Emerigency Preparedness - Why Prepare
Sunday, 04 February 2007 11:50 | 
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Emergency Preparedness
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Why Prepare?
THOSE WHO DO . . . AND THE REST OF THE PLANET
By
Holly Deyo
[ Editor's Note: This is a MUST READ and you're highly recommended to follow up with a visit to Holly Deyo's website for more vital information because none of us know when a personal, local, regional or national emergency may develop. ]
Two kinds of people make up our world - those who know massive change is bearing down on us and the rest who remain totally oblivious.
Unfortunately, the latter is the majority. They charge forth blindly pursuing "life" like a missile clamped to its target. 'What if' is not part of their thought process and who can blame them.
Change rules the day. It's harder to cope. Yet we are asked to absorb change with the ease of tying a shoe, ramp up our stress load and keep going. Denial is easier.
Within the first crew - those who know this isn't their mama's world - are two camps. One group sees no threat from these changes. Mankind's ingenuity will save them from global shifts and lurches. They do nothing 'cause she'll be right mate!
The other group acknowledges potential threats and realizes man's technology can't always protect it. They accept personal responsibility and prepare for life's speed bumps.
The "awake" bunch have come to their understanding by various means. Some looked to Bible prophecy. Some followed futurists like Edgar Cayce, Nostradamus, Lori Toye or Gordon-Michael Scallion. Native American teachings were scoured for hints of things to come. Others have simply observed weather and world events over time and saw things weren't as stabile as they used to be. Maybe they can't exactly put their finger on it, but something seems amiss. They have an uneasy feeling, an urging to do something.
If you have experienced any of these promptings, take heed. Keep extra food, water, first aid and general supplies on hand. It is for you Dare to Prepare was written.
Acknowledging change is underway and that you need to act is the first step - and the biggest. Congratulations! You're taking action!
If you've not given much thought how to prepare your household, maybe you're already asking, "Where do I start? How do I prepare? How much do I need, and what? Then what do I do with it? Arrrrgh! Make me crazy!"
The task may seem overwhelming, but don't panic. It's truly very doable. Dare to Prepare will show you how-to without mistakes and hassle, and why we need to set aside provisions in the first place. This is especially helpful if you "get it", but family or friends need convincing. Dare To Prepare gives you all the ammunition necessary to convince even the most blind that we're on a serious and deadly path of global change.
It's unfortunate that some people who want to stock up meet resistance. Presenting family with concrete evidence of these increasing challenges may make them more receptive. Practically speaking, you SAVE MONEY purchasing products in bulk and have fewer opportunities for impulse buying. You SAVE TIME (and gas) going to the store less often. You SAVE SANITY in the event illness or unemployment when income doesn't stretch as far as the bills. You SAVE STRESS if unexpected company shows up at the dinner table and there's no need to dash to the store because you have a well-stocked pantry!
If you've already begun, then Dare will be an invaluable reference guide. Use it and share it with others around you.
Dare to Prepare is also your bridge to those past and near-forgotten skills which modern society foolishly gave the boot. You'll be able to learn many of these lost skills and techniques with a minimum of effort. And they're fun for the whole family!
THIS ISN'T YOUR MAMA'S WORLD
Countless events are manifesting geophysically, astronomically, meteorologically, politically, economically and prophetically that give reasons to prepare. There is absolutely NO DOUBT disruptive events are increasing globally in scope, frequency and economic impact. That is fact. Add to this equation, terrorism and worldwide unrest. 'Weird' and 'devastating' are the new norms.
Hopefully this reality has already caught your attention and now you want to prepare for the unexpected. Life's challenges are never as intimidating when you have a degree of control. That's what prep is all about! It gives you the edge to calmly sail through disruptions.
Most of us can remember a disaster here and there but we forget the particulars. Because each day is packed with so much information, details fade as we survive one disaster only to be engulfed by another. The more disasters we experience or watch on television, the more we tend to acquire an attitude of invincibility.
