We should be disciplined in our our reaction to a confirmation of Bird flu going H2H. NUMBER ONE: would have to be to go home from work and get the kid’s out of school immediately.
My NUMBER ONE: Assess situation. Information vs rumours. Facts about family and community. What we do have and what we might be missing.
So_ Number one, assess fact’s_ Number two, go home and get kid’s from school!?
1) get a ticket to Iceland
1) Verify report, get confirmation, check with friends “in the loop and in the know” perhaps call primary source. 2) Fill gas cans from self service using gloves and call in an order to top off propane tanks, be sure all batteries are fully charged and water tanks full. 3) STAY HOME, avoid ALL travel and especially airlines to limit exposure and spread. 4) Order extra prescription drugs by mail. 5) Call a few friends to tell them to “top off” and church group to tell them to have extra supplies delivered to “food stores” if possible.
And possibly sit back check Dr. Bob’s site and then watch the excitment on FluWiki, Avianflutalk, FluTrackers and count chickens on the RSOE map and see what is in the ice box.
Stay informed, stay away from potential chaos (stores, highways, medical facilities etc), get home to the family. Lock doors.
For those newbies who may be confused, what I think we mean in this thread is when H5N1 (aka avian flu, aka bird flu) is confirmed to be *efficiently* H2H, since we already know it is inefficiently transmitting H2H.
My wife and I have a code word. If I contact her at work or she contacts me and the code word is uttered, texted, emailed, given to one of us by a co-worker who took a message because one of us was busy, etc. it means drop everything, tell work you have a family emergency and leave immediately.
Once away from work, we will hook up via cell phone and discuss whether there is time to top off or if we should both rush right home.
Not exactly a Top Ten, but a tip from military drilling I thought might be applicable to other families.
1)Take 3 long deep breaths.
2)Say a prayer.
3) Break out BB RWFK
3) Kick a chicken on the way home.
but don’t feed then dead chicken to dog!
4) Break out BB RWFK 5) Break out BB RWFK 6) Break out BB RWFK 7) Break out BB RWFK 8) Break out BB RWFK 9) Break out BB RWFK 10) Break out BB RWFK ….
Grace RN – at 14:50
LOL
Once we know it is efficiently transmitting H2H. We will put one of those circus termite tents over our house and put up the poison signs. Then we will SIP inside for as long as we can. Just Joking :)
The truth is that I will be in panic mode and my emotions will be off the chart. I have a plan but I wonder how well I will stick to it.
I love how writing creates clarity. Clarity creates vision. After seeing my first 3 steps in writing, I think I just might do those three things everyday starting right NOW!
8-)
JWB @ 14:36 - LOL
gas station. bank. kid’s schools. Home - call parents/siblings/friends and tell them to get their a***s indoors. check fluwiki again. Open up a really good book, pour a glass of rwfk and step out of reality for a while, or into a new reality….
most of the above, plus fill up additional, last minute water containers. wash clothes, dishes and generally straighten pre=pandemic life so we’re ready to face … whatever.
I’m assuming we’ll know here on FW, before MSM reports it so the “panic of the public” will not have set in yet.
Number 10 - Water. Water, water, water, WATER water.
Eduk8or – at 20:32
We apparently were separated at birth. Only thing we do differently is get movies from NetFlix. :)
Edna - soak ‘em in bleach first :)
Eduk8or - I like your list. Mine is similar:
1. Call husband and evaluate situation with him. If a “go,” ask him to order any appropriate changes to stocks, bonds, funds, etc. Ask him to call his relatives and friends, and then evaluate what he needs to bring home in case he doesn’t get back for a few months.
2. Call 17 yr old son. Tell him to try to buy all school books for rest of year (sold at school), and then stop by used book store and DVD store to “stock up” on way home.
3. Call my sister in Wash DC, and alert her. Call my friends.
4. Go to bank. Withdraw money.
5. Fill up car and empty gas cans with gas.
6. Go to grocery to buy extra 25 lb bags of beans, but also some produce, meats, cereal, butter, cheese, ice cream, milk, and “extras.”
7. Go to lumber yard to have boards cut for boarding up windows (this would not be an accepted prep at the moment).
8. Come home, and watch what happens on TV!
1. Contact family members and friends and tell them to top off (or start prepping) right now. That the only have a few more days before all hell breaks loose. -if they’re lucky.
2. Reinventory and create list of anything I missed. Split list with my partner - assign her specific shopping duties. Tell her to fill up her gas tank and 2 extra tanks.
3. Go shopping for missed items and based on whatever the current CFR of H2H is, I may pick up lots more toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, and more food items for variety that don’t have 3+ years expiration dates! Buy hand pushed/non-electric vacuum cleaner.
4. Stop at thrift store and load up on some interesting books and craft items. Try to find lots of big pots to use to catch rain water.
5. Fill gas tank on way home.
6. Totally overhaul/clean house. Do all laundry & dishes.
7. Fill water containers and seal up. Continue using available water and electric as long as possible. Keep charger and cell phones charged fully.
8. Create SIP entrance/hallway. Prepare the “coming and going” area of the house to disinfect upon entrance. We will both keep going to work until pandemic is within state. Then we will SIP. My work will tell us to stay home at some point. -probably earlier on than local authorities. When I stop, so does my partner. Then we SIP.
9. Make phone calls to everyone I care about daily until I can’t any more.
10. Attempt to pay ahead on bills if any cash available. Forgo a rent payment in favor of an extra month of bill payments to everything that won’t defer during an emergency. (the credit cards should all defer, as well as the rent in a declared emergency).
11. Gain access to the roof and set out all the containers I can to catch rain water. Hopefully it will occur during an “El Nino” winter with more rain likely. Normally winter gives us no rain for months on end. -just an occasional front passage. El Nino years give us more rain chances.
Water…
If there is anything more…I am not prepared.
Note: I have a huge amount of hand sanitizer, gloves, and masks to wear if we have to go to work with a degree of risk. I don’t care if I look like a freak at first. Most of the folks I work with look like total freak geeks anyway and would probably assume it was a new fashion statement!
oh yeah, and the goggles too.
geez, I will look like a total freak! At least if I worked in the lab area it wouldn’t be so awkward. They wear stuff like that and more all the time!
I forgot to add when I pick the kids up from school I drop off the “competent private instruction report” we’re required to file within 14 days of pulling the kids out for home-schooling.
Oh Eduk8or - I think you just told me something very, very important that I had not thought of! And now, with thanks, I look for that instruction report.
I am very impressed, and inspired! …I’m taking notes…… Thanks!
