It's only been 3 days.

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stupid_at_offroading@reddit

Show me any evidence that people were siphoning gas or robbing. I’m in the same county and haven’t seen or heard a single thing you’re describing

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I am in Clearwater and around me people were very helpful to those in need. I ran my generator for four other houses to keep freezers frozen. We all pitched in and had a big neighborhood bbq Saturday night where everyone brought what they had and we all shared. The storm actually brought the neighborhood closer together. When I finally did venture out for gas (Sunday at dawn) the police were directing traffic and everyone was calmly waiting in line. I have heard one horror story for every hundred stories of good will and faith the past week. As a community, Pinellas did amazing at keeping our heads and being strong so I happily disagree with your post

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unoriginal_user24@reddit

If you have natural gas, getting a generator that can run on it is a good idea. Natural gas is my primary fuel, but I keep three 20 pound propane tanks and five gallons of ethanol free gas on hand at all times. Both of these other fuels have alternate uses.

The propane tanks are for my grill, as you don't want to run out in the middle of a cookout, and any partially full ones can be easily refilled right before a storm. The five gallons of gas are really for the lawnmower, and that tank is easily refilled right before a storm.

I also have a couple of extra gasoline cans that I can fill ahead of a bad storm, then simply use them up to refill the car over the next few weeks.

Big_Knobber@reddit

You know the charcoal chimneys for getting your charcoal lit?

A couple handfuls of charcoal and it creates a little stove. It's enough heat to boil some water for coffee/noodles and you can throw a skillet on there to cook up some pork chops or hash browns. Very little waste. It's how I always make coffee after a hurricane.

$30 amazon battery camping fans stir the air around so i can sleep a bit and the batteries last all night

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Patrick1441@reddit

We had a plumber install a quick release plug at the natural gas meter and we use a long flexible hose to run a tri-fuel generator and a natural gas grill without the need for an expensive permanent installation for either. We still keep propane tanks around for the generator in case an earthquake disrupts the natural gas supply. We live in the Sierra Nevada mountains and have to prepare for earthquakes, wildfires, blizzards, and public safety power shutoffs during high wind events.

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cabledawgFL@reddit

Gas grills are a good idea, so are rocket stoves and charcoal grill. Have multiple back ups

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CCWaterBug@reddit

Also. Those semi useless side burners? Amazingly helpful during an outage...

I’m in Tampa, and we have a middle aged woman who’s angry and threatening violence because she expected the HOA to buy extra water. At no point did the HOA say they were doing this.

FEMA didn't help us leave or help us find somewhere to stay with heat and power. They just drove their trucks through town and left. They didn't even set up a local shelter for everyone to go to.

Thankfully we had a gas heater in our basement that still worked, and a friend was able to get us down the mountain to his place where they still had power, since he was on main street and the town had generators keeping the municipal buildings going and for some reason his place too.

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foothillsco_b@reddit

What was your expectation for FEMA?

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DannyWarlegs@reddit

Figured they'd at least help us get down off the mountain, maybe set up a shelter at one of the large municipal buildings? The library I worked at had a massive diesel generator in the basement. Maybe fuel that and move some people there, and others to the big warehouse the city owned at the other end of town that we'd run the monthy food pantry out of.

At the very least, help us off the mountain. Not block off 1 of 2 roads leading down.

People always think the government will come help them immediately when they need it.

Exactly. If you're gonna have a hobby, prepping is a useful one.

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SoCalZoobie@reddit

Since Hurricane Ian I’ve made a few major changes to my hurricane prep:

I bought a solar generator and did some load calculations. If it doesn’t get recharged, it can keep the fridge cold for 72 hours.
I consolidate all of my cold foods into one refrigerator (my parents live close by) at least 24 hours before we evacuate.
I put my 6.5kW generator in the back of my old truck so it’s ready to move elsewhere when I get back. After Milton, I had power. My parents did not. I was able to dive the truck to their house and run the generator out of the bed. This reduced the chance of injury.
Bucket Risers and moving things up. I put all of my table legs into 5 gallon buckets so I have an extra 14” of flood water rise.

It’s been 3 days and I’ve see one, yes one FPL truck within 3 miles of my home.

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NotAtThesePricesBaby@reddit

Looking into a solar generator now. Any recommendations? Obviously would like to keep it frugal, but at the same time, worthwhile.

