What advice would you give someone in a massive disaster

I think we've had enough huge disasters recently that we should compile some advice and specific information that would help others prepare for one such disaster. I'm not talking about a little earthquake or a one day blackout. Here are some such disasters that come to mind and what made them so terrible:

9.0 Japan earthquake: Followed by massive tsunami that melted down a nuclear power plant. Countrywide blackouts, earthquakes, and water contamination followed far into the future. Entire villages were washed out to sea. Many of the nation's crops were lost. Areas were contaminated long term from radiation so no humans could live in them.

7.0 Haiti earthquake: Poor building construction, no trees, poor sanitation, a poor nation, and a high body count from the collapsed buildings. No clean water, little help from the government, and little to no electricity.

Witch Fire of Southern California: Millions displaced, many homes burned, widespread power lines burned to the ground, distribution of water interupted, alternative sources of power/heat destroyed (melted solar panels, blown up fuel supplies, etc.), water pipes to wells and water tanks melted leaving even those on well water or with stored water without supplies of water, hurricane force winds and smoke making it difficult to impossible to sleep in a tent.

Superstorm Sandy: Hit a highly populated metropolitan city head on, covered the entire east coast of the U.S. making evacuation near impossible, widespread power outages followed by several other winter storms that caused more sustained power outages, laws preventing linesmen from fixing power lines from bucket trucks when wind is above 40 m.p.h., no water without electrical pumps above the 6th floor of skyscrapers, huge dependency on electricity for heating during winter, fires from using candles were widespread, large number of people dependent on public transportation (don't own cars), red tape preventing nonunion workers from repairing power lines in some states.

Typhoon Hayian- Peaked at 195 m.p.h. sustained winds and gusts up to 235 m.p.h.. Fastest land striking typhoon in known history. Thousands or more were living in tent cities due to an earthquake that made them homeless about a month ago. Strained national emergency resources due to that same previous earthquake. Evacuation from these islands is now impossible during the storm.

Carrington Event- A C.M.E. caused by a massive X class solar flare from the sun causes widespread power outages, blows up transformers, and melts high voltage power lines. Water and food distribution grinds to a halt. Communications are down. Replacement transformers have to be shipped from China or a few other third world countries and the U.S. is last in line for getting them. Without replacements of the infrastructure (power lines and transformers), electrical generation in the U.S. is impossible except at the smallest scale. Many die from a breakdown of our just in time delivery system of food and lack of potable water transported to homes.

Cyber attack on the U.S. Electric Grid (use your imagination)

E.M.P. devices detonated over the U.S. from North Korea or Iran

I realize that each of these events is different and may require different advice to survive so you can take your pick or give advice for all these situations. While I realize that this is a flashlight forum and dealing with blackouts would be part of all of these situations, please don't limit yourselves to talking about flashlights and batteries. I want this to be a place for useful information for those that may have to deal with any of these types of situations in the future. Please don't turn this thread into what to do during a zombie apocalypse or anything crazy like that. We have enough realistic situations to give advice on that we don't need to get into the wacky what ifs.

Edit

I wanted to add another possible massive disaster that has come to my attention that we may have to prepare for. The #4 Reactor at the Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima, Japan is damaged and all it would take is a 7.0 or above earthquake to basically cause a meltdown that would irradiate the Northern Hemisphere. The odds of a 7.0 or above earthquake occurring in the next 3 years in that area are said to be around 95%. To combat this threat, the power company has decided to somehow move the 1,534 fuel rods to a safer location (different pool of water, I guess). This has to be done using a crane to lift one fuel rod at a time without touching any of the fuel rods together, not touching the earthquake debris in the pool, and not letting any of the fuel rods come into contact with the air. If any of the rods are damaged or broken when lifted and drop, they could touch another fuel rod causing a meltdown or break the pool and drain the water causing a meltdown. This process of moving the fuel rods is estimated to take at least 18 months and is scheduled to start this month. With a 95% chance that a 7.0 earthquake will occur within 3 years and break the pool (causing a meltdown), timing is critical to do this proceedure. Did I mention that if there is a meltdown with these 1,534 fuel rods, the 6,375 additional fuel rods in the common pool that need to be constantly cooled would melt down as well (no one would be able to get close enough to cool them off with water). Fukushima has about 4,000 tons of fuel rods with the potential to melt down. Oh yeah, before Tepco tries this delicate and costly game of pick up sticks, they decided to practice first. Here is the website with further information: http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2013-11-08/we’re-most-dangerous-moment-cuban-missile-crisis What can we do about this potential disaster?

read Margret Atwood

But if you want an honest answer .... I would go north to a park
(dont tell everyone tho)

Typhoon Hayian- Peaked at 195 m.p.h. sustained winds and gusts up to 235 m.p.h.. Fastest land striking typhoon in known history. Thousands or more were living in tent cities due to an earthquake that made them homeless about a month ago. Strained national emergency resources due to that same previous earthquake. Evacuation from these islands is now impossible during the storm.

