post-apocalyptic readiness

This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. I have been spending a lot of time thinking about what I would do in worst-case scenarios: chemical, biological, nuclear, and terror attacks; "fire sale" scenarios; burning, looting, rioting in the streets; severe, climate change-fueled weather events; and the like. Some are more realistic than others, but in the words of one of my favorite McDonald's ad campaigns, "Hey, it could happen."

I am not usually a nut about these things, but I do think it makes sense to have a plan. Therefore, I am asking the following rhetorical questions:

1. Who would you most want to be stuck in a crowded, dark, and hot subway car with when the train derails during an earthquake? (Can be anyone, alive or deceased, fictitious or real).

2. You are in DC walking on the National Mall near the WWII memorial when you hear a massive explosion, shaking the ground violently. You turn around to see a giant ball of fire and smoke rising from the Capitol dome. What do you do next?

3. The City of New York has just ordered a mandatory evacuation of all five boroughs due to a projected category 5 hurricane, which will make landfall in 36 hours. You have decided to hunker down and wait out the storm in your midtown apartment. You take the shopping cart you stole from ShopRite to go pick up supplies, amidst streets jam packed with cars and frantic city residents. What do you fill the cart with?


My initial responses are as follows, though I reserve the right to edit later:

1. Casey Ryback from the Under Seige series. SEAL commando turned chef with top training in special-weapons and counter-terrorism. Not only would he be able to engineer our way out of the subway car to safety, but he could protect the citizens from mal-intended foes and probably prepare food for the group if we were stranded for many days and able to catch rats or other rodents in the tunnels.

2. I would immediately sprint north up 17th, stopping by the White House to see if there was any activity of note, then directly toward GW's campus on H street, knowing that the university has its own police force and highly developed disaster readiness plans. If I had time, and depending on the severity of the attack, I would proceed to my house up in Mount Pleasant (about 2 miles north of the National Mall) load up my backpack with water, flashlights, and powerbars. If it was best to leave my house , I would get on my bike and listen for the advice of federal officials over radio.

3. I would put a change of clothes, a blanket and a flashlight in the cart before I left, just in case I wasn't able to make it back. I would probably go to the local bodega, not a supermarket, to load up on a few gallons of water, canned soup, and other non-perishables. I would also try to get in touch with close friends to see if they wanted to combine forces and stay in the same house/apartment, especially if they are better prepared than I am. Gotta mooch where it's wise.

That's all I've got for now. I don't really know what the "right" thing to do is during these types of situations, but I think that's the point. We don't really think about getting sprayed until the shit actually hits the fan.

My next planned post: The Bicycle: Is there a better form post-apocalyptic transportation?