National Preparedness Month: What are you doing/have done to prepare?

Need a backup way to obtain water from 180 ft deep well when power goes out.  What are others doing other than generators?  I don't want to store gasoline nor have a machine that needs servicing and is expensive to buy and noisy.

Denise Cares wrote:Need a backup way to obtain water from 180 ft deep well when power goes out.  What are others doing other than generators?  I don't want to store gasoline nor have a machine that needs servicing and is expensive to buy and noisy.

I wish I had an answer for this--mines only about 25 feet down, and I'm still not sure what to do for it. Here's some related threads:

Do wells survive earthquakes? If they don't, how do I ensure water for my family?

Anyone have experience with EZ water well hand pumps?

how to install a hand pump alongside an electric well pump???

One of the things that we have to prepare for is the effects of the weather, on our bodies. We both have disabilities that limit what we can do outside in extreme weather. So, we are continuously working toward being able to stay indoors for as much as a week or even two at a time. But, we have critters who need food, water, supplements, and in some cases grooming &/or potentially assistance in birthing.

The birds are the easiest to accommodate, for this stuff, with the exception of the freezing water nipples, because when setting up their watering system, I didn't know there was a horizontal option that doesn't freeze as quickly. They currently have 10 gallons (a 2week supply) with barley bundles and acv, to keep the water fresh, clean and parasite free, as well as the benefits the acv offers their bodies. I'm starting a build this week, to shelter their water supply. The plan is a surround that can be removed, in warmer weather. We're also trying to decide whether it would be worth it to run a small heater - but, there's no power run to the coop, which is more than 100ft from the closest power supply, which isn't exactly the safest power supply. I've taken a big, (33gal?) outdoor, lidded trash can, put 4 holes near the bottom, and inserted (&sealed in place) pvc corner pipes, angled down. This was set on pavers, to raise it up to a comfortable height for the chickens. This contraption holds 150# of laying mash (only non-gmo, organic, tyvm), which will last my girls months, even if there's nothing to forage, in the worst weather. Next to that is the 5gal bucket, with 3 of the same holes/corner pipe setup, filled with a 50# bag of oyster shells (nearly a year's supply), for them. The ducks have adapted remarkably well to this system, with the only added requirement being a water supply they can get wet with, which will be one of the few required things to deal with, every day, along with collecting eggs and checking on the flocks' wellbeing. I'll be covering the North side of the run with a heavy duty tarp, to block the wicked north-east wind that rolls down the hill at them, and bolstering the bottom of that with straw bales. The south side will also get the straw bales, but I don't want to block the sun, so no tarp there. The east side of the run is protected by the hen house, and the west side faces our house, so that won't be blocked, for both sunlight and safety/ visibility.  

The goats are a bit more difficult, in some ways - easier, in others. For one thing, last year, we only had 3 - this year, we have 8! We've laid in a little over 40 bales of hay, so far, and it's in the goat barn, so it's easy for me to access, but I've fenced it in, so they can't destroy it (like they did last year), and turn it into dirty bedding for me to clean up. Water was difficult last year, until I sacrificed our 5gallon picnic cooler as a small trough, for them. The insulation was a huge help, even inside the barn - but it was still too small. While looking for a big cooler, to bring home the half cow he bought, he found 30gallon ones on sale for $58. I sent him back for 2 more, to use as troughs. We can't get a plain, uninsulated, plastic trough, for that price, and they have a drain plug, for easy cleaning. So, one is now installed in the barn for the does to access, and another down in the bucks' paddock, both with barley bundles and acv, just like the poultry water supply. John is going to build a pair of big mangers, that will each hold a full square bale of hay, so they'll be good for a week at a time. That only leaves daily oats & wellness checks, for them. So, if we divide our critter chores between us(which we've already been doing), dailies shouldn't take more than 10 - 15 minutes. Weekly water changes & hay additions should only add another 10 - 15 minutes. Grooming the fiber goats every week and hoof trimming for all are where the extra time comes in, but our very rocky ground actually helps with the hooves('bout time it helped with something!), so we can usually get by for several months, only checking them. Grooming, I'll simply not do, if it's too bad out for my body to function.

