I will note that it's sad that we seem to have arrived at a point where the Federal Government has to remind us these things. Or, at least, where substantial swathes of the population seem to expect it. And then re-elect the corrupt, lying bastards who leave them to drown without taking any action, because It's All The President's Fault. Not that I have Ray Nagin in mind...
Anyway.
Disaster/Emergency response is what actually spurred me to become a Ham Radio Operator. (That, and dropping the CW requirement, but never mind...) All that fancy technology out there, and in really nasty weather, the only thing that comes close to reliability is Amateur Radio, usually HF, and potentially only CW. (So I'm on my fourth point of contact there.)
But no matter where you live, there are reasons to get ready for... whatever. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, extremely heavy snowfalls and avalanches cutting off all over-the-road and rail traffic... And, yes, terrorist attacks.
In the firearms-related blogosphere and on the gun boards, we joke about The Zombie Apocalypse! and The End Of The World As We Know It (usually abbreviated TEOTWAWKI), but the fact is, it wouldn't take much for order to break down and all prudent people would either have to Bug Out or Bug In.
Bugging Out, of course, is what recently happened in N'awleans. (And what didn;t happen three years ago...) It takes careful planning, because you can't be sure how you will be doing the Bug Out Boogie: That is, will you be driving your own wheels, or riding a bus or a deuce-and-a-half or a bicycle, or walking? Each of those "options" involves taking different "stuff" with you. And you may find yourself changing transportation modes mid-journey, and starting the trip with a ton of "stuff" on your SUV and ending it with what you have on your back or in your arms.
Bugging In, AKA Hunkering Down or (more formally) Sheltering In Place involves staying where you are and seeing to your own needs. Depending on where you are and what threat(s) you are preparing for, this might make more sense, but it takes no less preparation, and maybe more. For one thing, you will have to grapple with the dilemma of whether or not to take care of others who may not have been as prepared, or as lucky, as you.
I'm no expert on the subject. It's one that as long fascinated me, going back to the days when Survivalists where recruiting for like-minded individuals to go to Idaho and establish enclaves. Unfortunately, they usually seemed to have lots of accountants and middle managers, and few doctors, mechanics, or farmers.
And, of course, there is the stereotype of the survivalist/gun-nut. Frankly, lots of folks really do seem to think that the way to prepare is to stock up on guns and ammo. Okay, I will admit that if the Break Down is long term you may , indeed, want lots of ammo, especially if you are Sheltering In Place, but if that is your only preparation, then you are setting yourself up for failure: Even if it is not your intent, others will see you as intending to prey on them and they may act first.
Like I said, I am no expert. Here are some links:
Equipped to Survive. Doug Ritter is billed as a "noted survival expert", and the material on the site supports that.
FEMA. Yeah, I know.
Look, FEMA was never chartered or empowered to move into an area and take over, just because a disaster has taken place, let alone because a disaster is about to take place. This has a lot to do with my earlier remarks about Ray Nagin, which did not, in fact, begin to relate my true feelings about him, or the former Governor of Louisiana.
FEMA was primarily intended to serve as a conduit, a liason agency, if you will, between the local or state government which had suffered the disaster, and was in charge, and supporting agencies, and also to establish nainal standards for how to respond to a disaster or emergency.
That said, FEMA's response to Katrina could have been better, but most of the blame goes elsewhere; in any case, FEMA's website has links to many valuable resources.
ARRL. The Naitonal Association for Amateur Radio, although everybody still calls it the American Radio Relay League. And Emergency Radio.
Speaking of radio:
- Eton. Hand cranked emergency radios.
- Midland: CBs, FRS/GMRS and Weather Radio.
- Oregon Scientific: Weather radios and stations, among other tech toys.
- And, if you have a weather radio, here is NOAA's page with links to your area's frequencies.
The Preparedness Center is, as well.
I have left out a few that may have good gear, but are, well, a little fringy, if you know what I mean. I don't really believe that the Mayans predicted the end of the world in 2012, and even if they did, I don't believe it means anything. And if you expect me to take you seriously as a source for my preparations for Mt. Rainier erupting, you won't talk to me about "Earth Changes" or the Trilateral Commission...
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