Prepare To Survive the Storm

Portions of article are taken from a piece I wrote several years ago. 

As a native of the Sunshine State, I have been exposed to natural disasters in the form of hurricanes all of my life. My first memory of a hurricane was 1961. I remember riding my red, hot rod tricycle through standing water which covered the street, sidewalks and went all the way up to the front steps our house located in South Miami.

My next memory was more frightening and occurred a few years later. At the height of Hurricane Cleo’s fury, I recall my parents putting my brother and me in the hallway of our house to wait out the worst of the storm. We listened to a transistor radio as the howling winds of the storm battered our neighborhood and toppled giant Ficus trees in our yard. The aftermath of the storm left an indelible impression upon me.

Events occur in our lives which dictate a measure of preparation is prudent. Each year at the beginning of hurricane season (June 1), the wife and I review our stores of bottled water, non-perishable foods, batteries, medicines etc. Although our survival strategy revolves around “bugging in”, we do have the ability to depart to a safe location if necessary. Preparation is the key to survival.

Take for example the recent flooding here in Central Florida or out in Texas earlier this year. Who would ever dream in their worst nightmare, their home and everything they had worked for would be gone because of rising water? (My worst nightmare may have gone there but that is a different story).

I rant because I care (somewhat) so here is rant #1- If you live in an area prone to flooding, know your evacuation route and if necessary, have sandbags already bagged during the rainy season- they won't go bad and they don't have an expiration date like a package of ground chuck.

Here is nifty sandbag alternative I ran across while researching for this article. They are re-useable and self deploy when contacted by water. Once dried, they resume their flattened state.

Non Sand Bag Water Barrier

 

See, that rant wasn’t so bad.

OK back on task here. Instead of providing a lengthy list of survival supplies, I would rather share some thoughts on developing a survival strategy and allow you to fill in the blanks on specific and necessary items. Here we go:

 

-Don’t let The Jones’ dictate your mindset. In other words, what works for others may not be what is best for you and your family. The first step in developing a survival strategy, is to determine the most probable threat. For my family, we have decided weather presents the most significant danger. This was reaffirmed in 2004 when three hurricanes (Charley, Frances and Jeanne) hit us within the span of seven weeks. We lost power in all three storms and wound up living out of our garage for a time. 2005 brought three more storms (Dennis, Katrina and Wilma) which tagged us.  We continue to update our plan and tactics as our needs and abilities change.

-Each family member should have an assigned list of tasks. This would include preparing their individual bug out bag and assist with gathering supplies for the family. For instance a child could be placed in charge of looking through the newspaper for ads of bottled water while other family members insure batteries, food, medicines and transportation needs are looked after.

 

-Rant #2..sort of - Don’t get so hung up on the use of a pack vs a bag or suit case. Packs don’t work for everybody. Evacuation or bugging out is not a military exercise and should not be treated as such. It is about survival in the short term. Living away from your surroundings, trying to survive, will beat the living crap out of you, if you do not train to live this way for extended periods. Mother Nature is a powerful foe and must be respected. The method of how supplies are carried is not near as important as the method of prevailing against the catastrophe which displaced you. Tote your stuff in a re-useable shopping bag if necessary, but insure you and your family survive.


Communication may be hindered during an emergency. Having an alternative too smart phones and the internet will be necessary to insure communication. A suggestion is to purchase CB, Ham or FRS radios for each member of your group. Being able to communicate is vital to survival during a evacuation. Family members could become lost or injured and having the ability to verbally communicate may be a life saver. It is prudent have a back-up power source such as replacement batteries or a solar powered charging station.  Pin flares and whistles should also be part of the communication package.

 

-Water will keep you alive and must be a priority regardless if you are surviving in place or evacuating to a different location. Plan on 1 gallon per day per person depending on body weight, climate and physical exertion. Keep in mind water weighs 8.35 lbs. per gallon. Here is a hydration calculator to use in your planning.  HydrationCalculator. Have the knowledge and ability to purify water gathered from streams or lakes. Every member in your group should have the ability to carry water with them.

