How Prepared Is Your Neighborhood?

How prepared is your neighborhood? It seems wherever I go people start talking about emergency prep, and some even ask “Is sharing really going to happen after a disaster?” Do you have some family members, friends or neighbors say “I’m coming to your house” after an unforeseen emergency?

Maybe some have watched you prep using your unique skills to store and then use food, water, cooking devices, and even gardening. I have friends who are learning to raise chickens, meat rabbits, and meat goats. Some raise goats for milk. I live in an HOA, so that’s not going to happen in my case.

I have a darling niece, she is not really my niece, but I can still remember the phone call when our dear friends called to say they were picking her up at the hospital because they were so lucky to be able to adopt her. She is really more like a daughter to me, but anyway let me explain some thoughts about her.

I know she lives in another state and basically has been living off her land for years, long before we started calling it homesteading. She raises chickens, bees and has several fruit trees and a huge garden to grow and preserve her own food.

She is a hard worker and always has a smile on her face. Oh, and she gives the best hugs ever. I love that girl. The interesting thing is she has learned most of these skills from being self-taught.

When she went to live on some acreage years and years ago, she started learning how to live off the grid, only we didn’t call it off the grid back then. Her parents are for sure hard workers so she learned a lot from them and took those skills with her when she got married and moved out on her own.

How Prepared Is Your Neighborhood?

In other words, there is a reason people are trying to learn some skills our parents or grandparents taught us years ago. Some call themselves homesteaders when in reality they are just going back to what their heritage taught us many, many years ago. We must be self-reliant for several reasons.

We should all want to be more self-reliant in order to survive an economic collapse or an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) which will basically toast all electronics. I am not a doomsday prepper, but I can see what has happened or is happening to our government and around the world. This is why your neighborhood needs to work together as a team. We need to make a plan. Now.

Sharing After The Disaster Hits:

People are buying land outside the city limits, and some are building or have built bunkers to live in when a major emergency or disaster hits.

We won’t have running water, sewer systems will not work because there will be zero electricity. Some will say they have a generator, but those units may eventually run out of fuel before you can restock. Those light switches in the house will no longer work. You can forget about the gas furnace or electricity for the air conditioner or washing machine and dryer and so many more things we just take for granted now.

So, let’s talk about this right now. Some people have been living a life for years being prepared for the unexpected, it’s just a way of life for them. On the other hand, some people feel entitlement is their way of life. I realize people are out of work or get ill and must live off of government assistance for a while.

That’s what it is there for, to help those in need. But lately, I have been reading about people who have been on government assistance for ten years or longer. Really people, come on. Some people are getting paid cash under the table and do not report that income so they can still qualify for food stamps or low-income housing.

What has happened to our integrity or being honest? Okay, I will get off my soapbox. The government will not take care of you if we have an economic collapse.

I am very concerned for the families who are not self-reliant. I am planning food for my family of two. My kids are all self-reliant with food storage, water, and the skills to take care of themselves. We’ve taught them to be hard workers and resourceful.

I don’t feel the need to live by them to share my preparedness items because they can take care of themselves, even my daughter who is a single mom. My point here is, we need to teach the world to take care of ourselves. They do not need a mom, dad, grandparents, or the government to take care of them.

My awesome friend told me once “It’s easier to write a check than to teach others to be self-reliant.”

Bunkers: Shipping Containers

I have heard about people making a bunker out of a shipping container. Then I read we shouldn’t make a bunker out of a shipping container because the steel is corrugated and they are not airtight.

The steel is thin and will more than likely collapse with much weight from the soil you put on top of it to bury the container so no one can see it above the ground. If they are not airtight then you would be subjected to possible gas leaks and underground gases or toxins. If it is not airtight you cannot make an effective air filtration system work properly.

I know a few people who are building or have built bunkers. Some are living in them right now and I am hyperventilating just thinking about it. They have food stored in them along with weapons and ammunition.

They are hidden from sight and you must have a car that is older without electronics that will not fry in an EMP to drive there. So that beautiful shiny car in my case, a Honda CRV will not make it. The electronics will be toast.

Let’s make something clear here, I could not go down to the ground in a dark hole. Nope, it’s not going to happen. I don’t even like the submarines at Disneyland. Okay, there I said it, I am not going underground! If life is that bad I will just suck in the bad air and realize I had a very good life.

