Watching these huge disasters, the wailing people in the streets, overwhelmed rescue services...wow.

So let's say your city has just been destroyed an hour ago and you are one of the unhurt survivors, what do you need to be thinking of? This seems to be lacking in our discussions of Japan. While most of us "old-timers" have most of this figured out I think it would be beneficial to talk about it to help newer board members.

Some common questions:
How do you protect yourself from possible physical dangers (falling debris, fires, etc...)

How do you find your family?

How do you get home?

How do you find aid stations?

Will you be able to get news from radios?

How can you tell if you've been exposed to radiation?

What will happen if you are exposed to radiation?

When will "help" arrive (I know this is a potentially loaded question)?

What will aid stations be like?

Can you drink water coming out from a broken water pipe?

-Blast

i was standing in my garage last night thinking the exact same thing what if...

need to re-pack the family BOB. maybe adding hardhats for everyone isn't such a bad idea. need to refill the propane tanks and pick up a connector hose for the coleman stove. those trees won't last long, especially when people start fighting over the wood. we need a better way to secure the house and protect ourselves. do we really have enough bottled water/water pur tabs. need to check with the kid's new school to find out if their nuke emergency evac plan is the same as his old school.

i've got friends and family over there. everyone that i know made it through unhurt and property at least some what intact. some were facing a long trek home.

the pressing challenges for those people right now seems to be on-going aftershocks and the risk of another tsunami, getting home, lack of power, limited food and water, rationed gasoline, hygene and sanitation, and the looming question of radiation.

i wonder about those whose homes were turned to rubble or ended up under water. things are even less straight forward for them.

my hubby is usually unphased by world events such as these. he's on-board with our bug-in plans, but he spent yesterday afternoon making sure that both vehicles are in tip top shape. fluids, wires, tires and gas - a full month before their next servicing is scheduled.

I was just about to start a new thread focusing on the U.S. west coast's prospects. Will fold that into this thread. I looked last night at the "Ring of Fire" history of quakes and the 600-mile subduction zone along the Pacific Northwest is conspicuously devoid of major quakes in recorded history (the last was an estimated 9.0 in January 1700).

Tick-tock, tick-tock....

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/121662/2...noaa-japan.htm#


"...a major quake along the Oregon fault could produce tsunami waves of up to 98 feet (30 meters) high. Previous calculations had pointed to the possibility of tsunami waves of only 50 feet (15 meters)."


Japan's experienced the perfect storm, the one-two-three punch of quake/tsunami/nuclear. The Pacific Northwest at least doesn't have the nuclear plant presence that Japan has and I don't think any of them are vulnerable to tsunami waves. California's nuclear plants seem more vulnerable, and plentiful.

I'm curious how many nuclear plants in the midwest and east could be affected by a major quake along the New Madrid fault..... Japan is the leader on quake-resistant construction and I heard on the radio that the nuclear plant currently in crisis was built to withstand a 7.4 or so quake and it's tsunami preps anticipated a wave half the height of what occurred on Friday. Those standards seemed prudent to the engineers at the time, based on known historical seismicity.

What strikes me about so much of the Japan videos are that hundreds of thousands of survivors have only the clothes on their back and the shoes on their feet.

First priority is not to be pummeled by falling rubble or glass shook loose by aftershocks or, if in a tsunami-vulnerable area, not drown in subsequent waves.

Walking is your primary means of transportation, unless you have a bicycle or motorcycle handy. Roads probably impassable or gridlocked, at the least.

Are the local-regional radio and TV stations even functioning? Maybe not.

First Aid stations may not be set up for days. The local-regional first responders were also in the quake zone and have their own survival issues to sort through.

Have to find water, quick. Underground water pipes have surely ruptured, the water treatment plant may be damaged or without power. Pumping stations may be without power.

Did the quake occur on a sunny, mild day? Or is it cold? Or hot and humid? Are storms forecast?

Shelter-water-food. Start walking and keep alert.

If my SUV survived and is accessible, then I've got in it a couple days of water, a few days of food and extra clothes, first aid and much more.

Great discussion, thanks. All these disasters should result in an after-action memo for everyone. There are always lessons to learn and heed.

you're so right Dagny. we should all be learning from these events, and re-evalating our own situations. thanks for the kick in the butt Blast!

These repetitive discussions after disasters are worthwhile, even for the most prepared. These are repetitive mental drills, and mental conditioning is imperative to develop the instincts and knowledge that could save lives, starting with your own.

All the gear in the world is useless if you don't make the right decisions at critical times. And in something the scale of Japan's disaster(s), surviving the initial event has a lot to do with luck.

If I were at Cannon Beach last Thursday, I would not have reacted as quickly or decisively to a tremor as I would today. This morning and for at least the next several months, I'd be immediately running like I was in the shadow of a tsunami.

Gear-wise, a lesson that is obvious from the Japan videos is that your home stash of supplies and gear may be washed away or otherwise destroyed before you can grab any of it. And you may not be home when the event occurs. The Japan 9.0 happened at 2:30 in the afternoon.

