What to Do IMMEDIATELY After A Cultural Upheaval
On the morning of December 26, 2004, the deadliest tsunami in our modern history took the lives of over 230,000 people in just a matter of minutes. They had no warning and nowhere to hide. There were reports of waves reaching heights of 100 feet and traveling at speeds of up to 500 mph! Its aftermath left a total of 18 countries, including India, Indonesia, and several other Indian Ocean countries, completely devastated while displacing millions of people.
It’s important to know what to do immediately after a cultural upheaval that can be caused by natural disasters, civil war, and human rights struggles, and more. Things often become very different than they’ve been for your family and the old culture, old customs, and old ideas of how things should work may change.
What to Do IMMEDIATELY After A Cultural Upheaval
Now, I want you to imagine if you walked along the beach that morning and witnessed those terrifying waves crashing towards you. Besides wetting your pants, you may be immobilized by fear. But when we’re faced with a traumatic event, the last thing that we want is to be caught frozen in our steps. It could kill you.
You may have all the prepping equipment and supplies at your disposal, but if you don’t know when and how to use them when the time comes, it won’t matter. Being prepared for any disaster is a great place to start, but you must know what to do immediately after the disaster. How to Survive Mentally
Stay Calm and Get to Safety
This bit of advice is easier said than done, but remaining as calm as possible will help you make better, quick decisions and help others who may not be coping with the situation as well as you are. At the same time, make it your number one priority to get away from the immediate danger as quickly as possible. Whatever the emergency may be, whether it’s a natural disaster or an active shooter at a grocery store, do whatever it takes to get you and your family to a safer location.
Treat Injuries
Once the threat and chaos have passed and you’re in a safe location, now’s the time to inspect and treat any injuries that you or your family members may have received. Use your first aid kit to try and manage any life-threatening injuries to hold them over until you can find a doctor or get to a hospital. Even if you only deal with minor cuts and scrapes, clean and treat them so they don’t become infected.
Communicate with Family and Friends
If you’re separated from your family when the cultural upheaval hits, you’ll need to tell them where you are and whether you’re safe. Communicating with them will allow you all to meet up at a certain agreed-upon location if you need to do so.
It also wouldn’t hurt to let your extended family and friends know your current situation and give them updates every few hours. Even if your cellphone happens to be working, you’ll probably have a hard time getting through due to the surge of calls in your area. If you can’t reach them, leave a text message at the very least.
Things to Look For
Now it’s time to find out how severe a situation you’re dealing with is, whether it’s a local disaster or if it affects a much larger region. Learning this information early on will determine if your family should bug-in or bug-out. You’ll need your handheld radio to gather important information and if they’re encouraging you to evacuate. These are other things to look for:
- Does the danger appear to be local or much more significant?
- What do you hear? (Sirens, horns, traffic, gunfire…)
- What does the weather/sky look like?
- Do you still have power? If not, just how widespread is the power loss?
- Are people coming out or staying inside their homes?
Fill Up on Gas
Following a major catastrophe, one of the first places people head towards is the gas station, especially when you must get as far away from town as possible. If you can find one that doesn’t have long lines, I’d encourage you to fill up on gas and purchase any last-minute supplies. I’ve told my readers to keep their car’s gas tank between 3/4 to full for years. This makes it possible to leave the area without filling it first.
Suppose your car is no longer operable due to an EMP attack , flood, or another reason. In that case, you’ll need to gather supplies from your car and put them in your survival bag before setting off on foot or using other transportation methods.
This Generational 2024 Election Is a Critical Year
I never discuss politics or religion in my posts, but I will say this: this election is probably the most important one we have dealt with. You may wonder if I am nervous about riots; of course, I am. Could we have WWIII? I hope not, but much depends on the outcome of this election. Our Country needs a change, and it needs it now.
Change can take many forms and could include more willingness to listen to others, looking out for our neighbors, being less judgemental, and working to balance budgets like we as individuals have to do. There has been dialogue about defunding our first responders, how to deal with gang violence, what to do about homelessness in our communities, and other critical issues that need to be dealt with legitimacy.
Let’s not talk about our personal ideology; we all need to forget factions and get behind elected officials who care about us as individuals. We live in a wonderful country, but we seem to have lost our way along the way. Inflation is hard to live with, particularly for fixed-income people. This isn’t a time for a power struggle where we all lose out. I worry about out-of-control protests, riots, and civil discontent, no matter who may win the national or local elections this cycle.
Other Important Steps to Do Early On
It would help if you considered a whole host of things following a disaster or civil unrest. These are some of the most important ones for you to remember:
- Review your emergency plan with your family.
- Turn on your handheld radio as soon as you can.
- Charge your cell phones and gather your power chargers.
- Gather flashlights and batteries if the power has gone out.
