How To Prepare For Distasters and Terror Attacks
A little preparation can help you survive
In many cases terror attacks and natural disasters come without any warning. For example, the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami happened quite suddenly, then the subsequent Fukushima reactor leak made things worse for people in the area. It took quite some time to find and evacuate earthquake and tsunami vicitims from the radiation zone, which means that things like iodine tablets may have been less effective for these survivors. In a similar manner, terror attacks can happen any time, and the aftermath of the attack is a bigger problem than the incident itself. After September 11, air traffic was restricted which was not normally a problem except for people who might have needed lifesaving medications that were unavailable in their cities. A prolonged emergency would have illustrated the need to stock up on critical supplies. Hurricane Katrina, which came with plenty of warining, nonetheless left thousands of people stranded in flooded homes without food or water. Emergency preparedness can help mitigate the effects of known and possible disasters. For example, having adequate food, water, and first aid kits can allow families to survive until help can arrive, which can take days even in developed countries (consider the Katrina response or Japan rescues). While it is hard to keep supplies ready for an earthquake or tsunami if your house is destroyed, people nonetheless have options for the secondary effects of the disaster, which can include being cut off from food, water, and heat. For hundreds of years, people who lived in tornado zones have had basements and shelters, also used for storage, that are designed to help people survive while their homes get ripped apart. The bomb shelters of the 1940s and fallout shelters of the Cold War are a testament to preparedness, and included food, diversions, and bathroom facilities designed for an extended stay. Every family should have sufficient food and water to last for at least a week without outside services, and people with special medical needs should consider having extra pills, insulin (and cold packs in a cooler to keep it from spoiling) and medicine. As a rule of thumb, it is good to keep at least one quarter of a tank of gas in your vehicle, whether you need to get out of an area with no gas stations, or you need to run the car for warmth or air conditioning. Several websites sell disaster preparedness kits, which are highly recommended. You can buy long term food supplies from places like camping stores, which have a 20 year shelf life and offer a month of food rations in a small bucket-like container that is also waterproof. Although the criticism of most such items is that people keep them for years and don't need them, the same people would kick themselves for not buying them in a situation where the town's food and water supplies were interrupted, even for a few days.
Notes and Special Information
Special note: Although disasters and attacks are hard to predict, preparation can give you options you would not otherise have.