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Since this is the biggest threat we face HERE, with potential volcanic eruptions that bring lava, ash, etc. what are some realistic expectations?

I'm thinking:

-Potentially destroyed homes, gas fires, rubble, etc.
-Impassible roads and bridges.
-Lack of resources coming in due to the last point.
-Looters...


This doesn't seem like a bug out situation. Theoretically you could keep some gear in the shed that is easier to dig through to get to gear, like a tent, food, etc. and camp out in your own back yard.

Pets are a consideration. I have two skittish cats that are indoor cats and containing them to a tent will be a huge problem.
 
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Start with earthquake insurance, since it is not covered by normal homeowners policies.
it is actually fairly cheap too.


Haha, good one. I had EQ insurance on most of my properties, some because of their location they would not insure with it. The rest they dropped upon policy renewal. Their underwriting standards changed and they would no longer provide it. :mad:
 
The immediate problem will be the loss of electrical power and running water. Depending on the weather, loss of structure integrity.

With the loss of electrical power, TVs will no longer work so information flow will be disrupted. Refrigerator/freezers will stop working and slowly defrost. No lights (adding to anxiety, especially of the children). Cell towers may still work for a couple days before they run out of power (batteries/generator) but they will be hopelessly clogged for the first day. I was advised not to try to make a phone call on the first day but text (less power and better chance of getting thru). As the second day comes in, a lot of phones will be dying so that will free up the tower. Speaking of power, street lights will be out which will add to the fear. Gas stations may not be able to pump gas. The ones that can will soon be out of gas.

With the loss of water, drinking and cooking water becomes an issue. Sanitation also becomes an issue since you can no longer flush toilets. No water to wash hands or bath will add to the possibility of illness.

Fuel to cook food and boil water will be in short supply. Without electricity or gas, most people only have 2 days worth of propane fuel and charcoal.

Everything will be more severe if it happens during the cold of winter.

Tough question about looters. There will be some who will look at it as an opportunity to prey on others. But it will be mostly unprepared people who are desperately trying to feed and protect their families.

I went thru a disaster exercise about a decade ago. I've had a ringside seat watching real disaster events and the logistics involved. It was a real eye opener. If a major earthquake hits here, it might be three days before supplies start to arrive into the area. Perhaps a week before it starts reaching most people. Perhaps three weeks before there is enough to comfortably supply people. I asked one of the disaster planning guru's that if we're thinking it might be three weeks before supply levels catch up, why are we telling people to only plan for three days (remember the motto "Three Ways, Three Days"). He said because most people will be overwhelmed by more and will just do nothing. Even then, we found most people wouldn't even plan on three days.
 
In the event of a natural disaster, a person would need to be prepared for the onslaught of "neighbors" that would be coming to your place looking for help. They'll eat your food, drink your water and take anything that they think will be useful. They'll justify it by thinking it's him or me. That being said, I believe in trying to help folks without "giving away the store." You would need to be able to make tough decisions based on helping you and your family first and foremost.
 
The immediate problem will be the loss of electrical power and running water. Depending on the weather, loss of structure integrity.

With the loss of electrical power, TVs will no longer work so information flow will be disrupted. Refrigerator/freezers will stop working and slowly defrost. No lights (adding to anxiety, especially of the children). Cell towers may still work for a couple days before they run out of power (batteries/generator) but they will be hopelessly clogged for the first day. I was advised not to try to make a phone call on the first day but text (less power and better chance of getting thru). As the second day comes in, a lot of phones will be dying so that will free up the tower. Speaking of power, street lights will be out which will add to the fear. Gas stations may not be able to pump gas. The ones that can will soon be out of gas.

With the loss of water, drinking and cooking water becomes an issue. Sanitation also becomes an issue since you can no longer flush toilets. No water to wash hands or bath will add to the possibility of illness.

Fuel to cook food and boil water will be in short supply. Without electricity or gas, most people only have 2 days worth of propane fuel and charcoal.

Everything will be more severe if it happens during the cold of winter.

Tough question about looters. There will be some who will look at it as an opportunity to prey on others. But it will be mostly unprepared people who are desperately trying to feed and protect their families.