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As the eye of this monster typhoon passed a few hundred kilometers north of my city, we suffered about 2 hours of 50-90 mph winds but thankfully no major damage other than some toppled trees and a 2 day blackout. I feel sorry for those who were smack in the path of the 200+ kmh winds. Malls were closed but the 24 hour convenience stores remained open. The day after the storm saw long lines at grocery stores, probably people stocking up after going through their supplies. If I were to give advice based on what I've been reading on the news and social media:

1. Have enough food and water for at least 5 days.
2. If you know your house will not be able to withstand strong winds, evacuate ahead of time, lock your home and bring what belongings and valuables you could to relatives who have sturdier homes or who aren't in the way of the typhoon. If you know anyone in your neighborhood staying behind, ask them to check on your property every now and then.
3. Have flashlights and spare batteries because they're safer than candles and are wind proof. Not everyone can afford 600+ lumen throwers, and besides those aren't really practical unless you are into search and rescue, so sub 50 lumen lights that can go on for hours will serve people better. LED lanterns or headlights will work best so that you don't eat or shower in the dark.
4. It's good to have a battery powered radio to keep up with the news.

Maybe better for the café. But for flashlights, since I have food, water and shelter, my efforts would probably include taking in friends and possibly acting with a SAR team and clean up efforts.

For SAR, the first two nights a good flashlight with spare batteries, cheaper backups to hand out.

Red blinking bike lights to help keep the team tight.

After a couple days SAR would probably be limited from dawn to dusk and flashlights would only be used for reading/entertainment.

I don't know if lanterns count for flashlights, probably not) but they offer great flood light, just keep spare mantles, and safely store your fuel canisters.

Cinder said:

As the eye of this monster typhoon passed a few hundred kilometers north of my city, we suffered about 2 hours of 50-90 mph winds but thankfully no major damage other than some toppled trees and a 2 day blackout. I feel sorry for those who were smack in the path of the 200+ kmh winds. Malls were closed but the 24 hour convenience stores remained open. The day after the storm saw long lines at grocery stores, probably people stocking up after going through their supplies. If I were to give advice based on what I've been reading on the news and social media:

1. Have enough food and water for at least 5 days.
2. If you know your house will not be able to withstand strong winds, evacuate ahead of time, lock your home and bring what belongings and valuables you could to relatives who have sturdier homes or who aren't in the way of the typhoon. If you know anyone in your neighborhood staying behind, ask them to check on your property every now and then.
3. Have flashlights and spare batteries because they're safer than candles and are wind proof. Not everyone can afford 600+ lumen throwers, and besides those aren't really practical unless you are into search and rescue, so sub 50 lumen lights that can go on for hours will serve people better. LED lanterns or headlights will work best so that you don't eat or shower in the dark.
4. It's good to have a battery powered radio to keep up with the news.

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??? I thought you live in Pennsylvania?!! That is what you list as your location!

Speaking of my home State. Rarely are there any natural disasters in my area. I have lived here since 1961.

I was told[by a Meteroroligist] that the "Appalachian Mts. " protect us!

Skimo said:

Maybe better for the café.

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I could be wrong, but I thought the cafe is where I started this thread. When I went back to see where it was, I found it in the General Flashlight section.

I guess since I started this thread, I should put in some advice myself as well.

9.0 Japan earthquake: Move as far away as possible. Don't depend on anyone but yourself and your loved ones for help at the start. Others have their own priorities, some go against yours. Don't trust the government to save you. That's your responsibility. While you need to be careful who you can trust, try to be part of a group where everyone has each other's backs and everyone has something to contribute (this is for after the initial freak out period). Get prepared for the next shoe to drop (next disaster).