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InvaderJoshua94@reddit

Yoshino makes a solid state generator. It’s safer than a lithium one and barely cost any more than the other high-end lithium ones.

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heykatja@reddit

We have a Bluetti and some no name brand foldable panels. Really like the Bluetti brand but full disclosure we aren't in a disaster zone so we have mostly used it for powering a camper in boondocking situations where my husband needs to run starlink for working remotely. It works great, easy to set up and use. We just had a power outage today due to high winds and if power handler been restored quickly it's super easy to pull out and connect to run a refrigerator plus charge a few devices. It's not going to run a household but it'll keep your freezer running.

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SeriousGoofball@reddit

The first question is how much power do you want and for how long? I have Ecoflow but there a few other good brands. But a full sized fridge is going to run 200-300 watts an hour. My deep freezer runs 80-100 an hour.

The smallest I would consider would be a 2000 kwh unit and that's only if you want to power the bare minimum. I went with the Ecoflow pro 3 because it does 240v and can plug directly into my transfer switch.

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HnGrFatz@reddit

If you can handle rudimentary electrical work I highly recommend setting up your own battery power station. You get way more electricity per dollar and you’ll have the knowledge and tools to fix it if needed. It’s extremely easy.

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SoCalZoobie@reddit

Agree. I like in a townhome that is legally a condominum so I’m limited to what I can do.

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SoCalZoobie@reddit

I have the EcoFlow series. Very happy with it. Bought it during a Black Friday sale last year for 40% off.

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notquitepro15@reddit

Ecoflow is a good brand and is having sales rn. Really just depends on your use case. I have the River Pro 2 which will basically overnight my fridge (long enough to get through the night, where in the morning I can work on recharging/other power). I plan to expand slowly as it is pretty costly.

This is not quite accurate. Low humidity and gas pump fires are correlated, but it has nothing to do with grounding paths of the engine to the truck bed… the same condition exists between the truck and the ground.

The refueling hazard is when someone uses an automatic fuel pump, lets go, and shuffles their feet. The same conditions that would cause a static shock on a light switch or door knob. Except the spark happens inside the fuel filler.

Tl:dr, refueling your genny while it is in the back of a truck is no more inclined to static ignition than normal.

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gardendesgnr@reddit

This happens w plastic gas cans rubbing on the ground or plastic liner of a truck bed. There are warning stickers on this, on the gas pumps. It's pretty rare but in 2004 Orlando was w/o power for weeks and I remember 2 gas station fires happening b/c of gas cans and static.

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Druid_High_Priest@reddit

Falling fuel builds a static charge. That is why we occasionally have tanker truck fires when the static ground is either not established of fails.

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aquatone61@reddit

Not saying it doesn’t happen but the humidity in FL is always on the high side, usually 60-80+% (highest in the morning and evening).

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STOP THE PRESSES! MAN LEARNS MAJORITY OF HUMANITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN DUMB!

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Bran_prat@reddit

Smoking while needing oxygen is just some next level stupidity, regardless of hurricane prep.

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acoustic_rat_462@reddit

Your father doesn’t need cigarettes or beer if he has an oxygen machine. Take them away

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Hoyle33@reddit

Nothing against your dad, but if someone prioritizes cigarettes over life saving oxygen, they’re the type of people who can never be helped and will always rely on others (in this case the govt)

Many people are this way

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jwjitsu@reddit

Our jurisdiction has attributed multiple fatal structure fires this year to smoking while on oxygen.

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forestdude@reddit

In another lifetime I was an EMT and had to spend some time in the ER to get my cert. This guy came in who blew himself up smoking on an oxygen tank and he was fucked with a capital F. Gnarly burns on like 70% of his body

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Helassaid@reddit

Yeah, that'll happen.

Complex_Material_702@reddit

…..and you know his dumb ass is voting for Trump

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Wilder_Beasts@reddit

He’s probably costing taxpayers by being on Medicare too. This is exactly why socialized medicine will always be a hard no for me.

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dnhs47@reddit

How do you think you will pay for your health insurance when you’re too old to work, or require oxygen?

Medicare is a benefit he paid for upfront, from every paycheck for his entire working life, just like any other insurance. You pay first, and later you get the benefit.

After this event is safely in the rear view mirror, best to sit down and have a light talk over what he's learned from the experience.

If the answer is "nothing," probably best to treat him like a liability and potential lootbox in the future.

