Showing posts with label disaster prep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label disaster prep. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Coronavirus Prep

I've been keeping an eye on the progression of the coronavirus of the Johns Hopkins map:



It focuses on Mainland China, but you can scroll the list on the left to select another country.

Meanwhile, over on Twitter, @BryanDeanWright is (rightfully) grousing that the CDC is saying "Get prepared" without saying about the 'how'!

So, as a public service, I am posting a link to @TreeHuggingSis' blog post on hurricane prep. While you don't need to board up the house, it's got tons on infor for all of your prep needs.




I did mention to Bryan that the CDC does have prep info on line, at the Zombie Apocalypse page. So here is a link to that:


CDC Zombie Apocalypse Page

Because you never know!

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Day of Resistance

What started out as the morning dog walk tuned into a peaceful assembly/protest.  Who knew??

I didn't know anything about it until I turned the corner onto Main St. and saw this:


We cut  the walk short, and went home.  I swapped my Breakers cap for my NRA cap, and went over to join in and get some photos:

The crowd across the intersection.


Two speeches were given.  Acoustics were crap, but I caught quotations from the Declaration of Independence.  We were exhorted to read and know the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  He said (I paraphrase) "The Second Amendment is the gun law for this country."  We recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
A couple of folks came bearing arms.


Nifty signs



I haven't been to a demonstration since the 80s.  This one seemed to me to be important to participate in.  The direction President Obama is taking this country is wrong.  No government should have as much control of peoples' live has his assumed, from health care to unconstitutional laws trying to disarm the citizenry.

I have not been this afraid since the early 60s, when I wondered every day if  the Russians would push the button down.  I do not want the sheriff coming to my door to inspect my guns.  I want to afford to shoot  them, which means nothing but sales tax on ammo.  I don't need expensive liability insurance because I own guns.
The people I met today seemed decent, rational, and patriotic.  Several people recommended a particular gun club to me, and I plan on joining.  I don't want to be alone in this mess.

Main and Broadway is a busy intersection, PA routes 24 and 74, from the MD state line, up to York and Carlisle.  We got a lot of support from passers-by, honking horns, waving, and giving thumbs-up.  I'm happy be where the kind of government intrusion Obama seems bent on will be resisted.  I am glad I wound up here.




Sunday, November 4, 2012

Thank God Bush Isn't In Charge... (Updated & Bumped x3)

...or Ray Nagin.

Note: I thought I'd cross this post here.

Update VI:  Jewel, over at Gerard's, tells a great story:  

"Today, my husband witnessed a wondrous act of resourcefulness. A man with a horse trailer hitched to his truck was filling up individual 5 gallon jugs of gas in order to transport them back to New Jersey. He went out into the wide world of American plenty that lies just beyond disaster. He didn't wait like a hopeless fool in a line of idling cars for gasoline that is rationed by the spoonful. His neighbors hired him because he had a big, gas eating truck, and gave him money and jugs and sent him to Lancaster County to go shopping. He brought back not only gasoline, but food, water, clothing, blankets, batteries, and other things they might need. Those people are heroes, because they used their God-given talents and brains and didn't go crying to the cameras, asking for the government to come and help."

It's easy to get "wrapped around the axle" in a mess like Sandy.  Jewel's post is a wonderful reminder that everything you need is available a couple of hours away.

Update VDaily Caller reports that the IBEW sent a letter to the Florida electrical utility demanding that the emergency workers join the (damned) union.  Class act, brothers!

Not to be out done, nanny Bloomberg answers THS's question.  Seems he disapproves of the National Guard's policy of carrying weapons, particularly guns.  He's afraid of "martial law". (Ed Driscoll at Instapundit)

Did I mention that truth is stranger than fiction, because fiction has to make sense?  Yeah, 's true. 

Update IV:  Tree Hugging Sister over at the Coalition asks:

FEMA Is Out of Water Redux ~ Anybody Ask the Army Corps of Engineers for Help?

Seems they are waiting to be activated, but none of the super-geniuses in charge have thought to do that.  So supplies that are pre-contracted (like water and ice) are gathering dust while everyone waits for FEMA to get a contract out.  Tomorrow.

And this, from the New York Post: "Some Rockaways residents who work as firefighters in The Bronx and Manhattan were fuming yesterday — sitting idly in their firehouses while their neighbors and family members miles away struggled to get help."


 


Update III:  The proverbial $64.00 questions that need asking are, "Why weren't Cuomo and Bloomberg setting up relief sites two weeks ago?  Why weren't they pre-positioning bottled water, MREs and blankets?  Who says you have to wait on FEMA to do it??  WHO??"

They have let down the people who have (foolishly) trusted in them.

Update II:  You have to, HAVE TO  be ready to live in isolation for at least a week after something like Sandy or Katrina or the Sylmar quake.  There just aren't enough Official First Responders to come and wipe your nose!!  So far, the only real assistance in Rockaway or Staten Island has been neighbors helping neighbors.  And that is how it happens - you take care of yourself, your family, and your neighborhood.

Update: Mary Katherine Ham at Hot Air has a great piece up about Federal vs. local disaster recovery management, and (of all things) "The Waffle House Index".