- Pull out your emergency kit (will it stay on the main level of your home, or will you have to transport it to your vehicle?).
- Fill up your bathtub and water jugs with water (if the water isn’t contaminated).
- If you have time before a natural disaster, put your pets in a kennel so you don’t have to chase them when they become scared or care for them after the disaster has hit your immediate location.
- In case you may become separated from your pets, young children, or older neighbors, put identification, pictures, and contact information on their person to help rescuers.
- Ensure your windows and doors are secure, and set your security alarm.
Determine Whether to Bug In or Bug Out
Most preppers gather emergency supplies to hunker down in their homes following a disaster. Indeed, bugging out should always be your last resort because your home offers you the most shelter, security, and provisions. It’s where your family will be the safest in most situations.
But if your home is no longer safe, you must return to your bug-out location. This is why you should already have your bug-out plan and preparations to follow right after the disaster hits. That way, you’re ready to go should your situation change quickly. You’ll need to prioritize the items you’ll need to take with you because you won’t be able to carry everything.
Please NOTE: I will not leave my home unless required to evacuate; it wouldn’t be feasible at my age and with health issues. Everything I have is here that I’ll need.
Final Word
In some unfortunate circumstances, nothing can be done to prevent casualties when a cultural upheaval hits. However, knowing what to do immediately following a disaster can significantly increase your family’s chances of survival. You must also have your emergency supplies on hand long before the catastrophe arrives. May God Bless this world, Linda.
Copyright Images: Broken and Burnt Buildings AdobeStock_206756123 by Mulderphoto
Great info and a great reminder for all of us to practice! Hopefully you will not be on a small island vacationing if this ever happens. You need someplace to bug out to! Be kind of hard to bug out if the whole island or peninsula is under water. Think I’ll stay put.
(stay safe) Bill
Hi Bill, I will be staying put, it makes no sense for me to bug out. I’m with you, home is best for me. Linda
May not be practical but I think the first thing we’re going to do is pray! We’ll need all the help we can get!
Hi Robbie, I agree, prayer will help. A team in the neighborhood would be my wish. It’s not going to happen. May God help all of us. Linda
For those who don’t wear a gun. Wear a gun
For those who do move the longgun into position
OODA
Observe
Orient
Decide
Act
Observe the threat, Orient yourself towards the proper course of action, Decide if this is the correct course of action needed and then ACT.
So you OBSERVE smoke from a wildfire, You ORIENT yourself based on wind direction and distance from your location, You DECIDE you should start loading vehicles and trailers now and then ACT by doing so and not waiting on the government to tell you on a loudspeaker.
Hi Matt, you nailed it as always. I admire all the skills and guidance you share with others. Stay safe, Linda
It is always in the back of my mind what I will do in any given situation. When I enter a building, the first thing I do is locate the exits. The grocery store I frequent, however, only has one main entrance/exit. I do know where the back area is but it is likely filled with product and not as accessible as I want! The same thing I do at church. The usher(s) always want to put me in the center near the front. I just tell them that I don’t want to be that close to the music speakers – too loud!! Then I choose a seat near an exit. Unfortunately, there simply are some things we cannot “practice” ahead of time. I am sure that I will be the one most likely to freeze!!!
In January of 2005, my daughter who was 19 at the time, went to Sri Lanka for mission work in cleaning up/assisting in any way after the tsunami. She didn’t have much time to spare for photos but in her words, it was total devastation. She and her team were put up at a church that she said was relatively unharmed in that it had walls and a partial roof but had not been hit by the waters. There was no electricity, no running water, no bathroom facilities, etc. The only thing they had to eat for the first week they were there was rice and fish. And she said there was very little of both. She spent 3 months there and when she came back to the USA, she said she was so thankful that she lived here. I told her that the same thing could happen to western Washington. I should remind her of her time in Sri Lanka – perhaps she will rethink her position on prepping – she is better but…
So, to prepare for those unexpected scenarios, I try to run things through my mind because I cannot practice before hand!
Hi Leanne, oh my gosh the experience your daughter had in Sri Lanka!! WOW!! The things she saw and took in and the skills she learned!! Great comment! Be safe, Linda
So many Interstates in my area makes it hard to decide to stay or head out. If out will be close to interstate. Have supplies at both. Suggestions?
Hi Kathy, have a plan for both, my situation does not make sense to leave my home. I have everything I need right here to survive. I do not have a second location and I’m fine with that. You will know what to do when something huge hits. You may not be able to leave or the roads will be blocked or even unpassable. Hang tight but be ready for both scenarios. Again, I will not be leaving my home unless an earthquake hits my home. Stay safe, Linda
If you’re prepped ready for any SHTF event – you have your prepper binder of allll knowledge handy >> which includes immediate action checklists specific for each possible SHTF …
there’s certainly commonality between the SHTFs but the order of action might differ and some SHTFs have their particular needs >> IE: nuke SHTF with radiation concerns ….
