It’s Official

Hurricane Season Is Upon Us

Copyright: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lch/?n=tropic

 A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued today by the National Weather Service. Effected Counties are along the central Florida Gulf Coast.

http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=TBW&product=HLS

 

If you live in the affected areas I recommend that you become familiar with the above information.

Local News reports are already reporting sea-walls being crested by the Gulf waters, and the storm is not even here yet. I anticipate flooding in the lower lying coastal areas once the storm makes land fall Monday (6/06/16) afternoon or evening.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2016/6/2/tropical_update_two_.html

Local County Emergency Operations Centers (EOC’s) and the FL State EOC are already coming online in anticipation of the damage the storm may produce.

If you are one of the less than 40% of the people who have already prepared an Emergency Action Plan, now is the time to break it out, review it, and insure that all stakeholders are on-line with the plan. At a best case scenario this will give you an opportunity to “Test” your plan.

If you are one of the more than 60% of the adult individuals who have been remiss in preparing for events that will most certainly happen at some point in your life. Now is a good time to rethink your lack of action.

A good place for information to start the creation of an Emergency Action Plan is the FEMA “Are you Ready” guide: https://www.ready.gov/are-you-ready-guide

 

Till next time

“Be Safe”

Hurricane Preparedness Week: May 15-21, 2016

Season Five is on its way to Florida (Hurricane Season).

Have you prepared?

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/hurricane_preparedness.html

 

1=0 2=1 3=2

When putting your Emergency Action Plan together there needs to be a certain level of redundancy.

So I’ll tell you the story about why you haven’t heard from me in a couple weeks.

Below you can see two SATA 1TB drives and two 120GB SSD’s

Now the issue was that the power supply on my Desk Top went out and needed replacing. No biggie, simply un-bolt it from the case, unplug the cords, install the new one, plug it in, and voila.

Four fried drives. Poof all at once. Turned on the power and POOF, a big puff of brown smoke. Now I thought I was redundant. Working drives, backup drives. What could go wrong?

 

No one I have talked to has ever heard of something like this happening before. Guess it’s just my electric personality. On the down side the Mother board was also damaged. On the up side I had a Lap Top I could access and have archived some of the business data on an external drive. Unfortunately not often enough, but enough not to have lost everything.

SO where am I going with this. If I was in a situation where I lost the only two items in my Bug-Out-Bag needed for a unique purpose I would maybe be up the creek without the paddle. Ergo,

1=0 2=1 3=2

Please keep in mind that when developing your equipment plan that most items sold as “Survival Gear” are usually a one-time item that are not intended to last for very long. Spend the $$$ to get quality gear, get three of them, and distribute them so they cannot all be lost at once.

Me, when the Desk Top comes back, I’ll invest in a Third drive, external, about 4TB w/Cloud.

Till Next Time

“Be Safe”

 

 



Be Prepared Because Disasters Will Happen, Says 'Miracle' Pilot

The important thing is how people respond, 'Sully' tells Red Cross event attendees.

Paul Swiech, The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Ill. | April 22, 2016

Survivors of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 with155 passengers and crew, including Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III, who piloted safe water landing 5 years ago, join with their rescuers in a toast marking the anniversary of the event known as the "miracle on the Hudson," on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014 in New York. AP/Bebeto Mathews

 

(TNS) - Disasters happen. What matters is how people respond.

 That was one message of American Red Cross Serving Central Illinois' 23rd annual Evening of Stars on Thursday night.

Delivering that and other messages was featured speaker Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot of the "Miracle on the Hudson."

 "What I hope people glean from his story is that disasters do happen but here was someone who was as prepared as he could be and he managed it," said Lyn Hruska, Red Cross regional chief development officer.

"No matter how hard we wish disasters away, they will happen," Hruska continued. "Captain Sullenberger used his education and training to save lives. So his message for us is to be as prepared as we can be and to use those skills when the time comes."

 

Sullenberger spoke at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in uptown Normal during the largest Evening of Stars ever. About 1,000 people attended the event, which is Red Cross in Central Illinois' largest fundraiser of the year.

