September 6, 2025 • 35 mins
Sirens pierce the night as disasters strike without mercy, while the chilling silence of power grid failure plunges communities into darkness. Would you be prepared? Since 2020, America has endured over 115 billion-dollar disasters, leaving millions displaced and countless lives lost – made worse by delayed aid and broken supply chains.
Drawing from my eleven years of military service, sometimes tasked with supporting FEMA relief efforts, I share the uncomfortable truth that shaped my approach to preparedness: government aid isn't guaranteed or immediate.
This three-part disaster preparedness series builds on FEMA's guide for 18 hazard types while incorporating lessons from my real-world experience surviving three wildfires, three blizzards, and two flood seasons in remote areas. You'll learn why traditional assumptions about emergency response fall short and how to develop crucial self-reliance skills before you need them.
From active shooter situations to winter storms, I break down specific protective actions that save lives when seconds count. Discover why financial preparedness matters just as much as physical readiness, why solar generators outperform gas models during extended outages, and how physical fitness increases your survival odds regardless of age or ability.
The modern world runs on just-in-time supply schedules, meaning even the biggest grocery stores only stock a few days' worth of food. When disaster strikes and chaos erupts at local stores, those without emergency supplies stockpiled will suffer. Don't wait for warning signs – start preparing today for the emergencies that will inevitably come tomorrow.
What's your emergency plan? Subscribe now to continue this vital conversation and access parts two and three of this life-saving series.
Best price on US-based preparedness and long-term storable food. Shop now with my affiliate link.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
DISCLAIMER: The information is not medical advice and should not be treated as such. Always consult your physician or healthcare professional before pursuing any health-related procedure or activity.
Hi friends, welcome to the new normal, Big Life Podcast! We bring you natural news and stories about nature that we hope will inspire you to get outside and adventure, along with a step-by-step plan to help you practice what you’ve learned and create your own new normal and live the biggest life you can dream. I’m your host, Antoinette Lee, the Wellness Warrior.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Imagine sirens piercing the night as disasters
strike without mercy or thechilling silence of power grid
failure.
At least six distinct 100-yearflood events or rarer in the
case of Chicago were documentedin the US in 2025, occurring in
Texas, West Virginia, Illinois,North Carolina and New Mexico,
(00:23):
along with over 3,600 flashflood warnings issued by the
National Weather Service.
Disasters have ravaged Americawith delayed aid, leaving
survivors like Delmas Williams,who said the water rose so
quickly during Hurricane Helenethat, in minutes, four feet of
water stood in his home,prompting the family to be
rescued in canoes.
(00:43):
We've assembled a guide thatdetails protective actions for
18 types of hazards, from activeshooters to winter storms.
We're helping you prepare forwhatever life throws at you.
This disaster-prepared thismonth, 2025.
Through a three-part series.
So let's get started, Hi friends.
Welcome to the new normal BigLife podcast.
(01:04):
Let's get started, Hi friends.
Welcome to the New Normal BigLife podcast.
We bring you natural news andstories about nature that we
hope will inspire you to getoutside and adventure, along
with the step-by-step plan tohelp you practice what you've
learned and create your own newnormal and live the biggest life
you can dream.
I'm your host, Antoinette Lee,the wellness warrior.
So let's dive in to today'simportant topic.
Picture the terror of sirensblaring as winds howl and water
(01:27):
surge, or the chilling silenceof the power grid failure
plunging your world intodarkness.
Since 2020, America has sufferedover 115 billion dollar
disasters a relentless barragethat has displaced millions and
claimed countless lives, withsupply chain woes and FEMA's
ineffective response amplifyingthe agony by delaying essential
(01:50):
aid.
In North Carolina's 2024Hurricane Helene floods,
resident Andy Fife waded throughchest-high waters to rescue
neighbors recounting.
The river rose so fast.
It was like a wall of water.
We lost everything in hours.
It was like a wall of water.
We lost everything in hours.
Relief from FEMA often lagged,taking days or weeks as
priorities focused on denselypopulated zones, leaving rural
(02:12):
families fending for themselvesamid contaminated water, social
unrest and disease risks.
Similarly, during HurricaneKatrina in 2005, survivor
Allison Good endured six feet offlood water in her home,
waiting a week for federal help.
(02:33):
We were stranded on rooftopsbegging for water.
The delay cost lives.
Rebuilding owned homes averagestwo years for funding, approval
ballooning to six to ten yearsfor full recovery, while
low-income renters face 4 to 6percent rent hikes, evictions
and scarce housing options,pushing many into prolonged
homelessness.
After a disaster In Colorado's2020 Cameron Peak fire.
(02:57):
Emily Fisher fled flames withher family.
The sky was apocalyptic when weran six miles with nothing but
our lives.
Trauma lingers years later, shesaid.
These harrowing accounts reveala stark truth.
Government aid isn't guaranteedor immediate and your insurance
company may fail you.
(03:18):
During my 11 years in the Armyas an air assault qualified
expert, field medic, infectioncontrol and disease prevention
officer and other medical anddental leadership roles, I was
tasked with supporting FEMArelief efforts.
I also worked on a FEMA projectas a technology contractor
after my military service.
My experience with FEMA taughtme to never rely on this agency
(03:41):
to save me and my family.
Before we cover the next topicin this episode, I want to
introduce you to the adventuresports lifestyle with what I
call a micro story about anadventure that I've had.
The adventure sports lifestyleand my deep connection to nature
is essential to my good health.
So here's the story.
So many people think they wantto live in a camper van, an RV,
(04:04):
a tiny home or a cabin, like Ido in the woods, but many never
consider the skills, the tools,the logistics and the
problem-solving skills you needto survive in very rural places
where getting to a shoppingcenter is a journey.
There's no police departmentand first responders warn that
it might take more than an hourto get to you in an emergency.
(04:26):
There is one public servicewhen you're very rural Road
maintenance and you could bestranded by snow, without power
during winter storms we areroutinely.
My advice is, if you'rethinking about moving rural, you
need to start developing theskills you'll need to survive in
remote locations before takingthe plunge.
(04:48):
We thought we were veryprepared.
We previously lived on the edgeof town in a small town in
northern Colorado, where thedirt road met the paved road.
We were super outdoorsy.
We camped for weeks at a time.
We were super outdoorsy.
We camped for weeks at a time.
We do high intensity adventuresports like whitewater kayaking,
(05:11):
and we know that we are inremote places where survival is
left up to us, because in somecases even a helicopter can't
get to you.
And still, there was a lot wewere not ready for and had to
learn on the fly when we moveinto our cabin two years ago.
(05:33):
So I don't want to discourageyou from taking the plunge.
In fact, I hope this inspiresyou to cautiously enter living
the adventure sports lifestylefull-time, like we do, either
alone with a friend or thepeople you love most, but do it
very carefully and prepare,prepare, prepare in advance.