Other preps: we bought a small tractor with an attached bucket, as well as a handful of other accessories, so our driveway won't be inaccessible for half the winter, this year. W00t! That's a HUGE boon, for us! We've begun hitting the stores for the items we weren't able to grow (most things, ugh), to restock the pantry, including almond,  coconut, and oat flours. I did manage to forage for some wild culinary and medicinal herbs, and plan to get back out there, to bring in some more, in the next week or so. A new dehydrator is helping me put back produce that takes up less space, and creates less weight burden on the pantry shelves, too. I'm paying particular attention to spices, as well as foods that have medicinal value, like garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric, pumpkin, kale, blueberries, cranberries, apples, etc., and am looking for a good source of very local raw honey. John has stocked the freezer with half a cow, a boar he hunted in May, 4 of our ducks, and purchased equipment (killing cones, a plucker, a portable table, & a second gambrel, for larger carcasses) to do the next ones, himself. Just this morning, he ordered a pig for slaughter, too. We hope to get at least one or two deer and a turkey or two, this season, though actually getting a turkey would represent something of a miracle, since we're pretty sure they keep track of the turkey season calender. A fair portion of all this meat, especially if we overflow the freezers, will be devoted to jerky, hard salamis, and other cured &/or canned meats, that don't depend on electricity for storage. Our goal is to not depend on the grocery stores, at all, this winter.

I'm making soaps, shampoo, laundry soap, & herbal remedies, and will soon shift to simply preserving the rest of my supplies. The finished products take up less space and offer far more convenience, than the unused supplies, but the unused supplies offer more options for other uses, so I try to find a balance between them. For example, if I use up all my plantain & calendula making a healing oil, then someone with an allergy to calendula needs a salve for rashes, I've no plantain left, to make one for them, or if I want a calendula hydrosol, for a hair rinse or wound spray, I've no calendula left, for that.

Next year, we will focus on less total dependence on the power grid, but this year, as far as power goes, our main concern is the well pump. The well itself is in a sunny spot, and doesn't seem to use much power, so that will be the first thing we try to move to solar - hopefully for this winter. I'm still searching for an affordable hand pump that can draw from our 650ft deep well.

Emergency Preparedness around here is a non-event! I compiled a nice EP PowerPoint presentation over a whole variety of topics and had four 8 ft. tables spread with samples of what people could do with very little money. The crowd at our local Senior Center was more interested in what they were going to have for lunch than in the articles or the presentation.

However, I'm posting a photo of a lighting system that some of you may want to actually make for power outages as well as having that in your stash of items for emergencies. It is a simple 12V, two wire system. You can make the wires however long you need them. The bulbs are LEDs with a socket that you can turn the bulb either way in - and make your attachments on the wires wherever needed, maybe even only one bulb per room, just to get around without tripping over something. IF you turn the bulbs to the ceiling you get about twice the output as they reflect off the ceiling nicely. Use a coat rack, a tall camera tripod or a home made stand to tape the bulbs in an upright position. I just show a small 12V battery, but what that battery cost, plus a few extra bucks will buy a 12V car battery at WalMart. You can buy the wire, LED bulbs (2 prong type), and the sockets on Amazon for some surprisingly decent prices. See the photo below!

Oh, also, I have a JayGee modified version of a PVC & 5 Gal bucket toilet with a seat if anyone would like to get the photo of that also.

Lots of good ideas here. We live on 8 acres, have chickens, sheep, horses, dogs, the yearly feeder pig and ATM, a steer. The 2 freezers are packed and the canning closet is full. I was raised in hurricane country and lived there most of my life until 6 years ago. Now we live in tornado country. We could live very well on what I have stocked up for probably a year. I have small livestock on purpose, easier to raise and maintain. We are in a good neighborhood of fairly like minded individuals, except for a couple of jerks nobody likes. LOL We raise a garden every year, dehydrate, can and freeze the proceeds, as well as spread the wealth around the neighborhood. I have a large supply of seeds. A neighbor is having a well drilled this weekend and is going to run pipe to our place for the animals and garden. He has benefitted from our garden and meat supply and wants to keep that going! LOL

O.K., another site had an article about saving water in a reservoir called a WaterBob. However, that would only be used as drinking water in a SHTF situation, so no toilet available when electric & water are off. Here is a good simple solution shown below. IF you use bio-degradable bags in the 5 gallon bucket and use that for solids only you can easily tie up the bag and bury it in the back yard. Urine can go into another bucket and be disposed of in the garden. I don't know which odor is worse, old poop or old urine, as both are very strong. Best bet is to use one of these in the garage or a shed or barn. See the photo below.

We are still on our preparedness journey. As bike campers, we have the ability and stamina to carry large amounts of supplies long distances (even more now that I have my bike trailer, affectionately known as Truck). My girlfriend is in training as a bike mechanic and has access to a lot of used parts, something I think will be in high demand in emergencies and in climate descent scenarios.

We do collect rainwater, but need a better filtration system. Financially, I have established a 1 year emergency fund where I could be fine without income. We buy large 25-50lb bags of organic beans, rice, and oats. I am a forager but don't kid myself that I can supply more than symbolic meals.

