Disaster Tip of the Week: Start and Keep a Go Bag Ready At All Times

First let me start off by saying that your Go-Bag or Bug-Out Bag should not be your only, or main source in a survival situation. You should have other supplies ready to keep you and your family sustained for an extended period of time.

The idea of a Go-Bag or Bug-Out Bag is to have supplies ready at a moments notice should you have to leave or evacuate from your home, or other location. These supplies should be packed ahead of time and hopefully placed into a backpack so it is comfortable to carry since you may be traveling a long distance.

In most cases you would not have time to gather the supplies needed during an evacuation, so it is best to have them ready to go at all times. I see many people intending to use a go-Bag as their main source for survival if everything goes south. I can't stress enough how important it is to keep your go-Bag separate from your regular supplies.

In addition, every member of your family, or party if you have one should have their own bag. Even children should have their own bags so long as they can carry one. We'll discuss go-Bags for kids at another time.

Now that we have covered the true purpose of a go-Bag lets discuss what you should put in it. First the bag should be a good solid bag, preferably as mentioned earlier a backpack. If you have to leave on foot, or become stranded a backpack is the easiest bag to carry.

What should you put into your bag? While many people argue about what items and brands are best to carry, we are just going to stick with the basics.

Here is a basic list of items you will want to consider including in your go-Bag:

1.  Cash - plenty of it because depending on the event credit cards may not be useful. Consider having about $500 in ones (the more the better, and try to make them all singles), that way you never need change. A couple of quarter rolls could come in handy for Public phones, vending machines and laundry. Do not "flash" it around, unless you like being robbed, even assaulted, i.e. mugged. I suggest carrying different amounts in various pockets and keeping several "Throw Away Bills" in case you do get mugged, throw that onto the ground so you can make a fast get away.
2. First Aid Kit - a decent well-stocked kit, including a couple of weeks' supply of any prescription medications you need.
3. Sewing Kit. Include in this non-waxed floss and a U-shaped leather needle. Include extra needles, thread, buttons and if you can, fabric.
4. Clothing - Wool is best as cotton is useless once it gets wet; add thermal wear, underwear, sock and carry extras of everything.
5. Crank style Flashlight and glow-sticks.
6. Crank style NOAA weather/AM-FM Radio. If you use one that takes batteries, carry extras.
7. Food and water -- Carry enough to get you where you want to go plus extra.
8. Lighter, waterproof matches and another source such as a strike based fire starter. Always best to carry extras here as well.
9. Hand and feet warmers -- 2 per person if you can.
10. Good sleeping bag -- can double as a blanket at a shelter.
11. Good air matress if you can.
12. Wool blanket, not a must if you have a sleeping bag, but great to have.
13. Emergency Mylar Space blankets.
14. Good rain poncho -- one that covers you and your bag is best.
15. Rope -- Carry several, great for many things, from shelter, to rescue.
16. Duct Tape.
17. Tarp -- can double as emergency shelter if you don't have a tent.
18. Dust Masks carry several per person.
19. Maps -- local and the location where you want to go.
20. leather work gloves.
21. Folding saw.
22. Hatchet.
23. Multi-tool.
24. 2 knives.
25. Toiletries.
26. compass/GPS (good to carry 2 compasses if just for reassurance).
27. Gun and ammo if possible.
28. Fishing hooks, and fishing wire, a couple of sinkers and floats ill be good too.
29. Important documents, license, passport, etc.
30. pen and paper.

This is a great list to get started with and you will have to make adjustments based on what type of load you can carry, and how far you are traveling.

What are some items that you keep in your go-Bag?

Your Facebook Password Has Been Reset - Facebook Users Target of Latest Trojan

According to Dave Marcus Director of Security Research and Communication at McAfee, the messages are targeting 400 Million Facebook users, and was detected by customers using their security software.

Marcus said the spam run contained a variety of malware programs, including password stealers, rogue antivirus programs or botnet code.

He also went on to say that No Web site would automatically reset someone's password and send the new one in an e-mail. Facebook's high number of users makes it a prime target for spammers and hackers.

The messages say that the user's Facebook password has been reset and the user should download an attachment that contains the new password. The English-language messages are grammatically correct, but contain an odd sign-off: "Thanks, Your Facebook." McAfee has included a screenshot of the message on their blog.

Former Auto Dealer Employee Remotely Disables 100 Cars

A disgruntled former employee of Texas Auto Center car dealership remotely disables cars by using a web-based immobilization system from Payteck.

Using the web-based system the former employee, Omar Ramos-Lopez, allegedly disabled the cars or made their horns honk continuously, though the dealership disputes claims that it occurred after 9:00 PM local time.

Though the business maintains that they closed Omar's account when he was laid off, he allegedly used another persons account to log into the system to cause havoc of the course of a five day period. 

The trouble stopped after the accounts for the entire business were reset and then police traced IP address from access logs back to Omar's system.

NOAA: Imminent Flood Threat in Midwest, South and East Also at Risk

NOAA announced that flooding this year is imminent and in some places major flooding has already started as the spring thaw begins.

The above image of the released March 2010 flood map shows more than a third of the contiguous United States has an above average flood risk –– with the highest threat in the Dakotas, Minnesota and Iowa, including along the Red River Valley where crests could approach the record levels set just last year.

This week, by no coincidence is also national Flood Safety Awareness Week and both FEMA and NOAA have renewed their partnership to raise Flood awareness safety.

Disaster Tip of the Week: Turn Around Don't Drown

This is something that confronts all drivers at one time or another, you come across a large pool of water in the road and it looks to be only a few inches deep. You drive through it and nothing happens. So you do it again next time and the time after that.

Then one day your not so lucky, you drive through the same pool of water, in fact it looks like there is less water than last time, and next thing you know your car drops into a hole and the water is up to the middle of the window, and now you can't get out.

Lets face it, driving through standing water is a bad idea, and driving through flowing water can be even more dangerous, and here is why.

As I mention above, (watch the videos below) the water may be much deeper than you realize especially if it has caused the roadway to collapse which is a common occurrence. Another reason is that it takes two feet of water to float the largest of vehicles, even a bus. However, just six inches of water can float smaller vehicles and can be enough to cause larger vehicles to become unstable.

Add flowing water to the mix and you can easily be swept away. Six inches of fast moving water can knock a person off their feet and even less if the water is moving fast enough.

Next time you come across that pool of water in the road - "Turn Around Don't Drown"

Rescue from Submerged Vehicles

 Woman Drives into Pool of Water

Rescue After Water Main Break

 Fire Truck In Hole After Road Collapses