 

-Temporary Shelter should be planned to accommodate each member in your group if your plan involves leaving your home. This may include tents, evacuation shelters, or other safe structures. Part of your sheltering plans must include a method of going to the bathroom. Below is an idea I have used in the past. It involves cutting the bottom out of a 5 gallon bucket. Turn the bucket upside down and this becomes your temporary toilet. Dig a hole under the bucket for the waste to be dropped into and this hole is then covered up when you leave or becomes full. Shovel and toilet paper round out your shelter supplies.

-Food will also be necessary. I suggest careful planning as it would be better to have more than you need than not having enough since replenishment may not be immediate. Recommended calorie intake is 2000-2500 per day. MRE’s (Meal Ready to Eat) provide about 1200 per meal, so 2 per day times 4 people times 3 days equal 24 pouches or a minimum of 2 cases. Other forms of compact calorie intake could be dehydrated soups and noodles. Even consider carrying foil packed tuna or chicken which is a very good source of portable protein.

-Fire starting is a skill everyone needs to survive. In addition to cooking, fire allows you to boil water in order to make it potable or safe to drink. It also provides a source of staying warm or even making smoke for signaling. Being able to make fire is an incredible morale booster as well. Part of your fire kit should include a utility knife capable of splitting wood. Mine is a well-used 7” K-Bar Utility knife with serrations on half the blade. This full tang knife keeps a good edge and has chopped and split lots of wood. In addition to the K-Bar, I carry a variety of fire starters, waterproof matches, lighters and magnesium rods in my fire kit.

 

-Pack enough comfortable clothing for 72 hours and have one complete change of clothing kept in an in waterproof bag. If for whatever reason you get soaked to the skin, being able to change into dry clothing is necessary to ward off hypothermia, even in the summer. Having a quality poncho has the ability to keep you dry but also will keep you incredibly warm. On a personal note, I HATE WET FEET so I always have extra dry, thick socks in my kit. But that is just me.

 

-Footwear should be comfortable above everything. Don’t purchase footwear just for your bug out bag and then never wear it. Hot spots will develop on your feet and that will lead to blisters both of which will slow you down. Keep some foot powder handy and use thick quality socks. The picture below represents the most comfortable foot ware I own. The shoes up front are made by Rockport, they are lightweight and rugged. I use them as my competition shooting shoes. The 6” tan boots (back left) are 5-11 Advance with slip resistant soles, the 8” tan boots (back center) are made by Belleville with Vibram soles and are made in the USA and the black 6” boots (back right) are made by Bates and perform well in rugged terrain.

 

Miscellaneous Gear which should be considered are gloves, watch cap, good multi-tool, para cord, flash light for each member in the group and first aid supplies.  A good wide brim hat such as a boonie hat is also recommended, and cash.

 

 

 



 

Don’t forget to include your pets in your plans. You have an obligation to take care of them. Know what shelters in your area allow pets and what the regulations are. Insure you fur babies have up to date vaccinations. Make sure you pack their food, medicines and restraints.
 

Once you have assembled your gear, plan on conducting several mock disaster drills. These drills should allow deployment of all of your gear by all members in your group, including children. This could be done in the privacy of your backyard or at a primitive campground which does not offer any amenities. The goal is to practice survival skills before you actually need them. Be sure to take notes of equipment failures or deemed unnecessary, equipment which should be added and field skills which to be improved.
 

Life is uncertain and fragile. None of us can predict the future and this often times leads to supposition and unfounded beliefs. Be prepared for weather events and take immediate action to safeguard yourself. Pay attention to social unrest and remove you and your loved ones from harms way when appropriate. Government does not have the capacity to make preparations for you. That is your responsibility.
 

A note about firearms: If you intend to make firearms part of your kit, do so with safety in mind. Review the rules of firearm safety with everyone in your group and insure everyone has an understanding how to safely use them. Give considerable thought how much ammunition you will carry. Ammo is very heavy and you should plan for this in your load out.

Be Safe.