1. Pick daughter up from school. Hand in notarized affadavit of intention to home school.
2. Gas up. Bank up. Food top offs.
3. Lock-down the house.
4. Home to make calls. Husband first, if out of town (“Get on that plane NOW!”). Relatives and friends.
5. Field calls from panicked relatives and friends.
6. Have a drink and turn on BBC, CNN, Fluwikie (to watch the bird feet up in the air), etc. —and I’m a tee-totaler! It’ll have to be non-alcoholic—maybe or maybe I’ll substitute a big bar of chocolate.
The price of chicken should drop substantially at the store at that point. Go load up on thighs and drumsticks.
1 - Gather contact info and pandemic flu planning manual/remote access protocols from work - notifying staff I can be contacted at home - but will be taking a few days off (to assess situation while using appropriate cautionary isolation until situation is made clearer).
2- Call my mother who lives some distance away and give her the word that she should top off her personal supplys - “it’s here”.
3- Call husband and let him know what is shaking and my estimated time of arrival back at home. Have him begin monitoring news info and if it appears the heads up is ahead of the masses - have him take the second vehicle to town and gas up - fill all propane tanks to full.
4-On the way home, stop by the bank and withdraw remaining emergency cash if it appears I am in the know ahead of the masses. Otherwise, I will use what I have already set aside and go directly to 7 on this list.
5- Stop by the gas station and top off - if it appears I am in the know ahead of the masses - otherwise go immediately to step 7 on this list.
6-Stop by the store and stock up on fresh milk, eggs, fruit and fruit juices - if it appears I am in the know ahead of the masses - otherwise go immediately to step 7 on this list.
7-Stop by daughters school and sign her out. Head home while explaining situation to her.
8-Once home, shower and use sterilizing hand wash. Wash all laundry immediately and stay on top of this diligently to keep everything as clean as possible prior to possible loss of power in the future.
9-Make sure all batteries are fully charged or on the chargers and that any additional water holding devices are filled with water as backup to the normal stored water we keep.
10-Monitor the situation and react appropriately to the situation as it becomes clearer. A few days of leave from work should be sufficient to provide “clarity” on what should be the next steps.
TIG, your number 8 is my biggest concern. You state you will work until it is in your state, but with the thing being contagious for 5 days before symptons show up, you may be 5 days too late. I do not know how to solve this. I need to be sure it is Panflu before “going home sick” and staying home sick with the “seasonal flu” for a few days, until I know for sure.
May I suggest that those of you planning to run to the grocery store, put a LARGE empty cooler in your car so that you can buy ice to bring home to have so you can fill your other coolers in case the power goes off.
NW – at 00:10
Thats part of my plan too. Leg quarters will be dirt cheap. Go late at night in PPE get NOTHING but chicken. Have a stock pot outside full of boiling water. Also have a wood fire in the BBQ pit. Open the chicken, add chicken to water, and drop all trash into the fire on the BBQ. Wash up in tub of hot soapy water and end with a good dose of hand sanitizer.
Boil the heck out of the chicken, then pick meat off the bones and can it.
Eduk8or-at 20:32: Timed to perfection. THAT is a PLAN! Noice. (~What was the priority/number 1 again?)
NJ Jeeper - Re #8:
That is the scariest of them all. I have tried to prepare for getting “caught at work” and having asymptomatic people around me by using my PPE of goggles, gloves and hand sanitizer as soon as we know it is efficient, sustained H2H in the world.
Because I work at a large international company with lots of ties (and travelers) between our plant and numerous Asian plants, I have faith that the company will react very promptly and issue a lot of guidance and warnings much liek they did during SARS. Their plan is to tell employees to SIP and not come into the office during any waves. I suspect they will be ahead of the curve on this decision. Afterall, they have a very hefty investment in keeping their engineers healthy, alive, and working for them. This company has made it through all the other pandemics America has been faced with in the last ~120 years, so I’m sure they take this seriously and know what the impacts can be.
Hillbilly Bill- is this because you won’t go to Church during a Pandemic? No- it’s because you want to pray. Would you attend Church during a pandemic? MY personal POV was all of these things should be out of bounds during a pandemic. Easy for me to say…I don’t go to Church.
Hillbilly Bill- church
We now have a web cast camera that can be used for church. It was really for the “sick” that could not come to church. However, I am trying to get a plan together so we can have “on line services” during times like a pandemic. I am still working on it. I teach on-line classes so “I am the committee”. - now if the net stays up.
TIG: Ah!
I must admit I was concerned at that number 8. Do you think that the mask’s will work. What sort of mask/respirator do you have? They say that the virus is ~0.1 micron in size. That’s ~ 100 nanometres. If a mistake is made in utilising the PPE…it could be fatal…and worse regarding spread in the population. ?!? V.Interesting about the company you work for having been through them all though.
I only have N95 masks. But I am (at least at the moment) more concerned about spread via coughs, sneezes, etc. that have the virus attached to water droplets. If that is the case, my masks will be sufficient.
However, if the virus presents itself in fully aerosol form, then I know my masks can’t be relied on at all and I will be staying home. Again, my work will make e stay home once it is known that a wave is beginning. It is the few days before anyone knows the wave is here that I have my PPE for.
Ultimately, i am not relying on my work to make my decisions for me. I will be monitoring myself, and with the assistance of a friend who works with CDC, to let me make the call one way or another myself. -but I am sure that my decision to not go to work won’t be far off from my employer’s decision to tell me to stay home.
I have a 2 week vacation window to play with if I jump the gun a little early.
If I know a bunch of my coworkers are getting sick, I won’t be here that’s for sure! Many of us will already be set up to work from home anyway. -so first threat in Asia may allow me to telecommute at that point. :) -hopefully!
I am glad I bought all the masks when I did. I haven’t seen them “available” in boxes on the shelves any more. Everyone is sellign them separately now and they have gotten more expensive! I have 14 boxes of 20.
True- masks are going out of fashion! They say the problem is to do with getting a good seal around the mask. I’ve worked with HCl in process work(Silver Leach in Chlorine refining) and you need a full mask and everything. You should of seen my mate in the Electrolytic Gold Room! I’m anticipating that that is what is required to be fully effective. Those other masks will not do when TSHTF. Be Careful. (!Heads Up!). (I used to win the HCl mist competition!)
Mind you- I won’t be playing Chicken with it! When it comes to masks/respirators…you need professional advice! The layman cannot be expected to understand the danger!
TIG, can we assume you will let your friends here at fluwikie know when you get advance notice from CDC or your work. Every bit of warning will be one more reason to SIP.
True, without a good seal, they aren’t worth anything. Well, no, they are worth more than nothing… but I certainly won’t rely on one to be walking around any other people in if I can’t seal it. I have been able to achieve a good seal repeatedly with my size medium masks without having to bend the nose area or do any manipulating of the mask though. My partner hasn’t tried getting a seal with her size small masks though. The mediums are too big for her. I have already told her she will be SIP’ed long before it is anywhere near here though. She gets deathly ill from just the regular seasonal bugs. -often ends up with a bad pneumonia anyway.
