The hurricane that wasn’t and the aftermath

Irene looked like a doozy on Friday, but thankfully, appears to be dying down on Saturday.  That might be good news for the East Coast, delivering less of a serious blow than it looked like it was going to.  But that opens up another can of worms.

The Hurricane That Wasn’t can mean that people evacuated according to official orders, but nothing really happened.  Sounds good?  Maybe not.  Many of those evacuees really couldn’t afford their time away from their home, and spent money otherwise designated for essentials such as loan payments, rent, utilities, groceries, etc.  They lost income from jobs because they weren’t there.  Some may have lost their jobs because they elected to evacuate rather than work.  Now, if Irene turns out to be the hurricane that wasn’t…they’ll feel like it was a waste, a totally unnecessary precaution.

So then comes Hurricane #Two.  This one is a real hurricane, that really packs a punch, and unlike Irene, doesn’t loose it on the way there.  It strikes with all of its force, perhaps choosing New York, New Jersey, or even Maine as it’s point of entry.  Maybe it decides to go traditional, and heads straight for Ellis Island, arriving as a category 3 or 4, maybe even a 5.

Evacuation orders were given, and ignored by almost everyone.  Storm surge strikes from Norfolk, Virginia to Portland, Maine.  In its center, it’s in the same range as Katrina, delivering a thirty foot surge, and it extends for hundreds of miles on either side.  With howling winds, driving rain, wandering tornadoes, and rising waters, people are doomed.  There is no escape and their shelters have become useless or a death trap, as people are unable to escape, drowning in their homes or the raging waters outside.  Other buildings collapse, unable to fight the combination of water and wind, taking their occupants with them in a tower of cascading debris that has now also become lethal projectiles in the wind.

It moves on, dying as it moves inland, carrying rain and wind with it.  In its wake, there are the bodies of its victims, many lying on streets and lawns, amid the muck and debris.  Thousands more are missing and presumed dead.  Body bags are needed by the thousands.

Entire families are dead, it’s nearly impossible to identify the bodies.  Entire neighborhoods are gone.  For those that do survive, life has turned into an exercise in horror, as they step around bodies and seek food, water, shelter, and clothing.  FEMA and Red Cross don’t respond any faster to this situation than they have to previous ones.  Police and fire departments are devastated, with many of their own among the dead.  Hospitals became death traps as well, and their halls are muck filled halls of horror with the dead littering them.

Thousands dead, millions without power, water or sewer.  Raging fires and no way to fight them.  Thousands of displaced people wandering the devastated streets in search of basic necessities.  Thousands of looters running rampant, and no one to stop them.  People murdered for a can of food or bottle of water join the other dead, and their murderers walk off, loot in hand.  The National Guard moves in to restore order, arriving several days before the relief does, and finds themselves faced with desperate and thirsty survivors.

Sound far fetched?  It isn’t really.  It’s happened before, but the death tolls stayed in the hundreds, largely because of lower population densities of the past.  It is virtually impossible to forcibly evacuate an area, as the cooperation of the citizens is necessary to accomplish the evacuation in the designated time frame.  Even with this hurricane, there were no buses or trains offering residents a ride out of the hurricane’s reach, and that was in an area where a very low percentage of residents own a motor vehicle of any kind.  Instead, public transportation systems were being shut down early to protect the operators and employees from the hurricane’s wrath.

With the difficulty of evacuation, the cost of evacuation, and then add in a previous “wolf cry” if Irene turns out to be much ado about nothing…next time, an even lower percentage of those asked to evacuate will do so.  It’s been a long time since the upper Atlantic coast was even threatened seriously by a hurricane, and the memory of the masses is short sometimes.  The masses will simply not see any reason to go through the hassles of evacuating in the future.

The wise thing is to have a plan for future storms, and if evacuation is ordered, do so.  Many people may find that evacuation even when it isn’t an ordered evacuation is wise–we’ve all seen government agencies fail to order evacuations in the past, as they choose to stick with their statistics and computer models instead of being regarded as excessively cautious.  Hurricanes have played tricks before–even Katrina started out doing one thing…then suddenly crossed Florida to enter the warm Gulf of Mexico waters and continue her path of destruction.  Hurricane Ike was slated for a New Orleans vacation, and suddenly hung a right and headed to Florida’s Emerald Coast instead.  That unpredictable nature is part of the reason NOAA’s cone projections exist…to cover the entire possible area.

It boils down to personal responsibility.  It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that both  you and  your family are safe, whether that means evacuation or maintaining your emergency supplies.  Learn how to use the NOAA website and track the hurricanes.  Learn what those cones mean in terms of the projected path.  Have an evacuation plan.  Keep your gas tank full during storm season (June 1-Nov 30) and be ready to evacuate.  Storms typically have about a 3 day warning before landfall, but once the announcement has been made, supplies such as water, canned foods, and gasoline become scarce and the lines are long.  The closer the storm, the heavier (and slower) the traffic.  Motels and campgrounds fill early, forcing evacuees to move further inland in search of shelter.

