Coastal and Island preppers

In the prepper world environment means everything when it comes to planning. I live in Colorado so my plans took into account local environment and possible threats. Regardless of local environment and threat certain aspects of prepping are universal....water, food, shelter, power, commo and skillset so my prepping reflect such.

With the current threads about natural disasters flooding this fine forum it is alarming to me how ill prepared most are and reinforces my belief that in general if you wait for government help this will be serious disadvantage that could mean life or death.

One member here asked how does one prepare for a hurricane? Hope he/she joins this thread so we can discuss this in detail. Preppers in flood zones also please chime in along with anyone else who has like minded views that responsibility starts with the individual and choice.

Also of note, prepping is not a political party so please leave your team at home when discussing this issue. Hope this turns out to be an informative thread.

 

I live in Houston, Texas and prepping for a hurricane starts with the traditional laying in supplies of sealed potable water, MRE style food supplies plus portable burners using small and disposable butane tanks. Batteries, a generator, a crank operated am/fm radio that also powers and recharges cell phones and has a built in light source. The list continues depending on just how prepared one wants to be. For the house -- as opposed to an apartment -- there are sheets of plywood to purchase for one's windows with the fixtures necessary for installation. There's first aid supplies. There's the policing of and securing of yard objects that could become air borne projectiles.

Then there is the flooding issue and Houston is now as flood prone as New Orleans and so prudent people prepare for spending some time on the roof of their house should flood waters rise high enough and that includes a way to get too the roof from inside the house rather than become trapped inside one's attic. So forth and so on.

 

Morning Gatewood, been awhile and hope things are going good for you. What alarmed me was this whole government womb thingy.... To the point that people have grown up to expect it, no they now demand it.

Just a few short years ago during the depression and dust bowl most became preppers out of the need to survive.

 

Rugged individualism served a purpose for our ancestors and during emergency situations, still does. First attend to one's own needs and then check on one's neighbors and see how they are doing and ideally do so before the big one hits, because if they have done absolutely no preparation then you need to know that since you might have to go and rescue their behinds at some point. This stuff isn't rocket science but too many people act like it is and -- as you noted -- too many people now act like being prepared is somehow forbidden.

 

As someone who lives in Central Florida, we taking prepping for hurricanes seriously.

For the flooding issue, if you live in an area that's likely to flood there isn't a whole lot that can be done except for:

1. sandbags: That's a lot of physical work to go to county locations and fill sandbags to take home. I find it's easier to just go buy potting soil bags. Nobody is shopping for that before a hurricane, and after the hurricane...you have a lot of potting soil.
2. Inflatable dams. If you have the scratch to buy one, these are pretty awesome! https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...qmt=b&hvbmt=bb&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_2wsholsigy_b

Know that the you are going to be out of power for a while and prepare for that. Get your laundry done.

Get a 5 day cooler.

A butane indoor burner for cooking.

Water of course and food supplies that have a shelf life. In Florida, bread and Peanut butter are hurricane staples

 

We have propane and gas stove so we are set fro cooking. We just have to light the burners once power goes out. We lost power and phones for over a week last month. We always keep our vehicle's full of gas and use some of that for generator. We found out we didn't have a 220 plug for well though, but had plenty of water we stored before storm hit. We did fine.

We are old and don't handle heat or cold like we use to. So ice and fan saved us from the humid heat here in Florida.
We buy as low amp as possible now for our freezer and fridge. No need for ice maker, cost too many extra amp.s,imo. Fill up lots of jugs for ice and water.

 

I substitute Propane over Butane because of cost,
Propane is far cheaper, the small Propane tanks are refillable, with an adapter, and if you need heat, the small disposable Butane tanks will not last long as compared to the larger Propane tanks.

 

The best way to survive it is to avoid it in the first place.

I find that the only tool I need in my kit is a card with enough credit on it to purchase a hotel room for a few weeks and going out to dinner.

 

That all depends on where you are at, and what cat of hurricane is coming your way.

The best thing is to keep enough provisions on hand to survive 1-2 weeks on your own. No power, no water, no gas, keep everything you need to get through until enough facilities are set up for everybody.

But that is really the worst-case scenario. The best scenario? Keep enough provisions in your vehicle for 3-5 days, and get the hell out of the way before it hits.

And that is largely the same for any disaster. Earthquake, hurricane, fires, tsunami, pretty much everything. Keep a "bugout bag" in your vehicle with everything you need for 3-5 days, and be prepared to leave with little notice.

Myself, I have 3 escape plans at all times.

For long term with plenty of warning, we hook up the 35 foot travel trailer. 4 30 pound propane tanks, and a full supply of water. Hook up, load it out with everything we need and get to the mountains.

With short warning (1 day or less), we hook up the small tent trailer to the motorcycle, and take off that way. We can take less provisions, but it is smaller and easier to avoid traffic issues if there is heavy congestion.

If there is no warning, just the kits in the car. Head to the mountains, then use the maps and other resources to make our way to Idaho.

The "survival mindset" that has and will kill the most people if it comes down to it is the "home bunker" mindset. Turn your home into a fortress that can survive a zombie apocalypse, with tons of supplies in the basement. That will do you no good if it is say a New Orleans type flood event, or a wildfire is heading your way or an earthquake ruptures a gas pipeline behind your house. All you can do then is suffer, or watch all your work be destroyed because it can not be moved.