Is Something Really Going To Happen-Yes:

1. Job loss/loss of income/health issues/accidents

2. Fires

3. Tornadoes

4. Hurricanes

5. High winds

6. Earthquakes

7. Horrendous rainstorms

8. Major ice storms

9. Major snowstorms

10. Flooding

25 Sharing Items List (minimum):

Please do not go into debt to purchase any of these. Let me make that clear. Now, if you need to give up a date night, Slurpee drink, pedicure, manicure, or golfing (that’s for my husband), then that’s what you may have to do. Just slowly start getting a few items at a time.

1. Water: One of my favorite ways to store water: Water Storage Containers – WaterBrick – 8 Pack Blue

2. Food storage by Linda

3. First Aid Supplies, my first aid kit: First Aid Kit by Food Storage Moms.

4. Clothesline, my favorite: Earth Easy Breeze Catcher Clothesline.   Clothespins: my favorite: Kevin’s Quality Clothespins Set of 50

Food Storage Moms: Clothesline YouTube By FoodStorageMoms/Via EarthEasy.

5. Solar Cooking Device

6. Cooking devices with appropriate fuel

7. Duct tape

8. Garden area and heirloom seeds

9. Emergency Potty Chair-I hope people have a shovel because I won’t be sharing mine, just giving you the heads up here.

10. Cloth diapers-diaper pins: These are the diapers I recommend-Gerber Birdseye 3-Ply Prefold Cloth Diapers, White, 10 Count

I recommend these diaper pins: 2 1/8 Inch Plastic Head Safety Locking Baby Cloth Diaper Pins 50pcs

I recommend these: Gerber Plastic Pants, 3T, Fits 32-35 lbs. (4 pairs)

11. Emergency washing machine

12. Aluminum foil

13. Fuel, matches, fire starters

14. Weapons & ammo and/or  multi-type knife: My favorite: Victorinox Swiss Army Swiss Champ Pocket Knife (Red) or Victorinox Swiss Army Super Tinker Pocket Knife

or New Leatherman 830039 Wave Multitool with Leather Sheath includes a BONUS 40 Piece Bit Kit Assortment Bit Drivers Combo Kit

16. Flashlights-batteries, my favorite (no batteries required): Goal Zero Portable Torch 250 with Power Hub and Emergency Light with Solar and Hand Crank

17. Blankets

18. Hiking boots

19. Toilet paper, family cloths, monthly menstrual supplies

21. Birth control

22. Water Filtration or Water Purifying Product: Berkey BK4X2-BB Big Berkey Water Filter System w/ 2 Black and 2 Fluoride/Arsenic Filters

23. Board games or card games to help distract children from the chaos

24. Garbage bags-lots of them

25. Different colors of spray paint or colored tape to label homes and people who are hurt or deceased

Is Sharing Really Going To Happen?

When we are prepping or preparing we are prepping for our family in our home. That means I cannot store food, water, or anything else for my extended family, friends,, or the whole neighborhood. First of all, I would need a warehouse and I would need to be pretty darn wealthy.

I do not have a warehouse and I am not wealthy. I am however self-reliant. I do not need the government to take care of me. And if we have an economic collapse we will all be on our own. There will be no paychecks, social security checks, retirement checks or any EBT cards refilled.

You will need to know how to take care of yourself. In most cases, the money or precious metals that you have hidden ever so carefully will be your only chance for survival.

Final Word

Do you sometimes just want to turn off the news on the TV, radio, or stop reading the newspaper? Yes, my husband misses his newspaper in the morning. It was hard to get it delivered here in our neighborhood. My kids do not take the newspaper. I don’t think any of them even have cable for the news. I hope today’s post makes you think about how prepared is your neighborhood. May God bless this world.

Comments from readers-Is Sharing Really Going To Happen?

I posted this on Food Storage Mom’s Facebook: Question here about sharing with others if you had a major disaster in your area. Let’s say you will be without water or food for 30 days or more.

The roads have collapsed. Truckers can’t bring food to your city or rural community. Would you be willing to share your water, food, or emergency prep supplies with others? I am writing an article and would love your input to put in my article.

1. Marie: the scenario you posted was a major disaster in the area that collapsed the roads and prevented trucks from making any deliveries. By roads, do you mean major highways, and we could still move around within our rural community?  Our community is very rural, and we live about five miles outside of that. We have quite a number of gardeners and small farmers, including a farm with cows. Water would not be an issue here since you need to drive 35 miles from our place to get town water. Every house has its own well. In the event of such a disaster, I honestly would expect our entire community to pitch together and help each other. No one around here would let another local go hungry, and neither would we. There are elderly people, single moms, etc, who would need help and couldn’t manage without the ability to get to town unless someone else helped them. However, thieves and sluggards aren’t welcome. I think a lot of rural living depends on volunteering and in general helping out your neighbors. Now, we’re Canadian. I don’t know if that makes a difference. Marie from: Just Plain Marie.CA.