I want to reemphasize that the masks are only for use during the early period possibly before a wave is confirmed to be even in my area and while people may be asymptomatic around me. -and ONLY if it has already been established that the virus is not in aerosol form. If it is fully aerosol, even if it hasn’t been detected yet within 3 states of us, we don’t leave the house. It will be smaller in size than my masks can filter, and then absolutely not worth the risk of even leaving the house.
I hope that it won’t even be an issue and that when any of the plants tell workers not to come in in Asia, I won’t be at work here anymore either. -I have numerous plants to watch for that action.
Good girl. With HCl mist you can smell it. With a virus you can’t. Masks get uncomfortable and, you only wear them if you really have to. If a killer virus is on the loose…do not flirt with a hearse! You would make a good scout.(“Be Prepared”);}
Blue – at 12:52
Aren’t we talking about what we will do when first notified? I will not be going to church during a pandemic, and I don’t need to be in church to pray. I was simply saying that prior to full-scale outbreak, I will make sure stored food is distributed.
DennisC – at 12:59
That is a great idea. Unfortunately it wouldn’t work for our congregation.
Yeh, but you’ve gotta discuss the issues that come out of it.
bump so that more opinions and ideas can be added — this is an interesting thread & really is the only thing that’s gotten me actually doing anything since one of my cats died last week. I’m just frozen in place sort of, needing to do so much, but not being able to get myself motivated, but at least I can make a LIST of my top 10 things.
I had figured I’d just ‘know’ what I had to do & do it, but honestly if I’d had to start from scratch on a list this week after putting our cat to sleep, we’d end up in bad shape. For that reason alone you’ve all given me some reasons to rethink & actually write something down.
We could find ourselves deep in grief or sick or with a broken bone, or whatever, at any point in time & to then have to sit down & make a strategic list of last minute life savers is just too overwhelming to think about-much better to have the list in hand when the time comes.
Please list some more ideas for those of us just realizing that a list would be a good thing here!
Other list things to consider:
Based on the time of year and your local climate, you may have to adjust your list. If you plan on securing water by getting it out of the stream-fed pond down the street, do you have a way to break the ice to reach the water? Do you have a way to transport a big hunk of ice? Do you have a way to melt it down to water efficiently?
Maybe you have water stored in water containers… have you allowed enough room for the water to expand in them should they begin to freeze? Do you have a way to melt frozen containers to get to the water? (i.e. you can’t put those plastic water containers onto a burner or wood stove top! -or even that close to one!)
-Just other things for northerners to consider.
Best Case Scenario:
Bill- good plan-
You mean that some people aren’t already sheltering in place? - is that where Melanie already?
just kidding- :)
DennisC – at 13:08
I miss her sharp wit and quick tongue. Or is that quick wit and sharp tongue…
I know she was sick, do you know what the problem was, or should say anything here? Hope it’s not the flu.
Melanie- if you are out there watching from a distance- you are missed.
DennisC – at 13:20
Not the flu.
1) Invite you all to come to Canada for an extended party.
2) Then I can eat your preps. /:0)
my #1 priority is to get my daughter out of middleschool! I bought her a cell phone so that we can stay in touch no matter what is going on, and she understands that. She said that she feels safer knowing she can get in touch with me no matter what time of day, or what’s going on.
after that, I’ll wing it!
How many of you out there actually have your older children involved with preps? My oldest is more involved than I am. I didn’t want to scare her with all of this, but she said if preparing means we can be safe, than let’s do it. Kids, gotta love them!!
Both of my kids are knowledgable about the situation
Eduk8or
Ah, a person after my own heart. Love #2! I homeschooled my oldest four years, so it’s nothing new to her.(she’s 13 now). As long as she can still talk to her friends, she’s o.k. with it. I’m homeschooling my 4 year old now. My daughter knows how to cook on a camp stove, but lordy, is she messy!
I can’t convince her to learn how to shoot even a b-b gun. We too, have made it clear to her, that this discussion is not for the classroom. Kids have a hard enough time dealing with school stuff.
Excellent point to help reduce confusion in times of stress. Focus on facts.
There is a main FluWiki page of suggested things to do within 24 hours. We should each contribute our ideas there. What to do if you have 24 hours. Editing the page is as simple as typing here in the forum. Do not worry about formatting. Some geek will come along and make it look nice later. Without content this site is simply a social club. These are chores you have to do to build this site as a resource for your home, community, country and world.
For want of a nail, a shoe was lost, For want of a shoe, a horse was lost, For want of a horse, a battle was lost, For want of a battle, a kingdom was lost, And all for want of a horseshoe nail.
Please help move good ideas into appropriate FluWiki pages. Actually there are 5 lists on the Preparedness Guides page. We really need to collate them.
BirdGuano mentioned it is a good idea to keep printed copies of your To Do List and Shopping List in your car.
If this goes Human to Human efficiently it may take a week (or longer) to get to your town. Being the first to shelter in place (hide in your house) will cause extra stress on your social commitments for school and work. Are you ready for that? Have you communicated your plans to those you will affect?
New cases appear every day in Asia often involving more than one member of a family. Determining how quickly it changes in speed of transmission (someone used the word Velocity) it critical. Know your level of risk tolerance. Focus. Get organized. Practice.
fredness – at 15:02
Yes the lists are reasonable (with individual adapations). I have most on a flash drive since I expect FluWiki will be VERY slow right when you need to look at the lists.
Jwb (Yesterday) “Kick a chicken on the way home!” cracked me up so much!
Ive printed the lists and put them in a notebook-Im afraid the power will go out and I won’t be able to access computer files. I have a small notebook that I keep with me that Im constantly updating.
Green Mom – at 16:00
I’m glad you liked that! It kind of wraps up how I feel about all this (pi$$ed). I didn’t realize how funny it sounded until I read the post.
Green Mom, put that quote on the quotes thread!!
For those concerned about access to the wiki at “Zero Hour”, don’t forget we have many of the items already placed on the singtomehomuse server on the Large File Communication Project thread that can be burned to CD’s and used off-line even if we loose the web. Thank Dude and DemfromCT for getting that coordinated. Please feel free to compile all these plans to a PDF or Word document and get them posted for off-line use. Once you have them, PRINT a copy in case we do loose power.
One other ‘last minute prep’ that occurred to me today…there is a garden nursery a few blocks from here that also sells firewood. Assuming the owners aren’t lurking on here and planning on closing at the first sign of trouble, dh or I will be stopping and doing a final stock-up on firewood there (instead of the grocery store/home improvement stores, which are much more likely to be overrun with people).