Being prepared sometimes means being prepared to leave on very little notice with just the personal items that will fit in your car, motorcycle, bicycle, or be carried onto a train or bus.  Know how  you will leave and what you will take ahead of time.  Know where you will go, and also have a secondary plan in mind.  During emergencies, it’s often necessary to adapt to changing situations and obstacles.

Inform your family and friends of what your contingency plans are.  Try to have a mutual contact out of the affected area, to enable you to re-establish communications with those that are important to you in the event that cell phones fail, are lost, etc.

Make digital copies of important documents and family photos.  Store them with an online service or a friend/family member who lives in a different region of the country.

If you have pets, be prepared to take them with you.  Have vaccination records and other important documents ready.  For dogs and cats, have a carrier (many motels and shelters will require the carrier and vaccination records) and put them in a sturdy plastic bag that is then taped to the carrier.  Update them each year after their annual vaccinations are completed.  Put a second copy in the glove box of your car.  Keep a third copy in your filing cabinet at home.  This way, no matter what, you are probably going to have a copy where ever you are, and they won’t be forgotten when you evacuate.

Have a file of important documents in a “grab n go” container.  It can be anything, as long as it will hold the paperwork!  (Even a shoe box)  Insurance, education, medical records, children’s vaccination records, school documents, birth certificates, social security cards, professional certifications, etc. should all be in the box.  Also include a digital video of both the interior and exterior of your home, motor vehicles, expensive items you have insured, etc. in case you need it for the insurance company.  This box should also contain recent photos of all family members, including pets, in case they are necessary.

If possible, take your computer towers, external hard drives, laptops, tablets, and netbooks with you.  These items, even if your home is undamaged, could provide a potential thief or looter with far too much personal information about you and lead to identity theft.

During Katrina, almost all evacuees had taken three days worth of clothing and medicine with them, believing they would return in that amount of time.  Don’t be foolish–take all of your medication on hand, and at least a week’s worth of clothing, if possible.  It may seem frivolous, but include both a swimming suit and jacket.  You may find yourself with access to a pool, and recreation can do a great deal towards alleviating stress as you wait to return home.

Many motels will have microwaves, and they’ll all have electricity.  Evacuations are expensive, and being able to prepare your own food helps reduce restaurant expenses.  Slow cookers, electric fry pans, and even your coffee pot can make life a lot more pleasant and less expensive while hunkered down.  Even in a shelter, food can be scarce.  Bring along some canned foods, coffee, filters, etc. Don’t forget the can opener!  (Ramen noodles and instant rice can actually be cooked by pouring hot water over them, and letting them sit, preferably covered, for a few minutes.  For other “hot water” meals, check out websites that have ideas for low-cost backpacking.)

Try to bring some toys and games for the kids, and don’t forget the adults.  Sitting in a motel room can be horribly tedious, and after Katrina, watching the television just increased my stress.  Having something to occupy yourself with can help make those tedious hours pass much better!  Cards are a good choice, as they are compact and you can often find other evacuees to join in games with you, or play alone.  For kids, keeping them occupied while enduring the tedium of a motel room can be challenging.  Crayons, paper, games, and other toys can make it a lot easier.

Remember.  It’s not the government’s job to keep you safe.  It’s yours.  Think.  Plan.  Be prepared.

Being prepared to weather the storm

Hurricane Irene

Looks like Irene will be the first hurricane of the 2011 season to make landfall in the United States.  This time, thank goodness, I don’t live in its projected path.  But a lot of people do.

Are you prepared to weather the storm?

Hurricanes have a powerful punch.  I’ve never sat through one, having always chosen to evacuate and get out of its path.  Considering what Katrina did to Greater New Orleans in 2005…that was the best choice I could have made then, and the same choice I made when Gustav was headed that direction later on.  For many people, evacuation is the better choice.  For others, sheltering at home is the best…or only choice available to them.

I realize that New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast may have a unique situation in regards to hurricanes, storm surge, and flooding.  I don’t know everything about hurricanes in all parts of the country, but if you are in a low lying area near the coast, I see few scenarios when evacuation isn’t your best option, at least for the duration of the storm.  Learn from lessons in Galveston and New Orleans–it’s better to be safe than sorry, and even moving inland an extra mile can mean the difference between zero percent chances of surviving the storm surge…and an almost certain chance of survival.  Walls of water twenty to thirty feet high are not a joke, and they have destroyed many houses that stood for a very long time against their smaller versions.  Storm surge is something that computer models are not accurately predicting at this time.

Being prepared to evacuate isn’t exactly easy either.  What should you take?  What should you not take?

Being prepared for evacuation is something anyone in a coastal region should do in May, before the storm season even starts.  Start with  your “grab n go” sets of paperwork.  This should be all of the documents you will need, from insurance policies to your dog’s veterinary records, with everything in between.  Even copies of school records, diplomas, certificates, etc. should be included.  This can be something as simple as a shoe box, or it can also be a portable plastic tub style file with hanging files sorting the documents.

