I appreciate this forum and look forward to hearing from readers who have thoughts about human behavior in stressful situations, and anyone's post-event plans to deal with it.

After watching the human chaos that occurs after catastrophic events (whether it be manmade of natural), and realizing that the US Government has angered a dangerous splinter-culture of martyrs who will retaliate in our homeland someday, I decided to become more aware of emergency preparedness planning. This is not about equipment, but about human behavior, actions and reactions, strategies for specific scenarios.

Has anyone in the forum who lives in a large US city, or is downwind from a city or in other high risk regions, thought through potential disaster scenarios and made specific plans and strategies to deal with it? Assuming you are prepared with equipment, and have no choice but to bug-out, what is your plan? How will you move? Act? Be non threatening, yet prepared? Deal with traffic jams. Looting? Chaos?

IMHO, this is an interesting, intimidating and necessary topic of discussion. I believe situational awareness is as important as knowing the survival tools most of us have on hand.

Dale

Assume the airline crash position; tuck your head between your legs and kiss your you-know-what goodbye. <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

(Just kidding.)

It's gonna be chaos, however you look at it. But look at New York City on 9/11. You would think such a horrible act of terrorism would have spawned a total breakdown. Instead it was Mother Nature last year that managed that.

I think it's safe to say you can't predict how things are going to go. To me, the best idea is to try and take care of yourself and your family, along with finding a good location to ride it out. Getting to that location is probably going to involve a walk/hike, so have some good boots!

What are the chances of getting any warning? None.

What are the chances of getting out of Dodge alive with nuclear debris falling for three days or so? Slim.

Where are you going to go that a multitude of other people aren't going to and probably got their first? How far can you go on the gas that's in your vehicle tank? Nearly everyone is going to run out of fuel in the same general area. Are you going to get past them?

Suggestions:

Don't live in a big city. Look at a local map: there aren't all that many exits in any particular direction, are there? Caught in the open on the Interstate with half a million scared, frustrated people is not my idea of a picnic.

Don't live downwind from a big city.

Don't live on the main drag (interstate) out of a big city.

You're just better off not being in a place that could be attractive to terrorists. You can't escape from Mother Nature; besides, she's got a wicked sense of humor.

Sheltering in place still beats bugging out. Unless maybe you have prior knowledge of an event.

Alas, Babylon.

Sue

[color:"red"] "What are the chances of getting any warning? None." [/color]

I have a less fatalistic view. There are warnings systems in place for hurricanes, volcanic, tornadic and tsunami activities. New Orleans had warnings; had people been better prepared with BOB's their circumstances could have been much better. If I lived in Portland Oregon, and Mt St. Helen's started spewing (again). I'd grab a BOB and plan a camping trip.

[color:"red"] "What are the chances of getting out of Dodge alive with nuclear debris falling for three days or so? Slim." [/color]

All the better reason to have plans in place and an acute understanding of your surroundings. Wind direction, traffic patterns, secondary road options.... how about a motorcycle? There's options......

I agree, don't live in a city that may attract terrorist, that's an option for many. And don't bug out if you don't have to, but, be prepared to bug-out if it is an option.

[color:"red"] "You can't escape from Mother Nature........." [/color]

In many cases you can escape Mother Nature but only if you choose not live in a path of destruction, (or below sea level, duh) and believe in the warning systems that are in place.

Urban chaos suggests a riot or other man made "disaster". If it's a hurricane or something else that I can "flee" then I will. If it's a riot, then I'm "hunkering down" and riding it out. Personaly I'm a good boy scout and am prepared for either senerio. But, that's just me and I admit I'm a little wierd. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Urban chaos is a subjective term, to me it means humans in a frenzy, looting, running, fleeing, rioting, all of the above. It's a reaction to an event of some sort, either manmade or natural, that threatens a large population. Urban Chaos can be localized or city wide, like looting of gun stores by gang members in New Orleans. Hunker down if you can, if you need to move, be prepared with the skills and knowhow to become a chameleon......

I recently moved to right smack-dab in the middle of Dallas Texas (I used to live on the far outskirts so-to-speak). I have been looking at the map recently since my move and considering various routes. No matter how how many times I study the map the conclusion is the same. Trying to get out of this city following a New Orleans scale event would be like trying to travel upstream with no paddles and a bunch of holes in my boat. It's just not going to happen. I resolved to look for other options. In the event that there is litterally zero other options other than bugging out of the city, I do know the 10 (actually probably more like 20) best ways out but they all still stink. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I feel your pain Brian. During Hurricane Rita I had several hundred thousand people stranded on my doorstep as I-45 ground to a halt. We had no chance to get out by road, so since then our plans involve hunkering down and loading the guns.

However, there is a railroad tracks behind us that runs north for several hundred miles. Is it actually possible to drive a car along such tracks? I've seen on movies where people lower the air pressure in there tires before driving along the tracks. Anyone know anything about this?

-Mark

The distance between standard railroad tracks is 4' 8.5" apart. What is the distance between car rims? Are they all the same?

But just because the freeways are stopped doesn't mean the trains are. But they could be off schedule. If you met one, what would be your plan?

("Take this offramp, Harry!")

Sue

"If I lived in Portland Oregon, and Mt St. Helen's started spewing (again). I'd grab a BOB and plan a camping trip."

I live 60 miles as the debris flies from St. Helens, and I would just stay home (Portland is just a tiny bit closer). I'm almost the exact same distance from Mt. Rainier (the next one expected to blow -- 5 times the size of St. Helens). At this distance (clear of the blast zone), ash is the big problem. It comes down as light as snow, but when it gets wet, it compares to wet concrete. I would rather be here to shovel it off the roof before it rains. Besides, you have to keep stopping to clear out your air filter, like every 2 miles or so.

"... how about a motorcycle?"

If fallout or falling debris was an issue, you might as well just stand downwind stark nekkid. But a motorcycle could be useful... I am visualizing myself on a motorcycle, with my dog on the back, three cats in the Lexan-domed sidecar, and four really PO'd chickens in a crate in a tiny trailer. HA! No room for a BOB!

"...you can escape Mother Nature but only if you choose not live in a path of destruction..."

Where is that? Not the eastern edge of the Ring of Fire (earthquakes & volcanoes), nowhere near New Madras, Missouri (earthquakes), nowhere along the Gulf Coast or the entire state of Florida (hurricanes), or the east coast (hurricanes, major "frost issues"), or near Yellowstone (volcano), or the Midwest (tornados), AZ is as dry as a bone if the water gets turned off, the northern U.S. sometimes resembles Antarctica... where is that safe place?

IMHO, outwitting Ma Nature can be a real trick! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Sue