To me, number one seems to be to get the kid’s out of school. If we all make sure that this is done then it will dramatically cut the vectors available for spread. It will mean a lot of workplaces will need to shutdown, but what’s important here. I think that should be the priority. That’s what the list is about(priorities), and I wondered if everyone agreed or maybe there is another top priority. I like the idea of top up lists…but I think the crucial one is to make sure as many people are off the streets as possible. Is there another number one priority that we all as a community should make sure happens immediately if that news were to ever come?
I know we have a water thread elsewhere, but if you have a well and do not have a generator, you may want to get a well bucket like this http://tinyurl.com/aekht before TSHTF. These can also be made at home if you’re handy.
Tom DVM at 13:40 and :41
Just post your address, and we’ll all send you a prep care package! (-:
Then again Tom DVM, ;-) if the house next door happens to be for sale currently…I’m sure some good fluwiki folk would want to be your neighbor.
fredness, …”Being the first to shelter in place (hide in your house) will cause extra stress on your social commitments for school and work. Are you ready for that? Have you communicated your plans to those you will affect?”… (Have school departments gone public with *their* plans, and will they be sending truant officers, are their distance learning plans, or does everyone have to quit the school system and file papers for homeschooling? Some parents would be very surprised to know we are in a pre-pandemic alert period, and, that plans may still include staying open when kids/staff in school are out from pandemic influenza.)
Blue – at 03:47 …”Is there another number one priority that we all as a community should make sure happens immediately if that news were to ever come? “…
We at the Flu Wiki might be unpleasantly surprised at what the local authorities’ and multiple (how coordinated?) departments’ (police, Nat’l guard, airports, power grid, whatever) current lists of What To Do When human pandemic is called look like. (Or, when they realize pandemic is occurring, if it hasn’t been officially “called” per se.)
Apart from many listed above … sign up for HBO
crfullmoon – at 09:11
(Have school departments gone public with *their* plans, and will they be sending truant officers, are their distance learning plans, or does everyone have to quit the school system and file papers for homeschooling? Some parents would be very surprised to know we are in a pre-pandemic alert period, and, that plans may still include staying open when kids/staff in school are out from pandemic influenza.)
Carrey in VA - HomeSchooling Momma of 4? I think schools will stay open as long as possible. Now will they send an officer to your house? I guess that depends on if your kids are the only ones out. If there are alot of parents keeping thier kids home, than your less likely to get a knock on the door.
This link is to the HSLDA site (homeschool legal defense asso.) Click on your state and and there is a nice boiled down, easy to understand, explaination of your states laws.
One funny thing, they have VA listed as a moderately regulated state. All we have to do is send in a “letter of intent” in the begining of the school year, and then a copy of the results of a standardized test on math and language arts in the spring. Very easy to do, no attendence laws, no mandatory hours.
Homeschooling is legal in EACH of the 50 states, don’t let any school offical tell you its not.
I guess the link would help LOL
ok, little ‘Miss Prepper’ here has the human & the pet bug-out-bags ready, has all the equipment at home to camp inside OR ready to travel in case we had to bug out, but this thread got me to thinking that I might not think as clearly as I would hope during critical decision time, and that having a list might help.
We have CATS not kids, so I don’t have to pick anyone up from school — and I estimated the timing on ours just to have an idea of the longest it might take to accomplish a task before we abandon that item & move on to the next.
How’d I do??
HERE’S MY LIST (what I’m lovingly referring to as my 12-step program):
1. Notify husband who will spend no more than 1–1/2 hours doing the following:
……get cash out of the ATM at his workplace
……get his office go-bag of paperwork, discs, etc. together
……notify his staff of his decision to leave (total of 15 minutes for above)
……fill gas tank on way home (total 30 minutes)
……stop by first animal clinic for last minute feline KD & RD dry food
……stop by 2nd animal clinic for same as above (total 30 minutes for above)
……stop by bank ATM, if he had any trouble with one at work (total 15 minutes)
2. I will notify families by email (set up emergency group email & a draft letter to save time) & by phone as I travel about. (10 minutes)
3. Phone in all prescriptions (10 minutes)
4. Go to grocery store - take large ice chest for ice (total 60 minutes) …….get prescriptions at grocery pharmacy …….lettuce …….tomatoes …….carrots …….squash …….green beans …….peppers …….bananas …….apples …….grapes …….oranges …….milk …….butter/margarine …….eggs …….cheese …….bread …….ice …….kitty litter (since we might be using for our loo as well) …….dogfood/catfood (for neighbors’ pets if necessary) …….batteries (AA, AAA, C, D) …….FILL TANK WITH GAS (in the grocery store parking lot & I keep mine filled all the time anyway, so if this gets skipped it shouldn’t matter much)
5. Fill water containers (60 minutes) …….collapsables in the go-bag & camping duffles …….in the ‘pet vittles’ bin (put dry food in a garbage bag) …….in extra ice chests …….in water containers in attic & in pantry …….fill both tubs …….decide whether we need to fill inflatable pool right now or not (set up padded mats for base & sides of pool to protect from punctures & cover rim with duct tape to prevent punctures)
6. Reconstruct SIP entrance kit with poles, plastic, & entrance zipper (30 minutes)
7. Wash clothes, sheets, towels (90 minutes)
8. Recharge both cell phones (120 minutes)
9. Pay any bills online
10. Set up husband’s work-office at home (30 minutes)
11. Set out oil lamps
12. Update website info for neighborhood (30 minutes) (no one uses it now anyway so it’s not THAT urgent)
MY SECOND LIST IS FOR FAMILY: My brother & SIL moved here in town & live in a small apartment while they finalize blueprints for building their home. He has back problems & she has MS which limits walking, requiring a cane most of the time.
Their list is very much like mine, with “his & hers” duties.
SIL should: …..phone in prescriptions …..email & phone family …..do laundry of clothes, sheets & towels …..refill washer with water & hold, fill tubs with water, fill any containers useable with water while clothes are cleaning
Brother should: …..fill gas tank …..pick up prescriptions SIL phoned in …..groceries— same list as mine but also, if they haven’t kept up their supply on these items: ……..hot dogs, beef patties, pre-cooked bacon & sausage ……..canned soup ……..canned pork n’ beans ……..Bisquick ……..instant rice ……..peanut butter ……..Tylonol & Imodium ……..Hormel dinners ……..popcorn ……..canned meat ……..batteries ……..paper plates ……..disposable forks, spoons, knives ……..toilet paper ……..paper towels
FINAL STEP: Stand it on their own as long as they want to, then bring themselves, their clothes & their supplies over to MY place! :-)
Now, once you guys critique it then I’ll fine tune, type into Word, print & laminate!
The number 1 on my top 10 actually took place in May. I stopped feeding the birds.
