March this year

[rhoda_bruce]

I wish I knew that old man's name who Glen Beck was talking to about all this. He said it will begin in March and for us to all prepare for national Katrina.
I'm in south/eastern Louisiana. I met Katrina. And what all came afterwards was some not so easy living.
Now what if no one is coming to turn back the power on? What if we don't have a president capable of getting us all our food assistance like we had after Katrina? What if the looters outnumber the law enforcement and the law choose to stay home and protect their own families? What if they take our firearms like they did in New Orleans?
I washed my uniforms in a bathtub and line dried after Katrina. I ate food as it thawed out of my freezer, until DH said it all needed to be thrown out. The generator I ordered was stopped on the 18 wheeler it was on and confiscated by authorities, while all my food was thawing. DH went to pick up our daughter across the state at our smart highschool and bought us a generator and all the fuel he could carry, because he couldn't have gotten it here. I went to Wal-Mart and there was no meat or produce.....no canned meat either.
Now with all your meat defrosting in your freezer, no meat in the stores, no gas at the tanks, no power expected for several more days, no fresh vegs.....you will HAVE to accept whatever you can get your hands on, like MRE's or plate lunches in parking lots, etc.... But what if the whole country is going thru this? Who will be serving if its the whole country?
I tell you what....I went thru it. I'm not waiting for help. I'm not going to be without EVERYTHING I need. I suggest you try to imagine going thru a horrible storm and being cut off from the world by communication, power, fuel and supplies running low and then think real hard what can you do to prepare for such an emergency.

 

[Wannabefree]

Get good at camping huh? Well, I am pretty well ready for whatever food wise at the moment and for several months to come. I'm pretty good on water supply. I don't really need electricity. We have a grill and plenty of wood. I know how to wash clothes without the normal amenities and have enough supply of soap to last a few years at least. We lost trees in Katrina and Ivan all the way up here in Tennessee...can't imagine being there for it!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

It took months for my brother to clear our road in the woods. He and other men, helped clear a road called the Grande Bois road (big tree). And for month's people were cutting logs and putting it near their garbage so it could be hauled away. We couldn't burn. So it costed millions to dispose of these trees. What a waste. We loaded up on our firelogs as best we could. By the time Gustave came thru, we hadn't even finished with our Katrina logs. I pretty much never have to fell a tree. Mother Nature does it for me.
I'm familiar with going without for small periods of time following a storm. Katrina was really bad and unfortunately our govenor needed time to think, while people were drowning. Fortunately local people got in their boats at their own risks and snuck into New Orleans and got some of those people out.
But this is the kinda thing I'm wondering....does the average US citizen have any idea what its like to have no modern conviences, power, and to have no means to obtain even food?

 

[Wannabefree]

I don't think the average American has a clue. Even those who camp a lot don't really have a clue, because it's different when you have a choice and can prepare, than when you have neither of those luxuries. Fortunately for us, we get ice storms, and we know how to manage here in our areas as well. We have went weeks without as well. I just don't think most of the country has a clue on how to rough it, nor the opportunity to see if they have what it takes. If anything does happen, the suicide rate will skyrocket along with the murder and crime rates. some folks just won't be able to hack it IMO, and they'll off themselves. :/

 

[FarmerChick]

rhoda if it was nationwide and for extended period of time the Katrina disaster, it would be total chaos in this country. it would be frightening for sure!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I think the rural areas would be invaded by the city dwellers.
I am reminded of Fronteer House from PBS. I'm with Karen....she held a roll of toilet paper to her face and said that this is what she will miss. I'm stocking up on toilet paper.

 

[Wannabefree]

LOL I have stocked on TP. I also know how to make paper too though...just in case

 

[Joel_BC]

Well, we're nearing the end of March. So what indicators - bad, or good - are affecting your life and the lives of those around you?

Higher prices? On which goods or services? Lower prices? On which goods or services?

Out of work? Found a job? Higher pay? Lower pay? Steady pay?

What about those in your community, overall: less or more employed?

How about things like your property taxes? ... holding steady? rising slowly? rising quickly?

Are any products that you buy (or keep track of) becoming unavailable?


I'm neither Pollyannic nor Chicken-Little-ish, myself. Just curious and interested.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I see a slow steady increase in prices of everything, as a whole, probably due to the increases in gas prices, which also has been steadily rising. I see a lot of people recycling used items....esp building wise. I see people in my area buying and trading items on Facebook for bargains, rather than going to the store. I see the line at Burger King with a lot less cars than in previous months, even at lunch time. I see a lot of gardens popping up, where there hasn't been one in years or never. And I see a lot of our contacts consulting with either me or DH about certain areas of SS living and frugal living.
One of my neighbors came over for a visit and told DH that at her church, they are going to be offering classes to teach their people about gardens and making soap, laundry detergent and other skills.

 

[terri9630]

The local Mormon Church just had an emergency prepardness "fair". The local fire dpt, state police, search and rescue and people from the church had different booths with all kinds of info. Hubby went with me and we found out that we are better prepared than most of the info was telling us to be. The main reason we went was so I could play with my Drs solar ovens and talk to my Dentist about my new pressure canner.