We need to work on our emergency bags (likely to be a big earthquake here on Vancouver Island.) And I would like to get a Berkey for rainwater filtering - would love to hear some firsthand reviews (or alternatives) as I've found mixed information online.

Hey Murphy; I got a berkey filter years ago when I was filtering water from a rain barrel, and it worked great. I have since improved a spring on my property, but I still run the water through the berkey just to be on the safe side. They are a nice way to process a lot of water, but I think it would be overkill as a backup system. The filter elements eventually clog up a bit, and the flow slows down (after like 5 years of use) and they are pretty expensive to replace.

If you just want something to carry you through emergencies, I think a "life straw" would be the easiest. They cost 20 bucks, and they are small and light and simple. They make bigger versions that you can use with backpacking water bladders, and those are also pretty good. I would also carry some tablets as a backup when i was backpacking. The modern ones really do not leave much of an off taste, and they weigh next to nothing.

I am reading through a book about the cascadia quake at the moment, and it is making me want to up my preparedness a little bit. I am off grid, and doing a lot of gardening and food preservation, so I am pretty confident that I could last a few months in relative comfort. However, I suspect most of the people living around me are not nearly as prepared. I tend to take a fairly optimistic view of humanity, and would like to believe that people will pull together and help each other in a disaster. To that end, I like the idea of having more stuff on hand that I can share around.

The thing I dont really like is the idea of stockpiling a bunch of emergency supplies that I am never going to use. I bought a case of MREs years ago, and squirreled them away in "case of emergency." The expiration date came before any emergency dire enough to eat any of that horrible food; and even the microbes in the compost pile seemed to have trouble digesting it! After that I bought some freeze dried food, but it is very expensive to store any meaningful quantity of food. So I came across an interesting idea that I think I am going to implement; which is simply to rotate your emergency food through a food bank. My plan is to fill a couple 5 gallon buckets with packaged rice and beans, and then just swap them out each year before they expire. At a few dollars per pound, it would not be hard to stock a months worth of calories, and even if I never eat them, they will hopefully not go to waste.

C Murphy wrote:And I would like to get a Berkey for rainwater filtering - would love to hear some firsthand reviews (or alternatives) as I've found mixed information online.

We've been using a biosand filter for 6 years now. It has required zero maintenance so far and will never require anything other than a moderate cleaning in the future. If you're moderately handy, you can build one for very little money. The only downsides are that it needs to be "fed" every day in order to maintain a biological layer, and it needs a reasonably consistent water source so that the microbes aren't getting "food" they aren't adapted to.

 https://www.cawst.org/services/expertise/biosand-filter/more-information

Michael Helmersson wrote:The only downsides are that it needs to be "fed" every day in order to maintain a biological layer, and it needs a reasonably consistent water source so that the microbes aren't getting "food" they aren't adapted to.

 https://www.cawst.org/services/expertise/biosand-filter/more-information

Hmmm.. that may be a tough one in our climate with our drought summers!

Carl Nystrom wrote:

If you just want something to carry you through emergencies, I think a "life straw" would be the easiest. They cost 20 bucks, and they are small and light and simple. They make bigger versions that you can use with backpacking water bladders, and those are also pretty good. I would also carry some tablets as a backup when i was backpacking. The modern ones really do not leave much of an off taste, and they weigh next to nothing.

I am reading through a book about the cascadia quake at the moment, and it is making me want to up my preparedness a little bit. I am off grid, and doing a lot of gardening and food preservation, so I am pretty confident that I could last a few months in relative comfort. However, I suspect most of the people living around me are not nearly as prepared. I tend to take a fairly optimistic view of humanity, and would like to believe that people will pull together and help each other in a disaster. To that end, I like the idea of having more stuff on hand that I can share around.

A life straw is a good idea - and more portable than a Berkey for our bikes. I would probably use the Berkey for daily use as well, while our city water is pretty good I wouldn't mind filtering out the chloramine, especially for my ferments.

Would love to know what book you're reading, sounds relevant to us!

https://www.amazon.com/Full-Rip-9-0-Earthquake-Pacific-Northwest/dp/1570619425

I feel like earthquake preparedness is a tough one. I guess they have an early warning system online now, so I might get as much as a minute of heads-up if the big one hits. I am not even sure what I would do with that minute, or if there is any action that I could take that would make any real difference. I am confident that the roof over my head is not going to collapse, but I do live on a hill. I am less confident about my chances if my whole building goes tobogganing down the hillside in the middle of the night :) And mitigating a landslide risk feels like it would be way more work than tearing down everything I have built and just starting over somewhere flat. Since the timescales are also so long, I think I am going to just develop a bit of indifference to the hazard and try to convince myself that the view from up here is worth the small chance that it will lead to a horrible death. If it does go down that way, though, tell people that I went down humming the first few bars from Surfing USA and trying to balance on a chair :)

