Disaster readiness, who plans who doesn't and why, 30% do, 30% don't where are the other 30%, keep reading.

A small effort can make a big difference.

The type and amount of supplies needed to survive a natural or man-made disaster vary from one locale to another. Items needed on the West Coast are much different than those on the East Coast. The best practice for us to take is to ascertain which threats are prominent and prepare for them, not necessarily supplies for each one but to prepare one kit that will cover them all. In reality, if we are able to provide for 80% of our needs during an evacuation or shelter at home event we are prepared more than 60% of our fellow citizens. It is estimated by some first response organizations that disaster preparation is divided into thirds. 30% of us are prepared for at least a 3-day event, FEMA recommends a 72-hour cache to enable us to survive until relief arrives. 30% of us realize it is important to have that amount of relief items on hand, but don't act upon it. The remaining 30% are not in the mindset that anything at all is going to happen. The 30% rule of thumb applies to most public opinions, it can be relied upon as much as the 80/20 rule. Perhaps it has something to do with an attitude of we will all be in the same boat anyway so what difference could it possibly make.

This is not a boat I want to be one.

The difference may be the divide between life and death, it's part of being able to care for ourselves and being self-reliant. It's quite simple to see where some of the lack of planning originates, one may be because we are buried in warnings of "The Big One". most of us are aware of those warnings. It's a case of the boy that cried wolf, I have seen it in action with Tsunamis' on the Southern California beaches, the alarm is sounded and most people stay on the sand. To make matters worse the wave never came, turning the alert into a punchline, it's unfortunate because one day it will matter. Another reason on the West Coast is our weather, it is always calm and of mild temperature with very few strong storms pounding us with torrential rainfall. In comparison the Mid-section of the country, and the East Coast, the storm warnings are often followed by the predicted event. As a Hurricane is forming off the coast of Africa it is tracked by our very competent Weather Bureau, and most of the time accurate. It is almost as if the population is operating from a template, the events occur often they are accustomed to how they need to gauge their reaction.

The manner in which the people react is interesting to me living across the country and receiving all of my information from newscasts and newspapers. One of the reactions I notice and questioned was some of the residents stating they will not evacuate unless the Hurricane exceeds a Catagory 3. The statement confused me, I'm of the mind I would evacuate the minute the monster is spotted off the coast of the huge tropic Continent of Africa. My curiosity was relieved after speaking to a friend of one of our daughters who lived in Florida for several years. She explained to me that they enforced new building codes requiring all new structures to be able to withstand a Catagory 3 storm, it makes sense. However the 30% rule still applies there as well, it is especially noticeable during the few days preceding landfall, people lined up at stores emptying the shelves.

It pays to gather supplies before an event happens.

The long lines and last minute supply shortages are easily avoided when pre-planning is performed and supplies arraigned well before the season starts. It is not isolated to just that South Eastern state, I used it because they seem to get hit hard as the storms spread North and West from there.

The same reaction is common in Tornado country extending from the Gulf states North to Minnesota. The states affected by the common occurrence are well practiced in reacting to them, the warnings come, they look into the sky for known indications (green sky is one), and at the right time, they head for shelter. Even in that environment, 30% have a 72-hour kit ready for their response and survival, Tornadoes are not like Hurricanes in that they are spotty skipping around not destroying everything as the larger Hurricanes do. A house on one side of a street may be skipped over with all of the neighbor's homes being destroyed, it is an unfair wind event. They, like the people in the South West states, are more prepared than we on the West Coast are, they actually have a plan and a shelter to go to.

Extending from Alaska deep into Mexico the west experiences a lot of Earthquakes, sometimes more than several hundred a month. Granted most are of such a low magnitude they are not noticed, however, they are still reported on adding to the blase' fair attitude. Tsunamis are much the same, an earthquake occurs 8,000 miles across the ocean, an alert is sounded for several hours or days distant and the urgency fades. Unlike the East Coast, where they are able to see the ominous clouds from the shoreline many miles into the Atlantic, Tsunamis offer no symptoms of what is in store. Part of the problem is they are normally measured in inches versus feet as they are everywhere else in the world. The threat of Tsunamis happening along the Pacific Northwest Coast is a real possibility, tidal waves of biblical proportions occur there about every 600 years, we are due. Still, it is reported of the population living in the Seattle area 30% take the threat seriously and are prepared for at least 3 days, 60% are not.