7.0 Haiti earthquake: If you aren't injured, try to lend a hand in rescuing people. Never go anywhere alone after dark. Desparate people will do desparate things including robbing you. For water purification, find a large water container and add Alox and Chlorine into the water. The Chlorine will kill the bacteria and the Alox will sink the particles to the bottom. Try to get by with minimal power requirements. Solar panels, batteries, and generators are targets for theft. Guard anything of value 24/7. Help those you can but try not to let people know what you have or where you have it.

Witch Fire of Southern California: Keep your gas tank full and keep plenty of water with you. When millions evacuate, water is the first thing to disappear from the shelves. Batteries and small radios go next. With blackouts, the number of gas stations working will be limited. Once you are allowed back home (if you still have a home), power and water are still off (for up to more than 2 weeks). Check on less fortunate friends and call the electric company to let them know which homes don't have power and find out how long until power is restored. After being evacuated for up to a week and coming home to a home without power and without working gas stations, most likely, few will have cell phones charged to call the electric company themselves. Few people nowadays have a land line that will work without power. Lock and chain down generators if you plan to use them. Don't make your home look like you have power. You'll be the first place robbed. Remember that if you live in a place that is uphill from a source of water, it can take a week or more to get the water pressure up to where the city will allow you to start using it (water mains are shut off until then). When you first get water back on, it will be green and have a double dose of chlorine. You may want to wait longer before drinking it. Due to EPA regulations, diesel backup generators can only be stored so long on site before the municipality is fined. If your water provider can't afford replacement natural gas or propane generators, don't expect any water to be pumped during a blackout (there will be no backup generators) and if you live uphill from the water source, expect a week delay once power is restored to start getting any water and longer until it's treated and allowed for human consumption. Remember that if a fire crosses jurisdictional boundaries (state, federal, city, military), expect it to take at least an extra week to put it out because of indecision and red tape. If you have to travel by foot at night and carry a walkie talkie because the cell phones are limited to emergency calls only (if they work at all), remember that to a nervous cop or National Guard troop, a black walkie talkie antenna looks like a gun.

Superstorm Sandy: Get out of the major cities and find a friend or relative with a wood burning fireplace and land. In cities, nothing above the 6th floor will have water (this requires electrical pumps to get water above this level). Anyplace with electric heating is a death trap, not only because you'll freeze to death, but because people will use candles and fires to stay warm and burn the place down. If you have to stay in a city, fill your bathtub with water prior to storm and drain hot water heater for water when that water runs out. Sleep in a small tent in a small room to conserve heat and stay warm. If you have a fireplace but can't get a fire going because everything is frozen or wet, in an emergency, you can remove the anode from your electric hot water heater and scrape off magnesium for starting a fire (obviously, you'll still need something to light the magnesium).

You need some supplies to rely on, you don't necessarily need to prepare for Doomsday(unless you're so inclined) but you should be able to eat, drink, stay warm and safe. To that end, some water stashed(even if just in re-used 2-Liter soda bottles is key. Canned goods rule, especially those that do not require water to prepare, for example canned potatoes are preferably to instant taters. A tank of propane and a simple camp stove arrangement is a great asset. So is a vehicle with a full tank of gasoline. Even if you cannot/will not go anywhere it offers basic shelter, heat, A/C perhaps if required, radio to receive news, recharge cellphones, and provides mobility to boot if so desired and practicable. That being said, however, in my mind, tough situations, properly prepared for, and best endured "hunkered down", having to go "out and about", for whatever reason, is where trouble is most likely to find you.
Last word: Have a firearm available.

Capolini said:

??? I thought you live in Pennsylvania?!! That is what you list as your location!

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In another thread he mentioned that he is temporarily living in the Philippines.

It seems there are a few more scenarios to prep for that I hadn't considered that seem to be happening now or are about to take place:
1. Consistant and continuous record breaking snow and ice storms- The eastern half of the U.S. has been dealing with this for the last couple or more months, coupled with a shortage of propane, natural gas, and even salt with common means of transportation shut down due to snow and ice. Livestock, including chickens have been left to freeze to death due to propane rationing (residential customers had priority for propane deliveries). I think planning far ahead is important in this scenario, but what do you do when the stores are empty, the roads are closed for weeks, you can't get more fuel to run a generator, stove, or heater, your now frozen water pipes broke, and the power is out?

