Many thanks to my friend Peter from down under (Australia). You asked me a simple question... "why do I blog" ... and it led me to ask other simple questions about other things...like prepping.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends that you keep at least 3 days food and water. Emphasis on at least 3 days. You can read their list of necessary items here.
But I find that isn't good enough. Why? Because I witnessed Katrina first hand. Not the evil female that works at the mall but the destructive hurricane that blasted Louisiana and Mississippi. Have you forgotten? No? Then I bet you saw the sanitized version of the devastation. Check out the pics below of the real Katrina...
The pics below are from Cryptome.org...
One war was being waged overseas with foreign nationals (Iraqis) crying for more money and resources from the invading country (the US) and an act of God strikes and we have a major city basically destroyed.
The tick tock of that destruction is for someone else to cover (and they have....you just need to Google it). The quick and dirty? The hurricane passed and kicked the hell out of New Orleans. No big deal. It happens all the time. The issue this time? The levees failed. Levees built by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Levees that were supposedly designed to withstand Cat 5 hurricane forces.
We're talking about mathematics, engineering and building to standard.
We put a man on the moon so doing that shouldn't be too difficult. Right?
Wrong.
The hurricane passed, the levees failed and chaos ensued. Governor Blanco (she received alot of ignorant blame for what went wrong) tried to rush state resources to the area but a STUPID, ARROGANT, CRIMINAL major of that city wanted to assert "his control".
People died while local and state officials argued over jurisdiction.
Meanwhile Bush is getting reports of the situation and is pressured to "do something". Unfortunately for him (he's another guy that gets alot of ignorant blame...supporting a "on the ground" presidential visit would have crippled relief efforts) politics was more important than working the problem in many peoples eyes. He didn't want to cripple relief ops but did want to be seen as being concerned so he did a fly over. His political enemies pounced on that visual.
(another issue for Bush was that he respects state's rights and didn't want to force the state to be forced by federal agencies to act in ways that they deemed unnecessary...perfectly reasonable in my opinion but people didn't want to hear that)
Meanwhile you had people that didn't prepare. They were jammed into the Super Dome because they didn't have evacuation plans or the means to implement them before disaster struck.
Others were stuck on roof tops because they couldn't/wouldn't leave and didn't have food or water.
People died, were assaulted, a few raped and a major city was reduced to a condition worse than seen in some third world nations.
I promised that wouldn't happen to me and mine.
That's why I prep.
I've read the history and seen how modern man reacts to issues. Rioting in Hong Kong and Italy? Violent and unpredictable...even if the violence is coming from govt forces as is the case in China...or anarchist as in the case of Italy...your'e still looking at sudden violence.
Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey. Rapes, violence at night, etc...
Blackouts that happened in the past would bring the same. Snow or ice storms can cause families to be stranded in their houses without power---or food if they haven't properly prepared.
I prep because I respect the power of nature, don't trust the government because I've seen their incompetence up close and truly believe that our global financial system is a house of cards.
The simple question I put to you is this...why don't you prep knowing the same things that I do?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends that you keep at least 3 days food and water. Emphasis on at least 3 days. You can read their list of necessary items here.
But I find that isn't good enough. Why? Because I witnessed Katrina first hand. Not the evil female that works at the mall but the destructive hurricane that blasted Louisiana and Mississippi. Have you forgotten? No? Then I bet you saw the sanitized version of the devastation. Check out the pics below of the real Katrina...
 |
| via Wilyloman Blog You show me pictures of 50-80 houses damaged by fire? I feel for them but start counting… this is one area… there were MANY OTHERS just like it. That water is up to the roofs of the houses. They were escaping into their attics only to have the water rise up into those as well and some of them were able to cut holes in their roofs and get outside… others drowned. |
One war was being waged overseas with foreign nationals (Iraqis) crying for more money and resources from the invading country (the US) and an act of God strikes and we have a major city basically destroyed.
The tick tock of that destruction is for someone else to cover (and they have....you just need to Google it). The quick and dirty? The hurricane passed and kicked the hell out of New Orleans. No big deal. It happens all the time. The issue this time? The levees failed. Levees built by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Levees that were supposedly designed to withstand Cat 5 hurricane forces.
We're talking about mathematics, engineering and building to standard.
We put a man on the moon so doing that shouldn't be too difficult. Right?
Wrong.
The hurricane passed, the levees failed and chaos ensued. Governor Blanco (she received alot of ignorant blame for what went wrong) tried to rush state resources to the area but a STUPID, ARROGANT, CRIMINAL major of that city wanted to assert "his control".
