now it's not just about a propane and/or kerosene heater for when the power goes off or the gas stops slowing for a few days during an ice storm. It's about planning for the "long emergency" as Kunstler puts it. It's about working to be more energy independent in every purchase, from new appliances to new homes and cars. The days of cheap oil are coming to an end. We've used the cheapest half up already, the next half that's in the ground will cost more per barrel to get out of the ground and the demand is continuing to rise. The alternatives are 20-50 years away, so planning for the change will put you ahead of the curve. My plan is to be 50% electrically independent in 2009 through solar, wind and upgraded appliances (did you know that the average refrigerator can consume up to 35% of your electricity?). Over the next few years I'll invest in a more fuel efficient car. Eventually I'd like to be off grid with something like a plug-in hybrid and live within a short bike ride of the light rail station. It's a different kind of planning, but ultimately, I see it as an unavoidable disaster that everyone of us should be prepping for.


----------



## Expeditioner

jebrown said:


> Matial law, government take over, economic collapse, roaming zombies. Are all paranoid fears.
> The illegal aliens and drug smugglers coming up from Mexico don't pose a serious threat. They just want to make entry and then head for wherever they are going. Causing unecessary trouble would only bring there travels to an unwanted halt.
> More lies and paranoia form those who hate ******** as they like to call them.
> I don't want to hear any backlash about not knowing what I am talking about.


Paranoia yes to a point....but also very real scenarios if all the right factors come into play. With respect to the illegal aliens and drug smugglers posing a serious threat I think it is all relative. To someone who has seen first hand the death and destruction that these drug smugglers have caused among the Hispanic community of metro Atlanta, I believe it is a serious threat. Try telling that to someone who has lost a loved one because an illegal immigrant with a long criminal record in his home country was allowed in to the US. Sure the loved one could have died in other ways but why increase the risk. Have you ever attended a LULAC meeting?

You are wrong to generalize and that is my opinion.


----------



## Canadian

Paranoid = Prepared.


----------



## AlwaysPrepared

In my area, we do not get many severe weather events like others on this forum. We don't get severe winter storms, tornados, earthquakes or severe hurricanes. In my area, we get weak tropical storms that were once hurricanes. I am mostly prepared for power outages that seem to happen in my area quite frequently. During Isabel in 2003, I vowed to be better prepared because we were out of electrcity for three days. So I mostly prepare for power outages. I do worry about pandemic type events but I don't have the type of money to prepare for those type of events.


----------



## Canadian

I get lots of snow where I am.


----------



## Jack Aubrey

Being in Florida,hurricanes are a given.Crime/home/personal defense is a priority as is being able to provide for my family in a 1930's style depression scenario. Best regards,JA


----------



## Chemechie

*Sub-SHTF Events*

I look at what could happen with the combination of financial/ economic instability, increased regulation (particularly global warming regs), and am looking for ways to deal with the issues the will raise. 
As others have said, a sudden government ending event in the US is unlikely, but I can see a time where crime rises significantly over a year or 2 period along with expanded unemployment, high food/ commodity prices (if you can even get them), and disruptions in the services we take for granted - particularly drinking water and electricity. 
There are some relatively inexpensive reverse osmosis systems available for water, so I'm not too concerned about that. My bigger thought is how to keep food, particularly meat, good without grid power - I can make do the rest of life with very minimal electricity, but I tend to have alot of frozen stuff on hand and would like to be able to keep it that way. While I've got some expertise in solar power, I am at the moment in a rental so I can't modify the house too much and it is hard to justify the cost of the equipment. When I get my own place, however, I plan to make it entirely of grid if possible - well, septic, and solar/ wind. 
As for when I need to go into town, I'm working on my concealed carry permit and I've heard the suggestion to look for a bulletproof vest - anybody know good brands and what prices are reasonable for them?


----------



## kc5fm

*Rural Safety*



Chemechie said:


> As for when I need to go into town, I'm working on my concealed carry permit and I've heard the suggestion to look for a bulletproof vest - anybody know good brands and what prices are reasonable for them?


Not trying to drive you crazy or anything but recent media reports show the bad guys are leaving town to come to rural residences to inflict murder and mayhem.

While I don't know your state law, in Oklahoma, you do not have to have a conceal carry permit in your home.

As for the bullet proof vest, the question to ask is will I really use it? Does the cost mean I give up something else? If I am buying new, can I afford it?

Even police officers have been known to not wear one when it's hot and sticky outside. Do you want to get into the mode of "Just a minute, Mr. Bad Guy, while I put on this bullet proof vest." 

I personally can see spending $$$ on something different than a bullet proof vest. But then ... I live in the City ... with trained law enforcement within minutes of the place. 

I would recommend getting trained on handgun use. That is the benefit for the Oklahoma conceal carry versus the Utah permit. To get the OK permit, one has to demonstrate, to the instructor, gun control, metal on target, 50 rounds, without shooting someone, including yourself. I've read more than one account where the Citizen, attempting to protect themselves, ended up worse for wear because they lacked the skill in using the weapon. Works the same with fire extinguishers too.


----------



## endurance

I think looking at economic disasters right now makes a lot of sense, but in ways it's harder than prepping for a hurricane or some other short term disaster. You still have to be going to work every day in potentially more and more dire conditions. Concealed carry is certainly something to take care of now rather than later. As kc5 pointed out, classes vary significantly state by state and instructor by instructor. At minimum, get an NRA approved handgun safety class first, then look into taking a combat shooting course like Front Sight, ESI, or, again, something through the NRA.

I was a street cop for three years including some time on the SWAT team. What I can tell you is that nobody wears body armor just walking around off duty during the summer. It's hot and uncomfortable. For the price of a good Second Chance or Point Blank vest you could probably pay for a very high end shooting course. If you do decide to purchase one, make yourself familiar with the rating system. Most cops wear a level 2 or level 2a. It's a compromise between comfort and stopping power. They'll stop your smaller calibers (.38, 9mm, most .357), but they don't stand a chance against a .41 or .44 mag. For that you need a level 3, which I owned, too, but I couldn't wear during the summer, even in the ski town where I worked. I ended up with a summer vest and a winter vest. The 30-odd layers of kevlar in a level 3 were a godsend in the winter, but during the summer it was like putting on your heaviest winter parka, then having someone wrap you in stretchwrap. It was pretty miserable. On Swat assignments I wore a Desert Storm era flak jacket over my level 3 vest, but that probably still wouldn't have stopped even a small high power rifle at close range. Just remember that most bad guys have .25 and .32 caliber crappy cheap guns, so getting a heavy vest you won't wear may make less sense than a very light and comfortable one that you will wear. 

If you're serious about being able to keep frozen food even with long term grid outages, then you'll have to spend some serious money. I just picked up a Sundanzer 8 cu. ft. chest freezer for around $1200 including shipping. It runs on 12 or 24vdc and uses about 1/3 the energy that a conventional freezer uses. They advertise that you can run it on a 75w panel with a deep cycle battery, but realistically, you need about a 125-200w panel and two batteries. You'll produce a surplus most of the year, but if you live north of 40 degrees latitude, you just don't have enough daylight during the winter to keep the battery charged with a 75w panel. The further north you live, the bigger panel you need. There are some websites selling a combined package with 125w panel, charging unit and freezer. It may be worth looking into. 

There's also propane refrigerators and freezers, but they're roughly the same price as the Sundanzer.

Welcome aboard.


----------



## pdx210

Water expands when frozen by 9% to be exact and becomes less dense which is why pipes burst when frozen and ice floats. 

I want to be ready from anything a local issues to a global one. Hurricane Katrina was a good lesson let local, state ,federal government take care of you and you and you'll get the shaft maybe even die


----------



## kbamvakais

I'm only planing on what i think are the three most likely events in todays world

1 civil unrest/roits ect..

2 Natural Disaster beyond what is "normal" i.e. the mississippi flooded again is normal but the mississippi flooded to 100 ft above flood stage is beyond "normal"

3 Large Scale Terror Attack on U.S. nuke/bio ect..

in my opinion these are the most likely to happen, and you can never really plan for anything that has never happened before like pole shifts or astroids or zombies (the undead kind), I feel like planning for events of this magnatude is not only a waste of money but also a waste of time as the three afore mentioned are way more likely to happen


----------



## Al-Thi'b

I just worry about storms, especially since we're supposed to see record tornado's and hurricanes soon. Something that hits my mind often is the fact we could lose our satellites at anytime which would shutdown a lot of things this revolves around the whole nuke deal going on right now. But I seriously doubt anyone is going to jump up and nuke us anytime soon.


----------



## bunkerbob

Chemechie said:


> I look at what could happen with the combination of financial/ economic instability, increased regulation (particularly global warming regs), and am looking for ways to deal with the issues the will raise.
> As others have said, a sudden government ending event in the US is unlikely, but I can see a time where crime rises significantly over a year or 2 period along with expanded unemployment, high food/ commodity prices (if you can even get them), and disruptions in the services we take for granted - particularly drinking water and electricity.
> There are some relatively inexpensive reverse osmosis systems available for water, so I'm not too concerned about that. My bigger thought is how to keep food, particularly meat, good without grid power - I can make do the rest of life with very minimal electricity, but I tend to have alot of frozen stuff on hand and would like to be able to keep it that way. While I've got some expertise in solar power, I am at the moment in a rental so I can't modify the house too much and it is hard to justify the cost of the equipment. When I get my own place, however, I plan to make it entirely of grid if possible - well, septic, and solar/ wind.
> As for when I need to go into town, I'm working on my concealed carry permit and I've heard the suggestion to look for a bulletproof vest - anybody know good brands and what prices are reasonable for them?


Good course of action. 
Here is a site for body armor, look for the highest level armor you can afford, add ceramic plates later, again get what you can afford, little at a time if reasonable. BulletProofME.com Body Armor / Bullet proof Vests
I have some of both internal(under garment concealable) and external(tactical) body armor.
Get them with inside pouches to add the plates or soft inserts later.


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## TreeMUPKennel

Chemechie said:


> I look at what could happen with the combination of financial/ economic instability, increased regulation (particularly global warming regs), and am looking for ways to deal with the issues the will raise.
> As others have said, a sudden government ending event in the US is unlikely, but I can see a time where crime rises significantly over a year or 2 period along with expanded unemployment, high food/ commodity prices (if you can even get them), and disruptions in the services we take for granted - particularly drinking water and electricity.
> There are some relatively inexpensive reverse osmosis systems available for water, so I'm not too concerned about that. My bigger thought is how to keep food, particularly meat, good without grid power - I can make do the rest of life with very minimal electricity, but I tend to have alot of frozen stuff on hand and would like to be able to keep it that way. While I've got some expertise in solar power, I am at the moment in a rental so I can't modify the house too much and it is hard to justify the cost of the equipment. When I get my own place, however, I plan to make it entirely of grid if possible - well, septic, and solar/ wind.
> As for when I need to go into town, I'm working on my concealed carry permit and I've heard the suggestion to look for a bulletproof vest - anybody know good brands and what prices are reasonable for them?


