Observations on packing mylar bags and 5 gallon buckets

So we packed some rice in our 5 gallon buckets a few days ago. We had a good number of sacks of rice. (I recall we purchased these for about $9 and after a few months it was up to $11. I kept telling my local sheeple this was a big increase but since it was only a few dollars they could not comprehend this change) So we finally packed up our rice into home depot buckets. These were not food grade but there will be no contamination since they are inside inert mylar bags. From what I've researched the problem arises if you have food in contact with plastic that may leak off gases directly to the food in the long term. The mylar bags solves this issue and the bucket only serves as a container to protect against vermin and for easier transportation. After putting in the oxygen absorbers and leaving it inside for 2 nights I noticed that some of the mylar shrunk after the oxygen was absorbed-shrunk to a vacuum, some of them did not. I did have one mylar which was shrunk down tight-packed tight against the rice itself, like a rock. The others did not do this. So thinking there was a leak and that they should have all shrunk tight I redid the mylars and inserted new oxygen absorbers and waited. I came back after about 24 hrs and the bags still did not shrink as hard as the other one that did. I had double checked the O2 absorbers, checked the mylars and checked the seals. Everything seemed fine but they still were not shrinking. Puzzled, I left to consult with fellow preppers who have done this a few more times than I have. After some dialogue the consensus was this:

The rest of the air in the bag did not shrink because they are not oxygen, but other inert gases

Having the bag shrink down too tight may make the bag more prone to pinholes since there is no more space to move around in, so some slack is good

So far I checked on the mylar bags and they still have not shrunk down too tight. I think I prefer them this way so that there is some space in there. If the problem is only oxygen, then I have addressed that.

“We are Preparing for Massive Civil War,” Says DHS Informant

Compare this with the recent report on the purchase of 450million rounds of hollow point. These are hard times we are looking at.

FerFal leaves Argentina, moves to Northern Ireland

I just heard that Fernando FerFal Aguirre of Surviving Argentina fame has relocated to Northern Ireland. Hearing about this makes me smile. It just shows the benefits of being able to relocate to a strategic place to continue your life. If you want to, you can get yourself a second passport or at least a way to get into the door to get one. On the interview he discusses why he chose Northern Ireland, his adjustment to the new country and looks back at some of the events in Argentina. How debt, including some credit card debt, was handled after tshtf, the US still being one of the best places to be due to our 2nd ammendment rights and how relocating to a 3rd world country might not be the best plan for those who live in a 1st world.

Listen to the podcast of The Survival Podcast . I recommend listening to the other podcasts as well, Jack(the host) makes a hell of a show.

Iran closing Strait of Hormuz, reaction to EU sanctions

Gas up those vehicles and BOVs, if you can, store up on the fuel as well. Prices will rise pretty fast pretty soon

U.S. Sends Letter to Iran on Strait of Hormuz

Iran confirmed today that it has received a letter from the United States concerning the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Ramin Mehmanparast, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the country is studying the letter and “will respond to it if it is necessary.”

“The US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, sent a letter to Mohammad Khazaie, Iran’s UN representative, which was conveyed by the Swiss ambassador, and finally Iraqi President Jalal Talabani delivered its contents to officials” in Iran, the official IRNA news agency quoted Ramin Mehmanparast as saying.

“Providing security of the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf needs a collective measure and some cross-regional countries cannot decide about it,” he added.
The contents of the letter were not revealed.

[click here for the rest of the report from Infowars]



I hope people are watching the news for these events.

Quick post for new year

Starting off the new year, I just wanted to remind folks to rotate your preps, particularly your water. Any items you have stored long term should also be checked up on. This is besides your grocery purchases (canned food). Also, update your food inventories for what would need to be replaced in the next few months.

A quick note on the water stores, I was rotating our water supply as you are supposed to do so every six months, when I found it would take longer than expected. Nearing the middle of my store of water jugs I noticed the water spurted brown from tap. I let it run for a few minutes waiting for it to clear-and I kept waiting. Soon enough I realized the newly filled up water jugs are a bit yellowish compared to the old ones. I assumed it was because the water would settle later on, and since I could not proceed further I set the task down to return to it after a week.

Week passed by and I make the time to resume filling up my stores on a Sunday night. Sadly, the water still had a tint of yellow/brown, but was a little better. This meant that water quality had deteriorated in the last few months, maybe in our building plumbing system, in the neighborhood, or worse further out there.

