Water
When in crisis (and at all other times) safe drinking water is essential. Although you can survive for several days without water, doing so can cause life-threatening complications. Lacking sufficient amounts of water, internal damage begins within days (within hours in high temperatures and high-exertion scenarios). If a catastrophic infrastructure disruption occurs, your water faucets won't work. You'll be on your own to locate and…
Food
During a crisis adequate stores of food serve two critical functions: nutritional and psychological. It has been observed that when people miss one meal, they get angry. When they miss two meals, some are willing to steal. And if they miss three meals, some are willing to kill. Such can become the mindset of the masses during catastrophic events. Consider what you would do to…
Fuel
In February 2011, 25,000 people in rural northern New Mexico were without natural gas—a potentially deadly situation because the area was also enduring record-breaking low temperatures. Governor Martinez declared a state of emergency and deployed 300 members of the National Guard to Taos and Española to help turn the gas back on. Within hours, all available space heaters were bought by desperately-cold citizens. Those with…
Heat
During winter months, inclement weather and bad resource management can cause brief or extended periods of power outages. This happens across the United States annually and contributes to over 1,000 additional cold-related deaths per day. Many of the deaths occur via "the silent killer," carbon monoxide poisoning, because of desperate efforts to keep warm by using gas-powered appliances (generators, charcoal or gas grills) inside homes. Carbon…
Energy
The loss of the Nation's electrical grid would be catastrophic. As a nation we are highly dependent on electricity for life and a single EMP event could in a single instant put our lives in jeopardy. Dr. Cynthia Ayers writes, "An EMP could plunge the United States into chaos, putting the country at the mercy of its enemies. Recovery could take up to 10 years…
Hygiene
Ever been away from home and realized you had to get to a bathroom immediately? What if no bathrooms had been available—no running water or a public restroom for miles around—but no ability to wait? Not a situation you want to think much about, right? You may already have the greatest food and water storage plan ever created, but what happens to the food and…
Security
According to the FBI annual report "Crime in the United States," the majority of non-misdemeanor crimes in the U.S. are property crimes: burglary, larceny (theft that occurs outside the home), and motor vehicle theft. Theft is the most common crime across the United States during relatively calm times. What drives a person to steal: opportunity; poverty; hard times? A disaster event creates the perfect environment…
Communication
Imagine a NEWS FLASH reporting that Iran will launch a nuclear weapon aimed at the United States. The reporter says the information is deemed reliable, gleaned from anonymous sources in the White House or Pentagon. The next thing you see and hear is the horrified reporter yelling "Oh NO!" Your television screen shuts off. You quickly press the power button, hoping against hope it's a…