Saying he grew up in an era when "striving for excellence was expected," Sullenberger told his audience, "We must keep on learning, stretching, re-inventing" ourselves.

"We must continue to innovate," he said.

Sullenberger piloted US Airways Flight 1549 on Jan. 15, 2009, to a successful, emergency water landing in New York City's Hudson River after the plane's engines lost thrust shortly after takeoff, which followed a collision with a flock of geese. The plane remained intact and everyone was rescued.

The incident and how he handled it brought him national fame, but he told the audience that many people contributed to the successful outcome such as his crew and the emergency responders. That is true in most emergency situations, he said.

"There are many heroes who go unnoticed," he said.

Sullenberger told The Pantagraph in an interview several weeks ago that "Each of us has a responsibility to prepare ourselves. When we do, we can have good outcomes. We can even save lives."

"Leaders aren't born," he said. "They are, in fact, made. We can learn to be better at what we do."

"When we work together according to our core values, we can make a difference," Sullenberger said.

Also speaking Thursday night was David Sanderson of Charlotte, N.C., a passenger on Flight 1549. Sanderson described his experiences as a passenger and with the Red Cross, which provided assistance after the emergency landing.

"It's a night to celebrate heroes," Hruska said. "There are heroes in any disaster. They are the people who step in instead of stepping away."

Proceeds from Evening of Stars benefit Red Cross disaster relief, assistance for military families, collection of blood and blood products and health and safety education.

Hruska said she was confident that the event would exceed its goal of raising $200,000.

Follow Paul Swiech on Twitter: @pg_swiech

———

©2016 The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.)

Visit The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.) at www.pantagraph.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

http://preview.tinyurl.com/h9o7h7c

 

 

 

The Prince is Dead Long Live the Prince

"On April 21, 2016, news broke that Prince Rogers Nelson was found dead in his home in Minneapolis at age 57. He was found unresponsive in an elevator and was declared dead shortly after. Internet criminals are going to exploit this celebrity death in a number of ways, so be careful with anything related to Price's death: emails, attachments, any social media (especially Facebook), texts on your phone, anything. There will be a number of scams related to this, so Think Before You Click!

 



 

Also, with the recent earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan, there are charity scams sticking up their ugly heads. If you want to make donations, go to your favorite charity by opening your browser and type their link in the address bar. Do not click on any links in emails."

 

If you a looking for a free phishing security test for your company go here: https://info.knowbe4.com/phishing-security-test-16

FYI: Emergency Action Planning does not receive monetary or material compensation from knowbe4.com

Till next time

“Be Safe”

Ring of Fire

This week’s Ring of Fire events are centered in Southern Japan. Multiple Earthquakes ranging from 4.7 to 7 on the Richter scale have rocked Japan over the last few days. Earthquakes arrive unannounced unlike winter storms and Hurricanes, the best way to mitigate the risks is to prepare prior to the event, not after.

http://www.borgenmagazine.com/recent-tsunamis-pacific-oceans-ring-fire
 

 

The Ring of Fire is an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. In a 40,000 km (25,000 mi) horseshoe shape, it is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts and/or plate movements. It has 452 volcanoes (more than 75% of the world's active and dormant volcanoes). [1] The Ring of Fire is sometimes called the circum-Pacific belt.

About 90% [2] of the world's earthquakes and 81% [3] of the world's largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. The next most seismically active region (5–6% of earthquakes and 17% of the world's largest earthquakes) is the Alpide belt, which extends from Java to the northern Atlantic Ocean via the Himalayas and southern Europe.[4][5]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Fire

Japan has been historically known to proactively mitigate Earthquake damage within its borders through aggressive building codes and public education. Anyone who has watched the news has seen that the Japanese people react calmly during and after the initial shocks have hit their areas. This is because the Japanese People have been educated on the subject of Earthquake survival. This education begins in elementary school.