24 years ago after the Northridge Earthquake, "Earthquake Kits" became a rage item in LA. I worked at a surplus store at the time, and 2 things I recommended to everybody was to keep the kit in a backpack, and to keep it in their cars. And it is amazing how stupid some people are, as they almost always insisted keeping it at home was better.

"But what happens if an earthquake hits, and you are at Disneyland, or Santa Monica, and have no way to get home because the freeways are shut down?" They insist they can go home to get it. *facepalm*

And almost universally, they also responded with "But what happens if the earthquake happens and I am at home?" Well, you walk out to your car and get the kit. *facepalm x2*

I honestly believe that today, most people are simply to dumb to live in the face of a real disaster.

 

If flooding is the major problem, then there is only one solution - move. Don't live in a flood zone.

 

boat

 

There is nothing wrong with staying put if you are prepared properly, you have a good location, and your neighbors are prepared.

 

True, but you should be prepared to move if needed.

Far to many never make that preparation, so get stick in places like New Orleans, or the Jersey Shore.

 

Rule #1 in hurricane preparedness: Don't buy land at an elevation lower than the highest surge + high tide + wave action, on record. Stick by this and you have more flexibility with everything else.

On low ground you don't have the flexibility of staying put if you want to.

 

As I first wrote, if flooding is your main problem, then the solution is to move. Don't live in a flood zone.

 

Not just flooding. In 94 we had people still try to live in their damaged house, with no services working for days. During fire season there are always people who refuse to evacuate and want to remain at their house.

 

Except you become a target for the mobs that didn't prepare and know you have supplies.

The absolute best way to avoid problem is what was mentioned before, a boat, especially if you live near the ocean.

Sailboat specifically. You can store quite a lot and as long as you can fish you don't need to worry about food.

You can purchase a little desalination device to provide you with fresh water.

 

Every situation is different, every person is different. You have to tailor your plan to your situation and your skills. Some people wont be able to travel even of they planned on bugging out. Some people will organize their neighbors so they are in a bug in community, which is the standard practice for rural people.

Bugging in just means I am already living in my bug out location. Essentially I have already bugged out.

The reality is that if you believe a collapse is in the future and you are living in a place which requires you to bug out, then you are in the wrong place and should move to a location where you don't have to bug out.

 

Okay assuming its a big hurricane I get a Greyhound Bus Ticket or Amtrak Ticket for each of us at home, go to another part of Florida not in the spaghetti track and wait it out an if its big and uncertain enough leave the State on Greyhound and wait it out, staying is only for low tier storms I know we can wait out and for those I have enough water and food and such to hold out without power if needed for up to a week and if its going to last longer I can hope on Greyhound and go somewhere else most likely for a couple weeks.

If a real big event happens we are all screwed if living off the land was so easy they would be doing it in Venezuela and 'organizing' in nice trade and share communities no what will happen is the government is the sole source of support people can count on and they will be doing societal triage to survive I'm shafted being disabled, elderly are shafted and those without value either as workers or having needed skills or special talent. Look at the BBC nuclear war movie THREADS for what will happen they have limited food so more went to those who could work and those that couldn't got less and the government hobbled along. States and local communities will make it or not the Federal Government might help or might not. You know who has the best chance to survive the armed forces and their families they will have the mobility, food, medicine, guns and bombs and defendable bases or for the naval services ships they will be the best off and next those the government would deem vital the CDC scientific experts, various experts groups like I would snag an guard the Amish they can grow food not depending on technology is a good one to consider on the list. So I think some of you are nuts its good to prepare for natural disasters and other issues that are real risks but in a **** hits the fan scenario its not going to be likely all the Preppers plans will work to well not with millions of people pouring around and desperate they will have the government or no hope at all.

 

With proper preparation, hurricanes are no threat at all.

Hurricane Preparedness Plan:

1. At the beginning of hurricane season, stock RV with enough food, water, medications, and other necessities (beer) to last 3 full days for each member of family.

2. Load family into RV.

3. Drive RV to freaking Arizona. Stay there until October.

Hurricanes? No problem.

 

Coastal and Island preppers

Long term prep is very simple....MOVE!

 

I have 50 acre hunting property in the Texas Hill country. It's about 6.5 miles from the nearest highway and about 1.5 miles from a FM road. No power, but I have yet to see another vehicle or even hear another rifle during hunting season. Pretty remote, I love it and continually stock water, propane tanks, and canned goods as well as lots of rice

 

You prepare for a hurricane the same way you prepare for a lava flow.

You get tha' hell otta Dodge.

 

Colorado like Wyoming, and Utah, and Idaho, and Montana, gets huge range fires in the summer and avalanches in the fall. Don't really need to prep for those. For a fire, get tha' hell otta Dodge, Colorado. For avalanches, don't build in the mountains.

 

Everyone needs a food supply, and a water supply, and fuel, and a campstove that burns gasoline, and a siphon, and a water filter, and guns and ammo, and a first aid kit, and whiskey. Those are the most important things.