Hi,

I don't know if there are any boingboing readers here, but I just read this fantastic account from someone who documented their experiences during Hurricane Wilma. In my opinion he did all the right things, but clearly he still didn't feel comfortable about his level of preparedness.

http://www.boingboing.net/wilma.html

It's a long read, but worth it!

A

I have NOT read the diary YET, but as for "n my opinion he did all the right things, but clearly he still didn't feel comfortable about his level of preparedness."

I'm probably more prepared than most (as are all of us) - but am I comfortable with MY level of prep? NO - and I probably will not be until I've breathed my last - and hopefully after that, "THE BOSS" will be taking care of me

Thats an interesting read.
Ive never sat through a Hurricane or Cyclone, so I guess my anxiety levels would be up too regardless of how prepared I was.

I really liked the fact that he chastised people for driving around looking at the devastation wasting gas, when he did the exact same thing.

Okay, I'm missing something here. Why go to all the trouble and aggravation of driving around searching for gas, just so you can run your generator? Seems like a major PITA, where the benefit just doesn't outweigh the cost.

Good story. Thanks!

That's normal human behavior. We are all guilty of this from time to time. Somehow, it's stupid or wrong when others do something, yet we rarely take notice when we do the same.

"driving around looking at the devastation wasting gas"

I'll be reading the diary after breakfast to put this statement in context.

My thoughts on "driving around" after a crisis:

When normal communications are down or limited, getting a feel for the lay of the land can be vital to your survival.

Knowing what roads and bridges are out. Where is help available? Where, "not" to go. Etc... If "Bug Out" becomes necessary, what is the best route?

I plan on doing passive recon (Radio, TV, 2m ham, scanner) during the initial phase of a crisis. If the need warrants, I will do some limited "armed recon" in my Urban Assault Vehicle (Toyota FJ60 LandCruiser). I would not consider this a waste of fuel.

Any "recon" whether on foot, bicycle, motorcycle or auto needs to be done intelligently. Know where you are going. Know the culture of the local area (are these folks more likely to slit your throat for your car stereo, or are they more likely to lend a hand in a crisis). I can say my tactics would be very different in So. Cal (my old home), compared to the Puget Sound area.

Somtimes doing something is the best thing to do. Sometimes doing nothing is the best thing to do. Know the risks. Manage the risks.

TR (Topping off his tanks)

Pizzaman - I was not commenting on whether the driving around was good or bad, only that he thougth it was ok for him to do, but not for others. Just pointing out the double standard that is so prevalent among people who consider themsleves superior to others based on their station in life.

In the article, it stated that his "lab" used expensive chemicals that had to be refrigerated. Assuming that it wasn't a meth lab, this sounds legit.

As far as some of his other comments, he seems to not have a clue. He apparantly thinks that Florida should have never been developed due to hurricanes. But here are some facts:
1) Hurricanes hit Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, and the Carolinas too. Florida has a few more, but we do not have all of them. Florida also tends to have better building codes because of this.
2) California has earthquakes. Kansas has tornadoes. The north has ice storms and blizzards. Washington has volcanos. Washington DC has democrats. Every place has something. Your only option is to leave the planet.

He also had a gripe with the pricing structure of the phone company. This is stupid. Capitalism works great where you have a choice. In order ot have a choice true of phone companies, you would need multiple sets of lines running around. There is also no choice in sewage, water, or electricity. The infrastructure is too expensive to install duplicates of everything. So it is much better to have a monopoly, and regulate it so that they do not abuse their monopoly power.

Just my $0.02

You missed one point about why so many hurricanes hit Florida. Florida has so much more coast line and you can get hit from either the east or the west. If you would just give the panhandle to Alabama, Florida would not have as many hurricanes.

On the other hand, when was the last time there was a blizzard in Florida?

Malpaso,

I hadn't read the article before posting. My thoughts were just meant to be generic. Not any sort of dig at your comments.

I found it interesting to see how the two main characters coped with the crisis. Matthew wanted luxury and used up "busy energy" wanting to paint the warehouse floor. Ralph was in constant preparedness mode. I'm pretty sure Ralph would have been driving around even if he didn't need gas. I'd probably be more like Ralph. My mind constantly planning, with the vehicular excursions used to release tension.

I think the great folly here is to be so dependent on a gasoline powered generator. For most folks these should be used as a short term, stop gap, when the power goes out. For longer term use, the gasoline storage is potentially dangerous, plus the problems you may have with your insurance man if he gets wind of your stash of gas. The risk driving so many miles and hours looking for gas is foolish. Too many things to go wrong, not to mention you are away from your home. I’d also worry about a loud generator being an unintended audible advertisement that you are prepared. Too easy to become a unfortunate target. (Much like some of the New Orleans folks that put black plastic over their windows to keep inside lighting from attracting the wrong element (be it law enforcement or looter).

