Then along came COVID-19. No, not a hurricane. But we saw some of the same side-effects.
And we saw it again in Texas with the 2021 snowstorm.
Obviously, this is a bigger problem than some people realize.
What am I talking about?
Cascading events.
What is a cascading event? Well according to FEMA, cascading events are events that occur as a direct or indirect result of an initial event. So when storms cause power outages, that cause water shortages, that's a cascade. Or when pandemics cause essential workers to become ill, combined with mandatory lockdowns, which causes hoarding, which causes food shortages and price gouging, that's a cascade.
I hear you. There was no way to predict any of these events. And while I disagree with that somewhat, you are partly correct. No one can predict every possible potential catastrophe.
Arkansas, where I live, got hit by the snowstorm too. But we didn't have near the issues Texas did. Is that because Arkansans are better prepared? Maybe. We get bad storms, both summer and winter, often enough to know what can happen. We know that when these things strike, one event is undoubtedly going to lead to another. So even though I was not certain I would lose power, (which I didn't thank goodness!), I had plenty of firewood for the stove. I had food to eat and water to drink and blankets and everything I needed to survive. And even though I didn't lose power, my heat pump did give up the ghost trying to keep up with -25 degree temperatures. Fortunately, I was prepared.
This is why I advocate being ready for ANYTHING. My sister, who lives in Texas, came through this nightmare relatively easily. She was ready. She didn't expect a record cold freeze and snowstorm. But she knows that power outages happen for a variety of reasons. And that event causes other things to happen.
It's obvious we, as a whole, are woefully unprepared for these events. Each and every time we've been caught with our proverbial panties down. As spoiled and pampered as we all are, it's time to realize that no one is going to take care of you in a crisis anymore. And so you and your family and your community had better be prepared to take care of yourselves.
If there's a lesson to learn from all these events it's this. Cascading events happen. They happen for all sorts of reasons. You must plan for all contingencies as best you can. You can't just be ready for the next power outage or global pandemic or flood or any disaster without thoroughly examining worst case scenarios for each. If the power goes out...what else can happen? If food workers can't man production facilities or trucks can't get through to deliver...what else can happen? If your city is suddenly engulfed in a flood...what else can happen?
I've never been an "end of the world, doomsday" prepper. Most people are not ready for that and just don't have what it takes to get there. And my goal is to help as many people as possible. So I'm more of an "end of the world as we know it" kind of gal. As recent events have shown, that is a very realistic possibility. And while you may never see another record-breaking storm or global pandemic, planning and stockpiling for them...just in case...just makes sense.
It's time...time to stop pointing fingers. Time to stop blaming. Time to stop worrying about all the trivial crap we see going on daily.
It's time to get together with your family. It's time for neighborhoods to plan together. It's time to be ready for the next round of cascading events. Because it's only a matter of time.
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