Wow, your poor friend - 5 minutes to get out!
I lived throught the January Ice Storm of 1998 without electricity for 2 weeks - we had preps then and are even more prepared now! We live in the country on our own well and septic so NO pumped well water but septic worked just by dumping a small amount of water (melted freezing rain/snow) to flush it down ("if it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down"). No baths, just wash-ups from a basin - then the water used to flush the toilet. We heat with two wood stoves and had lots of firewood, so we were nice and warm. Cooking on a wood stove. BUT also, no gas stations, bank machines, open stores, etc. during that time. It was an important lesson which we learned from and took action for the future!

hello!
I'm from Mexico. I lived through the 1985 earthquake, even though I was very young, I remember there was no electricity or running water, the neighbors had to organize to open hydrants, as well as in the most affected areas helped people who were under the rubble of collapsed buildings. No doubt the entire country was not prepared for something like that. the theme "Prepper" in Mexico is very poor and even though many are interested in this incoming information is very little. But as they say "the will is the way."

Greetings from Mexico.

P.S. I hope you understand what I wrote, use google translator

Lived 15 years under a communist regime and another 15 in a post communist one.
Using candles during regular power outages, improvised propane heaters to heat up the apartment, scarcity of basic foods and stuff, fear of government and that's just some of it. I think that qualifies as a major disaster. Even with all this I think we were in a far better position than other people, like people in some african countries, Gaza, North Korea etc.

Also I was about 1000 kms from Chernobyl when it happened.

During Hurricane Sandy I lost power for 5 minutes. So.... pretty bad ass over here 😕 XD

I was 60KM from Chernobyl when it blew up, was visiting a kids' camp, the whole world knew but we were told 30 days later.. when I got back home, we were kept indoors and lived on whatever food our families saved (everyone always habitually saved food and clean water). I remember seeing our laundry that was hung outside to dry turn a rust colour and many people started losing hair, years later many got throat cancer and many babies were born with horrible birth defects or stillborn. I'm definitely watching my health and always habitually storing a bit for a "rainy day"..

Lived 15 years under a communist regime and another 15 in a post communist one.
Using candles during regular power outages, improvised propane heaters to heat up the apartment, scarcity of basic foods and stuff, fear of government and that's just some of it. I think that qualifies as a major disaster. Even with all this I think we were in a far better position than other people, like people in some african countries, Gaza, North Korea etc.

Also I was about 1000 kms from Chernobyl when it happened.

Prom, where are you from? I'm from Odessa but lived all over Soviet Union 🙂

Prom, where are you from? I'm from Odessa but lived all over Soviet Union 🙂

Hi torontogirl

I'm from Romania, also by the Black Sea.
Ouch, 60 km from hell, glad you're OK. We were actually told much earlier than you. I remember that that summer we had to wash fruits and veggies more thoroughly , we ate no fish, I had to spent less time outside for a few weeks and I couldn't go swim in the sea. We were lucky to be in the south and didn't get much of the fallout but people up north were more in the way.

Nice to 'meet' you 🙂

Odessa was much better off than Kiev and other Northern cities, when I got back from the camp by Chernobyl, no one knew about the disaster, it's amazing how much we were lied to..

When I was a kid I had to be carried out of my home that had been hit by floodwaters.
The whole neighborhood now swarms out when water starts building up on the streets, to keep the storm drains free of debris. Getting soaked is better than having your home destroyed.

I've seen many small disasters; big dumps of snow, a small twister and other events. In all cases I've seen so far, the community comes together, cleans up, then life gets back on track.

I have nothing close to what some have already shared, but like PrepHer, I also lived through the Ice Storm of 98 and the Northeast Blackout of 2003 - I'm located in Eastern Ontario and we were impacted by both.

The big lessons are like PrepHer already said - what would you do if you went 2 weeks with no electricity? Don't count on businesses having power or even backup power. During both events, the army would take over some resources, like diesel fuel, to support critical need areas like hospital generators and their trucks for clearing roads and working to restore power.

I'm still not as prepared as I want to be for an extended power outage. I won't freeze, I'll be able to cook food, I'll have a source of water, I'll have light, but there are still a few things I'd like to be better prepared for and my husband and I are working towards those goals. I guess that's why I'm a "Prepper" and not "Prepped!" 😉

I lived through the Christchurch Earthquakes. These are bad enough. We didn't lose our house Many people did , But we lost power for up to 6 Hours During the first Big Quake. This included cell phone coverage During the second Big Quake Six months later we had Fuel and food Shortages, for about 3 days. the city had to truck in Fresh water.
The 2nd quake the city lost 193 Lives. Lots of Damage to houses, People had to be evacuated to Refugee centers etc.
Even today we still are having small aftershocks. 2 years later.
I would say I am better prepared than I am 2 years ago.

Been thru 3 "once in 100 years" flood events here in SE Qld. 1st when i was just a kid.. last 2 in past 3 yrs... don't remember much about the 74 floods besides the water outside the house.

The past 2 didn't affect me too much but coupla family members had some hairy times. Startyed seriously prepping after the floods 2-3 yrs ago. I lost some food n power in the last lot but was well prepared :). mind u.. a hot humid summer night with cyclonic wind and rain and no fan was less than fun. Couldn't have the window open because the rain was being blown near horizontal.

I did not experience it, but I was part of the hurricane relief effort in Louisiana for hurricane Katrina. TV did not do it justice, the sights and especially the smell is still vivid in my mind. It was awful but I would do it all over again. You just have to get into a zone and get to work. If you dwelled on the death and destruction, it would have consumed you. I saw first hand what not being prepared does to a community...warning signs everywhere not to come near or they would shoot. Looting was out of control and armed security was necessary to protect the supplies and the workers.

GM1

Yes, the ice storm of 98 here in eastern Ontario was rough. I personally was not affected by the major power outages. Random pure luck, because the neighbours right across the street from me did. I took in a friend with a baby. I know many people were staying on cots in gymnasiums. My grandparent's dishes froze in their sink and many MANY trees came down on houses and power lines. Oh, and people were FIGHTING for generator or the ones who had generators were charging RIDICULOUS amounts to the poor people who didn't have one/couldn't afford one. (this is why we prep!) A storm like that is what my main concerns are with prepping in this area. It gets COLD here! Many people really take for granted this magical stuff we can electricity! IMO, everyone in Canadian climate should have HEAT on the very top of their priorities. I'm not sure which part of the forum I read something like this, or who wrote it, but it makes a heck of a lot of sense:

How many people in our climate has ACTUALLY gone out winter camping with just their BOB? If you never have, it'll be one rude awakening! (and that's putting it lightly obviously).

Anywho, March is here.. Spring will be here soon but warmer weather is not a luxury we Canadian's (and other northern parts of the world) will have for the majority of the year.