(05:55):
Now back to the show where we'retalking about disaster
preparedness.
Here are the issues withrelying on FEMA.
When I was working with FEMA asa Army specialist on my first
(06:16):
assignment and in later years asan Army Staff Sergeant I want
to give a shout out to the StaffSergeant Mafia.
You know what I mean FEMA neverhad adequate supplies available
to support the number of peopleimpacted.
Relief support practices relyon having power and access to
technology, which arenon-existent or in short supply.
During a disaster, More peopleneed help than there are helpers
(06:40):
, and FEMA often gets in the wayof volunteer organizations that
are more agile and efficient atproviding search and rescue and
disaster relief, and there's noguarantee that FEMA will
provide relief in your area.
So, finally, the most disturbingevent I witnessed was how FEMA
used military support.
(07:01):
I thought I would providerescue and recovery, medical and
dental aid.
Instead, we essentially had togive away supplies meant for our
army soldiers, because wecouldn't bear to watch residents
suffer with no suppliesavailable locally.
We also never provided aid.
Instead, we provided security.
(07:21):
Essentially, we were taskedwith keeping poor people out of
wealthier neighborhoods andbusiness districts.
This occurred during everystorm relief effort that I
supported throughout my 11 yearsof service, and we all learned
that Hurricane Katrina survivorsand their families who were air
quotes lucky enough to receivea FEMA trailer to live in after
(07:43):
the storm, developed rarecancers because the trailers
contained off-gassing of toxicchemicals.
Knowing this would you trustyour family's safety, security
and health to this system?
This is why I encourage you toplan to be self-reliant.
Since beginning my journey intoshort-term and long-term
(08:04):
self-reliance in 2018, I'vesurvived three wildfires
surrounding the Coloradocommunity where we used to live,
three blizzards that damagedour home and left us in the dark
for a week at a time in theMidwest, and survived two flood
seasons while living in a veryrural community with no public
services.
While living in a very ruralcommunity with no public
(08:25):
services, I'm going to teach youmuch of what my family and I
use to keep ourselves safeduring an emergency and while
adventuring.
The one assignment where FEMAexcelled is that it's created a
thorough guide detailing alertsand protective actions to act
swiftly when seconds count.
Building on self-reliance frombooks like the Amish Ways, the
(08:47):
Prepper's Survival Bible and noGrid Survival Projects, this
three-part series dives intothese tactics, blending expert
advice with my real-worldexperience other people's
stories.
To urge you to prepare now orrisk everything.
To urge you to prepare now orrisk everything.
(09:07):
Fema's protective actions willcover 18 hazards.
So here we go.
Alerts will come to you asadvisories.
For example, which, if you getan alert that says advisory,
that means it's providing youwith early awareness.
If you get an alert that saysadvisory, that means it's
providing you with earlyawareness.
If you get an alert that sayswatches, that means there's a
(09:32):
possible threat.
When you receive a warning, itmeans a threat of danger is
imminent.
Ignoring them can be fatal.
Them can be fatal.
When we have an advisory, westart preparing certain things
that are perishable.
Like you can only store waterthat we get from our well and
(09:55):
put through a purificationsystem into five gallon
containers for a period of timebefore you need to dump it,
which we use to water treesaround our property and refill
your containers.
So there are certain actionsyou'll need to take and we'll
cover this in Part 2 of DisasterPreparedness.
(10:19):
Stats show that these 18occurrences are not rare.
They're increasingly common,demanding immediate response and
preparedness to survive.
So number one is active shooterLikelihood.
This is not in order of thepossibility that it will happen,
just in order of the way that Ilisted it in my document.
(10:42):
In fact, I think I might havedone it alphabetically.
So active shooter thelikelihood is high in public
spaces, with more than 50incidents yearly.
The concern is sudden violencecausing mass casualties, and
what you need to do to protectyourself or the protective
actions is run away if possible,hide if not possible to run,
(11:06):
fight as a last resort.
A survivor from the 2022Buffalo shooting said I hid
under a counter as shots rangout.
Training saved me.
There have been many incidentswhere a trained member of the
public stopped an active shooterusing their concealed firearm.
Hopefully, your state allowsordinary citizens to protect
(11:27):
themselves and others.
Talk with your friends andfamily about what to do and
practice your reaction so thatit'll be second nature to you.
In an emergency there's fight,flight, freeze or fawn.
Fawn is begging for your life.
Don't hurt me, Please stop.
Don't hurt me, Please stop,Don't hurt me.
Most people nowadays willeither fawn, beg for their life
(11:52):
or freeze in an emergency, orthere needs to be another
category They'll pull out theirphone and start recording it.
The fight or flight response isoften delayed In order to
prevent yourself from trying tobeg someone not to harm you or
(12:14):
to freeze and not take anyaction.
If that doesn't come natural toyou, like it does come
naturally to me, then you needto train A person like me who my
natural response is to fight orflight.
I don't have to train as much,but I still train on what will I
(12:35):
do in an emergency scenario.
Number two is avalanche.
It affects 30 US states.
There are more than a thousandavalanche events every year and
the concern is being buriedalive in snow.
So the actions you want to takeare move sideways to where the
avalanche is falling and alsoprotect your head.
(12:57):
Use a beacon if you're going tobe in areas where avalanches
occur, so that rescuers can findyou quickly.
And a Colorado survivor saidthis the snow hit like a truck.
I swam to stay afloat.
What he means is, as theavalanche was falling on top of
him, he was making a swimmingaction and that kept him on top
(13:21):
of the snow.
Smart strategy, it worked forhim.
I would try that in anemergency.
Number three is cyber attack.
There are 2200 daily attacks.
It's up 84 percent recently.
The concern is infrastructureshutdown.
The actions you should takewould be if you have a personal
cyber attack on your homecomputer, you want to disconnect
(13:43):
your devices and report theincident to authorities.
Disconnect your devices andreport the incident to
authorities.
In 2021, a colonial pipelinevictim said gas shortages lasted
for weeks.
Chaos ensued because thatcompany was under cyber attack.
In a future article and podcast,I'll give you some
recommendations to protectyourself from a cyber attack.
(14:04):
However, keep in mind thatcyber attacks on a business or
government entity can alsoaffect you.
It might take essentialservices like power and water
offline, cause digital paymentsystems to fail and give hackers
access to your personalinformation.
So keep your password managerlocked when you're not using it.
Don't click on anything ifyou're not sure of the source.
(14:25):
And remember hackers are cleverat pretending to be a trusted
person or entity.
For example, using AI, they caneven mimic your child's voice
asking for help or to send themmoney fast.
Number four are earthquakes.
75% of the US is at risk for anearthquake and 16,000
(14:45):
earthquakes occur annually.
Is at risk for an earthquakeand 16,000 earthquakes occur
annually.
