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My area people pitch in to fix stuff like downed trees or road potholes.
Portland though.. sweet jesus.. those lazy folks dont do a single thing to help out eachother. Ive driven down some neighborhoods and its like the apathy is THICK in those areas.. massive potholes people could easily fill in themselves to at least make their own road a little easier to drive on, downed trees or massive branches sticking out low to mid height right in the road turning it into a single lane..
They just don't care… and they are insanely lazy.. meanwhile they'll post on theor social media pages about how much they care and that communities need to be better connected. Absolute hypocrites, the lot of them.
 
Yep Can't argue with that ZA. People here don't lift a finger to help others at all. When I offer to do so I am looked at like I am a robber out to catch someone off guard.
The other day this scrawny guy was trying to load a big printer into his hatchback car and was having trouble opening the back with one hand. I offered to hold the printer and he panicked and proceeded to scratch up the back of his car while struggling vs take the chance I would run off with his stuff.
Saw George Carlin live around 2005 in LV. "Think your neighbors are great? Wait until the water, electricity and gas are off for a few weeks!"
Most of this is also by design. We are to be divided.
 
Want my grim assessment? Our little slice of heaven would be in quite a lot of trouble. The liberal elements would stagnate, waiting for the government to provide, instead of trying to help themselves. The even more liberal elements would try to force those with resources to share with the group, even if they did nothing to prepare and even mocked us for doing so. If we band together, we would be in pretty good shape, until the groups get big enough to get noticed, then the problems start again. In my opinion, unless you have a small, solid group of neighbors that live close enough together, you might have to hunker down at home and hide everything you have.
 
Want my grim assessment? Our little slice of heaven would be in quite a lot of trouble. The liberal elements would stagnate, waiting for the government to provide, instead of trying to help themselves. The even more liberal elements would try to force those with resources to share with the group, even if they did nothing to prepare and even mocked us for doing so. If we band together, we would be in pretty good shape, until the groups get big enough to get noticed, then the problems start again. In my opinion, unless you have a small, solid group of neighbors that live close enough together, you might have to hunker down at home and hide everything you have.
Precisely why I wanna find some little mountain town with just one road in and out where the town can just chainsaw-drop a couple trees across the road to keep The Walking Dead out...
 
My area people pitch in to fix stuff like downed trees or road potholes.
Portland though.. sweet jesus.. those lazy folks dont do a single thing to help out eachother. Ive driven down some neighborhoods and its like the apathy is THICK in those areas.. massive potholes people could easily fill in themselves to at least make their own road a little easier to drive on, downed trees or massive branches sticking out low to mid height right in the road turning it into a single lane..
They just don't care… and they are insanely lazy.. meanwhile they'll post on theor social media pages about how much they care and that communities need to be better connected. Absolute hypocrites, the lot of them.
In a half hearted attempt to partially defend a few decent souls in Portland (meaning a couple of my neighbors who are self-confessed "progressives" who admittedly voted for the socialists who have imposed more limits and more fees/fines on the plebes - - see how full throated my defense is 😏), I offer this, knowing full well it is all self inflected ....

Tree pruning. To cut a branch (on your own property) a quarter inch or larger in diameter you are required to buy a $25 dollar permit. A neighbor, cutting limbs without said permit in their backyard and visible only to the neighbor behind them, was turned in to the city for this dangerous, subversive and independent action. A letter from the city came months after the fact with a demand for payment of the permit. Said neighbor was most distressed, upset with the neighbor who "rattled" them out and dismayed with the city's new law. It took great will on my part to not say "You voted for this". This neighbor now dutifully buys the permit to cut his own tree limbs on his own property. I asked him recently, "Are you sure the one permit covers all the limbs you want to cut? Maybe you need a permit for each limb." How I managed to say this with a straight face I'm not sure. The look on his face was pure gold.

Filling in potholes. Another neighbor filled in a pothole on a seldom used side street which edges their property. This person, too, was "ratted" out, got a letter from the city threatening legal action if they attempted to do this again. A city crew visited the offending pothole some time later but, because there were many other potholes, could not accurately identify which hole had been molested by the neighbor. They took a looooooonnnnnng smoke break, peed in the bushes (caught on that neighbors camera) and left.

