It’s comforting to assume that government agencies on a federal, state and local level will swoop in to provide aid and assistance in a time of natural or manmade disasters.
Unfortunately, that is rarely the case and even when they do the services and goods provided are often both limited and rationed.
Hurricane Katrina continues to be a benchmark for the failure of a government agency response to disaster. The size and scope overwhelmed FEMA and basics like clean drinking water and medical aid failed to reach a majority of people affected by the hurricane and resulting flooding.
The telegram is that you can’t assume you’re going to be rescued or provided for when disaster strikes. Like so many other things, we’re often on our own.
Defining Critical Needs
Maybe the best way to determine what you need to stockpile is to look at the potential events that will affect your survival during a disaster.
• Power outages are a common occurrence during many disasters and can last for hours, days and even weeks.
The direct effect is a lack of heat, light, the ability to cook, running water especially if you depend on a well pump, and communication. There’s also a loss of refrigeration and freezing for foods.
Fortunately, you can learn here how to build your own power plant for cheap and outlive any long-term blackout.
• Sanitary challenges from toilets that won’t flush to floodwaters contaminated by overflowing sewers and anything else a flood touches. An emergency management agency might hand you a few bottles of water but you’re on your own if you want water filtration tablets, any type of sanitizers or cleaning supplies, and at best a hotel size bar of soap.
• Medical treatment will be determined by a triage system with the most serious injuries getting priority. As serious as a deep cut or broken bone may be, if others are more severely injured they’ll get treated first.
• Shelter may eventually be offered but it will be crowded and very unsanitary. The use of the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina emerges again as a shelter idea gone horribly wrong.
• Food offered will usually be defined as a meal served in improvised soup kitchens after a long wait in line. If there is food to be distributed it will most likely be in limited quantities and rationed as one MRE per person for one meal for the day.
Related: 4 Long-Lasting MREs You Should Make for Your Stockpile
If you consider the critical needs of a large community during a disaster it’s fair to assume that any combination of emergency agencies will not only be unable to keep up with the demand, but will simply not offer some levels of aid and assistance.
If you need gas for a generator forget about getting it from any gas trucks brought into the area. That fuel will be reserved for local emergency management vehicles. That actually makes sense but if you want extra gas to keep your generator going, you’re once again on your own.
Items to Stockpile
Here are some of the items you can’t assume will be provided to you during a disaster. Even when they can offer some of these items, it will again be in small quantities to ensure everyone gets a little of what they have on hand. Many preppers have these items covered but stop and think if you’re missing anything.
Water
We can go for a week or more without food. We won’t last past 3 days without water. When the water all around you is polluted and unsafe it’s time to think ahead.
- Water purification tablets and water filters
- 5-gallon water jugs for water storage
- Water storage stabilizers for long-term storage
- Canteens and portable water bottles for travel
Medical Supplies
A complete first aid kit and a decent collection of OTC meds make sense at a time when triage rules medical treatment.
- Trauma level first aid kit
- OTC painkillers like aspirin, Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen
- Topical antiseptics for cuts and scrapes like Neosporin
- OTC cough medicines and decongestants
- Order a 90-day supply of any critical prescription medications and store as much as possible
- Antibiotics: Without antibiotics, your chances of survival go way down in a crisis. You can’t generally buy antibiotics over the counter, so here is how to stockpile antibiotics without a prescription.
Sanitation
Sanitation after a disaster is both critical and difficult without the basics.
- Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, mouthwash
- Bleach, white vinegar, hand sanitizer
- Toilet paper, feminine hygiene products
- Alcohol wipes, baby wipes
Food
Most preppers have a pretty good stockpile of food but when cooking is a challenge you’ll want to keep things simple.
- A case of 24 MRE’s figuring a case for each family member
- Various canned foods including proteins, fruits and vegetables
- Vegetable and fruit seeds; garden tools and food preservation supplies
- Dehydrated foods that can be made into meals with only water
- A portable stove (the Hobo Stove concept)
- A camping cook-kit for outdoor cooking
- Multi-vitamins
Electricity
- Solar powered generator and solar panels
- Or gas generator and at least 20-gallons of gas in safe storage
- Gas preservative for long-term storage (if storing gas)
- DC to AC inverters if using batteries for power
- The EMP Cloth: It is a specialized material engineered to effectively shield against all forms of electromagnetic waves. The government is doing nothing to protect the grid in the event of an EMP. So I got my own EMP Cloth from here and it provides protection against the destructive impact of an EMP.
Heating and Cooling
Disasters happen in every season and if the power it out, heating and cooling becomes a challenge.
- Small wood-stove and stove pipes
- Solar powered fan
- Terra cotta pots and sand for Zeer Pot refrigeration
- Firewood
Light
At night or in a dark room or basement you’ll need some type of alternative lighting.
- Long-burning emergency candles
- Solar rechargeable lights (both indoor and outdoor)
- Solar rechargeable flashlights
- Lanterns and at least a gallon of fuel in storage
Shelter
Shelter is critical whether it’s in the backyard or during a bugout.
- Tent that will accommodate your family size needed for bug out
- Sleeping bags
- Camp chairs and folding camp table
Did We Miss Anything?