The concern is collapsingstructures.
So the actions you want to takeare to drop down, cover your
head and hold on and avoiddoorways.
So get like under a table,which, in 2024, a California
shake survivor said that'sexactly what they did they got
(15:06):
under the table and held on totheir family members.
Number five is extreme heat.
Extreme heat kills 1,300 peopleannually and it's up by 20%.
The concern is dehydration andheat stroke.
So the actions you want to takeare stay indoors, hydrate.
(15:28):
You can make some naturalelectrolytes using lemon in
eight ounces of water with alittle, maybe two to three
pinches of sea salt.
That's a natural electrolytethat can help keep you hydrated
and keep your electrolytessteady.
You can also wear cool clothing.
(15:50):
If you have electricity at thetime, turn on your AC or fan.
If you don't have an electric,if you don't have a way to cool
down, go to the lake, the riveror a cooling station.
If your home is too hot, aquick dip in the water is a
great way to cool off and escapethe heat.
In 2021, Pacific Northwestsurvivors said temperatures hit
(16:12):
116 degrees and elderlyneighbors didn't make it.
So check on your friends andfamily.
Number six is financialemergency.
It affects 40% of households.
Post-disaster, the concern iseconomic ruin, supply chains
problems.
(16:32):
Your place of work may not beopen for a while.
So the actions you want to takein advance are to build an
emergency fund, review yourinsurance and make sure you have
adequate coverage.
Keep one month of householdexpenses in cash in a bank or
bank lockbox or a safe Live wellbelow your means to ensure
(16:54):
there's money left over eachmonth to invest in your
preparedness plans and otheremergencies like an auto
breakdown.
A recession survivor said Ilost my job overnight, but our
savings kept us afloat.
Number seven floods.
99% of counties in America areaffected by floods.
(17:15):
The concern is drowning,contamination of the water,
civil unrest due to looting andviolence, and so the actions you
want to take are to evacuate tohigh ground.
So turn around, don't drown.
North Carolina's Bill Schillersaid water destroyed my home.
We waited days for help.
(17:41):
This is why we have multipleescape routes out of our home
and off our property, to includeputting on a personal flotation
device and pfd.
We have pfds for ourselves andthe dog.
We keep them in the house, notin the garage.
So if there's flood surroundingthe home, you, when you step
outside, you're wearing apersonal flotation device to
help you float.
Even if you know how to swim,you're going to be exhausted
(18:06):
from the process of getting tosafety and it might make it
difficult for you to swim, evenif you're a good swimmer.
So wear your PFD.
There's a whole episode on NewNormal Big Life that tells you
how to choose the right PFD foryou.
We have a plan to swim out,kayak out with our dogs and
(18:27):
supplies, or motorboat away outof the area.
You want to coordinate withfriends and family to increase
your chances of survival.
You help me, I'll help you.
We have a friend who has ahelicopter who is a helicopter
pilot, for example.
We have skills to offer him inreturn.
Don't look to become someoneelse's burden.
Have valuable skills and itemsto barter with in return.
(18:48):
Don't look to become someoneelse's burden.
Have valuable skills and itemsto barter with in return for
teamwork.
Number eight hurricanes 51%annual landfall chance.
The concern is winds, surges,flooding, road closure, civil
unrest, delayed governmentalrelief and more.
The actions you want to takeare to board up your windows,
evacuate if ordered, have food,water and medicines for at least
(19:11):
two weeks on hand.
Hurricane Katrina survivor JoeBridges said roofs ripped off.
We were displaced for years.
Number seven landslides 25,000annual threats from landslides
in America.
The concern is your home beingburied.
(19:32):
So the actions you want to takeare to stay away from slopes,
evacuate if crackings heard.
Carry a foldable shovel forself-rescue.
A California survivor said mudburied cards.
We fled just in time.
Number 10 is pandemics.
There's a two to three percentannual risk of a pandemic.
(19:53):
The concern here is hysteriacausing civil unrest and panic.
Overwhelmed health systems,overwhelmed supply chains.
So the actions you want to takeare to naturally support your
immune system.
There's a whole episode on NewNormal Big Life about supporting
your immune system andpreparing for a pandemic.
(20:16):
You can also use essential oilsto kill household germs.
There's an episode availablefor you to tell you which
essential oils will kill whichtypes of germs, fungus, etc.
I never once got COVID becauseI used the protocol that I
(20:37):
provided to you to keep myimmune system boosted.
In fact, I have been sick witha cold flu, strep throat.
I have been sick with a coldflu, strep throat, any of those
kinds of things twice since 2014.
I have given you good advice inthis podcast on boosting your
(20:59):
immune system naturally.
I hope you'll follow.
Number 11 is power outages.
Boy, do we see these very oftenin rural places.
In fact, as I'm recording rightnow the lights are flickering,
my guy mad is like, oh no, Arethe lights flickering?
And I'm like, yes, they'reflickering.
(21:21):
I might be able to test out mysolar generator, whole home
system preparedness again if thelights go out.
We have very differentperspectives.
I love testing our preparednessbecause it makes me feel warm
and fuzzy when things work,because it's nothing like
(21:43):
testing your equipment, yourprocesses and your mental and
emotional state in an emergency,because when the big one
happens you'll be so chillbecause you've tested and tested
and tested.
We used to say in the armytrain how you fight, and we
(22:04):
still practice that in our homewhen it comes to preparedness.
So for power outages, theyaverage five and a half hours
per year per household and therisks are rising.
The concern is food spoilage,heat or cold exposure are rising
(22:24):
.
The concern is food spoilage,heat or cold exposure, not
having water, power or otherservices.
Electronic payment systems aredown with no way to pay for
supplies.
Criminals and desperate peoplewill be trying to survive and
they'll be looking foropportunities to take what you
have by force.
During Helene, one man saidthat he waited in line for two
hours for gasoline and while hewas tightening his gas cap.
(22:46):
Someone tried to steal his gascan.
That was right next to him, andwhen he got home he filled up
his generator, went inside andbefore bed, when he went outside
to top off his generator, therewas someone coming through the
woods after his generator.
So prepare yourself, folks.
(23:09):
So the actions you want to takehere are use generators, opting
for silent, odorless solargenerators like the one we have
that are stealthy and harder tosteal because they're indoors
inside with you, Stock adequatefood, water, batteries, candles,
medication and first aidmaterials for a minimum of two
(23:29):
weeks per person and per animal.
A lot of people forget aboutfood and water for their pets.
That's going to be veryimportant.
We have both flame candles, butwe rely more heavily on our
electric candles withrechargeable batteries.
So keep that in mind.
(23:52):
For safety, especially if youhave children, I would avoid
flame candles, and if you have acat.
We'll cover more on this inparts two and three of this
series.
Number 12, thunderstorms,lightning and hail oh my,
100,000 storms per year inAmerica, people.