2. Pandemic outbreak- The current strain of H1N1 seems really bad this year. The pastor of my church recently passed away from it and many of my friends, family, as well as myself have come down with some nasty form of flu virus that just won't quit. As I understand, hospitals are currently having a shortage of I.V. fluids (salt water) due in part to this flu outbreak. I never would have thought it possible for the U.S. to run out of salt or salt water until this flu season and the recent snow storms took place. What are the best ways to protect yourself from an outbreak and how do you prepare in advance for living with a worst case scenario?

3. Regional Water Shortage- In California, we are in a severe drought. The state government has threatened to shut off the water to the entire state within the next month or two and the feds have threatened to cut off our supply of water from the Colorado River. Lake Powell is drying up and water will be cut off downstream from there. Lake Mead would not be able to supply the West coast with water anymore and Las Vegas's power source would be effectively shut down. Hydroelectric power for the entire region would be shut down most likely leading to blackouts. Food shortages nationwide would begin immediately and last for at least the next couple years. Right now, farmers are deciding how much to plant, as without water, this year's crop will shrink as well as all crops in the near future. California produces some produce that cannot be grown nearly any other place on earth. California supplies the world with nearly all of it's almonds (I think it was above 80%). How do you prepare for what's coming?

In at least two of these situations (the water shortage and the winter storms) some people might simply give the advice to move. However, when half the country is dealing with drought and the other half is freezing, where do you move to? Do you trade one hell for another or do you suck it up and prepare for the worst right where you are? In the case of the pandemic outbreak, there may not be a safe place to go to. It's the events that deprive you of the neccessities of life such as warmth, water, food, and health that have the most dramatic impact on whether you can survive or not. The breakdown of the infrastructure that provides these essentials on a regular basis causes enough uncertainty that you really can't be prepared enough.

I think a pandemic threat or a bioterror event means that a week or two of food and water is just not going to cut it. The National Government calls these 'shelter in place' events. (Read QUARANTINE). They may be long, come as you are parties where people in uniforms with guns may prevent you from bugging out and one's only resupply source may be an untried Ad Hoc distribution system quickly cobbled together by people who have no idea what they are doing and can't possibly imagine what specific things your particular family needs.

When you are deciding how much supplies to put up for you and yours in an emergency it might be useful to occasionally visualize solders kicking MREs out of a helicopter hovering ten feet above a screaming, thrashing mob. That happened three blocks from where I'm writing this and it wasn't even a "Black Swan" event. It was almost ten years ago.

We weren't in the mob because we foresaw the possibility of it. We had enough of what we needed so that we could stay inside until it was safe to go outside. I would recommend a one or two month supply of everything you need to be able stay indoors and seriously, I consider that minimal.

Those who haven't read the thread linked in my sig may find some thought provoking info on a wide range of subjects as they relate to massive disasters. (NOTE -- for some reason the link takes me to the middle of the thread. If you read it, start from the beginning.)

In the last three months, the Center of Disease Control and Prevention has been caught mishandling three different pathogens, Anthrax, Avian Flu and Smallpox. The deadly Smallpox virus was misplaced for decades. Now they're telling us not to worry about the Ebola virus being brought into the country.

~ Chance

Here are a few I can think of off the top of my head:

Stored, potable water to last at least a week (5 gallon water cans, 55 gallon drum, 250 gallon cube)
Food to last at least a week (extra canned goods all the way to freeze dried #10 cans)
Fuel and means to cook food/boil water
Basic first aid kit/supplies (to include face masks to reduce disease transmission, gloves, etc)
If you have temperature-sensitive medication, having a generator (and gas) or backup battery & solar panels specifically for your fridge (or a small auxiliary fridge, such as an ARB or Engel) would be critical
Good rain gear
Good cold weather gear
Shelter should you have to move away from your home
Extra gas cans at home so you can top off the gas tank in your car if the local gas stations are inoperable
Battery powered radio for news updates
HAM radio for emergency comms
Extra batteries
Alternate ways to charge your electronic devices (could be cigarette lighter in the car, could be backup battery, generator, or solar system)
Emergency plan for your close friends/family in case you must move from the area and cannot reach each other (rally point of sorts)

The Subject line says we're talking about a MASSIVE DISASTER in this thread. I can not think of any type of massive disaster where any stores would be open and selling food 1-2 weeks into it.

Sub_Umbra said:

...Almost ten months after the storm only 10% of the pre-storm businesses are open.