ALL DISASTERS GREAT AND SMALL
Insurance companies and relief organizations keep disaster statistics two ways, either as great catastrophes or as general natural disasters. If a distinction isn't made, information can appear out of kilter. Munich Re, the world's top reinsurer (a company who insures the insurance companies), defines great catastrophes as those that require aid from other regions or even international help. This is usually the case when thousands of people die, hundreds of thousands are made homeless, or when a country suffers huge economic losses. The Iran earth-quake on December 26, 2003 was one such event.
Early that morning Bam was devastated by 6.5 shaker. The majority of mud-brick houses collapsed in this city of 100,000 people, burying tens of thousands beneath the rubble. More than 40,000 people died and another 30,000 were injured.
By definition these events are fewer in number than natural disasters. That following chart tracks Great Catastrophes.
Since 1950, the number of GREAT natural catastrophes worldwide increased fourfold, while economic losses from these events, after adjusting for inflation, rose by an astonishing factor of 14.
Natural disasters on the other hand, aren't as large in scope. These upheavals are loosely described as killing 10 or more people and/or affecting at least 100 folks to the point where they need food, water, shelter, sanitation and immediate medical aid. A state of emergency is declared. Losses from these events, especially when viewed over a year, climb to very significant numbers both in dollars and human costs.
Over the past 27 years, America has been pummeled by 70 weather-related disasters exceeding $1 billion. Sixty-one of these disasters occurred between 1988 and 2005 with damages pegging nearly $430 billion. Seven of these events occurred in 1998 alone-the most for any year on record, though other years have recorded higher damage totals. That dubious prize goes to 2005 which racked a horrific $160 billion most due to an unprecedented number of hurricanes.
"Natural disasters kill one million people around the world each decade, and leave millions more homeless each year. Over the last 30 years the number of people killed by disasters stays around 80,000 per year. How-ever, the number of affected people tripled to around 250 million every year.
Economic losses from disasters in the 1990s rose to an average of US$63 billion a year. That's five times as much compared to the 1970s! Some estimates project disasters related to climate change could soon cost over $300 billion every year.
This next graph shows how global natural disasters have escalated over the past 50 years.
A report released by the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. (UN/ISDR) September 2004, states that "more than 254 million people were affected natural hazards last year, a near three-fold jump from 1990. Hazards, ranging from storms, earthquakes and volcanoes to wild fires, droughts and landslides killed some 83,000 people in 2003 compared with about 53,000 deaths 13 years earlier, it noted. Not only is the world globally facing more potential disasters, but increasing numbers of people are becoming vulnerable to hazards." The report went on to state that "the intensity and frequency of disasters are very likely to increase due to climate change". Now factor in increased solar output - the premier factor in Earth's warming climate. The planet is set up for massive challenges.
No matter how we look at it, either by great catastrophes or general natural disasters, upheavals are gaining momentum. Governments and insurance companies can't keep bailing us out of escalating disaster costs. They have their hands FULL! Federal disaster relief funding is stretched to the limit and so is the government man-power pool. There is no better case for NOT relying on government for your safety than Hurricane Katrina.
FEMA's relief aid alone for the Northridge quake ('94) pegged $6.98 billion. In 2004 dollars, this is nearly $9 billion. This figure does not include funding provided by other federal agencies or costs to insurance companies and individuals. But that's nothing compared to Hurricane Andrew ('92). When the damages were tallied, costs rang a $27 billion bell. Today, that's a whopping $37.4 billion!
Charities, too, feel the pinch. June 2003 saw Red Cross funds nearly depleted with only $1.5 million in its coffers. This was the lowest balance since 1992, when it ran completely dry.
Ditto for 2004. After hurricanes Frances and Charley hit, the Red Cross had to borrow $10 million.
Insurers are even more highly impacted. Their experts put 2004 Hurricane Ivan's damage at $6.5 billion. On its heels, Hurricanes Charley and Frances struck with combined estimated insured damages of $6-13 billion. Unbelievably, in a 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 punch, Hurricane Jeanne pummeled Florida days later. Florida is the first state to get pounded by four hurricanes in one season since Texas in 1886. Jeanne's costs, too, were staggering; preliminarily estimated at another $5-9 billion.