(24:14):
So the concern is lightningstrikes, electrocution, property
damage, extended power outage.
The actions you want to takeare to stay indoors, away from
windows, avoid standing in water, and one survivor said he'll
smash the roof and lightningstruck nearby.
Tornadoes Number 13.
(24:36):
There are 1,000 tornadoesannually here in America.
The concern is debris.
Injuries and getting trapped inrubble are a big concern.
The actions you want to take isif you have a basement, you
want to go to the basement andstay away from windows, or stay
away from windows in an interiorroom or under your stairs.
(24:57):
An Oklahoma survivor said thehouse was gone in seconds.
We huddled in the bathtubtogether.
Number 14, tsunamis.
If you live on the coast, youare at risk for tsunamis at the
rate of about five per year.
So the concern is drowning, ofcourse, and the actions are to
(25:18):
move inland or to higher ground.
Number 15 is volcanoes.
There are 169 active volcanoesin the US.
The concern is ash and lava.
So the actions you want to takeare these we purchase fire
retardant blankets and fire evacmasks from my affiliate, Ready
Hour.
(25:38):
These supplies offer protectionfrom inhalation and flames for
up to one hour.
This gives you protection whileyou evacuate Wildfires number
16.
Millions of acres are burnedannually in the US and if you
experienced living in theMidwest this summer, you know
(26:00):
how difficult it was to breathebecause of Canada's wildfires.
The concern is smoke and burns.
So the actions you want to takeis one.
If you're in a wildfire, let metell you something that
happened, I think, about 100years ago, in a place called
Peshtigo.
During the Peshtigo wildfire,the entire town was lost, except
(26:23):
for the people who live near abody of water.
What they were able to do isthey spent the entire day and
night till the next morning inan active wildfire area with
flames above their head, butwhat they did was they stayed in
the water, submerged completelyunderwater and only came up
(26:44):
briefly just to get a little air.
Keep that in mind.
So create a defensible space bywetting down your roof, trees,
grass and any brush around yourproperty and evacuate early.
Cameron Peak's wildfiresurvivor named Emily said they
left with just the clothes ontheir backs and they had to run
(27:07):
for six miles.
So here's another thing toremember my adventure family,
you want to be in good physicalcondition as best as you can.
I know we're getting older, Iknow many of us, like me, have
disabilities.
I know many of us have chronichealth challenges.
But be as strong, strength,wise, cardiovascular, wise,
(27:33):
mentally, so that you cansurvive at whatever your ability
level.
So, for example, things that Iensure that I can do every year
is make sure that I can do atleast 50 push-ups.
Make sure that I can do atleast one pull-up.
Make sure that I can run a mileand still fight or shoot or
(27:56):
whatever to defend myselfafterwards, to defend myself
afterwards.
Those are pretty good ways toensure that you have the mental,
physical and cardio ability tosurvive almost anything.
So, Cameron Peak Fire that firewas within miles of my home in
(28:21):
Colorado.
When I lived there, Ash raineddown on us for months.
Unfortunately, this incidentcaused me to develop asthma,
which I later cured with naturalremedies like Mullane or Mullen
, but not before.
Breathing problems plagued mefor three years and I had to use
a lot of medication just tobreathe on a daily basis.
(28:42):
That's when I purchased fireprotection gear from Ready Hour.
Since then I have used naturalremedies to restore my lungs and
I no longer need medication,but I wish I had some Ready Hour
protection before the CameronPeak fire.
(29:03):
Number 17 is winter storms.
70% of the US is affectedyearly.
The concern is hypothermia,isolation, lack of food, a lack
of water and heat if the powergoes out.
So you want to insulateyourself, while indoors you can
if you don't have.
(29:24):
If you have a tent, bring itinside and set it up.
Put everyone in the house,including the pets, in the tent,
and your body heat will help tokeep you all warm while you're
in the tent.
The other thing you can do ifyou don't have a tent is use
bedding to create a tent.
You want to put on your warmestclothes possible, and I know,
(29:45):
if you live in a typically warmclimate that doesn't get winter
storms.
Remember Texas, Florida,California you sometimes, on a
rare occasion, will get a winterstorm.
And then we have to listen todozens of you say oh my goodness
, I wasn't prepared for thisstorm.
I don't even have a winter coator boots or gloves.
(30:07):
How many people nearly died ordid perish in their cars during
a winter storm?
I think it was in 2021 becausethey didn't have any warm
clothes in their vehicles andI'll say that they ran out of
gas.
So what I do in the winter is Ihave a get-home bag in my
(30:31):
winter vehicle.
So that means we put extragasoline in Food water blankets,
(31:02):
we have survival blankets.
It's all in our get home safebag.
Winter get home safe bag.
We have a different summer gethome safe bag, et cetera.
But these are all things thatyou can use if you ever get
stranded in your vehicle duringan emergency, and when I lived
in Colorado I actually had touse that one day.
(31:24):
At the time I was smart I putmy winter get home bag inside a
friend's car.
When her car broke down and wewere stranded and it was minus
12 degrees and we had to waitthree hours for a tow truck, we
were able to survive because Ihad my get-home-safe bag.
(31:48):
So number 18 is civil unrest.
When there's things going on inyour community and it is unsafe
to go outside, but you don'thave food or water or the
medications that you need inyour home, guess what's going to
happen?
You're going to have to bravethose dangerous streets and go
outside.
But if you have at least 14days of food, water and
(32:12):
medications that you might needstored in your home, you don't
need to go out during a civilarrest, a civil emergency, as
FEMA experts emphasize,protective actions, save lives.
Act on alerts immediately.
You want to integrate these withadditional recommendations from
(32:33):
Part 2 and 3 of this series forunbreakable resilience.
In the words of Voltaire, thedanger which is least expected
soonest comes to us.
Don't wait to fortify today.
So until next time, friends,I'm your host, Antoinette Lee,
(32:55):
the wellness warrior.
Sorry to be a Debbie Downertoday, but I hope that this has
prepared you to start gettingprepared for natural disasters
here at the New Normal Big Lifepodcast.
I hope one day to see you onthe river, in the backcountry or
in the horse barn living yourbest life, Struggling with
(33:17):
health problems or seekingnatural health solutions.
Don't miss our latest podcastepisodes, exclusive blog posts
and free ebooks only availableto those who subscribe to our
newsletter at nnblblog to unlockthis bonus content and start
living your best life.
Today, World events areconstantly teaching everyone
(33:37):
some very painful lessons.
Without warning, everything wetake for granted can suddenly
fail.
Without warning, everything wetake for granted can suddenly
fail, and if you're not preparedin advance, you really don't
have a chance.
The fact is, the modern worldruns on a just-in-time supply
schedule.
Even the biggest grocery storescan carry only enough food for
a few days worth of normalshopping.
