What can you do if a news report really worries you?

[NorthernRaider]

What can you do if a news report really worries you?
© 2011Northern Raider

This question is frequently asked when for example global tensions rise because of a war, or drought, or act of terrorist does something THAT MAY INDIRECTLY AFFECT YOU. You may read about a drought wiping out a years grain crop across Europe and Russia. You may hear about Islamic extremists taking over a country that provides most of your nations winter supplies of food. You could hear that something is preventing the oil and gas supplies reaching the refineries that our nation is utterly dependant upon.

Its not something that is direct affecting you, its not in your face and happening in your town now, but it is something that makes you sit up and take notice to a point you want to do something, but What?

The first thing you need to do is try and separate tabloid journalism and media hype and access solid reliable facts from multiple sources where possible. Compare your own states media reports with other organisations like Reuters, Al- Jazeera, UPI,
Etc and check on the survivalist and prepper forums to see if any preppers in the affected country are getting information out.

Accurate reliable information is the best tool you have compared to the man in the street who is more interested in the sports news than what is going on in the bigger wider world.

Once you are accessing useful intelligence from various sources you can then look around to see if anything appears unusual or out of place that COULD be associated with the problem.

Such as
Watching for unexpected or unusual government activity
Ministers being recalled from leave or their constituencies
Military and or police leave being cancelled
Reservists being called up
Increases in military traffic
Increases in security checkpoints
Sudden shortages of fuel (sure sign the military is being mobilised)
Foreign media sources being blocked
Overly enthusiastic denials about a problem by your government
Shipping news reporting the non arrival of multiple vessels
Access to the internet being blocked
Senior public and state employees you know taking sudden unexpected family holidays.
A sudden wave of Fire arms licences being withdrawn
Known political activists suddenly going very quiet
More armed cops lurking around major road junctions
Sudden shortages of vital consumables from fuel to rice to bread to ………

Nine times out of ten your instincts will be right, don’t ignore them.

So what physical steps can you take?

Obviously first of all check over, clean and repack your
Survival kits and tools
EDC kits
Bug out Bags
And Medical kits

Check and rotate your stocks of supplies and if you are seriously concerned increase your food and fuel stocks accordingly.

Top off your vehicles fuel tanks and your bulk heating oil tanks, perhaps get an extra delivery of timber or coal in for the stove

You may decide to bring forward your vehicles annual service to ensure it’s in tip top condition.

Empty, clean, flush and refill your water containers and ensure your water filter is in good condition.

Obtain extra prescription medicines and script eye glasses etc.

Other steps you can consider are

Delaying or cancelling trips away from home until you know more about how the situation is developing.

Restricting family members travels to friends thus keeping them closer to home.

Ensuring your family KNOWS to check in frequently. Do not rely on the cell phone service, instruct the family members that if the phone system goes down to treat it as a direct order to return home at once.

Check out your Bug out Routes to ensure they are still accessible and viable.

Contact other preppers out of area if possible to see what they know and what steps they are taking.

Try and work from home or put in some leave if possible.

STAY CALM, it’s the informed, prepared and calm prepper who generally comes out of the crisis in the best condition. Its better to be proactive than reactive so try and keep as well informed of the situation as possible and react accordingly, things may settle down and return to normality, or you may feel concerned enough to stay off work a while or perhaps head out to your retreat location for a while if you have one.

[cryingfreeman]

Good post. Red flags are an important element of survivalist planning. I might add some of my own (variations on the above):

Certain blogs being shut down at the same time;
The Royal Family suddenly cancelling "Christmas at Sandringham";
ATMs running out of cash / being "out of order" all across the country...

[Sunna]

tell my daddy

[MaryN]

Good post, NR. I think we all have a nicely developing instinct about this sort of thing - hairs on the back of the nexk and all that. Important I think to distinguish media hype from actuality.

Having said this, I was in FarmFoods this morning and it was so devoid of food I almost had a panic attack!

[Straight Shooter]

Excellent post !......and indeed i am covering YOUR list ....right now and have been for a while.....however you view the current global events taking place it really does come down to the individual and how You call it.....being prepared weeks early is better than being one day late.....you must ask yourselves Would you have any prior warning from the GOV or Main media ....i very much doubt it....a good reminder NR.

[NorthernRaider]

Eh? I posted this about 5 years ago?

[Straight Shooter]

So What ?........Still makes sense .....as did a lot of posts back then...or more to the point do ...you.... NR think its out dated and no longer relevant.....we have a saying around here " the weather's looking bad over will's fathers " .......Wills fathers is any direction you would like it to be .....been using that saying all my life ...and still do.