How Prepared Are You?

[HeatherC]

We are probably more prepared now then when we were younger. The world is scarier and having kids kind of makes you want to be a bit more prepared.

We tend to keep a small stockpile of canned goods, rice, etc. Nothing crazy though. We also have a gas generator as well as a backup power source (VTOMAN…like a Jackery) with a solar panel that we could always use to run our well pump for water if needed. We also camp a lot and have a ton of camping gear so we are pretty set that way.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I guess according to a recent enough article our area is a good place to be in case of a zombie apocalypse

There's some stuff around for things like tornadoes and power outages. We use these lantern style flashlights (that put out much more light than a normal flashlight) for power outages and for when we have a firepit night and need light to see to come back inside. We usually have a good amount of batteries especially AA. There's always some non-perishable food around.

But prepped as in what full-fledged preppers do? No and it's not practical for most people to do so (cost, storage, shelf-life, etc)

A cautionary note about generators. I know y'all wouldn't be like this but just ensure you never have a generator going on inside the home, even a window or two open while doing isn't always enough. There was just a story earlier this week from my metro about 3 people dying in their house due to carbon monoxide poisoning with the cause of a generator on inside---even though this should be common knowledge deaths still occur this way every year. We also lost a teacher at my old high school last month due to a car left on in the garage overnight, her partner who survived had severe damage to her body and they lost at least one pet.

 

[GAN]

I've got a truck that will take me just about anywhere within 300 miles..... Anything beyond that I've got to figure were all in a bit of trouble no matter how well prepared.

 

[MamaMermaid]

Not prepared but thankfully my mom is more prepared than us and she lives 5 min away.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Not very, and not likely to change.

 

[MICKIMINI]

NH here. We moved from coastal/southern NH to a mountain in the lakes region less than two months ago. We have snow on the ground. We brought our gas generator (no brainer) as we used it almost every past winter, the longest was nine days and it saved us. We gave up the wood stove and have an electric fireplace (clicker) now LOL, but I guess we can run it on the generator. We keep our cell phones charged at all times. We no longer have a hard line as new houses don't have them... Cars are kept above half a tank, filled if a storm is coming.

We always have water stocked as we have a well, canned goods, manual can opener, flashlights and other helpful tools for a prolonged outage. If we have a storm coming I prepare easily microwaved and cold foods (like salads) for a few days and get the coolers out and fill with ice. I make sure we have bread, deli meats and cheeses and run the coffee maker several times so we can at least have cold coffee. I often bake a pizza ahead! Extra points for baking cookies.

Most times there is no outage or a short outage, but we feel better being prepared no matter what. There are few houses up here on the mountain so we have a responsibility to be prepared.

Lastly, share with people around you if you can. We brought a thermos of hot coffee to an elderly lady every day of the nine day outage to go with her wood stove meals. She never forgot that and it makes me smile to remember her face each morning!

 

[disneydreamer1980]

If I didn’t have 5 kids I probably wouldn’t have prepared at all. Both the world and weather are getting scarier.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I'm not sure what I'd need to be prepared for. We rarely lose power and the only natural disaster we could get is a snowstorm or the remnants of a hurricane I suppose. But we're sufficiently inland. I also have plenty of shelf stables and a ton of top shelf liquor so I think we'll be fine.

 

[jo-jo]

Several cases of water, can goods, gas generator, box of stereo, box of hot hands, If we had any warning, I’d fill every container , bathtub , sink , bucket with water. Also charge every battery charger.

This is for a week or so, not end of world stuff.

 

[barkley]

We have a gas generator, but what happens if there is a gas shortage?

shortage may not be an issue while access can-several years back our area had a massive wind storm that knocked out power. it was facinating to see how many buisnesses only have very minor power backup systems-there was plenty of gas at the stations but the pumps were down. people were driving across the state line to fill their containers for generators. i prefer my plumbed for propane generator-i have a 1000 gallon tank that i get topped off every year about this time. the longest we've gone w/o power is about 10 days but it still just used a fraction of what that tank holds.


ZOMBIES!!!!!!!!!!

i worry not-the tv show 'z nation' was filmed right near my home and they always showed the zombies trying to get away from i live to feast on the more populated areas

 

[Buckeye218]

If the worst happens, having a stockpile is only half the battle. Defending it (or keeping it) from desperate people or bad characters will be another challenge to deal with.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Sadly, we are not prepared for a disaster. I know we have quite a bit of stuff on-hand just because we stock up. We have a good bit of bottled water, pop, wine, beer, and stored food. However, we would need an alternative way to heat or cool the house etc. We have enough power banks, portable chargers and stuff like that for a very short term power loss (like a few hours). However, for any big appliances or whatever, yea we are out of luck.

 

[Imzadi]

Weather-wise, I'm not really prepared for any disaster. Although, since Superstorm Sandy came up the coastline and decimated several parts of NJ & NY, I did get some Sterno canned heat, in case the electric stove goes out. I do have some cans of food to last a few days, as well as some water bottles and a manual can opener.

