Hey everyone in North Carolina! Is there anyone here finished prepping yet? Feel free to meet others in your area here, discuss local preparations/news etc.
ricewiki, I’m in Asheville! After tonights news, I’ll be done tomorrow.
I’m in Winston-Salem, NC ~ but I have not finished prepping yet! Still working on it!
I live in the Winston-Salem area, outside of Kernersville. I have done some prepping (up to about 6–8 weeks supplies now). Not sure how much more I will do for now — probably will try to keep adding here and there to have about 2 - 3 months worth.
Anyone hear anything about local or state plans? I heard of one (very bad) initial plan that was scrapped, but no more news. I’ve been pestering the school system to get prepared, but no more news there yet either.
I am in Asheville and have been trying to do some things on a local level. Will post more when I know more.
Raleigh here. Yeah I am done.
The first local newspaper article I saw mentioned that TPTB were thinking we could all drive to the local colliseum to get our vaccinations… Hmmm — first of all, can anyone say “gridlock”? And I really want to be jammed into a sports arena with thousands of people, some sick, some well. (!) Not to mention — what vaccine? The one that can’t be developed until several months after the avian flu goes H2H (if it does)? Yeah, that was the initial plan. Bad plan — fortunately dumped. Now if someone would just come up with some other ideas…
Greeting to all my fellow flu trackers. I am also in Asheville i havent prepped a lot. i have limited space so i am planning on a JIT kinda thing. but the most important survival items like ammo and burbon i already have :-)
Greetings to all my fellow flu trackers. I am also in Asheville i havent prepped a lot. i have limited space so i am planning on a JIT kinda thing. but the most important survival items like ammo and burbon i already have :-)
sorry about the double post, if a mod will delete one. than-x
We live a bit south of Asheville, near Transylvania County. Several months ago, when it seemed as though we had put aside a huge amount of food, water, medicines, and other supplies, we decided to create an inventory and put together sample meal plans. We were surprised to see that we didn’t have nearly as much as it seemed we did. I wouldn’t suggest waiting until the last minute to prep; it takes much more than one would think to keep a family going for a couple of months.
South Asheville reporting in. I have a good head start and I am in the wait and see mode. doc in asheville I am interested in what you are up to in regard to the community. I am somewhat concerned about the schools here and wonder if they will shut down in plenty of time IF BF goes H2H. I also wonder if you are my doc!
Lots of people in the mountains, it seems! How I wish I could flee this sprawling metropolis and find a tiny house in Valle Crucis. :-)
Hi everyone, I’m in the Pamlico sound region. I’m pretty much satisfied that my family of four could get by pretty well for about four months. I’m still adding to my preps every week and don’t know exactly when I’ll feel comfortable to call my preps “done.” I’ve kind of started looking at preps as a way of life rather than a reaction to a possible event. Truth be told, I kind of enjoy the prepping hobby. Don’t get me wrong, I hope my prepping is ALWAYS just a hobby and never will be put to long term use. Does anyone else actually enjoy prepping or am I kind of odd? Be honest now, I can take it. Am I a nut or what?
yup.an opportunity to take the “what if” factor,and run with it. trying to prep cheap,yet thoroughly,is,for me,best treated as a game of chess. an exercise in thinking proactively.
That’s exactly it, inthehills. It’s like playing a strategic game where the opponent is yourself and your own ability to see around corners. Of course, I don’t mean to imply that the possibility of a pandemic is anything but terrifying. But this little physical and mental exercise we refer to as prepping goes a long way toward easing my mind on all kinds of issues, the threat of pandemic being but one.
Hi everyone, Just found you. I hope there are more of you too! I’m from the big city (the other NYC, I like to call it) & hopefully plan to isolate with my family in Northern NC Mtns. if ever needed - have cabin - will travel. Does anyone else feel like they are the only ones to take BF seriously around these parts.
Hello NC preppers. I have been lurking for a while and decided to join the group. I am also in the Kernersville area, InfoLady. Nice to meet you. Yes, I too feel like I am all alone in this endeavor but think that after the TV coverage this weekend, that might change. Perhaps folks will sit up and take notice. I find the whole thing so strange; how can people not understand. The medical community isn’t onboard either. I work at a major medical center, and the other day rode the elevator with one of the infectious disease docs, and I said, “So, what’s our pandemic flu plan? Do we have one?” The reply: “Well, if we had 5 years we might be able to be ready, but I don’t think we have that long. Maybe 3 years. But I’m good at living in denial.” How sobering is that? I think my family is good to go for about 3 months, but I continue to prep.