I went thru a disaster exercise about a decade ago. I've had a ringside seat watching real disaster events and the logistics involved. It was a real eye opener. If a major earthquake hits here, it might be three days before supplies start to arrive into the area. Perhaps a week before it starts reaching most people. Perhaps three weeks before there is enough to comfortably supply people. I asked one of the disaster planning guru's that if we're thinking it might be three weeks before supply levels catch up, why are we telling people to only plan for three days (remember the motto "Three Ways, Three Days"). He said because most people will be overwhelmed by more and will just do nothing. Even then, we found most people wouldn't even plan on three days.
Yes, most folks do nothing even when armed with the most accurate information available. I would offer first aid, then information, but not my supplies. The experts predict that if a major quake happened in the Portland metro area, it could be as long as six months for help to reach folks. The bridges would collapse, communications would be down, no gas (petroleum or natural), no electricity because the grid would collapse. Not a pretty picture.
 
If there is a grid event and your cell nbetworks and internet go dead, you wil lneed a back up. At the very least for back up comms, get yourself a good GMRS/FRS radio. They are cheap and readily available. www.midlandusa.com, for example. WHile these aren't programmable, lots of people in you neighborhood have them and there will be chatter. This can be critical. Take it one step further and get a chap Baofeng dual band HT. Program it with Chirp(free software) with the local SAR and repeaters for better quality chatter.
 
If there is a grid event and your cell nbetworks and internet go dead, you wil lneed a back up. At the very least for back up comms, get yourself a good GMRS/FRS radio. They are cheap and readily available. www.midlandusa.com, for example. WHile these aren't programmable, lots of people in you neighborhood have them and there will be chatter. This can be critical. Take it one step further and get a chap Baofeng dual band HT. Program it with Chirp(free software) with the local SAR and repeaters for better quality chatter.
I actually have three of those radios put away in my emergency supplies. They programmed for 146.52 in simplex. If there's a grid outage, the repeaters would go down fairly quickly. They are also a pain to program. You can download "cheat sheets" from the internet.
 
In the event of a natural disaster, a person would need to be prepared for the onslaught of "neighbors" that would be coming to your place looking for help. They'll eat your food, drink your water and take anything that they think will be useful. They'll justify it by thinking it's him or me. That being said, I believe in trying to help folks without "giving away the store." You would need to be able to make tough decisions based on helping you and your family first and foremost.


Another reason for opsec. I found the other day that my neighbor has at least a handgun. From what I could tell it was an XDM pistol. Another neighbor wears a jacket that has a gun logo on it. Now I know who's who. Intel...

It's why my EDC pack (on the rare occasion I leave my house) is an Old Navy bag, not a tactical MOLLE 5.11 BlackHawk Ninja pack.
 
We have always kept a good supply of "stuff" at home for the big shake. Now of course if the house falls down we are going to be waiting for Feds. What is FAR more likely is the home will be here but HUGE disruptions. The Feds always show up but it does take a while. Normally days. So assuming home does not fall down we can live fine while we wait. When the great TP shortage hit was just one example of why it's nice to keep "stuff" for just in case.
 
In the event of a natural disaster, a person would need to be prepared for the onslaught of "neighbors" that would be coming to your place looking for help. They'll eat your food, drink your water and take anything that they think will be useful. They'll justify it by thinking it's him or me. That being said, I believe in trying to help folks without "giving away the store." You would need to be able to make tough decisions based on helping you and your family first and foremost.

One of the preparations I'm working on is neighbor care packages that can be handed out away from your stores; in part, a mason jar with a couple cups of rice and a few bullion cubes. Pour into a pot, add water and boil; not much but enough to keep a family's hunger staved off.

A man is less inclined to aggressiveness when his loved ones are cared for at a basic level and now indebted to you for the assistance (for lack of better word). Now a potential threat can hopefully be turned into an asset.

Of course I agree with the notes above, prior networking and opsec are paramount. A single house can't be secured 24-7; a community support/defense group will be necessary.
 
In the event of a natural disaster, a person would need to be prepared for the onslaught of "neighbors" that would be coming to your place looking for help. They'll eat your food, drink your water and take anything that they think will be useful. They'll justify it by thinking it's him or me. That being said, I believe in trying to help folks without "giving away the store." You would need to be able to make tough decisions based on helping you and your family first and foremost.
This will be a huge problem especially in apartment complexes.
 