People died while local and state officials argued over jurisdiction.
Meanwhile Bush is getting reports of the situation and is pressured to "do something". Unfortunately for him (he's another guy that gets alot of ignorant blame...supporting a "on the ground" presidential visit would have crippled relief efforts) politics was more important than working the problem in many peoples eyes. He didn't want to cripple relief ops but did want to be seen as being concerned so he did a fly over. His political enemies pounced on that visual.
(another issue for Bush was that he respects state's rights and didn't want to force the state to be forced by federal agencies to act in ways that they deemed unnecessary...perfectly reasonable in my opinion but people didn't want to hear that)
Meanwhile you had people that didn't prepare. They were jammed into the Super Dome because they didn't have evacuation plans or the means to implement them before disaster struck.
Others were stuck on roof tops because they couldn't/wouldn't leave and didn't have food or water.
People died, were assaulted, a few raped and a major city was reduced to a condition worse than seen in some third world nations.
I promised that wouldn't happen to me and mine.
That's why I prep.
I've read the history and seen how modern man reacts to issues. Rioting in Hong Kong and Italy? Violent and unpredictable...even if the violence is coming from govt forces as is the case in China...or anarchist as in the case of Italy...your'e still looking at sudden violence.
Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey. Rapes, violence at night, etc...
Blackouts that happened in the past would bring the same. Snow or ice storms can cause families to be stranded in their houses without power---or food if they haven't properly prepared.
I prep because I respect the power of nature, don't trust the government because I've seen their incompetence up close and truly believe that our global financial system is a house of cards.
The simple question I put to you is this...why don't you prep knowing the same things that I do?
The other thing about Katrina? Dumb people saying "what's the government going to do about this?" Buddy, if you are tied at the hip hoping the government is going to do something you are screwed. Some people can't, won't or are unable to make the most basic decisions without thinking of the government. Sheep. Another thing about Katrina? Urban sprawl was allowed in risky areas (part of the reason the French only expanded out so far in the old days). Expecting man-made barriers to stop some of that is unrealistic. Don't live in a flood-plain. Anyway, you are right. But the sad part is, there
ReplyDeleteexactly right Eric! there is no city planning and its caused chaos and will lead to future deaths. the city is headed down the same road today. quite honestly the city should be about half the size it is. Baton Rouge should be the major city in south louisiana and new orleans should only be a port.
DeleteDoes anyone remember how the local gov in NO crammed everyone too dumb to leave into the superdome?...And then left them for days without food, water, or security? Does anyone remember the stories of what went on in there?
DeleteWhatever you do, DON'T go to the official shelters in a disaster like that.
I remember once upon a time, both cars had expensive catastrophic failures, and something else happened, might have just paid for a holiday.
ReplyDeleteNow, trt and Mrs trt make pretty decent money, but we were well past our limits.
So we didn't go food shopping for a month.
Doesnt have to be a Zombie Apocalypse, a job loss, unexpected bill ect are far more likely
I recall there were enough school buses to evac a large amount of citizens, those were left to be submerged under water in the school bus compounds, useless to anyone.
ReplyDeleteI recall the money sent to raise the levees was spent on the stadium where people went to suffer and die.
I recall the diesel engines that were meant to be used when the power failed sitting flat on the ground where they were instantly submerged under 30 feet of water first day of the storm.
IF you live in both a hurricane prone zone, near the coast and in a city that is 20 to 30 feet below sea level you can expect to have to flee, swim or die.
These folks expected the government to save them, help them and rebuild them.
Bush or Obama, republican, democrat or libertarian, white or black they would have still been screwed out of luck.
Government is like a cop, not there to find out who was right or wrong but to find out who is left and make a report.
Three days' supplies merely ensures that on Day Four of any problem, you will be in an NGO or govt.-run refugee camp, or standing in line, hungry, hoping for a handout from same, and for every day thereafter, living at the complete mercy of the kindness of strangers.
ReplyDeleteWhich strikes me as particularly poor planning acumen and a forethought fail very likely to become terminal.
Start with a 30-days minimum model, and work your way upwards gradually over time, in reasonable steps, until you can function independently for anywhere from 6 months to indefinitely.
If you can't figure something better out in that 6 months to a year or three cushion, you're probably too stupid for humanity to miss or mourn anyways.
Blanco was ALMOST as much to blame for the fiasco of Katrina, as Nagin was. Almost.
ReplyDelete