Next, each person should ALWAYS have an emergency backpack, from the youngest to the oldest, even if they are unlikely to be able to carry them.  This should have the essentials for surviving most situations included.  Everyone should know where they are stored, and should be able to quickly access them and load them in a vehicle.  Packing a bag for your pets is also a very good idea, with spare leashes, collars/harnesses, treats, dishes, bottled water, and food.  (Never leave your pets behind when evacuating–if its too dangerous for you, it’s too dangerous for your pets too!)

While adults can pack a “grab n go” duffle bag and keep it ready, kids often grow rapidly, making such preparations more difficult.  Have kids’ duffle bags easily available, and pack at least 3 days of clothing per child, including underwear, swimming suit, and jacket in their own duffle bag.  (Check yard sales, second hand stores , discount outlets, etc. for duffle bags or use last year’s book bag/backpack.)  If possible, have each child choose 1 or 2 toys to include in the bag.

For children, even teens, have a “emergency entertainment bag” of crayons, coloring pencils, coloring books, puzzle books, compact games, playing cards, etc.  Keep this with your other emergency supplies–they will come in handy if you are forced to spend hours indoors, occupy time without electricity, etc.  Including a battery operated radio might also help occupy their time.  For adults pack items such as: puzzle books, pens, pencils, paper, envelopes, dice, and playing cards.

Sleeping bags, even slumber bags, for each person make packing bedding easy.  If you don’t have sleeping bags, bring at least a blanket and flat sheet for each person.  If you have a bed wetter, it might be wise to include spare bedding and possibly a waterproof sheet.  Include a pillow, towel and washcloth for each person as well.  These items may be handy if you are forced to use a shelter or are temporarily staying with friends or family.

An emergency travel kit of foods that can be easily eaten in the car, at a rest area, gas station, etc. is a good idea.  Often, evacuations mean slow traffic, long hours of waiting, and a lack of availability of restaurants or fast food.  Keeping the travel kit packed during storm season means you avoid the long lines at the grocery store as you attempt to get these items.  Don’t forget to include things such as instant formula and food for infants.  For others, items such as canned meats or cheeses, crackers, freeze dried fruits, and even canned foods such as ravioli or chili (hurricanes usually arrive with warm weather, and a can of food can get surprisingly warm in a car window even!)  Include a can opener, wet wipes, disposable utensils, napkins, paper plates, and zip close bags with your kit.  Many of these items may also be useful in a motel room, campsite or shelter as well.  Also include drinks that do not require refrigeration and water in bottles.  In addition to the people food, include food for your pets.

For many families, including camping gear is an excellent idea.  This ensures that your family will have shelter besides the vehicle you evacuated in, and a way to prepare meals.  Camping is also less expensive than motels, and often friends & relatives who are hosting evacuated families run out of space indoors, making a tent in the back yard an attractive alternative to sleeping in the living room with three other families. Your camping gear can also provide temporary housing  upon returning home, if your home is damaged too severely to stay in.  Other families may not have the cargo space necessary to include this in their evacuation kit.  Remember, however, that hurricanes retain much of their destructive power for hundreds of miles inland.  If you are planning on staying in a tent, make sure your evacuation route takes you out of the storm’s path.

In this day and age of electronics, most families can scan their photographs and save them digitally without any loss of quality.  If you live in hurricane territory, that is an excellent idea, as is storing an extra copy of them with someone in a different region of the country or an online storage company.  Otherwise, taking your computer tower, laptop, or external drive with you is probably the best alternative.  Your laptop may also provide you with a means of communication and sometimes even telecommuting that may not otherwise be available.  (Many campgrounds offer wi-fi, as well as motels, rest areas, coffee shops, and even McDonalds nationwide have wi-fi.)  Don’t forget your cell phones and chargers!

If you are not going to a friend or relative’s home, plan your route using NOAA’s “cone” as a guide to get you out of the impact area of the storm.  Leave well enough in advance that you have ample time, even on overcrowded roads with sluggish traffic, to get to your destination prior to landfall of the storm.  (Many hurricane evacuations have illustrated that a trip that would normally take 3 hours can easily take 12 hours during evacuations.)  These slow trips in a usually over-loaded and crowded vehicle will not bring out the best in everyone, and tempers will flare in both young and old.  Trying to stay even tempered, up beat, and cheerful can strain the nerves of a saint, but it is the best option.  To help keep children occupied, items such as portable DVD players can be a godsend.  Other alternatives are the traditional travel games and sing-a-longs or stories.  Reading in the car is often not advisable, as it frequently results in car sickness, something that will do nothing for your morale or the overall cheeriness of your companions.

Staying put for the storm is a different kettle of fish entirely, as the saying goes.  To stay through the storm, one needs to be certain that you are out of reach of the storm surge.  Relying on past hurricanes’ storm surge reach is not always a good idea–Hurricane Katrina reached further and higher than any hurricane before it.  As the waters rose, forcing occupants to go ever higher in their homes, until many would be trapped in their attics, unable to escape as the waters continued to rise.  (Not so much with Katrina, but it had been a more common occurrence in earlier hurricanes.)  Long before the storm strikes, put an axe in the attic…just in case.  With the axe, a hole can be cut into the roof, providing an escape route.

