So here I sit after the 3rd natural weather event in 6 weeks…granted, we in New Kent, Va have escaped serious damage compared to many others who have rock n rolled, hid in their homes and had rain/wind pounding in many areas of the world and here in 
the US, but I think New Kent tops the list of ‘what next?’ Started rolling with the earthquake, then followed up by hurricane Irene and then yesterday, just when you think it is safe to go back outside and possibly quit holding your breath…2 tornados (possibily more, the national weather service is out here today looking around) come up sneak attack style…I am DONE mother nature, would you just PLEASE go kick someone else’s butt for a while?
We (meaning me and my 3 girls, were coming back from getting something across town when the thunderstorm got ugly. Now I grew up in the Midwest mind you and thunderstorms don’t particular bother me but they do make me nervous and put me on high alert. Coming down the main road back towards our house my cell phone started going ballistic (I have an insta alert app for severe weather)…then the hail started but lasted maybe 30 seconds…then blue sky and sun…but as I got another alert I was looking at the sky and lo and behold! sure enough…just maybe 1/2 mile off to our right here came some nasty looking clouds seeking the ground…seen this before out here and most of the time it just kinda hangs out but this time was DIFFERENT! I knew we were in trouble when I started to see BROWN in the cloud…no place to go but forward…right into the darn thing! but at an intersection I made a left and did a quick u-turn with that THING on the otherside of the road…lots of wind…but curiously no rain or hail…very weird…and back I went the direction I came from with my oldest daughter screaming at me that the clouds were turning…nice and this after seeing the biggest rainbow I have seen in years!
Anyway, it was a baby tornado compared to what I have seen in the midwest, did minor damage to my county (like laying trees down across the major interstate, trees down, power out, roofs off of a few buildings) and one road to my home was blocked by a big oak (again) but all in all, we got lucky. I don’t like being caught in the open with a tornado on the ground so close you can see where it is touching the ground, don’t like hail nor blinding rain either and I saw an example of STUPID yesterday with people driving on like nothing was doing outside…crazy…do they not have an app or listen to the radio or even better yet…look outside their car window?? Do they not understand what flashing headlights mean? sigh…
So we survived again but the events of the past 6 weeks have me on edge, not to mention the news…but here’s the deal peeps that I have learned in the past 6 weeks…that AT ANYTIME shtf can happen and you can’t be complacent about being ready for what may come…and once it starts and you are in the middle of it you better know what to do because it is too late at that point.
So what do I think?
1) Pay attention! use your eyes, ears and the media to KNOW what is going on. Granted with an earthquake it is kinda hard to ‘know’ ahead of time, but I will tell you this…watch the animals! they KNOW way before we do that its coming your way…again, use your eyeballs and pay attention…if you see or hear anything out of normal…pay attention.
2) Listen to your gut or intuition- this is probably one of the BEST skills you can hone for FREE as a prepper, survivalist or just a ‘concerned’ person. When something catches your attention there is usually a reason why…when something makes the hair on your neck stand up there is usually a reason why…follow up on it.
3) Can’t say this enough…get a PLAN AND KNOW WHAT TO DO ‘JUST IN CASE’…do you have any idea how much time is wasted that could save your life or your property or money if you just have a vague idea about ‘what to do’ ‘just in case’? Trust me when I tell you, forethought goes a long way when you are in ’emergency’ mode and it helps to keep panic and fear down to a minimum simply because you have at least a vague idea about ‘what to do’.
4) Act and act with decisiveness…and don’t worry about what others will think. Time and time again, I have seen people pause and wait because of ‘others’ and the sheeple mentality and then get caught in a royal mesh/nightmare. Be your own boss and stop worrying about what others think, and that includes your spouse, family and children. Do what you need to do when you need to do it.
Just these 4 simple things got me ahead of the hoards and kept me and mine safe and sound during the earthquake, hurricane and tornado (must apologize to the guy I cut off on the road when I turned around!).
And one last thing…don’t fail to prepare for the aftermath of ‘something’ either. I am worn OUT from all the excitement… Afterwards can be worse than the actual event, the disruption in ‘normal’, the let down of adrenaline (which can wipe you out physically), the isolation (power, travel and communication disruptions) and well, any number of things can and will take its toll ‘afterwards’. So just know it somewhere in the back of your mind that you will need to be able to take care of yourself mentally, emotionally and physically and be gentle with yourself and loved ones afterwards. There are alot of ways to manage stress and change so learn what works best for you and yours BEFORE hand and have alot of different ways to do so. Stress in the aftermath can cloud the mind and kill.
So anyway, earthquake, check…hurricane, check….tornadoes, check…still alive and kicking here and I haven’t killed anyone yet…so I must be doing something right. And now I turn my attention to winter.
survivingshtfmom 
Earthquakes, Tornados, Hurricanes…oh my!
