Chapter Fifteen

WHEN DISASTER STRIKES CLOSE TO HOME

If you think about it, your chances of finding yourself in a true wilderness survival situation are slim, even if you’re an avid outdoors person. In fact, you have a greater chance of getting caught in a natural disaster close to home. From hurricanes and earthquakes to tsunamis, from fires and floods and blackouts to extreme heat and cold spells, there are many ways that things can go dangerously wrong right in your own backyard.

Mental and Psychological Attitude

WHEN FACING A NATURAL DISASTER, you should call on the same psychological strength that is so critical in wilderness survival. Do not panic; stop and assess the situation. Recognize that you will go through a range of emotions. Prioritize your needs.

Where natural disaster survival differs from true wilderness survival is in your ability, in most cases, to stay in touch with the outside world during the ordeal. If possible, stay connected through the media (for example, using a rechargeable hand-crank radio), if only to find out what else might be coming at you and how and when rescue/relief efforts may arrive.

Planning and Preparation

YOU NEED TO GET PAST THE “IT CAN’T HAPPEN TO ME” ATTITUDE and understand that disasters can occur anywhere, anytime. The best way to prepare is to keep a few key items handy, just in case, in your home survival kit.

Like any survival kit, the one for your home must be tailored to your region and the events that are most likely to occur there. I live in Ontario, Canada, where earthquakes are rare. However, there’s a good chance we could be struck by a blizzard and suffer a subsequent blackout, which could mean I’d be out of power, out of water (since I’m on a pump system), and out of heat. And if it was a prolonged blackout, I could eventually run out of food.

I recommend that you keep in your survival kit a one-week supply of everything you need to live. Refer to the checklist in the back of this book for everything you’ll need to include.

Signaling

THE ABILITY TO MAKE AN EFFECTIVE SIGNAL is important in disasters at or close to home. People are often trapped after natural disasters and need to signal for rescue, which is bound to come eventually. But if you’re trapped, you will definitely need to let people know where you are and how you are.

Water

IF YOU HAVE THE LUXURY OF KNOWING IN ADVANCE that a disaster will occur, fill your bathtub, as well as any other sink or receptacle you have available, with tap water. This is routine at our house when bad weather is on the way, and has paid off more than once. A water filter (not the cheap one that sits in a pitcher in your refrigerator) is useful if your supply becomes tainted or if you’re getting your water from a nearby river or lake.

Remember that the water in the back tank of your toilet is perfectly drinkable, as it comes right from the tap and never contacts the bowl itself. Ice cubes that you’ve left in your freezer are another potential (though admittedly limited) source.

Fire

IF YOU LIVE IN A COLD CLIMATE, or disaster occurs during winter weather, you may need a fire source to keep yourself warm and to cook. Making a fire will not be an issue, since there should be fire-starting materials on hand; the trick comes in building and maintaining the fire in a safe place. The only safe places to make a fire that will keep the inside of a house warm are a wood stove or a fireplace. Fuel-based space heaters are also good backups. An electric stove can be used for heat, but you need to be extremely careful, particularly if there are small children around. Don’t ever use your gas stove to heat your home.

Shelter

MOST NATURAL DISASTERS LEAVE YOUR HOME INTACT, which is a good thing. If that’s not the case, you need to look at your situation through a different lens and try to improvise shelter, perhaps by moving to your car or setting up a tent. If you don’t have either of these on hand, you’re back to finding or creating shelter the same way you would in a wilderness survival situation. You need a shelter to keep warm and dry, and protected from the elements.

Food

IN MOST CASES WHEN DISASTER STRIKES, you will have a refrigerator full of food, all of which begins to spoil once the power goes out. Be sure to eat the most perishable foods first. You can preserve meats by using the drying methods described in “Food,” Chapter 8. You can also place fish such as salmon in a dish or Ziploc bag and cover it with lemon juice (the process used to make ceviche). The citric acid “cooks” the fish through a process called naturation and preserves it for at least a few days.

Travel and Navigation

THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO TRAVEL after a natural disaster is as critical when you are at home as when you’re in the wilderness. If you are considering moving, the first thing to do is make sure the route is free of hazards. Listen to the radio before heading to the next community, so that you know, for example, whether a river has broken its banks upstream and is flooding the highway.

When it comes to navigation, GPS units are invaluable for locating street addresses. After Hurricane Katrina, I flew down to New Orleans to meet a woman and talk to her about her experience, but she had given me only her street address, not terribly useful because all the street signs had been wiped out. Luckily, the GPS unit in my car led me right to her house.

Don’t think it can’t happen to you! New Orleans and other parts of southern Louisiana were ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.

Dangers and Hazards

WHEN DEALING WITH A NATURAL DISASTER it helps to recognize that the central event may have spawned other dangers around you, both seen and unseen. Think like a firefighter and address the risks of “gas, glass, fire, and wire.”

 

Gas: Check to see whether there’s any gas leaking in your house, such as natural gas or propane. Try to shut off the main valve into the house only if you have experience or training in doing so. If you suspect a gas leak, do not start a fire in your house, and leave the house if possible. If staying inside is safer than going out, keep the windows open for maximum ventilation.

 

Glass: Check for broken glass throughout the house and clean up as necessary. This will help prevent accidental cuts and potential infections in what might be unsanitary conditions.

 

Fire: This is one of the greatest dangers you’ll face. Check for gas leaks, oil tank ruptures, and other types of leaks that can cause fire.

 

Wire: Electrical problems can result in fire. Also, check for exposed, live wires in the home, particularly if you have small children.

 

Unfortunately, most people give little thought to so-called urban disasters, even though many people will experience at least one in their lifetime. Be prepared, be ingenious, play it safe, and you will likely live to tell the tale. Remember that when all is said and done, everything is replaceable…except life.

Weather

SINCE WEATHER MAY WELL BE THE CAUSE of the natural disaster, stay in touch with the outside world for updates. Weather will dictate the extent of your survival activities; you also need to know if and when bad weather is going to exacerbate your problems, and when it is expected to subside.

First Aid

EVERYONE—NOT JUST THOSE TRAVELING IN THE WILDERNESS—should have a basic first-aid course under his or her belt. First aid can make the difference between life and death. Check with your local college for programs.

Essential Survival Skills

RELY ON YOURING ENUITY AND ADAPTABILITY! Look at everyday objects around you and decide if, say, your couch would be better used as a survival tool than as furniture. In the case of any cherished memorabilia that may be used in an emergency, you need to get over the squeamishness of destruction. If it’s a choice between your life and protecting a keepsake, the keepsake has to go.