Great ideas in this thread and here is one more. Remember to keep up with those once-every-six-months dental hygiene appointments. This may sound off thread but, after years of research on the subject, and maybe watching that Tom Hanks movie, Cast Away, as well as personally knowing many young and old friends who are suffering due to dental care delays during COVID-19, I realize that this is the one sure thing that I can do to up my ability to survive the unknown in any disaster scenario. Seriously! Health can deteriorate rapidly with periodontal disease, tooth abscess, infection, delays in treating cavities and cracked teeth. This is one of those unglamorous, really boring-seeming subjects but it is, unlike so many things, mostly within our control. During COVID-19, most dental offices closed their hygiene programs and worked on emergency dental cases only and the repercussions of delayed preventative care has been truly devastating for a large segment of the population. Take heed friends!

Michael Helmersson wrote:

C Murphy wrote:And I would like to get a Berkey for rainwater filtering - would love to hear some firsthand reviews (or alternatives) as I've found mixed information online.

We've been using a biosand filter for 6 years now. It has required zero maintenance so far and will never require anything other than a moderate cleaning in the future. If you're moderately handy, you can build one for very little money. The only downsides are that it needs to be "fed" every day in order to maintain a biological layer, and it needs a reasonably consistent water source so that the microbes aren't getting "food" they aren't adapted to.

 https://www.cawst.org/services/expertise/biosand-filter/more-information

Michael, is yours in your house?  The only thing that has kept me from making one here is our freezing winters.  I honestly never even considered just putting it in the house.

Trace Oswald wrote:

Michael, is yours in your house?  The only thing that has kept me from making one here is our freezing winters.  I honestly never even considered just putting it in the house.

Yes, our biosand filter is in our yurt. We have it tucked out of the way and have just enough room to pour in water from a bucket. We made ours out of 8" PVC pipe, so there was no complicated construction. The most tedious part was getting the crushed rock sieved and sorted to just the right sizes.

Carl Nystrom wrote:https://www.amazon.com/Full-Rip-9-0-Earthquake-Pacific-Northwest/dp/1570619425
I feel like earthquake preparedness is a tough one. I guess they have an early warning system online now, so I might get as much as a minute of heads-up if the big one hits. I am not even sure what I would do with that minute, or if there is any action that I could take that would make any real difference. :)

A couple of things you should be prepared to do.
1. Check for gas leaks Outside and Inside. Have a wrench handy to shut off the gas line if there is a leak.
2. Fill every container you have including your bathtub with water immediately after checking for gas leaks.
3. Make sure you have enough food to last for at least one week. Lots of tough plastic packaging of things like potato flakes, pasta, and rice will at least keep you from starving.

Mike Barkley wrote:After reviewing the initial post & all the links contained there (again) I feel that's it's quite thorough & adequate for almost everyone. Much very good advice in the other posts too. I would like to add or emphasize a few things though. Let's start with a couple of links.

WOW! Lots of good ideas there. I have a list of rules for a challenge to check for whether you're prepared for a real true emergency or not. It is attached below along with a couple of forms for your use (for all - free download) that list critical INFORMATION that people should also pay attention to. These two files were obtained through a financial analyst speaking to retirees long ago.

Everyone should take the challenge! Take the challenge!(I've only ever had one person & his family do the challenge and I gave it out to all of my students over 10 years.)

Fill out your 2 forms and store them in a safe and secure place!Fill out your 2 forms

Joe Grand wrote:Got fire starting kits,60 Shabbos candles(1800 burning hours),  4 oil lamp & gallons of oil, 10 Battery flashlights, 2 propane camp stoves.

I added 60 more Shabbos candle (on sale after the Holy day), 100 tea candles, 3 gas grills  & 2 spare tanks, one charcoal grill, 10 acres of woods for a wood lot .
Two wood stoves & a Conex container & three stainless steel table that will not rust in the weather.