So here I sit after the 3rd natural weather event in 6 weeks…granted, we in New Kent, Va have escaped serious damage compared to many others who have rock n rolled, hid in their homes and had rain/wind pounding in many areas of the world and here in
the US, but I think New Kent tops the list of ‘what next?’ Started rolling with the earthquake, then followed up by hurricane Irene and then yesterday, just when you think it is safe to go back outside and possibly quit holding your breath…2 tornados (possibily more, the national weather service is out here today looking around) come up sneak attack style…I am DONE mother nature, would you just PLEASE go kick someone else’s butt for a while?
We (meaning me and my 3 girls, were coming back from getting something across town when the thunderstorm got ugly. Now I grew up in the Midwest mind you and thunderstorms don’t particular bother me but they do make me nervous and put me on high alert. Coming down the main road back towards our house my cell phone started going ballistic (I have an insta alert app for severe weather)…then the hail started but lasted maybe 30 seconds…then blue sky and sun…but as I got another alert I was looking at the sky and lo and behold! sure enough…just maybe 1/2 mile off to our right here came some nasty looking clouds seeking the ground…seen this before out here and most of the time it just kinda hangs out but this time was DIFFERENT! I knew we were in trouble when I started to see BROWN in the cloud…no place to go but forward…right into the darn thing! but at an intersection I made a left and did a quick u-turn with that THING on the otherside of the road…lots of wind…but curiously no rain or hail…very weird…and back I went the direction I came from with my oldest daughter screaming at me that the clouds were turning…nice and this after seeing the biggest rainbow I have seen in years!
Anyway, it was a baby tornado compared to what I have seen in the midwest, did minor damage to my county (like laying trees down across the major interstate, trees down, power out, roofs off of a few buildings) and one road to my home was blocked by a big oak (again) but all in all, we got lucky. I don’t like being caught in the open with a tornado on the ground so close you can see where it is touching the ground, don’t like hail nor blinding rain either and I saw an example of STUPID yesterday with people driving on like nothing was doing outside…crazy…do they not have an app or listen to the radio or even better yet…look outside their car window?? Do they not understand what flashing headlights mean? sigh…
So we survived again but the events of the past 6 weeks have me on edge, not to mention the news…but here’s the deal peeps that I have learned in the past 6 weeks…that AT ANYTIME shtf can happen and you can’t be complacent about being ready for what may come…and once it starts and you are in the middle of it you better know what to do because it is too late at that point.
So what do I think?
1) Pay attention! use your eyes, ears and the media to KNOW what is going on. Granted with an earthquake it is kinda hard to ‘know’ ahead of time, but I will tell you this…watch the animals! they KNOW way before we do that its coming your way…again, use your eyeballs and pay attention…if you see or hear anything out of normal…pay attention.
2) Listen to your gut or intuition- this is probably one of the BEST skills you can hone for FREE as a prepper, survivalist or just a ‘concerned’ person. When something catches your attention there is usually a reason why…when something makes the hair on your neck stand up there is usually a reason why…follow up on it.
3) Can’t say this enough…get a PLAN AND KNOW WHAT TO DO ‘JUST IN CASE’…do you have any idea how much time is wasted that could save your life or your property or money if you just have a vague idea about ‘what to do’ ‘just in case’? Trust me when I tell you, forethought goes a long way when you are in ’emergency’ mode and it helps to keep panic and fear down to a minimum simply because you have at least a vague idea about ‘what to do’.
4) Act and act with decisiveness…and don’t worry about what others will think. Time and time again, I have seen people pause and wait because of ‘others’ and the sheeple mentality and then get caught in a royal mesh/nightmare. Be your own boss and stop worrying about what others think, and that includes your spouse, family and children. Do what you need to do when you need to do it.
Just these 4 simple things got me ahead of the hoards and kept me and mine safe and sound during the earthquake, hurricane and tornado (must apologize to the guy I cut off on the road when I turned around!).
And one last thing…don’t fail to prepare for the aftermath of ‘something’ either. I am worn OUT from all the excitement… Afterwards can be worse than the actual event, the disruption in ‘normal’, the let down of adrenaline (which can wipe you out physically), the isolation (power, travel and communication disruptions) and well, any number of things can and will take its toll ‘afterwards’. So just know it somewhere in the back of your mind that you will need to be able to take care of yourself mentally, emotionally and physically and be gentle with yourself and loved ones afterwards. There are alot of ways to manage stress and change so learn what works best for you and yours BEFORE hand and have alot of different ways to do so. Stress in the aftermath can cloud the mind and kill.
So anyway, earthquake, check…hurricane, check….tornadoes, check…still alive and kicking here and I haven’t killed anyone yet…so I must be doing something right. And now I turn my attention to winter.