[david]

9/14/08 at 1050am
We are just comming out of the tail end of hurricane ike here in central arkansas. Had alot of wind some heavy rain and been without power for about 10 hours. What a great time to test some SHTF procedures.
Well this just goes to show how mass panic is going to be as bad if not worse than the SHTF event itself. Gas overnight has shot up over .80 cents a gallon, stores are running low on food, and you can tell people are in a panic mode. Hurricane Ike was a tropical storm when it came through my area and not really that big a deal in the whole scope of things, but people who are not well prepaired are in a panic ,and its easy to see why prepping is one of the most important things an individual/family can do. It gives a person something to be proud of knowing that they arent dependant on the system to provide them with anything. I think after seeing what im seeing here today we should place alot more emphasis on prepping and survival issues here on this board. This is just a minor event. Can you immagine what it will be like when the big SHTF event comes?

 

[Sandlapper]

We are quickly becoming a gov't dependent society and people no longer know how to do things on there own like plant a garden or how to can. People in our area panic, causing gas shortages. I have been impressed with this site and the information it provides, lots of good ideas and I don't even have total access. Great site with good info. Thanks.

 

[Cryptkeeper]

yea lesson 1 when a hurricane is about 3 days out from texas fill the tanks and the gas cans cause that will be the cheapest it is going to be for a few weeks if not longer if the refineries get damaged. lesson 2 i need to have enough propane to last at least 2 weeks or more, for cooking just in case power lines go down. lesson 3 i need more recarchable batteries. lesson 4 i still need to get one of these http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=309570

 

[test]

Experience is the best teacher, my friend. As for prepping and survival issues, I'm a newbie here, so I can't really agree or disagree with you. But I DO think that we would benifet from more users putting up videos like Kev's newer ones about his preperations for hurricane Ike and Gustav, only with any disaster/emergency. In addition to that I think it would also be a good idea for said users to put up videos about any changes they will make next time (if there is one) to their plan. That way others could get ideas. I know I'm going to do that.

 

[Bigdog57]

Since the oil refineries and platforms were down for Gustav, the gas supply was already strained - it just wasn't visible yet. With Ike coming in for a second punch, the oil disruption is much worse - it'll be a good two weeks til the oil refineries are processing and the gas gets to market again - this is why we prep.
I have enough gas stored to get by a month or so.... will store much more after this! A good lesson indeed!
I never lost power, but some friends did - another 'must-get' is a genny. I am lucky in being spitting distance from the power plant - a long-term power loss for me would mean the plant has been nuked - then I'm toast anyway.
My vacation plans next week are in the toilet - no road trip after all, as I can't be sure of supply and prices from Florida to NC and back.

Good news is, supply of diesel is still good here. Bring those gas tankers down here, y'all! We'll pay top dollar, and fuel your trucks back up.
First time in a good while that diesel has been cheaper than gas..... :upsidedown:
I'm betting the Mercedes and diesel P/U truck owners are really gloating about now....

 

[kajunman1]

We are quickly becoming a gov't dependent society and people no longer know how to do things on there own like plant a garden or how to can. People in our area panic, causing gas shortages. I have been impressed with this site and the information it provides, lots of good ideas and I don't even have total access. Great site with good info. Thanks.

The Depression/WWII generation had gardens and canned food. Preparing was a way of life. Also food production was more localized. Since then dependence on gas and trucking has grown. People did not look to govco for help all the time.

 

[2PreparedCats]

Initially focusing preparations on what you KNOW will happen sooner or later - I don't mean TSHTF, but events that are probable because they've happened before where you live, like hurricanes or ice storms, is a great way to build your survivalist muscles.
Then, once you've gone through the event and seen how your preparations worked out, you will be 1) more confident and 2) filled with ideas on how to do better next time.

I love the feeling of a learning curve shooting up! Next thing you know, it's a way of life.

 

[Adam12]

A good start to understanding panic (mass or otherwise) would be to study the observed psychological response of those involved in recent disasters (9/11, for instance.)

An excellent book on the subject:

Amazon.com: The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why: Amanda Ripley: Books

 

[lonewolf]

I dont know about mass panic. But I could feel the strain on my fellow human being. While in the gas line the other day. It gave me a whole new POV on what to expect from them. The eotwawki had not even happened yet. They knew that things will return to normal soon. Yet I could feel the panic that they hid inside.