London Visit: Preparedness at the Natural History Museum

Wasn’t expecting to find such a thing but it was interesting to see none the less. They had like recreation of a small Japanese store that you could step right into, and the floor and walls moved as if it was a real earthquake, at the same time that it plays footage from that exact same quake in Japan. Very sobering.

The emergency kit could use a proper flashlight, knife, and of course a gun.

For earthquakes a respirator, work gloves and large prybar would make a lot of sense.

Nice to see the Lifestraw there, as well as the Seven Ocean rations.

Clock that stopped working when the tsunami hit Japan in 2011.

And of course the rest of the museum is fantastic. well worth the visit!
FerFAL
Check out my new Book “Street Survival Skills” . Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

Preparing for High Probability Disasters

Fernando,

Have not chatted with you in awhile so after viewing your volcano info thought I would say Hey. I live in the shadow of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier in WA state. Volcano country. Of course I am more concerned about earthquake here where we are told it is only a matter of time, not if, The Big One hits. It is constantly amazing to me to see the vast majority of the population continually reminded of the potential threat of natural disaster but they shrug their shoulders and look the other way. I’ve concluded that it is just too much for the average person to grasp the threat and include responsible preparation into their lives. Just too overwhelming to cope with the thought that “it could happen to me”. It is human nature I suppose. Some people will argue with a Stop sign. Other people don’t bother to recognize a Stop sign. Many folks just believe in the back of their mind, if anything terrible should happen, help will be on the way. Those are the ones. Those are the victims. There are always survivors and there are always victims. So many people by nature just seem to find comfort in allowing themselves to nestle down into the comfort zone of “it won’t happen to me”, and if it does, rescuers will save me. To those who believe that I say, good luck.

The first video clip is mind blowing. Trying to imagine the lava spewing hour after hour, 24/7 is something I have trouble comprehending.

Cheers,

Pete

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Hello Pete, Thanks for sharing your experience. 

Indeed the power of nature is humbling. All things considered we’re less than ants in the surface of the planet. More like microbes... a relatively minor movement of land and for us it could be a disaster of biblical proportions.

You’re right about denial being a power tool.  It’s the same mentality that allows people to get by in ridiculously dangerous cities where crime is off the charts, shrugging it away with a “oh, this happens everywhere” mentality (no, it doesn’t) .  That same mentality applies to people that live in areas where they have been warned time and again that a large scale earthquake isn’t just likely, but practically unavoidable in an amazingly short period of time, yet they make no preparations for it whatsoever.

What happens if it hits? What happens if your home is destroyed?  What happens if your home is spared but the place you live in becomes a disaster area? What if you all happen to be separated when it hits? Where do you all agree to meet? Where will you go if you can’t stay home anymore? How will you get there? Do you have fuel to cover said distance? What if your car is damaged/destroyed?

These are all questions that should be answered by a comprehensive plan, covering most likely scenarios and contingencies.

FerFAL

 Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”

So last night I woke up to a 6.3 Earthquake!

It was a 6.3 that affected Malaga and most of the south of Spain. I’m further west from the more sismic area but still it woke my wife and I up. It kept shaking for a couple seconds then stopped. I found no damage of any kind in the house. Walking around town this morning there was zero damage as well so that’s good.

I talked with some folks here, who lived +40 years in the areaand have never seen anything like it. Supposedly there was a big one last week but I honestly didn’t notice it at all.
Just goes to show, be prepared, prepare for the small things and repare for the more serious, less likely ones as well. Do your homework. I did mine before moving here and I discarded some of the more active areas. Basically if a lot of people have died in the last 500 years I probably don’t want to risk it myself. The construction is of course much better these days than it was back then, so that helps. I can see how last nights earthquake could have easily collapsed some older buildings. Keep in mind that in Europe you can’t throw a dead cat without hitting something that is 1000 years old, so places like old churches or historic buildings can be dangerous.
Talking to people this morning it was clear that most simply didn’t know what to do during an earthquake. Many ran out of their houses to the sidewalk, which isn’t a good idea at all. It’s in the sidewalk and streets where most people get injured or killed due to collapsing materials on the front of the building. Unless the structure is at risk of collapsing, you’re better off staying inside.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Nepal Quake and Construction Types

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Earthquake-in-Nepal:-more-than-500-dead-in-the-Christian-community-34216.html

Being Catholic I thought you might find this of interest.

I enjoy your site, have your book Surviving the Economic Collapse beside me as I write, and value your insight. If you are ever of a mind to write any of your observations as to what happens to healthcare in a system under collapse (economy) I'd be happy to have it offered on my survival medical forum.