The one winter storm that did knock out power, only knocked out power in a mile radius here and there. One only had to walk a mile or more and they'd be in a different neighborhood that had full power, well stocked grocery stores open as normal. So one could get food and water available and hike back home.

What seems to be the bigger potential danger here in NYC is the now DAILY protests and marches pro-Palestine or pro-Israel. They started out, a few weeks ago, mostly peaceful. With just a few people arrested. But, now, they are becoming more violent and disruptive.

Tonight, they started out gathered at Columbus Circle, just north of my neighborhood. Then moved downward and were blocked by police. So they went over to Park Ave and then looped back near my neighborhood in Times Square. Some people threw some cans of red paint at the front of the NY Times Building. Then they marched over to Grand Central Terminal. Only by then, droves of police were ready for them there as it's a landmark building. The NYPD closed down Grand Central for a few hours as the protestors tried to bash the doors in to get in. Several were arrested.

If these protests start getting like the George Floyd protests/riots and the Black Lives Matter protests, there were groups of violent people who USED the protest to loot stores, destroy buildings and beat up and rob people. They weren't the actual protestors who generally stayed near the middle of the protests. Some were mentally ill homeless people, nearby, all riled up. (There's more now since the pandemic.) And would-be criminals who used the protests as diversions to come loot, rob, steal and destroy places, while the police are occupied with the protestors. These criminals were always along the OUTSKIRTS of the protests - the streets and avenues where the police WEREN'T patrolling.

And that does put them directly in my neighborhood, along the avenues & streets I walk, shop, and the subway exits I take home, as there is a protest every few days now in Times Square. So I may stock up on extra food so I don't have to go out during the times the protests go by my neighborhood. And extra batteries too, in case they somehow figure out how to knock out the power in my neighborhood.

 

[Imzadi]

But if it’s a zombie apocalypse, I’ll probably just give up immediately and let them eat my brains. I’ve got a bad back. Not conducive to running.

Yes, my one regret may end up being that I've never watched an episode of The Walking Dead. I won't know what to do. I will be toast when the zombies come.

 

[Boopuff]

We are prepared for the zombie apocalypse! And once covid hit, I think my DH went a bit nuts. We have a generator and are well able to fed off any zombies or nasty neighbors who'd want to take our stuff. We also have an RV and if need be we can load up and be gone. Wildfires are our biggest worry.

 

[loves to dive]

Well, we have a lot of canned goods, manual can opener, a gas grill we could cook on, a gas fireplace, a kerosene heater for winter, a generator (it's for our RV but stays in the bed of the truck). We always have two full propane tanks and an extra can of gas. I always have about 24 bottles of water in my car. We have a hot tub so push comes to shove we could use that water to flush toilets. We have a boom box with batteries in it and flashlights all over the place. 3 portable battery chargers for phones that stay charged up (for the RV or when I go to Disney but they are here) If we have cell service hubby has a Verizon hot spot thing we could get internet on (again for the RV but it stays in his laptop bag) None of that is to prepare for anything, it's just what is always around. We also have extra bottles of the dog's eye drops (she had cataracts and now has glacoma in one eye) I wouldn't die if I didn't have any of my drugs (might have bad hot flashes and high triglycerides but I won't die) And, most importantly, I have two full wine racks that each hold about 20 bottles of wine so let the zombies come.

 

[Beezle2]

If the worst happens, having a stockpile is only half the battle. Defending it (or keeping it) from desperate people or bad characters will be another challenge to deal with.

yeah..not going to fight very hard to live in the hell scape really.

Yes, my one regret may end up being that I've never watched an episode of The Walking Dead. I won't know what to do. I will be toast when the zombies come.

I did one of those "how long would you last" zombie quizzes a long time ago. I'll be chasing the living in under 3 days. I hope when I'm a zombie that my knees will finally quit hurting.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Live close to a river so I can get out of Dodge if need be. Also I currently live on NYC’s mainland so that’s a goodie.
Dont live on any of the current flood plains.
Keep my freezer well stocked and generally enough meds for 2 to 3 month. Building has an emergency generator that would allow water operation as well as electricity.
Basically, I’m fine and living just enough for the citay.

 

[Disneylover99]

Yes, my one regret may end up being that I've never watched an episode of The Walking Dead. I won't know what to do. I will be toast when the zombies come.

Yeah. I’m not up on The Walking Dead either.

Some days, my back is so bad, I naturally walk like a Zombie. so I was thinking, maybe I could blend in with them and they’ll leave me alone. lol.

But then, a human would see me coming from a mile away and probably take me down anyways. You really can’t win.

 

[QueenIsabella]

We live in a hurricane zone, so I prep for that--full pantry, cases of water, batteries, and we have a whole-house generator. When hurricane season ends, I let it lapse some--eat down the canned goods, don't rush to fill up the battery holder, etc.

I don't worry so much about a zombie apocalypse type scenario, although we do have guns and ammo in the house. My family would ditch me and run--I'm old, fat, and slow, I'd been zombie food in no time.