Probably. A lot depends on your family situation and your location. What’s critical to understand is what you may have to do without, and how you can satisfy that need from your stockpile of supplies and equipment. How much you stockpile is up to you.
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MRE’s are not survival food in the real sense as they are a military replacement meal when in the field and not able to have a cooked dinner.
Off topic;
We are seeing the same historic events of Europe as their Muslim invasion did and still does cause violent havoc. Two radically different cultures collide in Europe, semi-christian and radical Islamic throat cutting fringe Muslim religions.
Now we see that happening present day in America, universities, college campuses, even public grade schools. Biden’s open southern border, now with the new aid package with Ukraine, Israel a hidden budget to bring in Gaza refugees.
We see Dearborn, Michigan a Muslim, Islamic religious stronghold of crazy radicals, a state run by a useful idiot radical Demoncrat female governor.
Thank you useful idiots for voting in these Demoncrats of social ill will who hate America.
Bidenomics is the icing on the cake.
Biden, well the student loan program never had loan interest attached. Biden back as a senator made a bill to add interest to the student loan program.
Which he presently is using to buy votes by dismissing all student loans, taxpayers are paying for rich future doctors, lawyers and politicians.
Which means these antisemitism radical Islamist we are paying for their student loans too. 2024 Summer of radical Islamic street burning, looting and murder of American citizens.
Who do you want Islamic China JOE BIDEN or American first Trump for the next president?
not trump!!!
We need to store up a food supply as these Islamic indoctrinated white liberals mainly female than males will cause food disruptions in near future.
We got a Chicago 1968 street riot momentum, of communists trying to up set the apple cart this 2024 presidential election. Doomed to repeat history if we don’t study history, it’s happening again.
Our country is under attack by the Biden open borders. I’m in my 80’s can’t fight off these lunatic middle eastern people who are younger than me.
I am ashamed that I voted for Joe Biden, don’t care for his vice president, she is nuts, her laughing. I pray Trump is elected once more.
I need medicine from the drug store in the area where these middle eastern riots are at. I got to the grocery store once a month with a neighbor. I am scared of these people who are coming across our open borders to harm us.
God help us defeat this poison in America. Thank you.
I never get an honest answer from anyone that I ask. I am wondering why you voted for him in the first place? Whatever you say, I hope nobody comes behind and takes you to task. I just want to know what the thought was please?
I keep asking these libtards as well why they voted for dementia joe and cannot get an answer for the life of me. They just keep yelling n screaming anti Trump shit.
Everyone I know who voted form Biden pretty much gives me the same reason: he’s not Trump. Deranged, truly deranged, and now we all have to pay for it
The libs I speak to tell me they voted for Biden because they didn’t like Trumps text messages. Even now they prefer Biden. Obama, and the disaster they have created over the great economy, cheap energy and food prices, high employment and worldwide peace we had with President Trump. They must be mentally ill.
The Feds have now cracked down on online and mail order animal supply companies regarding ordering large animal or fish antibiotics. They now require a vet prescription or they have stopped carrying them completely. The government has no right to restrict these medicines that many people legitimately need for their animals. :(:(
Is America’s food chain in big trouble as Biden let’s China buy up more American farmland and meat processing companies?
Indoctrinated Americans have bought into the green solar panel, wind mill electric energy and electric vehicles Americans don’t really want.
Green energy is America being dependent on CCP CHINA as #1, we loose.
Elections have consequences as we see playing out with Islamic Bidenomics economy. The dictatorship of another Demoncratic president in office.
There are currently sites available to get a prescription for antibiotics online. no Dr visit.
www(dot)allfamilypharma(dot)com
www(dot)jasemedical(dot)com
They both have a good selection, but it’s a bit on the pricey side.
F CORL,
Is this a legit company? I have a $2,700 due in my cart and I can’t afford to loose that much money. Thanks. 🙂
To me the point of this article isn’t to have all this unless you have a warehouse. If so? Great! Go through the list and prioritize if you did not put water or water filtering at the top all that stuff you just stockpiled is somebody else’s because you’re dead in just a few days. Unless you have water and water filtering. Practice now not when it’s deep in the muck.
Never Trust anything Gov Says or does , if a politician , mainly democrat or DEI install says it , you can bet it is a lie and they recieved compensation to do it
on the take , corruption at all levels .
The love of money is the root of their evil , and the idol they the democrats serve will be thier judge in the final judgement
Trust only what you read in the bible , make sure you really study so the churched, liars networks of feel good church wont decieve you
The Bible is Clear , concise, and real
God who is only one , can open your eyes , but only if you really want to see Truth
Pray with out ceasing , Trust God , not man , fear God , not man , believe in truth from vetted out resources , not media lies, or social liars network lies , or TV which is propaganda to minipulate the public and make them believe in the lies and deception
great article , but like faith , you have to do , start , complete the task of prioritizing or it means nothing
It’s no problem to me because as a student of Bible prophecy for many years and now watching all this especially the Middle East, I have, no doubt we are in the last days. And I fully believe the long awaited “Blessed Hope” of the rapture will remove all true Christians instantly.
Can somebody please give me the exact location in the bible that has something to do with the rapture?
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
New International Version
15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Surely not Biden