I’ve been doing some thinking about emergency preparedness. Just a few years ago, one of those nasty storms that have featured in so much recent misery swept through our town. We were on a hill and were lucky. But we still lost a substantial amount of items in our basement due to flooding. It’s a sort of unique sight when there is eight inches below and one of the freezer chests is making like an unmoored barge.
But as I said, we were lucky. Entire landscapes were washed away. One house was left high and dry, the land around its basement thoroughly scoured away. No driveway and no steps. Getting home that night was more of a navigational feat than a road experience. The highway below my hill was a navigable waterway, A tongue of the nearby stream. Drive in and sail away.
That was water. But we also back up into heavy woods. A sufficiently dry spell could result in a forest fire. That would be much more dangerous to my house than the flood.
Planning
So there has been planning put into our response. The front porch has evacuation supplies. Caches of money and beefed-up savings accounts lay by. The difficulty is where to evacuate to and how to gather a family that works in differing locations.
The preceding was all about us. But our city was denied FEMA funds for our local inundation. And that was under the prior Democratic regime. Today, localities, municipalities, and states are being denied much worse than we suffered. We don’t even know if FEMA as an organization will survive.
So we can plan. But it might as well be a hobby activity if a bad enough event comes along. What if we can’t fund our own way out of it? Will we be denied aid because we are in a mostly blue Northeastern state? Will there even be an organization, other than private ones, that will help?
There are more profound questions involved. Much of what holds societies together is mutualism. As Franklin stated, we must all hang together, or we shall assuredly hang separately. Pull, and pluck apart, too many of the mutual threads, or tear open the horrors of sectionalism, or at last rupture the concept of our being one, and what is next?
Years ago, I was introduced to the “Seven P’s”:
Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance
It’s a mantra I believe in. But there are limits to what you can plan for before you are overwhelmed. That’s what scares me.
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This is so nuts, Lou. FEMA, NOAA…all going by the wayside? It was in our local news that DOGE is coming to my town. One of our city council people said she told DOGE to come to our town to visit and enjoy the amenities. Sure. They sent a letter of ‘thanks’ listing about 100 items they need clarified before they enjoy the ‘amenities.’
Inviting DOGE in is like inviting the barbarians in for a looting session.
Fire is a real danger everywhere, and with all those trees, Lou, I assume you’ve thought about the potential they might come crashing down, as happened here in Portland winter before last. Natural disasters are much more plausible than they used to be, and I appreciate your sobering reminder. Those Seven P’s are new to me!
We are trying to have the trees trimmed on our side of the property line. The Audubon is less likely to do much.
I have a bag that remains packet. A list of technology that must be added and all the water, candles and flashlights at the ready. My concern now is- what if the grid goes down….
I got a small solar power supply for about two hundred. Charges lanterns, cell phones, and other small electronics. I keep it in the shop. I also got some small solar-powered lanterns. They can also be recharged from the power supply. It was a package deal I found on Amazoo.
I had to evacuate ahead of a wildfire. My emergency kit contained four dogs, lots of water and dog food, camping supplies, wallet, phone and a full tank of gas.
I forgot about pet food for the porch supplies! Thanks Martha. They would have killed me.
Yep. You would have had to use your money for that.
This is good to bring awareness around. I hope this is eye opening for many.
Hurricanes and flooding are the big threats to Savannah
And it’s supposed to be an active hurricane season.