I should not be surprised, but the reports from the east coast following hurricane Sandy are just simply shocking. It's just been a few days, and already there are people out of food, people rummaging through dumpsters...there are food lines, supply shortages, shortage of clean water, no gas...people are becoming violent. There are fights over gas! And it's only been a FEW DAYS!
Everyone, please PLEASE be smarter than this. I hate to say it, but these people have no one to blame but themselves. They had plenty of warning. And warning or not, it is OUR job to be sure that we are prepared for emergencies. At ANY time. I highly, highly recommend you do as I do: I live each day as if there is an emergency situation on it's way, and I am about to have access to food, water, power, and gas cut off. That way, my family and I are always, always prepared--for whatever.
I beg you again, be wise! The prudent person will be prepared. If you haven't started stocking up food, do it NOW. Have several months worth of food in your home. Store water, and have a way to purify water in case your stored water was to run out. Buy a generator if you don't have one already, and store as much gas as you can (hard one, with the price of gas these days!). Stock some oil lamps and oil. Store batteries and matches. If you are able, have a propane oven rather than electric, and install a woodstove for heat and cooking. Become more sustainable and self-sufficient. Garden, can your own food, get some chickens and a milk goat at the very minimum. Then when things happen, you're barely affected. Sorry to get on my soap box but I feel very strongly about this!
Be prepared! It's your responsibilty, not anyone else's!
This is very true! When I saw the reports about the gas shortage I wondered why... You know we have hurricanes quite frequantly here in Florida. We try to always be prepared... But it always amazes me how quickly things turn ugly when we are out of things for just a few days. We were without electricity for a week and a half after hurricane Charlie and I was so thankful I had stocked up on stuff. My husbands brother did not and his whole family ate all of their meals with us for the whole time. It was so great to have all of that peanut butter and jelly!!:)
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Amy Jo
Amen!Your right and I thought the same thing. But so many suffer what is called 'normalcy bias' that uless the Lord calls them to this life many will not heed the warnings. I learned that the hard way in the group I had when I did all but beg folks to prepare. Folks just don't wanna hear it or make excuses for why they can't do something. It is truly beyond me. But, like you I hope some one somewhere looks at this scenario and realized how much easier it would be to just be prepared.
ReplyDeleteHow do you store water? Do you have any suggestions or resources for folks depending on city water? Thanks! Sara
ReplyDeleteYou store it in gallon jugs or 5 gallon jugs in your home. You can also buy bottled water. You can save all milk jugs, rinse them out, add water and there ya go!
Deletethank you homestead lady! sara
DeleteSorry I forgot to answer you Sara, and thank you Homestead Lady! I do basically the same thing. I buy gallon jugs of drinking water and store those for drinking, then I fill any empty juice bottles with water for washing and flushing.
DeleteThat's a bit judgmental, don't you think......they have no one to blame but themselves? Hopefully we northerners showed more compassion to Florida, New Orleans and other states in the south when you were hard hit by storms. Folks up here have never seen anything like this in their lives and were prepared for what is a normal storm up here. This storm was far from normal and I doubt that even seasoned hurricane survivors would have been ready for it. This is a far more densely populated area, too - all adding to the misery. The last thing we need to hear is that it's our fault. It might have been more constructive for you to suggest we pray for these victims instead of blaming them. Have a heart - people are suffering - was it ever 28 degrees in Florida after a hurricane?
ReplyDeleteOh my...I'm so sorry I came across that way to you! It is because I have a heart and compassion that I am begging people to be prepared! God bless you Jean.
DeleteI found it rather judgmental as well. Sorry, you can prepare all you want but if a fire, flood, or wind totally destroys your home AND your life.... then let’s see how you cope. Many even lost their loved ones.
ReplyDeleteHi--if you read what I wrote again, you'll see that I was talking about things like food, gas, water, etc...things that are more in our control. Obviously a person can't prepare for everything. I wasn't referring to people who have lost homes and family members. Please see my heart in this, and that I am referring to those things which we have more control over...so that I could plead with those who do not store food, water, gas, etc. We all can learn from disasters like this--there are always lessons to pull from them. There were a lot of people who could have prepared but didn't. That is foolish, and that is who I was referring to here. God bless!
DeleteI agree as well. It was a judgmental thing to say and at no time do you suggest praying for the victims or even reaching out to them, all things we northern folks do every time Florida gets hit. It's disheartening to read that we have no one to blame but ourselves for a power grid that was completely wiped out, for gas shortages, for a storm surge that took out entire neighborhoods, for 6" of snow that fell on the debris. Tell me - how does one prepare for all that? We had no control over these things and no amount of preparation could have prepared us for it. It's not too late to suggest people pray for us. Lord knows, we've done it many times for southeners. And God bless you, too.
DeleteI am sorry but YES you can prepare for that! Not for losing your home or something that drastic, but you can prepare for a wiped out power grid, gas shortages, and snow. Of course people should pray for the victims, but please notice that my post was directed to readers who were not directly in the storm, so that they could learn a preparedness lesson from it. "A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." Proverbs 22:3.
DeleteY'all are reading way more into what she said than what she said...LOL...I agree with her. There were 1000's of folks that did not lose their home to fire or flood, their homes remained in tact..had THOSE folks been prepared with food, water, gasoline and whatever else they needed for their situation that would have been a few less standing in the gas line, food line or water line...it would have been a few less looking for shelter...if more had been prepared they could have helped those that weren't and taken the a bit of burden off the volunteers there...So please, don't be angry at here...think about what she said..There are always lessons to be learned during disasters..this one is no different...so please, re-read what she said...she is right...Praying for those affected..
ReplyDeleteWow, you're never going to understand why that one line upset some of us. And this just didn't help either: but the simple keep going and suffer for it. Wow.
ReplyDeleteTHAT line was straight from the Word of God...please don't shoot the messenger.
ReplyDeleteWell, Anonymous...Take it up with the Lord..That is in the bible...if that offends you, I would admonish you to spend some time in prayer and talking with God and quit picking on CountryMama...Also seems you a bit cowardly to post anonymously and not share who you are!
ReplyDeleteI repeat what was said "A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." Proverbs 22:3.
I post anonomously because I am not a blogger and don't have a URL and I don't know how else to do it. I'm not picking on anyone. I cherish the Lord's words and they do not offend me. Using them to put down hurricane survivors does. As to who I am, I am a Christian senior woman living on the east coast who has seen much suffering and heartache the last two weeks and came here hoping to find some comfort and solace, not admonishment and name calling.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. I do think there are a lot of lessons to be learned from events like this. We do as a nation have a lot to learn about being better prepared.
ReplyDeleteOn a different note I am visiting your blog for the first time and so I was looking around a bit and saw the line-up of your kids and noticed you have an Anna Marie followed by an Abigail. I thought that was pretty neat as my older sister is Anna Marie and I am Abbigail (with two Bs) I hope your girls have as much fun together as we did and do.
Hi Abbi--thank you so much for commenting! That is SO fun to hear you have the same names in your family...that is the first I have ever heard. Thank you for visiting my blog!
DeleteMy, my, what nasty comments going on here from some ladies. I happen to love your blog April and look forward to your great frugal tips and your life in the country. Hope to hear about some great happenings soon.
ReplyDeleteHi April...been wondering about you...Hope you are all are doing well and I look forward to reading more entrys from you soon...
ReplyDeleteThe Encouragement you give here to be more prepared is greatly needed. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are doing good!
Blessings
Mrs. White
The Legacy of Home