Had a big talk with my Paratransit driver today about preparedness, Houston, etc. The PNW has lots of rain - not 50 inches in 4 days, albeit - but we have the soil and infrastructure to handle most deluges, but not all. Nevertheless, we - and I think everyone - has their own geological/meteorological vulnerabilities. Houston has hurricanes, the Midwest has tornadoes, and I have mega earthquakes and forest fires. I think all we need to be prepared for complete regional disasters, regardless of their genre.
For me, I take survival seriously. First, I believe that securing-in-place is safest. Evacuating somewhere else is only a Plan B when staying home is totally untenable and life-threatening.
My first priority is physical safety: Burning ash and smoke from fires; fallout from nukes, like Fukushima, Diablo Canyon, or Kim Jung Crazy Pants; pumice, stone, and volcanic ash from Mount Rainier and other volcanoes in the Cascades. I have a little cave-like spot I can hunker down for 24-36 hours, and my longer-term abode is my 16-foot RV trailer that is protected by an overhead lattice of wood frames and traps, surrounded by bedsheet curtains that can filter out bad stuff and let is some measure of fresh air.
Next is water. I have five, 50-gallon barrels with a hand pump, plus lots of five-gallon jugs and bottles.
For food and supplies I go low-tech. Lots of "plumber" candles. Some lanterns and ultra-pure lamp fuel. For heat I have a "Heat Buddy" that uses propane bottles. Ten bucks for three at Walmart and I pick up extras every time I go shopping (and can afford it...).
I have five-gallon buckets of rice and beans, and some wheat and a small hand-mill grinder. A few #10 cans of dehydrated veggies. I have a summer's worth of potatoes that I leave in the ground until February, then I dig them up and plant a fresh crop in March, eating them through the year, of course. Same with Tuscan Kale, which overwinters fairly well here in the PNW. About 6 apple trees and two plum trees. I try to stockpile sugar, coffee, tea, chocolate, tuna, canned salmon, toilet paper - but I go through this stuff quickly to supplement my writing habit. Plus I have two kinds of "to-go" bags. One is "Gotta Go And Ain't Coming Back" and has dehydrated food and fuel, a stove, warm clothes, sleeping bag, water filter, etc. The other is smaller and has raisins, nuts, respirator, meds, water bottle, a sweater, and the latest copy of Nat Geo. The smaller bag I carry everywhere I go.
I have learned a few things about survival and preparedness. First thing, it is scary. I took me a lot of will-power to constantly divert financial resources to supplies, food, and stuff that I wasn't gonna need right away. My NY ex-wife thought I was a "doom-and-gloomer," and that dynamic was one of the underlying reasons I left the marriage. Second thing, it takes time. Third, it takes lots of meditation, focus and knowledge-gathering - what exactly are you surviving to? What crisis do you anticipate? How will you handle neighbors and friends who aren't prepared and show up on your doorstep hungry, cold and frightened? Some folks I know have bunkers. Others buy guns and lots o' ammo. Some folks are gonna make a million bucks selling flat-bottomed boats to Houstonians...
I've seen Harvey - Katrina - Sandy and all the rest coming for a long time. Learning, preparing, getting mentally ready is a long-term process. After all, what the hell did Houstonians think 50 inches was gonna look like? Being able to envision what catastrophe is gonna look is a skill. I worked in the environmental business in NY in 1980s, and responsible scientists, experts, and officials have been talking about these kinds of potentials for a long time. But people are slow learners and most need a kick in the ass to make changes. I left NY and moved to the PNW in part because I don't think low-lying urban areas in coastal zones are safe. Anyone who continues to live in Houston and doesn't live in an up-armored house boat is nuts, imho.
