What Kind of Disasters
Every survival list will be different because they are designed for different disasters. You cannot make a kit to survive all possible disasters.
Look at your national or international television or Internet news over the past several years and you will see many of the following in the headlines. Study your local history and past disasters that have happened where you live and work. Study what life was like before electricity and modern plumbing came to your area.
I have focused on the Willamette Valley (in Oregon), so in your preparations you must factor in the variables mentioned below.
Regional Factors
- geography
- weather
- wind patterns
- soil type
- access to drinkable water
- population density
- distance from military installations
- amount of land you own
- crime level
- population diversity
- local politics
- gun laws
Survival Items Most Affected by Regional Factors
- water storage
- amount of food on hand
- seeds
- clothing
- personal protection / self defense
- nuclear radiation protection (applies the same to most US areas except for the area of the Oregon I live in, due to spread of possible targets and wind patterns)
Examples of Major Disasters
vary depend on your location but include:
- biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological terrorism or foreign country attack
- disease outbreaks including avian flue
- water born severe storms which are called either: hurricanes, typhoons, tropical storms, cyclonic storms, tropical depressions, or cyclones
- earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
- global famine
- global climate change / global warming with sea level rises affecting most of the population which lives near the sea
- running out of natural resources like drinkable water, fertile soil, or oil (which is the basis of modern civilization)
- space based threats including asteroid or comet impacts, cosmic radiation, pole shift
- economic problems like worldwide depressions, hyperinflation
- major communications infrastructure breakdown like entire grid power outages or major satellite failure
More Common and Personal or Local Disasters
primarily need financial / related preparation:
- loss of job or incomes
- loss of retirement or investments
- loss of transportation
- death of family member
- diagnosis of serious/chronic illness
- house or building fire
primarily natural / related disasters:
- local power outage
- local flooding
- roads blocked due to winter weather
- unusually high or low temperatures
- getting lost in the wild
primarily social / related problems
- riots for various reasons
- getting kidnapped or burglarized
- going into the wrong neighborhood
- stuck in airports or overseas
primarily medical / related problems
- exposure to toxic chemicals
- getting severely injured due to an accident while alone
Survival Items Most Affected by Disaster Scenario
- location of gear (on person, car, suitcase / backpack, current residence, doomstead)
- skills to learn
- amount of land to own
- amount of cash on hand
- fuel
- electrical power supplies (batteries, generators, solar panels)
- amount of food on hand
- personal protection/self defense