Prepping: Are You Ready?

Today is August 1st.  If you live in the Southeastern United States or another hurricane or typhoon prone region, this is a good day to assess whether you are ready for hurricanes.  The summer heat is at its peak and ocean water temperatures are rising. This is a good time to make sure you are ready for a hurricane.

• Do you have hurricane essentials for an evacuation?
• Do you know where you would stay in case you need to evacuate?
• Do you have hotel reservation sites bookmarked?
• Do you know of a good cheap off-grid motel?
• Do you have a printed list of all your contacts, their cell phone numbers, and e-mail addresses? 
• Do you have a map book?
• Do you have a couple of weeks worth of water and food in case you have to live without power and water for an extended period of time?
• Do you have your important papers in a waterproof container and ready to come with you in case of an evacuation? 

I highly recommend the Ready.gov website for great basic information about emergency preparedness.  The Centers for Disease Control also have rich resources for hurricane preparedness available at their website.  I like to say that if you are ready for zombies you are ready for anything.  But, there are plenty of special considerations for hurricanes.  Make sure your family is ready. 

A Post-Apocalyptic Author's Thoughts on Pandemic Preparation

As a writer of zombie fiction, I'm no expert on communicable diseases, pandemics, or global health emergencies.  I'm just a guy wondering what I should do to prepare, what is practical, and what I can afford.  In some ways, my current situation in regard to the Covid 19 corona virus pandemic is similar to the situation faced by Jake and Karen in my novel Zombie Complex.  Fortunately, the ill won't be biting anyone.  Unfortunately, this is real life with real victims and the specter of disease and death facing us all.

We've been thinking that we may need to expand our small stockpile of supplies so that we have basic supplies and food on hand for a potential two to three week quarantine period.  We'll also make sure that we have sanitation supplies (cleaners and hand sanitizers).  We already shop "off-peak" and avoid large crowds.  While the government in Zombie Complex is more of a hindrance than a help, I do have a fair degree of confidence in public health authorities here in the United States.  They are a good place to start for advice on how to prepare for the human corona virus and other pandemics.

Hospital Visitor during a Swine Flu Epidemic - photo by Kencf0618 / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

I recommend that everyone start with the Department of Homeland Security's Ready.gov website.  It provides basic information on emergency preparation and has advice on preparing for a pandemic.  It also has links to Health and Human Services (HHS) for more information about the pandemic.  As scenes from quarantined areas appear on the news, it is apparent that streets and store shelves get empty fast when communities are hit.  While you shouldn't panic, this is a great time to get a kit of basic supplies together and adapt hygiene and travel habits to the situation.

If nothing else, this health emergency should give everyone more time to stay home and read.