I would double check on all vest you like or think you might like. Research them first. There easy to come by. Best bet for a deal on a vest is check your local craigslist. Is see them all the time on mine, but I'am right outside a major base.
I like the ESAPI ones rated for 7.62x39mm not to heavy but reliable.


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## TreeMUPKennel

kc5fm said:


> Not trying to drive you crazy or anything but recent media reports show the bad guys are leaving town to come to rural residences to inflict murder and mayhem.
> 
> While I don't know your state law, in Oklahoma, you do not have to have a conceal carry permit in your home.
> 
> As for the bullet proof vest, the question to ask is will I really use it? Does the cost mean I give up something else? If I am buying new, can I afford it?
> 
> Even police officers have been known to not wear one when it's hot and sticky outside. Do you want to get into the mode of "Just a minute, Mr. Bad Guy, while I put on this bullet proof vest."
> 
> I personally can see spending $$$ on something different than a bullet proof vest. But then ... I live in the City ... with trained law enforcement within minutes of the place.
> 
> I would recommend getting trained on handgun use. That is the benefit for the Oklahoma conceal carry versus the Utah permit. To get the OK permit, one has to demonstrate, to the instructor, gun control, metal on target, 50 rounds, without shooting someone, including yourself. I've read more than one account where the Citizen, attempting to protect themselves, ended up worse for wear because they lacked the skill in using the weapon. Works the same with fire extinguishers too.


Even with haven trained law enforcement with in minutes is not 100 percent gurantee. All are suppose to be trained, I would never rely on them.
A vest is a good investment might be costly but peace of mind. Now i know your not going to be wearing it all the time but if theres a instance for it the wear it. Or if all hell breaks out, you've got one.


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## TreeMUPKennel

My main cocern is for economic collaspe, civil unrest, or shtf situation. not realy concerned with weather or so on. But I'm ready and prepared for any and all things. I'm like a pack rat I've got it if I need it.


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## horseman09

People people people. If something nasty happens on a large scale, such as a massive, longterm power outage, we (we are in the boondocks) can handle that. But PEOPLE....desperate, hungry people swarming from the cities would be THE major threat. Without out power, city folks have no heat, no lights, no way to cook, no water, no gasoline, the stores would be looted clean and very limited police protection. In other words, most city dwellers are about 1 week away from outright anarchy and cannibilism. Those who can get out, will, but they will not be prepared.

If the SHTF, the 4 basics to survival: shelter, clean water, food and ammo. Probably the most likely scenario would be economic collapse resulting in of the same problems listed above.


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## HarleyRider

I am preparing for a collapse of the power grid which will shut down almost everything else. I have a generator, a pretty good food supply, and lots of things that don't require power to function. I am planning a large storage tank for gasoline to run the generator, and have begun exploring solar and wind power as backups. I also have a Harley that will still run even after an EMP pulse.


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## Hopetobeready

*Disaster prepping*



Jack said:


> I'm wondering what people are preparing for ?
> 
> tornadoes we dont get here but think they would be similar to cyclones we do get
> 
> presonally i am looking at larger , more global problems
> 
> reversal of the global magnetic feilds is on the cards, just when ..
> 
> meteor strike , the world goes through a meteror cloud every year in August some of these are 30 miles acros but most are pea size or smaller
> 
> the polar ice is now melting at a rate thought to take 1000 years but its taken 3. if this does not stop, the sea could rise 20 meters globally. reducing living areas by 60% .. 90% of cities are below this level.
> 
> what do you or are you preparing for ??


We live in SE Tennessee and I understand we have an earthquake fault running the length of the state. Of course we just had some significant tornado action here a week ago so am mostly preparing for long term power outages, high water, etc. We also have a nuclear plant near us in Chattanooga. So whatever happens, just trying to be prepared.


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## politicalsaint

*In regards to 1 cubich inch of frozen water equals the same in liquid*

People please think carefully before you give advice to someone like that for they will take what you say as gospel and plan their survival around it. Yes, what you are saying about water is correct. frozen water is equal to liquid water. But dont forget there is a sh*t load of frozen water above ground and water. Thus if this melts, it all runs off into the ocean and raises the water level by a very large level. All of the ease coast and florida will be submerged for example. So please dont tell people that if all the glaciers and icebergs etc melt that it wont change anything. FOR IT WILL!!!!!!!!!!


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## muskratmama

I once heard that you can see what you really believe by your behavior (this was in church of course, and about how we spend time and money). If that's true, then we are preparing to be exposed to rabies (getting boosters and getting our youngest developmentally delayed daughter the initial series) and I must be preparing for the end of synthetic fabrics - stinging nettles growing around the swamp, hoping to get a permit to plant hemp, and I already have a large shed full to the rafters of raw wool. (and like most fiber addicts have every crawl space and attic stuffed full of washed wool, yarn, and UFOs.)
We are also preparing for vegetables to be scant an expensive (as usual here) by planting a large garden. I ordered some reusable canning lids. My husband is looking at plans for an earth sheltered greenhouse. (Our growing season is very short)
I'm daydreaming about building a wash house/summer kitchen like the ones my parents built, so I guess I'm planning to be less dependent on electricity.
The one thing I am not going to be prepared for is if the government stops giving me a paycheck - we are twenty years from paying off our house, and not much chance of increasing our rate of payment. And even if, I don't trust that a deed will mean much. So I'm not yet completely convinced that I want to be one of the long term survivors. I'm a mammal, though, so I will probably try.


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## ram91648

Ineffable Aces:
If you need ammo try bulkammo.com. Great prices and excellent to deal with. 12 guage 00 Buck shot as little as $5.50 for 10 rounds. Not always available but keep checking.


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## Frugal_Farmers

Hopetobeready said:


> We live in SE Tennessee and I understand we have an earthquake fault running the length of the state. Of course we just had some significant tornado action here a week ago so am mostly preparing for long term power outages, high water, etc. We also have a nuclear plant near us in Chattanooga. So whatever happens, just trying to be prepared.


Hey Neighbor, Welcome to the forum. Out here in Monroe County.


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## danerogers

I'm in the Pacific NW now but began homesteading off grid in Colorado in 1972. Started with large garden and wood heat but learned about being ready for the unexpected in 1976 when the Big Thompson Flood killed 145 people and took out the nearest city water system for a couple of weeks. The Big Thompson - The Coloradoan - www.coloradoan.com. Luckily, I had a small gravity fed spring that delivered 120 gallons per day which was enough to share with 4 or 5 other families. Those who wondered why the hell I lived that way, were very happy to have clean drinking during those weeks. I'm now back on grid, living in Oregon on 5.5 acres. We have the usual ,winter wind storm, occasional ice storm, occasional flood, all of which can interrupt travel and power which we easily handle. More serious is the threat we face from a massive subduction zone earthquake similar to what just happened in Japan. They say ours is a "mirror image" of the one in Japan and history shows it ruptures every 300 to 500 years - last time in 1700. So there is some chance this will happen in my lifetime. Potential issues will be wide scale transporation (major river bridges) and power disruption. Help would be a long time in coming and the last thing I want to do is to stand in line needing the things others need. I can help them by taking care of my own.

Though a potential disaster, we can recover from such an earthquake. My most serious level of preparation would be for a global pandemic. Though out of the news, H5N1 is still out there killing a few people each year - and trying to adapt to humans. That would be a civilization changing event and from that point forward, I need to know how to provide all essentials. A food hoard only goes so far in providing time while the real preparation requires learning the details of growing enough of storable staples each season. For me, that just means learning more about my favorite hobby which has been gardening for almost 40 years. This season I am using some of the principles from a new book called The Resilient Gardener by Carol Deppe. I consider all the preparation I learn and do as an extension of my hobbies. I couldn't handle much when I moved into a three room log cabin in the Rockies in 1972, but I started learning. Now, I'm always upgrading my plans and abilities, and have fun with it.

My last major concern is the economy but different than most I read on this forum. Instead of fearing runaway inflation resulting in a collapse of infrastructure, need for gold/silver, etc., my expectation is for a market collapse that results in a deflationary depression somewhat worse than the 1930's. Falling asset prices and 30 to 50% unemployment. This event began with the stock dive in 2000, a bounce until late 2007, then another dive until early 2009. We have bounced again for over two years but I personally think this bounce is about to end and another major leg down is beginning. The resulting wave of credit default, similar to the mortgage debacle, will be larger and will drive the money supply down sharply resulting in a deflationary spiral. I don't know what that will be like but I suppose I'm as ready as I can be.

On that cheerie note, those are my Prep concerns!


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## 264Win

*Preparations for*

Up here we prepare for EARTHQUAKES FIRST
FLOODING 
WINTER STORMS
HIGH WINDS
ELECTRIC OUTAGES


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## Westfalia

*Risk Assessments*

I would recommend everyone that get started to make a Risk Assessment.

From by blog: Sibi Totique: Risk Assessments

*Risk Assessments*
In order to prepare for danger one must get a basic idea about what kind of threats that we are facing. If one can get an idea about potential risks we can get the skills, knowledge, training, equipment and plans that can help us to overcome, prevent and reduce the effects from these risks. Governments, corporations, military organizations and the Intelligence community spends an enormous amount of money every year in order to collect Intelligence, understand threats and prevent them from manifesting into reality or catastrophes.

Risks are also a matter of perception. Institutions and the media forms the acceptance of what risks that is considered acceptable and what risks that is not. Different people perceive risks differently. Ideologies also play a critical role, one example is Man-Made Global Warming and Peak Oil, these two issues are seen as serious risks by some and ignored by others. The process of Globalization has resulted in a situation when a crisis can spread fast though out the world, like the current financial crisis. Many other threats are not bound to the boundaries of states like terrorism, organized crime, trafficking, illegal drug trade and pandemics.

So what is a Risk? The probability is one factor, the other factor is the consequences that a risk may have. Fatalities, physical harm or loss of property are common consequences that a threat can have.

*Where do you get Started?*
Try to find a Risk Assessment made by a government agency from a local or regional level. This is important 1: For inspiration, 2: So that you know what kinds of scenarios your local agencies are prepared for. Risk Assessments are not always made public because they can give antagonistic people an idea of where a strike would hurt the most. Sometimes there exists both a public and confidential version, try with different kind of agencies and just ask if they have a public version.