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Designer-Ad3494@reddit

Cigarette butts are pretty low level loot.

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OldBayAllTheThings@reddit

Hard truth right here.

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Ry-Da-Mo@reddit

So we really are 9 meals from anarchy!?

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voiderest@reddit

The people stealing are a minority and likely the kind of people who would be stealing without a storm. There is also a difference between someone breaking into an empty store and robbing a person.

Most of the time people will be reasonable if they believe things will go back to normal. If they are literally starving then, yeah, they'll probably do something about that.

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transitional_path@reddit

BUT here's the thing. The survival rule is 3-3-3. You can go three weeks without food.

BUT people don't know that. So on day 3 of no food, cushy Americans who are used to air conditioning and Starbucks, who have never gone two days without food....

Think they're dying.

When in reality.....their body is just fasting. Going into ketosis. And eating up the extra fat they need to get off their ass anyway. But you'll be damn hungry. It's actually great for cancer and other diseases though, because the body is made to fast, not for American life, and it clears out tons of dirty or corrupt cells when the body consumes them.

But people don't know any of this shit. They'll probably knife you over a half filled box of dry cinnamon toast crunch. That's hunter gathering.

If they DID know, they'd know they should focus on water. Which song that hard to figure out. And that they'll be fine if things stabilize within about two weeks or less.

But fear is the mind killer. And the world killer.

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Ry-Da-Mo@reddit

Woah, woah, woah... go back to cancer! How effective is this? Obviously it must depend on when you find it?

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transitional_path@reddit

Cancer is tumor growth that gets out of control.

When you fast, your body turns on itself to consume itself. It consumes cells. It goes for fat first as well as "dirty" cells like tumors.

It's a way of cleansing the body. People have fasted for thousands of years, even for holy reasons and spiritual reasons. In Christianity, in Buddhism. In ancient primitive religions. We don't do it anymore because we live in fat America and eat every five minutes.

In older times, ancient times even, people didn't have food all the time. It was normal. We evolved to adapt to that. And the body ended up making use out of it, by using it to heal itself. Clear out any junk. Any fat, any garbage cells. It cleanses the body from some diseased cells.

People do it. You have to be careful but they do. And it shrinks tumors. It's not a "cure" because there's usually not one single cure for cancer. You have to do many things. But adding it in, it's another thing that shrinks tumors. Most people aren't willing to do it, because it sucks. And they're already low weight. But people do, and the body consumes not only fat, but tumor tissue too.

Of course though, the whole world will say it's medical misinformation.......

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Ry-Da-Mo@reddit

I will always put my faith in traditional medicines and homeopathy before modern medicine. Yeah, modern has it benefits with surgeries and whatnot but I've lost all trust in tablets and medications.

That is fascinating to find out.

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BlackPowerThisHour@reddit

The people stealing are a minority

Wow racist much? There is good and bad in every group.

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voiderest@reddit

"a minority of the population" as in not most people

Not "the minorities"

If it was a racist statement then it would read as a single minority. Like it's one dude running around doing it all.

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usernameJ79@reddit

You are sooooo right. The thieves are just using the cover the storm gives to do what they'd do anyway.

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TheAspiringFarmer@reddit

Realistically it’s even less than 9. Most people can’t miss one meal today. After 3 they will lose their shit. Plan accordingly…

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Hey_cool_username@reddit

My wife loses her shit if a meal is an hour late, lol. We used to watch Survivor & I said she’d be first to be voted off after missing one meal and yelling at someone

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R_O@reddit

People run their generators 24/7 and waste gas. It's not even that hot in central FL this week. God forbid you have to crack a window or go without wifi...

Milton wasn't a catastrophic storm...I have been through MUCH worst in the early 2000's and people then were still stupid but it was different...it was like like a slow creeping natural panic. With this storm? It is mor like dealing with addicts that simply don't give a fuck.

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GrowlingAtTheWorld@reddit

For some people this was a catastrophic storm. People died in the tornados it brought. Peoples entire households of needful things sit rotting curbside from the water it brought into peoples homes. This was not a central florida event.

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Tquilha@reddit

I'm always saying this: the main thing about prepping is to take a long, hard look at where you live and figure out the likeliest disasters that can happen.

If you live near the shore, prepare for severe storms, storm surges and the like. If you live high on the mountains, prep for snowstorms, etc.

It's amazing how many people still won't do this simple kind of prepping.