Reviewing a general High School curriculum shows that Disaster Mitigation Education is integrated throughout the curriculum. This integration of Disaster Mitigation Education within its culture develops a survival mindset.

 http://www.hyogo-c.ed.jp/~maiko-hs/e/DM_edu/new_bosai_edu_e.htm

Maybe this is why the current death toll and injuries are so low compared to the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989

 

The Japanese culture of disaster mitigation is in deep contrast to the American antipathy of preparing for anything that does not provide immediate self-gratification. The United States has repeatedly proven to have a reaction centric after the disaster mindset when it comes to dealing with emergencies and disasters.

Reviewing our political culture shows us that our politicians are content providing “We the Sheeple” a constant cultural identity of the Victim needing to be rescued.

Stupidity is an elemental force for which no earthquake is a match.  - Karl Kraus

 

An interesting video I located while searching for material for this post relates to Los Angeles, CA and what the politicians are dreading there.  I recommend that you look at it; http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/08/27/maevewest-leading-after-disaster-origwx-gr.cnn/video/playlists/strong-quakes-around-the-world/

Of note in this three minute short is that the Mayor, Eric Garcetti at no time mentions educating the public on surviving a major earthquake in the Los Angeles basin. Rightfully he is concerned with maintaining the infrastructure. Listen carefully, he already knows the city will be lost.

My thoughts and prayers go out to my family and loved ones living on the West Coast. I hope the recent events in Japan will spur many to pull their heads out of their back-sides and get their Emergency Action Plan in place before it will be needed. If you haven’t done so yet, go to; https://www.ready.gov/are-you-ready-guide and get started now.

 

Till next time

“Be Safe”



NOAA National Weather Service

http://www.srh.weather.gov/jetstream/nws/nwr.html

Alternate Risks

In general the Emergency Action Planning (EAP) workshop is intended to focus on threats posed by Natural, Manmade, Civil, and National Security events.

Throughout the course of the workshop we are identifying the risks involved with each subsection of our plan (Evacuation, Feeding, Gathering water, Shelter, etc.) finding ways to mitigate those risks, and reviewing those risks over time to determine if they need modifying.

This process will eventually develop within us a risk awareness capability that allows us to identify alternate risks that are not necessarily focused on Disaster/Emergency preparedness that need to be mitigated anyway.

Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing. - Warren Buffett

During my daily commutes to and from work, and pretty much anytime I’m driving, I listen to my IPod. I call it my Juke Box for the car. The material I usually listen to can be described as educational/self-development Podcasts.

A recent Podcast I listened too is titled Future Crimes: Cyber Crime and How to Protect Yourself. The guest speaker is Marc Goodman and the Podcast is titled Art of Charm hosted by AJ and Jordan Harbinger. I’ll preface this by saying that the Podcast originally started as a how too dating venue that over the years has morphed into a positive self-development venue listened to by men and women seeking workable life hacks. (My definition)

http://theartofcharm.com/podcast-episodes/marc-goodman-future-crimes-cyber-crime-and-how-to-protect-yourself-bonus/

Being the self-proclaimed basic Emergency Action Planning subject matter expert (SME) I would be remiss for not passing along information that may be of value to you. I recommend that you give it a listen, it’s about an hour long. Has some very interesting and valuable information. FYI I am not affiliated with AOC and do not receive any monetary or material compensation from sharing their material. A Like on my Facebook page would be nice though.

Till next time

“Be Safe”



Active Shooter

Sunday I was asked by a female friend of mine if she should buy a gun (I have been asked this question several times before). I asked her why she thought she needed one, she mentioned her apprehension about the seemingly daily violence in America.

I told her that I’ll ask her a simple question that needs a simple answer. Based on her answer I would tell her if she should further consider the acquisition of a fire arm for personal protection.

Copyright: Daniel Kilburn 

Are you ready?

“Are you willing to draw a firearm at a moment’s notice and kill someone?”

I’ll ask that question again.

“Are you willing to draw a firearm at a moment’s notice and kill someone?”

"Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician." – Jeff Cooper

If you are not, then you should not own a firearm for the purpose of self-defense, protecting your family and loved ones. Or to enter into the defense of a stranger.