*Step 1: Identify Risks - What can happen?* 
*Examples of possible events*
• War
• Civil Wars (The most common form of human conflict)
• Genocide or Ethnic cleansing (Nazi Germany, Rwanda and the Balkans are some examples)

*Weapons of Mass Destruction (CBRN)*
• Attacks with Chemical weapons
• Attacks with Biological weapons 
• Attacks with Nuclear weapons or an attack with conventional explosives in combination with radioactive materials attached, known as a "dirty bomb".
• Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) from a high altitude nuclear explosion

*Terrorism*
• Suicide bombings
• Bomb Attacks
• Improvised Explosive Devises (IED:s)
• Arson (the most common form of terrorist attack)

*Crime*
• Sabotage
• Crime
• Assault
• Murder
• Kidnapping (common danger in high risk countries like Colombia or Iraq)
• Theft or Robbery
• Riots

• Famine and Starvation

*Natural Disasters*
• Earthquakes
• Tsunami
• Volcanic eruptions
• Severe weather
• Thunderstorms
• Tornados
• Extreme Heat
• Blizzards
• Hurricanes
• Floods
• Land Slides
• Fire
• Impact with Space Objects
The last major impact with a space object was 1908 in Tunguska, Siberia. The frequency of global catastrophic impacts is very low, once or twice every one million years.
• Solar storms

*Failing Technical Systems*
• Oil Embargo or Sabotage against oil infrastructure or large scale accidents in oil infrastructure.
• Peak Oil
• The Limits to Growth
• Global Warming
• Hydro Plant collapse from accidents or sabotage
• Nuclear Power Plant Collapse or Meltdown with radioactive fallout
• Radioloactivel fallout from accidents at storage facilities or transport of radiological material.
• Lose of electrical power (often results in the collapse of communication systems and water system)
• Fallout from chemical industries or chemical transports
• Internet and/or telephone communications systems collapse
• Problem with communications systems (roads, railways, airports)

*Economical Problems*
• Financial Recession
• Economic Depression or Economic Collapse
• Unemployment

*Different kind of Disease*
• Epidemics (local out brake of disease)
• Pandemics (global out brake of a disease)

Remember that a Epidemic or Pandemic classification doesn't take in to consideration how severe the disease is, all seasonal flues are pandemic, even if they normally only affect the people that are sensitive to disease. The people how normally are extra sensitive to disease are:
* The very young and the old
* People with untreated HIV or AIDS
* People with cancer
* Women how are pregnant

• Disaster in a different area/region/country with your family, friends or loved ones involved.

*Step 2: How Likely is this to happen?*
1.) Very low 
2.) Low
3.) Medium
4.) High
5.) Very High

*Step 3: What are the possible Consequences from these events?*
1.) Very Low
2.) Low
3.) Medium
4.) High
5.) Catastrophic

*Step 4: Calculate the Risk Factor*
After you have identified the Risks, there likeliness and the consequences make a Matrix with How likely they are in one axis and the Consequences in the other axis. The events in the upper right corner that is likely to happen and have high consequences, that's where I suggest you start focusing your attention. Start to study the risks you identified and real events where they have taken place. What lessons can be learned from these events?

*Step 5: Risk Management*
What Resources are there to Manage these Risks?

*Local / Regional / National*
Try to get a picture of what resources there is to deal with different kind of crisis where you live. Resources like Military, National Guard, Police, Fire Departments, Paramedics, Hospitals, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Non Government Organizations (NGO:s) like the Red Cross and Religious organizations are some examples.

*Personal*
I also suggest that you add another dimension to your Risk Assessment: How may the Risks affect your capacity for short and long term survival? May your house be destroyed or may the area where you live be contaminated with chemical or radioactive fallout so that you may not be able to return to your home? What kind of Knowledge, Training and Skills and Equipment do you have that can help you deal with these threats? How can you reduce the impact of an event or avoid it completely?

*Adjusting to a Changing Situation*
Risks are not something that is static. New kinds of threats manifest and new potential problems arise every year. This mean that you're Risk Assessment must be continuously updated to incorporate new events and trends. How often this should be done depends on the situation but I would suggest that you don't view a Risk Assessment as a work you perform one time, but more like a continuing process.

*The SWOT Analysis*
The SWOT Analysis is a common form of analysis designed to see different perspectives of a Past, Ongoing or Future Situation. The Analysis can be used in different settings like Intelligence Analysis, Risk Assessments, Project Management, Business Plans or simply too evaluate a course of action or a Plan.

SWOT means Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The Possibilities and Weaknesses part of the analysis resembles the Pro and Con Analysis. But the analysis also includes the potential unknown or external factors: Possibilities and Threats. If a SWOT analysis is used when there is two or more Parties involved the analysis is often split into two; one analysis that describes the side that make the analysis and the analysis that describes the perspective from the other parties point of view. The SWOT analysis just like a Risk Assessment is a tool that can make it easier to see different perspectives and analyze various situations.

*Summary*
The perception of risk is a factor that comes in play for all individuals and organizations. Identifying risks that we encounter often or that is often highlighted in our society is easy and these types of risks we are often well prepared for.

But sometimes threats manifests from situation when it's on clear after the event has taken place that there were signs that indicated a threat. This type of intelligence failures are common, some examples are the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the terrorists attacks on 9/11 2001. Another example is the inability for the Intelligence community to foresee the end of the Cold War and the Collapse of the Soviet Union. Seeing threats that doesn't fit into the perception that we have of the world is very hard, but these are often the threats that can have the greatest consequences.


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## Ezmerelda

I've been preparing for unemployment.

And since the last pay check comes next week, I guess what I've been preparing for is here.


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## goshengirl

Ezmerelda said:


> I've been preparing for unemployment.
> 
> And since the last pay check comes next week, I guess what I've been preparing for is here.


So sorry, Ezmerelda. I'll be praying for that other door to open...


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## BillM

*Don't worry!*



Ezmerelda said:


> I've been preparing for unemployment.
> 
> And since the last pay check comes next week, I guess what I've been preparing for is here.


Employment is way over rated ! :beercheer:


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## Ezmerelda

goshengirl said:


> So sorry, Ezmerelda. I'll be praying for that other door to open...


Thank you very much. Your prayers are much appreciated.


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## Ezmerelda

BillM said:


> Employment is way over rated ! :beercheer:


Thanks, Bill, you made me laugh!


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## ReconCraftTheta

*Dun dun dun*

Friends and I are looking at a global scale, as well. More or less nuclear war, invasion by either foreign or domestic threats.


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## DJgang

Hopetobeready said:


> We live in SE Tennessee and I understand we have an earthquake fault running the length of the state. Of course we just had some significant tornado action here a week ago so am mostly preparing for long term power outages, high water, etc. We also have a nuclear plant near us in Chattanooga. So whatever happens, just trying to be prepared.


you had about two earthquakes about a month ago...

I saw them here. 
Latest Earthquakes in the World - Past 7 days

noticed them because I live on Alabama. I think they were 2.something...


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## kejmack

I have prepared for the Zombie Apocolypse, hurricanes, civil unrest, economic collapse, the pole shift, oh, and the DROUGHT. Apparently it has stopped raining for good here in Texas. While the rest of the country is drowning....we are parched.


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## Jimmy24

kejmack said:


> I have prepared for the Zombie Apocolypse, hurricanes, civil unrest, economic collapse, the pole shift, oh, and the DROUGHT. Apparently it has stopped raining for good here in Texas. While the rest of the country is drowning....we are parched.


Nope, south Louisiana, south Mississippi, south Alabama are in a drought situation. We had 1/4 about 10 days ago. It was the first here since March 29th. Suppose to have a slight chance tomorrow thru Friday.

Very dry and already 90+ in our area.

Jimmy


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## sailaway

Today where I live, I think I am more interested in civil unrest. There are more people in my town who have less. We just had our first police officer ever on our force shot and killed in the line of duty. The moral fabric of our society seems to be decaying.


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## Centraltn

I'm with Harley. I think that all will begin with a huge power outtage, likely to be caused by a solar CME or class M flare, so I'm pretty prepped to withstand an extended period of time without power, without grocery stores, drug stores etc. Corse this instance will only make the food shortage worsen and everything will go downhill rapidly from that point


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## BillS

*Economic meltdown*



Jack said:


> I'm wondering what people are preparing for ?
> what do you or are you preparing for ??


I'm preparing for an economic meltdown. Food inflation is definitely coming because global food stocks are low and global harvests aren't going to be very good this year.

I expect gas prices to go up, the stock market to tank, and the economy to crash. I expect hyperinflation to become a serious problem.


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## Centraltn

> People people people. If something nasty happens on a large scale, such as a massive, longterm power outage, we (we are in the boondocks) can handle that. But PEOPLE....desperate, hungry people swarming from the cities would be THE major threat. Without out power, city folks have no heat, no lights, no way to cook, no water, no gasoline, the stores would be looted clean and very limited police protection. In other words, most city dwellers are about 1 week away from outright anarchy and cannibilism. Those who can get out, will, but they will not be prepared.


I couldn't agree more horseman! You got it! It won't take much.. and it won't take long.. for the masses to pour out of the city, hungry, desperate and mean. Where I live- I'm SO far out and remote, the first wave isn't likely to find us.. but the second probly will. Hopefully they will be more seasoned and calmer We have 1000 rounds of various cal. set aside if they arent. I can only pray it won't come to that.


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## baarf

Fetthunter said:


> As far as I know, he's right. Displacement is displacement. One cubic inch of ice will displace one cubic inch of water, etc. When the ice melts into water, the level does not rise, as the volume has already been displaced by the ice to begin with.
> 
> I think I'm thinking of that correctly... LOL


ice expands as it freezes, remember Macgyver?


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## RevWC

I will guess that 90% of the population has less than three days of food and water if a catastrophic event occurs. I am prepared to live close to a year if this occurs on stored food and have enough seeds and ammo to live a life time if not compromised by the unprepared!

_"A rooster crows only when it sees the light. Put him in the dark and he'll never crow. I have seen the light and I'm crowing." _


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## ram91648

It sounds to me like most are leaving one very important factor out of this equation. Most ice has a small percentage of air in it. As a result, the surface of the ice is not level with the water surface. Therefore, when the ice melts and the resulting liquid seeks its own level, the level of the surrounding water, the water level will rise. The water level will rise relative to the mass of the ice which is above the water level. Basic physics.


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## BillM

*Three forms of an element*



ram91648 said:


> It sounds to me like most are leaving one very important factor out of this equation. Most ice has a small percentage of air in it. As a result, the surface of the ice is not level with the water surface. Therefore, when the ice melts and the resulting liquid seeks its own level, the level of the surrounding water, the water level will rise. The water level will rise relative to the mass of the ice which is above the water level. Basic physics.


There are three forms of every element , solid , liquid and gas.

If you heat any element, there is a temperature wherein it will go from solid to liquid and if you continue to raise it's temperature it will boil off into a gas.

All elements react the same way to increasing their temperature and their displacement of space as the temperature rises.

Water (H2O) however breaks the rule of displacement of space in that it displaces a greater space as a solid than as a liquid.

This is why ice floats and allows life to exist on Earth.

If ice sank to the bottom of the lake, it would kill off the plankton and plants that grow there and the aquatic life would perish.

There would be no fish and life as we know it would not exist.

Only one element , breaks one rule of physics and life is possible.

All made possible by the perfect design of the Creator !


