Bugging in - Also known as staying home.

Let's focus this time at staying home. Something has happened, is happening or about to happen. Odds are you are experiencing anxiety of some sort over the situation. Think about it, tornado warning goes out. All you can do is wait and see. Big storm headed your way. All you can do is wait and see. Riots in the streets. All you can do is wait and see. 

We have talked about being at home or choosing to stay at home before. Let's bring it up a notch. Let's say we have the basics covered for a day or three. We have water, we have food, we have shelter and all these foundational things we need to survive the issue at hand. We are good as long as our home is not directly involved or affected by the situation. What else can we do or have to make the situation better for ourselves? 

Have a means to increase our situational awareness. We need to be able to gather information from outside our immediate area. Knowledge is power and in this case the power is being informed. Information will keep your anxiety down. Even if what you are receiving is bad information at least you are not figuratively "in the dark" Fear of the unknown is a real thing. Ignorance is bliss, is also a real thing. Both have their good and bad points. For us I would argue knowing what is happening gives us advantages those who live in "bliss" do not have. Put the local news on. Check the internet for information. Charge batteries to your cell phone if you think the power could go out! You want to keep information coming to you if you can. You need to know when the emergency is over, how it is progressing and how the changing situation could affect you. Having a HAM radio, CB, weather radio or even just a police scanner can help with being aware of what is happening.

(NOTE: Any product or device you see here is more then likely something we have at our house. Not going to suggest something I personally do not use or something I would not want my own mom to have!)

Even with all the information coming in to you via electronics, nothing beats your own eyes and ears. Staying at the house does not mean staying in the house with your head driven into the sand. News reports might lag behind on what is happening to you. Do not expect others removed from the situation to have a better idea of what is happening then you do. Your right there, you can see it, you can smell it and you can feel it. Odds are the reporters are several miles or more from any real danger. In most cases they have to wait till someone tells them what is going on. You might not have the luxury for the lag time in information. Rely on yourself and your senses first. Your senses have been around a lot longer then the gadgets, use them. Use the information you gather from other sources to enhance your knowledge of the situation.

If the situation allows you, spend a few moments talking to your neighbors. I know for some of us this is unheard of!! I am guilty of this probably more then anyone I know! Yet during power outages or during recent fires I have found myself outside talking to the neighbors. Maybe you can share information with them? Might help them deal with the situation or fill in a blank or two for you. 

Remember we do not want to react or deal with situations as your kids might. No running to your room, jumping in the bed and pulling the blankets over your head!! I called it!!

With information coming in we can make decisions on what to do. One thing we need to do is make sure we have what we think we have. Get your information gathering going then make sure you have what you will need for the situation. Maybe you realize you are short a few things? Well you should be ashamed of yourself, hang your head in shame and volunteer to be the main course for a tribe of cannibals!!!!

Last minute buying. Ever time a big storm is heading for somewhere the news has pictures of empty shelves and people trying to buy things at the last minute. Let's try to not be these people! If you go out to buy things right before a situation make it things you do not need to live. The things you buy should be in addition to what you have already at home to live off of. But we all know life has a way of using up that last roll of toilet paper and the weather report says you will not be able to leave the house for three days!!!! Might be a good idea to trudge through the crowds and find yourself a few rolls!

Of course there is always the chance when you get to the store others have beaten you there. We want to work toward having enough at the house we do not need to get involved with the last minute shoppers! The back of the cabinet under the sink. Maybe in the garage. Heck the attic or the back of the closet, are all good spots to stash some toilet paper from the Dollar store. Sure it is not the nice triple ply you are used to using on your behind. If the choice is one ply or a dish towel......

One of these stashed somewhere with a couple rolls of toilet paper. Maybe some baby wipes. Toothpaste, soap bars, hand sanitizer and a bottle of shampoo could be the answer to not having to deal with the mob at the store?

You can see the priority of these folks in Venezuela when they have the chance.

Maybe you want to pick up a few more items just to give you a cushion. Some extra snacks for the kids or maybe you need to make a store run just to give you something to do while waiting for the storm. Make what you buy useful. Think about the situation taking more then what you think it will take. Buy the bag of rice on sale in the 'ethnic food isle'..... yes they are cheaper some times..... you can even go to the WIC section here in California to find small bags of items, staples, which could come in handy if things are dragged out.

They idea here is to not get tied up with the rush. Dumb things happen when people come together under these circumstances. If you can avoid needing to be there why not. Plus not spending time in line gives you time to take care of other things.

Maybe not needing to get stuck in the panic buying mode gives you more time and more hands to fortify the house? (reminds me I need to go buy some plywood!) If you do not need to go to the store and you have battened down the hatches with the time saved you can focus on other items.

Maybe bring in some more wood? Cut down the branch from the tree you keep thinking is going to get blown off and land on your roof? Check on other family an friends. Start thinking about what you will do during the incident.

What if?????????

Is your car parked somewhere you do not have to worry about it? Are you sure? Is your parking area a manmade creek just waiting for the water to come? Is there somewhere you can park you do not have to worry about a palm tree coming down on your car?

What do you do if the utilities to your house go out during the storm? What do you have to stay warm with? Hopefully you have a few flashlights at the very least. Maybe a couple of extra blankets? What if you primary means of cooking fails? Do you have a grill? Can use the grill or are you planning on eating cold food? Anyone with you or do you have special medical issues you need to take into account during the storm or incident? Good chance the ambulance or police will not be able to show up in the middle of a situation!!!! There are a thousand separate "what if?" you could work through. Each is driven by the situation and how you fit into it.

How about after the situation is over? Few people plan for the after or recovery phase of a situation. Have you given this any thought? What do you do after the incident has passed?

Do you have tools to cut away the tree? Will you have to wait for someone else to do it for you? Do you have a tarp to cover a hole in the roof or a broken window? If you have a chainsaw, do you have the fuel for it? Have you used it or tested it lately? Maybe we add a fee hand saws to our tool kit before and incident happens?

Are you physically able to walk to the nearest store if your street looked like this? Cleaning this up would take more then a day or two. Maybe we should take a few more walks now, just incase we have to walk after?

Do you have insurance? We shouldn't plan of the Government swooping in and fixing everything in a day or two. Owning a house you have to have insurance for the loan. Do you rent? There is insurance for renters also!! We all should have a basic amount of insurance to help us if we need it.

Do you have money set aside if the ATMs and credit cards are not working? Would really suck to walk the two miles to the nearest store only to find out your plastic gets you nothing.......

This is getting long so I will cut it here. Our prior planning sets us up to survive. Our adapting to a situation increases our ability to survive. Being aware of what is happening allows you to adapt your prior planning to the present situation. Prior planning also allows us to work through the situation when there is no stress. We all need to understand in our planning there are at least three phases.

Before an event
Event
After the event

As Always,

Stay Safe.