How much is enough?

[TexasFreedom]

In prepper meetings, I'm often asked "How much food should I have stored?".

Great question. I often ask what 'disaster' do they think they'll need food for. That gives a time frame and they can answer their own question.

But Puerto Rico is now my new Gold Standard. It's been a week since Hurricane Maria plowed over the island.

Now, every news report shows people desperate. No food, no gas, no electricity, no communications, no clean water, and no help. Don't get me wrong, the US is spending plenty of $millions trying to get help there. But it is slow: damaged ports, damaged airport, tree-blocked roads, bridges destroyed, and still plenty of standing and moving water. Every day they are getting to isolated neighborhoods. It will be weeks more before they get to isolated homes.

So my new question for people will be: "if you lived on Puerto Rico on 9/20/17, how much food and water would you want?". No last-minute gas or food available, what you have at home is going to be all you have for __ days/weeks. Decide accordingly.

Some will say "yeah, but it's an island which is why it's taking so long". Sure. And some disasters are bigger or smaller, quicker or longer lasting. The problem is that last minute you can't overnight 3 months worth of MRE's.

 

[Danil54grl]

Think that is a good question to ask. Another is how do you have it stored? In a Puerto Rico situation, even if you do have food and water stored, is it going to be available to you after the crisis. Can it withstand rising water in your home? Lots of homes here that never had water in them had over 6'. That's huge! What happens if a tornado came thru and took out part of your house if not all. Do you have it stored in more than one place? Do you have more than one method to prepare it? Stove, grill, propane stove, fireplace, etc. Just things to consider.

 

[Arcticdude]

I believe that anyone who cares should have at least a couple months of food and fresh water plus water filters stashed away. If you're in a flood and/or hurricane prone area then it needs to be stored somewhere that will stay safe. Beyond a couple months of food stores a person should be able to procure fresh food on their own, rather than sitting around waiting for a government handout. My geography may be a little rusty, but isn't PR an island surrounded by ocean? And isn't that ocean full of seafood? Just asking.

 

[TexasFreedom]

My geography may be a little rusty, but isn't PR an island surrounded by ocean? And isn't that ocean full of seafood? Just asking.

AD, You do give me a laugh. What, you expect people to go out when they're hungry & catch their own food? Obviously you must be a racist (that's the left's answer to everything).

These people are upset! They can't sit & watch TV, no A/C, their welfare check will not make in on time this month because mail isn't getting delivered & banks are closed. At least we can have fast food delivered to their front doors! You want them to go out & provide their own meals? What, you expect them to clean the fish & cook them up too!

You must believe in personal accountability or such nonsense... I'm sorry, that ship sailed long ago.

 

[jimLE]

So my new question for people will be: "if you lived on Puerto Rico on 9/20/17, how much food and water would you want?".

i'm thinking at least,3 to 4 months of food for situations like that..


but then,there's what danil pointed out

Another is how do you have it stored? In a Puerto Rico situation, even if you do have food and water stored, is it going to be available to you after the crisis.

their on a island.and because of that.chances are,the water table is to high for a storm/bomb shelter for their homes...but yet.there are mountainous areas that probably can be used during times of hurricanes..it turns out that,Puerto Rico is composed of Cretaceous to Eocenevolcanic and plutonic rocks, which are overlain by younger Oligocene to recent carbonates and other sedimentary rocks. Most of the caverns and karst topography on the island occurs in the northern Oligocene to recent carbonates....to me that means they do have areas in which they can build shelters,for everyone can go to.during hurricane season..and still have food,water,and shelter..

more about puerto rico is here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Puerto_Rico

they can do so much for themselves.

 

[grayghost668]

AD, You do give me a laugh. What, you expect people to go out when they're hungry & catch their own food? Obviously you must be a racist (that's the left's answer to everything).

These people are upset! They can't sit & watch TV, no A/C, their welfare check will not make in on time this month because mail isn't getting delivered & banks are closed. At least we can have fast food delivered to their front doors! You want them to go out & provide their own meals? What, you expect them to clean the fish & cook them up too!

You must believe in personal accountability or such nonsense... I'm sorry, that ship sailed long ago.

you are making jokes,these people are in deep shit and it is nothing to poke fun at,,,

 

[grayghost668]

shit I can't read anymore of this crap

 

[TexasFreedom]

you are making jokes,these people are in deep shit and it is nothing to poke fun at,,,

Yup, that's exactly what I did. I take no pleasure in honorable people suffering.

But AD made a great point: people in PR need to step up & take action to save themselves. But many in PR are just like inner city welfare slugs, not willing to lift a finger to save their own lives. I hear the media talking about how Trump isn't getting help everywhere fast enough. It's Trump's fault, once again.

