The Big Picture

[beebopcop]

To state the obvious, I know that we all live in different areas, the country, urban (me), and the city. To begin with I believe that we have to look at our immediate surroundings. Our next door nieghbors, what facilities are in our nieghborhood and what affect will those facilities have. For example; I have a hospital 1/2 mile away. Great! Right? Yes, for trips to the emergency room as I recently found out with a sudden onset of appendicitus. I was able to get to the ER in two minutes and get into the suffering and endless waiting much quicker than someone living in the country. However, in the event of biological terror attack, my area will me swamped with folks carrying whatever contagious discease our friends have decided to give us. Moving on from the hospital, I have two large apartment complexes a block away. They are full of some folks that like to use and deal illegal drugs. There are also some good folks there, but what do the others have in store for me when TSHTF? I have two schools, one outside my back door and the other a block away. What are schools used for when defication hits the rotary oscillator? You got it, Shelters! Remember the shelters during Katrina and the things that went on there? Yep, there will be some stressed out unhappy, unprepared people (sheeple) that will wonder where their government is and will be ready to take things into their own hands. What about the folks right next door on both sides of the house. What do you know about them and how will they react with you and to you when things start to circle the drain? Especially if they know or suspect that you have a store of food.
These are just a few of my considerations. You say, no problem, I live in the boonies, the mountains, or whatever. That is great and I envy you. However, when a nuke goes off in the big city and people begin to flea, where are they going? To your back yard. They will be bringing their families, hunger, their guns and their frustration.
What about the government and their responce to whatever it is that is going to go wrong? With Homeland Security and the Patriot Act just about everyone that is not in full agreement with the government borders on being a terrorist and you can bet that is going to be magnified about 10 times when something hits this country. During Katrina they did illegally start taking up guns and the next significant act of terrorism will make Katrina look like a disagreement at choir practice.
I haven't covered all the scenarios. So what does this mean? It means that if you are staying in place you need to decide now what you will tolerate, what you will give up, and what you can reasonalbly defend and how you will do so.
If you are bugging out, you need to know every possible route to your destination and don't forget railroads, gas line, sewer line, and power line right of ways. Most counties have a gis map online now that show all these right of ways and the maps are printable.
Again, these are just a few of my ideas and I would love to hear more of yours.
Thanks for reading,
Beebopcop

[Zombie Axe]

Good post BBC:)

It is very good to evaluate your AO (area of operations) and understand what you could be up against WTSHTF. It is also good to evaluate what is not there, but could be WTSHTF!

I personally have greater expectations for a Weather (WX) event than a full blown SHTF scenario, but I prepare for BOTH.

Some of us have experienced hurricanes/TD's (Hugo and Isabell), Tornados (2 near misses), Ice Storms/Extreme Winter Storms (countless), Strong Winds, and Severe Thunderstorms. So IMHO, these WX events we have already experienced, learned from, refined our mistakes, learned what we learned was effective and implemented the things that worked. IOW the only time we had to implement this wasn't when the mutant zombie bikers came to town, but when the power was out for three days after a strong wind storm. So we go with what we know...

We learn from these WX events that at a certain location it floods when it rains 3" in an hour and is impassable. We also know the alternate route home. We remember the last time that the tropical depressions came to town and dumped +10 inches of rain in a day, it washed away the bridge and for 6 months it was a PITA to get to work. We also remember last time it came an ice storms and left a 1" glaze of ice on everything and how trees blocked the roads very effectively...

So WTF does WX have to do with for WTSHTF??????????????

Plenty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We know that if we destroy a bridge, the bridge that got washed out in the flood,that gangs of thugs will not be rolling down our streets in their "Mad Max Motorcade". Sure they might swim or walk across whatever was under that bridge but when folks walk they are easier targets.

Remember the trees that blocked the road during the Ice storm??? Cutting down a few trees to blockade your road WTSHTF may slow down, funnel your enemies into areas you can deal with them more easily, or make them pick the 'easier' street!

So what I am trying to say, is that when situations arise, where some disaster has caused a "ROAD BLOCK", imagine what you could do to bring on the same problems for your enemies WTSHTF. Sure you can't control WX, but you can a chainsaw!

[beebopcop]

Suddenly I need a chainsaw

I like the part about cutting the trees across the road. So simple and I never thought of it. I too endured Hugo but I wasn't in a survival mindset back then. Other than the fact I just wanted to survive the darn night and that was questionable. Thanks for the info.
Beebop

[Visinedrops]

I have taken into consideration the defense of my home. I currently live in a basement apartment with 1 main access (front door) that opens up to a stairwell heading down, and a large emergency window (fire escape) that opens to the outside in a deep window well. The other 4 windows in my apartment are 12 inches high by 28 inches wide. not quite large enough for someone to slip through easily, and small enough they can be boarded up by my cupboard doors.

The place is divided on either side of the stairwell with livingroom/kitchen on one side, and bedroom & bath on the other. An empty doorframe is built at the entrance of the livingroom which could easily accomodate a 32" solid wood door, which conveniently is the exact same as the current bedroom door.

There is a fireplace in the livingroom, and the cement walls are lined with 3/4" pine tongue-in-groove panelling, which goes from floor to ceiling. Plenty of wood to use for burning if needed.

The upstairs house has solid wood floors in all rooms, which is set on traditional 1950's 3/4"x3" angle-set subflooring. My home is basically secured.

Neighborhood is set on the outskirts of town, and a bridge over a canyon with a river running through it is the only access to town (south) - the other is a 4 lane highway leading from the north, which would cause some relief by blocking it with abandoned vehicles. Neighbors are self-conscious except for one who couldn't fight her way out of a paper sack if you gave her sissors, no real threat there. Surrounding community is full of middle-aged to elderly & retired folk.

WX could be a slight issue because it is a basement apartment. If flooding were to occur, I would be able to tolerate 6 inches of standing water around all ports into my home, but any more would spill over the window wells and begin to flood my apartment.

Snow/Ice not a problem. Insulated from freezing wind by the ground.
Hurricanes do not occur here, heavy wind would not be a problem anyway.

I've analyzed my home and surrounding areas and have portrayed scenerios in my head, and I've found I am relatively safe living in my underground bunker.