what have you learned from this year's disasters?

[sonrisa]

i'm adding n95 masks to our emergency bags. earthquakes often include fires.

[pixy0stix]

That what, even I, felt like hyperbole is actually happening re: climate change and weather patterns.

[mskitkat]

People rarely change. They just get better at hiding how shitty they are.

[sparrowsong]

That 45 is indeed an irredeemable person of the lowest caliber, and many other "leaders" aren't far behind him. Be ready to take care of yourself citizens. Govt will barely look your way.

[redheadk]

That Facebook isn't all bad.

[redheadk]

and it's a good idea to have some sort of work boots or rainboots and a good pair of gloves to go with those N95 masks.

[Deleted]

I better stock up on everything but paper towels.

[2curlydogs]

That we're fucked.

[georgeglass]

Oct 16, 2017 12:35:19 GMT -5 papiercherri said:

I better stock up on everything but paper towels.

but also practice catching.

[mbcdefg]

Perspective, I guess? All of these things that happened in the U.S. and North America were horrible, but they happen all over the world all the time. It's unfair to think of it as the End of Days, when other people in other countries have dealt with the same or worse. And, perspective again, that's of little comfort to the people actually dealing with these tragedies.

It's also alarming just how unprepared/unwilling our current government is to help out.

[debatethis]

That I'm not going to complain about all the emergency supplies taking up room in my basement ever ever again. And also that I want to push DH to get a generator in the next year.

[Champagne Supernova]

I'm gonna eat whatever the fuck and travel wherever the fuck I want because I'm fucked no matter what anyway.

[suburbanzookeeper]

This year's disasters was the last push I needed to get emergency response training. Also people should have listened to Al Gore.

[heyjude]

In Feb we spent $200 on a emergeny evacuation kit, we signed up with our city's emergency alert system, and we thought about a plan/location should we need to flee (most thinking about floods).

[namasteak]

Community is valuable.

A lot of religious people actually live our their faith and that has been so beautiful to watch.

[downtoearth]

People really do help their own communities, which is amazing. This happens close to home and we here a lot about it, but when it's far away in Asia or Africa, we rarely note it here in the US, so I wonder how people in international disaster relief feel about this. Plus, how do others recover without insurance? It costs A TON to deal with natural disasters and I'm guessing the insurance industry is going to increase rates on hundreds of thousands of people after this. This applies to hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, and fires (wild land and urban).

I am embarrassed to admit that I also didn't realize how brown and desolate tropical islands look after their vegetation is removed and trees destroyed by a hurricane. They look downright inhospitable and the salt-water intrusion on their water systems is crazy after hurricanes.

Oh and I, personally, have not prepared for much. I prepare more for winter in general than a major disaster. I should probably prepare some at least.

[eclaires]

I mean I always thought who was Potus mattered but it's even more clear now.

[KateAggie]

Oct 16, 2017 12:20:56 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

i'm adding n95 masks to our emergency bags. earthquakes often include fires.

That I never, ever want to go through this again. That if you think your car is ok, wait to make an auto claim until you've had it checked out. That these events take so much longer to recover from than I would've thought. Even if you have coverage, and especially when you don't. That, yeah, it's mostly just "stuff," but some of the things you've lost, even the petty things, will still bother you. Get to know your neighbors now, because you will lean on each other and work together to recover.

[sushi]

N95 are worthless unless you've done a fit test.

I'll just go out in a drunken high glory. Long live ca's liberal laws on weed

[sonrisa]

Oct 18, 2017 14:04:52 GMT -5 sushi said:

N95 are worthless unless you've dive a fit test.

I'll just go out in a drunken high glory. Long live ca's liberal laws on weed

Perhaps my face is shaped like a mannequin but fit wasn't really an issue for me with 3M n95 and p95 masks.

It was easy to tell the mask was filtering the air because I could smell a drastic difference. Even with only slightly bad air, after a few minutes in  the mask I could smell the smoke when i took it off. It also stopped the coughing fits and headaches.