I wish an entertainment company would do a realistic series on the worst case PNW earthquake scenario. It could be a really bad and long term struggle for us especially if we lose a bunch of bridges.

If it happened during a workday there could be quite a few people stuck on the wrong side of the river from their homes and family. I see an awful lot of WA residents heading over to OR on weekday mornings.
 
Everyone develops their own 'system' regarding a survival system in the event of a serious natural disaster or other big-time emergency. I will take some time and lay out for you what I have done over the last four years to prepare. I will try to explain the 'why' for each item, unless it's obvious. This stuff is in no particular order:

1) Handheld Baofeng ham transceiver, the three-level power model. (Will transmit 1 watt/4 watt/8 watt) Even though the FCC is saying now that the eight watt trans function is illegal, they aren't really enforcing that. What they DO enforce is whether you have an FCC ham license. So study for it and GET ONE. It's good for ten years and you get a call sign to boot. Even when all the cells and landlines are down, you can still reach other hams, listen to weather radio, ambulances, FEMA, the cops, and you can program all FMRS, MURS, and any other 2 meter and 70 centimeter channels into it. Upgrade the antenna and buy some higher capacity batteries for it as well.

2) Dual-fuel portable generator: It's easier and safer to store propane than it is to store straight gasoline for a generator. But you can STILL use gasoline if you want. Build a soundproofing box for it and you can cut the noise by at least half or more. Plenty of videos at YouTube on how it is done.

3) Second back-up power source: I use a dual method. One is a portable power station that will accept charging by all normal sources, including a solar panel. This setup is for the 'small stuff' like your smartphone, laptop, battery chargers, maybe one of those 7" flip-up TV/DVD players and the like. My larger source is a couple of large deep cycle batteries with a 750-watt AC inverter. You can also charge the deep cycles using the solar panel, or if you wish, the generator. But if you want to ensure you always have at least SOME power available no matter what...make sure you have some type of solar power available. A good 100-watt panel will do just fine for most situations.

4) An emergency radio that picks up Damn Near Everything: I have two of these. One is cheaper but works REALLY well and will do everything but the dishes. I gave it a five star rating at Amazon. The other is an older unit from the early 1980's I picked up at a garage sale. Picture of the old one below. Both are good.

pMvd7jt.jpg

5) I'm a big believer in Sheltering-in-Place if you can, but just in case... get yourself a really BIG tent. Tall, wide, and deep. The kind you can walk around in without stooping. I picked up a Coleman Montana from Amazon a couple of years ago with a seven-foot center height. It was one of those Amazon returns and I got it with free shipping for a measly 80 bucks. It's a LOT bigger than it appears in the picture. And a lot taller. 16 length/9 width/7 plus feet tall in center. Not Shown: Storm fly cover. The door has curved poles so you can open and close it like a regular door with the velcro stays.

FJGoqKv.jpg
6) FOOD: You can go all different ways on the food question, and everyone has their own ideas on what works and what doesn't. Basically, it comes down to Short Term and Long Term. Short term food are things like canned meats and veggies, or anything that will stay good for at least 18-24 months stored at normal temperatures. Long term food is restricted to freeze-dried or those big bucket food supply kits. You have to strike a balance here. Freeze-dried gets expensive. The buckets mostly taste like crap, but keep you alive. You can also do specialized food, such as long-term butter powder, sugar, dried fruits and the like. The good news is that short term food, if you stick mostly to cans for that, you can easily store 3-6 months worth of food that way. Use a black felt pen to mark the cans with their month and year of expiration. Canned foods with acid in them, like tomatoes, tomato sauce, or certain vegetables, usually expire in 18 months or less. Some products can go two years or more. Don't forget to toss in some pasta, rice, and the like. Sealed, they last quite a while. Sugar and honey, if they aren't opened, can last for years.

