Snowmageddon 2015: Survival Tips From America’s Top Preparedness Experts
If a power grid down scenario develops in the blizzard of 2015 region, millions of Americans without generators, fireplaces, or wood stoves will be in danger of contracting frostbite, hypothermia, and will be unable to heat their food or bottles of formula for babies in the household. Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo urged residents to “check on their neighbors” during the blizzard and to look out for one another, noting that help would be on the way.
If no one in the neighborhood has stocked up on food and water and has no emergency heat source or medical supplies, exactly how one well-meaning neighbor can help another remains unclear. First responders are true local heroes, but when a significant portion of a disaster area home to 50 million people need assistance, the help which is on the way might just not get there in time.
Emergency Supply Kit
Items every household needs to stay healthy during a blizzard:
- Water—at least a three-day supply; one gallon per person per day
- Food—at least a week’s supply of non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food
- Battery-powered or hand-crank flashlights and a NOAA weather radio
- Extra batteries
- First aid kit and 7-day supply of medicines
- Tools
- Sanitation and personal hygiene items
- Copies of personal documents (everything from emergency contact info to medical information to insurance policies)
- Cell phone with charger
- Extra cash
- Pet supplies
- Ample supply of warm clothes and blankets
- Alternative heating methods such as fireplaces or wood-burning stove
This is where the “rubber meets the road” and/or the “round brown smelling stuff hits the fan ” 
with all of these “you must wait until you are out of your pain meds before I will refill them ” So now we have millions of people without electricity, heat, all the roads and subways are shutdown. How many pharmacies or stores with pharmacies are going to be open. Will wholesalers or company warehouses even going to be able to delivery for days.
The only pain meds that a prescriber could call in is Tramadol, Tylenol c Cod.. for someone in mod-severe pain.. the Tramadol is probably virtually worthless and how long will a store’s inventory of Tylenol c Cod going to last.
The area affected is some of the most densely populated area in the country.. as many as 15%-20% of the ENTIRE COUNTRY’S population could be adversely affected by this..
Let’s do the math… using a round figure of 50 million people being affected and 1/3 of them are chronic painers … we are now down to 17 million and roughly 3% are going to run out of their meds every day.. so we are down to a 500,000 chronic pain pts taking their last dose of pain meds EVERY DAY.. they can’t get their pain meds filled because of this natural disaster.. Each one within 24 hrs of starting into withdrawal… Don’t forget they don’t have any electricity or heat.. So now they have to try to keep warm, deal with elevated and untreated pain while dealing with withdrawal symptoms ramping up.
I hope that everyone is happy that you made these chronic pain people not have any spare doses or refill a couple of days early.. I guess those professionals that recommend that you have a 7 days “emergency supply” on hand.. are totally clueless about how that does not apply to those in chronic pain or some other subjective diseases and require controlled meds to maintain some quality of life …
BE WELL … BECAUSE YOUR HEALTH IS EVERYTHING !
Filed under: General Problems
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It is very sad that there is no plan for pain sufferers in these cases. I think people are VERY naive (and want to stay this way) when it comes to pain sufferers. It seems to be a “not my problem” issue. I think to many believe we exaggerate the pain. Would they act like this to a child with a broken leg? And YES before anyone says it, pain can be as bad as a broken leg. The “medical community” is full of very stupid people who really don’t understand pain. Think about it…it’s not that hard to understand pain and a pain sufferer. All you need to do is ask us questions…we are more than welling to answer them. The abuse going on with doctors and pharmacies is horrible. When did our pharmacists start receiving medical training and become license to make the call to override doctors? Funny I never see any on the walls at the pharmacy.
Guess if we freeze to death it won’t matter will it. Shelters should be set up for those without heat sources.
Actually the hospital should be prepared to take care of the patients that require medication for pain. People say withdrawal symptoms are just pain but could involve seizures,hypertension, dehydration, and of course uncontrolled pain. What are hospitals for? Even Alcoholics are detoxed humanely with librium to prevent DT ‘s.
And with the rediculously strict laws I, for example, am not allowed to refill any of my meds at any pharmacy other than the one Walmart who fills them. They cannot even be transferred to another Walmart. When I went to Chicago for 3 weeks it happened to be the time I needed refills for all of my meds. I wasn’t even allowed to fill my xanax script for insomnia. So in the event of a natural disaster all pain med patients are left with no options other than to suffer excruciating pain and serious withdrawals from each medication at the same time which as we all know is extremely dangerous and can be deadly. I find this to be so negligent and irresistible.
What are you talking about?
You make no sense. A little while ago you ridiculed a chain for making sure customers weren’t turned away.
And that begs the question especially to Pam ‘throw them all in jail’ Bondi and her I’m not comfotable filling that crowd….what happens when the hurricaine warnings go up and the mandatory evacuations are ordered?? Hmmm and then suppose we’re also talking an aftermath the likes of Andrew, Dennis, Charley, Ivan and Wilma where maybe one has to be ‘bugged out’ for more than a few days…look at the devastation of Ike, Katrina, Sandy in other states….