Loui-sounds like you are on top of your game with the preps. I started out thinking I would grab a few items for 10 days of extra food, now feel 4–6 months + basic survival course (almost there). Maybe calm before storm as mentioned on other threads, but things do seem to be quieting down. I think you are correct that after this weekend’s “Dateline”? show and movie airing May 9, people will move (at least temp) to stock up. In Clt. people panic buy if “flurries” are forecast. Can’t understand this, we never lose power in snow (heck, it rarely snows), just ice storms! Can you just imagine how we would cope in a pandemic. Discouraging the medical community isn’t more prepared. Ventilators aside, seems only prudent to make sure our health care workers are protected with essentials. I think they have finally ordered masks and gloves at CMC but seems like “Big Business” side of hospitals is ruling the roost. Please enlighten us if you hear of anything else. Glad you logged on.
I’m outside of Durham. I have a lot yet to do, but AM ready for the next ice storm!
I called the Durham health department to see if the city has a pandemic preparedness plan. Supposedly they do, but it is not publicly available. I wonder at what point they plan to release it?
The NC state plan is here: http://tinyurl.com/eqbzd. Frankly, it looks like so much nicely formatted blah-blah-blah, CYA, etc. I can picture practitioners reading it, thinking, “So what am I actually supposed to DO?”
I’ve been polling my doctors as I go through various yearly exams, to see what the feeling in the medical community is like. Feeling seems to be, the CDC hasn’t told us to care yet, so we don’t care yet. It’s like the Stepford Doctors, waiting for the CDC to flip the switch to activate their mind control chips.
You could say I’m having a bad week, bird-flu-wise.
Hello to all, West Asheville checking in. Does anyone know how much clorine the water treatment plant has? If I run out of stored water the thought of having to go to the French Broad to get water does not make me happy. Also, does anyone know how much coal the Lake Julian power plant has stored? Does anyone know if the City of Asheville has any plans in place to deal with a pandemic? By-the-way it’s nice to see some are prepping in Buncombe County.
Dee Dee, I just had Culligan Water put a whole house water filter on and reverse osmoiss (sp) filter under the sink. I had the same concerns as you. I live in Fletcher. We have Asheville city water. The filters will allow me to drink the water for as long as it’s available or fill containers. Give it some thought. I signed a year contract. R
Hi all….. outside of Chapel Hill here! Working on my preps, but going about it slowly. I think (hope) we’re a ways off from H2H transmission, so don’t want to have any of my food items expire.
Bookfinder, Prep what you eat. I have been rotating through preps for a couple months. I found out my 4yr old likes sardines. So now, we rotate through those. We have rice and lentils once a week. This will help if food runs low and we have to eat a lot of rice and lentils. R
Hi Roman,
I do prep what I eat, although I don’t usually buy canned fruits and vegetables, so have not stocked up on those yet. I plan to enjoy fresh just as long as possible!
I’ve heard that if you freeze your rice and beans before storage it kills any critters that may be hiding in them. Do you know if that’s true?
Thanks for the advise!
Bookfinder, I have heard that (rice and beans). It may be a good idea to purchase a book with all this info. I think there are some suggestions here on the wikie. I started a garden this year. You may want to plant some lettuce, kale, tomatoes etc. Use raised beds if you can. It’s simple. They should be ready to eat three months or so. Plus, you will be ready for next Spring. The supplies may not be available in the future. Make sure to buy some extra organic seeds. We have also stocked frozen berries, etc. We use them with protein powder (Whey) and rice milk. You can buy rice milk by the case and it does not need to be put in the fridge until after it’s opened. One more thing, freeze bananas. You can keep a bunch of them in the freezer and use them for smoothies or blend them for ice cream.
Hi - I’m prepping here in Durham for myself, husband, and 2 kids, ages 2 and 6. I ‘m almost up to 3 months worth of food and am not sure how much more to prep. I know a pandemic can last up to 12–18 months, but I have a hard time accepting that I need to be ready to self-quarantine for that entire time. I’m hoping to get out between waves and re-stock - how realistic is that? My plan is to pull kids out of school as early as possible and my husband says he will stay home from work (self-employed) as long as we need to.