7) WATER: This simple item causes the biggest headaches. You can store all the water you wish in food-grade containers and add this chemical or that one. All the same, you will still have to dump it all out and replace it occasionally. So one absolute must-have device is a really good water filter, like the ones hikers use. There is ONE water source that if you store it in boxes away from sunlight, will last virtually forever, and you would never think of it. Pelligrino water, the kind sold in the glass bottles, will last for many many years if left unopened. The GLASS bottles. NOT THE PLASTIC ONES. I found this out on the US Food and Drug Admin website. Of course, you will have to deal with the CO2 fizz, but you can pour it out into a container and get rid of it in minutes. If you aren't familiar with Pelligrino, picture below.

fghfksl.jpg

8) Medical: You can build one that would fill a suitcase, or go with a decent First Aid Kit. Just make sure you add a good supply of the medications you use regularly, especially the over-the-counter stuff. Tums, the acid-reflux meds, whatever you take OTC for minor pain are the usuals.

There are other things of course, but those are my contributions to the subject.
 
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My guess is 97% of households are not prepared for three weeks of no water, no power, etc. This will create a huge moral dilemma for the haves dealing with the have nots. I barely have room for preps to keep my own family going. I won't be able to take care of the neighbors. Hopefully our home stays standing enough to shelter in. Trying to live on your prepardeness supplies in open view of many unprepared neighbors doesn't sound like fun.

I wish public agencies would step up their efforts to remind people to prepare. The aftermath of the unprepared is going to fall on them to manage so the more people they can get on board the less work they will have to do if an event happens.
 
If you think you have enough decent neighbors, you might be able to put together some effort like this. More than likely though the neighbors will only want to get involved after the event happens and they are empty handed.

5. Neighborhood Plan
Many neighborhoods already have a "neighborhood watch" plan for security. Arrange a meeting once a year to discuss contingency plans in case of an earthquake. Are some of your neighbors handicapped or elderly? Are there small children? Do some of your neighbors have special skills? There are advantages to having a plumber, carpenter, nurse, or doctor for a neighbor. Do each of you know where your neighbors' gas shut-off valves are located? Be prepared to pool your resources. You can make lifelong friends during a major calamity. Your county or city emergency services coordinator, police department, and Red Cross office will be glad to help you get organized.

The Humboldt County, California, Office of Emergency Services (707-268-2500) has information on forming a Neighborhood Emergency Service Team (NEST) in your neighborhood. These groups of neighbors, members of local organizations, and employees of local businesses, headed by an elected NEST captain, are organized against any disaster—not just an earthquake. Seattle's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) has established more than three hundred and sixty neighborhood teams serving twenty-five thousand city residents. The city of Bellevue has similar neighborhood organizations with team captains; these meet several times per year.

Source: Preparing for the Next Earthquake – Living With Earthquakes In The Pacific Northwest
 
My guess is 97% of households are not prepared for three weeks of no water, no power, etc. This will create a huge moral dilemma for the haves dealing with the have nots. I barely have room for preps to keep my own family going. I won't be able to take care of the neighbors. Hopefully our home stays standing enough to shelter in. Trying to live on your prepardeness supplies in open view of many unprepared neighbors doesn't sound like fun.

I wish public agencies would step up their efforts to remind people to prepare. The aftermath of the unprepared is going to fall on them to manage so the more people they can get on board the less work they will have to do if an event happens.
Well, one thing you should never do is brag to your neighbors on how prepared you are. One time...we had a power outage here that lasted for a day and a half. After it was over, a couple of my neighbors wondered why the lights were always on at our house and we were watching TV. Power was out...but the cable/internet was NOT.

On that one, I just hooked up the deep cycles to the 750 watt inverter. Using an extension cord from upstairs to downstairs, and running a couple of protected power strips, I was able to keep the wife happy with her Facebook games on her laptop. Plus a few LED lights, some TV on a small Envizen unit with a 7 inch screen. Never had to fire up the generator. The batteries were 110 Amp hour rated, which means they weighed about sixty pounds each. I was also able to run the main computer in my office upstairs no problem. LOL everyone else had to settle for candles and portable radios. In order to get cable or internet...you have to be able to provide AC power to the cable/internet box. Some people forget that.

I have heard of this NEST concept. Usually the leader will be someone with the best com capability. I have heard that ham radio base station owners often get the job, but not always.
 
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