So many different disasters are possible ... I don't think we can be prepared to all. For example: I live in the Netherlands just at sea level. If sea level rises, or a dike would break or the pumping station wouldn't function anymore, in very little time we'll have wet feet here in town. For that scenario I think to use my bicycle and camping gear. In eastern direction there's higher ground soon. So I have to keep my camping gear packed and in good condition. And including emergency food and water.
OK, that's one thing I'm prepared for.
For all of the rest there's my permaculture allotment garden, where I'm busy learning to grow my own vegetables and fruits. And there's this group of people I know I can trust. I will have to share the yield of the garden with them, most of them don't garden ... But we can support each other in a different way (mental / emotional / spiritual, or whatever's the right word to use in English)

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:So many different disasters are possible ... I don't think we can be prepared to all. For example: I live in the Netherlands just at sea level. If sea level rises, or a dike would break or the pumping station wouldn't function anymore, in very little time we'll have wet feet here in town. For that scenario I think to use my bicycle and camping gear. In eastern direction there's higher ground soon. So I have to keep my camping gear packed and in good condition. And including emergency food and water.
OK, that's one thing I'm prepared for.
For all of the rest there's my permaculture allotment garden, where I'm busy learning to grow my own vegetables and fruits. And there's this group of people I know I can trust. I will have to share the yield of the garden with them, most of them don't garden ... But we can support each other in a different way (mental / emotional / spiritual, or whatever's the right word to use in English)

How much have the sea level raised in the last twenty years?

Joe Grand wrote:

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:So many different disasters are possible ... I don't think we can be prepared to all. For example: I live in the Netherlands just at sea level. If sea level rises, or a dike would break or the pumping station wouldn't function anymore, in very little time we'll have wet feet here in town. For that scenario I think to use my bicycle and camping gear. In eastern direction there's higher ground soon. So I have to keep my camping gear packed and in good condition. And including emergency food and water.
OK, that's one thing I'm prepared for.
For all of the rest there's my permaculture allotment garden, where I'm busy learning to grow my own vegetables and fruits. And there's this group of people I know I can trust. I will have to share the yield of the garden with them, most of them don't garden ... But we can support each other in a different way (mental / emotional / spiritual, or whatever's the right word to use in English)

How much have the sea level raised in the last twenty years?

I can find information in Dutch about the situation with the North Sea and the Netherlands. I think there are two factors here: 1. there's more water in the oceans because of melting ice; 2. the Netherlands ('low lands') are becoming lower and lower ...
Here is one of those informative websites, it's in Dutch, but the graph is clear to understand: webpage

I decided to do a test today and see how much food I could cram into a 5 gallon bucket. Here is what I came up with:



Its 14lbs of rice, 12lbs of legumes and 2 quarts of cheap vegetable oil. Not exactly exciting fare, but the likelihood I will actually end up eating it is low. The expiry dates are at least a year out - some are longer - so I will try and remember to send it to a food bank sometime early next fall. The food portion set me back all of about 40 bucks. The bucket and lid were another 20. You could easily put something like this together for 50 dollars or less if you shopped around. It will take at least 10 gallons of water to prepare, and quite a bit of fuel of some sort.

The calorie total I came up with was 62,500 kcal. For 30 days, you would get 2085 kcal daily. I was actually sort of surprised I managed to make a months worth of calories actually fit in there. Some of the beans were quite a bit higher in calories. 130/quarter cup for the black beans, vs 90 for the split peas, for example. Anyway, I am pleased with it. Would love to see what other combos people could come up with. This one is likely going to be the cheapest, but I suspect it would be possible to cram more calories in with richer foods.

Oh, and as an added bonus, the beans should be perfectly viable as seeds - except the split peas - so this would be enough seed to plant a gargantuan plot of beans.

Good post, Carl.
I also like your taste in brands, I worked at the plant that package that beans & rice, here in USA, before I retired.
Also does spice & coffee.

We had focused primarily on establishing our food production over the past 7 years but realized recently that our efforts have not provided us with any serious emergency preparedness. Now we're in the early phase of learning how to stockpile emergency foods. We have our mylar bags, our oxygen absorbers and have started hoarding cheap staples. I never ever thought I'd be a prepper, I thought I'd just be able to grow our own food. Now, we're thinking more about the friends and family that won't be prepared at all. It feels very good to stash away food that they may one day be relieved to have.

Test the beans before relying on them to grow. I've planted many store bought beans. Some germinate & grow fine. Some don't germinate at all. I suspect it depends on if they were irradiated to kill bugs or not. Last month I had a bag of lentils that didn't sprout. I think it was that brand too.

Some salt & pepper would make that bucket of food tastier. Doesn't require much space.

To eat or for seeds, you can freeze dry beans/peas for up to five years & they will grow.
My brother were growing gardens with seed my Father stored, five years after his death, now they have use all the supply & are saving their own seeds.
Okra is the easy, just leave one pod at the end of season, when it crack open hang it in a cool dry place for a month & you will have 20-40 seeds per pod saved.

In my earlier post I wrote about people I know I can trust and who can give support in a more mental / spiritual way. I think that is the most important.
If you're 'prepared' because you have a cellar full of food, or you know how to survive in the wild, but you're alone (or only with your own family) and you're afraid ... Do you really want to live in such a situation?