The city of Portland doesn't want its subjects, ahem, citizens to do such things without official approval, fees, or "competent" oversight as provided by the socialist overlords. In this light, it can be understood why so few try to do anything, all the while knowing that the conditions are completely self-imposed. They have what they voted for. For the neighbors whom I know are decent, I try to have some sympathy, but knowing they did this to themselves, it's a big struggle and one I'll soon not have to offer a second thought to.

These are two of the 4,322.3 reasons I'm leaving this "workers paradise". It can't be soon enough.
 
  • How do you foresee things going down in your community in the event of a major disaster (e.g., a Cascadia event, nuclear exchange, et al.)? Naturally there is no way knowing for sure, sans experiencing it, or a crystal ball. But an educated guess can be made. Probably not well. I saw neighbors of mine lose their schit when we had a planned water shut off in the area. Can't imagine they'll do well with anything more stressful.
  • With this in mind how are you preparing, networking, etc.? I'm building my stores and trying to get out of Portland. My initial foray into this site was in the hopes of networking and building my community, and that hasn't really worked the way I'd hoped, save for a couple contacts. Back to the drawing board for that.
  • Do you see the present social structures helping or hurting? Why? Who the hell knows. I can't see it helping much since most people don't want help doing a thing or procuring an item, they want it done for them.
  • What rôle do you see you and your family playing? (Or, perhaps none at all.) In my current community it would probably not be safe to assist unless things were exceptionally dire. It's the biggest reason I want out of Portland.
  • How do you see present community organizations responding? Positive, negative, or irrelevant? I think they would end up stumbling over each other and causing more problems.
  • What's your game plan regardless? Keep building up my stores and get out of Portland. Build up a bigger and better network.
 
  • How do you foresee things going down in your community in the event of a major disaster (e.g., a Cascadia event, nuclear exchange, et al.)? Naturally there is no way knowing for sure, sans experiencing it, or a crystal ball. But an educated guess can be made. Probably not well. I saw neighbors of mine lose their schit when we had a planned water shut off in the area. Can't imagine they'll do well with anything more stressful.
  • With this in mind how are you preparing, networking, etc.? I'm building my stores and trying to get out of Portland. My initial foray into this site was in the hopes of networking and building my community, and that hasn't really worked the way I'd hoped, save for a couple contacts. Back to the drawing board for that.
  • Do you see the present social structures helping or hurting? Why? Who the hell knows. I can't see it helping much since most people don't want help doing a thing or procuring an item, they want it done for them.
  • What rôle do you see you and your family playing? (Or, perhaps none at all.) In my current community it would probably not be safe to assist unless things were exceptionally dire. It's the biggest reason I want out of Portland.
  • How do you see present community organizations responding? Positive, negative, or irrelevant? I think they would end up stumbling over each other and causing more problems.
  • What's your game plan regardless? Keep building up my stores and get out of Portland. Build up a bigger and better network.
I agree Old One finding people to network with is the hardest part! A person who isn't wary of committing to alliances makes me nervous, I'm not big on finding out my new friend invited 20 other good friends and took my stuff. That being said I am always looking for like minded individuals looking to band together for protection. My home would be indefensible long term or to big numbers. I live in the city but have a large yard near the top of a hill. NOT the high ground. my landscaping has rock walls and raised planters that offer cover and fields of fire. I cant man every spot and ? I would lose a numbers game if it was the Alamo. Moving requires the decision be made prior depending on circumstances. If I MAY need to go DO NOT wait get out early or the roads will be to congested and opportunists will set up toll booths. Paranoia means living in fear of, Prepared means being ready and then living!
 
Let me put it this way:

Before I even knew there was a forest fire that threatened my property, two of my neighbors were over there (about a mile down the public road), already fighting the fire.

One of those neighbors had helped me with big property chores at least 4 times (IIRC off the top of my head), including taking several days to burn slash piles, looking after them when I was injured, getting up on the roof of my shop to clean it off, running a dozer and excavator to clean up my property and so on. Unfortunately that neighbor moved to Montana.

Other neighbors have helped me from time to time, and often are asking if I need any help with anything - they know I live here alone with a heart condition. Before the pandemic we would have XMas get togethers.

When there reportedly was a peeping Tom (before I moved here), the neighborhood turned out with flashlights and guns to find the perp (didn't find him).