Hi Roman, Thanks for the info regarding the water filtration system I’ll check it out. To all, in regards to prepping I’ve pretty much finished, but I’ll have to confess I’m waiting till the last moment to finish a few final preps. My vegetable garden is taking up most of my spare time now. I have about 600 canning jars and I am planning on filling most of them (wish me luck - working full time will make it a bit of a challange)and getting in more firewood for the stove. I’m lucky that I have a husband who has seen the light and is helping to get ready. Hopefully this mess will not breakout, but if it does I’m about as ready as I can be.
Finally — got the news that the University of NC system is holding a pandemic response planning forum/workshop in June to start serious preps for a possible pandemic. It’s about time!
any other north carolinians still out there fighting the good fight?
I am from Tennesse but I contacted TVA to get info on pandemic planning and thought y’all might be interested. TVA services Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. For a map, please see their website at http://www.tva.com/sites/sites_ie2.htm.
I looked up TVA and learned the following from their web site:
They get 30% of their power from nuclear power plants they own. They have some hydro power plants. Most of their electricity comes from 11 coal burning plants. One plant uses burns about 14,000 tons of coal a day, an amount that would fill 140 railroad cars.
There is an article on the TVA site that refers to a problem in “purchased power costs.” While this is not explained, it appears to me that TVA is purchasing power from other power companies. Remember, power generated can not be stored for long and must be used almost immediately. My worry is this may be from the fragile grid system we have spoken about in other threads.
I contacted TVA by e-mail and asked I live in Memphis and my local utility informs me they get all their power from TVA. 1. How many days supply of coal does TVA keep at it’s power plants in case of an interuption in coal supplies/delivery due to a pandemic? 2.What percentage of employees must work in order for a plant to keep functioning in case of a pandemic? 3.Does TVA have a pandemic plan? 4.When TVA refers to “purchased power costs” does tht mean form time to time TVA purchases power from other places/plants? If so, where does the purchased power come from usually and how frequently on average does TVA purchase power?
I got this response:
TVA is committed to ensuring the safety of the public and our employees and to providing a safe and reliable supply of electric power. TVA maintains a Continuity of Operations Plan to address various emergencies. In addition, like many other government agencies and private companies, TVA has established a team that is updating our emergency operations plan to address the possibility of a flu epidemic. The team is developing an agency-wide plan to enable TVA to continue to operate during and after a possible pandemic. This includes identifying critical functions, employees, and suppliers necessary to maintain business operations.
The TVA region covers an 80,000-square-mile area that includes Tennessee and parts of six adjoining states — Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. For a map, please see our website at http://www.tva.com/sites/sites_ie2.htm
In response to your question about purchased power costs, TVA does buy some electrical power from other power suppliers. That’s because buying power is sometimes more economical than generating electricity, and sometimes additional power is needed to meet customers’ high demands for power. The power we would buy usually comes from areas within or adjacent to the TVA region. The cost of the power varies greatly with market conditions — supply and demand. Prices are influenced by several factors, including the cost of fuel, such as natural gas, the time of year, and even the time of day. For example, a very hot summer afternoon would increase the need for electricity to power air-conditioning and meet other needs, thus driving up the price for potential buyers. TVA purchased about 9 percent of our power needs in Fiscal Year 2005.
We hope you find this information helpful. If you would like more information on TVA, we invite you to visit our Web site at www.tva.com. Thank you.
Surry County is actually having community mtgs, and the hospital is prepping (!). I still don’t feel comfortable discussing prepping with friends / family- I get this strange look, and roll of the eyes - good to hear from some other NC folks.
University of NC is having a university-wide meeting on pandemic flu tomorrow. I am not going, as I am not in the targeted group (health care workers, nurses, doctors, personnel directors, student life people, etc.) but we are sending 4 people from my campus and I hope to hear more details about the meeting from one of them.
Hi, I’m new to the forum, and to prepping, although thanks to Fluwiki boards, I think we’re off to a good start (joined Sam’s & have spent a small fortune there & at various online retailers)
We’re just outside Raleigh, but also have a small place in Pamlico County. Our plan is to go there if it hits, so I’m storing most of our supplies there. My concern is if they quarantine, we might not be able to get there. Any thoughts? (It’s generally about a 2 1/2 hour trip)
Thanks!