Reasonable Rascal

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Thanks Reasonable Rascal, that's pretty interesting. It is noticeable that in most cases it was poorly built structures that collapsed most catastrophically. Without a doubt, this raises the number of victims. In more developed nations with proper seismic construction codes the fatality rate would be much lower.

FerFAL

The Top 10 Things you need during a Disaster

Although its impossible to know exactly what each individual will face during a specific event there are some recurring issues in most large scale disasters. Looking at the recent earthquake in Nepal as well as the volcano eruption in Chile, clearly there are certain things people desperately need. Even looking at terrorist attacks such as 9/11 its not hard to extrapolate and imagine what could happen when large urban structures collapse, parts of a city is shelled and people end up killed, injured, left without a home and displaced.
1)A cellphone

For communication with loved ones after the disaster, either using the phone, text or scrounging some wi-fi in various locations. Smartphones can be used to look up maps, get plane tickets, rent a car or hotel reservations on line, gather news, keep copies of important files, just to mention a couple of the most common uses. A waterproof smartphone with an impact proof case would be the ideal combination, something like the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active. If your cellphone has an incorporated FM radio though, remember that these usually require headphones to operate given that the phone uses them as the antenna.
2)Cash
During the Calbuco volcano eruption last week(it erupted today for the 3rd time) people rushed to buy face masks and bottled water. Conveniently, these have gone up in price five to ten times compared to pre-disaster prices. Gas was also in great demand. After the earthquake in Kathmandu, survivors faced the problem of not having enough money to buy food, which was for sale in nearby markets. Yes, cash is king. It gets you food, supplies, transportation and puts a roof over your head, sometimes along with a comfortable bead and minibar.
3)Respirator

Another common theme found in both the Calbuco volcano eruption and the earthquake in Nepal. In the case of the volcano eruption, people pretty much have to live with their face mask on. In the case of Nepal, its needed first due to dust caused by the falling buildings, then by the debris being moved while rescuing people and finally due to the smell of rotting corpses. In these cases a simple face mask is better than nothing, a proper respirator is nice to have and a proper full face respirator would be ideal.

4)Water

Again in both cases water is a top priority. Volcano ash contaminates it and damaged the supply of tap water and the earthquake busts the infrastructure as well. You need water, and you need it fast. In a matter of hours people can become “hungry” for water.
5)Water Filter

Sometimes there’s water, but it just isn’t safe to drink. Here is where a filter is worth its weight in gold. In the case of the Berkey Sport, you can have both in the same bottle.
6)Multitool
Ideally you would have a good fixed blade, a saw, an axe, a pickaxe, a crowbar, a shovel and power tools. If we cant have all of the above, a large multi-tool usually comes to the rescue nicely. Models like the Leatherman Charge, Wave and Surge have nice sturdy blades, cut through wire with little effort and even have pretty acceptable wood saws for emergency use.

7)First aid kit

A first aid kid in mandatory for dealing with small wounds. You can increase the life saving capability of  a comercial one by adding a CAT tourniquet and hemostatic gauze.
8)Flashlight
Useful for searching for victims, signaling for help and basically moving around the disaster area at night. Models that use common AA batteries may be easier to keep running if the battery offer is limited in the area. Headlamps are particularly useful because they liberate a second hand.
9)Whistle
The whistle is one of the best ways of signaling for help. It is far more efficient than shouting and it can be heard from much further away. Many people trapped under the debris after the earthquake sure would have liked to put one to good use.

A litte tip: For years now I've kept a small whistle with me at all times by attaching one to my EDC light. (before you even ask, here's the link )
10) A Bug Out Plan
What people need most of all, is a Bug Out Plan. A place where they can find safety and a strategy to get there. When you no longer can stay in your main place of residence you will need an alternative. It doesn’t have to be anything too fancy, friends or family you can stay with for a while will do, at least for a short or medium term. Ideally, you would have options within your same city, within your same State, in other parts of the county and even abroad. In the case of Nepal, Kathmandu has seen extensive destruction and many people are looking to relocate elsewhere in other cities although many of the nearby towns and villages have been hit as hard or worse. In this case, some people may even consider leaving the country entirely if that’s an option. In the case of Calbuco eruption, the plume of ash affects a wide area as well, including entire towns and cities making it necessary to move away from the ash plume.
You need a plan to get yourself and your family to a safe location. The family needs a contingency plan in case members are separated when the disaster strikes, selecting rally points and having means of communication. You will need means to get to your Bug Out Location and a planned route to get there.
These are the topics I address in “Bugging Out and Relocating”, precisely for this type of event when staying in the disaster area isn’t an option.
Bonus Items
Maybe not making it to the top ten, but definitely must-haves as well:
1)Gloves
The footage of people desperately digging through the rubble with their bare hands makes it awfully clear how important it is to have work gloves in your disaster kit. You may need them to dig through rubble to help neighbors, maybe your own loved ones. In some less dramatic situations, you may need them to work in repairing your home or finding belonging to salvage if the destruction was comple
2)A gun
Although most people do try to help one another during disasters, its also true that a small minority may try to take advantage of the lack of law and order. You don’t need a ton of “guns and ammo”. A handgun is compact, concealable and portable enough and it can provide a significant amount of peace of mind.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Nepal: Man survives 82 hours under the rubble by drinking his own urine.

