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It's been roughly 3 and a half days without power for a decent chunk of NYC, and already I am reading article after article of long food lines, shortages, desperation, etc.
Some people simply cannot be blamed. The elderly, disabled, and extremely poor come to mind. But the large majority of people are in the situation they are in because of poor decisions that they made prior to the storm.
We have known for weeks the possibility of a big storm hitting the area. We have known for about a week and a half that this was more than just a possibility and was very likely going to happen.
We heard warning after warning telling us to prepare ourselves, to fill our bathtubs with water for flushing toilets, to stock up on gallon jugs, to stock up on non-perishables, to get batteries for flashlights, to buy candles, to do all of the common sense things that one would do when preparing for a natural disaster whether it be a hurricane or a crippling snow storm.
Yet here we are slightly more than 72 hours after the storm and it becomes blatantly obvious that thousands of people did little to nothing to prepare themselves and their families.
You would think after all of the disasters we have seen in this country (and in nearby countries) from hurricanes, to blizzards, to earthquakes, to a near miss last year with Hurricane Irene (which devastated upstate NY by the way) that people would take this seriously.
What we have learned is exactly the opposite. Like I said, I can understand the elderly, disabled, or those who struggle to put food on the table every night not having the resources or ability to prepare. But a large portion of people really messed up this time around.
Instead of buying that new iphone upgrade, a new pair of $150 boots that will sit in your closet with your vast collection of footwear, a $200 night out on the town drinking your money away, why don't you take that money and put it towards the things that could save your life (or at the very least keep your comfortable during troubled times), like a mini-stockpile of canned goods, a back-up drinking water supply, a little camp stove to cook on, some decent flashlights, etc?
This disaster just goes to show us the bigger picture: Most people are COMPLETELY dependent on others to survive, even for a meager 72 hours.
You shouldn't need to have a major natural disaster a day away from making landfall in your area to prepare. If you can afford it (most people can, they just need to sacrifice a few nights of bar-hopping), these are basic necessities that you should have on hand ALWAYS. The power grid is never guaranteed and could go out for any number of reasons at any time of the year.
It is actually quite scary to see just how quickly society could deteriorate if something like this happened on a much larger scale. People have lost all sense of self-sufficiency.
And please don't take this as being insensitive to people who have lost everything in this storm. I am not referring to them. I am referring more to the able-bodied people who have money (just choose to spend it in the wrong places) that are bitching about food lines or not being able to charge their iphone, as if they are automatically entitled to any of those things.
For god's sake, learn how to be a little more independent. These disasters can happen to ANYONE, and they seems to be happening with more frequency year after year.
Oh and I forgot to mention the "gas shortage" situation. Are you serious? People really failed to fill up at all before the storm?
These people will wind up waiting in lines for hours, possibly getting beat down for their spot in line, while the rest of us cruise by with full tanks.
Last edited by bmwguydc; 11-02-2012 at 09:47 AM..
Reason: Inappropriate language
Spending instead of preparing, lots of people are living their lives from pay check to pay check. One week out of work and they have trouble to pay rents. Waiting for credit cards to rescue.
Procrastination, denial and expense are different things. I don't think a lot of people failed to buy batteries or water for lack of money. They just didn't the threat seriously.
seeing/reading all the devastation in the media, personally, this is a necessary wake up call.
for me, I will
1. read a few good readiness websites (recommendations welcomed)
2. pick up 1 recommended emergency item per week so I'll have 52 accumulated items by next year, or around 30-40 items if I forget some weeks (which is probably plenty I would guess).
I could have easily been one of those poor people. I just got lucky with no power outage in my neighborhood. Stores are all fine too. Next time I will prepare better.
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. If you live in an area with electricity, you have enough macaroni and canned tuna to last a year. If not, you can now eat until the lights come on (hopefully) soon. While you often prepare and nothing happens, the one time out of ten that the bad event does happen, you will be so glad you wasted all that time preparing the past 9 times. I guess living in New Orleans really beat that mentality in.
Great post. I agree 100%. It was shocking to hear how nonchalant people were being prior to the storm. You should always prepare for the worst and hope for the best but time after time you see the same aftermath of ill prepare people.
My two must haves (besides the obvious food and water)
a) kerosene lamp- much brighter than candles and they burn longer.
b) solar radio/flashlight/has ports to charge your cell. It also has a hand crank to power it if there is no sun. You crank it for like 2 mins and it holds a charge of something like two hours (was only $30)
Great post. I agree 100%. It was shocking to hear how nonchalant people were being prior to the storm. You should always prepare for the worst and hope for the best but time after time you see the same aftermath of ill prepare people.
My two must haves (besides the obvious food and water)
a) kerosene lamp- much brighter than candles and they burn longer.
b) solar radio/flashlight/has ports to charge your cell. It also has a hand crank to power it if there is no sun. You crank it for like 2 mins and it holds a charge of something like two hours (was only $30)
Agree completely with the cranking lanterns in particular. You can store these in a cabinet and forget about them, but they are there and ready for a severe weather event, blackout, etc. without having to worry about precious batteries.
ITA op. Those people being so smug on TV and in here...well, maybe it will take their arrogance down a few notches.
That said, I sincerely hope they are ok, just with a hard lesson learned.
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