Urban disaster preparedness?

[chivalrouscarry]

Hi guys,
We've had an earthquake this week, and it looks like we're about to get a hurricane as well. Disaster preparedness in a city is different from preparedness elsewhere (especially for folks without cars), so I was wondering: What do you do to get ready for a disaster, natural or otherwise, in the city?

* What kind of food do you lay in?
* How much water do you keep on hand, and in what form?
* What's your escape plan?
* What other steps do you take?

I bet most of you have 'Go' bags, what unique things do you keep in them?

-chivalrouscarry

[mbinpa]

Those are some really, really good questions. After an earthquake and before a hurricane just makes it more important to ask the questions and maybe come up with answers.

I think back to those times when we have had neighborhood power outages that lasted 12+ hours and those were tough enough.

In a SHTF scenario I guess the first question is one of fight or flight - do you build and defend a fortress or do you plan to pack the truck and bug out. A fortress has the benefit of being able to store large quantities of food and water.

Bugging out means having to travel light and probably having to pick up provisions along the way. Also the problem of congestion, road damage and where to go.

Of course, it depends how bad it gets.
Barely bad - you go to the red cross shelter and ride it out.
Medium bad - there is still enough authority to take your guns and shoot looters.
Very bad - You are on your own, and maybe you are thinking that your neighbor might not taste so bad with the right seasonings. Then all you need is ammunition. Money will be no good, water and food in quantity too heavy.

This is the kind of question movies are made out of.

[glock19girl]

very good questions

* What kind of food do you lay in?
a lot of canned and dry goods, rice, wheat berries, cornmeal, dehydrated soup mix, i have a few mre's in the BOB, granola bars, energy bars and energy shots, plus i have a lot of vitamins
* How much water do you keep on hand, and in what form?
20 gallons and 5 cases of bottled water, plus i have water purification tablets
* What's your escape plan?
depends on situation, if its something like a chemical spill on railroad tracks, head to aunts house in beaver county.
i lived in the north hills and 2 years ago when we had the bad snow storm we were without power for 2 days. managed to stay in house and had kerosene heater running to stay warm.
if its a real shtf scenario i hope to be out west with a bunch of friends
* What other steps do you take?
stocking up on first aid supplies, bought some silver and have some silver coins (worked at a dollar store and amazing how many little old ladies must bbreak open their piggy banks, id just keep a handful of change and exchange mine for the silver )
ammo for each gun that i own
handgun and rifle classes that teach gunfighting skills
self defense class
edged weapons class

[streaker69]

Honestly, I'm having a tough time taking this thread srsly. As a group this kind of thing has been discussed repeatedly in various threads. We've been talking about a BOB/GHB for the past couple of weeks, if you want to read it, search for "Get Home Bag" in thread titles using advanced search.

As for the other stuff, there's a lot of reading out there on preparing for emergencies. If you're just thinking about this now, 2 days before a hurricane hits, you're well behind the curve, and I wish you well surviving this, especially if you're in an urban area. If you're not prepared right now, I suggest you find an all night walmart and get some supplies now, because by tomorrow afternoon, there probably won't be much left on the shelves.

Escape plan? That really depends upon the goals of the individual and chances are there's no real answer to it.

[StingyGunner]

Nutnfancy on youtube. Search his "concept usk" vid. Unless you're one of the "he threatens me by his knowledge so I'll bash him" guys. Otherwise, it's pretty cool.

[West Chester]

Easiest way to move light is with dehydrated water...

[The_War_Wagon]

www.survivalblog.com

Of course, his PRIMARY advice is, get OUT of the city! Failing THAT, there are still plenty of other helpful tips.

[dgg9]

Specific to the city, and aside from the obvious food and water and batteries, one might add: duct tape and plastic tarp-like sheeting like those disposable painters dropcloths, in case a window breaks....expect your basement to flood a bit even if it doesn't normally because the sewage drain pumps might get overwhelmed....fill up your tub to have "grey water" for flushing and washing.