The Time To Build The Cellar Is Before The Tornado Hits

Printable Flyers Supporting Home Scale Disaster Preparations

The various disasters of the last few years have taught critical lessons:

• When the going gets rough, your local, state, and federal government may leave you behind for the wolves to devour.



• A very large disaster - and/or several disasters coming on at the same time - will stretch the ability of the government to respond adequately.



• Government disaster response agencies are plagued with politics. Their decisions are not always made in accordance with the best practices of disaster response. Politics can delay or reduce to the point of inadequacy government responses to disaster. Your mileage may vary with this issue, depending on local conditions and the disaster.



• Even with the best of intentions, the government can't do everything, be everywhere, or rescue everybody. During disasters, people may be left to their own resources for an extended period of time. The cavalry may not always come riding over the hill to the rescue.



• Private disaster response organizations like the Red Cross or the Salvation Army do not have unlimited resources. Large disasters, and many disasters happening at once, will stretch their resources too.



• Besides weather-related disasters, we are also at risk of terrorism, military attacks, financial crises, resource exhaustion, and collapse of irrational economic structures. Some of these disasters, such as an "Electromagnetic Impulse" attack, could affect all of North America. An EMP would destroy all electrical generating and distribution systems on the continent. It could take years for them to be replaced.



• We are dependent upon a long and fragile supply line for gasoline and diesel. There are a hundred things that could happen as early as tomorrow that could break that supply chain. If the fuel stops, then so do the trucks that haul groceries. Most major supermarkets only have 3 or 4 days of food in their inventories; if the trucks stop, their shelves will be quickly stripped by panic buying.

The purpose of these "Printable Flyers" is to give general, basic information on coping with a fast-acting, long-lasting disaster where rescue will be delayed. My suggestion is that people make copies of these flyers now, so they will have them ready to go if they were needed. "The time to build the cellar is before the tornado hits." That's the wisdom of my Oklahoma ancestors. Everyone hopes that something like this would never be needed - but if it is needed, the copy shops won't be open. So make lots of copies now, when they are cheap and access is plentiful. When your neighbors need the info, you'll have it for them. That could make a big difference in your neighborhood.

Bob Waldrop

Oscar Romero Catholic Worker House

Oklahoma City

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