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote: If you're 'prepared' because you have a cellar full of food, or you know how to survive in the wild, but you're alone (or only with your own family) and you're afraid ... Do you really want to live in such a situation?

This is something that in this situation a person must prepare for. Before the situation that causes them to be afraid.

Being afraid does not work so why have a cellar full of food?

It is hard for me to understand a person who knows how to survive in the wilds being afraid.

Many women take self-defense classes, learn karate, etc.

A person who feels they will be afraid in this situation, to me it would be wise to prepare their home.

Have boards/lumber to board up windows.

Have extra locks installed on doors and even widows.

What are some other things that a person who might be afraid can do?

Anne, I agree.
I do not believe large gangs will roam the country side killing people, most who have no supplies, will pass in 3 to 6 months & not move out of the city, they live in.
But some people will be roaming the county you live in, so you need more than just unarmed combat to live.
It is left up to you to chose how much of you humanity you will give up, to keep your family save.
Some will train now, other will wait till it is too late to learn.
 

My decision was not to practice any kind of self-defense. I only want to practice social skills, non-violent communication. From the abundance I have I can share with others. And if there's nothing more left ... then we die ... That's my choice, I don't want to 'give up humanity' to keep myself (or my family) safe.

(btw In this country we are not allowed to have fire arms (except for hunting but even then only with a certificate). Practicing martial arts in a gym is allowed.)

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:My decision was not to practice any kind of self-defense. I only want to practice social skills, non-violent communication. From the abundance I have I can share with others. And if there's nothing more left ... then we die ... That's my choice, I don't want to 'give up humanity' to keep myself (or my family) safe.

(btw In this country we are not allowed to have fire arms (except for hunting but even then only with a certificate). Practicing martial arts in a gym is allowed.)

I agree, let the police do their job. We have home invaders here & one has to guard against this kind of crime.
Alarms, locks & cameras are a good start, call it cowboy justice  but I would die for my family, if it comes to that.

Joe Grand wrote:

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:My decision was not to practice any kind of self-defense. I only want to practice social skills, non-violent communication. From the abundance I have I can share with others. And if there's nothing more left ... then we die ... That's my choice, I don't want to 'give up humanity' to keep myself (or my family) safe.

(btw In this country we are not allowed to have fire arms (except for hunting but even then only with a certificate). Practicing martial arts in a gym is allowed.)

I agree, let the police do their job. We have home invaders here & one has to guard against this kind of crime.
Alarms, locks & cameras are a good start, call it cowboy justice  but I would die for my family, if it comes to that.

Hi Joe. Probably I live in a good region (small town between agriculture and nature landscapes), there isn't much crime here. I can leave my door open and nobody will come in (except sometimes a neighbour's cat ...) while I'm not there. Alarms and cameras are only in the town centre, for the safety of shops.

November 2021 catastrophic flooding in the PNW/BC: what I have learned.

1) Pay attention to weather - my favorite weather App is VENTUSKY as it is incredibly accurate and allows you to literally pin point your location.

To be blunt, I am frustrated by the accusatory finger pointing saying the "government did not do enough to warn about the impending storms and potential outcomes.". Both during the heat dome last summer and the recent flooding there was VERY clear warnings on the nightly news forecasts, DAYS in advance. I am not sure WHAT they expected the government to do?

2) When major HWY's are closed due to slides and flooding, stay put! This is NOT the time to view secondary "backroads" as alternatives.

If you are traveling regularly outside of urban areas keep rope and chainsaws IN the vehicle. During this recent event these items proved literally lifesaving for those caught up in slides when those on the periphery used whatever was on hand to rescue those less fortunate.

3) IF you choose to live in a flood plain build accordingly; elevate your buildings (do NOT build at grade!), and have /build a "high ground" yard for safely containing all livestock/feed in an emergency.

Build for the worst case scenario (100 year flood) and then add a couple of feet.

4) OR at the very least, have an escape route, know where high ground is, and the ability (truck, trailers etc.) to get there EARLY - before you end up in a life threatening situation.

5) WATER, water everywhere and not a drop to drink! Your well is toast, municipal water is likely also shut down or contaminated. You may have a filter for personal consumption, but where are the animals getting safe drinking water?

6) Most important, HAVE A PLAN and actually practice it, understand the logistics, how long does it take to wrangle the livestock, poultry, family heirlooms and humans? I would suggest at least twice if not three times longer than we allocate without an actual run through.

7) When the officials say get out, GET OUT!  

The devastation in BC to roads, bridges, water and sanitation plants was and is still unimaginable!