So, just a quick reminder. And store those water containers out of the sunlight.

Wood gas stove DIY

I just finished a few wood gas stoves and was planning on posting the process here. The photos are still on my laptop, but I will be updating with a more detailed step by step soon. What took me so long to put it together was salvaging for the parts since I did not want to spend any money on this. In the end I still had to buy a drill bit and gasket material...still it cost me a little less than $5 which is pretty good. Meanwhile, here is a quick 3D of the project.

FYI a wood gas stove is a simple 2 step burner which first burns wood, then collects the gas emitted by the burning wood into a chamber for a secondary burn. The result is significantly less smoke with much more heat efficiency than just a plain wood stove

A fellow bloggers home raided-with no warrant, as expected

A sad state of affairs in our country. Here is an account of on civilian's house being assaulted by our new militarized police-knowingly without a warrant. The civilian had asked on more than one occasion for a warrant but was treated with neglect-as if he was just some crazed lunatic asking for something which was unrelated to the situation unraveling in his home-in front of his wife and kids.

Link

FEMA camps now being staffed in the US

Fema camps now looking for staffing

Here is another link to the actual KBR doc

This is crazy. Things are spiraling downwards right now and we are all so unaware. This is a request for proposal for services to staff up the Fema camps that have been built/retrofitted by the federal government. The copy of the letter was found by InfoWars.com crew, a key piece for the alternative media resource that gives us info otherwise censored by the big media corporations. Think it sounds crazy? It is, but that does not mean it's not real. Think for a second, if this is real, what are the consequences of it. A lot of readers out there do not give a second thought to these kinds of things, but look back just a few years or a few decades. The government does lie, the government does conspire. They told us the economy was nothing to be concerned about-meanwhile the bankers and chumps at Wall street prepared to get their dollars out to safety. There are crazy things out there, this is just one of them.

A little bit about the document, it divides the US into 5 zones. It lists down required provisions for:
Food
Fencing
Handwash and sanitation
Medical services
Office facilities
Water supply
Power supply
Refuse Collection
Shower and toilet units
Tents
Waste removal

Imagine what the government has intended these for. A year ago they had put out a similar request for bidders for tons and tons of freeze dried food. I forget the numbers, this was also from Fema. I know this is a fact because I saw my regular suppliers stop selling to regular guys like myself. They were fully booked shipping all their stuff to Fema. The guys in office are preparing for something, and they will keep telling us there is nothing to worry about.

Civilians die from nerve agent in Egypt

The government is getting ready for something big. They know people will react and one of their steps is to prepare the police to respond to bigger scenarios. It is happening here in the US as well, but that will be for another post. For now, we look at how Egypt is treating their civilians-using CR gas-a more lethal version of CS gas used for crowd control. Egyptians are dying from this lethal chemical agent which was famously used in the South African apartheid. This is a sad sad turn of events for the Egyptian people who had just recently won their freedom and now a few months after their victory must face more riots and abuse.

It could very well happen here in the US as well. We only have to open our eyes to what systems they have prepared to use on us and we can see how difficult the times ahead will be.

Read more...

Roubini Sees 50% Chance of Recession in U.S., Eurozone, U.K.

There is a 50 percent chance of a recession in the U.S., the U.K. and eurozone economies in the next 12 months, said Nouriel Roubini, co-founder and chairman of Roubini Global Economics LLC. Europe’s “financial engineering” is insufficient to end its sovereign-debt crisis, Roubini said in a speech in Jakarta today. Contagion from the debt crisis has spread to some French and Belgian banks, he said.
“Unfortunately, in my view there is a risk, at least a 50 percent probability, that in the U.S., in the eurozone, in the United Kingdom, and in most advanced economies, the future in the next 12 months might suggest a recession

The Big Wall Street Banks Are Already Trying To Buy The 2012 Election

We are never going to restore legitimacy to our political system until we get the money out of politics.  Typically, in federal elections the candidate that raises the most money wins about 90 percent of the time.  In 2008, Barack Obama raised almost twice as much money as John McCain did.  3 of the top 7 donors to Obama's campaign were big Wall Street banks (Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup).  Now Wall Street is doing it again.  The big Wall Street banks are already trying to buy the 2012 election.  So who do they want to win in 2012?  Based on contribution patterns so far, the overwhelming favorite of the Wall Street banks to win in 2012 is ...[continue to full article]



