Cleaning up after Sandy

I've heard from several friends and relatives and they've come through the storm without too much damage.  The cousins we stayed with during our trip to New York six months ago had a tree fall on their house, but fortunately it didn't cause too much damage.  They even said some of the public transportation, including some subways, are once again running.  One of my coworkers families have a home on the Jersey shore.  I know his family is fine but I haven't heard about the home yet.  From the pictures I've seen of those areas just above sea level, it wouldn't surprise me if the home didn't survive.  There are a couple of readers who also live in the hard hit areas.  I hope and pray that they made it through safely.

Those folks whose homes are destroyed have a long row to hoe.  Even if they had preps in their homes, if they didn't have some prepositioned somewhere else they may be as bad off as the person who didn't prep.  Except those who are part of the preparedness community will probably be better off mentally as compared to those who didn't prep. 

The folks I'm disgusted with are the ones who are just looking for handouts or they are complaining due to their own lack of preparedness.  I don't mean those who have their lives turned upside down because their homes were destroyed, I mean those who were not prepared.  Remember the basics?  Keep your fuel tank at least 3/4 full.  Keep a bug-out bag in your car, include cash, food, water, clothes, and other items to get you through for a week or two.  Remember, these people had plenty of advance warning!

There's a shortage of fuel?  Did you expect that there wouldn't be?  Watching someone on the news this afternoon complain that they waited in line for an hour to get fuel only to be told that it was cash only.  And the other gas stations around were out of gas.  He didn't have cash and didn't know where the next closest gas station was. 

Others were complaining because they needed to do some grocery shopping.  Oh I forgot, it's the beginning of the month so your EBT card just filled up today.  You must not have had any money left on the card from last month to stock up on groceries before the storm.  Yet, if you hadn't bought soda, steak, or cookies, I'm sure there could have been a little money left for beans and rice.  I'm sorry, I just don't have any sympathy for people like that.  Even Mrs. Bug-out renter, who is very poor but doesn't qualify for food stamps, has already stocked up with enough food to last a month at least. 

I got into a discussion with one of my friends about the people who were told to evacuate but didn't.  Then in the height of the storm they are screaming that they need to be rescued.  Not only does their life get put into jeopardy but so do the lives of those who are trying to rescue them.  But my friend pointed out that not all of them had places to go or the means to do so.  True.  Those folks who were part of the 80 homes that burned in the one neighborhood had reason to be rescued.  Many of them may not have had anywhere to go or the means.  But, I do question that of the beach front homes.  Those on the strip of land that are a few feet above sea level.  Why did people stay in those houses?

Most of those people who stayed did so because they believed they could ride out the storm.  They were tempting fate.  Many lost. 

Both republicans and democrats are trying to politicize the storm and the aftermath, although they don't want their group to be thought of as politicizing only the other guys.  This is all caused by global warming, I've been told.  It's man caused not nature caused.  Give me a break.  Has anyone studied climate history other than me?  The president said that the government will stay for the duration and help everyone that needs help.  I suppose if I truly needed help I'd appreciate it but I just see it as a way for those with their hands continuously out to keep them out just a little bit longer.  This is a big opportunity for Obama to score points a week before the election.  See, now I'm making the storm political...

My blog tonight is just a little reminder.  In the east they had over a week warning that TSHTF.  Over a week!  In my neck of the world, in the Great Central Valley and the rest of California, we won't get a week notice that a disaster is imminent.  Perhaps a small rumbling prior to a huge earthquake.  Maybe some Santa Ana winds prior to a firestorm.  Nothing like the forewarning they had.  Keep your fuel tank filled.  Keep bug-out bags in the car.  Have some of your preps prepositioned. 

How do you do that?  Buy a big Rubbermaid container or two.  Fill it with food, clothes, cash, sleeping bags, etc.  Store it at a relatives house.  Have them do the same at your house.  It's not a lot different than me keeping several changes of clothes for me and the grand kids at each of my kids houses.  It's easy enough to justify...just in case we are visiting and they decide they want to spend the weekend they already have things there.  No need to say no because they don't have a bag packed.  This is just a tiny thing you can do to get yourself a little prepared.  It's easy.  Try it.  And fill the gas tank.