Board the windows or close hurricane shutters, and to ensure that pressure equalizes in our weather tight homes of today, crack one or more windows slightly to allow the pressure to flow between the exterior and interior of the home.  Look around your yard, and remove or fasten down anything that can possibly become a projectile during the high winds.  This will include things like dog houses, lawn furniture, trash cans, tools, toys, and even bicycles.  Inspect your shed, and do any repairs necessary to ensure that it isn’t going to become a projectile as well.  Few metal sheds, typically sold at home improvement centers, are going to survive a hurricanes winds unless they are firmly fastened down and in good repair.  Lock doors to outbuildings to prevent them from coming open during the storm.

Take a look at the trees around your house.  Many trees and large limbs break or come down entirely during violent storms.  Determine whether any of them present a risk to your house.  Remove dead limbs, if possible.

If you have livestock, poultry, or pets, make sure their shelters are secure and sturdy enough to weather the storm, as well as out of reach of storm surge.  Few chickens or other poultry will survive being outdoors during a hurricane, or if their coop is destroyed during the storm.  Larger livestock, if left outdoors, is susceptible to lightning strikes during the storm, as well as the tornadoes and high winds and driving rain.

All of these preparations can be much easier if you regularly maintain outbuildings and landscaping to ensure it is in good repair and safe.  Long before the storm arrives, pruning, trimming and removal of dangerous trees should have occurred, as well as building maintenance and repairs.  Installation of shutters can save immense amounts of time as well when the storm is coming.

Indoors, have a cooler ready in case of power loss.  Minimize the amount of food in the refrigerator and be prepared to manage your freezer if power is out for more than 2 days.  (Cooking and canning the food may be your only option.)  Have an alternative method of cooking ready as well, as many areas will lose gas and power during the storm.  Placing gallon jugs of water in the empty space in your freezer will help keep the freezer cool, as well as offer additional (and even cold!) water for after the storm.  Put the jugs of water in the freezer several days in advance, to ensure it is all completely frozen before you lose power.

Tarps, duct tape, rope, bungee cords, and rolls of plastic to cover broken windows are all good supplies to have on hand, along with spare fuel for your vehicle and generator, if you have one.  Plan on having at least three gallons of water per person per day, with at least three days on hand before the storm strikes.  Fill your bathtub with water to use for washing, flushing toilet, etc.  Have an alternative toilet solution available as well, just in case.  Sewer systems often fail during storms, making flushing impossible, and high water can render septic systems unusable.  Flooding can also contaminate wells, making drinking from wells unwise during a storm situation.

Your emergency pantry may well come into play during a storm as well.  Stores typically are all closed 12-24 hours before landfall is expected.  In addition, they are incredibly crowded and running out of essentials within a few hours of the storm warning.  If your emergency pantry is kept stocked, you will avoid this aggravation and stress, and your family will probably eat far better than someone forced to a diet of Cheez Whiz and potted meat on saltine crackers served with cold hominy and canned strawberries and washed down with generic grape soda, because that was all that was left at the store after you waited in line three hours to pay for it.  There are numerous companies that provide families with long term storage foods, as well as easy-to-serve MREs and other complete meals.

Many items in your “normal” pantry will still be useful as you and your family weather the storm and its aftermath, as long as you have fuel for your emergency stove.  Always keep enough fuel on hand, as most of it will easily store for a year, and often longer.  (Propane and butane seem to slowly leak over time, but white gas is something that seems to stay good for nearly “forever.”  I’ve used white gas that has been stored 2-3 years without any problems.)

Being prepared is about thinking ahead and considering those “what-if” situations.  Hurricanes bring high winds, driving rain, rising flood waters, and tornadoes.  Trees fall, unable to stand against the wind in water logged soils.  Telephones fail, power goes out, water and sewer systems quit, and natural gas delivery can be halted.  There is no possibility of emergency personnel reaching you during a storm, and often for days after a storm.  Stores are closed, curfews are imposed, and often the roadways are clogged with down trees and destroyed bridges.  Looters often defy local authorities and invade unoccupied homes, businesses, and terrorize neighborhoods.  Martial law may be imposed, and vigilantes often resort to taking the law in their own hands.  Staying put can be hard work and uncomfortable, as temperatures often are high and living conditions deteriorate.  The storm itself causes great stress, and for those with arthritis and old injuries…it often brings incredible aches and pains.  Injuries can easily become life threatening when there is no doctor or hospital accessible.

Plan ahead.  Know yourself and your family.  Consider potential problems and the best possible solutions.  Discuss them in advance with all family members, even the youngsters, as they too need to know what is expected and what to do if something goes wrong.  Forming a neighborhood group to help deal with issues such as locally downed trees, etc.   The larger your organization, the more diverse the skills within it.

