Stocking Up, Putting Back, Prepping = Paranoia?

[Dreaming of Chickens]

My understanding was that the actual flooding was more to do with the levies breaking than the actual storm surge? That New Orleans would have been relatively safe but for the levy breaches? I don't know the actual order of events during that time, but I don't think the word went out for everyone to leave town until it was too late for a lot of people? And I've read horrible stories of people who tried to leave but who were turned back by the police. A very sad situation all around

Yes, it was from levee breaches caused by a 40ft tidal surge funneled through the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet or Mr. Go as we call it. The surge came in and busted the levees. That is where most of the flooding came from. In fact that is where all of the flooding in the lower ninth ward and my parish came from. We had a 100% destruction rate in St. Bernard thanks to the Mr. Go (100% of all buildings, residential and commercial had moderate to sever damage with the exception of about 2 or 3 houses and business). Other areas were affected by the Mr.Go but there were other levee breeches because of pump failures, improperly built levees and so on. It was a totally man made disaster.
Believe it or not the short notice for evacuation was not a failure on our government's part. It did not look like Katrina was going to hit us. In fact, I was leaving work that Friday and my boss told me to take my "red folder" (the red folder contains all of the info I would need if the home office of my company were to be shut down for an extended period of time, contact numbers, recovery location site and what not) and my equipment with me. I knew the storm was out there but was not worried about it, and I'm the type that panics and wants to run! That Saturday I spent the day tubing with friends. When we got back from the trip we found out she changed direction and there was not much time at that point. We went home, got our stuff together and watched the news all night long. This is why you need an evacuation plan in advance, not at the last second. I usually don't wait for the government to tell me to leave anyway. I don't think most people who believe in being prepared would wait. Nobody has to tell me to leave when there is a cat 5 storm looking me in the eye. If it looks big and scary and it's coming at ya, get out of it's way.
As for people who were turned around when they were trying to leave, there is a time frame for evacuation. After a point it becomes too dangerous to be on the road, so there has to be a cut off point where they start turning people around for their own safety. Sounds backwards, but you really would not have wanted to be in your car during Katrina.
Also, at the beginning of every hurricane season all of the news stations and the city put out reminders to everyone that they need to stock up at least 3 days worth of supplies and have an evacuation plan ready. Unfortunately a lot of people don't listen. Even after living through Katrina some people still just don't believe it will happen again. Especially those that did not flood. They think if they didn't flood in Katrina they never will.

 

[i_am2bz]

DoC, since you lived thru it, maybe you can address something that I heard in the aftermath. I'm sorry that I can't tell you which network, but there was a newsprogram that claimed that all the tax money that went to the Levy Board for upkeep actually went everywhere BUT the levies. Many people blamed the Army Corps of Engineers for making shoddy levies, but more of the blame should go to the Levy Board for not doing their job. Any truth to that? Sorry if this is OT.

 

[Dreaming of Chickens]

DoC, since you lived thru it, maybe you can address something that I heard in the aftermath. I'm sorry that I can't tell you which network, but there was a newsprogram that claimed that all the tax money that went to the Levy Board for upkeep actually went everywhere BUT the levies. Many people blamed the Army Corps of Engineers for making shoddy levies, but more of the blame should go to the Levy Board for not doing their job. Any truth to that? Sorry if this is OT.

I don't know about that. Wouldn't surprise me at all. I do know that it was proven that some of the levees were not built properly. The levee that failed in the 9th ward was one of them. Also, the 17th street canal levee. There was a lot of damage there too. I can tell you that it has been fixed, and properly this time (or so we've been told). And the Mr. Go has been shut down and walled off so that a storm surge can't funnel through it again like it did in Katrina, but it had already destroyed so much of the wetlands by creating fresh water intrusion that I don't know how much safer we really are. The wetlands and barrier islands used to slow the storms and lessen the effects of storm surge a lot. When I was a kid we never evacuated. Now, if it's bigger than a cat 1, levees schmeevies, we are outa here. I am grateful though that the levees in my parish are now (I beleive) 15 - 20 feet higher than they were pre-K and supposedly soundly built, so at least we should have a home town to come back to next time.

 

[Dreaming of Chickens]

Back to the original thread, because of the high possibility of flooding around here, what we do for our food stores is to keep about 2 weeks worth, maybe a little more, here at the house. The rest goes to my MIL's house. She lives well out of the way of storm surge. Up by her house we only have to worry about the electric going out for a couple of days, maybe a week, so most of the food stores go there. Her house is our evacuation point. We also keep a couple of bug out bags packed in case of the worst case scenario like being attacked. We do live very near a port city and we are surrounded by refineries after all. Do I think that will ever happen, nope. Do I think it could, yep. If something like that happens we would eventually need to leave our house, so we have bug out bags, just in case. Don't think we will ever need them, but feels good knowing we have them just in case.

