It's almost inevitable, isn't it?

Knowing that the anniversary of Katrina coming ashore was fast approaching, who wouldn't expect to see more criticism of the "response" in the headlines... even here in NEPA?

Like Ryan said, we had it better than many others did, living where we did in MS (rather than in southern LA). There was virtually no looting... we listened to our radio constantly (it was all we had... thank God it was wind-up!) and knew things in New Orleans were out of control those first days after the storm, but heard of only a very few (four, I believe) arrests for looting anywhere along the Coast. Of course, our main saving grace was that we didn't have to deal with flood waters after the first few hours after the storm passed... I had salt water in my living room for four hours... tops. People in the Ninth Ward had water in their homes for nearly a month.

More than even that, though, was the local response to the disaster, and how different that was handled in MS compared to LA. Turning on your local radio station tuned you in to regular, scheduled broadcast information from the local authorities (such as they were). We heard, routinely, the mayors of Biloxi and Gulfport and their designated officials giving vital, timely and very organized information about where, when and how assistance was being distributed at a local level. Whenever we heard Mayor Nagin speak, he spent nearly the whole time blaming someone else for what wasn't being done... or what was being done, even. He blamed Bush, FEMA, Governor Blancho, the police chief of New Orleans (I recall they very nearly came to blows on television once, even though I was listening to it on radio simulcast), the National Guard... anyone but himself or his own office. Blancho, Nagin and the rest seemed to learn as much about what was working and not working at these "press conferences" as the listeners... which is NOT a good way to instill confidence in the listening audience, let me tell you.

To this day, I still take time to thank each and every Pennsylvania State Police trooper I see for the help and assistance that I received from four troopers who drove to MS in two cruisers and camped out at the entrance to our subdivision and provided the ONLY security service we had for the next 60 days, living off their accumulated vacation time while doing it. They drove around the neighborhoods in their cruisers, offering help, assistance, comfort and advice whenever and where ever they could (often giving me a lift from the POD near my home so I wouldn't have to walk the nearly two miles back to the house carrying four gallons of water in record-breaking heat). That is the kind of assistance that the local government organized... volunteers where assigned areas to assist by the city authorities, so that no area was without while others had multiple coverage. That is also the kind of assistance that seemed to be totally lacking in New Orleans and its suburbs for the first month after the storm.

Ryan's family is a good example of the preparations that can be made by ANYONE to provide a small level of security and comfort in times of crisis or emergency, at very small cost, that simply cannot be provided by any other means... whether it is expected from the Feds, the State or the local authorities. In the example offered by Katrina, the local and state authorities and emergency services were just as helpless as we were (civilians, I mean), because all of their vehicles, supplies and facilities were as flooded and useless as my home was (obviously).

I have learned some valuable lessons from Katrina... not the least of which is that fresh water kept in five-gallon food-grade buckets float very nicely, and in a flood environment, that is a bad thing. Our water is now stored INSIDE the house, in five-gallon bottles, behind closed doors. Our food is stored in water-proof bins kept high up off the floor, and my propane tanks are secured to the deck so that they won't "go missing" in the event of a disaster (even though my current home isn't somewhere where I would ever expect a Katrina-style flood). My freezer is blocked up off the floor, and will be weighted down in the event of a flood (these appliances also float). The freezer contains large blocks of ice, which will be used to fill coolers if the power ever goes out for an extended period of time, because keeping ANYTHING in a fridge when the power is out for more than 12 hours is a recipe for disaster. Say what you will, nothing gets that smell out of a fridge... nothing.

Our plans for improvements to our home include a hand-pump for our well (cost: $389 at the local farm supply house), which fits over the existing well head and doesn't effect the submerged pump at all, but will allow us to draw water up from the well even with no electricity. We also plan on an improved brick cooking area for the yard, which will allow a greater level of comfort, ease and functionality in the event that we are forced to work outside to prepare, cook and clean up after eating. We already have plans for temporary outdoor privy, but I haven't convinced the wife that an actual "outhouse" is an acceptable feature for our property. Still, knowing what I know about using a bag-lined 5-gallon bucket as a toilet, anything is an improvement over what I had during Katrina. We can heat 4 gallons of water to boiling in less than 9 minutes with my propane burner, so hot, clean water isn't an issue here (as long as my five 20 lb cylinders last).

My point is mainly that, given what I feel is the "average" in any American home, anyone can make it the 3 days that the Feds ask us to prepare for... the danger lies in an event or crisis that lasts longer than 3 days. We feel two weeks is our minimum, and try our best to prepare accordingly. That way, if we live through another "3-day event", it will seem like easy street... and we can afford to assist family or friends that might not be as prepared as we are with the balance of our supplies. If the event is larger or longer, we know we can make it. What we are NOT going to do is look for any substantial help or assistance from the GOVERNMENT. Down that path, madness lies...

A family must be able to provide for itself, at least in the short term... period. That is the lesson of Katrina that everyone should have learned by now, even those that weren't there in the thick of it five years ago tomorrow.