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## danerogers

RevWC said:


> I will guess that 90% of the population has less than three days of food and water if a catastrophic event occurs. I am prepared to live close to a year if this occurs on stored food and have enough seeds and ammo to live a life time if not compromised by the unprepared!
> 
> _"A rooster crows only when it sees the light. Put him in the dark and he'll never crow. I have seen the light and I'm crowing." _


Your "guess" is pretty close, but why not use DATA! Here is a quote from the Oregon chapter of the American Red Cross regarding the preparedness of Oregonians for the anticipated subduction zone earthquake (mirror image to Japan's) as presented to the Oregon state Senate April 20, 2011. "_17% of Oregonians are prepared to survive on their own for 72 hours._" The official goal of the Red Cross is that by 2020, "_90% of Oregonians are prepared to survive on their own in the days and weeks after a catastrophic earthquake and resulting tsunami event._" So why would the Red Cross and indeed, the Oregon state Senate (FEMA too at the federal level) be aligned with "survivalists" and "prep-ers"? (maybe they aren't really out to "get" us ) Again, from the Red Cross: "_Every prepared Oregonian represents an individual, a family or a household that will not be a victim. Every Oregonian that is not a victim will allow responders to focus on those who were not ready._"

By the way, my guess is you've never owned a rooster. Mine always crowed whenever they felt like it.


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## efbjr

*Future (food price) shock...*



BillS said:


> Food inflation is definitely coming because global food stocks are low and global harvests aren't going to be very good this year.


I just heard a report on NPR that due to the bad weather, floods, etc., that the corn crop is going to be much lower than expected. Expect a price increase in beef (and other meat products) of 7% and an overall increase of 8% on other food items. 

Where can I buy a LARGE bag of beans in the Providence area?  Got to keep the protein up...I already have the rice!


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## Lake Windsong

efbjr said:


> I just heard a report on NPR that due to the bad weather, floods, etc., that the corn crop is going to be much lower than expected. Expect a price increase in beef (and other meat products) of 7% and an overall increase of 8% on other food items.
> 
> Where can I buy a LARGE bag of beans in the Providence area?  Got to keep the protein up...I already have the rice!


Some online places have beans in 5 or 6 gallon buckets, inside mylar bags...reasonable prices but keep an eye on the shipping price differences between companies.


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## stayingthegame

corn crop comming in here. ears not a big as normal due to very dry conditions. other ares near here have been flooded. seems we either got water or got sun.


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## stayingthegame

also we are prepping for weather changes that cause food shortages and economic fallout of only being able to find low pay jobs. I only have to worry about 5 people maybe 7 (if daughter marries boyfriend.) He has a 2yo we get to call grand son). but he will bring good skills and a good back lol.


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## Centraltn

We are teetering on a very narrow edge, so it won't take much for all H___ to break lose. We only need the wind to blow in the wrong direction and our lives as they are right now- will fall apart like a house of cards. Those that have prepared will be less affected than those who havent and though things will continue to be available around the corner- or worse case, the govt will come with food and water. scenario: It took the govt almost 2 weeks to get ANYTHING to the folks when Hurricane Andrew went through. Some died as a result. The locals stayed up night after night protecting their homes and what goods they had from being taken by streetgangs that left the city for it.
Fact:
The US dollar is in danger of collapsing

The govt in all its wisdome has turned off the water for basically 1/2 our aggrucultural breadbasket to save a darter fish- or was it a snail this time.The banks tightenned down on lending so the farmers couldnt even get a loan to dig more wells and put in irrigation systems, so they had to defaullt and left the farms. Those farms lay fallow today. This cut agricultural food production for the US alone, to 1/2 what it was 4 yrs ago.There is a shortage, it is very real, it is reflected in the sometimes 40% rise in food prices that we are already seeing.There still are some growing food products, but most left are growing corn to make ethanol and being subsidized by the govt. 

The 2 most productive countries that grow wheat (the worlds manistay) are still in the throws of a terrible drought and entire productions have been lost and continue to be lost. Those countries are Russia and China. Not our best buddies, to begin with!

The fuel to bring whatever is left of our own food production has put some truckers out of business. Others just have to charge more and more as the fuel prices rise. There is another reason for food getting drastically more expensive. The way the prices are rising, only the rich will be able to purchase enough for their families and if the dollar fails (it's presently worth 73 cents of its value), even those will be in trouble.

All this is why we are teetering on collapse. NOW add the possabilty of any large scale disaster. An earthquake at New Madrid fault, one in the san andreas fault- "the big one". We get a really big solar storm that fries our electrical grid.. now no way to keep food cool.No way to get the food from the west coast to the east... atleast not quickly. Almost anything will make matters worse- OR cause total collapse.

Someone asked where to buy big bags of beans and stuff - I recommend CostCo, Sam's Club. A bulk food store or some of the places online where you can buy stuff already packed for you.. emergency essentials, nitro pak, lots of other emergency preparedness sites online. Look into them. They package dry food to last 20 yrs or better. You can do it yourself but its much more time consuming, also much cheaper. You can buy mylar bags and oxygen absorbers from those online sites and the 6 gallon (or 5 or 4 gal.. whatever you can afford) and buy the beans seperately at aforementioned stores and do it yourself. Its pretty easy.

If you own any land at all NOW is the time to put in as large a garden as you can.. and immediately learn how to dehydrate or learn to can foods. Don't forget to prepare water as well.. I think it's atleast 2 gallons a day per person for your family. Stash a few 5 gallon jugs of kerosene away and purchase plenty of kerosene lamps and candles. Always keep your car/truck topped off with gasoline and even store some if ya can.

Amass food, water, guns and ammo. Learn how to use those guns. Everyone in your family should be taught, if old enough. 


This will get you and yours through just about anything.

Any questions?


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## HarleyRider

At this moment, the biggest disaster I am preparing for is my stepdaughters Meat Loaf. Just went out and purchased a stomach pump.


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## Meerkat

Centraltn said:


> We are teetering on a very narrow edge, so it won't take much for all H___ to break lose. We only need the wind to blow in the wrong direction and our lives as they are right now- will fall apart like a house of cards. Those that have prepared will be less affected than those who havent and though things will continue to be available around the corner- or worse case, the govt will come with food and water. scenario: It took the govt almost 2 weeks to get ANYTHING to the folks when Hurricane Andrew went through. Some died as a result. The locals stayed up night after night protecting their homes and what goods they had from being taken by streetgangs that left the city for it.
> Fact:
> The US dollar is in danger of collapsing
> 
> The govt in all its wisdome has turned off the water for basically 1/2 our aggrucultural breadbasket to save a darter fish- or was it a snail this time.The banks tightenned down on lending so the farmers couldnt even get a loan to dig more wells and put in irrigation systems, so they had to defaullt and left the farms. Those farms lay fallow today. This cut agricultural food production for the US alone, to 1/2 what it was 4 yrs ago.There is a shortage, it is very real, it is reflected in the sometimes 40% rise in food prices that we are already seeing.There still are some growing food products, but most left are growing corn to make ethanol and being subsidized by the govt.
> 
> The 2 most productive countries that grow wheat (the worlds manistay) are still in the throws of a terrible drought and entire productions have been lost and continue to be lost. Those countries are Russia and China. Not our best buddies, to begin with!
> 
> The fuel to bring whatever is left of our own food production has put some truckers out of business. Others just have to charge more and more as the fuel prices rise. There is another reason for food getting drastically more expensive. The way the prices are rising, only the rich will be able to purchase enough for their families and if the dollar fails (it's presently worth 73 cents of its value), even those will be in trouble.
> 
> All this is why we are teetering on collapse. NOW add the possabilty of any large scale disaster. An earthquake at New Madrid fault, one in the san andreas fault- "the big one". We get a really big solar storm that fries our electrical grid.. now no way to keep food cool.No way to get the food from the west coast to the east... atleast not quickly. Almost anything will make matters worse- OR cause total collapse.
> 
> Someone asked where to buy big bags of beans and stuff - I recommend CostCo, Sam's Club. A bulk food store or some of the places online where you can buy stuff already packed for you.. emergency essentials, nitro pak, lots of other emergency preparedness sites online. Look into them. They package dry food to last 20 yrs or better. You can do it yourself but its much more time consuming, also much cheaper. You can buy mylar bags and oxygen absorbers from those online sites and the 6 gallon (or 5 or 4 gal.. whatever you can afford) and buy the beans seperately at aforementioned stores and do it yourself. Its pretty easy.
> 
> If you own any land at all NOW is the time to put in as large a garden as you can.. and immediately learn how to dehydrate or learn to can foods. Don't forget to prepare water as well.. I think it's atleast 2 gallons a day per person for your family. Stash a few 5 gallon jugs of kerosene away and purchase plenty of kerosene lamps and candles. Always keep your car/truck topped off with gasoline and even store some if ya can.
> 
> Amass food, water, guns and ammo. Learn how to use those guns. Everyone in your family should be taught, if old enough.
> 
> This will get you and yours through just about anything.
> 
> Any questions?


 Good advice.Too bad more are'nt preparing.


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## BillS

I'm preparing for hyperinflation that will lead to a complete collapse of our economy and government. When everything is a hundred times more expensive we won't have police, fire protection, water, or electricity.


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## ram91648

Exactly BillS. Most people aren't even thinking about what is about to happen to the economy. Soon the US dollar will be dropped as the world reserve currency and that will intensify the current spiral. Meerkat has it right. "Amass food, water, guns and ammo. Learn how to use those guns. Everyone in your family should be taught, if old enough." I also recommend freeze dried foods along with wet packed. At least one generator and fuel to run it. Remember, you don't run your generator continuously. You run it only when you "need" to like to cycle the refrigerator and freeze or to heat water for a shower or "whore's bath". Repair parts for electrical and plumbing. Go online and download instructions on some of those repairs that might need to be made and put a printed manual together for quick reference. Oil and transmission fluid for any vehicles you might have and that would be primary transportation. Also include a tire plugging kit to fix a flat tire and a small 12 volt air pump that works off the cigarette lighter in the car. I have one and they take longer but they work very well. Oh, and don't forget the replacement fuses for that car too. These are just a few things that you may not have thought of. Be well and God bless....


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## ram91648

*Food Storage and other stuff*

Well, today I added more shelf space to my store room. More space for food storage. I hope everyone is doing this. I'd hate to have to shoot one of my neighbors that might try to take what I have worked hard for and continue to work hard for to be prepared. Don't wait until the SHTF to prepare. The time to get prepared is not when you need to be prepared. Now to firearms. If you can stock lots of ammo all well and good but if you have the skills you might try reloading. Once you get set up, it's less expensive. I stock plenty of components for all my firearms and my ammo is always fresh. Cleaning tools for those firearms too. Next I'm going to wire the house (one receptacle per room) with a 1500 watt A/C inverter with two marine grade deep discharge recoverable batteries so that I can run minimal items like a lamp, TV or radio when the power is out and I don't want to run the generators. Of course when the power is on or I'm on one of the generators the batteries are recharged. When the power grid is normal, the batteries will remain on a maintenance charger. Have you thought much about medical supplies? You need more than band aids. A few of the items I stock are syringes, scalpels, suture kits, IV Lines with needles and catheters, a selection of IV fluids such as lactated ringers and .9% saline, Sam splints, gauze pads in a few sizes, surgical tape, antibiotic ointment, ace bandages, various surgical instruments, BP cuff, oral thermometer, opthalmic ointment, eye patches, various dental instruments, dental filling material both temporary and permanent and of course the good old standby band aids. A little injectable lidocaine is nice to have if you can get it. This just a small sampling of what you need to have on hand. This is nowhere near all that I keep on hand but it gives you a guide. Hey, how about strike anywhere matches? If I can help anyone with suppliers or more ideas, let me know. I have been working on this for about 12 years now and I'm still learning. By the way, along with the medical supplies, be sure you either have the training to use them (as I do) or you have someone handy to do what needs to be done. Military medic skills will do just fine. Be well, be safe and be prepared. God bless.