Evacuation and you

Evacuation.  It means a lot of things, depending on the circumstances.  But what does it mean to the average person in America?

Nothing.

Unless people live in an area that has been hit by a fire, hurricane or a volcano…they have no idea why or even how they would accomplish evacuation of an area.  There is nothing to even begin to base their expectations on, other than it would never happen to them.

That’s what they thought in the area of Chernobyl too.  It wouldn’t ever happen to them.

In Japan, they did know about tsunamis, but the warning period was so brief, it was grab the baby and run, forget everything behind.  No one ever dreamed of the situation that they are facing now with the reactor melting down.  Slowly but surely, the Japanese government is apparently increasing the evacuation zone.

There have been internet inspired rumors of all of Japan being evacuated.  Logistically, that’s a nightmare to think about, but as the disaster continues to become an ever bigger problem with no end in sight, it might not be as improbable as I thought it was in the beginning.

Japan doesn’t have much for a land mass already.  In addition, the reactor is not only causing radioactive fall out internationally, it’s pouring contaminated, radioactive water into the sea.  What does that mean for us?

Maybe those evil mutant alien fish that have been featured on YouTube aren’t as improbable as I thought.  Not that the alien part would happen, but mutant…definitely could.  It could do all sorts of things we haven’t even begun to think about.

This disaster isn’t just Japan’s disaster anymore.  It’s a worldwide environmental disaster.  Already, the West Coast is supposedly experiencing increased radiation levels with contamination showing up in milk products.  I don’t know if it is true, but no one here is prepared for that either.

Being prepared to evacuate means more than bringing a few days of clothing and medications, and essentially taking a mini-vacation.  I know–I evacuated for Katrina from New Orleans, with 3 days of clothing…and was gone a full 4 weeks.  I was better prepared than most, even if I didn’t lose anything in the storm, because I had my camping gear along.  That gave me the basics to “get by with” until I could return.  (I did have to get some clothing, food, and an electric hot plate.)  I also had my computer towers, my laptop, and a monitor–things that most  people didn’t bring with them.

In my case, I decided about 10 pm on Saturday that evacuation was wise.  I started packing, and by 2 a.m., I had a truck load and was headed out of town.  I had taken things I regarded as irreplaceable–photos and the computer towers.  I brought camping gear, “just in case” I couldn’t find a motel that would take my two dogs and cat, and 3 days worth of clothing.  My daughter was visiting, and she had her suitcases with her as well.  She ended up returning home after getting a refund on her flight out of New  Orleans, without returning to the city at all.

Was I ready?

NO!

I thought fast, packed fast, and loaded as fast as I could.  I missed things that were important, such as veterinary records and other paperwork, and was exhausted when I started what would turn out to be an 11 hour journey.  Before Katrina, I regarded evacuations as somewhat of a lark, as they would be ordered, and people would leave town…only to return after nothing happened.  No one even dreamed of the sheer magnitude of that disaster, and I didn’t even believe it when it first came on the tv in the motel room.  It was impossible, just an hour before, they had reported the city was fine, how could it be underwater now?

Everyone who lives in areas frequently evacuated, such as along the southern portion of the Atlantic coast and the Gulf Coast, should have their bags packed at all times.  Always.  Storm season might be June 1st through November 30th, but storms have been known to come ashore out of season, and pack a mean punch when they did.  These bags are separate from your emergency backpack or your bug out bag, this is a bag specifically for evacuations.

So what is in it?  One bag holds important documents and prescription medication.

• Digital copies of family photographs on a dvd in a protective case
• Insurance papers
• Medical records
• diplomas, certificates, licenses for your occupation, etc.
• birth certificates
• social security cards
• passports (if you have them)
• cash (try to keep $200 in $5 & $10 bills on hand at all times)
• veterinary records & vaccination records for all pets
• medication
• digital copies of photographs of your home, and a video showing the contents, as well as the yard (on dvd in case)

 

Each person should also have their own personal bag with the following items:

• Personal hygiene items (soap, toothbrush, shampoo, toothpaste, comb/brush, washcloth, small towel, sanitary supplies, shaving cream, razors, etc.)
• Underwear for 7 days
• socks for 7 days
• 3 t-shirts
• 3 short sleeve shirts
• 2 long sleeve shirts
• 1 jacket
• rain gear
• 3 jeans
• 1 shorts
• 1 pr. “water shoes” or flip flops
• 1 pr. tennis shoes or other comfortable walking shoes
• 1 swimsuit
• 1 hat or cap
• sunscreen
• insect repellent
• flashlight
• notebook & pen
• deck of cards (adults & older children)
• several small toys (for children)
• address book with important telephone numbers & addresses
• beach towel or small blanket
• mesh laundry bag

Keeping these bags packed can be a “pain” but saves immense time when you may need it to gather your family together for an orderly departure.  It simplifies the process, and that is critical when you are in a hurry.  Even if you don’t keep the clothing items in the bag, keep the other items in the bag, and the bag in a convenient location where it can be packed quickly.  Practice the routine–it should be simplified so that everyone can be in the vehicle with their bags and backpacks in less than 30 minutes.

