@JohnR1972 Of course, whenever potential problems like this are identified, I always be sure to extend a sincere and heartfelt 'thank you' to Milhous and Henry. Not.
Just an FYI - the Domino sugar refinery located near the Port of Baltimore produces up to 6 million pounds of refined sugar per day. They have 6-8 weeks of raw sugar on hand (a ship was unloading raw sugar when the bridge collapsed closing the port). Depending on how long it takes to get the port reopened, there could be shortages of sugar beginning in mid to late May.
The loss of the Francis Scott Key bridge is a double hit on supply chains, disrupting the flow of 35,000 cars and trucks per day who will now need to find alternative routes. The bigger issue is the wreckage of the bridge is blocking the Port of Baltimore which was the 8th busiest port in the U.S. by tonnage.
The loss of the bridge and temporary closing of the port are just the latest incidents (in addition to wildfires, train derailments, fires at meat producers and meat processing facilities, etc.) that are putting a strain on supply chains for food and other products. Our supply chains are resilient… to a point. However the effects of multiple incidents tend to multiply instead of simply add, meaning each additional hit to the supply chain is more disruptive than the previous one if it occurs before we have fully recovered from the previous disruptions.
It is NOT time to panic, but I do encourage everyone to visit the FEMA website in my original post and prepare accordingly for any additional disruptions that might occur in the coming months.
Long shelf life food items, clean water, batteries, medications and a first aid kit (and knowing how to use it), water filtration, etc. are all good things to have on hand in the event of an emergency.
Thanks john, I appreciate the heads up.
Agreed. Thanks for the additional details, @JohnR1972
Even in the absence of threats of terrorism or natural disaster, it's everyone's civic duty to be prepared for rough waters.
You can't help others if you can't help yourself.
Go buy toilet paper 👀
@1_teddybear @TxTom @Morpheus Another item in very high demand is food grade water storage containers. I have several 7.5 gallon containers that I purchased from Amazon a good while back. I was on Amazon today and saw they have sold over 10,000 of that particular container in just the past 30 days and they are sold out of several other styles of containers.
Having an emergency supply of drinking water is a good idea or at a minimum, having some means of filtering / purifying water such as a “Life Straw” or water purification tablets.
I’ve watched pretty much every zombie movie, read many zombie books, listened to many audio books and plays on zombies. I have tons of canned goods and would stay home with my trusty baseball bat. Also have a portable butane burner. With extra butane cans. Lots of ramen and pasta too and about 8 gallons of water and a months supply of emergency food so I’m pretty prepared :-D
@Ironman294 - That puts you ahead of about 95% of the public in terms of preparedness. 👍
A few months ago I took the additional preparation of buying a 400 Watt solar panel and a 1 KwHr solar generator (battery pack and inverter for emergency power to keep my fridge & freezer running if the power goes out for an extended period of time).
The Ant and the Grasshopper (an Aesop fable)
In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"
"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."
"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper. "We have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.
When the winter came the Grasshopper found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing, every day, corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer.
Then the Grasshopper knew...
It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.
one of my kids actually has a degree in Emergency Management and Homeland Security. (yeah thats actually a college degree !) anyways started working for various cities and wants to eventually work in the biggest cities that are out there. His beginnings started with the movie 2012. Obviously had a great impact on him and he wants to be on the front lines for major disasters! Every year in my holiday stocking I get water purification tablets ! 🤗
@JohnR1972 i forgot to mention I have 4 mini solar chargers though they take forever to charge. Might be time to get new solar powered chargers. Also getting a riot suit would help. Covers up your body and a helmet too. The thing I hate about zombie films are guys in t shirts and shorts. Did you see Train to Busan? When they are preparing to go thru a few cars on the train? The big guy takes off his jacket he could have wrapped his arms and wore his jacket and wear gloves! Stupid, stupid
I think one critical part of proper prepping is to not advertise what you've acquired on the world's wide webs.
Otherwise, when the shi crap hits the fan you might as well hang one of those bright, neon OPEN signs in your front yard.
As for myself, I'm cool with my three can of sardines in mustard sauce. I'll just adlib the rest if that time comes.