That argues for keeping essential items (including some water and food) in other locations at all times, starting with vehicles and office. Because I camp so much I've got three mini-REIs -- home, car, teardrop trailer (in storage 100 miles away so that's a mixed bag).

And the first thing I'm going to do today is put some Micropur tablets in my wallet.

Walking - or running - with the clothes on your back and the tools in your pocket is the most realistic scenario you can plan for.

It's the scenario that maps to any and all "instant emergencies" - by instant I mean 5 minutes or less warning. No Bags, No Packs, No Vehicles. You, your mind and what you happen to have.

That's why the more you know the less you need.

that's the lesson of the Japan and Christchurch disasters for me - what's on your person is your first line of defense, and may end up being your only defense, when you've got only seconds or minutes to react.

earthquakes and tsunamis happen in an instant, and luck plays a big part sometimes. we should know what dangers are lurking where we live, work and visit, and we should learn how to take care of ourselves when they happen. how many times this winter alone have we heard about people being stranded in snow storms?

planning ahead, re-evaluating how you reacted in previous situations, evaluating what others have done - in other words, thinking things through - is so important.

This is why the discussions of pocket survival kits/altoids tin kits etc. is really so valuable. It has to be small enough to carry with you at all times, but still useful enough to provide the basic survival tools. That, with knowledge, equips you to survive.

I think it may have been Bill Merrill, author of "The Survival Handbook" who wrote words to the effect that the single most important factor in survival situations is having the will and determination to survive.

After 9/11/2001 having to fight to get into downtown, then wait for my wife to be allowed to leave (her work let the staff go last after the important people were safe) then having to fight the traffic to get home, our long term plans have come together. We are outside the outerbelt and live, work and go to school all within a couple mile radius.



If we have to we can walk home, close enough.



Unless something went very wrong, we won't need those



Most radio stations around here are crap for news. I turn on the scanner and listen to whats happening before the news even reports it.

1. Get lucky. If you are lucky there is some time, travel to the most survivable place you can. If you are not so lucky there is little or no no time, be very rude and get into the most survivable spot you see.

Knowing where to go in reaction to different potential events; training and practice to develop situational awareness.

2. Get lucky. If you are lucky the event is one time and of limited duration, then initial survival is a long step toward long-term survival and bug-in preparation can be a life-saver. If you are not so lucky the event is repetitive in nature and of unknown but extended duration, then escaping the impact zone is probably your best step toward long-term survival and your bug-out preparation the focus for life-saving.

Knowing what to do in reaction to different potential events; training and practice plus being "equipped to survive."

The answer to a lot of these questions starts with PPPPPP

Prior Planning Prevents Pi** Poor Performance

If you have an adequate plan in place you can find family - a rally point, or a preplanned route home to look on, with side sides designated. That's if cell phones are down. If cars can't be used, walk the route to meet along the way. Regardless, the first and best rally point is home.

Radio, yes, have 2 solar powered/battery/crank radios. Local radio was decent after hurricanes, no reason to think they wouldn't be the same after a disaster.

To be hit by radiation, it would take a nuclear strike, and I hope I didn't miss that.

There is a major Army base w/i 12 miles I have access to. I know I can find medical care there, worst case scenario. The local hospital is only 5 miles off. There are also several Urgent care type clinics fairly closeby.

Can I drink water coming from a broken pipe. Sure. Do I want to is the real question. And as I can tell our sewer pipes around here from the water pipes, half the danger is gone. Then I do have the means, mechanical and chemical, to purify water.

This disaster in Japan only underscores the need to be ready at all times. Do not depend on help arriving. BTDT, and it takes a couple days if not a week to get people deployed and stuff set up to supply "help". There may be stuff in place, but you have to get the bodies there to pass it out, and worst case, you have to ship in all the stuff.

What did gripe me most on one mission - able bodied men sat there and "supervised" the Army types putting up a tent. The clown that told us to "go faster, he needed shade" got a size 11 1/2 applied where it did me the most good. After that, they got the idea and helped.

this has been weighing on my mind recently. i'm currently looking to go back to work in the corporate world, and my best job prospects are in the big city, about 60kms away. i hesitate about that. i worry about getting stuck downtown, my son being stuck at school and me so far away.

my husband switched to a job close to home a couple of years ago, and now lives and works in the same small city, though it wouldn't be a short walk. my son just started at a school within walking distance of home. at least they are close.

i'm also skeptical of the downtown architecture. i've been working in a 2-story house for the past four years, and i'm rather found of that set-up. this is going to be an adjustment!

Our city the best jobs moved to the north size of town. We have several business offices for banks, health care and insurance providers, etc. Houses are expensive up here for their size but close to the jobs. Our families were all down on us for buying the house we did since it was 'only 1300 squ feet', we could have bought a much bigger house for less $ in this or that area.

Lots of good questions - here is a cut at them (midwest centric).

How do you protect yourself from possible physical dangers (falling debris, fires, etc...)
Have a plan for the scenarios appropriate to your area. Know where the fire exits are, look for strong/weak points in the local structures. Running outside in an earthquake or tornado is an iffy proposition. Luckily the earthquake is a real low order of probability here.