A man that survived 82 hours under the rubble of a collapsed building in Katmandu was finally rescued.
Rishi Khanal, 27, was in the second floor of his hotel when the earthquake hit. As the building partially collapsed around him, his foot was caught under the rubble. Rishi Khanal managed to survive by drinking his own urine. A French rescue team heard the noise he made banging against the rubble and saved him three and a half days later.
Lessons learned:
If trapped… save your own urine, because you never know. Have a good, multimode flashlight with you at all times. Take the time and attach a whistle to its lanyard. A whistle is MUCH more effective than shouting and crying out for help.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Learning from the Earthquake in Nepal

It seems like it was only yesterday that I was writing about the Calbuco volcano eruption. It seems like it was only yesterday because it pretty much was! Calbuco is still throwing thousands of tons of ash into the atmosphere.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed over 4.000 people hit Nepal this last Saturday. There have also been fatalities in the Himalayas as an avalanche flattened part of the Everest Base Camp. Nepal is a poor country and is struggling in its disaster response effort. People are digging out the victims themselves, the wounded are being treated on the streets and tents given that hospitals have been overwhelmed. There’s a lack of food, water and fuel. The spread of diseases is a growing concern as the sanitary conditions worsen. For thousands of people there’s nowhere to go given that their homes have been completely destroyed.

As we try to learn from this latest disaster, a few thoughts come to mind:

*Avoid earthquake and disaster prone areas in general, especially countries that aren’t prepared for them. This should be obvious enough although many times you don’t have much of a choice. This has been the worst earthquake in Nepal in the last 80 years… 80 years isn’t that much time. I feel the same way about Chile and New Zealand. Being located in the Ring of Fire means earthquakes are something you’ll have to live with. For millions, these places are home and they simply don’t want to live anywhere else. Millions of others can’t leave even if they wanted to. Having said that, if you do have a choice or if you can live elsewhere, it’s a good idea to do so and although you can’t live your life in constant fear because that simply isn’t living, do take it into account when planning your next vacation. Maybe it’s because I lived in South America most of my life, but I just don’t see the need to go to poor, developing nations to have a good time. Actually, it’s kind of the other way around.

*Drop. Cover. Hold. Drop down to the floor. This is the first thing to do given that an earthquake is likely to make you fall. Once on the grown, try reaching a safe location nearby, such as under a sturdy table, or next to low lying furniture that isn’t likely to fall over such as couches or next to an interior wall. Cover your head and back of your neck, these are your most critical body areas and may be hit by debris and falling objects. Hold your position until the shaking stops. This advice can be life-saving and is indeed accurate for places like New Zealand, Los Angeles and other parts of the developed world where buildings are made to withstand earthquakes.

*Don’t run outside. You’re safer indoors. The front of buildings contains an important amount of glass, steel and other materials which may fall on you and cause severe injuries as you exit the building. Falling trees, posts, signs and power cables may injure you as well.

*Careful about the “Triangle of Life” theory. This theory recommends people not to take the Drop, cover and hold standard approach, instead recommending to take shelter next to solid items, which in theory will provide pockets of space as the building collapses. Research from most reputed agencies and governments strongly disagrees with the “Triangle of Life” theory. It is only during pancake-type collapse of the structures, with one level falling on top of the other, that some success can be found with this approach. Even then, the exact object and its load bearing capability is extremely difficult to figure out during the ongoing disaster. Most deaths are caused by falling objects rather than collapsed structures during earthquakes that take place in modern buildings such as the ones found in developed countries.

*While Drop. Cover. Hold. is without a doubt the best approach and the “triangle of Life” Theory is indeed highly controversial, it is true that old masonry buildings and other rudimentary constructions typical of third world countries can and often do fail catastrophically during earthquakes. If caught inside such a building, your chances of making it out alive are drastically reduced. If the exit is within reach you want to escape from it as quickly as possible, keeping in mind that the entire front of the building may fall over you as it collapses. In some cases, survivors have managed to make it out alive by either reaching or finding themselves on the top floor of the building, reducing the amount of debris that falls over them and making it less likely to be crushed. Survivors have said they “fell” along with the building, managing to survive by being left on top of the rubble rather than under it.

