DHS Says be Ready for 6 MONTHS with No Power, Medical, Fuel, Cash, Food, Water ETC...

[ndmiller]

After a couple months of the current pandemic, I would welcome 6 months of it. Maybe when it's over everyone will finally fit within 1 airline seat. As soon as the title included DHS giving guidance with their record of waste and incompetence I knew it was too good to be true. DHS records a few thousands deaths a year in their custody, how good can their planning for the apocalypse or the future?

All this talk of the end of this and the end of that, preparing for this and that is just a lifestyle of never ending calamity nonsense waste of time.

I'm just going to live my life and take it as it comes, if I survive great, if not that's fine as well.

[FJCowboy]

I am not a big fan of DHS either and never really saw the need to create another monster agency post 9/11 as we already had the right agencies doing the work, albeit they needed to work together better and I believe that is happening now. DHS has definitely made mistakes over the years, but I think I would have to challenge your claim of "thousands of death per year". Deaths have occurred and those are tragic, but I would suspect the vast majority of the DHS employees are trying to do the right thing on a daily basis. Just my opinion and I respect yours as well.

[ndmiller]

but I would suspect the vast majority of the DHS employees are trying to do the right thing on a daily basis.

100% agree, especially the front line folks. With all the political infighting and each side trying to rout out the others "Evil", strategy and execution goes by the wayside resulting in mistakes or worse in DHS's case.

[FJCowboy]

Roger that...the politics are crazy no matter what side you are on and it only distracts from the hard work being done on the ground.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Report from DHS talking about how our electrical grid is a target for frequent hacking and leaves large parts of the nation vulnerable to extended outages and resultant issues in the flow of goods and services.


https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/fi...08%20FINAL.pdf



From the Executive Summary portion:

After interviews with dozens of senior leaders and
experts and an extensive review of studies and statutes,
we found that existing national plans, response
resources, and coordination strategies would be
outmatched by a catastrophic power outage. This
profound risk requires a new national focus. Significant
public and private action is needed to prepare for and
recover from a catastrophic outage that could leave the
large parts of the nation without power for weeks or
months, and cause service failures in other sectors—
including water and wastewater, communications,
transportation, healthcare, and financial services—that
are critical to public health and safety and our national
and economic security.



I hope to God people actually take notice....

Link is dead?

Here in CO, what I worry about is water... need something like 800 gallons for 6 months, when the surface water here in good times makes me wretch. Never mind fire fighting. All of these eotwawki scenarios don’t seems to take into account fires in major cities.

[Tx_Aggie]

Link is dead?

Here in CO, what I worry about is water... need something like 800 gallons for 6 months, when the surface water here in good times makes me wretch. Never mind fire fighting. All of these eotwawki scenarios don’t seems to take into account fires in major cities.

It's still available a few other places online:

https://propertarianism.com/wp-conte..._508-FINAL.pdf

[Caduceus]

I've always had items on hand in the event of any untoward event happening, living in FL, it means hurricane season with its attendant inconveniences. Given the recent chicom flu events, I was prepared to self isolate for a reasonable period, 5-6 months if need be, if things got truly sporty. That wasn't the case, I was able to go out and about and shop at local groceries without any encumberence whatsoever. However, given the current times, meat plant closings and 'talk' of a possible global famine being the next 'big thing', I'm at a bit of loss as to how to properly prepare; if I'm even able to. A freezer full of ___, is not a viable option, given the possibility that a long term power outage can occur, even a week or two without power would spoil the freezer contents. So, other than canned meats, tuna, pemican/jerky and other canned /preserved food items, for an extended period (?12 months?) what can one really do?

I saw an interesting thing once when reading. We all know the current 'thought' is that non-nomadic civilization started once people figured how to grow crops and stay in one place with a reliable food source. The flip side is, we had to figure out a storable food crop, not just one that could be easily grown. Looking around the world should give you hints - corn in the Americas (probably potatoes too), rice in Asia, grains in Europe and the Near East.

No one 'stored' meat, that we know of. Granted, it's probably easier at that time to get game. But I'd suggest if you plan for that time frame, that you don't focus on animal protein. Sure, we all love it, but it's not really necessary.

What's more important to prep for would likely be micronutrients, vitamins and calories. You can live on beans and rice but ultimately you'll get scurvy, or beriberi, or a dozen other maladies. Give yourself 1500 calories daily, a multivitamin, and you're probably set. I've also considered adding whey-protein to my preps, since it's low bulk, high micronutrient (for body builders, right?) and not atrocious tasting. Biggest concern, as always, is water.