So when disaster strikes andchaos ensues at your local
(34:01):
stores, the odds are simplyagainst you.
If you don't have emergencyfood and gear stockpiled in
advance, you will probablysuffer.
My partner, Ready Hour is hereto help you ahead of time.
Ready Hour has a long historyof providing calorie rich,
reliable and deliciousnourishment for life's
unexpected situations, andcritical emergency gear too.
(34:23):
They're part of a family ofcompanies that have served
millions of people like you fordecades.
My family and I use Ready Hourproducts for camping,
mountaineering and disasterpreparedness for five years now.
They're not just reliable,they're also your affordable
option too.
Long-term survival foodshouldn't break the bank.
That's why they have greatsales and payment options for
(34:46):
you.
It's your bridge to safety andsurvival when things just aren't
normal anymore.
So make your next decision,your smartest decision.
Be ready for tomorrow.
Today, Trust Ready Hour.
Ready to shop.
Use my affiliate link in theshow description.
Imagine sirens piercing the night as disasters
strike without mercy or thechilling silence of power grid
failure.
At least six distinct 100-yearflood events or rarer in the
case of Chicago were documentedin the US in 2025, occurring in
Texas, West Virginia, Illinois,North Carolina and New Mexico,
(00:23):
along with over 3,600 flashflood warnings issued by the
National Weather Service.
Disasters have ravaged Americawith delayed aid, leaving
survivors like Delmas Williams,who said the water rose so
quickly during Hurricane Helenethat, in minutes, four feet of
water stood in his home,prompting the family to be
rescued in canoes.
(00:43):
We've assembled a guide thatdetails protective actions for
18 types of hazards, from activeshooters to winter storms.
We're helping you prepare forwhatever life throws at you.
This disaster-prepared thismonth, 2025.
Through a three-part series.
So let's get started, Hi friends.
Welcome to the new normal BigLife podcast.
(01:04):
Let's get started, Hi friends.
Welcome to the New Normal BigLife podcast.
We bring you natural news andstories about nature that we
hope will inspire you to getoutside and adventure, along
with the step-by-step plan tohelp you practice what you've
learned and create your own newnormal and live the biggest life
you can dream.
I'm your host, Antoinette Lee,the wellness warrior.
So let's dive in to today'simportant topic.
Picture the terror of sirensblaring as winds howl and water
(01:27):
surge, or the chilling silenceof the power grid failure
plunging your world intodarkness.
Since 2020, America has sufferedover 115 billion dollar
disasters a relentless barragethat has displaced millions and
claimed countless lives, withsupply chain woes and FEMA's
ineffective response amplifyingthe agony by delaying essential
(01:50):
aid.
In North Carolina's 2024Hurricane Helene floods,
resident Andy Fife waded throughchest-high waters to rescue
neighbors recounting.
The river rose so fast.
It was like a wall of water.
We lost everything in hours.
It was like a wall of water.
We lost everything in hours.
Relief from FEMA often lagged,taking days or weeks as
priorities focused on denselypopulated zones, leaving rural
(02:12):
families fending for themselvesamid contaminated water, social
unrest and disease risks.
Similarly, during HurricaneKatrina in 2005, survivor
Allison Good endured six feet offlood water in her home,
waiting a week for federal help.
(02:33):
We were stranded on rooftopsbegging for water.
The delay cost lives.
Rebuilding owned homes averagestwo years for funding, approval
ballooning to six to ten yearsfor full recovery, while
low-income renters face 4 to 6percent rent hikes, evictions
and scarce housing options,pushing many into prolonged
homelessness.
After a disaster In Colorado's2020 Cameron Peak fire.
(02:57):
Emily Fisher fled flames withher family.
The sky was apocalyptic when weran six miles with nothing but
our lives.
Trauma lingers years later, shesaid.
These harrowing accounts reveala stark truth.
Government aid isn't guaranteedor immediate and your insurance
company may fail you.
(03:18):
During my 11 years in the Armyas an air assault qualified
expert, field medic, infectioncontrol and disease prevention
officer and other medical anddental leadership roles, I was
tasked with supporting FEMArelief efforts.
I also worked on a FEMA projectas a technology contractor
after my military service.
My experience with FEMA taughtme to never rely on this agency
(03:41):
to save me and my family.
Before we cover the next topicin this episode, I want to
introduce you to the adventuresports lifestyle with what I
call a micro story about anadventure that I've had.
The adventure sports lifestyleand my deep connection to nature
is essential to my good health.
So here's the story.
So many people think they wantto live in a camper van, an RV,
(04:04):
a tiny home or a cabin, like Ido in the woods, but many never
consider the skills, the tools,the logistics and the
problem-solving skills you needto survive in very rural places
where getting to a shoppingcenter is a journey.
There's no police departmentand first responders warn that
it might take more than an hourto get to you in an emergency.
(04:26):
There is one public servicewhen you're very rural Road
maintenance and you could bestranded by snow, without power
during winter storms we areroutinely.
My advice is, if you'rethinking about moving rural, you
need to start developing theskills you'll need to survive in
remote locations before takingthe plunge.
(04:48):
We thought we were veryprepared.
We previously lived on the edgeof town in a small town in
northern Colorado, where thedirt road met the paved road.
We were super outdoorsy.
We camped for weeks at a time.
We were super outdoorsy.
We camped for weeks at a time.
We do high intensity adventuresports like whitewater kayaking,
(05:11):
and we know that we are inremote places where survival is
left up to us, because in somecases even a helicopter can't
get to you.
And still, there was a lot wewere not ready for and had to
learn on the fly when we moveinto our cabin two years ago.
(05:33):
So I don't want to discourageyou from taking the plunge.
In fact, I hope this inspiresyou to cautiously enter living
the adventure sports lifestylefull-time, like we do, either
alone with a friend or thepeople you love most, but do it
very carefully and prepare,prepare, prepare in advance.
(05:55):
Now back to the show where we'retalking about disaster
preparedness.
Here are the issues withrelying on FEMA.
When I was working with FEMA asa Army specialist on my first
(06:16):
assignment and in later years asan Army Staff Sergeant I want
to give a shout out to the StaffSergeant Mafia.
You know what I mean FEMA neverhad adequate supplies available
to support the number of peopleimpacted.
Relief support practices relyon having power and access to
technology, which arenon-existent or in short supply.
During a disaster, More peopleneed help than there are helpers
(06:40):
, and FEMA often gets in the wayof volunteer organizations that
are more agile and efficient atproviding search and rescue and
disaster relief, and there's noguarantee that FEMA will
provide relief in your area.
So, finally, the most disturbingevent I witnessed was how FEMA
used military support.
(07:01):
I thought I would providerescue and recovery, medical and
dental aid.
Instead, we essentially had togive away supplies meant for our
army soldiers, because wecouldn't bear to watch residents
suffer with no suppliesavailable locally.