[From EndofTheAmericanDream.com

Predictions of an economic apocalypse are now main stream

Predictions of an economic apocalypse are no longer restricted to the realm of fringe doom and gloomers lurking in the dark corners of the internet. As we’ve previously suggested uncertainty now pervades the social consciousness, not just in America, but the world over. Every major media outlet in developed nations is now reporting on the headwinds facing the so-called recovery. The problems and threats confronting the stability of the globe can no longer be dismissed as theoretical arguments, because they are now being actualized – in real time.
Continue to article

Cost of food during a crisis

The year has been ripe with riots and revolutions throughout the globe. A handful of Arab countries, after generations of living in fear and dictatorship, have finally risen up and cannot take anymore. Some were fortunate and have earned their new independence, some are still struggling and some are being obliterated. These people have been under the rule of despots for generations, yet now, like some global collective moment of having enough of the crap they all rise up one after the other-all sharing the same sentiments of anger at their leaders.

 

I have always encountered literature saying that they reached their turning points when they no longer could afford food for their families. Think about it : they endured decades of abuse, corruption, theft and injustice under the same rulers, but nobody revolted. What set them off - finally- was when they could no longer feed their sons and daughters, their families. Human beings will go to great lengths, will do anything, to provide for their loved ones. It is just human nature. Your mind opens up to so many possibilities you are willing to do just to fill the need for your family when you see them so helplessly starving.

 

I tried to look up how much the price increase was when things turned for the worse and how they are now. On an article dated Oct 2010, it said that a 100 gram loaf of bread costs $.02 in Libya. And this was after a government imposed increase. The prices before then was much lower. A more recent update post-revolution says that now a 500 gram white loaf costs $2.25 (that would be $0.45 for every 100 lbs). So if you imagine, the cost from 2 cents going up to 45 cents...How do you adjust to that? You would drown in worry knowing that no matter how hard you worked you still could not catch up with that price. And this is from a very quick search on prices in Libya alone, all this with just inflation brought on by a crisis. I worry that the rest of the picture would be even more bleak.

 

Here is a link about an article with someone in Libya saying rice costs $40 for 10 lbs. inside Tripoli. This is during the revolution.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/28/libya-protests-food-price_n_829026.html

 

There are some numbers floating around from the NIA that assume the would be costs of some basic staples in an inflationary situation. Just to visualize the drastic change the new prices would cause, let me list them for you:

• Coffee 11 oz - $77
• Milk 32 oz - $24
• Bread 24 oz - $23
• Juice 64 oz - $45
• Sugar 32 oz $62

At prices like these, there is now way we can eat anywhere near our current provisions. I cannot forecast what my salary would be like at the time, but they always lag behind the price increase anyway-what's the point.  Our monthly groceries would be up to almost $2000. Consider what happens to other costs, like rent and fuel, utilities...

 

When the time comes that prices surge and people can no longer afford food, you can bet on it people will be out on the streets. It does not matter what standard of living one is used to, if he finally realizes he has been manipulated, cheated and ultimately now cannot have the most basic of needs, they will lose it. I have been contemplating on allocating more of our cash to acquire some more food to up our food pantry. Perhaps allow for some comfort food, stuff my wife would love and keep our spirits up.

On second thought, with the current outlook of things, maybe I should go for longevity. The way things are, it will take years for them to improve.

RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service

I just wanted to share a great link that helps you see emergency situations around the world.  I save this on my bookmarks. One thing I used to do was have a bookmark specific to emergency situations. Instead of running around gathering intel during the crisis, all I do is right click the folder and have all the links opened on my browser. A quick tool to help me in flux, where being organized is important.

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php

Big media controlling perceptions on the presidential race

You may be rooting for Ron Paul or not, but here is a funny way to look at how the big media corporations are manipulating the presidential race.

The Daily Bell - Jon Stewart Bashes the Media Over Ron Paul

I would suggest reading up on what the candidates stand for, what their positions and beliefs are...and avoid getting the information from your big news media sources. They are censored and manipulated.

Recent chatter about the bigger economic collapse

There are a lot of reasons to be posting now, but there are lots more reasons to be prepping instead. I am seeing more and more open-ness from the government an media about a worse economic collapse. Remember how they avoided using the word recession during our fight to get out of it? Now we are hearing depression, and a reuse of the phrase double-dip recession. It is on more mainstream sources as well. I feel they are softening us up so that we have some inkling to what they have been putting off for quite some time now-all this considering how they phased the key words out before, and now conditioning our minds that they are,in fact, possible realities.