Delegate packing responsibilities, assigning specific tasks to specific people and hold practice drills until it is second nature.

Don’t forget that there should be the following for each person:

• Emergency backpack
• Evacuation bag
• Pillow
• Blanket/sleeping bag
• Travel convenience bag (mp3 player, small games, hand held electronic games, etc. to occupy time)

In addition to the paperwork/medication bag, it’s an excellent idea to keep an evacuation picnic bag packed.  This bag contains foods specifically chosen for ease of consumption, in the vehicle, as often vehicles are forced to move very slowly in traffic lanes, and making the idea of stopping for a meal very unattractive.  Suggested items include: bottled water, beverage mix tubes (those small tubes of beverage mix designed to mix in a water bottle), pre-packaged crackers & cheese or peanut butter, pre-packaged cookies, crackers, canned “spray” cheese food, hard candies, etc.  Items such as paper plates, napkins, paper cups, eating utensils, etc. can be included just-in-case a rest area becomes an option.  Adding a roll of quarters for vending machines is also a good idea.

Infants have their own set of requirements, and don’t forget to have a well packed diaper bag, food, water, and other beverages, including their bottles, in an easy-to-access location in the vehicle.  Additional items such as teething remedies, medication, ointments, wipes, etc. are also very important.  It is not uncommon to be in a vehicle for 12 or more hours during an evacuation, and that becomes practically an eternity to a baby.  Be prepared to cope with a fussy, unhappy infant who has been further aggravated by their schedule being completely upset as well as everyone else’s misgivings about the evacuation.

Pets also need their own gear.  Even if  your pet does not travel inside a crate, it is a very good idea to have a crate along, as this crate may be required at some locations.  It also gives your pet a “safe place” during  a traumatic trip.  Make sure you have the following:

• collar
• leash
• tie out cable or long leash
• food dish
• water dish
• food
• water (bottle or canteen)
• bed or blanket
• toys
• treats
• litter box (cats & ferrets)
• copy of vaccination records
• muzzle for dogs (this is a very stressful situation, in which your dog may have to socialize with strangers in close quarters.  Prevent a bite incident or dog fight…use a muzzle.)
• medications (if any)
• grooming equipment
• microchip information

Having your pet’s familiar items with them helps them adjust to the stress of the evacuation situation.  In addition, not all towns have pet stores, and your food or other items may be difficult to obtain at your new temporary location.  The last thing you need to be doing is rushing around trying to find dog food upon your arrival!  Make sure your dog or cat is wearing a collar with your cell phone number on it–it does no good for someone to try to call you at home or to try and contact your veterinarian–they have likely evacuated as well!  Pets can very quickly dart out of cars or motel room doors, disappearing in the blink of an eye.  Their ID is critical for quickly recovering them during such an event.

Evacuations are never really fun, and they are always filled with heavy traffic, stress, and worry too.  Keep your stress and worry to a minimum by being prepared in advance, and that helps everyone stay calm and in good humor during a difficult situation.  None of us ever want to be faced with a Chernobyl or Japan type of nuclear disaster inspiring our evacuation, but the fact is…most of us live fairly close to a nuclear reactor and it COULD happen.  Being prepared to leave quickly is even more critical then, as even a 30  minute exposure could be 30 minutes longer than is safe.

• Think
• Plan
• Practice
• Prepare
• Pay Attention

RVs, campers, vans, bug out vehicles, nomadic life, evacuations

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”   Mark Twain

www.cheaprvliving.com

We see campgrounds with their rows of RVs, their rumbling generators, their whining air conditioners, and their neat little canopies.  On occasion, we see them venturing into national forests, and they don’t look any different.  Even “boon docking”, they often are noisy affairs spotted from miles away, with television, microwaves, air conditioning, heaters, refrigerator, and all the other comforts of home.  Is that camping really?

Obviously, to them, it is.  But many of the people in these RVs actually live full time in them.  In researching vehicles that people have modified and turned into their homes, I was amazed at the immense variety and surprising compactness of some of these homes on wheels, as well as the features their owners have packed into them.

But what is camping?  Is camping about a mobile home or about making your home anywhere you can?  Is it only when we are doing it for fun, or does it include when we give up the idea of a fixed address and become nomads in a land that frowns on nomadic people?

The USA does frown on nomadic life styles, as does most of the civilized world.  They LIKE us to have a fixed address, to know exactly where we get our mail and fix our meals and lay our heads to sleep.  Society prefers to have all of its members chained to the routine of utility bills, mortgages or rent, mail service, telephone service, and jobs.  So what happens when we break those chains and become nomads?

It’s tough.  Very tough.  Either a friend or family member needs to provide a mailing address for you, or you have to hire a mail service to collect  your mail and periodically forward it for you.  If you receive a pension check that cannot be direct-deposited, that can be a real pain if you are truly nomadic over a very large area.  If you are forced to find work to support yourself, that’s nerve wracking, and there is the additional problem of needing a bank if you can’t deal strictly in cash (almost impossible these days.)