How do you find your family?
Head home, then for the kids school. The wife and I have out of area contacts, the kids aren't quite up to that yet.

How do you get home?
Walk or drive - I live less than a mile from where I work. If the roads a unpassable I'll go cross country.

How do you find aid stations?
Aid stations tend to set up at the local fire stations and medical clinics. A couple of those are on the way home. Last major "disaster" around here they also setup in the Walmart parking lot (about 5 miles away). The national guard keeps a bunch of stuff about 15 miles away from me, near the local airport, also.

Will you be able to get news from radios?
Maybe - depends on the disaster. Local AM might have some info if available, regional AM is more likely (WHO carries a long, long way at full power).

How can you tell if you've been exposed to radiation?
No reliable method for me. Listen to radio and assess likelihood is best of bad choices. Giant flashes of light and mushroom clouds would also be a clue. Reality is I'm more worried about a "chemical" accident than radiation - like Anhydrous Ammonia.

What will happen if you are exposed to radiation?
Depends on how much and what kind. In general get out of the area and decontaminate (wash down) and drink lots of fluids to flush your system - Beer is great for this. For low doses, probably no short term effects, for higher doses expect some form of radiation sickness (at least nausea and weakness). With a really high dose set your affairs in order quickly (if possible).

When will "help" arrive (I know this is a potentially loaded question)?
Amateur help will arrive as soon as imminent danger is past, if not sooner (love the midwest for that). Local professionals will be swamped if there is widespread damage and injuries. Need to plan to support yourself (and your family) for at least 72 hrs and a week would be better.

What will aid stations be like?
Long lines, lots of unhappy people, lots of stress, no where near enough hands/supplies to help everyone.

Can you drink water coming out from a broken water pipe?
Yes - but should you? If the water system is compromised it is a risk unless you can filter it or treat it somehow. For the walk home I would avoid it. Once home I have access to filters, stoves and chemicals - assuming everything isn't part of the rubble.

Good questions to ponder.

-Eric

How do you protect yourself from possible physical dangers (falling debris, fires, etc...)

Get outdoors and away from tall buildings. At home that's the front yard or the back yard. At work there are parking lots.

How do you find your family?

One school is an easy walk and the other is a few miles away. If I were at work I'd rely on my wife to gather the children, decide whether to stay home or bug out, and execute the plan appropriately. Her parents live 40 miles away and mine about 1000, so I'd try to reach one or both to get messages if I couldn't communicate with her directly.

How do you get home?

If I'm in the city and I took the train, I'll take the train if I can and hoof it if I can't. That would be two or three days of walking. I'd buy a bicycle if I could. Unfortunately there's no place for me to store a bicycle at work.

How do you find aid stations?

I carry an FAK at all times and hopefully I'd be rendering aid rather than receiving it. Otherwise I'd look for a fire station or a hospital.

Will you be able to get news from radios?

I've been looking for a small and inexpensive FM radio to add to my tier 2 (laptop bag) EDC. If I have my car kit there's a shortwave receiver there.

How can you tell if you've been exposed to radiation?

If you have signs of radiation sickness (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever, dizziness, disorientation, weakness, fatigue, hair loss) shortly after suspected exposure, you're probably screwed. In the longer term hopefully you'll have access to doctors.

What will happen if you are exposed to radiation?

Decontaminate as best you can by stripping off clothes and washing thoroughly with plenty of water.

When will "help" arrive (I know this is a potentially loaded question)?

As soon as I get my gear and meet up with the rest of my team. I expect the CERT I belong to will be overwhelmed shortly after the professional first responders, but we'll do the best we can.

What will aid stations be like?

Busy. Grim. Chaotic.

Can you drink water coming out from a broken water pipe?

If you have to. I don't have the gear to remove radioactive contamination from water, but other more common hazards I'm well-equipped to handle.

Already working on it here in Los Angeles. Busy, busy! I've got a LOT to do. This whole Japan disaster reminded me that I need to get my head down and really get my family prepared to go through this stuff.

Today I am working on increasing our volume of stored fresh water, and some containers for storing food. These all need to be rat-proof. Yesterday i went completely through my survival kit, added some extra stuff, and packed it all into my rucksack and put that in the back of my pickup truck (so it goes wherever I go). I also made a makeshift firepit in our backyard, so we can burn wood as one option for heating water and cooking food.

I sent some questions in (by email) to knowledgeable scientists about tsunami risks in So. California. When I get answers I will post them here. I welcome all insights about possible assessments for big earthquakes on the West Coast.

other Pete

That was addressed in other threads.


Return to Base [home] and use whatever communications systems still operational even if it's just the Internet.


That was addressed in other threads.


I'm a few blocks away from the nearest fire station, about a mile from the police station, a couple of miles from the medical district, there are medical clinics on almost every block on Wheatland Rd., my pharmacy is three blocks north of the police station, the church is well stocked in first aid kits. If I am at work, I'm even closer (except for the fire station). I think I'm covered.


Every car has a radio and I have a battery-powered radio at home.


I am so far away from the nearest nuclear power plant that a nuclear bomb would be considered a greater threat.


If the mountain will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet must go to the mountain.