Gerald Celente on Yahoo! Finance news

NYC Mayor Bloomberg predicts riots if no new jobs come

Previously news like these were always ignored or ridiculed. Now it seems the general public is aware , is ready to admit that these are real scenarios which we may see in our lifetime.

It is still not too late, we still have time to prep. At the very least people can still buy food and learn some skills. For regular people like me, from the middle class, there is not much we can do to prepare financially. If I were rich I would have some concerns on my money but I would have an idea on how to keep them safe. Since I am NOT rich that is not one of my problems right now. Having the money would be a great advantage and a great tool to prep though. If you have not considered it yet, we are looking at a greater problem than a recession. We are looking at a massive depression-one only possible with the huge debt we have and due to the global reach of the US dollar.

Hurricane Irene

Saturday morning started early. We were up with just about enough time to get a good night's rest. We went around the house, all the men in our location. We took down anything that could get blown by strong winds. Outdoor furniture, a lawnmower, stacks of fire wood-anything we could take into a safe location was taken out. An outdoor grill was too heavy to take in so we tried to secure it. Luckily we had taken a lot of rope with us, we also had some chain and locks. These two things alone have multiple uses and are always present in some form in my bag or box or whatever setup. We also had a pair of work gloves which were useful.

We surveyed the trees again, checking for possibilities of them falling onto the house or one of our bug out vehicles. It may be safe to relocate the vehicle elsewhere on the road if needed to keep it away from the trees. But we'd sacrifice being farther from a means of escape. Also, instead of unloading all of our gear into the house, I kept some into the car so if we loose one(car or house), another stash survives. The trees seemed to be fine, we had our worries but we judged them to be stable enough. Perhaps a good thing, as later on the driveway and road where we would have relocated the vehicles would be flooded with fast flowing runoff.  I recall somewhere that a few inches of fast flowing water (6 inch or so?) is enough to make a vehicle loose traction and slide with the water.

We checked the doors and windows as well. We took inside any window mounted AC units so we could close the window fully. I recall the mayor saying that his experts said it was not necessary-but why wouldn't we do it? We had time to prepare and had the manpower anyway. Best be safe.

I had suggested we start filling the bath tubs after the last person who wants to take a bath is done. Unfortunately, the owner of the bug out location (owner of the house) was not to concerned about it and it was eventually shrugged off. I kept taking inventory of how much water they had, how much water we brought with us. As a prepper I am proud to say we brought much more supplies in food, water and equipment than what was present at our bug out location. They were not preppers and had basically regular stuff at home. I am hoping I can slowly educate them into stocking more stuff as they already have an ideal bug out location to begin with. So anyway we had enough water for a few days. If we needed to I knew of a water source nearby, plus we could save up the rain water runoff early on-and use a ceramic filter I have with me. Also a bunch of other ways to filter the water available at the time-boiling, brita filters, etc. The children would use the stored water and the adults would use the filtered ones. I had an argument with a family member about the idea, as he did not believe any filter would be enough to clean outdoor water. Despite explaining the filtration capabilities of modern filters and the features of an MSR filter I had, they were just beyond reasoning with.

I tried to keep a small corner active, feeding us information by internet, TV news and text messages. Friends from various locations texted in their info/status. Friends in the online community of other preppers posted their status and how they are doing. It was just a small corner in the house to gather intel, I'd check up on it every now and then. I tried to enjoy the day with the rest of the family. This was to keep me organized as this was not my home and I needed my stuff somewhere with some sense of organization to keep me efficient.

I was out in the yard thinking about flooding from the rear of the house when I heard the hiss of rain. It seemed early, but I walked inside and in a few seconds the rain started pouring. In a few hours the hurricane would be upon us and we would see how things went. Checking on the forecast I opted to rest early and wake up early a few hours before the hurricane was expected to come. We also relocated to the sub-basement, me and my family. I was still worried about strong winds and the trees, everyone else was happy and seemed to be confident after sensing we had things under control. I just told them that if the winds pick up I would wake them and have them relocate downstairs with us.

We lost power in the middle of the night. Before sleeping we had taken out our flashlights so it was easy. I also had my wife keep on a comfortable, bug out ready set of clothes so we can run out and have some advantage. I had cargo pants/shorts on. Keys and lights and baseball cap on my side. Bug out bag a few feet from me. When I woke up in the wee hours of the night to check on stuff I had my headlamp on and was very comfortable checking and working with both hands free. It was bad outside but the winds were not as bad as I feared. Just lots and lots of water.

