We are living in the Anthropocene Age, during which the accumulation of savage disasters is growing. Some of these make past disasters seem mild, with an increasing number of them exacting a billion dollars or more in damage and restoration costs. The climate crisis has created or exacerbated some of these disasters. Preparing in advance is thus more important than ever, at both the policy and the personal levels.
If Donald Trump had his way, you'd be on your own in any disaster unless your governor had offered the man enough recent sycophantic kowtows and high-fives to merit favorable attention. If that’s not your situation, perhaps Trump would approve the shipping of some cans of tuna, paper towels, and Jell-O mix. He’d happily send the National Guard to keep the looters away from any gated neighborhoods. The slow, inadequate response in Puerto Rico shows just how venal the squatter in the White House can be when it comes to meeting the needs of American citizens hammered by natural events (as well as natural events worsened by the extraction and burning of fossil fuels). The response has been especially pitiful when those in need are people of color or people of low income.
Although Trump’s reasoning for why the disasters occur is a ragged amalgam of climate science illiteracy and ludicrous assessments of how to prevent them, even Trump can’t totally ignore the victims. However, even if the Federal Emergency Management Agency had a bigger budget and we were governed by better leaders, victims in many disasters would still have to be their own “first responders.” Being prepared is key to making that response effective.
Neither FEMA nor the Red Cross nor local emergency teams can be of immediate help to everyone when a major disaster strikes. It can be days before official help, or any kind of help, arrives at your door, or where your door used to be—which makes it essential to prepare. That means more than queuing up for a few extra bottles of water, some cereal, and flashlight batteries a couple of days ahead of time when radar detects a megastorm headed your way or when a fire breaks out a couple of miles upwind of your locale. It means advance planning.
Earlier this year, Nhat Nguyen at the Berkeley Political Review wrote:
According to a study conducted in 2009 by Andrew Healy and Neil Malhotra, presidential candidates are rewarded in the polls for funding relief but not preparedness despite the latter being more economical, efficient, and safe. The problem is that when disaster preparedness is done well, nobody notices.
Compared to impressive relief efforts mobilizing ambulances, policemen, and humanitarian organizations after a natural disaster, disaster preparedness policies seem rather unremarkable. Strengthening infrastructure, raising public awareness, training response personnel, testing and developing warning systems, creating preparedness plans; these measures don’t exactly invoke a sense of profound change, but for every dollar invested in disaster preparedness measures, the country saves four dollars in the future.
In a time when global warming is heating mother nature’s temper, relief-oriented practices are simply not sustainable.
That kind of focused, far-in-advance preparation is a key part of the Green New Deal and some other recent climate crisis proposals. Even if those policies and programs are implemented, however, the need to be personally prepared will not vanish. Certainly not all disasters now or in the future will be climate-related. So, what to do specifically?
Fourteen years ago, Kossack AlphaGeek provided a five-part in-depth series on what steps families and individuals should take in their disaster preparations. It provides a good outline for today. He focused on both the little short-term disasters and the big longer-lasting kind. It is a terrific, deeply comprehensive collection, so I'm posting links to all five parts, and one brief excerpt. I haven't tried all the links embedded in the series, and many of them may by now return a 404 message. But with a little Googling or Binging, it shouldn't be difficult to find another version of what AlphaGeek originally found.
Remember, the longer you wait to prepare after a big disaster hits the news, the more likely it is you will be unprepared when a disaster strikes your area, your family. Don't wait to get started.
In order to effectively prepare for disaster without becoming overwhelmed, you must be able to make realistic judgments about risks. On one hand, it is an effort for most people to "think the unthinkable," to contemplate scenarios which are far outside the routine of their daily lives. It is difficult for most people to imagine a world where fresh water does not flow from the taps, electricity is something you can't take for granted, and the grocery store shelves are empty ... assuming the stores are even open.
On the other hand, there's a phenomenon I think of as the "armageddon fallacy." This is the temptation, once that our Pandora's Box of fears and concerns has been opened, to imagine extremely unlikely events as real threats. We must be cautious to exercise good judgment when considering risks, as the "Armageddon fallacy" is a surprisingly easy trap to fall into. Keep in mind that your plan, at some point, will be shared with friends and family. This incents most people to stay clear of the Crazy Talk Express to Armageddon Town when making a plan. [...]
Your first task in building a disaster-readiness plan is to assess the risks particular to the areas where you spend significant time. In America's car-centric suburban culture, many people work 20 miles or more from their home. The risks at work and at home may differ considerably, and should be assessed separately.
Part 2: Plan to Survive (Part A)
Part 3: Plan to Survive (Part B)
Part 4: Emergency Gear and Supplies
Part 5: Conclusion
I'm going to be really obnoxious now and repeat: Don't wait. You cannot be prepared after the fact. What you do now could save your life and those of your loved ones in the near future. At the very least, it could make you all a lot more comfortable in the aftermath of a disaster. With luck, you'll never have to use any of the gear you buy or preparations you make. But better to have them and not need them than to need them and be without.