2. E.H.:  It would all depend on who it was and how I was approached. Yes if it was family or close friends, as they all know I would have that stuff. Perhaps the “nice neighbors” too, and probably any elderly nearby. If I was approached by strangers I might possibly say yes, depending on my assessment of their need, and how nicely they might inquire if I had such items. Heck no if it was a demand, by anyone.

3. J.L.:  That’s a tough question. I like being a Proverbs woman who has prepared my household for emergencies and stored food to portion out to my family and my “maidens.” On the other hand, because I have been given much, I too must give. I feel it’s my duty to share my bounty from God with others in need. But where do you draw the line? I’m not sure I would know until I was faced with the decision. I’d be interested in knowing how other people answer this.  I’ve been thinking about this question a lot this week and it got me thinking about “community.” If it was truly a major disaster I’m sure my family and I would need the support and help of others. I would be glad to share our food and supplies with those willing to share their knowledge and skills with us. I’m going to start thinking about expanding our “community” and writing down the skills my family members have and what we are lacking that we may need from others.

4. D.L.:   I feel compelled to help, especially children or the elderly. But I also feel that those who are able to compensate me for supplies should. There is food on a farm, but there is also plenty of work.

5. L.S.:  Sometimes there is safety in numbers. I don’t think if I was eating well and had water to drink that I wouldn’t have to guard my supply.

6. V.C.: Yes, I would share with others because if it was me and my family that were without I would want others to share with me.

7. L S.: In answer to your question about sharing my food storage,  I live in a small community where most of the residents either store their own or know they should and because of this, I fully intend to share with my community.  There might possibly be some who are of the opinion that there will be people like me around and don’t prepare.  They will also be the ones who will have to make do with what “we” feel inclined to give them.  New families just starting out are a different story.   I have been doing this for so many years that I have more than enough for my family, and now stock up on the bulk stuff with the intention of sharing.  I think in the event of disasters, communities will need to work with each other and particularly small communities.

8. Susan: All of my early prepping ideas came from the book, Alas, Babylon – I know it is fiction but it has some great ideas! I would share with some, but it would be more of a community we would create. Being on a farm, I already store lots of food just because it is too far to go to the grocery store more often than 4 times a year, and I’ve already had a friend who saw my pantry tell me that if something happened, she was coming out to my house. There are many skills that I don’t have and I would be willing to share my supplies if someone would share their skills.

9. J.G.: I keep go-away bags close to the door, so I have something at hand when I get one of those knocks on the door.

10. RangerRick: I have 40+ years of working disasters’ on the East Coast, Gulf, and parts of the Midwest. Emergency Management, Fire Service, and Red Cross Disaster Teams. Never ever give food out from your home.., the word will spread and unwanted folks will show up and not ask but demand you give them food and more, trust me, things get very ugly after that. Donate to the church, fire station, police station, etc. Keep yourself safe and make sure the folks on the receiving end earn the food, by doing something to help out. You do not want to reboot, you owe me mentality. Be there, Done that and it gets scary. Best Regards, RangerRick

11. Tami: I’ve seen how people and neighbors act after a hurricane. We had a weeklong power outage with the entire city and about 80% of our state with no power at one point or another. No gas, no power for pumps, a boil water order for 3 days (the city water filtration system was flooded and contaminated and it took them that long to get it clean again), no trash pickup for a couple of weeks (boy howdy did that smell with the debris piled up as tall as houses and the rotting food from all of our fridges). Oh, and since none of the power was on for the pumping stations it didn’t take long for the sewage to start backing up into the streets. People were told to not flush the toilets or use generators to run washers, etc., but with limited ways to get the news out, not everyone got the message. While everyone in close proximity to our home was helping one another, others were getting short on tempers, and still, others were staying inside and we never saw them. I imagine that after a longer outage, it could’ve gotten ugly. I think in troubled times, peoples’ true character will show and a lot of times will not be nice.

Thanks for stopping by today. Let’s teach the world to be prepared for the unexpected. Is sharing really going to happen after a disaster? I guess we will have to wait and see. Blessings, Linda