Soon everyone was up. Seems like we were in the clear. We would have to wait til later in the day to survey the property. Again, proud to be a prepper, I was the only one with a radio so we could get some news on the hurriacane. Since power was out nobody had news. I had updates from text and a weather radio I had bought and stocked years and years ago-waiting for an opportunity to be used. We noted which counties were badly damaged. Where the hurricane was and how strong were the winds currently. Some bridges were still closed to certain directions, but as long as we make it back to the island we can get home. We waited on the news to plan our trip back.

Frustratingly, I was also observing members of the retreat for whatever skills they could contribute. True enough some were completely dependent on others to do the work. Some were truly valuable with their everyday skills. Cooking was a great asset and a great moral boost during the whole time. Plus when the power went out they knew just what to do with the food to make it last the longest-what recipes, which to cook first, which meals can be recycled into another recipe with similar ingredients to extend life. It was great and I wish I had time to learn more. Child care was also an essential skill during the whole ordeal. The children were always playing and this kept us all happy. It was entertaining, distracted us and kept us stress free. It would have been far more stressful with children crying all hours of the night. Some members of our retreat did yield to some poor decision the day before and went to the local mall to go shopping, reasoning that the storm was still many hours away. It just boggles the mind.

Also, on distributing responsibilities, I took out the radio so that people could listen in on the news. Soon I realized I was the only one listening in and the rest were simply chatting about like nothing. I felt tired, I had been on the alert for awhile and just keeping tabs on too many things. I wish they could take on the task of picking up news and gathering intel. In the future I intend to formalize assigning responsibilities to people.

I started to get a cold, from the stress and exhaustion. Sleeping early did not help, loads of vitamin C did not help. At the end of all this I still had to load and unload my gear to the jeep and then back to the apartment in the city. I thought of this in planning the bug out in general but did not think it would come so soon. yet another improvement for future plans.

I picked up news of which bridges leading to the city were open. With the hurricane a long way past NY, we wanted to get back in the city before all the other evacuees decide to drive back home as well. This was a wise decision as we avoided all the traffic. It was a smooth drive home, albeit a few detours. It helps a lot to have a map and a gps. Also, communicating with the other vehicles in the convoy before driving and during is essential. Everything was coordinated and we kept stress levels to a minimum.

Soon enough we were back at home. I unloaded our bug out preps in the boxes one by one. I could not avoid some neighbors seeing me do this, and I at least kept them consistent. Whoever had already seen me was okay with seeing me do it again with the other boxes, but nobody else. I was exhausted after unloading.

We were all glad to be back home. Everything was in order. I recall securing the house in the event looting or robbing in the neighborhood starts. We had water in the tub and loads more in jugs. It was a smooth procedure storing our bug out gear back into their closets. We were back to functioning at our apartment. We're glad nothing bad happened in the city, and glad we bugged out. It was a perfect opportunty to test the plan and a perfect reason to teach them the plan. They even led the convoy and chose the best route for the event. I know at least that they have this part of my bug out plan in their memories and know some basic stuff to bring, ,where to go and what to be aware of. I just hope that when we get the chance to sit down and review the events they will be more keen on listening and consider prepping to some level. We'll be checking in on our family and friends on how they did. Hopefully not a lot of people lost their lives. I do pray for those who got hit harder than us, may God bless them.

Hurricane update

We have arrived at our bug out location upstate. We have been keeping track of the hurricane through CNN and our local news channels. The local channels actually provide better coverage, while CNN has better technology and quite accurate meteorologists. I am glad everyone is aware.

My bug out "drill" needs some work. Packing up my gear onto our vehicle took far longer than expected and more labor intensive than I hoped. This would be an issue when I am trying to minimize stress and conserve energy. I have to keep in mind that one of the most valuable parts of a bug out is timing when to do so. We timed it right this time, just ahead of a lot of people who thought Saturday morning would be ideal.

I have surveyed the area multiple times, our biggest risk for now are downed trees. If any of the nearby trees fall towards the house we would have problems. It is dark now and I will need to look at these again tomorrow (Saturday) morning. For now we still have power, water and food. It seems my group brought the most supplies to the bug out location. We have the most tools, equipment, food and water. This incident should prove a good reason to start educating them on prepping.