I’m-working-on-it- “You’ve gotta learn to simplify man!”
1. Text message my 17 year old “Grandma is ill” (code that he recognizes as TSHTF), will also notify the school. When he receives this msg., he knows to gather the other siblings. They will then gather all items they have at the school (empty lockers etc.), wash hands, sit as far away as possible from any person and wait for my arrival.
2. On the way to school will call DH, the plan is for him to fill up the truck & the two extra five gallon containers that he carries in it, make necessary phone calls, go to the bank and then meet me at Super WalMart. BTW, he will have an hour to get this done.
3.After I pick up my children, I will tell them how much I love them and that it is all going to be OK, will stop and fill up the Suburban and the two additional containers that I have, then drop off kids and gas at home and meet DH at Super WalMart, I too will have an hour to complete said tasks. At the house, each child will have a chore (we talk about the plan often, when TSHTF it will be like second nature). My 17 year old son will secure the back gate with a chain lock, chlorinate, shock, sweep and vacum the pool (top off with water if needed). My 15 year old boy will make sure all windows and doors are locked, start charging batteries, game boys, portable dvd and lap tops, put 3 cases of water in the big freezer all with the help of my 5 year old son. My 14 year old daughter will start dishwasher, dust every nook and cranny in the house and start a pot of coffee;o).
4. Load the Suburban and truck with water, fresh groceries, extra propane etc.
5.Tell DH I love him.
6. Get home and get the kids to shower and place that days clothes in a seperate hamper, we then shower and do the same. Wash those clothes (that should be the last load) and spay the hamper with Caviside. Clean the house, spray everything with Caviside, wipe down every surface with Caviside wipes, while DH fills up Aqua Tanks.
7. Secure Windows with Plexiglass, and put 2X4 on all doors with the exception of the entryway.
8. Finsh working on the entryway (Set up the disinfecting station etc.).
9.Check on Neighbor and help her secure windows etc. Give her a big hug and tell her I will see her in about 8 weeks.
10. Last but not least, watch the kids play outside one last time before we SIP, drnk a cuppa coffee and smoke that last cigarette :0)
Blue….what do I cut out?
Gotta get husband notified & all he has to do is get cash at work, & stop for dry food & gas on the way home. (We already have both at home so he could just come straight home)
I call husband, call pharmacy, send an email & go to the grocery store, then we’re both home & everything else happens at home, just ‘topping off’ laundry, phones, etc.
Most of the food on my ‘last minute grocery list’ we already have on hand at all times, except lettuce and a lot of extra ice, so we could get by with just those purchases.
How else should I simplify?
I’m-working-on-it-
Just the word’s. Nah, only being silly. I noticed that your number one was a list ya know, that’s all. I think I started something! Good Stuff!
The temptation for a last minute run to top off will put you at risk once any announcement is made. Critical preps like Rx’s and food (pet or otherwise) should not be left to last minute. We don’t know how or when the “Announcement” will be made or what the circumstances will be.
Hmmn… That is of course true! Kind of guarantees that if it comes people will die because they will be still doing their last minute preps. (Well that’s it then…the shops should shut!)(even if it’s just for a few day’s when the pandemic first hit’s …[I don’t think so]…but what’s gonna happen,then.. aaaaauughh!) Tricky.How do we beat that then?
Realize that the “announcement” may very well occur when it is the middle of the night in the USA and midday some where like Indo/Thailand/China. Don’t count on being the only one at the pump/store.
Just don’t send the kids to school that day and stay home.
I’m hoping I will be trought with all preps before we get the dreaded news, if not, will have no choice but to go to the store. I’m counting on knowing TSHTF before it hits the local news, I’m sure FluWikians will have a heads up.
oops…typo “through”
No Fluing Around, If that day’s clothing needs such special treatment, perhaps everyone should strip at the door before entering, have handcleaning and facecleaning wet wipes at the door, then each person could put on a robe, from inside the door. Also parents maybe should wear gloves to shop, etc.
These lists are such a good idea for not panicking.
NoFluingAround – at 12:36
“if not, will have no choice but to go to the store. I’m counting on knowing TSHTF before it hits the local news, I’m sure “
There in lies the problem. What if the cashiers at the store are on fluewikie, and they walk out. What if the person who fills the ATM is on the fluwikie and doesn’t come to work to fill the ATMs, what if all the busdrivers don’t come in and all the parents arrive at school at the same time to pick up their kids, my pharmasist is well informed, what if he’s on the fluwiki and takes his sick days ….. We all have lists but they may blow up in our faces if we really leave something important to the last minute.
Oh, and I don’t think they will walk out because most of them I know live paycheck to paycheck and cann’t afford not to work. That’s to our benefit and their possible demise.
Jane – at 12:46
Thank you Jane, now that you have mentioned it, you are absolutely right, will revise. Thank God for FluWikians:o)
silversage – at 12:46
I have had your synerio go through my head on several occasions. I am very scared at the thought, however if TSHTF tomorrow, there are so many of us that will have no choice but to resort to our current lists. I can only pray that I will be done by the time this “Serial Killer” comes out of hiding. This week I will be getting some more last minute preps. Want to do so much more, unfortunately finaces will not permit.
Re: my lists. I have tried to weigh priorities of preps and timing of purchase based on several factors.
Priority of prep item (water, food, shelter, medical, communication, comfort/convenience etc) Cost of item vs. Absolute need of item Availability of item as shortages develop (ie masks, respirator cartridges, industrial disinfectants, ammunition etc- all reduced supply now)
When faced with a lethal threat, there is NO room for leaving critical preps to last minute “top off” runs. As a chaotic situation develops, ridgid plans and timelines will fail. For all we know the “announcement” may occur days if not weeks into a pandemic threat. Any last minute public exposures could prove to be lethal.
I want to be at home, watching things unfold on the media. Warm and safe with the family intact.