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PsychologicalCow2150@reddit

Agreed, and also, climate is changing. Asheville is 500 miles from the Florida coast, and up in the mountains. No one was prepared for storm surges and flooding.

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Civil-Cockroach-958@reddit

Society is embarrassing

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WildlyWeasel@reddit

Question to prepping for fuel, how would someone in apartments keep gasoline, and in many cases, propane, when a lot of them don't even have balconies, and generally 'prohibit' grills and generators (except solar) of any sort? I've kept propane on balconies before, just well covered, as well as the 1 lb camp propane indoors, but i wouldn't want a 20 lb tank, and definitely not gasoline, indoors.

CounterTerroirist@reddit

No, ANY container larger than 1 pound of propane is against national fire code in an occupied area . That is why you see alcohol stoves warming metal pans of precooked dishes, and the little camping tanks on chef-manned tabletop egg fryers in buffet lines, and plumbers have to use mini torches to sweat pipes. One of the reasons they went to plastic water lines.

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OldBayAllTheThings@reddit

'Fire code'.... lol

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CounterTerroirist@reddit

Yes, "fire code", the NFPC. You know, like the electrical code, building codes, food service codes, vehicle safety codes, etc. A code has the force of law behind it. The Fire Marshall has all the rights and powers of the Sheriff to enter, inspect, and enforce code on public or private property. That is one of the ways that they shut down sweatshops, unsafe chicken processing plants or unlicensed nightclubs. Want to chain the doors shut to keep out riff-raff or prevent employee theft, or have unmarked exits, etc.? Expect to be padlocked and cited.

Willfully violating the codes negates your rental lease, and your homeowners or renters insurance will not pay out if you cause harm. Just like if you drive drunk, wire your own house with substandard wiring, or build an addition on a shoddy foundation. Just because you have not been caught (yet), does not mean you are right.

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ethottly@reddit

I'm in an apartment with no balcony. What I have is a solar generator/power station (a small one for now, but plan to get a much larger one when I feel I can afford it), and a small stove setup that uses chafing fuel, the kind caterers use. This canned fuel is safe to use indoors (though I would still open a window) and you can at least boil water and heat up food.

One of the larger solar generators could power a fan, or a small electric heater, and for sure an electric blanket.

I would make sure you have a CO2 detector because you never know what your neighbors might be doing.

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Timely_Perception754@reddit

Do you have a preferred chafing fuel brand for apartment use?

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ethottly@reddit

The brand I have is Sterno Safe Heat chafing fuel, 4-6 hours burn time. They have it at Costco and on Amazon. The kind with metal caps (as opposed to peel top foil) is preferable because you can re-cap it tightly and reuse it if there is fuel left.

My little stove is called a VESTA, it's supposed to also be a heater but I don't think it puts out enough heat to really call it that. You can put as many as three of the chafing fuel cans in it to get it really nice and hot to boil water quickly.

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Timely_Perception754@reddit

Thanks!

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Individual_Run8841@reddit

Electric Pillows can be easily run of a normal Powerbank. Sitting on my Couch together with a Blanket it’s quiet cosy.

There are also Powerbanks available with a additional Handwarmer Function, if you take one under your Blanket they are like a small Hotwaterbottle.

I highly recommend both

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Drused2@reddit

A 20 lb propane tank ($20 to recharge) in the outdoor patio closet is easy to store for a long long time and will provide a propane powered camp stove ($40) for a long time.

QueenAng429@reddit

By far most people are not prepared

yogapastor@reddit

We’ve been through it in Louisiana too. I would rather be here than Florida when SHTF.

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CCWaterBug@reddit

We did 9 days of widespread power outages after Ian, suburbia, direct hit.

If anything, it brought people together. As foreigners in a city with very few (us and the Russian strippers), we didn't really talk to our neighbors until the first typhoons of the season. True--if to a much smaller extent--of quakes in California too. I really thought the pandemic would bring communities together in the US, but... not so much.

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SpaceGoatAlpha@reddit

I really thought the pandemic would bring communities together in the US, but... not so much.

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Able-Aide-8130@reddit

Out of curiosity, what makes the Iwatani so special?

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DrSpaecman@reddit

They make commercial-grade induction cooktops, so they're extremely durable and reliable. They're the closest thing to BIFL induction that I could find. They're a bit noisy with the fans, but I don't mind it.