It would be anything from a first aid kit to the emergency room at the hospital.


Given where I live, the most likely issue would be the water being turned off.

Jeanette Isabelle

You have to pay attention to History,Think Pre-Man!Regardless of what you hear from The many Authorities of Govt,Health,etc.,Take a Good look at the soil in your Location,Have you found Seashells?Yes? Why? I'm on a 500 ft hill,Above the rest of the city,what the hay?This soil came from somewhere else,Right? Wrong! There are seashells on top of Mount Baldy,in fact there are seashells on top of All Our Mountain Ranges,Why? Because the Ocean was there!Fact: L.A. Basin is just that,A Basin,Such as:Water in,Water out,Water in,Water out,etc.!Who is The Authority to say,That isn't going to happen Again?Just because humans are here,doesn't Mean Jack!That said,Make the best of it!

> Some common questions:
>SNIP<

I'm happy to say all this is addressed in our CERT training, so my wife and I have plans on getting back together if we are separated; ham radios with set frequencies for communications; we _are_ a first aid station, and we're around the corner from our fire department but we don't expect much from them -- they'll be handling big events like fires and structural failures; lots of AM/FM radios with lots of batteries, along with ham radios with memories set to the sheriff's repeaters in local counties; water filters; food; clothing; and so on.

We don't expect aid for at least a week after a big quake; we're prepared for a month with nothing but what we've got at home. We don't expect aid stations, hospitals, nor nothing. I wouldn't say I'm _prepared_ for it, but we've got the gear to survive homeless for a month, including food, water, shelter, clothes, and first aid. We're trained and prepared for light search and rescue. We can report conditions to the sheriff's office over our ham radios, meaning if we do have a raging fire or the apartments across the street have collapsed on dozens of people, we can let them know and maybe get some help.

The major issue is major injury. If we suffer broken bones or worse, there's not much help for us and not much hope for being helpful at all. We're then victims just like everyone else. All the plans go out the window. We all assume it's those other poor victims who'll be crushed or trapped, not us.

This is hard for me. I don't have a basement and if I stored items in the crawlspace, I risk not being able to access it if the house collapsed in a quake (only access is via a hatch in a closet). So I have the water on shelves by an exterior wall in the garage and the food in a Roughneck tote by an exterior wall in the back bedroom.

Quips From L.A.

True incidents. Yesterday (Sat) I was getting a coffee at a local place and I happened to remark to the guy standing beside me ... "That's a pretty terrible thing that's happening in Japan." His answer was ... "Yes, it's sad what's happening to them over there". Something about the way he said "over there" sounded very detached.

Today I was in the major hardware store in our area. I was picking up a 30-in wrecking bar to add to my supplies. I asked the clerk at the checkout ... "So are any people stocking up on their earthquake supplies". She said "No.". I said "You mean you haven't had anybody buying any earthquake stuff at all?". Her reply was ... "Nobody at all. You're it."

Go figure.
We seem to be riding a peak in complacency out here.

cheers,
other Pete

Excellent questions Blast. The recent EQ in Christchurch and now Japan has brought forth some more preparedness discussions not only at home, but also at work.

Here are my thoughts on your questions.

How do you protect yourself from possible physical dangers (falling debris, fires, etc...)
Depends on where we are. Between home, work, shopping, family/friend's homes, there is no building taller then 2-3 stories Work is only a 2 story building and I never park anywhere near the building there or any other building that could toppple.

How do you find your family?
All immediate family (except one) lives within 15-20 KM area with no major overpasses, bridges etc to worry about. This is a walkable distance (I have done it before) through mostly single family home residential streets. One very important family member lives across a bridge(s) of which I would not expect to survive a earthquake of any moderate to intermediate strength. These bridges cross a very large (wide and long ocean inlet) and swimming is not an option. If we had to, we would get the canoe down to the inlet, paddle across (very doable and have done it many times) to get to the family member.

How do you get home?
On a daily basis, we are never far from our AO. We both work within walking distance from home. I am 45 minutes walk from work to home, SO is 30 minutes. Other then that, we rarely venture outside our immediate area except for long distance traveling purposes and that is another thread and topic in itself.

How do you find aid stations?
(I am answering this from a medical needs point of view)
Assuming we are at home or close by. here is a large medical building about a 10 minute walk away. Plenty of Docs and nurses of skill types. Two firestations and a police station within an easy walking distance. Having to carry/push/pull an imobile injured person would be a challenge though.

Will you be able to get news from radios?
2 small pocket size am/fm radios which run forever on AAA batteries. Also don't overlook car radios, especially those in older cars/trucks (taht you own or know the person...no illigell activities) that can be removed along with the battery and rigged up with minimum effort.

How can you tell if you've been exposed to radiation?
Good question. Not a concern high on my list in this area of the country though. We have no nuclear reactors within a few thousand miles east and south.

What will happen if you are exposed to radiation?
Depends on the level and length ot time...then again see above answer.

When will "help" arrive (I know this is a potentially loaded question)?
Days if not weeks...enough said.