Hi Illini, I agree with you. Everyone should be ready for any emergency! Linda
Living in the Mojave Desert and being retired I would most likely be home if TSHTF and since I’m a proponent of bugging in, that’s where I’d stay.
Since water is our single most restrictive resource I’d fill up every single container I could lay my hands on–bathtub, bottles, jars, cans, you name it. We’d be okay for food–at least for awhile, but if our town’s water pumps failed things would get grim fast.
But you nailed it when you said stay calm. In my book Bugging In: What to Do When TSHTF and You Live in Suburbia the very first piece of advice I give is STOP AND THINK. That’s conditioned on you not having to outrun a tornado, tsunami or anyone shooting at you of course.
HI Ray, great comment as always. We need water more than anything else or the most I should say. Then food. I had trouble getting my neighbors to store water, even food. Some must not realize how critical it is to stock up. I pretty much stay to myself, which is fine. Mark is here of course, but we are self-sufficient. Life is good if we are prepared, and you and I are. Linda
This article couldn’t have come at a better time. We are getting ready for whatever happens come this election. One thing we did was get a Byrna Pistol and spray for self-defense. Got a few extra groceries yesterday. Heard a gentleman say he has never seen the grocery store so busy – he compared it to hurricane coming (which there isn’t). Been mentally prepared since 2008. Going to harvest my sweet potatoes Tuesday and plant my white potatoes for winter in my pots.
Hi Barb, that Byrna Pistol looks nice! I had to google it. I feel the same about the grocery stores they are busier now than ever and we have zero storms coming. I feel it has to do with the election and the unknown. We all hope for a peaceful outcome but I don’t picture that at all. I hope I’m wrong. 2008 was a hard year. I owned a mortgage coming and the housing market crashed. Millions of job losses, economic downturn, I could go on and on. It was The Great Recession similar to The Great Depression. No soup lines but food banks started popping up everywhere. More and more people needing food stamps, people lost their homes, I could go on and on. This is why this election is so critical. I love sweet potatoes! Linda
Be safe!!
Hi Barb, You be safe as well! Linda
This is one of your all time best articles. Panic will kill those who not think their way through their emergency. I would add the following tip. If you are a gardener, harvest everything that is ready and can, dehydrate or freeze any produce you can’t store fresh. If you are not a gardener focus on buying and processing as many potatoes as you can. Because of their nutritive and caloric value if I could only grow one crop, it would be potatoes. My next four monthly newsletters will be about storing potatoes–fresh, canned, frozen and dehydrated. You will be able to read them for free by either signing up for my newsletter or by visiting my Facebook author page linked in the website box below. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563550119917
Hi Ray, oh my gosh, I LOVE LOVE LOVE your comment. My great grandmother always said if you can grow potatoes you will never starve. Great tips, my sweet friend!!!!! LOVE IT! Linda
OOPS! My facebook page doesn’t show up below the post so here it is.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563550119917
Hi Ray, I will add it to the comment! Linda
Linda,
My friend, you nailed it! Pass the hammer. It’s week 5 here in Western NC (Hurricane Helene). Our water came on 2 days ago! Glory, Hallelujah. Only thing missing now is Internet, TV. Ha, God is good. Somehow I was drawn to a cute little retro radio (Amz) about a month before the storm.
Thinking about creating a box of samples or remnants of the things I used most often during this catastrophe. Hope the “look and learn” box…crude as it may be, will be helpful if ,God forbid, another disaster hits. My old brain ain’t what it used to be. I am thinking I will put the “L and L” box where I store the majority of my preps. What say you, Ms Linda? BTW, I gotta say that you are one of God’s finest servants.
Sending love and prayers to everyone out there,
DM
Hi DM, thank you for your kind words, you made my day, my sweet friend. Please send me the list I will write whatever you tell me. We need to hear from YOU! My email foodstoragemoms@yahoo.com May God bless you, love and prayers to you, Linda
I know how a disaster feels, when we had the 9.0 earthquake in Japan we had to evacuate. No one knew what the truth was about Fukushima, after quakes kept coming and coming. We had to fly back to the states on two different days because there were no seats out on the same flight. We had talked about what would happen to us if there was an earthquake in our area, similar to the Christchurch earthquake. We really didn’t expect it to happen, but it did. We said if we got out with each other and our pets we would feel blessed. We got out with each other and our dog, I felt sad about leaving my home never knowing if we could go back. I was able to deal with it emotionally because we had a plan, if the worst happens, what do you really need? Sit down with your loved ones and make a plan.
