TBD

TBD on Ning

Earlier in the Photos thread, I wrote about my experience Saturday maneuvering through the storm. It's now Monday and my town and most of Bergen County, NJ are experiencing power outages due to the alarming # of fallen trees on houses, streets, and electrical wiring. Many schools in Westchester and Northern NJ are still closed and may reopen in a couple of days. The devastation in my particular area is quite bad. I had to drive to the next town to get gas and do my laundry because our washing machine broke down.

With the aftermath of this storm (more like a hurricane to me), I feel a disquieting sense of alarm. I realize now without any contingency plan, my family will be vulnerable in times of disaster. What if our cell phones stopped working. How would I be able to reach my kids or contact my parents & sister. Where would we go if there was power outage for a week in the dead of winter or God forbid, an strong earthquake in NYC and vicinity. It happened already in the mid 80's w/the epicenter in Westchester County which in itself is alarming because, Indian Point, the nuclear reactor plant is located there and is built on top of a fault. I know this because I used to work as a teacher on the the outskirts of Indian Point.

When 9/11 happened, my sister and I were seriously thinking of leaving the country for awhile to keep my young kids safe. The aftermath of 9/11 scared the sh*T out of us. We even thought of just driving up north to Novia Scotia to take refuge in case another attack took place. It was a bad time for all of us. yet, it also shook us out of our complacency. To this day I'm always on alert is something strange or fishy is going on. Yet, I think I should be more proactive and formalize escape routes for me and my family.


Do any of you folks have any disaster contingency plans for your family?

Tags: disasters, plans

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Replies to This Discussion

I have back up lighting, as the power was all ways going out when I and my parents moved here back in 1980. I have caned food, a wood burning stove for heat, my cooking stove uses LP gas.

If I had to leave the area, I have a friend over an hour away who would take me in, or I can go stay with relatives in New Mexico, California, Ohio, or Michigan.
Juneau, Alaska, my place of residence, is not on a grid. It makes its own hydro-electricity. We have regular power outages due to avalanches, so the city is well stocked with oil generators. Last year an avalanche caused an outage that lasted for more than a month. We had to pay five times the regular cost for power, but the entire city was supplied with electricity through the backup plan. There are disadvantages to being isolated and thus not on a grid, but that limitation has caused the city to have a robust backup system in case of emergency.
know it is a lot for anyone to think about.. yet, it is a very big deal and throws everyone into a different reality, as it was during our '94 quake. Some have dealt with fires, flooding and evacuation periodically here too, though I've not personally experienced that. I know what you mean regarding a sense of something looming, also.

Maricel, I hope you are doing well and that things are improving.
yes, things are better. The electricity is back in our town which was one of the hardest hit by that storm. I still haven't come up w.a contingency plan. Most of my relatives live in NYC (Queens). It would be an even worse idea to evacuate into the city. I have a relative in VA beach and in Oregon/WA State which are possibilities.
Oregon's my home state, so I am partial to it, but Washington seems to have a better tax structure.
Oregon's my home state, so I am partial to it, but Washington seems to have a better tax structure. Tim Elston

I was told it is beautiful in that area, but it is also overcast most of the time. I am a "sun" oriented person. I think CA would appeal more to me if not for all the natural disasters there particularly the San Andreas fault which is waiting to swallow the state whole like Charybdis in The Odyssey.

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