This cannot be stressed enough. Individuals with years of training and direct combat experience miss the target. An eight hour firearms course, and a couple hundred rounds down range are not going to make you a Rambo.

So that bring us to the real question on her mind. What to do in the event of an Active Shooter scenario?

An Active Shooter scenario has three possible Courses of Action (CoA’s).   





1)         Evacuate If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises. Be sure to:

• Have an escape route and plan in mind

• Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow

• Leave your belongings behind

• Help others escape, if possible

• Prevent individuals from entering an area where the active shooter may be• Keep your hands visible• Follow the instructions of any police officers

• Do not attempt to move wounded people

• Call 911 when you are safe

                   

2)         Hide out

If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you.

Your hiding place should:

• Be out of the active shooter’s view

• Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction (i.e., an office with a closed and locked door)

• Not trap you or restrict your options for movement

To prevent an active shooter from entering your hiding place:

• Lock the door

Blockade the door with heavy furniture

If the active shooter is nearby:

• Lock the door• Silence your cell phone and/or pager

• Turn off any source of noise (i.e., radios, televisions)

• Hide behind large items (i.e., cabinets, desks)

• Remain quiet

 

If evacuation and hiding out are not possible:

• Remain calm

• Dial 911, if possible, to alert police to the active shooter’s location

• If you cannot speak, leave the line open and allow the dispatcher to listen         

 

3)         Take action against the active shooter

As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by:

• Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her

• Throwing items and improvising weapons

• Yelling

• Committing to your actions

(U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2015)

 

This is not an all-inclusive list of actions, but it is a good start.

 

An Active Shooter Drill should be included into your Emergency Action Plan.

 

Resources are freely available through DHS and FEMA. The FEMA Independent Study Course;

 

IS-907: Active Shooter: What You Can Do is available here; https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-907

 

Take the course, you have nothing to loose.

Other resource material:

https://www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness

 

Till Next time

“Be Safe”

 

 

 

 



Preparation VS Panic

Fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger—if we didn't feel it, we couldn't protect ourselves from legitimate threats. But often we fear situations that are far from life-or-death, and thus hang back for no good reason. Traumas or bad experiences can trigger a fear response within us that is hard to quell. Yet exposing ourselves to our personal demons is the best way to move past them.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/fear

Panic Button: Copyright: designsoliman / 123RF Stock Photo

Panic Causes tunnel vision. Calm acceptance of danger allows us to more easily access the situation and see the options. -Simon Sinek-

Disaster and Emergencies will affect hundreds of thousands of people every year. Disasters will disrupt both people and property for possibly years to come.

As discussed in earlier posts, government and relief organizations will try to assist you, but you do need to be prepared to be on your own. Local First responders may not be able to get to you or they may have their focus elsewhere. (FEMA, 2004)

You do need to be prepared to act

Having a plan can reduce fear, panic, anxiety and loss. I am certain that you have heard of the term Fight or Flight. There is one more that is seldom mentioned, Freeze. Fight, Flight or Freeze. From experience I can say that each one of them when used appropriately can be a life saver and a game changer. If used at the wrong time or place they can become deadly.

Developing an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) will help relieve the three F’s.

During my tenure with the military we had a training maxim. Train the way you fight.

When you’re developing your Emergency Action Plan be realistic about your goals and how you will accomplish them. Through clear communication and realistic practice you will become capable and accomplished for the activation of your EAP.

One thing to keep in mind though, is that if you plan and prepare halfheartedly, and without conviction. You will react the same way. It’s a formula for disaster.

If you plan with clear goals and conviction. You will react the same way.

Once the trigger is pulled you will not have the luxury of thinking through the process. Responding the way you have properly planned for will usually pull your team through the situation. You will not panic.

Keep in mind that no plan is perfect. If you’re trying to make the perfect plan. Stop now. Having a plan, any plan is better that having none. If you have planned, and your plan is not working, you will have your alternative Course of Action (COA) to fall back on.

