"The Sky is Falling... The Sky is Falling"
Remember Murphy's Law? "If anything can go wrong, it will... at the worst possible time."
Your car will start, and run reliably EVERY TIME, except when you are trying to rush someone to the hospital. Your home furnace will NEVER break down unless it is VERY cold outside. Your home refrigerator will only "die" during a hot spell. Yes, I know, that's when the pieces are under the most strain, but it is also when Murphy is most active.
Dikes along rivers are designed to hold back flood waters. Usually, earthquake strengthening is not a part of their design. The theory goes: "A quake may weaken them, but what are the odds of a flood happening so soon after a 'quake that we wouldn't have a chance to strengthen/repair them?" Does anyone see this as a golden opportunity for Murphy to wreak havoc?
The odds of a prolonged power outage are greatest in winter because:
1) that is when there is the most stress on the system
2) that is when the winter storms put the lines in greatest danger
3) its more difficult to fix the line problems in the winter
4) Murphy knows that this is the time that such an outage will cause the most inconvenience
5) All of the above.
The correct answer is (5).
We define survival as emerging from a natural or manmade disaster in a better position than the average person. In other words, you get to keep on keeping on, while others may not. Preparedness means making preparations before disaster strikes to improve your chances of survival. Surely you remember the old saying about closing the barn door... Survivalists have a self-reliant bent and choose to prepare on their own or in a small group rather than rely on the government to help them survive. So, lesson one: it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
TEOTWAWKI
TEOTWAWKI stands for "The end of the world as we know it" (pronounced: toat-wa-key) which usually happens in a natural disaster. Ask any hurricane, tornado or earthquake victim if the world in which they lived didn't change. The greater the disaster, the greater the change and the greater the chances are that you will not survive.
I believe knowledge is the key to survival. In other words, "Knowledge is Power." The more you do today, the easier it will be when things go bad. The more you know now, the more you will be able to successfully implement when you need to.The purpose of this web link is to give you that knowledge. I do not believe that the GOVERNMENT is in a position to SAVE YOU from disasters! Yes, others may help, but during the disaster they will not have the time to be able to reach you, so... you're on your own (YOYO). Just ask all the stranded from Katrina, the Jerrell Tornado or the 1994 California earthquake.
Just think about this for a moment... "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you." Your immediate thought is... "Oh, Yea! Who you Kidding!"
IT WILL HAPPEN! It's just a matter of time.
There is no better investment than one which saves your life.
Understand What Panic May Do. Several things may be expected to happen at once:
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Telephone lines will be clogged as people immediately call loved ones and decide what to do. The Internet will also grow much busier, especially news sites, as people at work look for breaking information.
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The stock market will crash until trading is suspended. And even when trading resumes, prices will continue to fall. A national disaster will create tremendous economic disruption, and this will be reflected in the markets. Have some money available if the ATMs are empty and the credit card machines go down, and have some liquid wealth outside the market.
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Major roads will be jammed as people leave work and return home, creating a super rush hour. Other people will leave their homes for "safer" locations, such as friends in the country, vacation homes or even campgrounds. Clogged highways will be especially bad in cities and in areas with a limited numbers of bridges and tunnels. This is a situation where civil violence could break out.
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There may be lines or delays at gas stations as everyone decides to fill their tanks before it is "too late." Some stations could run out of gas. Others may rise prices or ask for cash only. This is another situation where civil violence could break out.
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People will shop for food and supplies, causing lines and shortages of everything from bread and milk to bottled water, batteries and toilet paper. Most grocery stores rotate their stock so quickly they have only a two to three day supply of key items in stock. Thanks to just-in-time production and distribution methods, if everyone panics and shops at one time, we could well see empty shelves very quickly.
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There may be civil unrest as people panic, especially if there are shortages at the grocery store. If local police forces are overwhelmed, this could escalate to riots and looting, especially in densely populated urban areas.
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Riots and civil unrest could cause general lawlessness, as law enforcement is overwhelmed and unable to respond to calls. Depending on where you live, you could be in danger from fires (arson), or you could be targeted for home invasion robberies and other acts of violence. You could also get caught up in a riot or random acts of violence. Again, proper planning for this possibility will help you be prepared. Remember that the Korean merchants in South Central demonstrated the value of firearm ownership in this type of situation.
Having a plan can save you from getting caught up in the worst panic. Know
where to go and what to do once you are there.
Once all family members are at home and you know whether or not there is local civil unrest, you can plan for the next few days or, better yet, implement your existing plan. Your key concerns will be protecting yourself and your loved ones from possible dangers, making sure you are safe from local unrest and ensuring that you have enough supplies to live through the next few weeks or even months.