[Esq.]

I've always had items on hand in the event of any untoward event happening, living in FL, it means hurricane season with its attendant inconveniences. Given the recent chicom flu events, I was prepared to self isolate for a reasonable period, 5-6 months if need be, if things got truly sporty. That wasn't the case, I was able to go out and about and shop at local groceries without any encumberence whatsoever. However, given the current times, meat plant closings and 'talk' of a possible global famine being the next 'big thing', I'm at a bit of loss as to how to properly prepare; if I'm even able to. A freezer full of ___, is not a viable option, given the possibility that a long term power outage can occur, even a week or two without power would spoil the freezer contents. So, other than canned meats, tuna, pemican/jerky and other canned /preserved food items, for an extended period (?12 months?) what can one really do?

Several things-

1. A small generator will power a freezer. You don't have to run it all day, a few hours a day will keep things frozen- especially if you put some jugs of water in it and use those as giant ice cubes....

2. People need to think beyond storage. You have to be a PRODUCER of food. A garden, rabbits, chickens....We did that during WWII- Victory Gardens. Living in Florida- you got a boat? Can you fish? A trotline produces 24/7...Crab traps, surf net casting?

3. You need to have a solid base of long term storage foods- Corn, rice, beans, oatmeal, Lentils, sugar, salt, molasses, honey, popcorn, wheat- any of those will last minimum of 10 years properly stored. Add to it canned tuna, Spam, canned shredded chicken, soups, chili, peanut butter--- Those will last 2 years. That two years- BUYS YOU TIME TO PRODUCE FOOD. Supplemented by a garden and what you can catch/raise even on a small lot will keep you alive and well. The good news is these are mostly still cheap and mostly still available.

4. Meat can be canned. I have canned over 40 pounds of bulk hamburger in the last month. Bought it cheap from a restaurant supply house in 10lb logs and canned it. It will last that way, sitting on a cool, dark shelf for 18 months. If you don't know how to do it- Youtube is your friend. I can recommend Lindas' Pantry, Bexar Prepper and Melissa Norris as a good sources of canning information.

5. What real SKILLS do you have? If the answer is none, that's the wrong answer. Your next "hobby" needs to be a useful skill- welding, small engine repair, basic carpentry, computer/phone medic, auto repair, weekend flea market booth operator- whatever. You need to have a skill you can TRADE for those things you need that others may have or that will provide a small amount of income.


It's not too late, but the clock is working against you EVERY DAY.

[Evel Baldgui]

Thank you esq. and caduceus for your recommendations/advice.
Containers of Whey protein/water are indeed a good part of my reserves, as are multiple canned items (meats, soups etc).
As far as growing own food, highly problematic as condo living does not provide for cultivating/growing food; at most 2-3 dresser drawers on the patio growing ?tomato plants ?herbs.
Fishing....Absolutely ,however, given the brutally high number of boaters and sport fishing enthusiasts in south florida, fishing may not yield as much as one would like.
Skills....I'm a physician, so can provide medical services, immediate aid etc, but so can the 100's of other docs in the area. Hence the conundrum.

[Esq.]

Thank you esq. and caduceus for your recommendations/advice.
Containers of Whey protein/water are indeed a good part of my reserves, as are multiple canned items (meats, soups etc).
As far as growing own food, highly problematic as condo living does not provide for cultivating/growing food; at most 2-3 dresser drawers on the patio growing ?tomato plants ?herbs.
Fishing....Absolutely ,however, given the brutally high number of boaters and sport fishing enthusiasts in south florida, fishing may not yield as much as one would like.
Skills....I'm a physician, so can provide medical services, immediate aid etc, but so can the 100's of other docs in the area. Hence the conundrum.

More then....


1. Not to assume but as a physician you should have some disposable income. You need to buy some land. Even if it's just 5 acres with a Morgan Building as a cabin on it. Or, alternatively, an older, blue water sailboat? Read Matt Brakken, Locusts on the Horizon- all about "mobile survival"....If that idea suits you better.

2. As a physician, you have an incredibly valuable skill if the lights go out. In order to capitalize on it- you need supplies. YOUR OWN SUPPLIES- not "hospital/work" supplies.... I dunno what kind of doc you are but sutures and instruments, piles and piles of gauze, drugs (Obviously, you understand the law here better than I do but some things aren't a big deal and yet VERY useful but impossible to get "without a scrip").... etc....

Good luck brother!