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AlphaDisconnect@reddit

I like both the burner. And the yakiniku grill. Never failed me. This side of 100 mph winds always lit. Small size. Add water to the yakiniku grill to prevent flare ups. Little more of a clean up.

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behemuthm@reddit

Where in Japan? I’ve been looking at getting a house in the countryside. I studied in Akita but way too damn cold in the winter lol

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AlphaDisconnect@reddit

Okinawa. Always warm. But sometimes hot and humid.

Gunma is chill. But you kind of get 4 seasons there.

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behemuthm@reddit

Ooo nice I love scuba diving and have been wanting to go there!

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AlphaDisconnect@reddit

You will have opportunities for that. Only problem is it is smallish. Drive too far left or right, you hit ocean. Also everything in the ocean wants to kill you.

3 days not owning a gun

So let's think about these two items.

Society hasn't collapsed or disappeared. The internet is still here, so are police and courts and jails and news reporters.

What's the plan you're suggesting here? Someone tries to siphon gas from your car, so you shoot them? And then what? Hide the body and hope nobody saw you and they didn't tell anyone where they were going? Call the police and try to claim self-defense, when you shot an unarmed person taking gasoline? Kyle Rittenhouse got charged and went to court even though there was video of him running away and only shooting at the last second. What's going to happen to you when the person's family claims they were just out looking for help during a disaster and you shot them in cold blood?

Thank you for this post. I live in the same area and recently moved here. Did both storms without generators and was a miserable 5 days of no power. After Helene, I ordered flood supplies but they didn't arrive until after Milton. Took someone's suggestion for the buckets to use as risers and that was a brillant idea.

I won't be caught wanting again -- I'm building my checklist right now.

I'd really appreciate geneartor recommendations and set up. I'm in my mid 50's and my husband is on disability so it has to be something I can lift by myself. (50 lbs ish?)

Prefer solar or a combination of solar and gas. When power is down, gas if very hard to get, so refilling is a challenge.

Same for us near Appalachia.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/16/hurricane-katrina-new-orleans-looting-violence-misleading-reports

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gardendesgnr@reddit

I have zero sympathy for anyone whining about power who lives in FL haha. In 2004 w/ only 4 hrs warning Orlando was hit by Hurricane Charley 105mph constant winds for an hour and then we went 24 DAYS w/o power and had 2 more Hurricanes over 6 weeks. Ever since then every single yr we have at least 1 or 2 hurricanes that takes out the power for only 7 DAYS I'm perfectly fine w that, I don't even get the generator out it such a p.i.a.

Miraculously this year for the first time in 20 years we didn't lose power, even more incredibly homes across the street and the street behind lost power when they have never ever lost power before, except 2004. I gave all my 50lbs of ice away (have an ice machine), lent out my battery lanterns, battery fans, power banks and got my neighbors food. Everyone in my neighborhood got power back on by Sat a.m. 🙌🏼💪🏼

Absolutely NO ONE should be allowed to move to or live in Florida w/o a sizable generator, 10 gauge cords and gas cans. We have been going through bad hurricanes, many times back to back to back (2004, 2022) since 2004. If you don't know how to deal w the aftermath you have no business living here!!!!

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Blondechineeze@reddit

Wait. Your FIL has enough cigarettes to last, but not enough gad to run his genny which is used for his O2 (oxygen) machine.

That right there is your true oxymoron lol

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MeisterX@reddit

What surprised me is we had local secondary flooding. And what also was emphasized for me is how much of my "prepping" has been in research.

How high is my property? How high is the nearest wetland? What are the watersheds that I have access to (and thus have access to me)? How high are the roadways in and out? What's the historical flood height?

For example the Anclote River basin has had secondary flooding, including in my neighborhood, but my elevation is such that it would be nigh impossible to flood even in an extreme, near recording breaking flood like this one.

I also selected a home that used underground utilities and was near to a main electrical substation and grid infrastructure. We didn't lose power. I don't even have a generator (yet).

Some prepping is gear. A lot of prepping is knowledge.

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ahv1alpine@reddit

I did much the same when siting my new home. Identified what natural or man-made disasters were probable/possible and built accordingly.

Hell I live in North GA and I just bought 4 5 gallon Jerry cans. That's a almost a full tank for the truck or for Coleman stoves or lanterns or whatever else I need to run.

Gas is the first thing to go, either people buy it all up or they can't pump it without electricity.

