This post is by Bernie Carr, apartmentprepper.com
As the death toll from Hurricane Dorian continues to rise in the Bahamas, the residents are suffering from widespread chaos.
Looting and Pillaging
Reports indicate that people are starting to panic as they have no food or water available. It’s bad enough that they have to deal with losing their homes, lack of water or food, they now have to contend with looting. According to this article from The Daily Mail,
“…looters are trying to shoot people in the scramble to get food and water.
Reports indicated militias have formed to combat looters.
“Extra security has been deployed with witnesses seeing residents breaking into liquor stores and supermarkets, carrying off goods in bags or filling their vehicles. Local militias have been formed to clamp down on the widespread looting.”
Lack of sanitation is now also a problem. As the hurricane left massive destruction in infrastructure, the residents have nowhere to go other than evacuate. Unfortunately, it is a slow process as thousands of people are trying to flee and there is only limited transportation.
What disasters are threats in your area?
We are witnessing that things can quickly turn into lawlessness in the aftermath of a big disaster. Even if you don’t prepare for anything else, prepare for the most likely threats in your area.
- hurricanes
- earthquake
- ice storms
- wild fires
- drought.
Have a backup plan for evacuating if you have to. You may also need a way to protect yourself from looters.
There is an old saying “We are only nine meals away from anarchy.” Tragically, the situation developing in the Bahamas is proving that it is true.
We pray for everyone suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.
Image by Carol W.
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because of the laws in the Bahamas you DO NOT have any firearms to protect yourself or your property. The mobs rule. This happens anytime there is a break down in law enforcement. The criminal element will come out to loot and pillage. This is why having firearms and the training to use them is so important. Just look at Ferguson and the looting and burning that went on there and there was some law enforcement present. What would it have been like with no law enforcement at all like in the Bahamas right now.
Hi Oldguy, So true,if you have nothing to defend yourself with, you are at the mercy of these lawless mobs. Thanks for the comment.
Nobody wants to take your gun away old man. We want to get rid of military assault weapons. If the looters have guns now like the article says, and guns are illegal, then maybe the loooters are law enforrcement? They have to eat too!
Can’t tell from the report who the looters are; so many desperate and hungry people there. Regardless of views on weapons, we recommend preparedness for everyone; that’s why this blog is non political. Thanks for the comment.
I’m always taken aback by folks that refer to weapons of war on the streets. There is a big difference between real weapons of war and the perceived ones. The ONLY similarity is the appearance, and the magazine capacity.
Before you mention magazine capacity you might ask yourself why we need vehicles that will drive many times over the speed limit? They cause deaths by speeding and yet you might need speed in an emergency. But we feel we need them for much the same reasons as the high capacity magazines.
But the most important reason is that we live in a free country and society!
Tornadoes are a threat here. It takes more than 1 or 2 to pull 24hr guard. All the more reason to have a team. You have to be able to work on recovery and you have to sleep so it can’t all be done by yourself.
Physical barriers and area denial tools such as caltrops, fencing and barricades should be stored in the various locations your team lives in as well.
Hi Matt in Oklahoma, Tornadoes can level a town in a matter of minutes- you are right to have a team so you can watch each other’s back should chaos ensue. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks, Bernie. Timely article.
As you know, my own area of expertise is emergency lighting. In the past, you’ve mentioned my books in Apartment Prepper and featured some emergency lamps the directions for which you found in my books. And thanks for that.
Now here’s a link to a freebe. You can copy-and-paste the link into your browser. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv7Bx6usT-g It’s a chapter and/or article I’ve written on flashlights. A flashlight might not stop a looter but it will likely slow him down.
The idea is to have on hand an assortment of cheap flashlights that will run on just about any battery you can find. And let’s make that any ONE battery you can find. You’ll probably be able to find some kind of battery in either your toothbrush or the kid’s toys or your carving knife. But do you have a flashlight that can use what you find?
This (free) chapter lists, by brand and part number, flashlights that will run on just about anything you locate . . . any SINGLE battery you locate. Hope it helps.
Hi Ron, this is a good tip. Great to hear from you. Thanks for sending the link!
The most common battery is a AA cell and that happens to be the same length as a C cell battery. So to use a AA cell in a C cell flashlight you just need to rap some paper around them. And you can mix AA and C cells in the same light. To use AA and C cell batteries in a D cell flashlight use some steel flat washers at the negative end of the battery stack to make up the height. You will need to rap paper around the batteries to keep them in place. Now for AAA cell batteries to be use in a AA cell light you need a empty 45 ACP case. Put the empty case on the negative end of the battery. this makes up the length and will hold the battery in place. I hope these battery tips are of some use.
Those are some good battery hacks! Will have to try them. Thanks.
Those are super battery hacks, Oldguy, stuff that can be improvised on the spot. Three cheers! For prepping ahead of time, you can search eBay for “battery adapter AAA to C” or for “battery adaptor AA to D” and come up with a shoebox full of adapters that will convert anything to anything. (If you’re not careful, of course, it will even convert your full wallet to an empty wallet.)
This is why you need to know your neighbors so you can work as a team to protect each others things and supplies. This is a time when you may need to share the supplies that you all have. They may have the tools you need and do have anymore. The same thing goes the other way as they may need a tarp to cover the hole in there roof. This is when having good trust worthy neighbors is so important. Spend time getting to know your neighbor’s before there is a disaster. You do not need to be buddies with them just so you know them. I try to know the other people in the building I live in just so I can tell if they belong there or not. I talk to them in the laundry room and say hello when I see them in the building halls and parking lot.
What’s the old saying? You’re only as strong as your friends are.
Hi Ben, I agree it is important to get to know the neighbors, though not always easy in an apartment. I sometimes attend mgmt events such as summer ice cream socials or holiday pizza parties and such and chat with the neighbors. Also a good way to find out what’s going on the in complex – who’s moving in, out, break-ins, etc. Thanks for the comment.
Anna Pol(iandri)Pot, anti-gun communist, commies like you use the term ‘military assault weapons’ as if you know what you are talking about. There is not now nor ever has been any clear definition of what constitutes your ‘assault weapon’ and this is clearly on purpose so you can identify any gun as an ‘assault weapon’. Go blow your smoke up your own arse.
Armed citizens are citizens, unarmed citizens are subjects!! When seconds count, the police are only minutes away! If they want to foment a revolution, let them come for our weapons. The second amendment was put into the constitution so that we citizens could protect ourselves from such a government as we now have! Read the Federalist Papers!