For my immediate neighbors on my private road (8 households), we get along and if SHTF I think that would continue.
 
  • How do you foresee things going down in your community in the event of a major disaster (e.g., a Cascadia event, nuclear exchange, et al.)? Naturally there is no way knowing for sure, sans experiencing it, or a crystal ball. But an educated guess can be made.
Not well, not well at all. If you asked this five to seven years ago it would have been a different answer. There are so many new folks in the area that communities are now crowded and the mindset is different and the folks are more divided.

Yes, they all seem to believe in freedom, free government money, free phones and freedom of speech as along as its their point of view and not yours. You are free to get mandated shots and wear mandated masks and your free to lose your job over both.

So short term you will see certain neighborhoods come together and shine but most will be panic and wait for the government.
  • With this in mind how are you preparing, networking, etc.?
I have been in the same place for over 30 years and networking was a thing when I first moved here but over the last few years most of my neighbors that I trusted have died, moved or are in the same boat that I am in and that is just old, tired and in ok health.

I do not mean on our death bed but not as motivated to live as we once were. More the stand and fight so others could get away mentality, not because I am a hero, I am just too tired to survive on the hard road of "surviving on the move."
  • Do you see the present social structures helping or hurting? Why?
Hurting very much so, this country is so divided right now and even though North Idaho is currently still pro freedom and willing to help it is changing more and more as new folks move in. I see it with the Mandates on shots and masks as well as on other topics but not as bad.

Even on 2A issues we all have differing opinions on this forum to a point of having pissing matches instead of coming together so now add that mentality to a SHTF and the divide becomes a bigger problem.
  • What rôle do you see you and your family playing? (Or, perhaps none at all.)
This will depend on the SHTF and what is going on at the time and to me is the hardest question to answer. My first thought is to be a help, fight and defend and not be a part of the problem but the way the world is so divided right now, I may be considered the problem and the reason there is a SHTF. I may have wrong think, believe in pro-choice on health issues, pro 2A and so on, you know just plain evil.
  • How do you see present community organizations responding? Positive, negative, or irrelevant?
Right now, government is power hungry in both state and federal levels because of this pandemic so they have an emergency mindset of I have the power to do as I want and you will follow my rules so I see a negative response.

So again, it will depend on the SHTF because if it is so bad that the government has to now rely on the people to survive, it will have a different outcome than if the people have to rely on the government. As long as the people feel the need to rely on the government it will be negative response.

  • What's your game plan regardless?
The same as it has always been and that is to keep enough food and water to get us buy for 6 months and have enough 2A toys and ammo to protect us if necessary. I still try to network as much as I can but any more it is not as high a priority to me as it once was.

Then it is just one day at a time.

I know I sound negative but I honestly feel this country is in a very bad place and the people are loosing control of their lives or more like giving the control of their lives to the government everyday and I do not see this having a good out come in any way shape or form.
 
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my circle, most folks I associate with will head my way, not me choice, as I have skills and know stuff, also have redundant stuff along with plans b thru M and then some.
Most people will sit on their donkeys and await the arrival of some govt entity as well as the expected govt checks since they are now marginalized. aka more free money.
Cert groups have good intentions but... to help YOU will be minimal in a real world situation. They do train (in their simulated scenarios) but I feel they(those whom may be available) will be best to assist local EOC's and potentially communications.
City , to County, to State and then the feds is the chain of power depending on the severity of any event. Response time gets longer the farther up the chain it goes.
I have 18 years of ICS/EOC training under me, provided by my employer(we have involvement with all the afore mentioned entities and LEO) and the mindset, training, and other interests that these insights were formed from.

There will be Caos everywhere, looting, shooting, ect. There will always be that inbalance of the have and have nots, the strong and gutsy will over power the weak/sheep ect.

Pretty much, one will need to cover their own rears and really need to plan and get the mindset now and maintain the associated stocks you put up, keep it somewhat fresh and always add to it, I am talking material items here....food, sanitation, water, ways to clean water ect, way beyond 72 hours.

thats enough for now. Think about folks. others really are not gonig to do it for you.or your kids. or your pets.
 