I have also been trying to increase our garden production and I am learning more and more about growing our own food. I really need more land though. Our lot is not that big and the house and garage take up most of it. We also have dogs that need room to run around, so I can't just fill up the yard. I don't even have room for a couple of chickens. I'd like to get our gardens to a point where they can at least cut our food bill in half. At one point my husband was out of work for a few years due to a back injury. We were living on like $30 sometimes $20 per week for groceries. We did without internet, a land line, and only had 1 cell phone, but we kept cable because he was so limited on what he could do. On a lot of days he was in so much pain all he could do was watch TV and sleep. I don't ever want to have those financial worries again, especially after we have children. Until he got back to work things were real tight. We do have savings now, but we also have a house note we didn't have before, so we would go through that in less than a year. We might make 10 months after cutting a bunch of our unnecessary expenses, so growing our food is really important in case he should have to quit working again. He had surgery, but still has trouble with his back and now he is looking at knee surgery, not soon, but sometime in the future. For us it isn't really a matter of maybe going back down to one income, it's more of a when. Becoming more SS keeps the anxiety of that off of my back.

 

[thasista]

Hi All,
I've been doing alot of lurking on this forum and really like what I've seen. I don't consider myself paranoid, but I am well prepared. It was interesting the way it came about. I have done alot of reading on 911 and terror attacks and I think its only a matter of time before we will be hit again. The next time, I'm afraid it will be bigger and worse. I don't walk around scared and in fact I don't discuss it much except with my DH. We began changing our lifestyle for the better I might add to include stocking up. Everything. I haven't run a canner in many years, but I bought 3 and have canned hundreds of quarts of vegetables, soups, fruits. That is just in the last 3 months. Interestingly I have found canning to be fun and stress relieving.

I have improved my library and learned new skills because of it.

We have obtained several livestock to help us maintain our "homestead" and to provide us with food. Only recently did I discover that I wasnt the only "weirdo" out there. There are hundreds of websites on prepping, TV shows (in the middle of the night most of the time), books, blogs, and forums such as these.

I am a successful professional and can afford to buy what I need, but why when I have a perfectly good farm and can much more economically produce that which we need. In a worse case scenerio, it won't matter how much money a person has. This isn't a fad for us. It is a complete lifestyle change, and for us its also been a marriage builder. I am not crazy or paranoid, and I do believe something profound could strike this country in the future that will change our way of life. Have I thought of everything? Nope. I am however prepared to learn whatever I need to take care of me and my DH whether its a two week ice storm or something longer.

I know there are people who if they knew of these "lifestyle changes" would think I was off my rocker. But they'll be the first people at my doorstep in TSHF scenerio. As someone else posted, they will be met with guard dogs and then a .45 or two at my place. I don't have enough for everyone. Everyone has the opportunity to prepare for disasters, but choses not to do so.

I have enjoyed reading the opinions and advice of those on here. I learn something new everytime I come to this forum. Thanks!

 

[BarredBuff]

its good to have you!

What kind of livestock do you own?

 

[kstaven]

I have to add a comment here after reading this all. Paranoid is one who dwells on disaster and expects it around every corner. Prepared is one who sees the potential of it happening and prepares the best they can in case it does. Huge differences in thought processes and reactions. Prepared people survive where paranoid people panic and often die.

From the beginning this forum has clearly shown the people here are about being prepared. to you all.

 

[thasista]

its good to have you!

What kind of livestock do you own?

We have chickens and dairy cows (2 new holsteins and a jersey) 2 great pyrenees, an austrailian shepherd, mouse catching cats. Thanks for the welcome and thanks for asking!

 

[Dreaming of Chickens]

I have to add a comment here after reading this all. Paranoid is one who dwells on disaster and expects it around every corner. Prepared is one who sees the potential of it happening and prepares the best they can in case it does. Huge differences in thought processes and reactions. Prepared people survive where paranoid people panic and often die.

From the beginning this forum has clearly shown the people here are about being prepared. to you all.

You hit the nail on the head!

 

[BarredBuff]

its good to have you!

What kind of livestock do you own?

We have chickens and dairy cows (2 new holsteins and a jersey) 2 great pyrenees, an austrailian shepherd, mouse catching cats. Thanks for the welcome and thanks for asking!

WOO! We are getting a Jersey this spring......