James D. Nowka - Preppers Guide to Surviving Natural Disasters

I would like to dedicate this book

to the two Depression kids

my mom and dad who taught

me the importance of self-reliance,

and my wife, who has stood

beside me in person or in

spirit on every adventure.

M odern convenience affords our society so much more than earlier generations of Americans couldve ever wished for or considered. Our forefathers, though, had a few important things of their own that have become rare in this day and age. The skills, attitude and drive they needed to simply get through their everyday challenges appear to be things that most have just let slip away.

Life is easier now. Still, Ive come to wonder how much all of our modern conveniences really offer if the principles of self-reliance were handed away in trade-off. It seems so many people today lack even the basic abilities that would become necessary to ensure personal safety and survival should an emergency situation strike.

In some ways, this book is a textbook. In others, its an instructional manual. At its heart, its a guide on exercising common sense. I hope the following pages might bring even a few to recognize that the hard work and virtues of self-reliance exercised generations ago are just as important today as they always were.

Ive worked in many different roles, traveled the world and Ive seen tragedy in a variety of scales. Disasters, whether theyre isolated situations or major news events, happen frequently enough that everyone should take notice. Spending some time and thought, learning some new skills and assembling the proper gear could go a long way toward soothing the sting should an emergency touch your family.

Its a matter of developing the right mindset and approaching life from a position of vigilance. Its a matter of keeping one step ahead of our many risk factors. This very moment is the best time to get started. Its far too late to entertain that very first thought of survival when a true threat is pounding at the front door.

In a disaster situation, theres no guarantee 911 emergency services will be able to help you in a timely fashion. In some cases, they might not be able to help you at all.

The potential for devastation isnt an enjoyable topic for anyone to think about. It isnt difficult to understand how so many people have settled into attitudes of complacency. Its a tremendous time marked with new and unbelievable tools. Most people have access to 911 emergency services from right inside their pockets by virtue of their cellphones. Oftentimes, those same phones can also email, text, surf the internet and call up the latest news and weather reports. Many people have the ability to hit a button in their cars and quickly call on an ambulance at the first sign of trouble.

Its a double-edged sword. So many people today have false senses of security bolstered by all of their conveniences. Many take great and undue comfort knowing their credit cards are at easy reach. However, our phones or the plastic in our wallets would not come close to foolproof in the midst of a disaster or in its aftermath. Like the men and women of even just a generation or two earlier, we still truly need the know-how and ingenuity to be able to rely only on ourselves should any number of difficult situations require.

My own efforts toward self-reliance and dedication to planning began early with everything I learned from my dad. He was born in 1927. Through his first 20 or so years, he only knew life through the lens of the Great Depression. It wasnt until his stint was up in the Marines after World War II that he learned what real prosperity was. My dad carried away some good lessons from his younger days in that terrible economic time and put them to use for the remainder of his years. His frugal sense taught me a few things. Although my parents did well for themselves, they were never big spenders. They saved for the rainy days. They got the most from everything they had.

Today, most would rather not bother with the broken. Its a disposable society in which people expect their things to work and simply toss them aside when the first hints of problems emerge. If an item is important enough, they will send it out for repair. My dad would certainly buy something new when the situation required, but hed never put the old one out to the trash bin. After all, that old piece was still good for parts. He didnt call on someone else to fix his problems because he knew he could just as easily do it himself.

Credit cards are of little help when stores are without power following a disaster. Its best to keep a reserve of cash on hand for emergencies.

It was an important lesson in taking ownership that I took to heart. Too few today are willing to put forth even a small bit of time or effort toward reaching their own solutions. It usually takes just a phone call and a little bit of cash to pass that job on to someone else. After an emergency, you might very well find there isnt a person out there available to pick up the telephone.

Many in the modern era would be lost without the ability to lean on another. It is a bit scary that so many today stand so far from the spirit exhibited by my dads generation. Its amazing that such a dramatic shift in abilities and attitudes happened in such a short period of time.

Survival planning is an extension of that earlier ethic. Its a matter of accounting for risks, considering needs and having contingencies at the ready should a time come when you can only depend on yourself, your friends and your family. Its been said that ignorance is bliss, and I think that best describes the approach most have taken toward preparedness. Many would rather not entertain the thought of a survival situation, and Ive gotten the sense that some view preparation as a practice in pessimism.

I certainly wouldnt consider myself among those who see the cup half empty quite the contrary. Ive always been a troubleshooter, and thats what really set the foundation for all of my own efforts. Ive long had a particular knack for identifying problems and, more importantly, reaching workable solutions.

Comfort and even survival in the aftermath of a disaster could hinge on the solutions you assemble long in advance. Preparing for the worst and expecting it are two very different mindsets. Im not looking over my shoulder expecting to find trouble, but if trouble happened to find me, I know Id be ready.

You shouldnt lose sight that trouble is most certainly out there. My extensive travel and first-hand glances in the aftermath of some of the worlds most devastating natural disasters only strengthened my beliefs on the value of proper planning. Efforts made amid the everyday calm are the only way to adequately ensure the very staples of survival namely shelter, water and food are ready and quickly available when disaster ushers chaos into a community.

Along my path, Ive worked part-time as a firefighter and as a law enforcement officer. Im a diver with experience in body recovery. Contract work took me across the country and around the globe. I did electronic surveillance for the Army in Iraq and worked with Special Forces as an agricultural adviser in Afghanistan. Ive taken my skills to tattered regions in the aftermath of four hurricanes. Those efforts made it crystal clear that bad things happen. They happen to good people and Mother Nature doesnt stop to think about who is best or least prepared before she flexes her destructive muscles.