Many people assume that nomads are running away from something.  That isn’t true.  Sometimes, it is nothing more than a desire to see and experience new places, and modern society makes that an expensive prospect if you are going to follow societal norms.  When you jump the fence and take off into the wild blue yonder of the nomad’s life, you need to be prepared.  How can you start?

Research, of course!  Figure out how much money you need per month, and how you will get it.  How will you travel?  How will you sleep?  Where will you be?  What will you do with your time?

While a bicycle and a tent is really cheap, it completely eliminates a lot of urban/suburban stealth camping.  The reality is, if you set that tent up in a city park, you are apt to find yourself arrested, and that won’t be a good day.  Most jobs are going to be most easily found in that same environment that prohibits just camping out, and RV parks often do not want tents in their midst, eliminating a less-expensive temporary home option.  You need a stealthier camper than a tent, and one that can be secure as well.  That means a motor vehicle, complete with registration and insurance and maintenance, another addition to the outgoing money you will need.

Motorhomes, while a nice neat package that allows you to comfortably move around, along with their detachable sisters, the camp trailer, are not particularly stealthy.  You will be noticed parking in the ‘burbs.  You will get hassled to move on in the city.  Vans, delivery trucks, cars, etc. are far less noticeable, and won’t attract as much attention.  Many of these can be modified to make quite comfortable homes according to Cheap RV Living.  RV Net has a thread about converting a van as well.  Searching the internet can bring you some interesting ideas, even if they aren’t always going to have ALL of the directions or a workable plan.  With ideas, you can come up with your own unique plan.  Another blog with some interesting threads is Stealth Survival.   Another interesting forum with discusions is Survivalist Boards.

Moving back towards straight camping without the survivalist overtones,  we have Van Dwelling Wanderer’s blog.  Lots of forums will have threads on van campers and full time living in them (and other campers too).  These can give you a heads up on problems, as well as offer ideas and other links to check out.  Many of them offer free membership, allowing you to post questions and comments yourself too. Don’t automatically discard ideas from European forums and blogs-it’s much more common for Europeans than Americans to simply convert a van, as gas prices are very high there, and American RVs with their less than 10 miles per gallon mileage is a formidable cost there.  Great ideas about features and conversions can be found there too.

Sometimes, our partners may be a huge obstacle to the idea of dropping out and going nomad.  It isn’t going to work if they are not agreeable to trying it.  If they agree, it still might not work.  Not everyone is cut out to be a nomad.  There is another truth in that not everyone who THINKS they are nomadic in nature is really destined to long term nomadic living, let alone lifetime nomadic living.  In truth, many people are nomads not by a conscious choice, but by the circumstances of their life, and they wander in search of…something.  Some are nomadic for relatively short term periods of time-a year or two, exploring their world, and then returning to normal stationary life with only occasional road trips to satisfy their wanderlust. 

Face it, genetically, almost all Americans descend from ancestors bitten by the wanderlust bug. That’s how they were to become pioneers and colonists often, and sometimes they were fleeing something, sometimes they were seeking something.  I suppose, in a way, I’m that way too.  Once upon a time, I packed up my kids and moved to Minnesota for about 18 months before returning to the Southwest for a variety of reasons.  Years later, I packed up what would fit in a Nissan pickup and moved from Arizona to New Orleans, and for no particular reason.  I thought about relocating to NE Texas after Katrina, and I thought of moving somewhere else too, but in the end, elected to return to New Orleans, at least for a while.  It’s been almost five years since the “while” started.  Is the wanderlust flowing through my veins again?  Will I wake up one morning and say, I’m packing up to move to ____? 

Maybe that’s where my fascination with the idea of nomadic living, at least temporarily, starts.  I don’t know where I would want to move to.  Of course, I knew very little about New Orleans when I chose this location in 2003 either.  Yep, next month, I’ll have lived here for 7 years.   Will I get the 7 year itch?

Of course, my life has changed in 7 years.  GM & I have been officially engaged for 2 years now, and as my partner, he has input in the decision too.  He hates the cold, I hate the heat.  There are also economic influences-we need jobs in whatever location we would choose to live, and to live nomadically, we would still need jobs to pay for the things that we have to have-like transportation, that roof over our heads, and even food to eat. We also have more animals than I had when I arrived here-instead of just Red Dog, there is also Sissy, Cali (cat) and Smokey Robinson (cat.)  Living in a van with 4 animals could be very difficult, even on the short term side.

