As preppers, we always have to be on the lookout for imminent dangers. Some of these are normal and even follow apattern that is predictable and repetitive, while others are unique to the current state of affairs.
Thunderstorms and Tornados and Hurricanes OH MY!
Stormseason is now in full swing. A few hurricanes make it to the Canadian east coast every year. Most of them are downgraded to a post tropical storm by the time they make landfall, we can’t forget about Hurricane Sandy which pounded New York in 2012. In any given year, two to three hurricanes make it to Canadian shores. This year however, the Canadian Hurricane Centre is predicting an above average season and claims we could expect to see three to five storms. Hurricanes can cause flash flooding, heavy damage from high winds, and power outages lasting days or weeks. Thankfully, Canadians get plenty of warning about hurricanes, making preparing forthem a little easier.
Tornados on the other hand, can and have happened in every province in the country. Contrary to popular belief, large urban areas are not immune to them as seen in Toronto in 2009. While there MAY be some warning of a tornado, usually these warnings give us only minutes to prepare. Tornados can present the same types of damage as hurricanes, except they occur mostly inland instead of coastal areas and the damage they deliver happens in a matter of minutes instead of over hours or days.
Thunderstorms, as compared to hurricans and tornados, are often a minor inconvenience. That being said, we should never forget that severe thunderstorms can spawn tornados. In addition, they are a major cause of wild fires. Thunderstorms can also cause power outages either by lightning strike or wind damage to the distribution system. Even thought thunderstorms are quite localized, repair crews can take days to repair all the downed lines they cause.
Wild Fires
There is no denying that wild fires happen every year. In fact, Canada sees around 8000 of these every single year! In recent history, we’ve seen towns completely devastated by unncontrolable fires. In fact, wild fires are probably the most likely reason a prepper will have to bug out from their home. Even very large uban centers are not immune. While the concrete jungle is more of less safe from burning, smoke often affects city dwellers. Who knows, city folk might actually find another use for all those face masks they’ve been stockpiling!
Geomagnetic Storms
As solar cycle 25 ramps up, we can all but forget about the much talked about grand solar minimum. The sun is waking up. While many scientists previously predicted a below average cycle, there is new evidence that could support the idea of a very active cycle 25. Recently, a couple of scientists have been exploring a phenomenon called a termination event. Without boring everyone with the physics behind the theory, it is theorized that a termination event on the sun could not only kick the solar cycle into a higher gear than expected, it could kick it all the way up to a cycle that could rival the most active cycles in recorded history. I’m not saying it WILL happen, I’m simply saying you need to keep an eye on this.
The “C” Word!
Covid. There, I said it. While it would seem that this pandemic is finally winding down and folks in general are more interested in getting back to a more normal life as restrictions wind down, it isn’t over quite yet. Behind all the euphoria of finally being able to meet up in person with loved ones, there is chatter of a variant threatening a fourth wave, some predicting a hit to society in late summer to early fall. Really, regardless of your beliefs as to the origin of the pandemic, one thing remains clear. A fourth wave (real or created) will lead to more restrictions, more shortages, higher inflation, etc, etc, etc. Be awareand takethe opportunity provided us by this lull in cases to be ready.