* Katmandu has been impacted the worst by the earthquake, but its also where rescue efforts are being concentrated the most. Small towns and villages, many destroyed completely by the earthquake, are receiving little or no help. Many have been cut off from the outside world because of affected roads and bridges.

*Have a bug out plan. If there’s one thing most serious disasters have in common, is that when you can’t stay in the affected area you better have somewhere else to go. It is important to prepare and be ready. Some people don’t like being labeled as “survivalists”, but I think it’s much better than being labeled “refugee”.
FerFAL
Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.

Los Angeles Earthquake Will Be Bigger Than Expected

More about "when" than "if", and "when" seems to be pretty soon so better be ready for it if you live in the region. This article over at International Science Times explains it may be worse than expected.

Los Angeles Earthquake Will Be Bigger Than Expected: Scientists Predict Huge San Andreas Fault Quake Using Virtual Modelling

By Ajit Jha on January 23, 2014 2:25 PM EST 

 

Scientists based out of Stanford University are claiming that 'virtual earthquakes' produced by weak vibrations generated by the Earth's oceans can be used to predict the ground movement and the threats from real quakes to buildings. Perhaps more pressingly, based on their study, the researchers are warning that there will be a major quake south of Los Angeles, and that it will create stronger than expected ground movement. The research is published in the Jan. 24 issue of the journal Science

continue reading here

Modern Survivalist Forum Japan Thread

In the Modern Survivalist Forum there’s a thread about the situation in Japan that I just have to recommend to everyone.

http://www.themodernsurvivalist.com/?page_id=936/general-discussion/sirusblacks-updates-from-japan/

Its been updated since the earthquake hit but the updates of two of the forum members (Sirius Black and Kirima)  living in Japan just make it a terribly valuable source of real world experience. Not just about the quake itself, but of people coping with the blackouts, the daily life afterwards, the supplies that were harder to come by. Maybe it’s the aftermath that I find most interesting, so I greatly appreciate their effort and updates.

I just have to recommend reading through all 6 pages and check every now and them for more updates.

FerFAL

Preparing for Earthquakes and Tsunamis

As I write this the disaster over in Japan is still going on. The images of the water just destroying everything in its path, throwing millions of tons worth of buildings, cars and transatlantic cargo ships as if they were mere toys. There’s really nothing left to do at that point other than do whatever you can to save your life. What you could have done was prepare before you have a 10 yard wall of water destroying everything coming your way. Well, preparedness is what this website is all about.

Earthquakes and Tsunamis

It happened in Chile not that long ago, now Japan. Can you really be surprised? No, these things just happen and they specially do happen in locations with a history of seismic activity. In these particular areas, it must be a priority to be prepared as well as possible. It was Japan’s turn now, but it just as easily could have occurred in California. The San Andreas fault is a constant reminder that the “big one” could occur at any moment.

So what to do?

Learn. Don’t waste your time and learn as much as you can from real events. Chile and now Japan are full of lessons for the survival minded individual.

Have a Plan and put it into Action: There’s people that just stay dumbfolded when the quake starts. If you hear the accounts, most of them are already used to living in a place of seismic activity so they just hope that it will pass. But then it just keeps getting worse. At this point you should have a plan of action.

 Older buildings are easy; get the heck out of them as quick as possible, using the stairs, never the elevators, and moving as close to walls and other supporting structures as possible since that’s where you’re less likely to have debris fall over you. More modern buildings and apartments are a bit more complicated. Most of them, specially if built on seismic terrain, are already designed to withstand powerful earthquakes. What’s usually advised is to stay in a doorway. This makes sense from a structural point of view but the doorway may not be load bearing at all, you really need to know about construction and structures to know if your in a safe spot or just waiting for plaster and wood to collapse all over you. Generally speaking, the closer you are to the structure the better, that’s why a doorway may be a way of placing yourself within the load bearing structure itself in a way.

 The other factor to keep in mind is that many accidents occur by falling objects when people reach the streets, so it may be better to stay inside to avoid collapsing plaster, signs, glass and other debris. Don’t go outside if you hear and see glass breaking and objects falling. You must already have an open space area to go to planned in advance. Think of parks and other open spaces (staying away from trees, sings and light posts). Here is where you stay until you gather more data. A small radio in your Grab Bag will provide information of what’s going on and if its safe to get back into the buildings or not. Based on the magnitude of the quake they call tell in general terms if buildings are safe.

