I think anything and everything on you may be "confiscated for the greater good" if an official lays their eyes on it. Some folks advise against seeking dedicated "shelters" for this very reason.
May I ask, specifically, why you think that? Is it based on some related personal experience? Is it an extrapolation from your view of government behavior generally? Something you read or saw in the media? An abundance of caution or a distaste of others wielding their power like dogs off their leash during the emergency? No disrespect intended. I sincerely would like to know how folks arrive at this not uncommon opinion.
Jeff
No offense taken.
Our government stinks. It stinks hard. I will not go into details (as that delves into fairly dangerous information that, although freely available to all who look, will not be passed on by yours truly), let's just say when push comes to shove, I do not expect to be saved by our marvelous disaster relief system.
In the wake of a serious disaster, I fully expect officials on the ground to compensate shortages by taking resources from wherever they are found. Naturally, SAR won't be looting ruined homes, but the shelter supplies redistribution described above seems very real to me, especially knowing the genuinely personal attitude adopted here.
Your description of the US disaster relief system seems unrealistic in the local climate. It also fails to address the possibility to a temporary collapse in said system, when the local authorities are reduced to basically the guys with guns and there are no supply trucks on the horizon.
I can agree about gov't sucking big time in a general sense. So, why do you trust SAR not to loot when they go in and out of houses, but not related responders?
My opinions are based on two things: Extensive first-hand, on-scene experience in a variaty of capacities in basically every type of natural and man-made disaster the US has experienced over the last quarter century, and my research as a lawyer and academic in this field.
It may seem unrealistic to you, but that's the way it DOES work, in broad general terms, albeit with fits, starts, hiccups, outright failures, political incompetence and other problems large and small along the way, and limitied to ordinary-scale regional domestic disasters, not truly national emergencies like all out nuclear war or asteroid strikes.
More specifically, I've run shelters, worked at shelters, supported shelter operations, and inspected shelter operations. I know shelters, at least so far as they have and do operate in the above-described situations. If somebody tries to take your stuff, which I have NEVER seen or heard happen, I advise you go get the cop that is usually standing around nearby, and RAISE HELL.
Jeff
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