I will be the first to admit my pessimism for our current stature as a robust people/society, especially in times of crisis but, what I can say without a doubt and without any pessimism at all is; I know exactly how my community would respond. Within 24hrs of the disaster there would be several small groups already coalescing around common problems within their immediate surroundings. Leadership starts to form. Within 48-72 hrs those groups will become aware of one another and a centralized point of communication/command/control will begin forming and from that point on everything just rolls on toward the end state. It won't be the entire town but, depending on the disaster it will be a lot more than you would think. In the case of cascadia....it wouldn't take long before it was a massive portion of town. Still south of 50% but, I would say anything above 20% of your given area staying in the fight is a huge victory in itself.
I can say this because I watched it happen when it seemed like half the state was on fire and running for fresh air and clear skies. My family, a lot of my friends, and a whole bunch of people have never even seen or heard of, came together and pushed/held back that darkness. The goodness in our people may seem to be fleeting but it's been my experience that in the worst of times you will see the very best of many many people.
 
After the Waukesha parade attack, it seemed that every person hit by the vehicle had multiple people tending to them almost immediately. I don't know how many of the responders had training, but at least they were holding hands and showing that they cared.

Often, adversity brings out the best in people. Unfortunately it also brings out the worst in some people. :(
 
My "Community"are very senior citizens, so they will be quite handy with all the little things, scared as hell, and most are we'll armed! We are outside any travel paths, and have good sight lines, so are easy to protect and defend until a full division rolls up to take what little we have! These are good folks, aways willing to lend a hand loan tools, help hang the Christmas lights, and share a cuppa with over a cut throat game of dominos! The greater area will be mostly haves and have nots, with the have nots in the minority, so that helps! Those who can will leave, those that choose to stay will be the ones I'm counting on! While there will always be those who try to take advantage, those will be delt with pretty quickly! We have an abundance of fresh water, a seller well and several very large ponds to draw from, we also have plenty of food all around us, so that's not going to be a big issue for a while! Other then that, just watching for the Glow to the north as Potland smokes it's self into oblivion!
 
I know What happens in my community every time it snows! They all jump in their cars and drive to the only store in the area! They all buy a Box of firewood and a 1/2 gallon of ice cream! Some of the smart ones add a bottle of wine! DR
 
As far as disruption to infrastructure, not very well. The utility companies (like power and communications) have been hollowed out steadily to where they don't have the resources to do much of anything. No local crews, equipment, etc. They now rely on contractors, and only keep enough of them to do normal repairs and upgrades.
Corvallis. Early eighties. Huge wind storm. Power out. I lived in a four-plex on a residential street lined with huge walnut and big leaf maple trees, some with trunks three or four feet in diameter. Every block of road in our neighborhood was crisscrossed with multiple fallen trees, some of them giants. And of course the highway and major roads were blocked too, with multiple downed powerlines, trees, and debris.

Shortly after dawn, the air was filled with the sounds of dozens of chain saws. The utility companies rescuing us? Nope. It was the men in the neighborhood, dismantling the fallen trees with their chain saws. They limbed the trees and cut the huge trunks into round slices about two feet across. Everyone in the neighborhood pitched in and hauled the limbs and debris into the adjacent yards and rolled the rounds off the road to be picked up by those with wood stoves. By noon the residential roads were all clear and passible. And by that time the utility and power company trucks had cleared the highway and main streets. That's all they had to do. Everyone's yards were full of debris, to be dealt with over the next few weeks. But transportation was restored in just a single morning.

I later learned that many who live or travel in the coastal mountains routinely carry a chainsaw in their trunks or pickups. If a tree falls across the road they do exactly like my neighbors--limb the tree, cut the trunk in rounds, clear the road, and leave the rounds for whomever wants them.
 
Living in Redmond we have the biggest airport for bringing in supplies and relief workers when the rest of yall fall into the ocean. So I expect a huge increase in traffic and a lot of floaters seeking refuge here. I will take care of my family and friends first then do what ever I am able to do to help refugees.

I have a well and generator but gasoline will be one of the first things to run out and be rationed. So I will be at the gas station filling everything up even before yall stop shakin. And just so you guys don't get any ideas I won't be walking around town with an AR-15 or my HK91 hanging on my shoulder but I will be packen my .45acp XD mod 2 subcompact with the extended clip and a spare magazing in my pocket.

When friends were evacuated due to the big fires they stayed with me for a week until they were able to return to their residence which was fortunately intact.
Don't you already have a lot of californians floating into your town.
 

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