[AJL]

[daisyn]

I'm completely unprepared for a large scale disaster and the general recommendation for water is not enough (1 gallon per person per day, enough for 3 days)

I need flashlights, first aid kit and basically all emergency supplies

[AutumnRose25]

Oct 16, 2017 12:26:27 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

That what, even I, felt like hyperbole is actually happening re: climate change and weather patterns.

I'm curious, since you are more extensively informed about it than many people, why did you think it was hyperbole?

I appreciate that I'm closer to this research and the modellling coming out than most people, but none of it is anything that hasn't been predicted or expected by the research community.

If anything, they've been walking back some of their more aggressive prediction over the last decade to make it more "acceptable" for public release so people don't outright dismiss it because of the "hype" that would come with the worst-case numbers.



My H has been spending the last couple of months raging and yelling "I told you so" at the news LOL

[heat40]

I learned that even after all the years post Andrew, we can still get our shit together. It was almost like Miami was in one big group chat, everyone checking in on each other and checking things off our list of preparations. It was a nice feeling.

also, that we can expect these monster storms to become the norm. scary.

[pixy0stix]

Oct 18, 2017 19:34:59 GMT -5 AutumnRose25 said:

Oct 16, 2017 12:26:27 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

That what, even I, felt like hyperbole is actually happening re: climate change and weather patterns.

I'm curious, since you are more extensively informed about it than many people, why did you think it was hyperbole?

How quickly it would happen. I knew that it *would* happen, but not that we're already talking about people of PR being climate refugees, etc.

[litebright]

That I really need to put some thought and effort into emergency preparedness. Interestingly, now that we're on the east coast and an hour-ish outside D.C., I have been noticing more PSA-type disaster preparedness signs, ads, notifications you can sign up for or volunteer networks that you can be part of (maybe also partly because I've been spending a lot of time on government websites as part of getting set up in a new state?). I don't think I ever saw that kind of stuff on my city web site or around town in my Denver suburb.

I sat down this week and started doing some research on what to get for my house and car so I can start assembling a bag bit by bit and figure out a list of things I need to purchase vs. what I already have. Picked up a couple cases of bottled water on my last trip to the grocery store and today, two camp meals and a Life Straw arrived from Amazon.

[foundmylazybum]

1) Learn chainsaw skills
2) That there are actually a LOT of super caring people out there who want to learn skills and are out there doing a lot to help out. Everything from handing out blankets and water to disaster mitigation...and we will never hear anything about them.

3) also that people are really caring in a lot of ways. The way that people in the fires wanted to stay to save their animals keeps making me cry.

[ellipses84]

As a 2x survivor who's had a very unfortunate past 2 years, I've learned we are so lucky because despite what we've lost, my family and I are alive.

Be prepared to evacuate with your important papers/supplies/valuables. If you have kids or elderly relatives, evacuate before they tell you it's recommended or mandatory.

The government officials we elect have a duty to protect public health and safety, so consider that when you vote. What are they going to do to before and after a disaster?

Check your insurance policies and make sure you are covered properly even if you think your house is in a safe zone.

Community and a support network are so important, but even if you feel alone, there are people who want to help you. Family, friends, friends of friends, coworkers, neighbors, even internet friends ❤️and strangers will be there for you.

[orangeblossom]

Oct 16, 2017 13:29:36 GMT -5 @stilljustash said:

white is right.

[abs]

1. Buy flood insurance. We've always done so but this year has proven it's absolutely necessary.

2. Have a go bag. When we thought we might get water in our house we were frantically looking for important documents. That was an awful feeling and we are better organized now.

3. Having a boat is actually not a bad idea. I can see next years hurricane list now: bread, water, boat, batteries. I'm only sort of kidding.

4. Sense of community is alive and well. It was amazing seeing our city come together after Harvey to help flood victims. It hasn't stopped either.