Swiss Re, the world's second largest re-insurer, released a report March 2004 revealing how climate change is rising on corporate agendas. Swiss Re stated that economic costs from natural disasters threatened to double to $150 billion a year in a decade, hitting insurers with $30-40 billion in claims. This is the equivalent of one Sept. 11 World Trade Center attack annually.
You might be thinking, not a drama, that's the insurance companies' problem. But it's our problem, because all of their extra costs trickle down to us. We ultimately pay their increased expenses in the form of higher premiums.
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CHANGE - THE ONE CONSTANT
From the changes we've experienced geophysically and now terrorism, we know what to expect in the future - more challenges. Wheat, cotton and corn crops saw drought while rice fields flooded. Global grain and foods stores are down.
From the changes we've experienced geophysically and now terrorism, we know what to expect in the future - more challenges. Wheat, cotton and corn crops saw drought while rice fields flooded. Global grain and foods stores are down.
Places that don't need rain see too much, other locations are dying for moisture. What we used to think of as "freak storms" are now not so unusual - just violent.
Fish, frogs and micro-organisms are sick and/or mutating. Entire species are disappearing daily at an astonishing rate.
More than 50 diseases have surfaced or re-emerged in the last 25 years. Some aren't treatable while others are growing more antibiotic resistant.
Global temperatures are heating and causing horrific storms over the entire planet.
During El Niño and La Niña, plants that should be dormant attempt to flower. Their growing cycles are confused.
Polar ice is diminishing and this continuous melt-off will lead to massive coastal flooding. Some islands are already being swallowed by this watery intrusion. Mount Kilimanjaro's glacier Is crumbling, the Swiss Alps are melting and Alaska's permafrost is mushy. This is not good news for anyone living coastally or on low-lying islands.
Earthquakes which can trigger tsunamis, landslides, mudslides, flooding, fires and volcanic eruptions are more active.
The Sun, that taken-for-granted 'constant,' is now hotter, shooting off flares so large they can't be measured. As of 1991, the Sun began emitting two new spectral frequencies. We are blasted with more radiation and have less protection. Solar flares and CMEs bombard our lives with great regularity. In 1998, the occurrence of CMEs was up over 400% from 1997. Magnetic storms are projected to be worse than the events of 1998.
Furthermore, in June 1999, scientists released information showing the Sun is more "energetic" than ever -- saying its interplanetary magnetic field has increased 40% since 1964 and doubled since 1901!
November 2003, after blasting off an unprecedented X46 megaflare, NASA stated the Sun had "gone haywire". This increased energy output directly affects everything weather-related. Trickle down effects are seen in disease, agriculture and ultimately, the economy. Unlike greenhouse emissions which could be reduced, the Sun's output is a problem over which we have no control.
Plus. PLUS! PLUS! Whew!
Add to these geophysical, astronomical and meteorological concerns, an overblown unstable financial market and anxiety over terrorism. 2000 saw the birth of another recession. This event coupled with terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 and numerous instances of Enron-style "creative accounting" tanked the U.S. economy. The result was 3 million lost jobs. Families struggled to stave off bankruptcy and keep their homes and retirement. Financial binds were eased for those who could fall back on their stored foods and other necessities.
Ten years ago, James Lee Witt, the then Director of FEMA warned people then they must take preparedness into their own hands and be personally responsible. He reiterated this warning on January 6, 2000, after the millennial rollover urging people to keep up their Y2K preparedness. Some listened. Others let this good start fall in a heap. Increasingly, this is a time when "personal responsibility" is more than a catchy comment. It should be a way of life.
Holly Drennan Deyo
For more information on how to prepare for emergencies visit Holly Deyo's website The Millenium Ark. Link here. You will be amazed at the vast amount of information is available to help you make sure you're fully prepared for any emergency as best as you can. Here again is the direct link to the book Dare to Prepare.