Some observations:

• Plans for loading and bugging out will have issues.We had a cart to haul some boxes and that did not work. In theory it seemed a good idea, but with the weight and the need to keep quiet down the hallways so as not to make people aware of my preps, I snuck them out by carrying them instead.
• My wife had "prepped" some stuff as well in the last minute. Mostly regular comfort items. They added a lot to carry and load to our vehicle. More than I expected and at some point hindering visibility to my rear view.
• I wanted to keep a low profile so that my neighbors won't see my stuff. It was doable, but it would only take one to see me and gossip.
• I did not take all our bug out boxes-I left one box full of food. I do not expect the stay to last that long. If it does, then there are other more complex reasons leading to bigger problems.
• I was the only able bodied person capable of loading the heavy gear. It may be useful to divvy up the load so others can help me and keep busy.
• At some point I had some tunnel vision due to the stress and alertness getting out. Used up a lot of energy to calm myself down.

Will post on the big day tomorrow or as soon as I get a chance. For now I am beat. All that physical labor, alertness and stress drains way much more of one's energy than I expected. I am feeling a cold coming on already due to exhaustion. (probably factor in all that overtime my office has been asking of us as well). I plan on sleeping early and waking up early. Must save my energy and remain healthy and at full capacity, the hurricane weekend is only starting.

Bugging out - Hurricane Irene

We are preparing to get out of the city for Hurricane Irene-expected to make landfall this weekend. Right now I am coordinating with my wife what can be done at home and will be out buying some last minute gear at a Home Depot close to work. We are communicating with my parents as to whether they should bug out to our apartment or if we should all get out of the city together and head upstate to another family member.

We have two courses of action to choose from. As I said we can have people bug out to our location, or we can altogether bug out even farther outside the city.
The first option is actually bugging in for us. This would  be most convenient. All our supplies can sustain us for the duration of the disaster on its way, "us" including our guests. We are way above the flood zone and way above sea level. We are also above the first floor and are in a brick and block apartment building. Shelter wise, we would be more secure than most. We share the same threat level with everyone with regards to having their windows broken by flying debris. It would be tight for our apartment but we can accommodate family for a few nights. We have lots of water bottled and stored-more than we can carry with us if we bug out. Same thing for the food. Our gear is designed for our apartment and, in fact, our main plan was always to bug in. We would be ready for this.

If we bug out to get away from the city we are looking at exercising the full bug out plan. All my gear would be loaded onto our vehicle and we'd coordinate going upstate. A lot of trouble, but all part of a plan. We would not have as much food and water but we would have shelter, safer from the storm. Our supply lines are less prone to being cut and we still had time to prepare water and food before the worse comes.

Our decision to bug out would be based on these issues:

• News updates. We tracked the hurricane where it was going and how powerful it wouldbe when it got to our city. I would recommend having updates from NotifyNYC. They texted me everything from Mayor announcements on the evacuation to suspended parking rules after the storm.
• Possible scenarios if the worse happens. Looking at footage from Katrina and foreign occurences, we played out the scenarios and what we had planned for them. We have done these before, when we were trying to list down the likely disasters to prep for. Hurricanes are not frequent in NY, but from where we came from we have had them before. We knew to prep for them just in case. You are looking at power outtages, food and water shortage, flood damage and a lot of other possible events linked to a big storm. We assessed how these would play out in our immediate neighborhood/community and what may happen.
• Supply lines. This was crucial for us at the time. Being in the city your supplies to food and water, utilities and all else are dependent on a shared system. If the city closed its bridges (which they said they would) or if flooding closed them and other roads, food and water, aid, would be unable to get in. Now, we have our own supply. That is not the problem I was worried about. However, if the rest of the people around us have none, then things can get really ugly. And with the news still saturated with recent riots in London and other would be attempts at riots throughout the US-you know it is a very likely scenario. The minds of people are just so open to resulting to mobs and looting.

My parents were waiting on a decision as to where we would go. They were thinking that Saturday morning would be the ideal time to leave if we were going to. I had asked for more time so we can better assess our options after tracking the storm on the news. Around Friday lunchtime it was decided we are leaving, that we do not want to decide the same way as everyone else and leave on Saturday morning-that we would leave that same night.
We are leaving tonight at about 10pm. Estimated travel time is 1 hour. God bless all of us in the path of the hurricane.