One thing you don't see much in terms of being prepared for hard times is cultivating the kind of friends that will check on you when shtf. Have you created the kinds of bonds with friends and neighbors that will mean something? Alone it's pretty hard to protect what you have AND forage for supplies AND whatever else is needed.
@Ironman294 - excellent point, appropriate clothing is always a necessity.
@TxTom - 100%. That is one (of many) reasons I do not discuss such matters on any platform directly tied to my real identity. Most of my cuddle partners live out of state. Only one has been to my home and I would gladly share with her if she were in need.
@1_teddybear - another great point. I am on good terms with my neighbors (we get each other’s mail if someone is on vacation, shovel each other’s driveway, etc.). I also have radio equipment and a discreet outdoor antenna that allows me to stay in touch with close friends even if the cellular network goes down.
@OhioMike - that is awesome! Let’s just hope you never actually need them but they are great insurance to have sitting on a shelf!
Just bumping this 7 month old thread as I believe it is more relevant than today than when I created it back in March. We have experienced some supply chain disruptions but they have not been nearly as severe (so far) as they were during COVID.
The flooding and collapsed bridges in NC and Eastern TN will contribute to supply chain issues over the coming weeks. We may also see some panic buying going on in some places due to escalating tensions around the world.
My local Costco has started carrying buckets of emergency, dehydrated food with a 25 year shelf life. I spoke to an employee there today who told me they are selling those buckets like crazy right now.
No need for anyone to panic but I again encourage everyone to visit ready.gov
How does Costco's 25-year shelf life dehydrated food buckets compare to the ones offered by MyPatriotSupply, or other suppliers?
I know we can't be certain of the advertised shelf life for recent purchases, but if anyone has tried out the meals... what is your opinion on quality, taste, price, etc?
@TxTom What is carried at Costco can vary store by store. I had heard a couple months ago that Costco was carrying buckets of 25 year shelf life food but I never saw it at my local Costco until yesterday. They had a pallet of them and the pallet was nearly empty when I saw it.
The brand they carry is Readywise which is a well known and well respected brand. You can find YouTube videos of people doing product reviews of emergency food. Most of my emergency food is from Augason Farms which has been in business for over 50 years. Auguson Farms also sell food grade water storage containers. https://augasonfarms.com/pages/about-us
However, I also have some Readywise food as well. I have sampled both by opening individual sealed meal packets, adding water, and heating them (as appropriate). Everything I have tied (powered eggs, powdered milk, lasagna, Mac and cheese, etc. has been “OK” to “good”.
You can buy Auguson Farms and Readywise products directly from their respective websites or through Amazon. Costco had a really good price on the 132 servings bucket of Readywise for around $65.
I think I’ll be prepared!
@TheGypsyCuddler - You are probably a special case in terms of preparation due to how much you travel. I’m guessing most of your travel is by car instead of flights (just speculation on my part). If that is true, then like most things in life, there are advantages and disadvantages to spending a significant portion of your time on the road.
On the plus side, you may be able to find things in one city / state that are in very short supply in other cities or states. On the down side, you are somewhat limited in how much you can carry with you in your vehicle (unless you happen to drive a big van).
Does this bumper sticker I saw yesterday fit here?
@starrynitecuds 😂😂 That reminds me of my brothers. I remember my oldest brother once putting his hand, fingers spread wide, on my middle brother’s head. He did a massage type motion with his fingers, almost like a spider doing pushups. He asked my middle brother, “This is a brain eating spider, do you know what he is doing? STARVING!”
FYI - the International Longshoreman’s Association is threatening to go on strike on October 1 (just 25 hours from the time of this post). This would affect all ports on the East and Gulf Coast of the United States.
50% of all in bound container shipments come in through those ports. There is still a chance the strike can be averted but at this point it is unlikely. If they do strike, the impact will all depend on the length of the strike. 1 or 2 days is just a minor inconvenience but if it stretches into weeks, it will start shutting down car plants (most of our automotive exports go out of those ports) and we will see prices and availability of European imported goods impacted.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/09/28/port-strike-longshoremen-union-shipping/
"I will cripple you." - ILA union chief
Dagget threatens entire US economy. He needs to be crippled. Fire all the bosses.