Previously:

From Drudge:


I am willing to bet that I am not the only one who was paying attention to the news, particularly the weather, in the last two weeks or so.  I made sure the truck had a full tank.  I made sure that I had propane for the camp stove, batteries for flashlights and camping lamps, a well-stocked freezer and fridge, a clean bathtub full of fresh water,

 Here's the money quote from nanny Bloomberg:

“We are, over the next few days, going to have to work out some procedures to make sure people can get food,” Mayor Bloomberg insisted.

Let that sink in.  Like New Orleans in Katrina, whose disaster preparedness plan amounted to "We should have one".

Yup.  He obviously took lessons from Nagin.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

It's Beer...

...and shower o'clock!

I've got the back 40 cleared of potential missiles.  A lot of it stacked on the side porch.  The monster table saw is still where Nick and I left it when we moved it from my storage space.  It is, however, covered with plastic sheeting, as is the folding table saw.

Bbq and smoker are next to the "open" cinder block wall, heavily weighted down.  Didn't remember to think about getting something to tie them down.

Foo!

Trimmed the excess tarp from the back roof.  The idea of that one is to prevent any more water damage to the exterior-facing wall under it.

Will move the Blazer next tomorrow.

Gusty winds and a stead drizzle right now.  According to the 'Droid, local temp is 49 degrees.

Have to secure the storm windows here in the office.  Requires crawling/moving furniture.  Tomorrow.  (And some pictures, too!)

Let the hunkering begin!

As they say...

...posting may be light.  Or non-existant for the duration of Sandy.

 Got a full tank of gas & fresh oil in the engine.  Made arrangements with my neighbor, Sandy (no, really!!)to park my truck next door, out of reach of the big walnut tree if it falls.  One load of laundry to do. Outside freezer on super cold.  Have beer. wine & gin if the fridge.  Making chili, pork roast and cookies today and tomorrow.  Getting old-fashioned dead tree substrate books from the library tomorrow.  Freezing pint bottles of water  Got propane cylinders for camp stove.  Ton o' batteries.

Gotta bring in all of the potential flying objects.

The first inland "S" on the strom tracks you see... that's pretty much my house.



I've been following Google Crisis... they seem to be doing a good job of it:

http://google.org/crisismap/sandy-2012
You can play with what's displayed.

Gas stations and grocery stores were pretty busy last night.  Thankfully, I'm done!


More as it develops.

I'll try and post from my 'Droid, if it comes to that.

Cheers!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Grab 'n' Go Bags

"Grab 'n' Go" Bags" are you first line of defense in a disaster.  They should be in a place where you can grab them on your way out the door.  These are from the Huntington Beach CERT organization, which I belonged to for a couple of years.  Their purpose is to keep you going if you have to evacuate on short notice.  The contents of these are based on the Southern California environment, so adjust accordingly.

 I sent these to Mr Bingley at The Coalition of the Swilling, and decided that with the approach of Sandy, I put them up here, along with my comments to Mr. B.  (Click for full size)


Sone notes:
Adult, left column: 
  • Radio - I have one that runs on its own solar cell, batteries, or juice from its hand crank
  • Money - change, $1s, $5s, and $10s.  If you don't break down your $20s, you'll find that everything costs $20.00
  • Whistle - make sure it's a damned loud one, not a cheapo toy store one.
  • Okay/Help signs - 8 1/2" x 11", 72 point print, red text "Help", green text "OK"  Put the appropriate one in a street-facing window - lets first responders know how you're doing.
  • Out of state contact - I expect you be that for your family down south.  If they can't raise each other, they call you, and you relay messages.
  • Important docs - old driver's license/passport
  • First aid - no kit is too bog.  I like the ones at Sam's - $20.00, great for BLS.  I'd make sure I had tubes of anti-biotic and cortisone creams as well.  Eye drops/wash.  Low dose aspirin, just in case.  Written first aid guide.  
Right column:
  • TP - the new cash.  Need I say more?
  • Good book - bring some of your favorite adult spirits along w/ the books and cards
  • Blanket/tent, etc - I have my camping gear backed in a couple of large plastic storage boxes.
  • Dust mask - I can't use the disposable ones - they fog my glasses when I exhale.  I broke down and got an inexpensive (not "cheap") respirator at Home Depot.  Works much better...
  • Tools - I have an old catalog cast that I keep my hard hat and misc b & e tools in (I was the CERT ligtht urban search & rescue team leader for a year.)


Pets - most of the first aid items listed are in a good first aid kit (like the one from Home Depot)
 
Car
  • Get an inverter that will run out of the cigarette lighter - this will allow  you to charge things like laptops, that need a 110/120 v AC outlet.  Got mine at Sam's.
 
Random Notes:
  • I have "FirstAid", "iTriage" and the "U.S. Army (sorry, Marines) Survival Guide" apps on my 'Droid. 
  • Keep your phone charged in your car!!
  • Make sure you have an extra phone charger for each phone.  Radio Shack and Office Depot both sell chargers that have interchangeable plugs, so you can use 1 charger to charge several phones (mine plugs into the wall, the cig lighter, and even take a 9v battery!)
  • Or just get a cigarette lighter powered USB outlet.  (Apple people, YMMV)
 A good practice is to check the batteries on your smoke alarm, and inventory your survival stuff twice a year, on the day the time changes (or on New Year's Day and the 4th of July if you don't switch to/from Daylight Savings Time).  Make sure batteries are fresh (or charged), rotate water and other perishables.

A bottle or two of your favorite Adult Beverage is not a bad thing to have on hand, either.