What will aid stations be like?
(I am answering this from a basic shelter/food/water needs point of view)
Crowded, chaotic, potentially dangerous. This is why we have at least 2 months food and supplies at home...assuming the home survives enough through an EQ to salvage anything. There is always a minimum 3-4 day supply of food, water in the car trunk along with enough hygiene items, clothing, camping/hiking gear to live out in the backyard regardless of weather here.

Can you drink water coming out from a broken water pipe?
If I had to, the water would be filtered and purified. That said, if an EQ struck this time of year, we would have more then enough rain water to get by on...it has rained almost every day, all day for the last 2 months..
There are also 2 small inter-urban lakes very close and within very easy walking distance that I would not normally think of drinking from. If I was desperate enough, the water would be filtered, then boiled and or treated chemically.

Further distance away (almost 2 hours walking round trip), there is unlimited supply of clean drinking water, but that would be quite the chore if we had to walk then pack gallons of water home at a time. If this was the case and our home with our posessions were beyond salvage and our family/friend homes were in the same dire consquences, it would much easier to move to where the water until a semblance of help arrived.

I built my pantry in the crawlspace when we moved, have a few things in the camper but not a lot. Time to move some out of the crawlspace I suppose.

additional minimal size kit you might consider

an N95 mask should offer some protection against airborne alpha emitting particulate...you really don't want alpha emitters inside you...bandana

an MRE beverage bag and some ClO2 tabs easily fit in the pocket...possibly dumpster dive for a bottle, and use a provodine wipe to disinfect externally and internally

small card of duct tape to pre tape potential hot spots on your feet if a long trek is in store...stash a pair of wool socks

a small multitool like Leatherman squirt PS4 has small pliers, scissors, knife, screwdriver and is 3/4 x 2 1/4...

Ok, gonna ramble here on a Monday morning while the coffee kicks in.

Where I live is not an earthquake area but potentially in the path of a Tsunami around these parts.

The recent events in NZ and Japan has prompted me to make sure the BoB is a better state to go instead of having some components all over the place. End result? The BoB is heavier than I'd like especially with 6-9 liters of water. Need to review this.

I also have a small stash of food and supplies at work and my work bag has a small PSK. The truck has water and more equipment. Food storage in a truck in hot weather is a problem. I'm experimenting to see what keeps well. Baked beans? haha. I've also assembled a cook kit from British style mess tins and esbit type stove.

The other major consideration are my parents who are in their 70's. I don't think we'll be bugging out very far by foot. Dad still goes to the gym everyday but mum had hip replacement several years ago and has reduced mobility. If we had to go on foot, roller bags will have to be the way to go. I'm hoping to bug out first by truck ahead of the jam. That means being ready to go on short notice.

We live in a coastal city so if the sea comes inland by 10KM, there goes everything. Thankfully there are some hills nearby, but everyone is going to making for them and there aren't facilities for shelter for the most part.

There's a fire station a block away and the hospital is a couple of kilometers away but its on low ground.

During the last Tsunami scare, there was a traffic jam leading to the highlands a couple of hours drive away. Unfortunately a good part of that route lies on low ground now far from the sea.

How do you protect yourself from possible physical dangers
I've been in a car which was swamped by flood waters. Freaky. Don't recommend it.

How do you find your family?
Cell phones are the only practical means for now. I've got VHF, but I'm not sure I can get parents to use them.

How do you get home?
Worse case, walk, but I'd rather have the truck to pick up parents.

How do you find aid stations?
Fire station, hospital and police HQ nearby, but all on low ground. Not sure about fall back.

Will you be able to get news from radios?
I've got a hand crank multiband radio, but the main radio station is also on low ground. See a pattern? Haha

How can you tell if you've been exposed to radiation?
Hopefully we'll never get a nuclear power station nearby. Fallout from far away, is pretty much beyond my control

When will "help" arrive (I know this is a potentially loaded question)?
The authorities have been fairly well organised for small and medium scale disasters like floods because they occur so often.

What will aid stations be like?
Schools are usually used for evac sites. Haven't heard any horror stories and they've been well supplied. Just a lot of people in the same place. From past floods, people have been very neighbourly, helping each other.

Can you drink water coming out from a broken water pipe?
Filter, bleach, micropur tabs.

Good ideas Les. I seen on a website earlier where they interviewed a person via Skype from Japan. One of the most sought after items in some areas of Japan where there is extensive Tsunami damage is gum boots (or similar) with steel toes and shanks. The boots are good to keep muck out and feet dry. The steel protection to keep you from getting a puncture wound in the feet which could turn into a very bad situation real fast with no immediate first aid response forthcoming.

This photo fits in with many of the discussions in this thread...

Its possible your home may be destroyed or may not be accessible due to damaged roads, debris, and other hazards. That leaves you with your EDC, most likely only whats in your pockets, and maybe your car kit. Vehicles should have enough water, food, and basic supplies to last a few days if possible. Don't assume you will have time to load up the car before heading out. And always keep your tank at least 1/2 full. Stash supplies at work if you can. You may end up sleeping and sheltering in your office, so some blankets or sleeping bags would be a good idea. There seems to be a shortage of blankets at shelters in Japan. And don't forget to pack a deck of cards.