I'll keep it a few months then refill truck and replenish my emergency supply if it isn't used.

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Real-Stock2002@reddit

🎵cry me a river🎵 it’s been 3 days. You aren’t a Floridian unless your road closure includes a using a boat as part of the detour for atleast 2 years.

A week notice? Lol, that’s why they are called sheeple right? Obviously you are new to Florida, but the siphoning of gas really isn’t abnormal for the area you describe.

Florida can guarantee three things

Hurricanes
Alligators
Florida man shit.

Sad that I have to say you are warned.

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LaHolland1@reddit

Jerk

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Away-Map-8428@reddit

"They're syphoning gas tanks and robbing people."

who and how many? utterly unqualified and unquantified.

kind of irresponsible to spread a message with the integrity of elementary school kids playing telephone.

purple monkey, dishwasher

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People assume we always need gas to fuel power. With a little mechanical ingenuity, a bike, alternator, and a few pulleys, a generator can be outfitted to produce power, fuel free

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elle2js@reddit

You could get a patent on this. Or just sell the instructions online, I'll buy, here on preppers please.

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Emproj@reddit

Maybe some people secretly want chaos.

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People are not the problem here. The govt is

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SunLillyFairy@reddit

The government needs to improve... but people are definitely the problem. People stealing from other people is a people problem. Needed to be armed against other humans who will hurt you to help themselves is a people problem. The government's response in ANY major disaster is limited and slow. I'm not going to blame victims... some can't prep and some don't know... but if the government is your plan A, you're screwed.

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TiredGothGirl@reddit

I agree with you that relying on the government for swift and plentiful assistance after disasters is pointless. Maybe even to the point of calling it a suicidal endeavor to do so.

People in disaster prone areas also need to stay stocked up on storm supplies... IF it's possible for them to do so. I grew up in poverty. We never had enough money to stock up on anything. It wasn't possible for us. It isn't possible for many even today, especially in this crappy economy.

As far as it being the fault of the people, I mostly disagree. It is at least 95% the fault of the government. If the government provided swift and plentiful assistance, very few people would resort to desperate measures to provide themselves and their loved ones with absolute essentials.

I live in southeastern Louisiana and have experienced MANY disasters in my several decades of life. I've seen the government's failure to provide for its citizens time and time again (while dumping money quite generously into OTHER countries). Yes, there are some people out there who just want to watch the world burn, want to steal from others just because. Most, however, would not resort to such measures if they had what they needed when they needed it, especially in rural areas.

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SunLillyFairy@reddit

I understand what you are saying and do think crime goes up when people get desperate. I have a very solid moral foundation and boundaries... and I would not steal from my neighbors, hurting them to benefit myself. And I believe I'm responsible for my own actions, the government isn't making me steal if I do so.

On the contrary.

That's why I said a prepper with no firearms is oxymoronic.

It's not completely chaotic down here but it's only been 3 days. I couldn't imagine what 3 weeks would look like or 3 months.

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CXavier4545@reddit

Oh ok that’s why I asked if you owned one cause you said prepper I wasn’t sure if you were referring to yourself, I live in earthquake country and if I sense power will be down for many weeks I’ve budgeted to be able to get out of dodge for a month or 2, always keep my 2 SUVs properly maintained and gassed, will have enough room for all lot of my preps, hoping I never have to do that ever.

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EdgeCityRed@reddit

I'm in a hurricane-prone area and this is what we're doing if it comes to it. (We do have plenty of people we could stay with if power was out for an extended period.)

Looters, pssssh. That's the other thing insurance is for.

FACTS 💯

These people that are anti gun have some political complex about their feelings.

They claim to be self reliant with prepping, but hang on the anti 2A rhetoric and saying either you won’t need it, or they’ll call 911 😂 fucking comical at this point.

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ellsiejay@reddit

I think you’d be surprised how many liberals are strapped.

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reddit-suks1@reddit

Yea I’m know. Strapped in the sheets, but anti 2A in the streets.

Idk. I see the arguments for gun ownership. I have gone clay shooting and to the pistol range. They are good products. I just cant justify bringing them into my house. Chance I need it. Low. Chance my child might find it. Higher than chance of collapse in my opinion. The catastrophic risk of a firearm accident far outweighs the catastrophic risk of needing a gun when weighed by relative risk (again in my analysis). I'm minimizing my maximum harm.

Tricky for sure.