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## Norse

Everything< anything.


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## audioguru76

wildman800 said:


> I prepare for a nuclear event. By being prepared for the worst threat, I'm covered for all the more likely scenarios (hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, etc.)


i'm working towards this... if you prepare for the worst then the lesser events will be easily handled. Mostly in my area I'm expecting tornado, earthquake, maybe flood, or just crazy folks...


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## Ponce

"Be ready for all, and afraid of none"... Ponce


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## TrinityAquaponics

The concern I'd like to address first is the threat of hurricanes. Lost power for a couple of weeks a couple of years ago. No gas to be had for weeks. I was in no way prepared, but did just fine. I'd like to be more prepared should that happen again.
Once the most common threat is dealt with I'd like to be prepared for anything that could happen. One of my main concerns is that I live in one of the largest cities in the U.S.A. There are scenarios where being in an area with two million people when tshtf doesn't seem like it'd be good.


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## mikesolid

people, people....There is no need to panic about the whole "global warming melting the ice caps theory"

No need to worry unless you haven't seen "Waterworld".


I prepare more for some type of attack on America. Whether it's EMP, invasion, bombings, whichever. 
I live in the midwest. The only things we have to worry about nature-wise are tornadoes, hard winters and flooding. Luckily with the winters I have an understanding job that if I ever got snowed in, it wouldn't be a problem for me to take a few days off, and me and my fiance always have a little extra food in the house so. 
With flooding the biggest problem is the floodwater getting into and contaminating the drinking water. That I prepare for by just keeping every water bottle in the house filled up at ALL times (and I always have a case of unopened bottles as well)


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## kc5fm

*National Preparedness Month*



TrinityAquaponics said:


> I was in no way prepared, but did just fine. I'd like to be more prepared should that happen again.


Next month is National Preparedness Month.

There are lots of help from your local American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Emergency Management Office. Please reach out to one or all to ask them for information for your local area.

You will likely be seeing a lot of tips that will help you be more prepared. Locally, I am blogging a tip a week and shooting for a Tweet-Tip a day.

I am glad you are safe. I hope next emergency or disaster you are safe and prepared.


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## SunflowerGirl

I'm planning for longterm crisis. It doesn't matter if it is due to an asteroid or zombie pandemic.


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## oldvet

SunflowerGirl said:


> I'm planning for longterm crisis. It doesn't matter if it is due to an asteroid or zombie pandemic.


 Good on ya, keep on keeping on. No one can think of or plan for absolutely everything, but you are heading in the right direction. The more you can prepare for the better off you will be in any situation.:2thumb:


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## Clarice

I'm not happy with our security but not sure where to start. Our house is wood frame and only 50' from a state hwy. Our neighbors are close but not too close, like an acre or more away. I don't want to look like I have something that needs to be protected, but at the same time I want to feel safe. We do not have a fence at this time. Our community of 5 houses is in the middle of the prarire. In the daytime we can see for miles so would know if someone were sneaking up. Any advise?


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## Kevin108

Snow and hurricanes are my chosen prep scenarios. I've been building up my knowledge and skill set since 03 when Hurricane Isabel left my family without power or water for 19 days. We're much better prepared now.


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## Duke00x

*Apophis*

To the person that said it is not likely for an asteroid to hit the earth any time soon and that we know where they are, I have to bring up Apophis which why'll small and not really dangeres to use has come close and has a chance of hiting us and that it was unknown for a very long time even with the fact that it comes by use every ten years I think it is. and scientists find new ones everyday.


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## Meerkat

Duke00x said:


> To the person that said it is not likely for an asteroid to hit the earth any time soon and that we know where they are, I have to bring up Apophis which why'll small and not really dangeres to use has come close and has a chance of hiting us and that it was unknown for a very long time even with the fact that it comes by use every ten years I think it is. and scientists find new ones everyday.


 It will be global warming if it hits and Gore will say all our pollution sucked it into our atmosphere.At least soon after the ice caps he has used to make him richer will be back from the ice age it will cause later on.


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## BillM

*Build a fence of fear*



Clarice said:


> I'm not happy with our security but not sure where to start. Our house is wood frame and only 50' from a state hwy. Our neighbors are close but not too close, like an acre or more away. I don't want to look like I have something that needs to be protected, but at the same time I want to feel safe. We do not have a fence at this time. Our community of 5 houses is in the middle of the prarire. In the daytime we can see for miles so would know if someone were sneaking up. Any advise?


You need a psychological barrier to keep strangers from approaching your residence if TSHTF.

Put a sign on the front door that says something like, " HAZARD Active HIV Patient, Blood Born Pathogen Protection Required ". You can compliment this with a couple of those red biological hazard bags, left on the porch, with some bloody bandages and needles, overflowing. Anyone just looking for a handout or to home invade will pass you by to look for less dangerous pickings.

:goodluck:


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## oldvet

Clarice said:


> I'm not happy with our security but not sure where to start. Our house is wood frame and only 50' from a state hwy. Our neighbors are close but not too close, like an acre or more away. I don't want to look like I have something that needs to be protected, but at the same time I want to feel safe. We do not have a fence at this time. Our community of 5 houses is in the middle of the prarire. In the daytime we can see for miles so would know if someone were sneaking up. Any advise?


Clarice:

Without actually seeing your property's layout, that is not an easy question to answer. One suggestion would be to put in tangle foot, traps, or anything that could slow down or even injure an attacker or attackers. You could construct some type of small fortification on each side of your house that would give you a good field of fire and that you could man in case of attack.

I don't mean for you to get in your fortification and fight to the death. This should be used as a slowing tactic until you and your family can bug out and get to your cache, as I said in another post don't develope the "bunker mentality" have a "rabbit hole" planned out and a rally point designated.

Use the fact that you can see someone a long way off to your advantage. Use the time that will give you to impliment your defensive or bug out plan. In a SHTF situation keep someone in a LP/OP that has a good view of your community.

Put yourself in the 'bad guy's" place and take a look at your small community through the eyes of someone that is planning to attack. Try to logically see all avenues of approach and where you would come in from and where or what you would hit first.

Remember that there is no shame in buging out and living to fight another day and being able possibly retake your property.


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## Clarice

Thanks for the advise, Oldvet. I have been concerned about this problem for a while, but here lately it has moved to the top of the list. I just have this nagging feeling.


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## oldvet

Clarice said:


> Thanks for the advise, Oldvet. I have been concerned about this problem for a while, but here lately it has moved to the top of the list. I just have this nagging feeling.


Clarice:

you are not alone in having that nagging feeling, "knock on wood". I have a really bad feeling that civil unrest is right around the corner.

If that happens I truly believe we will be facing untrained and unorganized mobs of the "want something for nothing" types. If that is the case the ones of us who have prepaired and trained will definitely have the upper hand. Keep in mind tho that you could be facing literally hundreds of these types, and in that case I would strongly suggest having that fortified position with plenty of fire power and a good supply of ammunition.

On the other hand if we are facing "gang bangers" we will have a more serious problem. A lot of the gangs have had tactical training thanks to the fact that quite a lot of their members have served in the military and have trained other members.

There is no way that anyone can plan for absolutely every contingency, all I can say is do the best you can with what funds you have and with what time is left us.

Well after laying out all of my doom and gloom worries, don't let it get you down. We have just as good of a chance that the very things that we are prepping for will not happen.

I don't know how you or anyone else on this forum feels about the existence of GOD, but I personally believe in the Lord and pray to him that our fears do not come to pass.

I just hope and pray that the Lord has not forsaken this Country and is still willing to stand by his faithfull. If this upsets or insults anyone that dosen't believe in Jesus Christ as being the "Son of God" then all I can say is, we are all entitled to our own beliefs without bashing one another because of what we believe.


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## goshengirl

Clarice, I'll bet that nagging feeling is a gift.  I firmly believe that when something's placed on your heart, there's a reason for it. I don't mean that in a gloom and doom sense - just that a nagging feeling is God's way (or your gods' way, or your Higher Power's way) of letting you know what you need to work on next. 

Always good to listen to the big guy.


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## oldvet

goshengirl said:


> Clarice, I'll bet that nagging feeling is a gift.  I firmly believe that when something's placed on your heart, there's a reason for it. I don't mean that in a gloom and doom sense - just that a nagging feeling is God's way (or your gods' way, or your Higher Power's way) of letting you know what you need to work on next.
> 
> Always good to listen to the big guy.


Yep and Amen.:2thumb:


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## BillS

Clarice said:


> I'm not happy with our security but not sure where to start. Our house is wood frame and only 50' from a state hwy. Our neighbors are close but not too close, like an acre or more away. I don't want to look like I have something that needs to be protected, but at the same time I want to feel safe. We do not have a fence at this time. Our community of 5 houses is in the middle of the prarire. In the daytime we can see for miles so would know if someone were sneaking up. Any advise?


It might be a good idea to get some aged plywood to put over your windows when a collapse is imminent. Get some trash to scatter over the yard: empty bottles, cans, newspapers, and catalogs. Try to make your place look like nobody lives there. Get a "For Sale" sign to put in the front yard. When gasoline gets expensive you'll probably stop cutting your grass anyway. Save up your junk mail. After the collapse fill up your mail box with it. Put a note on your outside door that says, "Come to our house, signed, Uncle Steve." After the collapse move your vehicles a few blocks down the road so people think nobody lives in your house.


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## BillS

Duke00x said:


> To the person that said it is not likely for an asteroid to hit the earth any time soon and that we know where they are, I have to bring up Apophis which why'll small and not really dangeres to use has come close and has a chance of hiting us and that it was unknown for a very long time even with the fact that it comes by use every ten years I think it is. and scientists find new ones everyday.


You would prepare for an asteroid collision the same way a lot of people are preparing for hyperinflation and a collapse of society: you'd need food, water, guns, ammo, a way to heat your house and cook your food, and ways to grow food and hunt food.


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## Clarice

Thanks guys for all the advise. I do believe in God and do believe He lays it on my heart to be prepared. That is what started us prepping before I even knew their was others doing it and then I found you guys and realized I wasn't alone. I pray daily for God to lead us they way He wants us to go in our lives. DH and I have already talked about making our place look unoccupied and have some old clothes put back 2 sizes too big to wear so we look like we aren't getting enough to eat. I like the idea of the trip wires, as I stated before during the day we can see for miles, but at night it is very dark out here so some trip wires with maybe some type of noise makers on them would give us some warning.