Here are my thoughts on your questions. I've some practical application from being in natural disasters before like stranded from an ice storm, the Mt. St. Helens aftermath (feet of ash), a 8.1 earthquake on a tropical island, and a few CAT 4 & 5 Typhoons.

How do you protect yourself from possible physical dangers (falling debris, fires, etc...)
Luck is a lot it at the moment. But before luck comes you must plan for luck to happen by researching where you will be living vs. mostly likely disasters. Can you chose a location out of a flood plain, away from fire hazards, easy egress. This also goes for how you work by trying to secure a good work location.

How do you find your family?
Our kids are young enough that they are always supervised at school or with family. Cell phones for contact and prearranged safe locations (family/friends)if caught out of the home. Our handheld Motorolas work far enough for our needs around the house for supplies and recons.

How do you get home?
Hopefully by vehicle, I have a BOV that can overcome most any obstacle getting home or getting family to get home. Speaking for myself, I can right now and have in the past run marathons on a whim, literally just get out of bed and do it for my workout that day. I did it last month. Last year I dropped my car off to be serviced and ran home ten miles with a 42lb pack, a overstuffed BOB. I averaged 11 minute miles. IIRC. Yesterday with one day notice I ran an event called the Spartan Race, 8 miles, 15 obstacles. (Fun by the way, try one in your area) Easy, easy for me. Being in good physical shape + the luck to not be trapped or injured is key here. Practice what you expect.

How do you find aid stations?
A CVS is 1 mile away. A main fire station is less than that in the other direction. Plus a large high school, 1 mile away, I am sure would become a Red Cross facility. A massive ER/hospital is 3 miles away. To go back to a previous question, we bought our current house based on the proximity to a quality hospital/ER. Two Urgent Cares opened recently within walking distance.

Will you be able to get news from radios?
I have some Eton radios, hand cranked for power. And a transistor radio from Radio Shack. My iPhone has an app called Oo Tunes which streams local police, fire, emt radio traffic. I should look into a CB/Ham/shortwave for my Jeep.

Sidenote: Several years ago I bought a very small AM/FM radio (earplug only) and tried to replace it last year. It was the size of a credit card, about 1/4" thick. Could not find one locally or online. The smallest radio's I could find where workout arm band styles that were too bulky for me. This troubles me.

How can you tell if you've been exposed to radiation?
I think this is low on my priority list though I have a nuclear energy plant 60 miles away from my house. I have a print out of the fallout radius. Wind direction favors my part of the valley to avoid serious contamination. We have Bug Out routes in several directions to avoid specific disaster conditions.

What will happen if you are exposed to radiation?
Good question. I think again this is low priority for me. We have iodine in our home FAK. If suspect, see aid stations answer above.

When will "help" arrive (I know this is a potentially loaded question)?
Situationally dependent if its a localized, county, State or national emergency. Our city has gone to great lengths to protect its 1st responder, critical aid infrastructure throughout our national economic conditions. We can be self sufficient for several weeks if we are simply cut off.

What will aid stations be like?
(I am answering this from a basic shelter/food/water needs point of view)
My part of town has lots of elderly and 'Snowbird' (out of staters from fall to spring)so I suspect a lot of critical needs will go to those needing oxygen and shaken from the event. I have always tried to avoid aid stations by realizing, getting out to someones house is far better than suffering in a HS gym with 3,000 other people.

Can you drink water coming out from a broken water pipe?Sure. I carry purification tabs in my EDC. My BOB has a pump hiking filter. But you must prepare to be lucky. I have over 60 gallons of potable water in storage at house. We have standing orders to fill both tubs when emergency confronts us, another 60+ gallons combined. A 300 gallon hot tub with top cover and under a patio roof. Also a 50,000 gallon pool. And gallons of bleach.


Is that all the questions. Wow that was just off the top of my head without thinking hard.


[/quote]

Basically, you need to be ready to punt. Maybe you didn't know it, but Ma Nature and her brother, Murphy, can (and have) come up with some of the worst combinations of trouble known to Man.

I have been sick all week, and was thinking how totally inconvenient it would be for a major disaster to hit right in the middle of a violent period of projectile vomiting and diarrhea.

But to stick to Blast's scenario...

A hard hat, leather gloves and a padded jacket will go quite a ways in protecting you from falling debris, but so will using some common sense.

If I was at home and able to get clear without injury, I would try to access my pry bars and breaker bar, and then start checking the neighbors.

My sister lives 2.5 miles away, but might be at work at the hospital, where she would be required to stay during the emergency. Her home is relatively stable, with minimal dangers and no large trees, poles or power lines to cause trouble.

If I were in Seattle or Portland, it would be a major problem to get home, and could take a couple of weeks... or more. IF I wasn't totally s**ewed altogether.

Aid stations would probably be a matter of chance. If I knew where the local fire stations were, I could stop there if on the way, but with so many needing help, if I wasn't desperate, I wouldn't bother. Scrounging might do as well.

Radiation -- probably not an issue, and I couldn't do much about it, anyway.

