Any Catastrophe That Strikes During Theses Troubling Times Will Be an Extended One
The Mantra That You Need 72-Hours of Emergency Supplies Is Obsolete:
Today it seems it can take longer than 72-hours just for the authorities to identify the problem let alone get anyone working toward a solution. Once the crisis is evaluated, plans are then talked about, reported on and then usually disrupted by politicians. Given all this, it can then take days, weeks or even longer in some cases to restore power, water and gas to homes, and in extreme cases, utilities may never be restored.
The infrastructure in this country is antiquated, and literally worn out. Less magnitude storms that strike today can create more damage than more severe storms had in the past. More urban areas mean more people and structures in the path of storms and thus more injuries and property damage will occur and a greater strain is put on the infrastructure.
Hackers can bypass security measures because not enough time and money has been allocated to deal with cyber security. Measures taken by the appropriate agencies is simply not equal to the level of the attacks against the system, in other words, the response to hackers is not sufficient and this will allow hackers to slip through any security in place. This is because of ad hoc repairs that are just enough to let the systems limp along until the next crisis.
Many cities, towns and states are in dire financial straits, and simply cannot find the money to upgrade the systems they are responsible for and to cure the problem instead of simply putting a Band-Aid on it. There are other reasons of course, for the problem, but these presented are the most obvious ones.
An attack this country will not be of our making but how long it takes to recover will however, be a direct result of policies in place, mismanagement of cities and towns, lack of funds and general incompetence in government today.
Failure Has a Trickle down Affect
Failure at the top makes it way down the ladder until the user is affected, the user being you and I. Every emergency manager in the country it seems is stuck in the past when it comes to emergency supply kits. The 72-hour supply of canned food, water, candles and batteries is the mantra repeated by all, for any crisis.
Utility companies fight over territory and try to determine who is responsible for what, and then unions dictate what jobs can be done by whom and in what area, and the result is a failure to fix the problem in a timely manner, which of course affects us all.
It Is Not About the Crisis
People tend to be caught up in the crisis itself and not the affect the crisis has on them. The affects generally end up being a disruption of services such as electricity, gas, water and public transportation. An attack on a subway, for example, would mean most public transportation would halt within the city for fear they would be attacked as well. This is a serious disruption for those that depend on subways, buses and trains to get to work, for grocery shopping, getting to the doctor or hospital and even getting children to school. Things do not magically get back to normal within three days.
You can do a threat analysis to determine what is most likely to happen, and then you can better determine what the affects would be from a particular disaster and how they would affect you. If you live in a rural area for example, and have your own vehicle, then a disruption of public transportation is not necessarily something you have to prepare for.
You may have a bug-out-bag ready by the door and it has enough supplies in it for 72-hours but there is nowhere for you to go, and besides you cannot get anywhere anyway without transportation. The crisis will likely last well beyond your supplies, but everyone said you needed three days of food, water, candles and batteries.
The reality is once the lights go out people look to food. Boredom and stress immediately become a factor and food helps to soothe jittery nerves and relieves the stress of not having technology readily available. In some cases, what you thought were three days of food and water is consumed the first day.
Your Level of Preparedness Is Up To You and Not Up To Others to Decide
A 14-day supply of emergency essentials is a good start, and this may not even be enough in some cases. Once you begin calculating amounts you have to realize people will tend to consume more during a crisis. Calculate and then add 10-15 percent more for damage, spoilage, helping others, theft and waste.
In a true SHTF scenario, a one-year supply of essentials would not be excessive. You have to remember though the more you have, the more spoilage, waste and damage will likely occur. You have to be able to keep track of your food and water, rotate into use before the expiration dates, and then replace. Buy what you use and use what you buy.
Most importantly however, you have to be able to hang on to what you have stockpiled. This means you have to be willing to defend your possessions by any means available when it comes right down to it.
Being prepared and working on getting prepared can feel like a burden at times and many people find themselves conflicted about what to do. On one hand, you have those that advise you should be ready to bug-out at the first sign of storm clouds and then in the same sentence state, you should start stockpiling water, propane, two-way radios and dehydrated foods for the home. You really cannot do both unless you are willing to leave hundreds if not thousands of dollars of supplies behind.
There is not a “one size fits all” when it comes to being prepared. People tend to compare their situation to others and this can cause some confusion because every situation, family and individual is different.
You know you have to be ready, you know that a three-day supply is not enough, and only you know whether you can or will ever bug-out. Prepare based on your situation and analysis and not based on someone else’s expectations.