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I wrote that about the aftermath of Katrina years ago as it was still unfolding. Even almost 10 years on from the event the supermarket closest to me has not yet reopened. Been there, done that, got the smelly tee shirt.

Bear in mind that a pandemic or bioterror event has the very real potential to make Hurricane Katrina look like a paper cut. People wandering the streets foraging for food and water may be shot on sight by the authorities or even their own neighbors.

Even in a very minor event the stores are emptied out in 24-36 hours. In a pandemic or bioterror event all distribution (but Federal) would likely break down with roadblocks being set up not only by Federal, State and Local authorities, but also groups of thugs and well meaning vigilantes who just want to protect the towns their families live in.

Please note that I am in no way implying that Federal impromptu distribution networks for food, energy and prescription drugs will work very well. I've already seen up close and personal how poorly that goes, not that I ever expected it to work well. It will work so poorly that you wouldn't want to have to depend on it. You certainly would want enough supplies that others would pay the ultimate price for depending on it from the Feds before it could be made to work, eventually, in its own clunky way. It would be far better for one to take responsibility for their own actions and at least attempt to provide for their own families needs. Does anyone in your party require insulin, blood pressure or anti seizure meds? You are fooling yourself if you think that Big Fed will be able to provide things like that in even the smallest disaster -- let alone a MASSIVE DISASTER. It will be up to YOU.

NOTE: When I write 'YOU' I'm not referring to any individual here, I'm just too tired and lazy to re-write it.

Massive disasters are definitely times when you do not want to be out on the street and that means having enough of what you need so you may stay out of sight and off the radar until some semblance of of normalcy begins to return.

The OP mentioned the Carrington Event. That would be even worse yet.

I highly recommend One Second After by William R. Forstchen. He describes the aftermath of a much more doable EMP attack than the text book example that has been used for the last 30 years. Good read. Highly recommended. While a Carrington scaled event today would be worse than Forstchen's EMP scenario the effects on society would be very similar with the main difference being that a Carrington scaled event today would essentially wipe out western civilization as we know it everywhere.

All this talk of mayhem has made me hungry. I'm going out to the patio where I'll bake some chicken for a cream reduction sauce. I love cooking without electricity or natural gas...

It seemed time to revisit this thread. Today, we have our first real case of Ebola in the U.S. and over 3,000 deaths in Africa. We also have a rare virus, enterovirus causing paralysis in children and it has spread to 40 states with over 400 infected. Then we have the Chikungunya virus spread by mosquitoes starting to show up in the Americas. 500,000 cases of this virus have occurred in the Dominican Republic alone. These viruses have little to no treatment and are spreading rapidly. Each one of these viruses can kill. Ebola and Chikungunya cause the victims extreme pain and suffering before death and enterovirus has caused paralysis in children. An epidemic of just one of these viruses can cause the breakdown of civilization in a country and overload the healthcare system. If you haven't already, I would suggest stocking up on supplies of food, water, fuel, lights, batteries, medical supplies, etc. just in case. A pandemic in a country can break down the transportation infrastructure through strict quarantine zones. It can overload hospitals. It can deprive a nation of it's limited number of people responsible for and knowledgeable in running the nation's power grid. The breakdowns caused by a single pandemic can deprive you of food, running water, electricity, medical treatment, fuel, mobility/transportation, sanitation, communications, and to an extent, a national defense system. It can lead to quarantine for an indefinite period of time and possibly to martial law. I hope none of these things happen and that each of these viruses get under control, but a pandemic is one situation where having a 3 day or even a 2 week supply of food and water isn't going to cut it. Never assume you can just go to the store for supplies when your town is on lockdown, such as some of the towns in Africa due to a virus.

Hooked on Fenix said:

but a pandemic is one situation where having a 3 day or even a 2 week supply of food and water isn't going to cut it. Never assume you can just go to the store for supplies when your town is on lockdown, such as some of the towns in Africa due to a virus.

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A personal food bank is not a bad idea as besides environmental disasters there are economic and personal disasters that could befall you where having a months supply (or more) would make all the difference, the USA has a phenomenal shopping coupon scheme and if you're prudent and attentive stockpiling an emergency stash would be quite easy, unfortunately here on the other hand thanks to a Supermarket duopoly (more or less) we must watch for sales/clearances and buy in bulk... when the opportunity presents itself.

People who rely on others for their support infrastructure needs will be hit hardest should a catastrophic event occur...