There tends to be quite a bit of available water around here, and with a pot and a fire I could do okay. Collecting rainwater would be easier, if available.

Sue

How do you protect yourself from possible physical dangers (falling debris, fires, etc...)

I have an Xscaper fire mask on my desk at work and attached to my EDC bag. In each Xscaper bag comes a set of goggles with foam face gasket, and I've added an e-gear Pico flashlight (recent upgrade), Swiss Army Compact knife, emergency whistle, and an emergency poncho. I also have N95 masks, a baseball cap, insulated leather gloves, and a nylon poncho and rain pants in my EDC bag and each GHB. There's an 18" wrecking bar and a Leatherman Surge mult-tool in my office filing cabinet. I hadn't considered one before, and I'm not really in an earthquake zone, but a hard hat sounds like a reasonable addition.

How do you find your family?

In theory, this isn't an issue for me, as I'm single and all of my kids are old enough to drive. We have regular discussions about what to do and where to go in the event of an emergency, with way points and a selection of routes pre-programmed into each vehicle's GPS. Rally points include our home, our town's municipal complex (police, courthouse, library, nearby fire and rescue), the storage area 10 miles from our house where I park my RV, and pre-arranged sheltering locations to the north, south and west (east would likely take you closer to trouble), including one sheltering location over 50 miles (and a mountain range) away. I even have a mostly off-road route along an abandoned railroad grade mapped-out to the most distant location, which two of our vehicles can navigate.

We also have a communications plan, which includes cell phones, land line contacts, email, social networking sites and written messages left at home or intermediate rallying points.

How do you get home?

In a scenario like Japan, this would be tough for me. I drive 34 miles each way. My habit has been to park on the street or in an open lot far enough from hi-rise buildings to increase the odds that my vehicle would be accessible through most disasters. But a tidal wave that extended further than 1 mile inland could take that option out of play.

A major earthquake could take out one or more of the bridges I would need to cross. My work location is essentially a peninsula due to the confluence of a bay and two rivers. Technically, these obstacles can be circumvented by going north, but even during normal rush hours these routes are clogged and slow. Add a couple million commuters and local residents trying to escape, and I'm sure all motor vehicle traffic would be at a standstill.

I have sufficient gear and supplies in my GHB to provide for walking home, taking up to 3 days (longer if I tighten rations), but this is kept in my vehicle. The supplies and gear in my EDC can sustain me for 24-hours provided the weather was not too extreme, and additional food/water supplies in my office for up to 72-hours (plus our office also has 72-hour shelter-in-place kits, so that's 144 hours total). I always wear hiking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing.

More likely I would shelter-in-place for 24 hours to see if the situation improves or is improving, before attempting to evacuate.

How do you find aid stations?

My normal travel areas are suburban or urban, so fire, rescue and police stations and hospitals are well known and easily accessible. At our more remote, rural sheltering point we are familiar with the location of local emergency services locations and designated evacuation locations.

Will you be able to get news from radios?

Presumably yes, though not necessarily via network news outlets. I have a small embassy radio (AM|FM|WB|SW) in my GHB and another at home. Maybe I'll get one for my EDC bag.

How can you tell if you've been exposed to radiation?

I'll assume if I'm near or downwind of a radiation event that I'll be exposed, and will try to take whatever precautions I can.

What will happen if you are exposed to radiation?

I assume I will get sick, and possibly die. To try to avoid that, I'd don whatever protective items I have available (e.g., N95 mask, rain gear, hat, gloves, poncho, etc) to try to at least avoid fallout. Depending on the specific circumstances, I'd either try to escape the danger zone if reasonably possible, or find a protected area to shelter-in-place and hope for assistance.

When will "help" arrive (I know this is a potentially loaded question)?

I'd like to think within 72 hours, but its hard to estimate. In general, though, I think that if there's no evidence of an effective emergency response in the area within 24 hours, and your present location doesn't offer the necessary resources or safety to stay put for at least a week, then it's time to evacuate on your own.

What will aid stations be like?

This depends so much on the environment and scope of the disaster. I've only visited aid stations twice: once in a suburban location and once in a outlying-suburban/rural area, both times due to hurricane-related disasters. In both cases there were sufficient trained aid and security personnel in-place by the time I arrived, but I was told that initially there were plenty of sympathetic but disorganized and essentially unhelpful "Good Samaritans" with few supplies and trained responders. Within hours the trained responders and initial supplies and gear were built-up enough to be effective, with triage procedures in-place and security to keep the lookie-loos and well-meaning but untrained Good Samaritans out of the area. In one case the National Guard was on-site within the first 24 hours to completely secure not only the aid locations and shelters, but the entire affected area.

But I have no illusions that things would be as good in something more widespread like Japan's earthquake or even a Katrina-like hurricane hit.

Can you drink water coming out from a broken water pipe?

It depends on the situation and source of the public water supply. Some areas rely on community wells for water, so I would consider that safe to drink. Otherwise, I'd filter it, but don't know how effective that would be against fallout.