If you really need a generator, (like these guys with the lab) get one properly setup with propane tanks of sufficient size. Get your permits and do it safe and right. For the rest of us, don’t let your survival plan hinge on a generator. I plan on running mine for limited time periods only, to keep the frozen food edible till I can consume the contents in our deep freezer. After that the generator gets turned off. If the gas runs out, too bad. Some flashlights and canned food will get the rest of the job done.

TR

I regret spending the time reading that thing. It was insane and both those guys are idiots. Even if they had all that stuff needing refrigeration, the 5500 watt generator and its endless appetite for gasoline was total overkill and as others have said, they'd have done better with a propane generator, preferably much smaller, or just skip the generator and have canned food on hand. A fridge uses what, 100 watts average? The kerosene lamp was silly too, a fire hazard, smelly, etc. An LED flashlight putting out equivalent light can run for weeks on a few batteries. The truck with 200 mile range doesn't seem like that hot an escape vehicle. There was no mention of stored water. A shortwave radio wouldn't have had any better info than the am/fm radio. If they really wanted comm stuff, satellite internet would have been the ticket. Anyway the whole thing was nuts. Sigh.

3) The entire upper northwest is within striking distance of a super volcano whose crater is under Yellowstone.

So, you can be screwed anywhere because of natural phenomena. The only people it's really an issue for is the insurance industry.

<quote>I'm pretty sure Ralph would have been driving around even if he didn't need gas. I'd probably be more like Ralph. My mind constantly planning, with the vehicular excursions used to release tension.</quote>

TR,

I think you're on to something about releasing nervous energy in a crisis. I always had the image of myself being "so cool" during a crisis until the '89 Loma Prieta earthquake. I was downright flaky right after the quake. I'm embarrased to say I actually wiped up some broken glass of a table with my bare hand. Luckily the cut wasn't deep, but I had to deal with my neighbors asking why I had a bandage wrapped around my hand. So much for looking cool ;-). I can laugh about it now, but for weeks afterwards, I would jump every time I felt a minor jolt, like someone accidently kicking the breakfast table ;-).

I came away from the experience feeling a bit more humble. I think it's not a bad idea to expect to make a few bad decisions after sudden and unexpected stress (like a big earthquake). You can argue that Ralph had lots of time to psychologically prepare for the stress, but that's easier said than done.

I've never been in battle, but my guess is that one of the reasons for all the training to (partially) prepare for the sudden stress of combat. Something to consider in your ETS preparation.

Lynn

It isn't shock in the physical sense, but it is a kind of mental shock. Everyone will suffer from it at one time or another. I've known a lot of guys on volunteer fire departments or in law enforcement who were fine DURING an emergency, but had the shakes afterwards.

It's a sign. You're human.

Having been a sheriff's deputy, Firefighter / EMT and a nurse, I feel that I am uniquely qualified to say that should one ever get put into that position, we will all gravitate toward what we as individuals have learned. For example: Cops will grab their guns and make sure that (whatever region they claim) is safe. Firefighters will make sure that people are out of immediate danger. Fishermen will make sure they will be able to get out and catch fish for food.

However, when we are taken out of that area that we can control, we seem to get that lost - confused sence of inability to do anything. I read that article and the thought that I take away is that he is in a constant state of mistrust (not necessarily bad). This constant state seems to be clouding better judgement. Until the end of the account, when he FINALLY got out of there, did he seem to calm down.

Personally, one of the first items of business on my agenda is to get out - get safe - get functional - then go back and tend to what needs done. Every emergency person out there knows that you can't do any good if you are hurt or unable to perform you duty. Stuff is expensive at times (house, big screen tv, nikes) but if it boils down to it - stuff is just that - stuff and it can be replaced. Life is not and it can't be replaced (at least not with the same model). Just my thought on this. EPI

RE: Shakes AFTER an emergency

I understand that is is a NORMAL reaction to adrenaline. Those who do NOT get the post emergency shakes never really got into "crisis" mode mentally - probably because they have delt with similar situations enough times to actually deal with the situtation on a non crisis level

I've often roleplayed in my head how I would handle an emergency. I work on a nursing unit so chaos and tension is a matter of course.

After Katrina, even though my home had power and only a couple of bald spots where my shingles blew off, I was a lot more irritable than usual; short tempered at things over which I had no control. Trouble sleeping and trouble concentrating.

I kept appologizing to my co-workers for being an ass and they were quite forgiving though I felt I had let them down (being the charge nurse and expecting to be the "source of calm".

I guess we don't know how we're going to act in a given situation until after it's over.

I've seen guys who have years of experince get the shakes after something trivial. Experince isn't always an idicator. If you are out of wack yourself, a situation that is normal a snoozer is going can rattle you.