Stay Ready

There has been a lot in the news lately about earthquakes (Chile, Baja, Haiti, etc). This is very concerning for many of us Seattlites because as you probably know we live on fault known for catastrophic earthquakes (9.0+). Being as we can't predict when it's going to happen that doesn't mean that we can't be prepared for whatever comes.


When I decided to do a post of this nature I needed some help and two people came to mind, Ray and Jen. They're the definition of Stay Ready. I've gone through and combined what they mentioned, along with tidbits from other people and myself to compile some great ideas that I think everyone should know.

The one thing that really stood out to me was the idea of short-term vs long-term. We'd like to think that should anything happen we'll be "rescued" shortly there after, but this is faulted logic. In the event of tragedy we must be prepared for all potential scenarios including that help doesn't come for weeks.

That being said I'm going to start with some tips to help you in the short term -

* Food: You're going to need to eat. Local government has been telling us to be ready for 3 days. 3 days is nothing. After Katrina it took over a week to help the people that had set up in the Superdome and there they were centralized. If you plan on making it at your own home you should have 2-3 weeks of food on hand. If you're going with canned food don't forget to keep a can opener with your stash. However you're probably better off going with dehydrated foods as it takes up less space and you're going to need water either way.

*Water: Having a stockpile of water isn't a bad idea so to speak. However what are you going to do if all your jugs of water bust open when the ground starts shaking? Have a water purifier of some kind, like you might take backpacking, on hand is good but you don't have to go out and spend a fortune on this either. A little bleach can go a long ways. Don't over do it though. You don't want kill yourself in the process of trying to safe yourself.

*Shelter: We life in Seattle, it rains. In the event that your home is not habitable you might find yourself on the street. Tents, tarps and the like might be your only chance of finding a dry spot. You may also be on the move so in addition to easily movable shelter having a large trash can on wheels will make moving your essentials a much less laborious task. Keep up your strength and energy in any way that you can!

*Communication: This is the most difficult task after a tragedy. With phone lines down communication becomes nearly impossible. It was brought to my attention that while most lines fail Ham radios have proven to be an effective means of communicating in past disasters. You can get receivers for around $300 and a license for $40. A bit steep but definitely worth while. This might also be an expense that you could bear with those close to you, as not everyone would need their own.

*Find your Constant: Another great idea I heard was having an out of state contact that you and your family all know of. Maybe it's an Uncle in Kansas, a sibling in Texas or Grandma in Boston. By having someone predesignated you'll be sure that everyone is calling the same person. They can then inform all your other out of state relatives that you're okay and transfer message between everyone in the affected area.

*At Work: It is very possible you're not going to be home. Keep an emergency kit at work. Even something as small as a back pack (Nintendo design optional) that has all the supplies that you're going to need in order to get back to your house: good shoes, parka, first aid kit, flashlight, etc. This is also something that you could establish with coworkers and designate a place in your office to keep them that is out of the way, but still easily accessible.

Now lets get into the long term -

Preparing for a lengthly disconnect with civilization is a hard thing to plan for. But it's not impossible. Now I should say that this is more in preparation for Armageddon than for an earthquake, but as the title says "Stay Ready".

Now I'm probably the biggest anti-gun advocate that there is, but this is where I see the reasoning. There are many reason in a post-apocalyptic world that you'd need a gun. If you have to take to nature and hunt for game having a gun will give you the edge on those trying to catch rabbits in snares. There is also the issue of self protection. People are going to be crazy, not to mention Zombies. Zombies are not to be underestimated. And I'm not necessarily saying that the dead will rise and attack us, but more the living may take on the attributes of Zombies and that's just as bad.

I recommend having a few key books in your collection as well. Something that covers the plants and animals that are native to the region can help you to identify what's edible and what's not. Having a book similar to "How things work" could also come in handy. While a map of the local area should already be in your short term kit a larger area atlas would be good in the event that you have to change areas all together.

One recommendation I would have never thought but is a great idea: have a jar of bacon fat. When food sources are scarce and you're eating dandelions and nettles it will give you the necessary fats to persevere.

The last thing that could be the difference between life and death is your knowledge. Know how to make fire from nothing. Get a basic understanding of how to start plants from seed and tend to them so that you can create a stable food source (a small seed bank of good local crops might be something to keep around). Remember that the first step to failing is giving up.

All of that being said there is one last thing that everyone should remember: you can't do it alone. When disaster hits many people are going to put themselves first and foremost, that's how we're designed. However I encourage all of you to keep your sense of humanity and if there is someone that you can help, do it! That person that you dig out of a pile of rubble might just be your key to survival. Remember it's the most difficult of times that show the true grit of our character.

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So now that I've got the basic covered I'm going to give you all a run down of what I have planned...

At home -

The original meet up place was going to be the Ballard Community Center, 6020 28th Avenue Northwest. It's not far from where I live and has a large open area to congregate. However after more thought I've decided it's not the best spot. It's still fairly low lying and may draw large crowds as it is. I thought about Woodland park, but I don't want to get mauled by a bear. So for now I'm calling out the intersection of 70th and 24th as the spot. It's up at the top of the hill, about 200 ft above sea level (should be tsunami safe?) and has a decent view of the surrounding area so you can get a feel for what's happening elsewhere. Anyone in the Ballard area that has a better idea let me know because I'm open to other suggestions.

At work -

My sister works up at Seattle University and as such I've decided it's the downtown meet up. The Quad is the designated spot on campus. Anybody in the Capitol Hill/Downtown area that needs a meet up spot there it is. If you are going to make that your spot, let me know so I know who to wait/search for.

After the initial -

I can't say with certainty how long I'd be in either of those places but I can tell you that I plan to establish some kind of registry to track who is there, who was there and where they were going. I think that this would help people locate each other. So if I'm not there, there should be a trail that you can follow easily. I'll probably be trying to find Ray and Jen :)


Well that's the plan. If I've missed anything that you think I should include hit me up in the comments or by email and I'll get it added in. I'd also love to hear what other people have set up in terms of their plans and where they're going to be.

Finally I'm going to end this with a huge THANK YOU to Ray and Jen for all their help. Of all the people I know they are the ones who are ready for anything! I wouldn't have been able to put this together without their input.

(Sorry I stopped with the pics half way through, it got to be very tedious)

********* ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ************

- Get CPR certified!