The roof just blew off another reactor in Japan. I'm guessing staying indoors would be a good idea for a while. Lemme see if I can find out if we're downwind

Teslinhiker... I was stationed in Japan 70-72 on the western side of Kyushu... your posted picture was very similar to footwear used in the nearby fishing village of Shaganashima..our operations area was less than 1/4 mile from the Genkai Sea

"Basically, you need to be ready to punt."

i was thinking the same thing this morning.

What if it's so bad - that you just need to pull up stakes, grab your family, and walk out of your neighborhood? A lot of families in Japan have had to do that. That would be a gut-wrenching experience. I suppose we could do it, but my family would not be happy about things. And here in the USA you would face real uncertainty about shelter, safety, looting and criminal attacks.

other Pete

Thats if you have family to walk out with. We all tend to assume (myself included) our familiy and friends will be there after a catastrophic disaster. As we see in Japan, the sad reality is that loved ones will likely be lost. And those losses may be harder to deal with than the physical dangers. All the kits in the world can't prepare you for that.

Ahhh, the humble wellie. Gotta love it.

For those looking for some here in the US, I've been very happy with my basic Avus brand boots. $22 when I got them 2yrs ago and they're Made in the USA.

I think for a lot of people, the concept of preparing for something like this is to much to grasp.

I've been trying to get my fiancee to work with me on being prepared for over a year but she just doesn't want to accept that such events can and will happen here.

- Let's see, what dangers and problems could be created by the situation? How about downed power lines? Broken bridges? Do you try to cross one if it is the only way to get where you are going? Broken/leaking natural gas lines? Falling debris? Fires? How about looters? It may take a while for them to appear but you never know. Along the lines of looters, you may have to fight your fellow survivors for any supplies if enough are not available, especially at the relief stations (think Haiti a week or two after their big quake). All the while you need to deal with the immediate needs of a survival situation. Shock is a definite possibility so don't overlook it. Also, you need to tend to your own needs, the basic human needs that don't change: shelter, warmth, water, and food. If you are hunkered down somewhere that you will be staying a while, a fire (if it is safe) could be a HUGE morale booster (and allow you to purify any questionable water). If your own survival supplies have been destroyed or lost, scavenging may be the only way to get the materials you need to effect your survival. The ability to improvise will prove VERY useful.


- Situational Awareness and Extreme Caution … think before you act or move. A hardhat, protective gloves and a dust mask (at least a bandana) would be nice too but are no substitute for simply paying attention to what is going on around you.


- DW works here in town less than a mile from my office, DS goes to school then daycare outside the city. He would not go unsupervised but it’s only a 13-mile distance from us here in town if we had to walk. A situation like that would make me glad I sprang for the Rockports that are more comfy than most walking shoes. Other family members and friends are within a mile of him and could pick him up if they were able. This does remind me that DW needs to consider how she would get home in this situation if both vehicles are unavailable, tho in all likelihood being a hospital employee (social worker, not a doctor or nurse) she could be considered essential personnel in a situation like that and have to stay anyway. Her hospital runs drills for situations where mass casualties are brought to the hospital, tho I am fairly certain nothing comparing to one of this magnitude.


- Hopefully either DW’s vehicle or mine has survived but as mentioned before it is only 13 miles and we could make it on foot. But this reminds me DW and I need to agree on a meeting place in this instance in case phone communications are down. Hopefully the GHB's have not been destroyed or made inaccessible either.


- Our home is only a mile from the volunteer fire dept for our area of the county; DW works at the local hospital; and the city fire dept is a mile or less from both our workplaces.


- Assuming the local radio stations are able to broadcast (I would hope at least one of them would) we have a battery powered radio at the office, any number of car radios, and worst case a crank/solar powered radio at the house (after walking the 13 miles to get to it).


- Others have already mentioned the signs of radiation exposure and sickness, otherwise no way to tell. I can say that being in coal country here, the nearest nuclear power plants are hundreds of miles or more away so our potential exposure is almost nil.


- See above


- Hard to say for certain, but our community of county churches (those outside the city limits) have historically responded quickly to natural disasters. Our own church responded to 3 recent floods with water, bleach, cleaning supplies, food and other necessities within 24 hours. Of course we can’t assume all the area churches will be able to respond to a massive disaster that is being envisioned here so most likely within a week’s time.


- As others have said, crowded and chaotic … expect to fight for a bottle of water or a band-aid.


- I wouldn’t take a chance … setting up a way to reliably filter and purify water will be a priority, after tending wounds and providing shelter of course. Water purification tabs will work short term, but long term will likely require boiling. Like many here, I hope to be in a situation to help rather than be another victim. Living outside of town means my home will hopefully be spared, but working in town means I have to consider the possibility of being caught in the destruction and the problems of communicating with DW (hopefully cell phone service will be available shortly after) and getting home and to DS. As stated above tho we are fortunate to have trusted neighbors and family members who could get to him in the event we could not. If something happens that they could not either then we would have MUCH bigger problems.

i think if anything it helps validate our prepping to our skeptical significant others. I know my wife looks at me weird when I bring home another dozen rolls of TP and 4 cans of veggies for the bunker, but the other night while watching a news clip on being Japanese people needing to be prepared for 72 hours she looked at me and said, "Thank you"