Thanks! Fortunately I didn't have anyone to worry about but myself, which kept my stress level pretty low. It would have been much tougher if I had a family to get out. From what I understand from my married friends, being single also made living in a hotel for a month much easier...

On the BOB by the door - you do have multiple ways out of your houses, right?

LOL, That would be a natural endorsement for Bear!

First you would have parachuted to the scene like a smoke jumper then swung through a window by hanging onto the gutter, sucked the remains out the catfish intestines to make the hoses, finally, as the flames lick closer and closer, you and your cameraman would have slide down the downspout in a last minute despiration move just as the fire consumes the room.

Happy to hear you're doing quite allright and that you were able to salvage most of your belongings. Hopefully you didn't loose to much things with high sentimental value that can't be replaced.

I found a site worth reading:

Listening to Katrina - HURRICANE KATRINA
http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/index.html
http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/p/0042.html

This is an other approach to the prepartion theme, it goes further than a bob. While a bob helps you "survive" the first hours/days, the HYST also takes things such as important documents, belongings, memorablia into account. Things making a restart after flooding, fire, hurricane a little less difficult. (Please forgive me errors in the description. It's been some time ago I read the site. I'll have to go throug it again.)
This HYST preparation together with a BOB seems the "optimal" solution.
You don't necessarily have to "go all the way" as the author did. You can decide for yourself what is usefull or possible for you.
But it is certainly recommended to at least prepare a "basic" HYST.

I don't remember how I got to this site, so excuse me if it was posted already on equipped.org.

I'm trying to compile my own psk, bob, hyst, ...
In short i'm trying to be prepared, but I still have a long way to go.
My psk/edc is going in the right direction. Now I will start building my bob/hyst.


Thanks for the reminder on getting and staying prepared.

wishing you well,
Vince.

PS: My english is not perfect, so excuse me if things don't "sound" right.

"HYST"?

Have Your Stuff Together (I censored this)

Vince,

Thanks for the kind words, ideas, and the link to that site. It's an interesting read and he has some good points. One of the nice things about the digital age is that it's cheap to make copies or take digital photographs of things, and store them in multiple places.

Your English is fine, btw.

Tom

UptstateTom,

Glad I could give some usefull info to an ets forum member.
I learned so much already on this forum, that I "feel obliged" to help others too where I can (still have to learn a lot). Being able to help someone in return feels good. This is a great forum with great people.

I also want to thank you for sharing your insights of what happened to you in order to let us learn from it.

Vince