You are awakened from a deep sleep by the violent shaking of your walls ...

[ColbertWatcher]

..is it a big truck? An earthquake? A tornado?

Do you know what to do in case of an emergency?

[Cleita]

1. Most of it is crap.

You never are prepared. You try. Mostly it's the luck of the draw. I have survived some rather large, scary disasters in my life including earthquakes, airplanes ready to crash and ships succumbing to storms. I did survive. Some didn't. It turns out that a lot of the preparation that had gone on before those occasions, just in case, really did help.

[Nevernose]

2. Yes, I began preparing forthe zombie invasion several years ago

My best friend and I both loved the book "The Zombie Survival Handbook" and we began talking "what if?"

After a while, we realized that the home escape plans would also work in a fire or other emergency.

So, in the last four years, we've both become amateur survivalists. We take our families camping on the weekends, taught them how to build fires, safely use knives, catch a fish, keep a couple of gallons of water in the car and more in the garage, keep well stocked first aid kits. His wife and my daughter sometimes roll their eyes when we go into the backyard to build snares or start a fire with flint & steel, but it's harmless, fun, and interesting. It's not like we were stockpiling guns or building bunkers or anything.

BTW, somewhere on the Internet is a fairly active emergency-preparedness forum (which probably makes more sense than yet another new DU group that hardly anyone will ever use -- the experimental system they had a few years ago was better, when a thread sunk past page 3, it automatically moved to the relevant subgroup). Sadly, I forget the name of it, but if you find out, would you let me know?

[ColbertWatcher]

9. That's hilarious! n/t

[ZombieHorde]

13. Zombies are people too, that book is just a RW propaganda tool.

When zombies come to your home, invite them in and offer them something to eat.
Cruelty to zombies is not funny.

[hyphenate]

3. In California,

I learned to be prepared, especially after Northridge in 1994. But now back in Massachusetts, I don't really think of it as being as important. Major routes are almost literally at the back door, supermarkets within walking distance, etc. Even the past winter, brutal though it was, presented no major emergencies.

I DO think it's good to have essentials like an oil lamp, battery operated radio, candles, matches, etc.. but some of that stuff is also good for camping trips, and it's on hand anyhow.

[TheWraith]

4. Around here, it's probably just yet more rain.

We don't have natural disasters beyond nasty storms and the rare flash flood or much rarer tornado around here, so not a lot to be "prepared" for.

[ColbertWatcher]

10. I remember reading in an old issue of Scientific American ...

...about how to determine if your house is in a flood plain.

Can't seem to find it though, maybe a quick google search may turn something up?

[TheWraith]

17. Given that my house is on a hill, which is in turn located next to a valley...

...being a flood plain isn't on my list of worries. We just happen to have the water come through here when we get heavy rain.

[Tindalos]

5. I need to restock my survival kit.

Thank you for the reminder.

[notesdev]

6. It's a bunch of illegals

... who decided they'd start to rev up the machinery at some god-forsaken hour, without giving a crap about the people who actually live here. I bury my ears in pillow and try to get back to sleep.

I call it "Wednesday" and it's on the big pile of reasons I'm leaving Virginia.

[Virginia Dare]

21. Is there a state where they've outlawed loud machinery?...n/t

[madeline_con]

7. Yes, an EP Forum would rock.

How many times have we asked?

[ColbertWatcher]

8. I don't know, but after every earthquake or hurricane, I ask about it.

There will be a thread saying something like, "Here comes Hurricane Trollop!" And I will reply with, "WHERE IS THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FORUM!"

Still nothing.

[Virginia Dare]

20. Speaking of which hopefully our Florida DUers are okay....n/t

[Betsy Ross]

11. We don't have A kit

We have various supplies in different locations. We have stored water, about 15 gallons, in the garage. 1/2 cord of wood in the yard. Food for a few weeks in the pantry and basement. Bedding and tarps in multiple locations. Walking shoes, warm clothing, tools in the auto. We live in the SF Bay Area so we sort of expect trouble.

Make sure you have the large, strong plastic bags. They can be used for so many things including body bags and to store human waste when there is no water with which to flush.

[Art_from_Ark]

12. That happens all the time at my house

Nine times out of 10, it's an earthquake.

The emergency response would depend on the scale of the quake.

[uppityperson]

14. Other, combine1&2

Yes, I have a full emergency kit and all my family members know what to do, but it would be nice if DU had an emergency preparedness forum also.

[FloridaJudy]

15. Water: check

Cat/Dog food: check
Canned tuna and crackers: check
Sterno: check
Emergency lights/batteries: check
Medications: check
Cell phone charged: check
Car gassed: check

If Fay causes any more damage than that, well I guess we're just all screwn. Worst case, we have to check into a shelter for a week.

[ColbertWatcher]

16. Stay safe. n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. Here's how my tough guy father reacted in the '37 Long Beach Quake.

He leaped out of bed tore open the door and headed outdoors. Alas, being half-asleep, he opened the wrong door and ran into the closet and tried to claw his way through the wall.

And, he really was a tough guy. Longshoreman, union organizer, barfighter. Nobody dared tell that story while he was alive.

But, the booze and a bullet got him.

[Virginia Dare]

19. This is my response..

1) Am I okay, if not, can I get myself help?

2) Is my family and everyone in my immediate household okay, if not can I get them help?

3) Are my neighbors okay, if not can I get them help?

4) Are things outside my neighborhood okay, can I get any further information about what's going on?

5) Shelter in place/wait for further instructions