April 16, 2010
Volcanic eruption in Iceland grounds flights across Europe.
This eruption has a good chance of effecting weather this summer and possibly into next year. In the 1990s, a short eruption in the Phillipines caused world temperatures to decrease for a year or two. This eruption looks likely to last longer. The question will be how much material is lofted into the upper atmosphere. We are already dealing with slightly reduced temperatures caused by reduce solar output. It is very likely we could be seeing a cooler than normal summer, fall and possibly longer in the northern hemisphere. A big question will be, what will this do to rainfall. It could possibly cause either increased or decreased rainfalls (there are arguments for both). Either way, I would suggest stocking up on storable staples (rice, potatoes, canned food) as a hedge against increased food prices.
April 1, 2010
FEMA says that the best case scenario for them responding to a major disaster is 3 days to get aid to the affected area. If you do not have electricity (gas if you cook with it), and running water, can you feed your family (including pets) for 3 days?
January 10, 2010
The History Channel had a show on called After Armageddon. It is about what happens with a small family in southern California after a flu pandemic wipes out 80-90% of the human population. They show them making plenty of mistakes. There are also some good tips put in the show by experts. And, I can tell when they decided to stop listening to the experts. They had humanity choosing to shun technology and live a more peaceful and satisfying agrarian lifestyle with much knowledge being “lost.” I call bullshit on this. There will be a massive drop in technology. But, there will also be a rise back. There are still plenty of libraries, and it is not like people will have forgotten that these things are possible. Will there be groups that for whatever reason choose to shun technology? Yes. And, they will be outproduced and find themselves subsumed into the groups that successfully bring back technology.
January 6, 2010
The History Channel has a new show called Apocalypse Man. It is showing how to survive after an apocalyptic disaster. So far, I am not impressed. The mistakes made by the host in the first show:
- He takes needless risks (A drawbridge over a river was up. Rather than finding another means to cross, he jury-rigged a grappling hook and swung across. There were several other incidents.)
- He wastes resources. (Rather than using a small bit of steel wool to start a fire, he used a huge lump of it. He also wasted food.)
- After emphasizing keeping a low profile to avoid people, he then broadcast over the CB emergency channel his travel plansand left it broadcasting on the frequency using a tape recorder. This not only compromised his security, it also steps on any other broadcasts on that channel.
I also question his choice to move into the city. I would rather try to make it in a rural area rather than an urban one. But, there were some good scrounging tips.
January 6, 2010
Tonight’s episode talked about what should your family do if you have a someone break in. Do you have a place set to retreat to? Does this place have a phone? Does it have a means to defend yourself and/or you loved ones? If you tell family members to head there, will they just head there without questions until everyone gets there? What if you have someone coming in through other home entrances (any window or door)? What is your plan?
December 29, 2009
Newsweek has an article on modern day urban survivalists, aka preppers.
The article mentions people stocking up on food, first aid supplies and firearms. I worry about the people getting massive first aid kits and firearms and not really knowing how to use them. It is one thing to read a first aid book or shoot at paper, it is another thing to apply the principals of first aid and/or defense when you have a massive dump of adrenalin in your system.
Some suggestions I have for people (and I need to follow), take annual red cross certifications in first aid (and if possible more in depth training) and take a firearms self-defense class (if you are planning to use a firearm for defense). If nothing else, obtain some books and DVDs on the subjects. The outdoor channels (Outdoor Channel and Sportsman’s Channel) have some excellent shows on defense training. I recommend The Best Defense, The Best Defense: Survival, and Personal Defense TV. Even reading a book or two can put you ahead of the curve.
If Katrina teaches us nothing else, it is that when there is a catastrophe we can’t depend on government to be there to help us.
August 31, 2009
FEMA’s new administrator has a message for Americans: get in touch with your survival instinct.
Craig Fugate is the new director of FEMA. Unlike past directors, he actually has a strong background in emergency management and preparedness. He started his career as a volunteer firfighter in Florida and has worked his way up. He has spent the last 20 years in emergency management in Florida.
“We need to change behavior in this country,” he told about 400 emergency-management instructors at a conference in June, lambasting the “government-centric” approach to disasters. He learned a perverse lesson in Florida: the more the federal government does in routine emergencies, the greater the odds of catastrophic failure in a big disaster. “It’s like a Chinese finger trap,” he told me last spring, as a hailstorm fittingly raged outside his office. If the feds do more, the public, along with state and local officials, do less. They come to expect ice and water in 24 hours and full reimbursement for sodden carpets. But as part of a federal system, FEMA is designed to defer to state and local officials. If another Katrina hits, and the locals are overwhelmed, a full-strength federal response will inevitably take time. People who need help the most—the elderly, the disabled, and the poor—may not get it fast enough.
When the head of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, was looking for someone to fill the job, she was repeatedly pointed to Mr. Fugate. From reading the article, I can’t help but feel that he is the right man for the job.
Edit: I’ve added a link to Mr. Fugate’s personal website. I think it is well worth reading.
May 7, 2009
This was heard in a podcast interview:
(paraphrased) Many gun owners have determined that calling 911 may not get the police there in time. Yet, when it comes to medical emergencies, they have not realized that the EMTs may not get their in time too.
Do you have a good first aid kit and the training to use it? When is the last time you inventoried your first aid kit?