“Planning is a process of choosing among those many options. If we do not choose to plan, then we choose to have others plan for us.” Richard I. Winwood

 

So how do we avoid Panic? We Plan.
 

Till next time  

“Be Safe”
  

How many Seasons are there in Florida?

Traditionally there are just four seasons to be had anywhere in the world. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. But in Florida we have five.

Five you say, yes Five. I can hear you now, asking what on earth am I talking about.

Hurricane Season. Officially the Atlantic Hurricane Season starts on June 1^st and ends on November 30^th. Historically this is the time of year the year the most tropical cyclones appear in the Atlantic Basin. I do not mean to be flippant and imply the Florida is the only place at risk for Hurricanes. Historical Hurricane events over the last ten+ years would be kind enough to prove me wrong.

The below map shows all known tropical cyclones between the year of 1851 and 2012.

By Nilfanion - Created using User:jdorje/Tracks by Nilfanion on 2006-08-05. Background image from File:Whole world - land and oceans.jpg (NASA). Tracking data for storms is from the National Hurricane Center.[1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1023164

If a hurricane strikes, we can blame the president for not being there; we can blame Congress and FEMA; we can blame the state governments; but in the end, it's the mayors and the local city governments that have to be prepared for emergencies and be prepared to act.   - Michael Bloomberg

 

I picked this quotation because I feel that it portrays the thought process of most Americans today. Blame someone else. Really, you know I'm right.

In the end though it is our individual responsibility to be prepared for emergencies and be prepared to act.

When I asked several professionals in the emergency response industry, "Why are so few Americans (less than 40%) are prepared for the disasters, or emergencies that will happen sometime in their life?" The reply was, "We'll need a psychologist to answer that." Scary thought eh.
 
 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average American spends more money on entertainment each year than on practically anything else. The implication is that Americans in general would rather not have to think about, well much of anything. Especially those things that might harm them, maybe it will go away. Those very same people who fail to attend to their own needs are the very same ones who will bitch, whine, moan and groan about how unfortunate they are, and why isn’t everyone coming to give them the help they so desperately need.

 Statistically 60%+ of the adult population have done nothing to prepare themselves or their loved ones for the Disasters and Emergencies that will someday come. Are they are either scared, lazy or just don't care to do the right thing. There are some people that will fit into this category. But I don't think the majority of people are like that at all.

I believe that many people just do not know what to do or where to get started.

What if you could get a plan in place within the next two months? Would you do it?

Hurricane season is just over 60 days away. 60 days is more than enough time to prepare yourself, your family, and loved ones for something that we hope doesn't happen.


 So which one are you? Less than 40% or more than 60%. You have 60 days till Hurricane season starts. Go here and download the FEMA Are You Ready Guide to Citizen Preparedness:

https://www.ready.gov/are-you-ready-guide

This guide is an excellent free resource for starting your Emergency Action Plan.

Till Next time

"Be Safe"

 

  

You will be Alone

EMS will be stretched to the limit. Will anyone come to your aid? Will anyone be able to come to your aid?

Copyright: amasterpics123 / 123RF Stock Photo

"We realized that when a disaster happened, whether an earthquake, storm or terrorist activity, the people on the scene were actually the first responders and, in a major event, they were often the only responders for possibly long periods of time."

 - Frank Lucier, San Francisco FD Retired

Resources will immediately be directed to search and rescue, getting the roads open, hospitals open, restarting the infrastructure.

I am of the opinion that my name will not be on any master list that say. “Quick, go pull Daniel’s fat out of the fire. Nope, won’t happen. Though there might just be such a list, most of us are not on it. So what does that mean? We will have to fend for ourselves.


Unfortunately historical evidence has shown that many First Responders will abandon their posts during the onset and aftermath of an emergency or disaster. I have no intention to demean the valiant work these men and women do on a daily basis, but they are human. And they will be more interested in protecting their family and loved ones. Their very safety may be at risk because of civil unrest, or they will be frustrated by the lack of adequate resources that will allow them to perform as they want to. Hopefully some communities are developing resources that will enable the First Responders to remain on post knowing that their families and loved ones are safe and secure.

