Special Report: How To Survive A Mudslide

As some of you know, I live in Washington State, not far as the crow flies from the recent mudslides that have claimed many lives.  Rescue personnel are still digging through the rubble to find victims and as of this moment 125 souls are still unaccounted for.

One of the reasons we prepare is so that we are ready to act and to survive following a natural disaster.  In this case, those in the immediate path of the mudslide were unable to get out of the way.  Many perished.  On the other hand, about four hours following the mudslide, those in the surrounding area were told to evacuate immediately.

I have watched many news reports with clips from the evacuees.  Many abandoned their homes with just the clothes on their back and are now being housed in shelters.  They grabbed wallets and cellphones and headed out the door without very much else.  Can you imagine how much better off they would be if they also had bug-out bags with a change of clothing, meds, toiletries and other personal items?

I don’t want to belabor the point because I know you get it but still, I do want to remind you to keep your bug-out-bag handy and in a place where you can get to it quickly in an emergency.
Mudslide Survival
Backdoor Survival Contributing Author Joe Alton, aka Dr. Bones, has written an article aptly titled Mudslide Survival.  I urge you to read it – regardless of where you live – because you just never know when a mudslide or similar event will happen in your neighborhood.

Mudslide Survival by Joe Alton

The Final Word
As Joe mentions in his article, homes are vulnerable even if they are not built on a slope.  Before building that dream home or bug-out-location, keep the following in mind:

-Beware of steep slopes, natural or man-made runoff conduits, or eroded areas.
-Have the county Geological Survey specialist assess your property for possible mudslide risk.
-Consider flexible pipe fittings (installed by pros) less prone to gas or water leaks.
-Consider building a retaining wall in likely mudslide channels.
-Avoid areas that have experienced mudslides in the past.
-Plan out an evacuation route.
-Have a battery-powered NOAA weather radio.
-Have a medical kit with items to deal with both traumatic injury and water sterilization.

My heart is broken over this local tragedy.  My thoughts and prayers go out not only to the victims and their families, but to the many volunteer responders who are working hard during the victim recovery process.

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!

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Gaye Levy, also known as the Survival Woman, grew up and attended school in the Greater Seattle area. After spending many years as an executive in the software industry, she started a specialized accounting practice offering contract CFO work to emerging high tech and service industries. She has now abandoned city life and has moved to a serenely beautiful rural area on an island in NW Washington State. She lives and teaches the principles of a sustainable and self-reliant lifestyle through her website at BackdoorSurvival.com. At Backdoor Survival, Gaye speaks her mind and delivers her message of prepping with optimism and grace, regardless of the uncertain times and mayhem swirling around us.

The article Special Report: How To Survive A Mudslide published by TheSleuthJournal – Real News Without Synthetics