Disaster Preparedness and Recovery For the Armed Citizen
This is a work in progress. Your input is welcome.
I'm by no means an expert on this topic. My goal is simply to get folks thinking about a disaster situation while still keeping ones self armed, a topic I've not seen much written about.
I'm not going to speculate on an end of the world as we know it type disaster. I'll leave that to some science fiction authors and toeach his or her own. I'm going to address the more mundane yet realrisks and compromises one makes trying to say armed and prepared before during an after some realistic scenarios in a urban environment based on some recent history, laws and musings. After the disaster in these type situations there is a real chance of returning to normality and the world as we know it moving on due to the overall small scale of the disaster where most of the population was not affected.
Most of the time I don't have a answers here, just thought provoking questions. I'll never have an answer for your situation, your risk assessment and your priorities.
Disasters
Most recently here in TX we've had fires. Living in the Gulf Coast area Hurricanes and flooding are an issue. That includes the influx of refugees from displaced people. City folks have had mobs and looters from time to time. Tornadoes in Joplin Missouri come to mind. Power outages, interruptions of the supply chain of goods. The list goes on.
Abandoning Your Guns.
If you have a large collection chances are during a bug out or move to safer ground situation you'll be leaving behind some of your guns.
What kind of safe do you have at home? Fire and water? Will it keep your collection safe from possible looters during your absence? What kind of records do you have of your guns?
What to Take With You
Rifle? Shotgun? Handgun? How much ammo?
My thought would go to a handgun and all the full magazines you can carry. No sense in hulling around ammo in boxes unless you have a revolver and even then some speed loaders would be better in my opinion.
Rifles\Carbines\Shotguns do have advantages here in Texas. You can carry without a CHL including open carry. Just don't look threating. Again I recommend carrying magazines as opposed to boxed rounds. I recommend a small light carbine over a shotgun.
Carrying Your Guns
Do you have a holster for your go to handgun? Sling for your long gun? A way to hide them on your person to not look like a threat?
If your go to Glock sits in a drawer all the time and you don't have a good holster preferably concealed then it is not going to be handy. Do you practice concealed carrying that gun enough to bug out with it?
A nice square bag that doesn't have a tactical look for your carbine is great to carry around without too much suspicion.
Keeping Them Safe
How about a small safe? Tie-downs and locks for your bags? Trunk of a car or place to hide it?
Volunteering with your gun.
Do you want to help others during a disaster? Most volunteer organizations aren't going to like the fact you are armed. Plan accordingly.
Situations That Occur
I have a friend in Baton Rouge LA. After Katrina he said his experience was in the city “The streets had eyes”. Bad folks were looking for victims. Soon after Katrina while getting gas hehad three guys approach him and clearly ask for his wallet and to getaway from his car. He drew his weapon and they started backing away fast and asking him why he drew a gun.
Duringa disaster there will be folks off their medication, prescription or otherwise, that keeps them in check. There will be others who are looking for the first opportunity to benefit at the expense of others from the situation with the added incentive that they did not prepareas well as you did.
But that's why we are going though the cost of having a firearm during the disaster right?
Shelters
If you decide to carry a gun you will not be able to use most publicshelters. During the aftermath of Katrina the shelters asked folks there to disarm.
Plan accordingly with backup shelters like tents and a place to be thatputs you and yours comfortably out of the way.
Laws and Legislation
I really want to do something here but I've run out of time. There is now law where LEOs can't disarm you during a disaster for the most part.