The van as a home is also a reality in the event of a hurricane evacuation.  Evacuations are not an “unusual” event on the Gulf Coast, and in New Orleans, it’s really no joke.  Being so low and surrounded by water here, it is foolish to NOT evacuate.  But, at the same time, evacuations are expensive, and obviously after Katrina, we all know it might be a lot longer than the previous 3 day rule.  Even with Gustav, I was out of the city for 6 days.  Being able to comfortably cope in the van greatly reduces expenses, but in the South, the heat is unbearable in it without the engine running to power the a/c.  Even tents, which we have several of, are unbearably hot during the day even with fans running when power is available.  How can the cats cope with that?  Red Dog had heat stroke as a young dog, and her tolerance of heat is also not good.  Without cold water to cool her down, she is quickly suffering.

It doesn’t take long to realize that there would have to be some serious modifications of the van to turn it into even a temporary home as long as we are in the South and it’s summertime (storm season!)  Essentially, we would need access to shore power, and some kind of an a/c unit to cool the van and keep it tolerable, or a lightweight towable (tow capacity on the mini-van is only 200o lbs.) that could be equipped with an a/c.  That’s getting expensive, so I start thinking about alternatives.

The simplest and least expensive solution would be the purchase of the smallest a/c window unit on the market, which is about 5000 btus. Home Depot lists one at about $100, and it weighs in at 40 lbs.  For the passenger window, a wooden frame would have to be constructed that would clamp to the door’s frame with the window fully rolled down, to allow the a/c unit to be supported in this window when parked.  Stealthy? Hell no, but inexpensive and any a/c unit requires shore power or a generator, neither of which is “stealthy”.  Inside, everything would be removed and placed in the tent, since we’d obviously have rented a site in a campground to power this monster.  During the day, litter box and cats would have the freedom to move around the van, dogs would be able to come in and cool off, we could use the rear seat as a sofa and even work on small tables for our laptops.  Cooking would have to be done outside, and bathroom issues dealt with by the campground’s facilities.  With a bike rack, we could have our bicycles along, allowing us to make short trips to the store, etc.  without having to remove the a/c unit and then reinstall it upon our return.  Adding a small dorm sized refrigerator would also allow us to avoid the need-ice issue, even if we needed to place the refrigerator in the tent to keep floor space free.  At night, when we need to sleep, the cats could be relegated to a crate either located on a seat in front or in the tent.  The dogs, due to their inability to get along, have to be kept separate, and Red Dog has serious separation anxiety if she’s forced to go to another area without being able to see/hear me.  Added in with her ability to destroy crates, it would be impossible to simply crate her in the tent, and that means Sissy would be the one sleeping in the tent in a crate, unless it turns out her crate would fit on the rear seat (I know its too large for a front seat.)  Red would find enough space somewhere, she’s good about that, and GM & I would sleep on a bed on the floor of the van.  As it is a mini-van, that requires sleeping sort of diagonally in order to stretch out when the doors are closed.   (The floor space is roughly 4×5′.)  Even so, that a/c unit would allow us to sleep even on hot muggy nights.

Right now, all I have is a 12 volt oscillating fan, and while it can be run for several hours without draining the battery, I’d worry about running it all night, and it helps…but it’s still HOT and sticky.  Leaving windows open is like a neon sign inviting mosquitos to come dine too.  So, it’s still hot, sticky, and stuffy.  (GM swears I’m a fan, internet, and a/c addict too!) Making some screens to attach via magnets might help with the mosquitos and allow breezes for more moderate (and boondocking) temperatures.  The van’s windows are tinted, but there isn’t much for privacy, so figuring out a way to increase privacy without a lot of hassle would also be nice. The logical solution would be to figure out how to mount curtains with magnets or hook & loop tape, especially the front window which is a huge heat gain as well.  Something with insulating properties would be a great addition when parked! 

As for cold, that is rarely encountered except on leisure trips, and we have that down pat.  We haven’t slept in the van, but Sissy usually does.  Her crate is covered with a thick wool blanket, she has her bed and a microfleece blanket, as well as her own microfleece coat.  In addition, we tuck one or two chemical hand warmers under her bed, and they consistently radiate heat all night, keeping her snug and happy.  Red has gotten so that the cold bothers her too now that she is getting older, and she has her own fleece coat, and typically sleeps on our bed. On truly cold nights, she will crawl alongside me, allowing me to put the blanket over her (and share her heat too!) and she helps ME stay warm by sleeping on the opposite side from GM.  A few times, she has crawled between us, which has usually produced more laughter than anything, before she gives up and seeks a better spot.  She has learned that we have heated bricks at our feet, so to sleep between our feet or on top of the bricks means extra warmth, esp if the “extra” blanket is tossed over her. 

I also know, from previous vans, that if we are in it and the weather turns bitterly cold, we can actually heat it with nothing more than a candle.  That does require care, and normally, we would not sleep during the candle’s burning, but rather warm up the van, put out the candle, and go back to sleep.  A can of jelled alcohol or an alcohol burner can serve the same purpose.  Just remember to use care to not poison yourself with carbon monoxide while trying to stay warm!

So many thoughts…and sometimes, it all boils down to why am I feeling this antsy, anticipating, edgy feeling?  Is it intuition or paranoia?  Do I just have gypsy blood flowing in my veins?  Who knows…but time will tell.