SIP ¡V Just collected thoughts about the potential factors to consider: I¡¦ve used this checklist to help plan ahead and prioritize preparation¡K There is much more scattered as notes etc, often gleaned from the wiki and other resources¡K but feel free to comment ƒº I hope this may be helpful :)
-Utilities will be available for at least short term allowing the ability to begin storage of water, gathering online data and current news. -However inevitably basic services will become unavailable, communications, power are likely first to fail, water following that (likely same time), so long term preps should be selected with this in mind. Don¡¦t forget sanitary and toilet needs have to be considered as well. (Suggestion: household temporarily suspends ALL utilities for several hours to determine what problems would have to be addressed.) -After public release of pandemic news there will be a rush on every store, gas stations and related resources across the country, making preps at this time a very difficult, and likely dangerous proposition. (For one example, considering costs and difficulties involved, there may be several people who will simply take supplies from departing shoppers in the confusion. in the rush, police and emergency services will likely be sorely pressed or absent for this entire crisis as well) -So making certain the majority of necessities is purchased beforehand to avoid this is needed. -Note: There may or may not be any time available to accomplish any additional preparation. So what is accomplished now will minimize risk later. -Also, Consider carefully what you may have to do, step-by-step in the event of Emergencies like fire, flood, break-in, medical emergencies, evacuation etc. and that family understands their role. And at the same time identify necessary materials needed for these events. -Also, Social considerations¡Kthis is a very subjective issue. If someone knocks on your door for shelter, food, supplies, news etc etc¡K..what to do? If someone chooses to take what you have¡Kwhat to do? (fight, leave, offer part of supplies etc¡K.difficult subject) - Long term secondary considerations also should be reviewed, paying bills, children¡¦s education etc. For those who have the ability to telecommute, that should be settled sooner rather than later. (until possible communications breakdown , at least.) -Also, reviewing family¡¦s survival skills, and occupational abilities may be useful in the event there is a wider socieconomic breakdown. Possibly picking up books or other resources to review may be a good idea to this end. Many of us are quite used to a modern, electronic society. And being at least acquainted with low tech, non-powered methods of survival at the very least may very well be useful and prevent bad choices in emergency situations. Acquiring first aid techniques, CPR etc. is also a good idea. -Barter supplies may also be a good thing to stock as well if the crisis continues for long. Cigarettes, Alcohol, and other luxury goods will become scarce quickly, and will be useful for trade in the absence of a functioning economy. Luxury goods are suggested because they may very well have greater value for effort to store/transport etc. -Camping gear, as extensive as possible may give shelter options in the event a person has to move out quickly.
Argh, that formatted badly….sorry everyone
We are counting on flukikie to give us 24 hours notice. With all the eyes and ears we have, we surely will know before an official WHO announcement or MSM blitz.
MAV in Colorado – at 14:13
“I want to be at home…Warm and safe with the family intact. “
exactly. That is the reaso to prep now. You may not get the “announcement” until late. I think it is foolish (not to MAV but some others) to think that just because you watch FluWiki you will some how have more time than others. There are a lot of news types looking in here just waiting for a “scoop”. Again, it may be that the “announcement” will come at night and every one wakes to a “panic” morning.
I will make calls to get things delivered like propane and prescriptions and perhaps use a self serve pump but I don’t want to go inside anywhere. By the time the work is out, the planes from Indo/Thailand/China have already landed. Remember, that people are asymptomatic for days but can shed the virus.
My advice echos MAV - stay “safe” at home.
I will try to have some items delivered (propane, prescriptions,..).
However, my strategy is more like Hillbilly Bill – at 13:03. Stay home. I have most of my basics covered, with solar array, water pump, and basic supplies…(a few months worth). My approach now is to add a day of preps for each 5 new H5N1 confirmed deaths or so.
Another good idea is to identify secondary and third suppliers for yourself. The best ones are “off the beaten path” to get items you need when TSHTF and you may be one of the early folks in the curve.
I found that dollar stores have a lot of canned foods and “comfort foods”. Most people go to grocery stores or “super walmarts” for that stuff. This is a good alternative if things get hot.
Marine stores also sell propane tanks and small supplies like that, so do many bait stores, but folks won’t initially think about those locations.
Talk to some restaurant owners you know. As soon as something starts to go down, they won’t be having customers any more. They also don’t want to lose all the money they have in food items. You may be able to work out a deal to buy some stuff in bulk from them at the start of anything rather than have their supplies “commandeered” by TPTB down the road.
Why do you all think it would be necessary to collect and store water immediately on day one? Surely the water won’t shut off so fast?!?
Plan for the worst case and hope for the best (←unofficial Fluwiki motto?!)
Worst case = insufficient warning. Senario: Media announcements ongoing, panic develops. Lines at gas stations, markets and big boxes overflowing with paniced customers. Freeways bogging down. Solution: avoid high risk areas at ALL costs! (Stores, hospitals, highways)
We are already at the point where important items are nearly unavailable and prices have been going way up on others. (Took me 2 hours to find another 100 P100 cartridges for my respirators last week). IMHO it is time to reprioritize those lists to have the basics covered this weekend. Try to be at the point of being confident and comfortable if you had to close the door……………………….NOW!
and my PF is only a 6
TreasureIslandGal – at 14:47
You’ve got some good ideas!
My list could be boiled down to — call husband to come home & let family know the situation. Both of us could do without our medications if we had to, so we’re very lucky in that regard.
But the last run would ensure that I have some fresh stuff, as well as extra for neighbors.
delphina – at 14:53 Why do you all think it would be necessary to collect and store water immediately on day one? Surely the water won’t shut off so fast?!?
You are probably right but the one thing I know from disaster experience is DONT RELY ON ANYTHING. They are called disasters for a reason. Once things get past a certain point there is a tendency for things to spiral unpredictably downhill. I call this the Sh*t spiral.
delphina – at 14:53 store water immediately - shut off,
It will depend on where you are. On small community systems, the “water guy” may just not show up to turn on things. For big cities (say over 1000), “they” will work real hard to keep the water up. However, water is the #1 prep item. Without it, nothing else matters much. If you try a test run of things, I think you will find that water is the important thing. You might get cold/hot or stump your toe without power- You might have to eat cold beans and spam out of a can without fuel, but if you run out of water things get bad quick. (toilets, thirst, cleaning, rehydration of the sick). Try it sometimes to help put things in perspective.
Just my viewpoint.- Views of others will depend on their conditions/environment.
MAV that bothers me too….but the day after ‘any anouncement’, I’m willing to wake up and stumble around some previously collapsed and hidden containers now filled with water for a week or so if I need to rather than risk having to haul that much water and more up the hill from a lake near us! Assured convenience of one item counts for a LOT when you’re under stress of losing many conveniences at once!
MAV in Colorado – at 15:01 “I call this the Sh*t spiral. “
Yes, and if you don’t have water you can not get rid of it down the toilet. And if you can’t use the toilet, everything goes “down the toilet”.
I thought that today, as a kind of drill I would go through what I would do if the ANNOUNCEMENT came. OK, well, kids are allready homeschooled-so, thats one less worry.
2 Dh will probably will hear announcement same time as me. I’ll call my Mom and she will then alert others in my family.
3 we pay bills on line.
4I’d have to make a judgment call on whether to get in one more round of allergy shots. If I had a 24 hour wiki heads up I might do it-though we’d certainly be wearing masks! We didn’t wear masks today, but I made everyone use hand sanitizer-in fact we did that after coming out of every store.
5I did go to Super Walmart for a non-flu related item, but scoped out Brinkman Lanterns and some other items. I think If TSHTF I’ll just skip walmart-the place makes me crazy on a normal day.
