Posted on 09/19/2013 5:21:29 AM PDT by Kartographer
Tens of thousands of people have been trapped in the aftermath of two tropical storms that hammered vast swathes of Mexico. More than 1 million people have been affected. Acapulco's airport terminal was under water, stranding tourists. Shops were plundered in the city's upscale neighborhood of Diamante, home to luxury hotels and plush apartments, where dozens of cars were ruined by muddy brown floodwaters. Marines were posted outside stores to prevent further theft. "Unfortunately, it wasn't looting from need of food. It was stealing for stealing's sake," said Mariberta Medina, head of a local hoteliers' association. "They even stole Halloween and Christmas decorations and an outboard motor."
(Excerpt) Read more at ca.news.yahoo.com ...
Preppers’ PING!!
I didn't know the storm names were already up to the letter 'L'. And TWO storms in one week? That's some seriously bad luck, there...
Interesting live-action lab experiment for us to watch.
I have outlined on other threads how quickly the looting and mayhem will start in any given SHTF scenario (only a matter of hours). We read here, that Marines were posted outside the stores.
How long did it take for them to get there?
On the average, how long does it take for order to reassert itself?
Thoughts?
The world is seriously running out of vacation spots.
Sounds just like home.
If a crisis is localized, then security and rescue forces from the rest of a region can rush to the crisis zone like white blood cells responding to an infection. Katrina, Colorado, they will be repaired. The lesson from this type of event is that yes, people will panic and loot stores very quickly. The big risk is that if the power stays out for over a week across a broad region, order may break down completely, including police and first responders deserting their posts to take care of their own families.
Consider the possibility of flooding before buying a house - ask if it has flooded. Consider the safety of that neighborhood before buying, such as, is it close to a mall or other concentrated shopping area? Then store what you need for an emergency, and have a bug out bag with water and food and first aid kit.
If you were in Acapulco or other place where it flooded and you had to leave, at least you would have the bug out bag to keep you going based on how much you had in the bag.
At one time, I had a Real Estate Broker’s license and sold houses in the summer - I was not a good agent - because I told the truth. This was the Clear Lake Area, around NASA, and one particular subdivision had large and lovely homes. However, when a hurricane or tropical storm would come through, a number of those houses would flood every time. One of the owners of the company, a friend of mine, said do not tell potential buyers those houses flood - she said that is why we have insurance.
Told her I couldn’t do that, I would tell them. She was pissed at me. She lived in a house in that subdivision but her house had never flooded. About a month after she told me not to tell people, her house flooded and she went crazy with anxiety and worry over her “stuff”. “Miss Callous” not caring if other people flooded, was a basket case when hers flooded. I had no pity for her.
Did we, or not, see that instance in either Katrina, Sandy, or both?
:snicker: The Bride and I had bugout bags on our honeymoon...
I'm sure we ran off some buyers at the new developments because we told them about the floods. Of course, they'd look all surprised because the developers denied any problems. Too many times people don't do a little research on potential property. Oooh, it has granite and a pretty front door!!! The same ones complain later about the schools, sigh. No, nice counters don't cut it when it when life hits you in the face.
We've lived on the river since I was little. I'd never worried much about flooding because the house is high enough BUT times have changed and flooding is now at the top of my list. Back in the day, real humans would report on water levels and weather situations. Now days, someone sits at their computer and thinks they know what's happening a 100 miles away. It used to be that real humans would be at the dams monitoring and had sense enough when to open the flood gates BEFORE we had a flooding problem. Today, the bozos behind their computer screens wait until AFTER everyone has been flooded out before calling a meeting to discuss maybe opening the gates and if they decide to open them it's full on which floods those down stream. I used to not be within the 100 year flood zone but because of these idiots, new maps have had to be drawn up so now I am in the flood zone. You can call the LCRA clowns and tell them what the river is doing and they'll flat out say you have no idea what you're talking about because that's not what their computer is showing. Must be my lying eyes as I'm standing on my porch watching it all unfold. Even the local LE have lost their common sense because they'll have evacuations on one side of the river but not the other. Sure, Moses is going to part the waters so one side floods while the other won't. IDIOTS! Proof positive that we're all on our own so we better be prepared and aware.
OT but prepper related: Cilantro: More Than An Herb, It Can Purify Water Too
“So far, the researchers reported success in removing lead and nickel with their cilantro filters, and are studying how well the herb can removed other heavy metals found in the Tule Valley water such as arsenic and mercury. “We are hoping we can look at how cilantro absorbs those metals, and see if those metals work in some kind of synergy when they come into contact with the biomass,” says Schauer. “We need to look at mixtures of metals to see if cilantro evenly pulls all the metals out.””
http://healthland.time.com/2013/09/12/cilantro-more-than-an-herb-it-can-purify-water-too/
Katrina got close to being a regional disaster, but I don’t think Sandy qualifies. In both cases, within a week relief supplies were flowing in, along with a strong police and military presence.
If a disaster affects several states completely, even an unfixable power outage, things may go haywire on another level. No relief columns will be coming to a vast area. No power ensures looting food stores as we know. But after a week in a regional disaster, any vehicle that could be carrying food or fuel is likely to get hijacked at makeshift barricades. This lifts the social dynamic to another level. Gas and food trucks will have to be convoyed in with a massive security presence, slowing the relief etc.
A few weeks in a tri-state or larger area without power, will really be something new.
~Leftist Amerikans
Nothing would happen we have been assured by any number of FReepers that everything would be just fine.
Even if it doesnt just use this guys plan and you will be fine! (See at 1:49)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91RNXkwTQco
And that doesn't begin to touch on the slow-to-medium recovery speed...
Hey Kart?
Post #12 is worthy of a thread all its own.
It depends. One day before Ike, all stores with water and food and plywood and gasoline were sold out. Power was out 5 days but people had bought out those stores so they were able to get through those days.
If it had lasted more than 5 days and gas could not be delivered, food would not be delivered because the trucks couldn't refuel, so they wouldn't come. Then, there would be chaos. The lady across from me had lunch meat and bread and some bottles of water and that was it. She had no way to warm or cook food. We furnished her with hot coffee every morning.
We tried to give her a can of Sterno and a Sterno stove and she wouldn't take it because she had never seen such a thing and was afraid of it. She is not old - she is in her 40s.
So, if power is out a week, gasoline must get there some way to be pumped or no food trucks are coming.
Gasoline and trucks - we can't exist without them. Well, I can, but most won't.
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