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I like the practical and no-nonsense writing here. As we've seen you don't have to be a survivalist/conspiracy theorist to see that the Climate Crisis is staring us in the face. With the recent hurricanes I was also thinking a lot about people (like myself) who have medical conditions which could be seriously impacted in a major weather event without access to electricity, pharmacies, etc. It's serious business. Thank you.

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You are welcome Rebecca. The medical conditions issue is also a big one, though I don't personally need to contend with it yet. I believe most hospitals have auxiliary power, but that doesn't help you at home.

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Oct 24Liked by Anthony Signorelli

You might be one of my few friends, besides the 2H crew that thinks about these things. I learned alot about preparedness during the George Floyd uprising and the COVID lockdown. I have an affinity group where we distributed Baofangs for communication if cell towers go out. I have never used it, so I have been thinking I should meet up with one of them to get shown how to use them. I have a go bag and am pulling one together for my daughter, because I know she isn't. I am hoping to buy an electric bike and maybe a portable solar charging system for charging the battery. I am assuming that traffic jams will make leaving in an emergency very difficult by car. I have made sure I have plenty of rice/beans/lentils to last for a few weeks only incase supermarkets don't get restocked/staffed. And am considering buying a 50 gallon drum for water in case the water safety here is compromised. I retire in one more year and figure I can spend time on getting my first-aid and some street medic training. Beyond that building and maintaining a community of friends is key. especially here in the city. I figure if there is a heat wave and no electricity, retreating to my basement where it is cooler could be a temporary and hopefully sufficient recourse. Extreme cold with no electricity for my furnace to work I don't have a solution for other than to bundle up in the smallest bedroom with as many quilts/blackets and winter gear as I can. Beyond that keep living and enjoying life. Every. Single. Day. Living in a city has different problems and different solutions that what you have to consider. It helps me to know I am doing something to get prepared.

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Thanks Jill! Good to hear from you! You are right that it is especially challenging in the urban environment, and the exodus from Hurricane Milton shows how problematic it can be--roads clogged, filling stations out of gas, and stores out of food. There were some other recent events in Texas, I believe, where the power went out and it was over 105 °F, so no AC. It's about getting through the short term challenges when they occur.

The other day I overheard a woman up here talking about how she fills her bathtub whenever a storm is coming so they can use the water to flush the toilet. I like the 50 gallon drum idea.

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