Hi Jebegins, Please use a paper map and or a map-quest, don’t use the main roads. Back roads are the best If the freeways are shut down you are out of luck. later…
Jenbegins – at 01:05 - Use 64 until you get about 40 miles out, then break to the 2 lane blacktops. The advantage is speed in getting away from Raleigh quickly, but stealth in reaching your final destination.
I’ll be coming in the opposite direction, from 400 miles to the north, headed to Wake Forest or Raleigh to be with my family - NOT in southern New Jersey - and planning similar tactics!
Actually, just outside of Raleigh won’t be a bad spot, because the city is relatively small compared to the Northeast metropolises, has multiple power plants within 50 miles, and major health care facilities - plus a National Gard aviation detachment headquartered there and several research and development pharma labs in RTP, so it may become a regional safe haven.
For me, it’s home, and if I die, I’d rather be there.
Just got back from a meeting and I can at least report that the university system in NC is taking this seriously. All the campuses are now required to come up with comprehensive plans to deal with any possible pandemic before the Fall semester. Two of the largest campuses already have solid plans in place, so the others do have some models.
I think the 16 campus system may be better prepared than the state government in the long run. At least they are asking some hard questions and coming up with contingency plans.
I am so glad to hear about the UNC system, that they are planning and taking things seriously! My daughter will be attending ASU in the fall and she is going to her orientation next week. This has really been on my mind. I had not yet come up with a plan for her while she is there except thinking that I will send her off in August with a “flu kit” and call her to come home if things progress. Knowing that the institution is aware and in the process of making plans is a good thing. I won’t worry less but it’s a good sign. InfoLady, are you an employee of the UNC system? How did you get involved with such a meeting? I work for the affiliated medical school of another major university in the state and haven’t heard of any plans. I feel like the Lone Ranger.
Thanks, TRay & Deedee! I’ll plan a few back road ‘escape routes’ this afternoon. The main reason we want to go to Pamlico Co is water - we have a manual pump there so have (hopefully) an infinite water supply. After Hurricane Fran, with power out for 5 days, we lost all water in about 2 1/2 days. Some of my neighbors lost water the first day, but we’re about the lowest house in the neighborhhod. Glad to hear though, that if we can’t make it out, Raleigh might not be such a bad place to be.
I’m keeping some supplies here just in case (especially water!), but would much rather get to a less populated area. The way lines & traffic have gotten here day-to-day … But yeah, I’d much rather be in Raleigh than Jersey! <g>
On another note, I went to Borders looking for some of the many Bird Flu books that are out & they only had the one by that Dr. who doesn’t believe it’s coming. The few people I’ve mentioned it to here haven’t given it any thought at all. Most people just laugh when I bring it up. NC has a long way to go to get its citizens prepared - maybe the UNC system will get things moving along those lines.
Thanks again for your input! Jen.
Loui, I work for one of the 16 campuses. I was actually at a meeting that was not specifically about pandemic preparations, but the issue came up because it does have implications for my area.
UNC Chapel Hill has their plan up on their website, I believe, if you want to take a look at it. It’s quite well thought-out, it seems to me. I think NC State is pretty far along in the process too.
Since we have the responsibility for so many students, I think the UNC system really “gets” the implications of this better than some other entities. Also, the univerity does tend to lead in many areas, and is used to large-scale planning.
ASU is a great institution — I’m sure your daughter will enjoy being there! They are very student-centered, so I don’t doubt that they are taking this very seriously.
Jenbegins - The internet is a small world. I grew up in Pamlico Co., we sold the house I grew up in a couple of years ago (in Alliance) and moved to SW Virginia, about an hour east of the mountains. If you haven’t spent a lot of time “in the county”, you might want to put out some feelers among the local folk about how a relocation to the area on your part would be received by them. There are some mighty strange folk down some of those dirt roads . . . they built the new DSS complex in Alliance right next to our house, so we moved when we found out they were going to do that. I’m afraid a lot of people who leave small to large urban areas to go to a place like that may be surprised how the people there will stick together like glue . . . I’m just saying that I hope you’ve spent enough time there to know what you’re getting into! Do you know the back way into the county from west of New Bern to the Weyerhauser Hwy and over to the Vanceboro Hwy, then down to Bridgeton? Eliminates the bridge complex.
