[wb_carpenter]

I know one book is not enough but my situation should dictate the book read right? So which book do you recomend?

I live in a suburban/urban area with the everglades about 15 miles west and the ocean about 10 miles east. North and south are about the same or more urban than where I am now.

Population density is ~4000 people per sq mile.

I live in a middle unit townhouse with a golf course in the rear(currently not in use) and a cul de sac parking lot in the front. I have storm shutters on all windows/rear doors but 2 rear sliding glass doors together and a sliding glass door in the front. I also have 2 skylights.

upstairs is a loft open to the rest of the house and with 3 windows facing the parking lot.. no windows other than the sliding glass doors facing the golf course(skylights on that side).


I am in florida and most of my concern is based on surviving major hurricanes and aftermath. So far my preparations are some canned goods, propane for the grill, weapons, flashlights and candles. Not much I know and hurricane season is coming.

[c3shooter]

For starters, try the free stuff first- check on website for FEMA. Would be sure I had a good radio - they make hand cranked ones. Same for flashlights. Food is good. Canopener is also really good! How about water- and/or a means of purifying local water (I use a backpacker's filter- check any outdoor shop).

Most important tool may be knowing when it is time to say aloha and get the hell out of Dodge. Would add some cash (and change), supply of any presciption meds you use, and first aid gear (including Immodium). You can keep a lot of stuff neatly packed in a 5 gal plastic bucket- that when an improvised seat and trash bag liners are added, doubles as a potty.

[CA357]

By happy coincidence, there is a thread going on right now about which books people are using for preps. There are several that specifically address urban survival.

You can find the thread here: http://www.firearmstalk.com/forums/f51/suggested-survival-preparation-reading-41587/

[Vikingdad]

I live in CA less than 500 yards from the San Andreas Fault. Lost one 80-year old house in the 1989 earthquake (epicenter about 8 miles from my house) but built a new house with the insurance. I am prepared for another bigger earthquake as much as I can be. Food, guns & ammo, gardens, generators, etc. etc.. My question is why the Hell does anybody live in tornado/hurricane country? I have traveled in the South but I wouldn't live there for that reason.

I would recommend bugging out when you are told to and be willing to kiss everything you leave behind goodbye. Have "Go Bags" packed and ready during the season. I have similar preparations, but in an earthquake generally everything is still where you left it, but the house has fallen down around it. As I understand it hurricanes and tornadoes will spread your stuff all to Hell and gone.

In Japan for example, they are piling up safes and stashes of cash in the police stations because people have hoarded cash in their homes. But now their homes have been spread all over the place and there is no way to re-connect the people with their belongings. (Note here: I am at 200 feet above sea level, no tsunami threat here!).

Go bags should have water (lots of it) and a water purifier. Food, first aid pack, I have a HAM radio license so that radio is included in my pack and it can receive all TV and broadcast radio signals. I can also communicate all over the country with it. I highly recommend getting your HAM (Amateur radio) license and becoming proficient in its use. I still need a solar charger to include in my Go Pack.

[tallguy130]

If your looking for a book to help you I would recommend 'The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide' by Martin Weiss. Why I like this so much is it has a host of little things you can do now as part of your daily life to prepare you for a disaster situation. A lot of these kinds of books turn into just big lists of crap to buy but this one goes more into real preparation and mindset that someone living in the burbs can use.

Something I've done is every time I have to go up to the store for a gallon of milk or dippers I pick up one little thing I would need for my disaster preps. Three months in I've taken care of nearly every little thing on my list and its had no noticeable impact on my budget. With only the big ticket items left to buy I can now plan ahead better.

Just my two cents but its worked for me!