Hi Linda R, oh wow, a 9.0 earthquake! I’m glad you got out safely with your pets. Japan is a clean and beautiful country. I have only been to Tokyo, but I was impressed with how CLEAN all the streets and bathrooms were. And no tips! Two different flights, oh my gosh, scary thought. Glad you got out! Did you move back to Japan? Linda
This is one of your most relevant articles. As we prepare for my husbands upcoming surgery, I keep saying “What if”. We are both handicapped, making bugging out almost impossible. Thanks to you, we are as prepared as possible to stay in our home. Everyone PLEASE stay safe and healthy and pray God sees us thru whatever is to come.
Hi Chris, thank you for your kind words, we will survive what happens, we may have to shelter in place. Maybe nothing will happen, but we are ready for what comes our way. We will all pray for your husbands surgery, God will take care of both of you. Stay safe everyone, Linda
We’re in the midst of November storm season here in the PNW. Living on a small island there aren’t really any good possibilities for bugging out other than maybe another neighbour’s place, which would likely be in similar shape. The only reason to leave the house would be if it got severely damaged in an earthquake or in case of a wildfire. It would be very difficult to evacuate the whole island in a timely manner but luckily there are plans being worked on for small boaters to help. I live close to both a muster station and a friend with water access so we’re going to share a self-inflating life raft stocked with emergency supplies to keep at her place. I’m working on a portable sauna trailer that can also be used as emergency housing if the main house is damaged, with a small supply of emergency rations and equipment plus if it comes right down to it I have a tent cot and canopies I can set up. If there’s general civil unrest the best defense will likely be the community of helpers we’ve built up here. I can’t contribute to active defensive action but can sure help with keeping the basics going, freeing others to do what they do best.
HI Alice, I totally agree with you on your thoughts! Everyone will have an assignment if it comes to that. Make a plan ahead of time, like you have is a blessing. Being on an island is tricky. But you can get through what comes your way. I love your ideas you shared. Good ones! Linda
Add me to the list of people who is worried about riots and such after the election. I am having more anxiety over this upcoming election than any other time in my life. I worry about who wins and even more about who loses. I think this election will go down in history as one of the most important elections.
I ordered extra food a couple weeks ago. My shortfall is water storage. We can store 30 gallons in our camper and we have some gallong jubs that I can fill. I may do that while watching the election returns. If we don’t need the water, then I can use it to water our apple trees and other plants. We are in drought conditions so the plants will be happy.
As long as the water stays on, we can bug in for a couple of months. Without water staying on, we can stay a week, hopefully enough time for the unrest to settle and our city be safe again, if not, the roads will be clear and we can take the camper and head for safer and hopefully warmer climates and stay until the unrest settles down.
I pray that no matter what the results are, the America citizens can accept it and move forward from this political stalemate.
Hi Topaz, great comment, lets hope we can all move forward from this political stalemate. May God Bless the world, Linda
I read your reply to Ray and thought of the potato blight that caused massive starvation in Ireland (Great Famine). Roughly 1 million people died of starvation and disease. Another 1 million left the country for better places (primarily the USA). So, while one of my all-time favorite foods is a potato (unless it is burnt), I would rather my garden be diversified. I do know that we have potato strains that are resistant to disease, but they are generally GMO and/or hybridized. If I want to grow a natural garden without GMO/hybrids, I know that disease is one of the issues I may face. Just my opinion but again, I would rather have a diverse garden!
Hi Leanne, Yes a potato blight would be terrible. My great-grandmother was from Norway, so that’s what they grew. Nothing GMO back then. I would always want more than one vegetable growing thats for sure. Great reminder not to put all your seeds in one basket so to speak. I have to have many more vegetables growing, but we shall see what next spring brings me in my little yard. Linda
Leanne and Linda,
I agree about diversifying your garden. I was just using potatoes as an example of the highest calorie crop you can grow–so if your space is limited grow as many as you can.
Today, as soon as I can see outside I’m picking Jericho lettuce, Pak Choi, Matador spinach and a few leaves from my Red Iceberg lettuce. I have a few cherry tomatoes reddening up so I’ll snag them too. I’ll also be digging the rest of my sweet potatoes. My carrot crop is producing baby carrots right now, so I’ll probably pull a few of them too.
Snow peas aren’t ready yet, but are showing signs of flowering.
Tomorrow I’ll plant more potatoes and top them with a heavy mulch so they hopefully won’t sprout until Spring.
Where I live we can grow food outside year round, with only the occasional frost blanket for protection. But we are also in a very serious drought and have been for years, so most of the heirloom and OP varieties I grow are drought tolerant, allowing me to water them sparingly.
Hi Ray, you are truly a Master Gardener, you could easily get certified if you aren’t already. Linda
Linda, it’s the volunteer service requirement that keeps me from getting certified. With Jane’s health I can’t volunteer as I never know when I’ll have to devote all my time to her.
Hi Ray, I totally get that, well you’re a Master Gardener to me! Linda