I was asked by Paratus News (http://paratusnews.com/) what my thoughts were and some of my opinions on the false alarm in Hawaii this past weekend. Below are some of my thoughts based on consulting and training that I have provided in the past.
Here are some things that I read that occurred during the 40 some odd minutes when people located in Hawaii thought that a nuke was inbound and a detonation was imminent:
- People were driving 100+ MPH to get home to their families. The potential for accidents to them or other persons were great.
- People were actually searching the Internet for "what to do during a nuclear attack". The local infrastructure (wireless and wired) is now already taxed, and folks were having trouble accessing information. This is why you need paper books!
- How many people made New Year's Resolutions to quit smoking or drugs, and now said "fuck it, I'm doing to die anyways?" Or even having unprotected "panic sex"? LOL (You never know how people react in a panic)
- People were knocking on doors seeking shelter. Now families of 2, 3 or 4 people, now have increased by a factor of X. Is this a security issue now, do you you have enough supplies for these new people?
- There have been some reports of heart attacks and panic attacks. This will throw a monkey wrench into your plans now that dad, granddad, or a relative clutches their chest right when you need to act to protect your family.
Here are some words of advice from me and just my opinion. Granted if you survive the initial blast, chances are you are going to have to hunker down in your home for a period of time. Now we all know that we need to store a quantity of food and water, but have you considered, planned and practiced the following items?
- People really need to think about how are they going to receive information if a nuclear strike occurs. In today's internet society where a majority are "cutting the cord", people forget that over the air (OTA) digital TV still exists along with NOAA weather radio, local AM/FM broadcasts or even your car stereo. Most modern televisions have a female F connector ("cable" jack) on the back, that is actually a antenna port that can be used to pick up OTA TV signals. If you haven't done it yet, familiarize yourself with your TV to see how to enable the OTA functions of your TV and how to scan for channels. Also research on how to improvise an antenna if needed. Sometimes, just a straigtened paperclip could suffice depending on signals in your area. You can check here - https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps But, if all infrastructure is down, your TV will be useless, and a NOAA weather radio will be the best method to receive information. People forget that weather radios are not just for weather emergencies but for any emergency that local, state and federal agencies deem necessary to activate.
- Outside of blast radius and fallout and stocking up on food and water; people fail to plan or think about, how do they dipose of waste? Let's say you have a weeks worth of food and water, how do you dispose of your urine and feces after you have hunkered down? This weekend might be the weekend you need to look into your own plans and try to figure out how you are doing to dipose of your own human waste when you cannot go outside. Human composting would be my first choice. I highly recommend this book, The Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure (https://www.amazon.com/Humanure-Handbook-Guide-Composting-Manure/dp/0964425831) Not to necessairly to create compost for your garden, but to handle liquid and solid human waste when clean water is a premium. Remember the old adage when it is brown flush it down, if it is yellow let it mellow
- Now is the time to practice your preps in your own home. Turn off your water main, your electricity and cut all ties to the internet. Take the afternoon and see what works for you and what does not. You don't have to survive for 72 hours, just see how the next 4 hours is. Write down what works, doesn't work and what you need to purchase. Then next weekend, take 12 hours and repeat this exercise. Again, write down what works, doesn't work and what you need to purchase. And do not forget to do these exercises in the middle of winter and again in the middle of summer.
You don't want to practice this while under a bunch of stressors; when your wife is crying, the kids are screaming, the neighbors are knocking on your door and it is a real emergency.
- Finally, if you haven't seen it or haven't seen it in a long time, The Day After is a great movie to sit down and watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yif-5cKg1Yo While it is dated, it is still valid in the event a nuclear strike hits the US. Supposedly this movie is what influenced Ronald Regan to seek the end of the Cold War.
As always, feel free to contact me at chris.swanda@gmail.com for any of your wilderness survival and common sense preparedness needs. Be sure to follow me on your favorite social media platform. Also, be sure to check out Game Plan Experts at https://www.gameplanexperts.com/ where we can help you make your own game plan in the event that the unplanned becomes a reality. And finally stay up to date with all your survival news and industry news at Paratus News http://paratusnews.com/