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Austechprep@reddit

Agree, the risk of needing it can be a lot lower depending on your country too, Australia has plenty of guns, but a lot more regulation around it. I can't see myself needing a gun, or having the time to make sure I maintain my licence (not that it's much), I'd much rather spend the few thousand I'd need to invest (it's required to buy a gun safe etc, plus guns cost more here by the sounds of it) into a bigger deep freezer and more food, I'm close enough with my neighbors that if I offer some electricty to charge their phones and some lunch/dinner we'll all be pretty safe and keep an eye out for eachother.

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leonme21@reddit

Yeah, I’m also under the impression that most people on here buy guns because they’ve seen one too many movies and justify it in some weird way

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NorthernPrepz@reddit

I think it’s a minority who say don’t get a gun AT ALL. I think ppl push back on individuals who just have guns or start with guns. I agree its important. But if someone goes out pre hurricane and loads up on ammo BEFORE water, fuel, food, im not sure that’s wise.

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SapperLeader@reddit

It's the old adage: If you have food and a desperate man has a gun, he'll soon have a gun and food.

Having only guns is an indicator of future intent or incompetence. After all , you can only shoot one gun at a time. The best answer is a mutual Aid network before a calamity. Make sure you have all the bases covered. Prepare a plan and a backup plan for every likely scenario. Hurricane, tornado, blizzard, wildfire, civil war, riot, etc... depending on your location and risk. Self sufficiency is a great idea but difficult in practice and nearly impossible when people get desperate.

I'm an engineer and have a certain set of skills. If my neighbor is a nurse and my other neighbor is a mechanic, all of us would benefit from one another in the event of a catastrophy. Expand that to a couple of blocks surrounding us and we have doctors, firefighters, dentists, babysitters, janitors, laborers, carpenters, electricians, heavy equipment operators and (of course) lawyers. We could get power up, food refrigerated, water consolidated, and security patrols started on day one.

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Drused2@reddit

“Only shoot one gun at a time” is a point, but that’s also alluding to the concept of only needing one. As an engineer, you should have redundancy in all aspects of preparation. A couple of guns of each need is best. Three long rifles, two pistols, two shotguns. Try and keep the weapons the same so you can use parts of one that breaks to fix another. Minimize different calibers.

Fire arms are easy to prep and store. Ammo should be cycled by range time.

Food is harder but not hard. Long term storage options along with mid-term staples.

Water is hard for bulk prep but instead of massive tanks, some way to generate clean water.

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SapperLeader@reddit

No, you don't need redundancy in all aspects of preparation. That's foolishness. Spare parts is what youmight need. You need to look at failure modes and mean time between failure. What parts break? And how frequently. You aren't going to be shooting tens of thousands of rounds in a survival situation. If attacked, you let loose with a couple mags and your would be robbers will turn tail and look for easier pickings. You aren't prepping for the purge ya loonie.

Don't let others know you have prepped.

Black out your windows so they can't see you have lights.

Don't use a generator if you don't have to. Put it in a garage if you can with the garage door slightly open but not enough for a human to come inside. Either that or have it is some other secured location.

Have locking gas caps

Have driveway alarms or barking dogs

Minimize cooking smells

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OldBayAllTheThings@reddit

I've been told numerous times, in many different ways...

'A prepper who isn't armed (and in shape) is just a supply point for someone who is'

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KiltedRambler@reddit

If you can find me and are able to kill me, you can have my stuff.

Are you able to kill someone not out of fear for your life? Many people can't do it.

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less_butter@reddit

WE HAD A WEEK NOTICE THAT THIS WAS COMING AND THEY STILL DIDN'T PREPARE.

Besides this, the NHC track was spot-on. The hurricane followed the projected path almost exactly. There's really no excuse for living in a hurricane-prone area, knowing that a hurricane will hit in 5-6 days, and then freaking out the day before because you can't find gas. These people are morons.

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Gorgenapper@reddit

The hurricane followed the projected path almost exactly.

This just fuels the insane rumor saying that the government can control the weather.

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dnhs47@reddit

That’s observation and prediction, not “control”, demonstrating the power of science to predict natural events.

Back in the 1950s when I was a young child, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods all came as surprises and killed several hundred people (from a much lower population). The first weather satellite in 1960 was a game changer for weather prediction in general.

The government has invested for decades in many fields of scientific research to improve hurricane track predictions, tornado warnings, flood warnings, etc.