Sadly the 2015 movie San Andreas depicts the hero abandoning his post to rescue his family and loved ones. Obviously he did not have an Emergency Action Plan in place. Not a positive meme to portray as acceptable behavior.

Statistical evidence shows that First Responders are no more prepared to respond to a disaster that the general citizenry. (FEMA, 2016)

The general consensus in the Emergency Planning Community is to prepare for a minimum of three days isolation. That’s what most all of the handouts and checklists supplied by FEMA and the ARC say.

Will three days of meager rations and water be enough? I don’t think so. First of all, if you have been proactive and evacuated the affected area. Things might be better. Have you prepositioned couple of weeks of supplies at an offsite location? If you waited too long to leave you will be either sheltering in-place, or relying on a public shelter that might be up and running in your community. You won’t be alone then.

During the creation of your Emergency Action Plan you should be aware of the possibility that you and yours will be on your own until responding relief agencies can get you out. The infrastructure has been restored to an acceptable level. Or you can get to a safer place.

References

FEMA. (2016). Ready Responder. Retrieved March 23, 2016, from www.ready.gov: https://www.ready.gov/responder

 

Till Next Time



“Be Safe”

Zika Virus

The Zika Virus seems to be the current biological threat on most people’s tongues today.

Copyright: WikiImages

During my tenure with the US Army, during the late 70’s through the 80’s we were preparing to fight a Chemical, Nuclear, and Biological war against the then Soviet Block in Eastern Europe.

Each of these scenarios have uniquely different Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP’s) to mitigate their effects. On the Biological front the best form of defense is being healthy. Yes I know, being healthy is not an absolute, but it is the best place to start when combating biological infections.

The next best protective factor is not to get bitten. What a concept. How do we do that?

Clothing, Long Sleeves, and Long Pants

Mosquito Netting where you sleep

Insect Repellant

I for one have never heard of the Zika Virus until just recently, I’m certain most of you have not either. Did Zika suddenly just become a fresh new threat to the human existence?  No. It was first discovered in 1947 and is named after the Zika forest of Uganda where the first human cases were detected.

Prior to 2007 only 14 cases were reported. That may be because the symptoms are similar to other diseases and may not have been diagnosed correctly.

Of note - if a non Zika carrying mosquito bites an infected person, it can then transmit the pathogen to other people.

Go to The Center for Disease Control (CDC) for useful information; http://www.cdc.gov/zika/

Till next time

“Be Safe”

 

 

EVACUATE

Run from water, hide from wind.



Copyright; Daniel Kilburn

The emergency/disaster is barreling down on you and you still have some time before it hits, Hurricanes, Severe Storms.

The disaster struck without warning, Earthquake, Tornado, Technological, and Terrorist Attack.

You waited too long and now the aftermath is too severe to remain in place, Flooding, Damaged Infrastructure.

What choice do you have? Get out now.

If you have been building your Emergency Action Plan as you should be you have already identified one or more shelter locations outside of the affected area. Now you need to get your family and loved ones there.

 

Stay tuned into the local news on your radio or television if you still have power. If not that battery powered radio in your Disaster Kit will be useful. Local authorities will not ask you to evacuate unless there is a valid reason. When the evacuation decree is announced, go. Do not overthink it.

 

As a side note. I was conducting the EAP Workshop for a group of individuals a couple years ago. One couple brought up an incident during the 2004 Hurricane season. Their neighborhood was instructed to evacuate. By their own admission they scoffed at the neighbors who evacuated when instructed to do so. They overthought it and remained in place until it was too late. By the time they decided to leave they could not. Even though their neighborhood was on relatively high ground, all egress routs were flooded and they were forced to remain in place with no electricity or access to resources. Do not overthink it.