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## ram91648

Hey "Oldvet"..... It's nice to see that there are still those of us who know that there are powers beyond ourselves having control. I hear so many that say, "I have faith in God and he'll take care of me". Those folks need to read James 2:17 and verses before and after. Faith is a necessity but, we need to have "works" to not only bring faith to others but, also to demonstrate our faith by jumping right in with both feet to stand strong in it. God commands us to prepare for hard times and to be willing to take that step out of a safe zone knowing he will show us how to be safe. He gives us the intelligence and knowledge to be prepared. We owe it to him, ouselves and those we love to use those skills. We are much, much closer to the time we'll need those survival skills than many people realize or are willing to admit. May God bless you all..........


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## oldvet

ram91648 said:


> Hey "Oldvet"..... It's nice to see that there are still those of us who know that there are powers beyond ourselves having control. I hear so many that say, "I have faith in God and he'll take care of me". Those folks need to read James 2:17 and verses before and after. Faith is a necessity but, we need to have "works" to not only bring faith to others but, also to demonstrate our faith by jumping right in with both feet to stand strong in it. God commands us to prepare for hard times and to be willing to take that step out of a safe zone knowing he will show us how to be safe. He gives us the intelligence and knowledge to be prepared. We owe it to him, ouselves and those we love to use those skills. We are much, much closer to the time we'll need those survival skills than many people realize or are willing to admit. May God bless you all..........


Amen to your post.

I do believe that the vast majority of the folks posting on here believe in the Lord.

In my feeble mind, I believe as you, we are not to forsake the lord, curse him, loose faith in him or expect him to give us what we need to survive in a bad situation. He has given us the ability to fend for ourselves, by using the intelect and common sense that he has blessed us with.

The Lord will do what works he intends to do with this Country of ours in his on time, not ours.

I do have a strong feeling that the Lord is not very happy with this Nation of ours and it will not surprise me if He knocks this Country to it's knee's and waits to see which way we will go. Will the Christians of this Nation keep the faith or blame God and forsake Him.

I can only speak for myself and my family when I say that there is nothing that anyone can say or do to make me forsake the Lord or stop believing in him.

Sorry for the ramble, but it is the way I feel and believe.


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## Clarice

God says He will supply our needs not our wants.


----------



## oldvet

Clarice said:


> God says He will supply our needs not our wants.


Amen to that.

More folks need to realize that very thing.

Like I said earlier I believe that he has provided quite a bit of what we might need in the future by giving us the ability to think and plan for ourselves. Of course praying for continued guidance can't hurt.:2thumb:


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## BillM

*God's promise*



ram91648 said:


> Hey "Oldvet"..... It's nice to see that there are still those of us who know that there are powers beyond ourselves having control. I hear so many that say, "I have faith in God and he'll take care of me". Those folks need to read James 2:17 and verses before and after. Faith is a necessity but, we need to have "works" to not only bring faith to others but, also to demonstrate our faith by jumping right in with both feet to stand strong in it. God commands us to prepare for hard times and to be willing to take that step out of a safe zone knowing he will show us how to be safe. He gives us the intelligence and knowledge to be prepared. We owe it to him, ouselves and those we love to use those skills. We are much, much closer to the time we'll need those survival skills than many people realize or are willing to admit. May God bless you all..........


When God saved my soul, he more than kept his promise to me.

Every thing else is up to me to do for myself !


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## BillS

Clarice said:


> God says He will supply our needs not our wants.


God provides the resources so we can be wise and take care of ourselves. Some people think that prepping shows a lack of faith in God but that's not true at all.


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## oldvet

BillS said:


> God provides the resources so we can be wise and take care of ourselves. Some people think that prepping shows a lack of faith in God but that's not true at all.


That my friend is a very true statement, and amen to it. :thankyou:


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## Meerkat

God is real just hope we find this out in this life rather the the next one. So many have left the faith.
I know I have managed to upset most here one way or the other with my politics or religian,but yall are a bunch of good people,imo.


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## Homegrowngirl

Just being prepared mostly. The economy isn't doing so well, people are still being laid off from their jobs and prices are still on the rise. No job is safe as far as I am concerned. Weather and climate changes, nothing seems to be normal for the last couple of years, winters are longer, summers are cooler. Then I will be surprised if there is any kind of social security when I reach the age to draw on it. I have no real retirement, no matter how much I save something always happens where I need to draw my money out. And the way the stock market keeps jumping around, my 401K from work will not be worth much.


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## VUnder

Everything will be fine and rock right along and get progressively worse. All will be tolerable until the day transportation stops. Then, things will change for the worse.


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## VUnder

When people lose everything they have, and have nothing to lose, they really lose it.


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## island1

Things I'm prepping for now at this time period:

1. Economic collapse from the dollar- trying to bring my food stores up to 3 months based on my current income. Payoff my major debt ( mortgage and equity loan). Hopefully find more cash with another PT job to extend food storage. Buy more silver.

2. Bad weather- last 2 years we had more snow than past years, again food stores are the key to keeep any more unnecessary traveling last minute and dealing with the "snowmageddon" masses at the grocery store

3. Defending my home should the economy dives to the seafloor- training once a month to develop muscle memory with my various firearms.
Also need to check on ammo supply minimums....

Anything else is knowledge gain from this ( and other sites) to keep me prepping and motivated. :usaflag:


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## BillS

island1 said:


> Things I'm prepping for now at this time period:
> 
> 1. Economic collapse from the dollar- trying to bring my food stores up to 3 months based on my current income. Payoff my major debt ( mortgage and equity loan). Hopefully find more cash with another PT job to extend food storage. Buy more silver.
> 
> 2. Bad weather- last 2 years we had more snow than past years, again food stores are the key to keeep any more unnecessary traveling last minute and dealing with the "snowmageddon" masses at the grocery store
> 
> 3. Defending my home should the economy dives to the seafloor- training once a month to develop muscle memory with my various firearms.
> Also need to check on ammo supply minimums....
> 
> Anything else is knowledge gain from this ( and other sites) to keep me prepping and motivated. :usaflag:


If it was me, I'd be more concerned with the preps and less concerned about the debt. I think you need a year's supply of food ASAP. Maybe I'm just paranoid but with the EU banking troubles we could find out next week that the Federal Reserve is about to pump $5 trillion into the European banking system.


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## island1

*@ BillS*

I agree with you I should work up to a year's supply of food.

Unfortunately, my current job can be eliminated any dang time, so 3 months is a start for me, and slooowly build from there.

As far as preps ( equipment,etc....) I'm set. Most of my preps are those from my backpacking days and newer equipment purchased the last few years.

The only advantange for me regarding food is that there is only me , myself, and I - no other. That helps in my food purchase and keeps the budget on schedule and tight.

Just have to "MacGyver" my preps as I move along.....!


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## ram91648

BillS.... Sounds like you have a good start. I understand your dilema with the income issue and the need to prep. I haven't had full time work in over 4 years and I'll be 63 years old on 9-16-11. Fotunately and with God at my side, I have about 8 months storage and working on it constantly. I store wet packed, dry goods, dehydrated and freeze dried. So far, so good. I have even managed to store supplies for my pets. After all, they deserve a chance too. You mentioned ammo supply. I reload and keep plenty of components as well as factory and reloaded ammo on hand. If you want a great place to buy factory ammo, try Bulk Ammo. I buy from them when I can and haven't been disappointed yet. Their prices are phenominal. Not long ago I bought some 12 guage OO buckshot for $5.50 for 10 rounds. Hard to beat. Anyhoo.... Good luck with your prepping and God bless...


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## Duke00x

@bills: I was peplying to someone else's post about us knowing where everything is in space so there is no threat by showing atleast one case where we didn't know something was there even though it comes by us every 20 years or less. As to how to prepare, My plane if I can ever do it should be good for anything (short of the whold planit blowing up) that may happen.


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## Nadja

I honestly think that at least this country if not the entire worlds economy is about to collapse and very soon. The implications of that are so far reaching that I would bet you all that almost 95% of the people here have not a clue as to how bad it really would be. People would take their credit/debit cards to the nearest grocery store , only to find out that they would not be honored at all. Cash ? most likely for about 3 days or so, until they found out it would no longer be any good. Gold ? Ok, look at it this way, suppose I announce that I would be selling staples of flour, oats, wheat etc. You bring me a 1oz round of gold. I would laugh at you and send you on your way with your little goldie thingies still in your pocket. They are really tough to chew and even worse to swallow. 

The only things I would accept would be things that I needed to survive or trade for even better things. In other words, IF the economy were to collapse which I do believe will happen, I would not be willing to accept any form of money, including gold, silver, checks, credit or debit cards or even I.O.U's. I bet you , that within a couple of days, anyone with extra anything would be the same way. It would become a barter only country. Your fresh fish for my extra pork sides or beef. 

Guess to sum it all up, you may be better advised to stockpile extras of anything you can trade to other people in the same position.


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## oldvet

Nadja said:


> I honestly think that at least this country if not the entire worlds economy is about to collapse and very soon. The implications of that are so far reaching that I would bet you all that almost 95% of the people here have not a clue as to how bad it really would be. People would take their credit/debit cards to the nearest grocery store , only to find out that they would not be honored at all. Cash ? most likely for about 3 days or so, until they found out it would no longer be any good. Gold ? Ok, look at it this way, suppose I announce that I would be selling staples of flour, oats, wheat etc. You bring me a 1oz round of gold. I would laugh at you and send you on your way with your little goldie thingies still in your pocket. They are really tough to chew and even worse to swallow.
> 
> The only things I would accept would be things that I needed to survive or trade for even better things. In other words, IF the economy were to collapse which I do believe will happen, I would not be willing to accept any form of money, including gold, silver, checks, credit or debit cards or even I.O.U's. I bet you , that within a couple of days, anyone with extra anything would be the same way. It would become a barter only country. Your fresh fish for my extra pork sides or beef.
> 
> Guess to sum it all up, you may be better advised to stockpile extras of anything you can trade to other people in the same position.


Excellent point. :2thumb: That is exactly what our small group has been doing. We will not barter guns, ammunition, or anything that could be used against us at a later date.

In addition to our normal prepping and stocking, we are laying in extra 1/2 pints of everclear & jim beam, coffee, tobacco, salt, sugar, honey and a few other essentials that folks will want and will be willing to barter for.

I do have a small amount of silver and silver coins, but that will be kept back until such time (if ever) that we return to a monitary system.


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## Nadja

Can you imagine what a 1lb vacum sealed of rice or beans would be worth ? Now imagine a 50 gal barrel full of those little bags of rice and beans ? If I were a drinker, which I'm not, I could build a still and be making hootch in a matter of weeks should the need arise. What I would need would be corn, sugar and a couple of other small things. Now Imagine what a barrel of sugar in vacum bags and or corn worth ? Another thing that everybody could store and would be worth their weight in bullets would be garden vegie seeds. 