We also never provided aid.
Instead, we provided security.
(07:21):
Essentially, we were taskedwith keeping poor people out of
wealthier neighborhoods andbusiness districts.
This occurred during everystorm relief effort that I
supported throughout my 11 yearsof service, and we all learned
that Hurricane Katrina survivorsand their families who were air
quotes lucky enough to receivea FEMA trailer to live in after
(07:43):
the storm, developed rarecancers because the trailers
contained off-gassing of toxicchemicals.
Knowing this would you trustyour family's safety, security
and health to this system?
This is why I encourage you toplan to be self-reliant.
Since beginning my journey intoshort-term and long-term
(08:04):
self-reliance in 2018, I'vesurvived three wildfires
surrounding the Coloradocommunity where we used to live,
three blizzards that damagedour home and left us in the dark
for a week at a time in theMidwest, and survived two flood
seasons while living in a veryrural community with no public
services.
While living in a very ruralcommunity with no public
(08:25):
services, I'm going to teach youmuch of what my family and I
use to keep ourselves safeduring an emergency and while
adventuring.
The one assignment where FEMAexcelled is that it's created a
thorough guide detailing alertsand protective actions to act
swiftly when seconds count.
Building on self-reliance frombooks like the Amish Ways, the
(08:47):
Prepper's Survival Bible and noGrid Survival Projects, this
three-part series dives intothese tactics, blending expert
advice with my real-worldexperience other people's
stories.
To urge you to prepare now orrisk everything.
To urge you to prepare now orrisk everything.
(09:07):
Fema's protective actions willcover 18 hazards.
So here we go.
Alerts will come to you asadvisories.
For example, which, if you getan alert that says advisory,
that means it's providing youwith early awareness.
If you get an alert that saysadvisory, that means it's
providing you with earlyawareness.
If you get an alert that sayswatches, that means there's a
(09:32):
possible threat.
When you receive a warning, itmeans a threat of danger is
imminent.
Ignoring them can be fatal.
Them can be fatal.
When we have an advisory, westart preparing certain things
that are perishable.
Like you can only store waterthat we get from our well and
(09:55):
put through a purificationsystem into five gallon
containers for a period of timebefore you need to dump it,
which we use to water treesaround our property and refill
your containers.
So there are certain actionsyou'll need to take and we'll
cover this in Part 2 of DisasterPreparedness.
(10:19):
Stats show that these 18occurrences are not rare.
They're increasingly common,demanding immediate response and
preparedness to survive.
So number one is active shooterLikelihood.
This is not in order of thepossibility that it will happen,
just in order of the way that Ilisted it in my document.
(10:42):
In fact, I think I might havedone it alphabetically.
So active shooter thelikelihood is high in public
spaces, with more than 50incidents yearly.
The concern is sudden violencecausing mass casualties, and
what you need to do to protectyourself or the protective
actions is run away if possible,hide if not possible to run,
(11:06):
fight as a last resort.
A survivor from the 2022Buffalo shooting said I hid
under a counter as shots rangout.
Training saved me.
There have been many incidentswhere a trained member of the
public stopped an active shooterusing their concealed firearm.
Hopefully, your state allowsordinary citizens to protect
(11:27):
themselves and others.
Talk with your friends andfamily about what to do and
practice your reaction so thatit'll be second nature to you.
In an emergency there's fight,flight, freeze or fawn.
Fawn is begging for your life.
Don't hurt me, Please stop.
Don't hurt me, Please stop,Don't hurt me.
Most people nowadays willeither fawn, beg for their life
(11:52):
or freeze in an emergency, orthere needs to be another
category They'll pull out theirphone and start recording it.
The fight or flight response isoften delayed In order to
prevent yourself from trying tobeg someone not to harm you or
(12:14):
to freeze and not take anyaction.
If that doesn't come natural toyou, like it does come
naturally to me, then you needto train A person like me who my
natural response is to fight orflight.
I don't have to train as much,but I still train on what will I
(12:35):
do in an emergency scenario.
Number two is avalanche.
It affects 30 US states.
There are more than a thousandavalanche events every year and
the concern is being buriedalive in snow.
So the actions you want to takeare move sideways to where the
avalanche is falling and alsoprotect your head.
(12:57):
Use a beacon if you're going tobe in areas where avalanches
occur, so that rescuers can findyou quickly.
And a Colorado survivor saidthis the snow hit like a truck.
I swam to stay afloat.
What he means is, as theavalanche was falling on top of
him, he was making a swimmingaction and that kept him on top
(13:21):
of the snow.
Smart strategy, it worked forhim.
I would try that in anemergency.
Number three is cyber attack.
There are 2200 daily attacks.
It's up 84 percent recently.
The concern is infrastructureshutdown.
The actions you should takewould be if you have a personal
cyber attack on your homecomputer, you want to disconnect
(13:43):
your devices and report theincident to authorities.
Disconnect your devices andreport the incident to
authorities.
In 2021, a colonial pipelinevictim said gas shortages lasted
for weeks.
Chaos ensued because thatcompany was under cyber attack.
In a future article and podcast,I'll give you some
recommendations to protectyourself from a cyber attack.
(14:04):
However, keep in mind thatcyber attacks on a business or
government entity can alsoaffect you.
It might take essentialservices like power and water
offline, cause digital paymentsystems to fail and give hackers
access to your personalinformation.
So keep your password managerlocked when you're not using it.
Don't click on anything ifyou're not sure of the source.
(14:25):
And remember hackers are cleverat pretending to be a trusted
person or entity.
For example, using AI, they caneven mimic your child's voice
asking for help or to send themmoney fast.
Number four are earthquakes.
75% of the US is at risk for anearthquake and 16,000
(14:45):
earthquakes occur annually.
Is at risk for an earthquakeand 16,000 earthquakes occur
annually.
The concern is collapsingstructures.
So the actions you want to takeare to drop down, cover your
head and hold on and avoiddoorways.
So get like under a table,which, in 2024, a California
shake survivor said that'sexactly what they did they got
(15:06):
under the table and held on totheir family members.
Number five is extreme heat.
Extreme heat kills 1,300 peopleannually and it's up by 20%.
The concern is dehydration andheat stroke.
So the actions you want to takeare stay indoors, hydrate.
(15:28):
You can make some naturalelectrolytes using lemon in
eight ounces of water with alittle, maybe two to three
pinches of sea salt.
That's a natural electrolytethat can help keep you hydrated
and keep your electrolytessteady.
You can also wear cool clothing.
(15:50):
If you have electricity at thetime, turn on your AC or fan.
If you don't have an electric,if you don't have a way to cool
down, go to the lake, the riveror a cooling station.
If your home is too hot, aquick dip in the water is a
great way to cool off and escapethe heat.