How much can you truly prepare for a massive disaster that completely disrupts services for weeks on end? Or upends everything you're familiar with and forces you to travel a long distance without reliable mechanized transportation? How likely is such a disaster? How many resources, how much space, how much time can you dedicate to preparation?

The converse question is how easy would it be to prepare for a likely, plausible disasters to avert the need to depend on the kindness of strangers or flee your residence? "Plausible" is going to vary greatly depending on your location, but is also a good start on any disaster preparedness plan since odds are it will compliment disasters of increasing severity.

Naturally, I suggest starting with the plausible first.

It seems that there are certain things you need before you can prepare adequately. So far I'm noting:

1. Being in good physical shape, not disabled or elderly. Dependents who can't looks after themselves (also including young children) would be a problem too.
2. Having money so you can buy all this stuff.
3. Having a big enough home to store all this stuff.
4. Having a car.

Most disabled people won't have any of these (not sure about cars in the US, I know there's far less public transport there). In the UK at least, I think it's 90% of those of us who are disabled live below the poverty line, and it'll be a lot worse in most countries.

I'm severely disabled, so in a serious situation my chances of survival would be minimal, probably despite having a non-disabled partner (though he's reliant on prescription blood-thinners and has some fatigue issues - a few hours of pushing my wheelchair can really knock him out sometimes). Hell, people with my medical condition already sometimes die due to things like being unable to shop, cook and/or swallow, in a so-called civilised society, and it nearly happened to me a couple of years ago. I do have a bit of space on top of the kitchen cupboards, and there are a few 2-litre bottles of water there from when the water was turned off one day a few years ago. Plus I am lucky enough to have enough money coming in that I can buy tinned pulses in bulk on Amazon, so I tend to have a reasonably well-stocked kitchen. There are some battery lights around, I think the best are my partner's bike lights, and I tend to have a reasonable supply of batteries. As for meds, no doctor is going to prescribe extra because you want an emergency supply in case of a disaster. Especially not in the case of anything like, say, opioid painkillers, benzodiazepines, anything you could sell, and for some patients, anything you could overdose on. I have enough trouble getting my pharmacy to stay on top of my regular meds, they keep messing up and running out.

Disability aside, poor people are still going to have very limited chances in this sort of scenario.

They may not have much storage space, but bikes do have the advantage over cars of not needing fuel and not being trapped by traffic jams.

Any suggestions for people who have just enough money to buy a little extra for an emergency - no point making suggestions for people who can't afford enough food as it is, and sadly there are many of those - but only a very limited amount, and also have very limited storage space?

Sophie77 said:

Any suggestions for people who have just enough money to buy a little extra for an emergency - no point making suggestions for people who can't afford enough food as it is, and sadly there are many of those - but only a very limited amount, and also have very limited storage space?

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We got a decent pressure canner, but you can do some of this with any old pot of water on the stove - Can food. It lets you cook in bulk and then eat on a time-scale appropriate for two people who don't want the same stew all week. Right now we have about half a week's food canned on a shelf (No refrigeration needed), ready to eat out of the jar (Worst case), or heat and eat with a meal.

We have beans and store-canned things in the pantry, probably enough for a week or two at home. However, our water supply & heater depend on electricity. We can run the stove, and I could probably figure out how to dip 30' down to our well. In short, we're well-prepared for a short-term problem. And in the meantime I have a good way to store leftovers for lunches at work. That saves about $5-10 per day to put towards projects like a manual pump, camp stove, etc.

Sophie77 said:

It seems that there are certain things you need before you can prepare adequately. So far I'm noting:

1. Being in good physical shape, not disabled or elderly. Dependents who can't looks after themselves (also including young children) would be a problem too.
2. Having money so you can buy all this stuff.
3. Having a big enough home to store all this stuff.
4. Having a car.

Most disabled people won't have any of these (not sure about cars in the US, I know there's far less public transport there). In the UK at least, I think it's 90% of those of us who are disabled live below the poverty line, and it'll be a lot worse in most countries.