Course of Action (CoA)

Know the route of travel and follow directions. In this world of GPS everywhere it is still important to have a map available. Physical maps will assist you with routes that you may be unfamiliar with. Follow routes identified by emergency officials. Do not stray off of the recommend route even if you are familiar with the area. Those areas may be inaccessible or dangerous for reasons unknown. Local authorities are in contact with state and federal emergency management personnel. They will know the conditions of the evacuation routes, and you will be more likely to get to where you are going.

Keep a Full Tank of Fuel

On the morning of October 18^th 1989 I drove to work In Monterey, CA from my apartment in Castroville. It’s about a 15 mile drive one way. At the time I worked as a cook at a private school overlooking the Monterey Salinas Highway. Today was going to be an all-day shift Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. I passed the gas station that I would normally stop at, I decided not to, I would fill up on my way home even though I was sitting close to empty.

At just after five pm I was carrying a full sheet pan of Halibut, the first of many balanced on my right hand and shoulder to the oven. Suddenly an odd rumble and someone picked up the building about 12 feet in the air and dropped it to the ground. Fish was flying everywhere and I was bouncing around on the floor like a ping-pong ball. In case you’re wondering, this was the Loma Prieta Earthquake.

The majority of the kitchen staff were scrambling to exit the building, but where I was (at the ovens) was almost at the farthest end of the building away from the primary exit. After ensuring there was no one left in the kitchen, I moved to the closest door I could find. And behold I was on a balcony 40, 50, 60+ feet above ground overlooking the Highway (Nope I never looked out that door before). Even though I was on the ground floor, this part of the building was on stilts. And the sound of a freight train was rushing toward me. I moved back inside and decided to shelter in the walk-in refrigerator. Worst case scenario I could eat my way out.

I have no idea how much time passed, probably was not that long. The aftershocks did not seemed to be subsiding and hanging out inside the refrigerator was getting less appealing, so I made my way outside to the courtyard. The ground of the pristine lawn was liquefied and rippling. Reminded me of a garden hose being snapped up and down, but on a larger scale. I was forced to go to my hands and knees or topple over.

After the dust settled, there were no injuries or apparent structural damage to the kitchen/dining area. The power was out and the maintenance staff was shutting down the gas lines as a precaution. We somehow managed to feed the 300+ students and staff by candle light with the food that was already prepared. We cleaned up the mess as best we could in the dark, and I started my drive home.

The drive was rather surreal, the only lights to be seen were the tail lights in front and the headlights passing me. I got to my gas station, pretty much on fumes. There were lights inside (lanterns) and cars at the pumps. But there was no gas to be had. The station tanks were full, but without electricity the pumps would not operate.

Fortunately one of the kitchen staff lived in my building, she was nice enough to drive me back and forth to and from work. Three days later electricity was restored and I was able to fill up the car. Since then I will not let my tank go below half full without filling up.

Moral of the story, don’t let your tank go below half full without filling up.

 

Protective Clothing

Wear clothing that will protect you, long sleeves and long pants. Sturdy shoes suitable for walking in. You might end up walking. Headgear, sunglasses, gloves and sun-screen.

Bug-out Kit

Minimum of 72 hours of food, water, clothing per person. Special needs resources. Cell Phone with a spare battery. Portable radio.

Other Considerations

One car, keeps the family together and lessens the need for more gas. It’s also one less car on the road.

Pets, don’t leave home without them. They should be included in your evacuation plan.

Predetermined Meeting Place. If your family is separated when it is time to evacuate, who is doing what, and where will you meet at. Are your Bug-Out Kits already in the car, or they hanging on some hook in your garage?

Children in school? Have a plan for who will pick them up.

Communications plan. Your predetermined out-of-town contact needs to be alerted of your itinerary to include routes and times. All family members should have contact information for this individual or individuals. To include, land line number, cell number, business number and email address at a minimum. Be aware that the local cell towers may be down or overloaded due to the volume of calls. Text messaging and email may be the best form of communication. A satellite phone might be a good deal also.

Keep in mind that my thoughts here are based on personal research and practical experience. I recommend that you research the usual suspects; FEMA, ARC Local OEM. For additional material on the subject of Evacuation.

Till Next Time

“Be Safe”