HiddenMysteries: What Can The Japanese Tsunami Teach Us About Prepping For Disasters And Emergencies?

The Japanese tsunami is a crystal clear example of just how unpredictable disasters and emergencies can be. Nobody ever dreamed that a tsunami in Japan could wash cars, homes and people up to 6 miles inland. But that is exactly what happened.

So while it is great to make elaborate preparations for potential disasters and emergencies, it is also absolutely essential to have backup plans.

After all, what good is all of that emergency food that you have stored up going to do if a massive tsunami comes along and rips your house off the foundation and deposits it into the sea? Not that all of us shouldn't be busy prepping. Of course we should be. All over Japan right now the supermarkets are being stripped bare. Don't you think that many of those people are wishing that they had stored up some food? It is those that prepare that have the best chance of surviving disasters and emergencies. No plan is foolproof, but having a plan is much better than not having a plan.

For example, there are lots of people in Japan right now that are wishing that they would have stored up at least a bit of fresh water to drink. There are homes in Japan that are still completely surrounded by saltwater from the tsunami, and if those homes do not have running water at this point then the people inside are going to get thirsty really quick.

Of course bottled water flew off store shelves all over Japan in the aftermath of the tsunami. Now it is becoming very difficult to find.

But there are thousands and thousands of homes in Japan that do not have running water right now.

So what are they supposed to do?

Thankfully there are a lot of aid agencies that are working really hard to help the Japanese out. Hopefully everyone that needs water and food will be able to get them.

Have you seen video of the empty supermarkets in Japan?

That can happen someday in America too.

In the United States, even a minor snowstorm can cause a run on the supermarkets in many areas. If a major league disaster or emergency ever hit the food in the stores would be gone really quickly.

So do you have food stored up for you and your family?

Another huge lesson that we can learn from the Japanese tsunami is that a disaster in one area of the world can have a ripple affect across the globe.

For example, it has now become incredibly difficult to find supplies of potassium iodide anywhere in the United States.

In fact, in many areas even finding iodine or kelp has become problematic.

So what are the people that don't have these things going to do if nuclear radiation becomes a problem?

They are just going to have to suffer.

That is the way it is with disasters and emergencies. If you have not prepared ahead of time there is a good chance that you are simply going to be out of luck.

You see, millions of Americans have not become preppers just because they didn't have anything better to do.

We live in a world that is becoming increasingly unstable. Our financial system is crumbling. Our society is crumbling. The earth itself is crumbling.

Those that are not doing anything to prepare are rather foolish.

Many of those that laugh at preppers are the same people that have health insurance, car insurance, home insurance, boat insurance, motorcycle insurance, disability insurance, travel insurance and business insurance.

But they won't lift a finger to get some "food insurance" for themselves and their families because that is what "preppers" and "conspiracy theorists" do.

Well, a whole lot of people in Japan wish that they had been "preppers" just about now.

Not that preppers always come out on top either. As the tsunami is Japan, demonstrated, if a major disaster hits right where you live your home may not make it.

The truth is that all of us always need to be ready to "bug out" at any time.

If you got word that your town was about to face a major league emergency, where would you go?

That is something to think about.

It is also a good reason why we should all be encouraging our family and friends in other areas of the country to be storing up food and supplies. You never know when you might have to depend on them for help.

The truth is that none of us should ever be too proud to ask for help. Many survivalists sit back and brag about all of the guns and beans they have stored up, but if their house was swept away by a disaster what would they be forced to do?

They would be forced to turn to someone else for help.

The reality is that we all need a little assistance from time to time. Don't be too proud to give some help and don't be too proud to ask for some help.

So what are some things that all of us can be doing right now to start preparing for disasters and emergencies?

Well, in a previous article (and repeated below) I listed a few things that can be done by most people....

#1 Become Less Dependent On Your Job

Many people define a job as the state of being "just over broke". The truth is that it is incredibly difficult to become financially independent working for someone else. Now, the truth is that most Americans would not be able to survive without a job, but what would you do if someday you suddenly lost your job during a financial apocalypse? Now is the time to start investigating alternate sources of income and different ways to build wealth. Today it takes the average unemployed American over 33 weeks to find a job. You may not always be able to count on being able to get a good job, and the economy is only going to get worse over the long-term. All of us should be operating under the assumption that any jobs we now have will someday be taken away.

#2 Get Out Of Debt

Some people disagree with this, but unless society degenerates into complete chaos or we experience Weimar Republic-type hyperinflation, the truth is that your debts are going to continue to hang over you wherever you go. Getting out of debt can be completely and totally liberating. It will give you much more freedom and will make you far less dependent on your job. In fact, it looks like a lot of Americans are already moving in this direction. It was recently announced that 8 million Americans have stopped using their credit cards over the past year. Why not join them? When things start really falling apart and it is incredibly difficult for anyone to get a job, the last thing you want is a huge amount of debt hanging over your head.