Vancouver BC has the second largest port on the West Coast of North America - and now no rail or hwy access in or out of the for all those shipments. This will have consequences across North America; but for now we have a population of 3-4 million folks who have, overnight, become an island.

Regardless how well prepared you might be personally, no one will be untouched by a disaster of this magnitude. Insurance will likely sky rocket, as will municipal, provincial and federal deficits, closely followed by inflation and taxes - somehow this must all be repaired, and fast - that will cost dearly.

So, the next time they want to "raise taxes" to improve or maintain local infrastructure, listen very carefully before you scoff and play a game of chance with "What's the chance THAT will happen?" or consider that "once in a hundred years" is NOT worth the investment of taxpayer dollars. Those estimates did NOT include climate change and global warning.

Be safe out there!

Lorinne Anderson wrote:November 2021 catastrophic flooding in the PNW/BC: what I have learned.

1) Pay attention to weather - my favorite weather App is VENTUSKY as it is incredibly accurate and allows you to literally pin point your location.

To be blunt, I am frustrated by the accusatory finger pointing saying the "government did not do enough to warn about the impending storms and potential outcomes.". Both during the heat dome last summer and the recent flooding there was VERY clear warnings on the nightly news forecasts, DAYS in advance. I am not sure WHAT they expected the government to do?

2) When major HWY's are closed due to slides and flooding, stay put! This is NOT the time to view secondary "backroads" as alternatives.

If you are traveling regularly outside of urban areas keep rope and chainsaws IN the vehicle. During this recent event these items proved literally lifesaving for those caught up in slides when those on the periphery used whatever was on hand to rescue those less fortunate.

3) IF you choose to live in a flood plain build accordingly; elevate your buildings (do NOT build at grade!), and have /build a "high ground" yard for safely containing all livestock/feed in an emergency.

Build for the worst case scenario (100 year flood) and then add a couple of feet.

4) OR at the very least, have an escape route, know where high ground is, and the ability (truck, trailers etc.) to get there EARLY - before you end up in a life threatening situation.

5) WATER, water everywhere and not a drop to drink! Your well is toast, municipal water is likely also shut down or contaminated. You may have a filter for personal consumption, but where are the animals getting safe drinking water?

6) Most important, HAVE A PLAN and actually practice it, understand the logistics, how long does it take to wrangle the livestock, poultry, family heirlooms and humans? I would suggest at least twice if not three times longer than we allocate without an actual run through.

7) When the officials say get out, GET OUT!  

The devastation in BC to roads, bridges, water and sanitation plants was and is still unimaginable!

Vancouver BC has the second largest port on the West Coast of North America - and now no rail or hwy access in or out of the for all those shipments. This will have consequences across North America; but for now we have a population of 3-4 million folks who have, overnight, become an island.

Regardless how well prepared you might be personally, no one will be untouched by a disaster of this magnitude. Insurance will likely sky rocket, as will municipal, provincial and federal deficits, closely followed by inflation and taxes - somehow this must all be repaired, and fast - that will cost dearly.

So, the next time they want to "raise taxes" to improve or maintain local infrastructure, listen very carefully before you scoff and play a game of chance with "What's the chance THAT will happen?" or consider that "once in a hundred years" is NOT worth the investment of taxpayer dollars. Those estimates did NOT include climate change and global warning.

Be safe out there!

Hi Lorinne. Again I see: it all depends on your own situation. F.e. in what kind of surroundings (landscape) you live; what you are able to do and what you aren't. You live in North America (in Canada), there are mountains in your region, you drive a car and have your own house. I live in (North) Western Europe, in the Netherlands, there are no real mountains here, only some slight differences in elevation above sea level, I can not drive a car (I ride a bicycle) and I don't own a house (I rent a cheap ground-floor apartment).
When there are steep mountains, there can be landslides (avalanches too), rivers can be stopped by a sudden 'natural dam' and then rise up high. When the country is low and flat these disasters do not occur. The disasters that can happen are totally different. So the way to react will be totally different too ...

When you are in a situation where you can design and build your own house, you can prepare it for the possible disasters in your region. When you rent, you're dependent on the house owner (the housing corporation in my case). F.e. the apartment building is fairly old (built about 1960), the concrete it's made of is not of the best quality, the sub-soil here can have weak spots (mix of sand and peat / old moor). So in case of an earthquake (they do happen here, most are not of natural cause ...) I don't think it is safe to stay inside. And in case of a power failure, when the pumps (both for pumping out the river water to the sea and for the sewerage) won't work anymore ... Staying inside and in this town at sea-level ... No, I will take my bicycle and all my 'camping gear' (and more) and ride the most direct (back) roads to the higher hills (I can be there in a few hours).

