GUEST POST from Don – Exit Plans (part I)

EXIT PLANS (Part I)

Psalms 55:6-8 NIV says:  “I said, ‘Oh that I had the wings of a dove!  I would fly away and be at rest – I would flee far away and stay in the desert.  Selah.  I would hurry to my place of shelter, and from the tempest and storm.’ “

Recently we viewed those who survived Mount Vesuvius’ eruption [see Pompeii Survivors].  They had one thing in common, they bugged out early.  Thus, they weren’t there for the fireworks.  Maybe you’ve been thinking for a long time about survivalism or surviving an emergency.  You may even have some “emergency rations” or maybe you have hoarded bottled water.  I know several people who carry “heat.”

When COVID first hit millions of Americans were caught with their pants down and no TP.  Who were these people who failed to have more than 2 days-worth of TP?  Your neighbors, your friends, your family?  What if the power had gone off at the same time?  How many would have had a freezer full of rotting food?  Frozen goods are not very good in an emergency unless you have a snowbank in your yard.  I’ve been in thousands of homes over the years.  What do people have in their cupboards?  I can tell you that less than half had more than a couple days worth of food there … a can of peas, a can of tuna, half a box of oat-o cereal, and three kinds of specialty crackers?  

But how many types of emergencies have you planned for?  Forget going to “Ready.gov” (and honestly most other government websites) to find out how to prepare.  That site is a JOKE!!!  Follow those instructions and you may be among the first to need evacuation or assistance.    

No, what you need is a comprehensive plan for all contingencies.  Where to start?

I worked on this for our family and came up with a flow chart (which probably wouldn’t work for your family in your location).  So, here I will break it down into component parts.  

Set one:  FOUR QUESTIONS.

FIRST – Is the emergency major or minor?  (Major could be a nuclear attack, war, major unrest, flood, volcano, fire VS snow storm, MORE than a power outage or the need to boil water)

SECOND –  Is the emergency local or widespread?  (Widespread is more than your quadrant of the state, national, or global.)

THIRD – Is it now summer or winter?  (Are you dealing with heat/dehydration or freezing conditions?)

FINALLY – Stay or leave?

[Major, widespread, winter … I lean toward staying home if possible.  Unless you live in the upper Midwest, your home will keep you acceptably warm (up to 50 degrees during the day).]  

The next set:  WHAT HAVE YOU LOST/LACK

1. Water.
2. Food.
3. Power (Natural Gas and Electric)
4. Medicine
5. Phone/internet.
6. Gasoline
7. Safety/Security.
8. Money
9. Warmth/Cooling.
10. Home/Shelter.
11. Vehicle.
12. Sanitary items.
13. First Aid.
14. Clothing/jackets/gloves.

Third set:  PLANS.

Based on the answers to the first set and the things lacking in the second set, what plan will you follow?  No emergency seems minor at the time, but making the proper decisions in the proper order will make you less likely to become a statistic.  In any case, you need more than a few food supplies to be truly prepared.

Next week we look at some specialty issues.

[PLEASE NOTE that Don is always open to discussing the thoughts and opinions he shares here and welcomes comments as shared in the comment section. He doesn’t use other social media platforms and won’t see whatever you’d like to share with him if you post it elsewhere.
ALSO, Don is always open to offer his thoughts on various topics. If you have a specific request, you can let him know in a comment; he reads – and replies to – them all. ~ Sherry]

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