Cassandra is right about that cohesiveness of rural NC. That is what I miss so much living in the overcrowded urban Northeast. If I could I’d leave in the next hour, but it would cost me a marriage and ever seeing my children again. When I find a way, I’m coming back. And with 45 years in NC, I used to race a lot of those back roads as a teenager, and saw the changes happen there. It is like nowhere else. And I am terribly homesick.
Thanks, Cassandra, for the alternate route - I’ll check that out. (I’m in Oriental now & realize that we need a few good maps here!) This is a great community - there are some natives that aren’t too happy about the newcomers, but they are getting outnumbered by the newcomers, so I’m not too worried. We know the neighbors on either side of us & they’re all real nice folks. It’s a sailing community, so pretty much if you have a sailboat & know how to use it, you’re in!
We do need to check out community preps, though, & see if we can help get that moving along if it isn’t already. I haven’t heard anything about it here at all, but folks generally stay prepped for hurricanes so should have at least a little stocked away.
Thanks again! Jen.
For Jen - Oh my - perhaps just having a sailboat is enough to get you in with the rich folk in Oriental, but when the chips are down the good ol’ boys who have all the guns aren’t going to care very much about your sailboat - unless they happen to want the boat, and then they’ll care plenty. Oriental actually was always a fishing village, and only in recent years has it become a “sailing community”. You “newcomers” - your word - might find yourselves not nearly as welcome anywhere else in the county as in Oriental, and even there it’s likely your dollars that are really welcome. The “natives” are both smarter and wealthier than you might think on first impression. That’s just reality - Pamlico County is like no other place I’ve ever seen, and most people local to the county would be thrilled to explain to you how the yankees ruined Oriental. They aren’t joking - they really feel that way.
If you want to get involved in community preps, your best bet is Dr. Ernest Dunn - he practices Family Medicine in Bayboro, but he and his wife live in Oriental. I haven’t seen him in a couple of years and don’t know his take on H5N1. Other than that, try Dr. Dorothy Dimond (or Diamond) - the vet in Oriental. Smart lady. If you talk to either of them, please tell them that Bill and Claudia send their best regards from Virginia - Dorothy is a wonderfully caring vet who had us bring our sick Pomeranian to her in the middle of the night one time - we miss our docs from the county! If you’d like more info about anything, feel free to email me at maxcat51@earthlink.net.
Thanks Cassandra, I’ll check in with the good doctors. Hmm - rich folk, huh? lol, I guess some people might think that sailboat = rich, but really no more than a camper or even an SUV. Considering what else is tied up to the docks here, I’d say our boat is pretty safe <g> (unless they’re searching for one with an 8-track tape player!). I’ve met lots of people here & only one didn’t care to talk with me any more after she found out I didn’t live here currently, had nothing to do with where I was from. Very few people I’ve met are actually from here, just my next-door neighbors, actually.
Folks in Raleigh feel the same way about Yankees. Cary is known as the “Containment Area for Relocated Yankees”, not too flattering. We can deal. Even though I’m from Ky & dh from PA, we’ve lived here off & on for 15 years & my mom’s family’s been here just about forever, so I’m half native <g>.
Did anyone see Sunday’s (the 18th) N&O? The Work & Money section had a big article on businesses gettting ready for H5N1. State epidemiologist Jeffrey Engel predicts that as much as half of all NCians will contract it and 6700 - 110,000 will die. There’s a link to the DHHS site, but nothing else about how to prepare personally. Just when I was thinking I could back off on my preps a little, I get new incentive!
Hope y’all have a great week - don’t shake anyone’s hand! Jen.
Hey, Jen - best of luck on your planning your journey. Dirt roads are great just weld a plate of metal under the vehicle’s oil pan. Works like a charm (central mtn’s. of Idaho taught me that, humps and all…wilderness and primative areas because of an ex-mother-in-law who liked to huckleberry and hunt; she’s a sweetheart!)…Later
Anyone in the Charlotte or Ashe County area prepping?
bump
We are in the central part of the state. We are prepping for the worst and praying for the best. Our preps include goats, rabbits, garden, heritage seeds, woodstove, hand water pump. They do not include solar power or generator. Sustainable, renewable, simple and repairable by my wife or myself.
Hello North Carolina, this is a very interesting article about your state and the 1918 flu pandemic, worth the read,http://tinyurl.com/y4os69
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