Now, satellite observations provide accurate forecasts and early warnings, and the death toll of back-to-back category 4 hurricanes and resulting flooding across a half dozen states was what, 40 people, from a far greater population?

I saw the opposite. At the one gas station in town that had power, two homeless guys were helping the staff organize the two multiple-hours long lines for gas. We had walked over to pick up some more ice for our neighbor. The staff and homeless guys were joking around. Seemingly every other car was tipping the homeless guys. A few people we saw were bitching--out of dozens.

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driverdan@reddit

a terrorist attack that really does damage?

You mean like 9/11 where everyone came together to help? Because that's what happens.

The US is under God's judgement.

WTF does that even mean?

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spiderwithasushihead@reddit

This is why I tell people if you wait until there's an emergency to get your emergency supplies, it's too late. I've seen it happen many times.

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This

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OoKeepeeoO@reddit

This represents what I think is the greatest challenge of prepping. It would only take a few days without electricity, water & fuel for all those 'good folks' out there to dig out those guns they bought 'in case of an emergency' and start trying to shoot other people for supplies.

It's been 3 days and people are losing their minds over fuel. They're syphoning gas tanks and robbing people. It's not wide spread but.... it's only been 3 days.

Remember when people were flipping out over toilet paper during covid?

My father is one of them. He was stocked up on the cigarettes and beer but not enough gas to run his generator to supply his oxygen machine with power.

It's not the first time I've seen it, but it always stands out to me when someone on oxygen still smokes.

Being a prepper and not owning a gun is some sort of oxymoron statement.

Guns are just like any other tool. You need to know how to use it. I think it requires more training than a lot of people are willing to put into it. I think a lot of people don't understand their skill level, and how much they to or do not know, because they have no basis of comparison. Understanding where you are relative to other people is a valuable way to assess your skill, and where you need to improve.

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OnTheEdgeOfFreedom@reddit

It's human nature. Some people just don't know howto assess risk. Some assess it just fine but can'\t afford to do much. Some believe government aid is going to magically appear overnight. Some depend on family without arranging that in advance.

That said, look around. No one is starving, injuries are being dealt with. Your father is presumably ok or you'd have written this differently. In short, from a government or community perspective, people were sufficiently prepared. Because prep fails are measured in deaths and permanent injury, not comfort.

You're also seeing what's likely the worst day, or nearly. Power's being restored; once it is, more gas stations get running and problems melt away, because the US fixes everything with electricity and fuel. The idiots robbing fuel now, I'd bet dollars, aren't doing it out of need. They're either using it to run their air conditioners - a comfort thing, not a survival thing - or more likely reselling it for profit. They can pull it off because police are busy with other things. But if they waited 3 more days they'll find there's no point.

I'd also been you dollars to doughnuts that in the next few weeks, you never need your gun or even pull lit out. If it makes you feel better to have it, great. And I'm sure there are people in this sub who can recount tales of times when someone came into their house uninvited and a gun was used to resolve the difficulty. But just about all theft happens when no one's home or people are asleep and things are not so desperate where you live - or in any US disaster I know of since the Civil War - where you're seeing major bouts of armed confrontation over necessities. It's always opportunistic profit-taking.

And for pity's sake if someone does come up your driveway looking to siphon some gas and you decide to go all castle doctrine/stand your ground, shoot their gas can, not them. It solves the problem and will save you a bunch of time in court. And hospitals are probably busy enough right now.

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Fr33speechisdeAd@reddit

Unless they are armed.

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I love a good dumpster fire in the morning ;)

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AmynaPreparedness@reddit

It seems no matter the warnings or signs, some people will still choose not to prepare. This then contributes to panic buying, and some trying to get more than a fair share than others. I don't think this will ever change completely, but the more we all try to let people know about some of the simple steps we take for preparedness, I'd like to think that it ends up preventing just a couple more people out there from panic buying.

Gasoline is a big factor. Transportation for obvious reasons and also for running generators. It's best to store multiple gas cans for long duration (by adding fuel stabilizer) and then setting up a rotation so you cycle older fuel with fresh fuel. That way, you always have fuel available.

Unfortunately, there are people still preparing out there that don't think gun ownership is a good thing or maybe still haven't considered it. Again, informing people is a good step in the right direction. But in the end it's a matter of who will listen.

Thanks for the update. Stay safe out there.