DISASTER DRILLS TO PRACTICE

Great article showcasing how the government and non profits practice for disasters. When was the last time you practiced with your family for disaster?  Now I am not suggesting you practice climbing out your fourth floor apartment (but how would you get down?)
Disaster-drill-teaches-preparedness

Do a couple of walk throughs:

1. How would you get out of the building without lights or power (elevator). Go to your stairwell grab the hand rail and close your eyes and walk down a few steps.  Its a bit scary.  Imagine things in your way too. Solution- know where your flashlights are.
2. Where would your family meet?  I would get my wife (and Komet) out then go back to help others out of our building. Our condo plan (I wrote it for the association for free) identifies a rally point close by, but out of the way of emergency traffic.
3. How would you find each other if not together?
1. Learn to Text and practice
2. Identify an out of area contact
3. Set a few places to meet/leave messages

Sounds like a nice evening task before dinner.

If its good enough for the government its good enough for your family

Disaster Dave

Your Disaster Debt

I know few of us think about recovery and everywhere you look  in the news the Federal Government is giving disaster aid.  But closer reading will tell you they are NOT giving you back everything you lost.
This article talks about the amazing recovery Japan has made, but what about the business people. Should Mr Abe (from the article) join the community garden to make a few dollars or wait and see if the government will bail him out.
What will you do? Do you have sufficient insurance on your home? Business? Who will rescue you...
http://tinyurl.com/4x9s5wd

You have to rescue you, by planning for the worst

Disaster Dave

We Should have Known

It is amazing to me that  after 10 years of preparedness folks telling us what to do, people still do the wrong things.  Today we can watch the weather approach on our computers or phones and yet here is an article by a presumably intelligent person who did the wrong things.  Well she actually didn't do anything.
She supposes that she has too much information to make a decision.   But is she, like a lot of Americans just depending on someone else to "help them"?  If so then we will always be waiting on someone to come, when it may be too late.
Not me and I hope not you.  Remember "Only the strong will survive".  And that strength is preparedness, for whatever is coming, not sitting in your living room waiting on help that may be too late.

PS: Her Dad and the family got lucky.

Disaster Dave

Planning or not for the next disaster

Escape Muscles

Recently in the 13 story building I work in we had a fire alarm go off which meant evacuation; 13 floors of people going down, that's another story.  In fact I made two trips down thirteen floors in an hour and while I felt fine, two days later I woke in the middle of the night with my left calf screaming, and had to think for a moment where the pain came from.  Then this week (the week of September 11) we were in Vegas for four days and I began to think about "escape muscles" as I sat and watched the media replay some of the film clips.

While I have talked about getting in shape, this is a different set of muscles I want you to consider.

Quick escape muscles-

 The calf muscles needed to quickly make it down however many number of stairs there are in your building, whether that's home or work or a hotel.  But what if you have to carry someone down 20 floors? Even an 12 pound child can put a strain on your muscles. 
So what do I suggest? While not being a physical fitness person, I am going to make it a point to go down the thirteen floors of my work building a couple times per week. And as I posted a couple of weeks ago,  I have renewed the weight lifting that I was "too busy" to do. Building my arms and shoulder girdle muscles. But the walking down stairs is another screaming thing all together.
Get walking down.


Disaster Dave

Now for a different weather report

The links below provide a look at weather that we normally don't consider.  We can be affected gravely by a large solar flair and the arrival of the electromagnetic wave as it hits the earth and overloads our power grids.

defining-space-weather There really is space weather, read this.

What it could look like for us A hit like the one discussed in this article from 1859 could take much of our electrical grid off line for days, weeks or months.

Knowing the hazards around us can make us stronger...if we take action.
Preparing is the answer.

Disaster dave