Just a thought on disaster survival. How long you think until the national guard has to shoot someone who's unruly in the superdome? You want to bet they don't already have a jail or holding tank set up in there? If you were 150 national guardspeople, and you had 10K refugees, what's the first thing you do after sanitation and food? Jail! I'm just saying, for those of you who haven't thought about it.
Meanwhile, martial law, gas leaks, the whole thing about snakes and fire ants...
I think about emergency kits and first aid kits. It seems like they are usually full of flashlights and bandaids and aspirin. When what they should have is a ton of plastic baggies, sutures, antibiotic cream and pills, epinephrine, sterno, and water purification tablets. And instructions/advice/models for organizing the people around you, pooling resources, communication structures, and leadership.
Sorry, I'm a little bit obsessed b/c I always think about this!!! Ever since I was a kid and would just out of boredom in random situations think, "What if there were a fall-of-civilization disaster right now, while I'm on the school bus or in class? Who would lead? What objects or resources or knowledge would become important?" And reading stuff like Shackleton's expedition, or Scott's...
Hygiene and staying clean are important. Sponge baths, or 'air/sun baths' and airing out your clothes and blankets. Inspection of yourself and other people for bugs or even minor cuts is important, i.e. you must put antibiotic cream on cuts right away.
But it's the communication and organizing that are usually not obvious, but are the most important! As everyone thinks right away of rationing... sure... yes... good... But how are you making those decisions about rationing? For example look at scott's expedition - wasn't it Evans who died first, because they were splitting rations evenly although Evans was like a head taller than the others and needed more food? That was bad decision making.
Well, my best wishes and whatever help I can offer to the people affected by the hurricane right now who are facing these questions right now.
I feel so very soft and pampered when I think about these situations. My own disaster scenarios changed markedly when I developed diabetes -- I figured I'd be scrambling to make sure I had insulin and something to deliver it with (e.g. pump batteries and other pump-related supplies, or else needles and syringes, in which case I'd need a different type of insulin than I use in the pump).
In The Left Hand of Darkness, Estraven plans rations to give Genly Ai a a bit more food because he's bigger and has a higher metabolism. I'm sure Le Guin was thinking of Scott's expedition -- then again, it fits with Estraven's scrupulously hard-headed and practical personality.
Posted by: garnet | August 30, 2005 at 11:29 AM
Ages ago round the Gulf War time I stocked my bedroom wardrobe with (unperishable) essentials ready for us to mass in there for the crucial post-armageddon weeks.I was obviously totally hysterical as when I finally unpacked the whole thing a year or so later it was filled mainly with cat comforts and treats and lots of board games.I had even left out lavatory paper, medical supplies and .. unbelievably .. whisky.
Posted by: Iris | August 30, 2005 at 11:44 AM
Did you see the link to The Myth of Panic on Making Light? That's surely what I've observed: when bad shit happens, people pitch in together and get things done more-or-less right. There are some wrong decisions, and there's a lack of efficiency, but in general I think the people end of the equation works out pretty well.
You're right about the baggies. Brilliant! I need to go add a bunch of ziplock baggies to my car and jump bag.
Posted by: Madeline | August 30, 2005 at 12:18 PM
Now the whole of New Orleans needs to be evacuated! Folks in the Superdome, patients at the hospital, everyone!
Posted by: GraceD | August 30, 2005 at 02:15 PM
Yeah:
Rising water in New Orleans to force evacuation of Superdome
Posted by: toobeaut | August 30, 2005 at 02:35 PM
Why baggies? To store stuff?
Posted by: Ide Cyan | August 30, 2005 at 05:22 PM
Just going by travelling with small children, which is rather like a natural disaster... plastic bags become one of the cornerstones of civilization, and the ziplock bag even more so.
yes - insulation, keep things dry, food storage, dirty diaper lockdown... If you had no toilets, and can't dig latrines, then you need a roll of plastic bags.
Posted by: badgerbag | August 30, 2005 at 06:01 PM
During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, I remember reading about a guy who ran out of the house with his last cold beer from the fridge and a box of Qtips because waxy ears bugged him.
Yes, ziplock bags. And good shoes - hiking boots. I kept mine and socks next to my bed for months after the 89 quake.
Posted by: GraceD | August 30, 2005 at 06:07 PM
Okay, now that all the Louisiana Guard's high-water gear's in Iraq, how do they plan to evacuate the Superdome?
Posted by: whump | August 30, 2005 at 08:59 PM