#3 Reduce Expenses

For decades, most Americans have been living far beyond their means. In the future, times are going to be really tough and we are all going to have to learn to tighten our belts. Do you and your family waste money right now? If you can eliminate that, you can live on a smaller income and you will have more money to invest in the things that are really going to matter.

#4 Purchase Land

Real estate is still priced too high in most areas of the United States, but the truth is that you don't want to wait forever to get your hands on a piece of land. If a "financial apocalypse" does happen, you don't want to be stuck in a big city with no place to go. You always want to have somewhere that you can "bug out" to. The U.S. real estate market is continuing to struggle right now, so hopefully prices will come down even more and there will be some really great deals available over the next couple of years.

#5 Learn To Grow Food

Another reason why you want to purchase some land is so that you will have somewhere to grow food if you need to. 100 years ago almost all Americans knew how to grow their own food, and most of them also knew how to raise farm animals. Today, relatively few Americans have those skills. A great way to begin is by starting your own "survival garden". If you are not already doing this, then why not start this upcoming year?

#6 Find A Reliable Source Of Water

Water is going to become a very, very valuable resource in the years to come. It will be absolutely key for you and your family to have a dependable source of clean drinking water. If you do not have water you will not be able to survive for long. In the event of an economic meltdown, basic services such as power and water may not be there. So be certain that you and your family have an alternate source of water to depend upon.

#7 Explore Alternative Energy Sources

This point is similar to the one above. Do you think that if a financial apocalypse happens that you will always be able to depend on the power company? The truth is that there is a good reason why so many Americans have been trying to go "off the grid". Without power, life gets really difficult very quickly. But if you are generating your own power then you won't have to worry about that.

#8 Store Supplies

In the event of a major disaster or emergency, store shelves are going to empty really fast. If supplies are disrupted on a permanent basis, you may have to get by on what you already have in your home. So do you and your family have enough warm clothes, personal hygiene products and medical supplies to last for an extended period of time? Hopefully your local stores will always be able to supply what you need, but we need to prepare as if that is not guaranteed.

#9 Protect Your Assets With Gold And Silver

The way that the Federal Reserve is abusing the U.S. dollar, it is only a matter of time before rampant inflation sets in. Even now, the U.S. dollar has already been seriously declining and precious metals like gold and silver have been shooting into the stratosphere. In the future, your paper money may not buy much for you at all, but if you have some gold or silver coins you can always exchange them for the things that you are going to need.

#10 Learn Self-Defense

Did you see what happened at stores from coast to coast this past Black Friday? Americans were literally trampling one another just to get their hands on some cheap foreign-made plastic crap. So what do you think is going to happen once these people have been without food for two or three days? Now is the time to think about how you will defend your home and your family from crazed looters. It is not a fun thing to think about, but unfortunately we are heading for times that will not always be pretty.

#11 Keep Yourself Fit

As Americans, we live such "cushy" lives. But when times get hard things will not be so cushy. In fact, the years ahead are likely to demand quite a bit of physical activity. So keep yourself in good physical condition right now. In the future you will be very glad that you did.

#12 Make Friends

It is really, really hard to "survive" by yourself. Those who will thrive the most in the future are those who will have a community that they can depend on. Americans are always at their best when they work together. Don't be afraid to reach out to your family and friends. In the times ahead the world will be a very cold place, and a little love and compassion will go a long way.

That last point is very important. It is key to have a network of friends and family around the country that you could depend upon in a pinch.

For example, whoever would have imagined that nuclear radiation from Japan could potentially be a threat to those living along the west coast of the United States?

Hopefully what the government is telling us is true. Hopefully the amount of radiation that makes it over the Pacific will not be enough to seriously harm any of us, but it just shows that someday a crisis may arise that could require people to flee to another area.

So if someday a crisis like that arises, where would you and your family go?

When it comes to preparing for the worst, flexibility is the key.

And preparing for the worst does not have to be complicated. When you go to the store, pick up a couple extra items that you see on sale and store them away. Learn to grow a garden. Read blogs about prepping. Talk with your family and friends about what they would do in an emergency.

One of the keys is for all of us to learn from each other. None of us has all the answers.

The world can be a very cold, cruel place. Millions of people in Japan are finding that out right about now.

Someday you and your family could be caught right in the middle of a major crisis. When that happens, will you have plenty of food, water and supplies stored up or will you be scrambling to survive?

As the Japanese tsunami has shown, disaster can strike anywhere and at any time. The United States is certainly not immune.

Someday it will be our turn.

Will you be ready?

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What Can The Japanese Tsunami Teach Us About Prepping For Disasters And Emergencies?

Tuesday, March 15 2011 @ 11:51 PM CDT