(Follow this Link to FEMA's disaster planning templates select the print or the interactive web template.)

Changing the mindset would be a monumental task, most likely impossible, it's human nature and the preparation depends upon a personal sense of urgency. That's not the only cause I suspect it could also be affordability. Many people have their arms full providing day to day needs, they simply do not have the funds for disaster planning that may never happen. A case in point is the last big earthquake to strike the San Francisco Bay area in 1906, there are no survivors living today, the real memory is lost to time. Over 100 years have passed, at least 3 and more than likely 4 generations have lived and 2 have lived their entire lives having met their demise under the warning of the next big one not experiencing the event. Alaska's earthquake of 1964 is a distant memory, I was 13 years old, I remember it but I lived several thousand miles away. The memories remain but time has a way of ridding us of the horror and memories of the human suffering unless we are personally affected.

This photo was on the front page of the Minneapolis Star
and Tribune I saw it in 1964.

Reactions are related to our experience in dealing with the tragedies, the East Coast and Mid-West storms are monsters taking place on a regular basis as if they are on a timetable. Spring and early Fall Tornadoes will take place in Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri for instance. Hurricane season is in the late summer to early fall, the people may not have all of the supplies they need but they do have the awareness that there is a potential of devastation to their communities.

The amount of planning and supplies to keep on hand depends upon where you live, as well as the natural events that may happen. I live on an island in the California Delta. The threats include wildfire, flood, earthquakes, and high wind damage. We have a 2-1/2 mile walk down a levee to get to our muster station in the chance the levee breaches, it would have to be a severe earthquake or an eroded berm for one to burst. In the case of high wind it would most likely cause power interruption for a few days, but on the other hand, it can sure drive fires. Being prepared is not a hobby for us, we are set up to evacuate however it's not an obsession, it's just a part of our lifestyle. Living on a remote island we have to expect to support ourselves if something happens. Even if a person has a quart of water, that is enough of a supply for a 2-3 mile hike, then a one day wait to get to a relief station, that in itself is preparing for surviving a natural disaster also. There is a big difference between urban survival, city survival, and wilderness survival. We merely need to be aware of the potential threats and be self-reliant enough to manage them. It's our lifestyle which is a natural reaction to where we live.

A typical kit, this one is a Roadside Emergency Kit.

I advocate having a seven-day kit, they are not much more equipped than a 3-day kit, one of the differences in the amount of water and a few meals in pouches, or granola bars. I also believe having more than enough to support my immediate family will place us in a position of being able to help neighbors. Most of them may have a bottle of water and a pantry full of food to last a week as well as what's in the fridge. But those supplies cannot be relied upon unless our homes are left inhabitable with us in them, requiring planning to take place anyway, either prior to or while the event is unfolding.

Being among the 30% that are prepared for 7 days is a good place to be, it is an attitude of not if something will occur but when it will. The time between events is one of the problems we lose the memory. For instance, if a huge Tsunami were to impact Los Angelos millions of people would be on the freeways heading Northeast away from the water. A similar scene will take place in San Francisco when the next big one hits, and only 30% have any kind of survival gear at hand.

Purchase or build a kit of supplies to make it through seven days, keep it next to the door for a quick getaway, or at least have a gallon of water that is easily accessible we will be glad we have it.

Thanks for reading and sharing my blog, we can all raise our awareness from where ever it is now. Being prepared does not take a lot of work or planning, nor do we have to be defined as "nutty" for doing so, it is prudent and makes sense. There are plenty of blogs and articles on the internet listing what we need to have in our kits, it is more of a marketing ploy. The supplies should match our needs, each one of us is responsible for making that determination, building our kits accordingly. Many of the items are available at the dollar store and second-hand brick and mortar stores in town. Thanks again, take it seriously, sit down make a plan, and be prepared.



jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com