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#219005 - 03/13/11 08:45 PM Re: Your city just turned to rubble, what do you do? [Re: Pete]
MarkO Offline
Member

Registered: 03/19/10
Posts: 137
Loc: Oregon
Originally Posted By: Pete
Today I am working on increasing our volume of stored fresh water, and some containers for storing food.


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.

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#219006 - 03/13/11 08:53 PM Re: Your city just turned to rubble, what do you do? [Re: Blast]
Pete Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/20/09
Posts: 1372
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

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#219007 - 03/13/11 09:00 PM Re: Your city just turned to rubble, what do you do? [Re: Blast]
Teslinhiker Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/14/09
Posts: 1418
Loc: Nothern Ontario
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.
_________________________
Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.

John Lubbock

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#219019 - 03/13/11 10:27 PM Re: Your city just turned to rubble, what do you do? [Re: MarkO]
Eugene Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/26/02
Posts: 2995
Originally Posted By: MarkO
Originally Posted By: Pete
Today I am working on increasing our volume of stored fresh water, and some containers for storing food.


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.


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.

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#219032 - 03/14/11 12:01 AM Re: Your city just turned to rubble, what do you do? [Re: Blast]
LesSnyder Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 1680
Loc: New Port Richey, Fla
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...

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#219036 - 03/14/11 12:44 AM Re: Your city just turned to rubble, what do you do? [Re: Blast]
fooman Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 05/15/08
Posts: 80
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.

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#219039 - 03/14/11 01:24 AM Re: Your city just turned to rubble, what do you do? [Re: LesSnyder]
Teslinhiker Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/14/09
Posts: 1418
Loc: Nothern Ontario
Originally Posted By: LesSnyder
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...


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.
_________________________
Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.

John Lubbock

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#219040 - 03/14/11 01:33 AM Re: Your city just turned to rubble, what do you do? [Re: Blast]
Teslinhiker Offline
Veteran

Registered: 12/14/09
Posts: 1418
Loc: Nothern Ontario
This photo fits in with many of the discussions in this thread...

_________________________
Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.

John Lubbock

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#219041 - 03/14/11 01:43 AM Re: Your city just turned to rubble, what do you do? [Re: Blast]
LED Offline
Veteran

Registered: 09/01/05
Posts: 1474
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.

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#219048 - 03/14/11 02:54 AM Re: Your city just turned to rubble, what do you do? [Re: Teslinhiker]
comms Offline
Veteran

Registered: 07/23/08
Posts: 1502
Loc: Mesa, AZ

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]
_________________________
Don't just survive. Thrive.

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