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It sounds like the beginning of a 24 episode and very well should because what I'm about to share with you can and probably will happen. Sadly our Jack Bauer will not be around to saves us. How I wish it were only a TV show.

I have a report to give you about the fireside I went to on Sunday. Yes, I did in fact subject myself to this type of torture on my birthday...I guess you could say I felt very strongly about going. I won't pretend, it was a rough meeting, at times inspiring, at times teary. My little mind is not prepared to deal with such tragedies, but I must somehow get my mind around this for the sake of my family.

I thought the meeting would be more about how to prepared, but it was more to tell us what we are preparing for to better understand what we need. It was given by Elder Morrison an Emeritus of the seventy who is working with the church on these issues. He first started out by telling us the events that could possibly reach us in the area which I live...in no particular order.

1. Earthquake
2. Severe winter or summer storm (few weeks with no power)
3. Terrorism
4. Chemical spill
5. Natural disease....Avian Flu
6. Disruption to major energy grid (a major power problem in CA could affect us.)
7. Major Financial meltdown anywhere in the world

So consider where you are in the country/world and add or subtract from the list. If you're on the coast you should add tsunami, hurricane. etc. If you want to know more about the specific risks in your area go here.

These are the things to consider if one of these 7 tragedies were to happen.

-No communication what so ever. No cell phones or landlines. GPS. Everything will be person to person.
-No Power
-No water
-No sewer
-Prepare for family to be separated...dad at work, kids at school. This was one I hadn't consider that really hit me hard
-Dealing with anxiety of being separated
-Children could be evacuated to another location other than school...where is that?
-Normal route blocked for fathers/mothers to get home...they will have to walk
-Consider weather (winter cold/snow or summer heat)
-Clothing/shelter, is your house in one piece?
-No Gasoline, if you have generators that use gas you won't be able to get more.
-No food to buy
-No Meds available
-Dealing with injuries
-Remember entire neighborhoods will be in the same situation...no one to help you.
-Looters, my need to protect family (this was another one I hadn't thought of either.)

He then talked specifically about the effects of an earthquake that was 7.0 and higher in my region, but could obviously be applied to all of us.

-The highest risk according to FEMA would be if the earthquake hit at 2pm. Due to the number of school buildings that are not structurally ready for an earthquake many children would die. (At this point I almost started crying. Something I hadn't considered was my children being away from me and wonder if they were alive.) Also a lot of the casualties would come from workers in the buildings downtown or ones on the road coming home.
-I15 would be non-usable. Every overpass would be destroyed.
-Individuals in the canyon would be trapped due to major landslides.
-If reservoir/dams break the valley would be flooded
-Gas line breaks will start fires
-Parking structures, buildings will either collapse or be compromised
-Hospitals will be in bad shape and will only be able to help a few if any at all.

Yeah, lots to think about. The good news is if it's isolated to your state then of course the government and all other states can step in, but it may not be for 2-3 weeks. We need to consider being on our own until then.

Now moving on to the Avian flu. Honestly I wasn't sure how to take all the information he was giving us because it just sounded like dire straits. If in fact the virus does learn how to jump from bird to human in an easy way we are toast. There really is nothing we can do.

-1.5 million + Americans would die.
-Financially America would shut down. Small Business will not survive.
-Boarder closures
-Healthcare would be so overwhelmed it could only help people for a few days. It would pretty much be non-existent. If sick you will most likely be dealing with it on your own.
-Communities would experience psychological breakdowns.

He said the only way to protect yourself from the flu is to quarantine your family. No one comes in no one goes out. He did not give a time line, which I would have liked to know, but didn't think about until later. After doing a little research online it would be months before the risk of getting the flu would pass.

When I left this is what I took from the fireside:

Bottom line - YOU have to help yourself. There will be no government to help. The church will not help you because it can't. Your best response is at the family and neighborhood level.

Do what the brothern have said, get your food storage including water the most important. Get all the essentials your family needs for several months, like medications etc. Learn how to be self sufficient. He joked about teaching ourselves to learn how to dig a hole in the backyard as the bathroom when the sewage is not working. Be able to protect yourself and family...this was a big one for me and something I had not considered. In these types of situations it brings out bad people and they take advantage. He wouldn't come out and say buy a gun, but when it was asked how to protect ourselves he said, "I don't want to talk about it. It's not a comfortable thing. It's one thing for someone to come looking for food. It's another if they have come to kidnap, rape, or murder." I almost lost it. Just one more thing to think about amidst all the other stresses.

I did leave feeling overwhelmed, but also inspired. I thought, it will not be easy, but if I can face a tragedy knowing I did everything I could, then I would be able to better handle the situation. And that is why I want to share it with you. Not to frighten you, but so you will not regret not doing everything you possibly could to help your family if something does happen. Don't get me wrong I am freaked out beyond what I expected, but I am also feeling calm. Honestly there is nothing you or I can do about one of these things happening so we just need to be prepared. I am doing everything in my power to take the energy I'm using to stress me out and use it for good...for preparedness.

If you have any questions ask. I am of course no expert, but it my trigger something from the fireside I have forgotten.

And so I don't leave off on such a downer. I received good mail birthday packages from Kristy and Amy S., and birthday wishes from Michelle and Jill yesterday. (Will add photo when I get a chance to take it.) Thank you so much ladies!