Back during the Calif Gold Rush, thousand of men made their way out to the rugged mtns of Calif to find their fortune. One man, having gone broke trying to find gold, decided to supply the miners with something to help them out by moving more dirt then they could carry in their old oak buckets. He sat down and thought about it and invented a neat little thing with a wheel and two handles and called it " a wheelbarrow" Well, he sold them faster then hotcakes. He soon had to hire people to help him make them as fast as people could get to him with their gold. When he left calif after the rush was pretty much over, he moved to mich. and opened up a little company there, 

He called it " Studeabaker" Maybe some of you have heard of it. Made a lot of cars for a lot of years. Just goes to show, you that most times a good thinker will always do better then the average doer


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## kejmack

Nadja said:


> Can you imagine what a 1lb vacum sealed of rice or beans would be worth ?


Lately, my preps have included making 1# bags of rice, beans, sugar, etc. I am also making little bottles of shampoo, dish soap, etc. I plan to use them to barter. Like some of the others on the list, I don't trust gold or any precious metals. In post-war Germany, food was currency. In a total economic collapse, I think we will see a repeat of this.


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## Nadja

Starting next month, when it gets to cold to be working outside much, I will be putting up a lot more rice, beans, speggetti, sugar, flour, salt etc. I also buy the packages of chili fixens, and put the complete packages in vacum sealed bags. Lots of things that would make very good desirable barter items. Nothing ever happens, you have a lot of things to live on for a very long time.


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## jerodjacks

economic collapse


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## bananagoatgruff

you guys are right to prepare, but as to what for. I fear the govt that fears its people. folks this taco stand has a negative 65 trillion dollar networth. That is 65 - 115 trillion dollars of unfunded liabilities of our federal govt - thats u and me. the govt will default as soon as the fed prints enough money to cause inflation. i doubt we will ever get to hypher inflation just 10% acknowledged inflation rate will take most small businesses down, and then we will see martial law. I could be wrong it could be something else that causes martial law, today you have news stories advocating war and retaliation from iran, who knows. Martial Law will come, it will be ugly for those who are near the metropolitan centers. it could be as equally bad for those in rural areas. there are so many executive orders on the books now, they can take your firearms, food, farm land, businesses, whatever they want. can't imagine why they would want all that stuff, seems like they will want some people to be self sufficient while they sort out the mess. none-the-less, prepare, have back up plans, caches of goods. pray 2 chron 7:14 if you are of the mind. it may be our only hope.


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## mojo4

IMHO our main concerns in order....financial collapse. What happens when nobody wants our debt and inflation skyrockets and you can't afford gas and food.
CME - the sun shows us who's running things and time to see what 1882 was like. Got mule?
Political strife - I've never seen the country so split. Its like 300 million people all at each others throats. If a massive civil unrest broke out would you be suprised? Its like everyone is ready to hit the mattresses instead of working together.
This is just my .02 and pray for peace but prepare for the worst.


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## tarabird224

*Disasters?*

So, what types of disasters are you preparing for? What types do you think are most likely? And what are you doing about it?


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## Zanazaz

Well, I had a response all typed up, and I hit the backspace key, and it for some reason it went back to the post, and I lost it. It does that sometimes...

To answer your question, everyone's going to have different answers. It mainly depends on your location, if you're on a coast prone to hurricanes you prep for hurricanes. In California you should prep and plan for what you will do in and after an earthquake. The most likely events are inclement weather, which can be something of a disaster if you're not prepared. The potential list is long, financial meltdown, civil unrest, terrorism, etc. Any of these can and will probably cause a cascading failure of the system. It's also called the domino effect. Look at Hurricane Katrina, and the recent Japanese earthquake, which in my opinion were cascading failures.

The most basic things you can do are store food and water. Do a threat assessment for your area, and make plans. After you cover the basics, then you could start on what I call "broad spectrum" preps. It's all about lessening the impact that any emergency or disaster will have on you and your family. Take everything one step at a time, otherwise it can be overwhelming. Read the forum, and ask questions.

Everyone's situation is different. You need to prep for what you feel may happen. I don't know your level of skill or knowledge when it comes to prepping, but if you're a newbie, this is a good place to start.


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## BillM

*Any thing*

Anything that stops the trucks from running for more than a two weeks, nation wide, will trigger anachy .

The disruption of the supply of food fuel and other basics will leave the masses broke and hungry.

It could be a natural disaster , a man made disaster or an economic disaster, the effect will be the same.


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## gypsysue

What am _*I*_ personally preparing for? Primarily economic depression or collapse, either domestically or world-wide. I'm preparing for that by making sure I can perpetuate my food supply through gardening, small livestock, foraging, fishing, and hunting.

Solar activity could cause some glitches and even shut things down, so I keep that in mind. The biggest affect that would have for us is loss of internet. Transportation and electricity aren't issues for us, so I guess we're not doing anything special to prepare for that, even though losing the internet would cut us off from a lot of important things like our 'family' here on the forum.

There's a whole stew pot of other possibilities, but much of preparedness crosses over many lines.


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## BillS

I'm preparing for economic collapse. I believe it will be triggered by Greece defaulting. It won't happen the next day but after Greece defaults a lot of other dominoes will start to fall. I think we'll see the end of the dollar as the world's reserve currency, hyperinflation, and the death of the dollar. I believe we'll see electricity go out across America. Gas will get so expensive nobody can buy it and food will no longer be transported across the country. All levels of government will go bankrupt. We'll see complete anarchy. I don't know how America will avoid losing 90% or more of its population. America is like the Titanic 15 minutes before it hit the iceberg: everything appears normal but in a short time life will never be the same.


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## md1911

Imho flexebility is the key to survival. Prepare a little for as many differrent disasters as you can and keep yourself in a position to flow with the punches. Adapt or die.


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## gypsysue

BillS said:


> I'm preparing for economic collapse. I believe it will be triggered by Greece defaulting. It won't happen the next day but after Greece defaults a lot of other dominoes will start to fall.


If you're right, we'll have time to use whatever resources we have left to make last-minute purchases while the sheeple are still in denial.

md1911, you're right, adapt or die. The sad thing is so many people are trying hard to be prepared to be able keep life just the way it is now. As our administrator, Naekid, said last year... we have to be willing to let go of the way life was and adapt to what life becomes.


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## md1911

Another thought. Small family size groups are more vulnerable to attack than larger groups say 30 adults. To many and it would be nearly impossible to feed. With the concerns of opsec it could be very difucult to help and or communicat with other like minded people. In the event theirs no internet. Any thoughts on how to rebuild. Trust of your fellow man will be at a low point


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## VUnder

Look at all the good movies. Those movies were researched thoroughly. Road Warrior, Postman, they seemed to build walled cities. Defensible positions and strongholds. Everybody was assigned a battle station. In the old days, a castles walls were sometimes a hundred feet thick. Some of the Knights Templar positions had walls thicker than that. It was a brutal world that we cannot comprehend. A castle in Wales was under siege for over seven years. Imagine how that was. I think we will go back to that if everything collapses. The army that invades you will stay as long as they want. You will not even be able to survive in a large village because you will be burned out, trying to put your pitchforks up against arrows and swords. I taught myself how to make a gun from scratch. Learn how to make gunpowder. You won't be able to make cartridges, but an old single shot musket is better than nothing, after all the modern guns are gone. We have to be the ones that carry this information on through the dark days to come. Keep your people learned in reading and math.


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## md1911

A seige only works if your entire force is trapped inside. Also why would u plan on using pitchforks?


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## ram91648

*It Takes Time*

Preparing for what is about to come is not an overnight exercise. It takes time, concentration and research. I have been prepping for about 15 years now and I still have things to do. If you happen to have extensive monetary resources you could probably do it in a few months and only if you have the appropriate information. Check out Ark Two at http://www.webpal.org/ and see what can be done with time, money and plenty of hands involved. I am a member and believe me Mr. Beach keeps you up to date on the worlds activities. We need to keep tabs on more than just what is happening here in the U.S. Keep in mind that we live under the rule of the most corrupt government on the planet and they will skew anything and everything to keep us in the dark. Just look at the unemployment numbers. What the government tells us is so far from the facts it's pitiful. I, for one, am unemployed and I'm not included in any of their numbers. Anyway, I could go on ad infinitum about our non-leaders. Keep prepping and God bless.


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## bubbaphx2

I'm preparing for:

1. short term - weather related disasters.

2. Economic collapse, resulting in a worthless dollar and the social collapse that will be sure to follow shortly there after. Including looting by people just trying to survive and worse gangs and groups of people trying to take advantage of the lawlessness that will be there at the time. Police, fireman, even the military will want to protect their own families and without pay they will quickly abandon their positions.

I, like alot of people, hope this never happens. But I would like to be prepared for it. I am just getting started on preparing and I'm on a budget and affraid I have gotten a late start at it. I just hope I have the time to get better prepared.[/SIZE][/FONT]


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## bubbaphx2

*I agree*



bananagoatgruff said:


> you guys are right to prepare, but as to what for. I fear the govt that fears its people. folks this taco stand has a negative 65 trillion dollar networth. That is 65 - 115 trillion dollars of unfunded liabilities of our federal govt - thats u and me. the govt will default as soon as the fed prints enough money to cause inflation. i doubt we will ever get to hypher inflation just 10% acknowledged inflation rate will take most small businesses down, and then we will see martial law. I could be wrong it could be something else that causes martial law, today you have news stories advocating war and retaliation from iran, who knows. Martial Law will come, it will be ugly for those who are near the metropolitan centers. it could be as equally bad for those in rural areas. there are so many executive orders on the books now, they can take your firearms, food, farm land, businesses, whatever they want. can't imagine why they would want all that stuff, seems like they will want some people to be self sufficient while they sort out the mess. none-the-less, prepare, have back up plans, caches of goods. pray 2 chron 7:14 if you are of the mind. it may be our only hope.


I agree totally. Their are elements in the government that would love to see a situation that would allow them to install marshall law and suspend the constitution. All we can hope for is that there is enough people prepared to resist and that enough law enforcement and military personnel take their oaths to defend the constitution seriously and refuse to follow unlawful orders. I for one will be one of those Military members.


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## Veldro

Ineffable Aces said:


> I am prepared for zombies, mutants, and aliens. With the current political climate now on the radar, I am forced to be prepare for socialists and the new SS-KGB types that appear to be just around the bend. Reminds me. I need more ammo.


Agreed! Good to prepare for anything (even if it is an unlikely event).


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## blackwolf

guyfour said:


> Are you sure, sometimes if I have ice in a cup and it melts the cup can overflow if it's near the top...


The reason for that phenomenon is the fact that water is the only substance that expands when it freezes. The amount of ice that shows above the water is a very small in comparison with the amount that is submerged below the water level. Like the old saying just the tip of the iceberg. The expanded volume of the water in the form of ice under the surface is greater than the amount that shows on the top.


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## turkeydog

Collapse of socieity for any reason...financial meltdown (super depression), emp attack, next revolution/governmental collapse, nuclear accident upwind. these are my big four worries.