In 2021, Pacific Northwestsurvivors said temperatures hit
(16:12):
116 degrees and elderlyneighbors didn't make it.
So check on your friends andfamily.
Number six is financialemergency.
It affects 40% of households.
Post-disaster, the concern iseconomic ruin, supply chains
problems.
(16:32):
Your place of work may not beopen for a while.
So the actions you want to takein advance are to build an
emergency fund, review yourinsurance and make sure you have
adequate coverage.
Keep one month of householdexpenses in cash in a bank or
bank lockbox or a safe Live wellbelow your means to ensure
(16:54):
there's money left over eachmonth to invest in your
preparedness plans and otheremergencies like an auto
breakdown.
A recession survivor said Ilost my job overnight, but our
savings kept us afloat.
Number seven floods.
99% of counties in America areaffected by floods.
(17:15):
The concern is drowning,contamination of the water,
civil unrest due to looting andviolence, and so the actions you
want to take are to evacuate tohigh ground.
So turn around, don't drown.
North Carolina's Bill Schillersaid water destroyed my home.
We waited days for help.
(17:41):
This is why we have multipleescape routes out of our home
and off our property, to includeputting on a personal flotation
device and pfd.
We have pfds for ourselves andthe dog.
We keep them in the house, notin the garage.
So if there's flood surroundingthe home, you, when you step
outside, you're wearing apersonal flotation device to
help you float.
Even if you know how to swim,you're going to be exhausted
(18:06):
from the process of getting tosafety and it might make it
difficult for you to swim, evenif you're a good swimmer.
So wear your PFD.
There's a whole episode on NewNormal Big Life that tells you
how to choose the right PFD foryou.
We have a plan to swim out,kayak out with our dogs and
(18:27):
supplies, or motorboat away outof the area.
You want to coordinate withfriends and family to increase
your chances of survival.
You help me, I'll help you.
We have a friend who has ahelicopter who is a helicopter
pilot, for example.
We have skills to offer him inreturn.
Don't look to become someoneelse's burden.
Have valuable skills and itemsto barter with in return.
(18:48):
Don't look to become someoneelse's burden.
Have valuable skills and itemsto barter with in return for
teamwork.
Number eight hurricanes 51%annual landfall chance.
The concern is winds, surges,flooding, road closure, civil
unrest, delayed governmentalrelief and more.
The actions you want to takeare to board up your windows,
evacuate if ordered, have food,water and medicines for at least
(19:11):
two weeks on hand.
Hurricane Katrina survivor JoeBridges said roofs ripped off.
We were displaced for years.
Number seven landslides 25,000annual threats from landslides
in America.
The concern is your home beingburied.
(19:32):
So the actions you want to takeare to stay away from slopes,
evacuate if crackings heard.
Carry a foldable shovel forself-rescue.
A California survivor said mudburied cards.
We fled just in time.
Number 10 is pandemics.
There's a two to three percentannual risk of a pandemic.
(19:53):
The concern here is hysteriacausing civil unrest and panic.
Overwhelmed health systems,overwhelmed supply chains.
So the actions you want to takeare to naturally support your
immune system.
There's a whole episode on NewNormal Big Life about supporting
your immune system andpreparing for a pandemic.
(20:16):
You can also use essential oilsto kill household germs.
There's an episode availablefor you to tell you which
essential oils will kill whichtypes of germs, fungus, etc.
I never once got COVID becauseI used the protocol that I
(20:37):
provided to you to keep myimmune system boosted.
In fact, I have been sick witha cold flu, strep throat.
I have been sick with a coldflu, strep throat, any of those
kinds of things twice since 2014.
I have given you good advice inthis podcast on boosting your
(20:59):
immune system naturally.
I hope you'll follow.
Number 11 is power outages.
Boy, do we see these very oftenin rural places.
In fact, as I'm recording rightnow the lights are flickering,
my guy mad is like, oh no, Arethe lights flickering?
And I'm like, yes, they'reflickering.
(21:21):
I might be able to test out mysolar generator, whole home
system preparedness again if thelights go out.
We have very differentperspectives.
I love testing our preparednessbecause it makes me feel warm
and fuzzy when things work,because it's nothing like
(21:43):
testing your equipment, yourprocesses and your mental and
emotional state in an emergency,because when the big one
happens you'll be so chillbecause you've tested and tested
and tested.
We used to say in the armytrain how you fight, and we
(22:04):
still practice that in our homewhen it comes to preparedness.
So for power outages, theyaverage five and a half hours
per year per household and therisks are rising.
The concern is food spoilage,heat or cold exposure are rising
(22:24):
.
The concern is food spoilage,heat or cold exposure, not
having water, power or otherservices.
Electronic payment systems aredown with no way to pay for
supplies.
Criminals and desperate peoplewill be trying to survive and
they'll be looking foropportunities to take what you
have by force.
During Helene, one man saidthat he waited in line for two
hours for gasoline and while hewas tightening his gas cap.
(22:46):
Someone tried to steal his gascan.
That was right next to him, andwhen he got home he filled up
his generator, went inside andbefore bed, when he went outside
to top off his generator, therewas someone coming through the
woods after his generator.
So prepare yourself, folks.
(23:09):
So the actions you want to takehere are use generators, opting
for silent, odorless solargenerators like the one we have
that are stealthy and harder tosteal because they're indoors
inside with you, Stock adequatefood, water, batteries, candles,
medication and first aidmaterials for a minimum of two
(23:29):
weeks per person and per animal.
A lot of people forget aboutfood and water for their pets.
That's going to be veryimportant.
We have both flame candles, butwe rely more heavily on our
electric candles withrechargeable batteries.
So keep that in mind.
(23:52):
For safety, especially if youhave children, I would avoid
flame candles, and if you have acat.
We'll cover more on this inparts two and three of this
series.
Number 12, thunderstorms,lightning and hail oh my,
100,000 storms per year inAmerica, people.
(24:14):
So the concern is lightningstrikes, electrocution, property
damage, extended power outage.
The actions you want to takeare to stay indoors, away from
windows, avoid standing in water, and one survivor said he'll
smash the roof and lightningstruck nearby.
Tornadoes Number 13.
(24:36):
There are 1,000 tornadoesannually here in America.
The concern is debris.
Injuries and getting trapped inrubble are a big concern.
The actions you want to take isif you have a basement, you
want to go to the basement andstay away from windows, or stay
away from windows in an interiorroom or under your stairs.
(24:57):
An Oklahoma survivor said thehouse was gone in seconds.
We huddled in the bathtubtogether.
Number 14, tsunamis.
If you live on the coast, youare at risk for tsunamis at the
rate of about five per year.
So the concern is drowning, ofcourse, and the actions are to
(25:18):
move inland or to higher ground.
Number 15 is volcanoes.
There are 169 active volcanoesin the US.