The Bug out Bag: Or Grab Bag, or Emergency kit. This is the bag you grab when you leave in a hurry and you must have the essentials to survive.

Imagine a Tsunami is 30 minutes away, you only have a minute to brag a bag and make a desperate run for your life. Lets think for a second here, what would you need to survive and the get back on your feet if you’re lucky enough to make it out of it alive?

1)Water: After running for your life, just a couple hours will go by before you’re in desperate need of water. Don’t bother putting this bag together if you don’t have a liter per person in it.

2)Food: You need it but not as much as water so be smart about how you use your space and weight. Remember, you must be able to RUN with this bag (therefore I suggest a backpack). A few energy bars, Cliff Bars or PowerBars, whatever you favor. Also, energy drink powder to use along with the water. Try having ready to eat foods that don’t need cooking or water. 

3)Documents: We keep ours in a small plastic handbag. This way they are all together ready to go. You may end up needing your passport, birth certificate, ID etc. Have a laminated sheath with bank accounts, insurance info and important phone numbers. These items are used often in our case so we keep them in a small bag kept handy.

4) In the previously mentioned  bag, keep your emergency stash as well. Remember when we talked about a one month worth of expenses minimum cash stash? You might want to make that two in case you have to afford a place to stay in for some time.

4) Dry Clothes: A spare set of clothes in a sealed plastic bag.

5)Baby wipes: As good as a spa bath compared to having nothing at all to clean up a bit when there’s no water.

5)Handgun and ammo: If nothing else, at least have a gun ready in it with 3 or 4 extra mags. The Earthquake in Chile showed how violent people get when desperate.

6) Basic emergency gear: This will include (but isn’t limited to ) a multitool, some paracord, a small first aid kit, LED flashlight and batteries, thumb drive with copies of your documents and essential data, small portable radio, emergency Cell phone charger (battery pack or solar, as well as an ordinary car charger)

7) If exposure can get you killed in your location, you’ll need a sleeping bag and tent. There’s ultra light alternatives but I’d do without them if living in template climates and just add a few emergency space blankets for the Go Bag. The tent and bags can be added if you manage to leave in your vehicle.

8) If there’s infants involved you already have a diaper bag ready. Keep a bit extra in it so as to make it the baby’s “go bag”.

9) Office and car kits: Have somewhat similar kits in case you’re not home when disaster strikes. You may not keep your passport and other documents but you may have copies of them or scanned copies in a waterproof thumb drive.

Vehicle: Preferably you have a 4x4 SUV, compact enough to navigate around the debris, but still 4x4 ready. I’ve found out that small 4x4s are the easiest ones to pull out when they get stuck, just with a couple guys that have done it before a few times and know what to do. Roads may be collapsed or broken and you may end up needing the 4x4 capability to escape. Always take the car and get as far as you can with it before abandoning it and continuing on foot. Off road capability means you can get further away and stick to your vehicle longer that those stuck with sedans. Pre positioned gear in your car makes things easier, and have at least a gas tank worth of fuel in jerry cans. If you never let your vehicle get below half a tank, that means you have 1 ½ tanks of gas to escape. More would be better, but usually that enough to get you to high ground before the tsunami hits.

Escape Route: Have a route already planned to get you to high ground to at least two possible locations. Take the time to study your area and see if any of the roads you’re planning on using may collapse during a quake. As before, an alternative route is needed so as to stick to the 3 is 2, 2 is 1 and 1 is none philosophy. Try learning from previous quakes in your area and learn about the plates and faults to understand which routes could be compromised.

Plan B location and Contacts: Have a location already in mind, it must be high ground, and a gas tank away or less.  Even better, have two possible locations. These could be family members or friends, but in any case you must talk this over and not just show up. You could arrange a mutual deal where you watch his back and he does the same for you in case either of you suffer a disaster and are forced to evacuate. Having money and basic supplies already means you’ll just be requiring a roof over your head for a few days, and you wont be as much of an inconvenience as if you were not prepared at all. But make it clear “ in case this or that happens, I can go to your place for a few days and you can come to mine if it works the other way around”.

Events such as these are terrible. Ultimately staying alive is what matters, but watching your home, all your possessions, your city, all being destroyed is not a walk in the park.

Chile evacuated some town just in case, and even with their own disaster so fresh, many refused to leave, unable to tolerate the idea of losing everything they have to water or looters yet again.

Prepare for these things. Tsunami, earthquake, industrial disasters, war, fire, you never know when you may be forced to leave your home during a disaster.

Take care everyone.

FerFAL