I'm severely disabled, so in a serious situation my chances of survival would be minimal, probably despite having a non-disabled partner (though he's reliant on prescription blood-thinners and has some fatigue issues - a few hours of pushing my wheelchair can really knock him out sometimes). Hell, people with my medical condition already sometimes die due to things like being unable to shop, cook and/or swallow, in a so-called civilised society, and it nearly happened to me a couple of years ago. I do have a bit of space on top of the kitchen cupboards, and there are a few 2-litre bottles of water there from when the water was turned off one day a few years ago. Plus I am lucky enough to have enough money coming in that I can buy tinned pulses in bulk on Amazon, so I tend to have a reasonably well-stocked kitchen. There are some battery lights around, I think the best are my partner's bike lights, and I tend to have a reasonable supply of batteries. As for meds, no doctor is going to prescribe extra because you want an emergency supply in case of a disaster. Especially not in the case of anything like, say, opioid painkillers, benzodiazepines, anything you could sell, and for some patients, anything you could overdose on. I have enough trouble getting my pharmacy to stay on top of my regular meds, they keep messing up and running out.

Disability aside, poor people are still going to have very limited chances in this sort of scenario.

They may not have much storage space, but bikes do have the advantage over cars of not needing fuel and not being trapped by traffic jams.

Any suggestions for people who have just enough money to buy a little extra for an emergency - no point making suggestions for people who can't afford enough food as it is, and sadly there are many of those - but only a very limited amount, and also have very limited storage space?

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Very good points.


"Prep" is always a good idea, but, as pointed out a few times, you SHOULD concentrate on the most likely reasons for a problem, and try to adapt accordingly.

The prescription issue a a huge problem...especially as most people rely on their insurance to pay for prescriptions, and no insurance co I know of at least, will allow anyone to get more than a few months supply of a prescription at a time. Paying out of pocket can sometimes overcome this, but, most people are not in a position to be able to afford it.

So, ANYTHING you can do is better than nothing.

I had a quadriplegic brother for many years, and I currently have a wife who's suffered a series of strokes, a brother on dialysis 3x/wk, a father with Leukemia, etc...and, about all you can do is PER-ARRANGE emergency/contingency plans...so that if services are lost, etc...everyone knows what to do.

KNOWING that someone KNOWS to come and help you, is a great relief to those in trouble...and knowing what to do in the meantime can often mean the difference between life and death.


If you have SOME emergency supplies, you can survive LONGER. The LONGER you can hang on until help arrives, the better your chances of lasting until help arrives, etc.

Everyone's situation will be different...and what you'd do in the event of a wildfire or tornado approaching is not the same as say for a flood or power outage or earthquake....but you will always need some combination of water, food, clothing and shelter.


You may need to flee, or, to bunker in place, and, the place will dictate where you stash those supplies so they are within reach/accessible when sheltering there.

A neighbor's/relative's place at a higher or, lower, elevation might be a good spot in a flood, and lousy in a tornado or wildfire for example. If that neighbor has discussed what to DO in these events, they might be either expecting you, or, going to get you and bring you to safety, IF (IF) they KNOW that's "The Plan".


You might not be able to call them/call for help, and, they need to KNOW to come over and get you/see if you're OK for example. You cannot assume someone would think to check on you...they may be buried with their OWN logistical nightmares, and it could be a long time before they say, hmmmm, I wonder how Sophie is doing?

The roads between you and help might be blocked/down, etc...the farther away potential help is, the longer you need to survive.


So, imagine the scenarios that are likely to happen, and then imagine what tasks you'd need to be able to accomplish, and what you'd need to do to accomplish them. If the water is up high where you can't reach it...maybe store it lower/tie a rope to it to pull it down in an emergency, etc.

If you'd need to use a wrench to turn off the gas, where's the wrench, and, where's the valve you need?

Where's your fire extinguisher? Would you need to potentially pass the fire to get to the extinguisher? Can you reach it?

Is the food in cans? Where's the can opener? Bowls? Prescriptions, etc. Can you get them on your own?


Where's the best place to roll to if the house in on fire/there's an approaching fire, or flood, or storm, etc? Would there be looters in your area? If the area is flooding, CAN you roll to a safer place w/o crossing low lying areas that might get too deep? (A foot of fast flowing water can sweep a wheel chair away/flip it...it doesn't need to be very deep to be a problem) CAN you cross a field or yard or street under your own power to get out/to safety?


And so forth...you have to do a dry run, pretending you lost a service, face a disaster, etc...and need to survive....roll to where you'd need to get to, and see if you CAN perform the tasks needed/expected.


MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS with neighbors, friends and family as to what to DO in case of emergencies...make SURE they know, and YOU know, what to do/who's doing what.