I think of the kind of disaster the gouvernment is not prepared for. But if the gouvernment is even a little aware, yes they will raise taxes. And I agree too: do not blame anybody (gouvernment, news media, who-ever, some people even blame God) for disasters happening. Just know: they can happen, they will happen.  

Edit / added later: After some closer research I know now I can be at a place with an altitude of 21 meters (above sea-level) in a little over an hour (riding my bicycle). The 'really high' place I first thought of is 26 meters and it will take about two hours more.

Lorinne Anderson wrote:November 2021 catastrophic flooding in the PNW/BC: what I have learned.

1) Pay attention to weather - my favorite weather App is VENTUSKY as it is incredibly accurate and allows you to literally pin point your location.

Thanks for this link tip. It looks pretty handy.

WELL, it is never too late to prepare - until 2 seconds after TSHTF that is.

SO, attached are a couple of PDF Docs that I, and others, received from a high level financial guru who spoke at a HAC Retirees Luncheon several years ago.

These are prompts for you to gather critical your personal/family information to store in a SAFE PLACE other than on your computer!!!

I know people will wonder WHY they didn't get Docs #01 - #05 along with these. They come from a Preparedness Presentation I gave at our local Senior Center. That was a big BOMB! Most of the audience was more interested in when lunch was being served rather than the Preparedness information. I even had 4 long tables set up with equipment and few people even bothered browsing down those tables. So much for my efforts!

Mandy Launchbury-Rainey wrote:Dog food 1 I make bone broth from chicken carcasses, add the now soft bones, broth, cooed lentils and cracked white rice and can under pressure..  When we have more veg next year I will add carrots, green beans, squash and soaked corn  to the mix and supplement with eggs..  
Good enough for us too almost!

I know I am reading this years after it was posted, but if I understand you right you are canning dog food which includes cooked chicken bones.  PLEASE don't feed cooked poultry bones to your animals unless they are ground up.  Raw bones are great, they crumble, but cooked ones can splinter and injure the pets' innards.  Other than that, sounds like a great recipe!

Have been listening to this daily report to get an idea of what is happening where. People from all over send in info about shortages, shutdowns, etc. I think it helps put the pieces together to see the bigger picture. I've gradually been stocking up on many items that can't be grown, foraged, or built from scratch. All are useful but not something a person can't do without. Food, water, & shelter are really all anyone needs. The rest is just gravy.

The past month I've been transitioning the garden from summer crops to fall & winter crops. Have a fair amount of food staples stored but truly not too worried about food or water shortages. Am fortunate to have a very large fenced garden, large ponds & several creeks, with plenty of wild game. We've been filling a new freezer with wild hog & deer season will be here soon. Catching fish is super easy here. Canned many pears last week & doing more this weekend. Crab apples & persimmons will be ripe soon. All this work is not just for us but for friends & neighbors too. Some don't have gardens or live in cities where things could go bad fast.

Seeds. I've been told by multiple industry sources that they're going to be hard to find next year & expensive when you do. Please save them from your own crops & buy them early if you can.  

We are going crazy trying to build our new chicken coop before winter. Also John is building a solar array. There is a shortage on cement. I lucked out on a pallet of cement with 16 bags on it, at our local home hardware, they said it would be the last pallet for a long while. Help!  We need more!  The rats have driven us to build a new chicken coop. They’ve eaten holes in the existing cement. Now we used hydraulic cement 3 ft thick slab.  The truck that came in to deliver said that it was impossible for rats to chew through this!  

My job right now is to cement in stones for the walls and brick the east wall. Biggest wall. Scavenged brick within a 50km radius. Everything to give the rats major toothaches!  We even lucked out on slabs of black marble and some onyx which I’ll tile the inside walls with. Easy to keep clean and the rats if they get in can’t climb up the walls. Unless they get wings.  The only thing purchased was the tin for the roof, the vapour barrier outside and the metal mesh on top. Of course the cement too.  Everything was either dumpster dived or given from a neighbours house that was undergoing major Reno’s.

My garden looks a little neglected, but I’m still trying to harvest daily and get my herb crops in and dried before the cold. Make tinctures and salves. There is so much to do!  Oh yes and taking advantage of neighbours generosity of their bounty of tomatoes. So lots of canning to do, maybe in my dreams!  

We’ve already had an offer from someone who wants to rent our chicken coop for

Getting the panels up before the end of September and chicken coop walls done before the freeze comes.

And yes a hori hori knife would come in so handy in my garden!

Sorry didn’t finish my sentence…. Someone offered us 500 a month to live in our chicken coop!  Where would my chickens live I said!  That has me thinking…..maybe time to build a wofati or an earthship?