xtcian

From years of living in Texas - Tornados - We'll go to the downstairs closet because the three of us and our two dogs can fit. I guess we'll need to grab the beta fish too. I would have said hurricanes, but I've made it through a few of those, most notably Hugo. I don't think anything scares me as bad as nature because we can't do anything but ride it out.

I hate when you ask these disaster action plan questions, because I realize that I don't have any plan!

For some reason, I am not so concerned about weather related disasters. My secret disaster fear is being unemployed and going bankrupt. It is a bit irrational because husband and I are gainfully employed, but it is my big fear. The plan is to save money, live within my means, etc.

As far as natural disasters, none particularly come to mind mostly b/c of where I live (not really prone to any other than the occasional hurricane remnant). But, I do have this really small, but weird fear of standing near glass when lightning is occurring. So that is easy - get myself away from the windows or doors.

If the past is any indication, I am as likely to be a sitting duck as I am to be the paranoid survivalist. I've gone from having a generator, water reserves, and a really cool propane camping shower, to no plan at all. Chance plays such a role. If you live next to the Emergency Room at John's Hopkins, your appendix will probably rupture on a ferry boat in the Greek Isles. Disasters just don't follow the rules. I do need a new disaster plan,(sigh) but those plans always trigger an obsessive response and cost me thousands. Obsessive behavior is not in the budget this year.

Hey Ian, that might be a good TV character. Someone who builds an Arc, in response to EVERY idea, or news story.

The US government collapses under the weight of its own indebtedness and the country falls into chaos.

Lexapro.

Way down here you need a reason to move
Feel a fool running your stateside games
Lose your load, leave your mind behind, baby james

Ohhhh, Lexapro
It sounds so simple I just got to go
The sun’s so hot I forgot to go home
Guess I’ll have to go now

My most realistic (i.e., likely to happen) fear is a massive hurricane and storm surge. We live in a flood plain, and in the 1938 and 1954 New England hurricanes, the bay waters surged and wiped out three streets of summer houses across the road from us. Thus, we now have unobstructed water views (the city owns the land and it cannot be built on for obvious risk reasons), but with it, a very real risk that another storm could wreak havoc here.

Our house has stood here since 1904, so we decided to gamble that we'll outlast any future hurricanes. And we pay crazy flood insurance rates - mandated since Katrina. The views are priceless, though.

I still harbor the fear of a nuclear attack thanks to reading On The Beach and watching The Day After back in middle school. Also, a meteor slamming into the earth would suck.

Regardless, my grand plan is for us to make a beeline from NC to CT to find my brother-in-law. He can hunt, fish, build, live off the land, etc...and he has lots of firearms.

Ian, remember how, after 9/11, when the majority of our immediate family was living and/or working in NYC? We had a plan to keep a backpack with water, meds, energy bars, sticky pads, pens, and a few other essentials close by. Then we all went out and found a place that sort of intersected all the routes any of us might take from home or work, to meet up. It was a sheltered rest room complex near a park somewhere way north in Manhattan. It was a place we could shelter if it were cold, with a big wall where we could leave sticy-pad notes in case we waited long enough for the rest to show up, saying "we were here and we're on our way." Then we'd take off and walk the hundred or so miles to the farm and shelter there. Remember?

Well, now, at least for the time being, we are scattered across America' there are just four of us, all in the same house. So except for meeting up with anyone who happened to be somewhere away from home, I guess we could still hike out. The backpack was emptied at some point, but I guess could be hastily reassembled and hefted, and we could begin the trek upstate if..

Funny, but we were thinking of dirty bomb in midtown or some such. Now the only disaster is what has become of our economy, the corruption of our lawmakers, the breakdown of health care, employment opportunities, and... well, gee. I'm not sure hiking to the farm for refuge seems a viable plan any more.

Zombies or some other scenario where it's the majority of the completly insane population versus a few normal hold-outs. The Road was hands down the worst thing I've ever read for my psyche.

Oh yeah. . . The Road scenario is horrifying. I wouldn't survive a day.

I'm with LFMD on the job, insurance and all that. And your mom on the economy.

Since Shearon Harris is right down the road, that could be huge but like a tsunami, what could ya do?

I more worry about the natural disaster of the economy. Like, constantly.

I feel that as much as disasters destroy lives and communities, they also become organization/community-building times. We are very good at rallying around disasters. So I don't really have a lot of disaster fears. My fears are about resource shortages (which often follow disasters, and can cause a lot more destruction). Massive energy and water shortages scare the hell out of me - even though I think they're fairly realistic eventualities. Not sure what I'd do, frankly.

(I grew up in the shadow of Cheyenne Mountain and NORAD, so I was obsessed with the nuclear holocaust as a kid. I had a lot of 'Day After' fantasies, and I think I rehearsed nuclear/widespread attack fears completely out of my system. )

The Road. *shudders*

Also, my house catching on fire.

Plane crash while I'm aboard

What, nobody afraid of the scenario in "The Happening". The plants are ready to get us.

The Great Influenza or some other horrible virus or biologic agent. Believe me, our health care system is not ready (and neither am I).

Since my betrothed (fiance is a dumb word) and I are on totally different work schedules, my fear is that disaster will strike on his morning commute, and I'll still be asleep. And then I won't be able to get in touch with him, especially since we both work in the epicenter of Gotham mayhem. That is my nightmare scenario with, of course, no plan of action.

Well, either that or a plane crash. Lame, I know.

If NYC gets nuked, we've got somewhere between 30-60 minutes before we're toast, too. We could get a hurricane; hasn't happened in a while but it's inevitable eventually. Earthquakes/tsunamis are unlikely (but possible). The electric grid could go down....

I've got water, dried/canned foods, camping gear, first aid and a radio (etc.) ready to go. Enough stuff for two people and one dog for 3 days.

Be prepared!

Hey, Central Jersey. I'm in North Jersey. I'll be coming down your way if something happens. Leave the light on!

By the way, I grew up in Freehold. Nice to meet you.

Have to agree with Tammy O. that disasters can be times that bring out the communal spirit. Having survived massive tornadoes in Michigan and a few hurricanes in the Carolinas, I've seen communities rallying to clear debris and help restore order from chaos. The survivalist food-and-weapon-hoarders are pretty irrelevant. A chainsaw will do you more good than a magnum, most times.

(Even if it's hoards of brain-eating zombies, a chainsaw is the better bet. Bullets won't stop 'em.)