Why Prepare?

I suspect that the very fact you are reading this blog indicates you have at least SOME interest in preparing. First of all - IT JUST MAKES SENSE. Our national infrastructure is relatively fragile - power goes out, water gets polluted, people get snowed in. Remember Katrina?

We lived in a town that was hit by a severe ice storm in 1996. Power lines went down all over the region. Not long after, our town’s water pumps stopped working. Some people were without water in their homes for over a week. Think about that - no showers, no cooking, no washing clothes, no flushing toilets.

Every year towns all over this land are struck with hurricanes, tornados, floods, fires or other acts of God that place citizens into emergency situations. Basic services are disrupted, families are displaced, and life quickly becomes “different”. Basic necessities suddenly become extremely valuable. Simple skills our grandparents had take on renewed importance.

Our economy is troubled. What if you lost your job tomorrow - how long could your family survive without a pay check coming in? When would you run out of food, heat, etc? Being prepared with an adequate supply of food and basic supplies would allow you to stave off panic and take the time to get another good job.

We all now know there is some terrorist threat to our nation. How will they strike again if they do? Will it affect you and your family? Perhaps. If the major highways were shut down for just a week or so the impact on communities would be enormous. Picture your local grocery store on the eve of an approaching winter storm. People mob the check out counters and soon there is no milk, bread, or batteries to be had. For a simple snowstorm. Imagine if the interstates were closed. Far fetched? Your government doesn’t think so. Take some time to review the Red Cross, FEMA, and Department of Homeland Security websites.

Weapons of mass destruction are proliferating. Nuclear nations include: USA, Russia, China, England, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel and probably South Africa. Iran cannot be far behind. Those are the ones we know about. Supposedly, accountability of Russian “suitcase nukes” has been lost. Terrorists have studied building radiological dispersion devices - the so-called “dirty bombs”. Nuclear war is not out of the question. Even if it was conducted in other countries - it is possible clouds of nuclear fallout would spread around the globe to your home town.

Want to consider more dire threats? Read your history. We live in the
greatest nation on Earth - no doubt about it. But great nations don’t last forever. They also do not usually change without a lot of turmoil - turmoil that would affect you and yours. We could be nuked, we could be invaded, or there could be another civil war. Life as you know could change - possibly for the worse.

If any of the above situations happen, will you and your family be prepared to deal with it or will you curl up into a fetal position, suck your thumb and cry for help? What if no one hears you or comes to your aid? It’s up to you to prepare for yourself and your family. It is YOUR responsibility.