6 did go to pharmacy, picked up prescriptions, cough meds, extra vitiamins, a few more OTC items.
7 swung by pet store for last minent pet supplies.
8 did the grocery store thing.
9 tanked up with gas/filled couple of gas canisters
10 looked for some chickens to kick, but couldn’t find any. Did pass a pond at the city park. Daughter wouldn’t let me throtle any ducks.
11 dropped off recycling-Im thinking there might not be any garbage pick up so get rid of as much recycling/trash as possible
12. Stopped by library, checked out “War and Peace” Actually, I returned most of my books and only got a couple. Asked the librian if I could keep them until the Flu season was over. She just laughed. Little does she know……
This took a couple of hours and really frayed my nerves even though it was just a drill. I think my best plan is to not leave ANYTHING to last minent. I’ll keep adding to my preps, but I think when the sign comes I’m staying in.
Green Mom – at 00:00
10 looked for some chickens to kick, but couldn’t find any. Did pass a pond at the city park. Daughter wouldn’t let me throtle any ducks.
Good one! Isn’t it a relief to find things to laugh at?
cottontop – at 14:10 How many of you out there actually have your older children involved with preps? My oldest is more involved than I am. I didn’t want to scare her with all of this, but she said if preparing means we can be safe, than let’s do it. Kids, gotta love them!!
What Eduk8tor said! Both my kids (8 and almost 11) are in on the preps. Both have cell phones. They help with prep chores. They know where everything is, and they are learning skills that we may need to rely on. For example, I taught my daughter how to make bread this a.m. Both know the situation is serious at this point and that they should enjoy each day to its fullest. We are doing lots of outings and trips, having lots of playdates, and generally soaking it all in as much as possible.
My sweet 8-year-old still believes in Santa. The other night at tuck in he asked if Santa would still come during pandemic. I told him I thought so, but that he might not be able to bring as many things as usual. I shamelessly explained to him that Santa has the ideal, self-contained, SIP arrangement, and that traveling at night when he wouldn’t come into contact with people meant he would still be making the rounds. On the other hand, my almost 11-year-old told me last night that she knows there’s no Santa, so I don’t need to fake it anymore. ;)
Edna Mode – at 10:43 Santa - we have our Christmass items all wrapped (mostly things like army knives, games,… that can double as preps). We also have one extra set of presents for the “orphan at the door”.
Hay I even still believe in Santa and he has never let me down yet even though sometimes I have to give him a little help.
Edna Mode - My 26-year-old son recently told me the exact time he stopped believing in Santa Claus. He must have been eight or so, and he found a box in which one of his toys came. He told me that not only did he stop believing in Santa Claus, he also ceased to believe in the electoral process. That really cracked me up!
Is it recommended to have everything that is rechargable charged all the time?
Is it not reasonable to think that we would hear of several (like in the triple digits) of H5N1 infections in the same place before a pandemic is “called”, or is the thinking that it could be already at that stage and we won’t know it because of poor reporting or purposeful nontransparency? It just does not seem to me that a tipping point is eminent - maybe close, but not tomorrow?
History Lover, Edna Mode
Santa Claus is real - I know for sure for “I are one” - I still believe that parents love their child, that children play make believe, that dreams can come true, that giving from your heart gives a warm feeling, that even on the longest and darkest night of the year there is hope, …… As I said, I have never had Santa let me down yet.
DennisC – at 15:41
DennisC, I agree. When my daughter was beginning to doubt the Easter Bunny was real and it was obvious I wasn’t going to get off the hook, I declared with total conviction, “Yes the Easter Bunny is real. I’m the Easter Bunny!”
And one parting story about kids and pandemic prep (then I promise I’ll stop!)…
We are big readers and movie buffs in this house, and we watch lots of silly cult classics like The Day the Earth Stood Still and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and such.
Tonight we were watching Night of the Living Dead. As a group of people huddled in a farm house were freaking out trying to avoid being attacked by the flesh-eating ghouls, my daughter says, “And this is yet another example of a situation in which we in this house would be fine.”
Not so sure we’re THAT well prepped, but she’s obviously feeling pretty secure.
Edna Mode – at 22:30
The Day the Earth Stood Still is not a cult classic - it is in the top 100 films of all times. Its moral, of course, is germs are a powerful force of nature.
:)
1) rx refills 2) withdraw cash from bank 3) fill gas and water cans 4) grocery for fresh meat and dairy 5) pet food topoff 6) wood, charcoal and extra propane 7) “soaker” pads for mattresses, cedar shavings for toilet can, garbage bags 8) shotgun, shells, hunting knife, metal window grills and door bar hardware 9) turkey roasting bags for solar oven 10) as many more cases of water I can fit
Okeleydokeley…now for the Govt. Top 10_ Number one would have to be the grounding of all international air travel. Wouldn’t it? Let’s figure out number one first, then number two!
All these lists are great and very well thought out, but I have to admit that I cannot conceive of a pandemic as something that happens suddenly while you are at work. I can’t see it in the same frame as say a natural disaster or a terrorist attach where a clear, quick plan is required.
Rightly or wrongly I tend to see it as a (reasonably rapid, say over a week) escalation of news coming in, increasing numbers of deaths in the usual hotspots, gradual occurence of cases in new, unexpected places etc) and I would tend to see the final decision being one of getting up in the morning, checking the usual news and saying ‘ok, I think we’re all staying at home today and for the foreseeable future’. Then it would be a case of discussing between us if any essential outside trips need to be made and I would expect that to be an ongoing situation.
I actually don’t think the government would act that quickly. We have too many people overseas that need to come home. Also, I think they would wait to see if the starter country could contain it. They may have a plan, and that’s good, but the virus won’t see that plan and may do tricks on us. I also don’t think they would do anything without many meetings with “officials”. Each action causes several reactions, as far as financial and social, and there really cannot be a false alarm.. I think we will be reacting far faster than anything the government will do.
WinW- I agree with you-I think it would be more gradual, over several days instead of all at once. I think Wikians will make more on-their-own judgement calls regarding when to SIP. And depending on how it plays out, some of us might be SIP days before others.
ok - take yesterday in Baltimore - IF that had been pandemic H5N1, what would you have done?
IF it was the real thing, the virus would have been on the loose for days if not longer. It would already be circulating in the population. It can and may happen that fast.