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## alaskadad

I am a newbie but I am a life long Democratic fear our government. Not socialist just financial melt down. I am a vet who live off my disability and retirement so if the government. Goes down so do I and my family. I will not let that happen


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## bahramthered

removed by author


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## micapurewater

a natural disaster and/or "man made" ...been watching a lot of discovery channel lately...the info is staggering!
r u prepared? check out this cute pic! http://watersourcesolved.com/


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## Ssmith67

Lots of interesting reasons for prepping, I am prepping more for natural disasters, being from California we tend to have our share of earthquakes.. My lesson was learned right after the Loma Prieta quake back in 89. I have a good weapons arsenal and ammunition supply but need to learn the basics for food selection and other survival type supplies.


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## GaryS

I'm preparing for a situation where I can't hop in the van and make a trip to Walmart for a package of hamburger, or a gallon of milk. I'm planning for a time my retirement check won't be waiting in my bank account when I want to write a check. I'm stocking a few pairs of Wranglers for the time I can't get on the Internet to order replacements for my tattered ones. I'm adding some rice and beans to my pantry so I won't become a burden or a threat to others if the truckers can't bring the farmer's goods to market. I've even stocked up on extra cans of freeze dried chili-mac, in case the Marine vet next door needs help feeding his three little girls in tough times. And yes, I'm equipped to defend my little cache from the lefties and the leeches who will learn too late that the government they adore will not be there to take care of them when they most need it.

I'm not preparing for years of living like a rat in a hole, eating bugs and carrion while in constant fear of being discovered and attacked by inhuman predators. Survival is important, but not that important to me. 

Depending on age and situation, we all draw our line somewhere. Life is precious, but without a light at the end of the tunnel, it's not worth returning to prehistoric conditions simply to keep breathing. I can't say where that line is for me, but I'll know when I get there and then I'll decide the next step...if it hasn't already been decided for me. If I go, it will be with the satisfaction of knowing I did the best I could with what I had.


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## bananagoatgruff

I am preparing for the unexpected which would be natural disaster, and the inevitable which is man made disaster - not sure which will be first but I am sure there will be one.


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## ram91648

*GaryS*....At last, a comment that makes sense and is very logical. I wish you were my next door neighbor. I too am a survivor, not a survivalist. I will use my intellect to make life the best I can in an emergency whether it be short or long. I also will do what I can to help my neighbors live a more stable life while I can. If we all would adjust our thinking to the good of the community, no one would have to eat bugs and live on a hole. Remember, those who beat their swords in to plow shares and their spears in to pruning hooks, will be plowing and pruning for those who do not. Prepare "NOW". God bless...........


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## Halyna

1 economic collapse. From this comes civil unrest, then scarce food, water and fuels
2 natural disaster. In my area quakes severe hot and/or severe cold
3 war, invasion, martial law, nuclear attacks


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## JayJay

I don't think like most--so seed blight.
This isn't just one crop blight---what if it affected ALL seeds--flowers, vegetables, all farmer's crops that feed livestock!!!


If it happens to one sometimes, why couldn't it happen to all?
With Monsanto and their 'don't care' attitude, it is a possibility.

I just read labs are testing soil sprayed with Roundup over and over and the soil is depleted of minerals.

Think about that folks!


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## Woody

As I recall it does not deplete them it locks them up so they are not available for plants to use. Remember Monsatan used to advertise that roundup was bio-degradable and gone in 30 days? They don’t say that anymore because it isn’t!!

There was an article today that Monsatan is going to sue Vermont if they pass legislation to require GMO labeling on GMO products. If GMO was as good as they say it is I would think they would be happy about this.


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## dragon5126

bkt said:


> Dealing with alarmists. That's my primary concern.


This is indeed the biggest issue we face. Not only will it be a major problem, it IS CURRENTLY an issue going on right now. We have so many conspiracies being thrown about that are so inane and unfounded, it's pathetic. Most of them are scientifically impossible, and all of them totally improbable. Without exception, they all involve distruction of the things the {otherside} would want, so the idea of them setting up some nation andworld wide conspiracy to get it would not happen as the resources expended would be greater than what would be gained. 
HOWEVER what these false conspiracies all add up to is one major false flag operation here within the US. It's called the spread of Proaganda. AND why would they do this? To dissillusion the people and destroy the "american dream", and it IS working. Look around you and pay attention to the attitudes of those who are spreading these myths and lies, they are not happy with life, they are angry and bitter, and believe that voting will not give them the representation they want within the government. And THIS is the goal of those spreading the propaganda. If they can not suht down the elections by law, which they cant, they will control the masses which they are doing. Yes, the alarmists are our biggest concern, and we must make them see that they are the tools of the "Destructor"


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## JackJobe

I agree with many of Dragon5126's recent observations. I am most concerned that our political parties have been highjacked by Extremists on both side. One side bends over too far to try to help everyone without fiscal responsibility while the other side has been manipulated by some millionaires who payroll racist and religious bigots into thinking anything and everything Obama does is wrong. Barack holds many of the SAME positions as Ronald Reagan but his taxes are lower and he took a larger step toward Universal Healthcare. 

I'm no friend of O'RomneyCare - let us be honest. It Was Romney's Idea and Barack was honorable enough to give him credit. Romney has waffled on more issues than Waffle House has put on tables. I too fear the government. I cry at the monthly horrors our troops have done recently in Afganistan, or the Secret Service, the GSA Las Vegas trip, 

Most of us are the 80% in the middle caught between these extremes. We are the cannon fodder in wars. We are the 'average guy' who pays the price stolen by the liars and thieves who destroy our lives and our society from Enron, Identity theft, Medicare Fraud, Government Corruption, unnecessary bureaucracy, etc.

We are responsible for ourselves, and our families. Let's be very honest again. No one can get through "what's coming" alone. No one has figured out the right way. None of us has all the answers. No one has enough food, water, toilet paper or ammunition. Prepare! Prepare your family. Prepare your friends. In Colorado, we have a large CERT's training coming up for Tornadoes. Neighbors training Neighbors. What works is 'selfishly helping people' because it's in your Self Interest for them to be better prepared. The less Zombies, the less ammunition I waste.


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## ram91648

dragon5126...... It sounds to me like you're the only "alarmist" here. I have been preparing for a long time and I know many others who are doing the same. Many of these people are average Joe's and Jane's, but many are professionals like doctors, lawyers and law enforcement folks. I was a private investigator (a trained observer) for a long time and we all simply watch what's happening and adjust accordingly. No amount of loud mouthed fanatical talk changes what we are doing. We prepare for what we see coming. As far as having a happy life, I'll wager that we all are living very happy and are comfortable knowing we will be ready for what will probably come sooner rather than later. None of us are bitter or angry with anything but the government. Also, if you are still under the false security that your vote has any effect on anything then you are the one who is terribly disillusioned. Please, settle down, look around, do some research and don't be such an alarmist. God bless and keep the faith.


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## stayingthegame

there is nothing like creating fear and blame to set some one up for war.


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## pixieduster

Alright, whatever the reason. My prepping won't really change. Still need shelter,food and water. Adjust as the situation presents itself. My area is hurricane prone. Economical strife is inevitable. Still need to be prepared and as self sufficient as possible according to family needs and location. Some people will not handle well and others will adapt. We may see bad things happen and bad people, and will see the good in people come forth just the same. Opinions are like AH's, everybody has one. (Boy I must be in a mood today. Lol!)


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## rjdpj

*What are you prepping for ?*

Im sure somebody out there has already posted something like this but im gonna anyways  . So what are you prepping or preparing for ? 
Personally i prep for

Nuclear war 
Economic collapse. 
But my biggest fear is a new plague ,so i prep for a pandemic


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## ContinualHarvest

It's been posted before but here it goes.
Natural disasters such as blizzards, or storms that knock power out for extended periods (days). 
Economic disaster (national or personal)
Prepared to "bug in" or bug out short distance or long if needed. 
Not too much we can do in the case of nukes. My town may evade the initial blast but we're going to be hit with fallout for sure due our location. :/
Earthquakes, we had one here in 2011. Odd for the East coast but not too worried about those. 
Intruders/Burglars/Roving bandits, you have to know how to defend yourself and your family.

Being prepared has served me well. Ran into the economic disaster in the spring when my job dried up. Able to go back to school and gain new useful skills. Living OK even though my family lost 60% of our yearly income. Things are tight but we're making it thanks to having some preps and the forethought of buying the supplies to pressure can, dehydrate, hunt, fish and forage before an event happened. Learned how to fix and make many things to save money and cut out a lot of extras. 

Never stop learning how to do more for yourself.


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## rjdpj

ContinualHarvest , I also prepare for natural disasters , where i live wind easily knocks out power all the time , for hours . Also are you a prepper from Georgia ?


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## redhorse

Natural Disaster, our electric always goes out as it is
Economic collapse
EMP/Solar Flare


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## UncleJoe

rjdpj said:


> Im sure somebody out there has already posted something like this but im gonna anyways  . So what are you prepping or preparing for ?
> Personally i prep for
> 
> Nuclear war
> Economic collapse.
> But my biggest fear is a new plague ,so i prep for a pandemic


Merged with an existing 19 page thread on the subject. Happy reading.


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## rjdpj

Thanks UncleJoe  .


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## ContinualHarvest

rjdpj said:


> ContinualHarvest , I also prepare for natural disasters , where i live wind easily knocks out power all the time , for hours . Also are you a prepper from Georgia ?


Not from Georgia. We get a bunch a wind from the Appalachians. Either off the mountains around Frederick Co. or comes down through PA. 
For example, we have frozen snow here on the ground, you drive 20 minutes south and you don't see a spec of it.


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## clay

Jack said:


> I'm wondering what people are preparing for ?
> 
> tornadoes we dont get here but think they would be similar to cyclones we do get
> 
> presonally i am looking at larger , more global problems
> 
> reversal of the global magnetic feilds is on the cards, just when ..
> 
> meteor strike , the world goes through a meteror cloud every year in August some of these are 30 miles acros but most are pea size or smaller
> 
> the polar ice is now melting at a rate thought to take 1000 years but its taken 3. if this does not stop, the sea could rise 20 meters globally. reducing living areas by 60% .. 90% of cities are below this level.
> 
> what do you or are you preparing for ??


war buy guns n take as many as u can with we are looking at a war with the top .001 % billionaires their theory is that being how rich n how big their corps r that they r the chosen from god to rule ...........sad but watch something called the Corporation. It should give u some of the answers u r looking 4 I know it's on Canadian Netflix n I may have seen it with my vpn in the US Netflix not positive but it's all done under the falsity that they r doing this all 4 Jesus. they think they r like rulers ordained by god himself just because they are so much ahead n feel better than everyone else it's like there's no proof but they say they r working 4 thru god. total manipulation but how long have we know there's no separation between state n church the bible itself calls church false, and whores, the gov't's and the Vatican are the 2 biggest Mafia's in the world n i'd put the Vatican on top.


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