The concern is ash and lava.
So the actions you want to takeare these we purchase fire
retardant blankets and fire evacmasks from my affiliate, Ready
Hour.
(25:38):
These supplies offer protectionfrom inhalation and flames for
up to one hour.
This gives you protection whileyou evacuate Wildfires number
16.
Millions of acres are burnedannually in the US and if you
experienced living in theMidwest this summer, you know
(26:00):
how difficult it was to breathebecause of Canada's wildfires.
The concern is smoke and burns.
So the actions you want to takeis one.
If you're in a wildfire, let metell you something that
happened, I think, about 100years ago, in a place called
Peshtigo.
During the Peshtigo wildfire,the entire town was lost, except
(26:23):
for the people who live near abody of water.
What they were able to do isthey spent the entire day and
night till the next morning inan active wildfire area with
flames above their head, butwhat they did was they stayed in
the water, submerged completelyunderwater and only came up
(26:44):
briefly just to get a little air.
Keep that in mind.
So create a defensible space bywetting down your roof, trees,
grass and any brush around yourproperty and evacuate early.
Cameron Peak's wildfiresurvivor named Emily said they
left with just the clothes ontheir backs and they had to run
(27:07):
for six miles.
So here's another thing toremember my adventure family,
you want to be in good physicalcondition as best as you can.
I know we're getting older, Iknow many of us, like me, have
disabilities.
I know many of us have chronichealth challenges.
But be as strong, strength,wise, cardiovascular, wise,
(27:33):
mentally, so that you cansurvive at whatever your ability
level.
So, for example, things that Iensure that I can do every year
is make sure that I can do atleast 50 push-ups.
Make sure that I can do atleast one pull-up.
Make sure that I can run a mileand still fight or shoot or
(27:56):
whatever to defend myselfafterwards, to defend myself
afterwards.
Those are pretty good ways toensure that you have the mental,
physical and cardio ability tosurvive almost anything.
So, Cameron Peak Fire that firewas within miles of my home in
(28:21):
Colorado.
When I lived there, Ash raineddown on us for months.
Unfortunately, this incidentcaused me to develop asthma,
which I later cured with naturalremedies like Mullane or Mullen
, but not before.
Breathing problems plagued mefor three years and I had to use
a lot of medication just tobreathe on a daily basis.
(28:42):
That's when I purchased fireprotection gear from Ready Hour.
Since then I have used naturalremedies to restore my lungs and
I no longer need medication,but I wish I had some Ready Hour
protection before the CameronPeak fire.
(29:03):
Number 17 is winter storms.
70% of the US is affectedyearly.
The concern is hypothermia,isolation, lack of food, a lack
of water and heat if the powergoes out.
So you want to insulateyourself, while indoors you can
if you don't have.
(29:24):
If you have a tent, bring itinside and set it up.
Put everyone in the house,including the pets, in the tent,
and your body heat will help tokeep you all warm while you're
in the tent.
The other thing you can do ifyou don't have a tent is use
bedding to create a tent.
You want to put on your warmestclothes possible, and I know,
(29:45):
if you live in a typically warmclimate that doesn't get winter
storms.
Remember Texas, Florida,California you sometimes, on a
rare occasion, will get a winterstorm.
And then we have to listen todozens of you say oh my goodness
, I wasn't prepared for thisstorm.
I don't even have a winter coator boots or gloves.
(30:07):
How many people nearly died ordid perish in their cars during
a winter storm?
I think it was in 2021 becausethey didn't have any warm
clothes in their vehicles andI'll say that they ran out of
gas.
So what I do in the winter is Ihave a get-home bag in my
(30:31):
winter vehicle.
So that means we put extragasoline in Food water blankets,
(31:02):
we have survival blankets.
It's all in our get home safebag.
Winter get home safe bag.
We have a different summer gethome safe bag, et cetera.
But these are all things thatyou can use if you ever get
stranded in your vehicle duringan emergency, and when I lived
in Colorado I actually had touse that one day.
(31:24):
At the time I was smart I putmy winter get home bag inside a
friend's car.
When her car broke down and wewere stranded and it was minus
12 degrees and we had to waitthree hours for a tow truck, we
were able to survive because Ihad my get-home-safe bag.
(31:48):
So number 18 is civil unrest.
When there's things going on inyour community and it is unsafe
to go outside, but you don'thave food or water or the
medications that you need inyour home, guess what's going to
happen?
You're going to have to bravethose dangerous streets and go
outside.
But if you have at least 14days of food, water and
(32:12):
medications that you might needstored in your home, you don't
need to go out during a civilarrest, a civil emergency, as
FEMA experts emphasize,protective actions, save lives.
Act on alerts immediately.
You want to integrate these withadditional recommendations from
(32:33):
Part 2 and 3 of this series forunbreakable resilience.
In the words of Voltaire, thedanger which is least expected
soonest comes to us.
Don't wait to fortify today.
So until next time, friends,I'm your host, Antoinette Lee,
(32:55):
the wellness warrior.
Sorry to be a Debbie Downertoday, but I hope that this has
prepared you to start gettingprepared for natural disasters
here at the New Normal Big Lifepodcast.
I hope one day to see you onthe river, in the backcountry or
in the horse barn living yourbest life, Struggling with
(33:17):
health problems or seekingnatural health solutions.
Don't miss our latest podcastepisodes, exclusive blog posts
and free ebooks only availableto those who subscribe to our
newsletter at nnblblog to unlockthis bonus content and start
living your best life.
Today, World events areconstantly teaching everyone
(33:37):
some very painful lessons.
Without warning, everything wetake for granted can suddenly
fail.
Without warning, everything wetake for granted can suddenly
fail, and if you're not preparedin advance, you really don't
have a chance.
The fact is, the modern worldruns on a just-in-time supply
schedule.
Even the biggest grocery storescan carry only enough food for
a few days worth of normalshopping.
So when disaster strikes andchaos ensues at your local
(34:01):
stores, the odds are simplyagainst you.
If you don't have emergencyfood and gear stockpiled in
advance, you will probablysuffer.
My partner, Ready Hour is hereto help you ahead of time.
Ready Hour has a long historyof providing calorie rich,
reliable and deliciousnourishment for life's
unexpected situations, andcritical emergency gear too.
(34:23):
They're part of a family ofcompanies that have served
millions of people like you fordecades.
My family and I use Ready Hourproducts for camping,
mountaineering and disasterpreparedness for five years now.
They're not just reliable,they're also your affordable
option too.
Long-term survival foodshouldn't break the bank.
That's why they have greatsales and payment options for
(34:46):
you.
It's your bridge to safety andsurvival when things just aren't
normal anymore.
So make your next decision,your smartest decision.
Be ready for tomorrow.
Today, Trust Ready Hour.
Ready to shop.
Use my affiliate link in theshow description.
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