The island is 35 miles across. That's 17 miles to shore from the furthest point.

Are things bad? Yes. Can the people there do a whole lot more to help themselves? Yes. And yes, I still have pity on them. But I'm not going to ignore their self-pity nor the media's game.

 

[grayghost668]

they were hit by 2 or was it 3 massive Hurricanes this year,,,,,but they are not Texas or Florida or any other state that was hit by Hurricanes this year,so let them rot huh,,,,,no pity no compassion NADA,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,buddy you have shown your true colors,,,,,from now on when you spout off about God and what you believe,,,,I will ignore it,,,you are no Christian,you are a pretender,,,,,,,,,,,,,have a nice life this is the last post I will ever make directed at you

 

[TexasFreedom]

Can the people there do a whole lot more to help themselves? Yes. And yes, I still have pity on them. But I'm not going to ignore their self-pity nor the media's game.

they were hit by 2 or was it 3 massive Hurricanes this year,,,,,but they are not Texas or Florida or any other state that was hit by Hurricanes this year,so let them rot huh,,,,,no pity no compassion NADA,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,buddy you have shown your true colors,,,,,from now on when you spout off about God and what you believe,,,,I will ignore it,,,you are no Christian,you are a pretender,,,,,,,,,,,,,have a nice life this is the last post I will ever make directed at you

You seem to only read what you want to see. Your comment shows how much you missed what I wrote. See bold quotes above, I specifically called out that I have pity for the people in PR. And you turned around and said I have "no pity". Sure, whatever.

I quoted AD that the people in PR need to step up themselves and help to get all the relief supplies distributed. That is not a lack of pity, that is plain reality. Roads are blocked and destroyed, the trucks can't get everywhere. People need to go out of their homes (and likely neighborhoods) to meet the supplies. Nor did I say that supplies shouldn't go to PR. I made no secret that I'm not happy that PR is a welfare state but that has nothing to do with compassion.

 

[TexasFreedom]

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/201...tting-no-help-trump-stands-front-pallets-aid/

This article has an excellent summary of the problem. The liberal mayor of San Juan goes into attack-Trump mode, complaining of not getting US aid while standing in front of several pallets of US aid!

Watch the video. At 6:30 in the video they are complaining about why it took a week for the medical hospital boat to leave Virginia to go to PR. Well I don't have to think that hard to know that the hurricane was heading TOWARD Virginia and they shouldn't plan to sail through the hurricane! Idiots. Anything to attack Trump and anything to blame the US as evil. I'm so sick of this.

That is what I was talking about. PR is literally biting the hand that feeds them.

 

[Arcticdude]

I see nothing wrong with expecting people to do what they can to help themselves, rather than sitting around waiting for a hand out. All this US aid going to PR is coming out of our pockets, those of us who pay taxes anyway, and yet they still whine about it it not being enough, or fast enough.

 

[TexasFreedom]

http://dailycaller.com/2017/09/30/e...mayor-shes-not-participating-in-any-meetings/

A worthwhile read. A quote:
When asked about Cruz’s “genocide” statement, Perez said, “I don’t know why she is saying that. What I can tell you is my experience. She is not participating in any meetings and we had a couple already with the governors and with representation of FEMA and of HUD, of these whole federal agencies that have given us help and she’s not participating in those meetings and some mayors from her political party have been participating, so I don’t know why she is saying that. My experience is very different.”

So this is a mayor from another town in PR. He is saying exactly what I said. He and his community are working. They are communicating. They are involved. AND he notes that the whining San Juan mayor Cruz is NOT attending the meetings, is NOT communicating, and is only whining. And this guy (Perez) is from the "New Progressive Party", so not exactly a conservative.

So I will say it again. Help is available. But people in PR need to get busy to help get the aid distributed. People who sit and whine and do nothing and die; well I have no pity for them. It was their choice, so why would I be upset about them getting what they wanted? They chose their path.

Further down Perez talks about how PR's fiscal problems are a key issue, and if feds don't give money it will not be there. Let me compare PR with Texas. I saw a couple of days ago that Texas' governor gave a $50 million check to the Houston mayor to help defray costs. Texas has a 'rainy day' fund, and money like this can come from there. But it required saving and saying NO to other hand-out programs. PR chose to do all their handout programs for decades, so now they're broke. So PR can't help the people in PR because they have no money because they've lived unwisely. That was their choice. They get to live with the consequences.

Sure, the US should and will give PR food and water and medical care and tarps and tents to help for a few months. But rebuilding their infrastructure is THEIR problem. PR is not a US state, they don't get the benefit of statehood. Their infrastructure is their problem. Maybe they need to reconsider voting for people other than Cruz. But as long as they want to live this way, then that is exactly what they will have. (rant over)