DIY: Emergency toolkits

Earthquake, Nepal, The Telegraph

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You never know when a disaster will strike. Best to be prepared. Many agencies have webpages with advice on how to prepare for and withstand the conditions of an emergency. Often these pages deal specifically with natural disasters likely to occur in your area. Here in Anchorage we have the Emergency Management pages, published by the municipality.

Being prepared often means having supplies and a toolkit set aside, 'just in case'. Ready.gov's Basic Disaster Supplies lists some essentials. The site offers a wealth of information on other topics related to preparedness, as well. And you may want to take a moment to reflect on what you would sorely miss (that can be included) if disaster strikes.

DMV.org and Edmunds list emergency supplies for your car. It's surprising how long these lists are. Edmunds notes

Granted, all these items practically necessitate a Ford Excursion to haul them down the road, but a basic version with two roadside flares, a quart of oil, small first aid kit, extra fuses, flashlight, Leatherman Tool (or any other multipurpose tool commonly containing pliers, wire cutters, knife, saw, bottle opener, screwdrivers, files and an awl), tire inflator, rags, pocket knife, pen and paper and a help sign will take up a minimal amount of trunk space.

For your home there's a list at The Family Handyman that makes for interesting reading. As the article says:

A disaster can make you a victim or victor. Luck plays a part, and so does knowing what to do. But nothing matters more than preparation. And that means having the right stuff in your emergency arsenal. Here are our suggestions to help you overcome disasters big and small.

-- Marge

DIY: Disaster survival

Call it zombie apocalypse survival if you like, the purpose is the same -- to outlast the effects of urban system failure.  An excellent article posted by embrachu, byline "Renaissance Survivalist," and titled "Surviving in an urban setting," gives an description of what can happen when services go off-line.  Here's part of it:

The city presents serious risks during a crisis. The four most serious are: (1.) Rioting and the breakdown of order, (2.) Lack of water, or the delivery of water, (3.) Lack of food, (4.) The power grid going off-line. Some cities may experience only a few of these, although most certainly there will be cities that experience them all.

Social order is psychological. It could collapse under the right conditions. When people realize there is no longer law and order, they behave according to their own whims. Only the threat of immediate death stopped the looting and violence in the L.A. Riots, when the National Guard responded to the crisis. Eventually the National Guard assumed control. Remember, this was only an isolated event, with one city. In a more serious crisis, will the National Guard or local police be able to handle the load? Overnight this country could be turned into a war zone, requiring all-out martial law and military force. The reality is, however, the military would be stretched beyond limits to handle the load.

We've seen all of this in movies that detail the end of society as we know it; this as well as the random acts of kindness and self-sacrifice.  But don't think it can only happen on the screen.
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NateHallinan, DeviantART

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Given, most survival guides are pretty dry reading.  Here in Alaska, even in Anchorage with population approaching 300,000 (no wonder there seems to be more traffic lately), disaster stands in the wings, especially due to earthquakes, wildfires and extreme winter weather. Here's Anchorage's Emergency Preparedness page.  There's another article at LifeHacker titled "MacGyver, Survivalist or Stockpiler" that's good reading.  More information can be found at Urban Disaster Survival.
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Bryan Marvin P. Sola, DeviantART

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At the risk of being an alarmist, I urge you to take a look at the information available for your area.  Know what your risks are.  And be prepared.  Remember, when the grid goes down, you have 3 days before chaos breaks loose -- assuming you live in a city.

-- Marge