Goju – at 09:54
That is sort of my point. IF I lived in Baltimore and IF it was confirmed it would have been a ‘we’re all staying at home’ day, but from where I do live it would have been a ‘let’s go to work and see what the news in the evening brings’ sort of day. Unless I could see a clear and reasonable near threat (at least in the same country as me and spreading)I do not think I would want to isolate my family. Certainly my partner could not SIP until a clear risk was shown to exist because he works for local government and could not just go AWOL. I realise that the virus would already be spreading within a city but unless you were extremely unlucky I don’t think a few hours from cases being confirmed is going to make a huge difference. Your children have been with those other children all morning or whatever and you have been with your workmates. Either they are infectious or they aren’t and going home that minute will not change anything. Just an opinion however and probably one that is easier to hold when you live in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps I would feel differently if I lived in a city, I can’t judge that.
Worried in Wales…you may be right(and certainly not living in a city is akin to living in Perth, Western Australia, where people are gonna say,”Dude-you don’t gotta be as worried as me”…which is true, true)…but if it was confirmed bird flu in H2H confirmed form and you went to work THEN you are nuts! People must all act immediately and not give this thing a chance. Sure, some will get caught but the more people that react decisively and responsibly the best chance we have. The more people that react and with speed, the governments will be forced to acknowledge and act with speed themselves. And WHEN the govt’s do something, then we all have the best chance. !FOR REAL
I’m in deep trouble. I don’t have a list. Would I be in NY or would I be moved to my new home in NH? I’ll find out November 1st if our last contingency is met and I do have a new home in NH !!! If all works out - my preps will be in NH on 12/2. I will be in NH on 12/9. Husband will join permanently 12/31. All in all, my first thing I would do is contact to two kids in college and get them home. Home? What home Ma???? The NY home? NH home? What a mess!!!
You’ve got too many lists…right here!
There’s some great lists here, and thats the point, if you’re stuck you come here.
This is true, I was thinking of that as I read it. I used to have a PPF, but my plate got so full, my PPF fell off the edge. Things will work out one way or the other. I’m not unpacking those Preps! When you move, the Moving Company goes by weight to determine the cost. Well. Let’s just say, canned goods and 10 lb bags of rice are very heavy.
Commonground-? I am considering a possible move from Colorado to Maine. Been looking at “all those preps” for a couple weeks now. Scratching my head. Working on what needs to stay handy while en route. Hate to have to tow a trailer all that way in mid winter.
Oh Boy MAV. I certainly feel for you. A lot of thinking on your part. The moving company recommended “book boxes” for canned goods. They are more durable and not too big. But each box must weigh at least 50 lbs. and I filled 45 of them. One tip: the small bagged beans are great to fill in the cracks and use as cushions for any containers that are glass. I worked on packing those preps for 5 days. Now, if I need something, wouldn’t have a clue what box to find it in. I’m working on using up everything (I won’t) in my chest freezer. I had planned to use that for 2 months and then hit the canned/dry goods.
MAV: from your post at 14:15: “……stay away from potential chaos”. That’s why I come here to the wiki. I’m trying to stay away from potential chaos. And it’s not a pandemic!!! Hey, gotta have that humor, right?
I’m starting to try to use up some heavy preps (actually, just not replacing) and I’m not even sure I’m going yet.
I don’t have a list yet, but it has occurred to me that it’s a full-time job for one person to fill all the water containers. I wouldn’t want to leave it until later, but by the time I have all the containers filled, the stores will have been emptied. (Unless the news hasn’t broken in the MSM yet-I wonder how quickly it will spread on the blogosphere?) In a city the traffic will be terrible, too. Traffic jams are nerve-wracking in normal times, and I try to be extra careful in hot, humid weather, when tempers are short, so if a crisis is starting, staying home would be best.
Some of these top ten lists look like they could take ten DAYS to handle.
Do what you can while the sun is still shinning
Blue – at 12:45
Confirmed H2H where? If it is in my country then yes I see the point of immediate SIP (although not in a rush home from work way, more in a ‘won’t be in tomorrow’ way), but if it is confirmed H2H in Indonesia? Well haven’t we had that already? Surely the point of prepping is to be able to make sane choices in an orderly fashion not scream and run for cover the second someone sneezes near you? You are not going to wake up and find that wham! suddenly your neighbourhood is rife with pandemic flu. It will be obvious from watching the news (and the mainstream media will get interested again as soon as something ‘sensational’ starts happening, they’re not stupid and many of them are as worried as we are)if a pandemic is starting. If you truly think that a pandemic is something that suddenly hits like an earthquake then what is the point of running a news thread here? Surely you will still be caught unawares if your scenario is true because it will be completely unforeseeable until the ‘alarms’ go off?
This catastrophic thinking might work for some people if they are happy with that constant level of adrenaline but it doesn’t work for everyone.
Finish all normal home chores (laundry, etc) while dh and dd stock up on gas and rx’s doc has written but insurance won’t pay for
Get more cash
Fill water containers, the few not already done
Fix a nice big meal, take a long hot bath,BB RWFK, sleep in as much as I can
kiss family, call son,scratch dogs nag family one more time with lists of instructions, precautions, reminders say a big prayer, take a deep breath head to work
It depends on the people around you-do they travel frequently, especially overseas? Do your neighbors commute on the train with international travelers? Visit family overseas? Do your children go to school with children who travel? (One of our posters had a shock when her manicurist said she was really tired because she had just returned from visiting her family in Viet Nam.) Living in or near a big city seems to shrink distances when you’re talking about communicable disease.
Too many lists? Perhaps. But I think it is helpful to think out many different scenarios. What works for one family might not for another. And if and when TSHTF, you may have to re-prioritize your list and keep it fluid. There’s no telling what may happen. Best to think things out so that if you do encouter a situation down the road you’ve thought through some options - most people will be running like the proverbial chicken w/no head. In the intial stages staying calm will be invaluable.
Maybe? too many lists, but my thoughts in starting the thread were to give everybody options, including myself. Its worked good. Worried In Wales: O.K. The confirmation of H2H may need a little redefining. If H2H is confirmed…people will keep dropping…like birds out of the sky! Then the planes better get grounded or we’re toast. No…we’re not all toast but who is gonna die would have been preventable had the planes not been shut down.
! Where’s all the Govt. Top 10 Things To Do lists? ! Don’t we all know what the govt. should be doing and when(I don’t)? ! Its a scary/scary thing when no one knows what to do…imagine if it happened tomorrow…we’re all gonna kick and scream at the govt. for not doing this and that…but we(as low level civilians) wouldn’t have a clue either. ! I admit that I don’t either…all I can do is pray for the govt. to have worked it out. (It doesn’t matter if we’re wrong now, ‘cos we have time to fix it…and when I get a clue I will add something, but I am lost) ! The number one message that we should all heed if we wish to survive is that we are not that advanced at all. ! Be Aware. Be Prepared.
BUMP
A tip from the fire service:
Don’t just make lists and tuck them away.
PRACTICE the movements associated with the lists.
Even if you are in a high stress situation the muscle memory will take over.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
Bird Guano – at 14:49 Good advice.