Disaster Tip of The Week: Keep An Emergency Kit In Your Car

You never know exactly when a disaster or emergency may strike, especially out here in earthquake country where I am. So, it is important that you have enough supplies in case your car breaks down, you have to wait for someone else to come along or if you have to walk to safety.

In addition to the more common items like jumper cables, or emergency car starter, and work gloves be sure that you carry some of the following items.

• Flashlight, with extra batteries ( or one that requires no batteries)
• A multi-tool
• Duct tape
• Whistle
• Thermal Blankets-at least two
• A wool blanket
• Ponchos with hoods
• A couple (at least two) Body warmers (provides instant heat)
• Water proof matches
• A candle (preferably a long lasting survival type)
• 3 days worth of water (aqua blox)
• 3 days worth of survival food bars (You can use power bars as well, just be sure to check expiration dates)

You'll especially want the food if you need to walk to safety or to your home. In the case of an earthquake with major infrastructure damage you'll most likely have to walk for several miles to reach home.

If you are stranded in the middle of no where it is best to stay with the car and wait for help. If you need to leave the car for safety reasons, stay on the road at all times, you will be more likely to get help and be spotted by someone.

Pakistain Near Collapse, Nukes Will Fall Into Terrorist Hands

I have been talking about this for a while now, mostly to people in my inner circle.

Al-Qaeda and the Taliban have had pretty much free reign over the northern regions of Pakistan for quite sometime.

Pakistan has done little to stop it, and it has resulted in widespread terror attacks throughout the country.

Recently, the Taliban was allowed to impose Shari'a law over what is known as the Swat Valley inside Pakistan. 

This has allowed them to establish a base of operations, just as they had pre- 9/11 and scarier still, has given them a foothold in a nuclear powered country.

Reports have come in through various channels that the country is near collapse. Something the Taliban and Al-Qaeda would love, and would give them cause to establish rule over the entire country and access to nuclear weapons and missile capabilities.

Though I hope that this scenario does not occur, it is highly likely.

Basically I feel like our eye is off the ball and steps are being taken on a daily basis to weaken our National Defense. Folks this issue is real, and it presents a major problem. The likely hood of Pakistan falling into terrorist hands is a greater possibility than Iran obtaining nukes, not that either is agreeable.

If we do not keep our Missile defense program, we may see a nuclear attack on the U.S. within the next 15 years.

Check out our post on The Importance of Missile Defense.

Fiber Optic Cable Sabotage Leads To Loss of 911 Service and More

Last week someone cut through a bunch of fiber optic lines in Silicon Valley knocking out phone, cellular, ATM, Internet, Retail systems, and 911 service in theSan Jose and Santa Clara areas.

AT&T has offered a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the individual(s) involved. Originally AT&T offered $100,000 reward but increased the amount the next day.

Verizon Wireless and Verizon California also filed suit in Santa Clara County Superior Court yesterday against John Doe and Does (plural, up to 100), citing damage to its customers as a result of the loss of services for more than 20 hours on April 9.

The cut cables caused the loss of cell and phone service for more than 100,000 Bay Area customers of Verizon Wireless, including several law enforcement agencies, and more than 50,000 land-line customers of Verizon California. The suit doesn't specify damages sought.

Repairs were completed, and full service was restored early Friday, about 24 hours after the first problems were reported.

The Cables were cut in multiple places and wireless customers from almost every carrier were also without service, because AT&T's network is used to connect cell towers back to these carriers' respective national networks. Officials also said that residents in the San Jose/Santa Clara region were without emergency 911 service for much of the day.

San Jose Police Sgt. Ronnie Lopez said that the fiber cut appeared to be deliberate and the police department is treating it as a felony act of vandalism. The FBI has also been briefed on the case, although Lopez said that for now local officials are handling the investigation.

Anyone with information or tips is being asked to call 408-947-STOP or you can contact us here and we can pass the information along as well.

ksbwtv: News Video

Disaster Tip of The Week: Is 72 Hours Enough To Prepare For A Disaster?

I constantly hear from other sources, both private, and from the government, that you should prepare to be on your own for 72 hours following a disaster.

However.... What you do not hear too often, is that 72 hours is often the MINIMUM length of time that you should be prepared to go before help arrives.

There are those that feel that you should prepare to the extent that no help ever arrives, though I am not going to go to such an extreme, at least not at this time.

So what is a good length of time to prepare for a disaster? Well, that depends on many factors really, such as are you alone? Will you have other family members with you? What are the needs of the other people in your group? Do some require extra attention? Special diet needs, etc.?

What many people are unaware of is that during a major disaster, infrastructure that we take for granted everyday will be destroyed or rendered useless. Some of these infrastructures rely on one another to keep working. 

For instance, without electricity, or power backups water pumping stations are not going to be working. This will lead to sewage treatment and water treatment problems.

In some cases it can be as long as 4-5 months before some of these services become available again. I have heard of reports as long as 6 months before some utilities become fully restored.

While the utilities have plans in place for such operations, you may have to travel to a water station which may also be inaccessible by vehicles and may require you to walk several miles to an aid station to get food, water and other needed supplies.

I would recommend that you have enough supplies for a month at a minimum, but some may need more. Keep in mind that this will be a high-stress situation, you may be sleep deprived which also increases caloric needs.

My main point in all of this is that we are very under prepared, 72 hours is just 6 3 full days. The average preparedness kit contains only enough items for 3 full days.

Most people do not even have a three day emergency supply kit, which in most cases are designed to take with you and provide enough supplies until you reach a point of relative safety.

If you have not yet taken action to prepare, please take the time to do so now.

How about you, do you think 72 hours is enough?

Obama Wants To Kill Missile Defense, This Is Why You Should Not Let That Happen

National security is an extremely important issue to me, and should be for every American.

Under the Constitution, it is the responsibility of our federal government to provide for the common defense of the nation and its people.

However, the current administration and some others do not feel that the role of missile defense is important. They want to do away with and completely scrap the progress that has been made in this area in the last 26 years.

It would take only 33 minutes for a ballistic missile launched on the other side of the world to hit its target in the United States. Just one missile armed with one nuclear warhead would have a devastating effect on the entire Country.

Just one well placed missile over the Continent detonated in the atmosphere would produce an EMP that would wipe out all electronics in the United States, parts of Canada, and Mexico.

Please watch this video, and go to the site 33 Minutes.

If you can, go see the full one hour documentary as well.