Hurricane Helene was a once in a millennium storm, not so much for it's size (geographically it was big, but we've seen bigger) or power (a Cat 4 when it came ashore in the Florida Big Bend region, but a tropical storm before it exited Georgia), but for the destruction it wrought in places that didn't expect it - western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Helene was a 'perfect storm' due to the combination of rainfall, winds and terrain. I can't think of a worst place to dump 24" of rain in 48 hours than over the heavily dissected terrain of western North Carolina.
Places like Florida and coastal Georgia receive these kinds of storm hits fairly regularly, but the terrain in these areas is more forgiving and, most important, the state and federal emergency management agencies and the citizenry expect these storms and are prepared to deal with them. Not so in western North Carolina.
So here we are, a month and a bit after Helene hit North Carolina, and we're starting to see a lot of individual after-action reports coming out of the region. The majority are YouTube videos. Some are of the breathless
"Oh God, pray for us!" theme, some are of the
"FEMA and the rest of the government suck" perspective, but many are very good analytical reports that focus on what worked and what didn't. I think it's interesting that most of the level headed analytical reports are put together by individuals who are self reliant (i.e., preppers) at heart, and they view Helene as a learning experience.
My formative disaster experience was Katrina. I was working as an operations officer at First Army HQ in Atlanta when Katrina hit, and worked the military response side from Atlanta (my big boss was LTG Russel 'Don't Get Stuck On Stupid' Honore). Katrina has colored my perspective on preparedness down through the years. I find it interesting that the fundamentals have not changed:
- Shelter
- Water
- Food
- Medical
- Communications
- Community
- Security
- Resilience
- Power & Fuel
What has changed around some of these fundamentals is the enabling technologies. For example, in 2005 there was no such thing as cheap commercial space-based internet (Starlink). We had ham radio, but low power digital modes like FT8 or JS8 were still more than a decade in the future. Winlink was an emerging system (Sail Mail), and still relied heavily on expensive PACTOR modems. Improved Lithium-based battery technologies were still in development. Inexpensive, reliable and power efficient LED lighting technologies wouldn't be available for a few years. High quality consumer-grade solar panels and charge controllers were also years in the future. Lightweight inverter generators were still expensive.
So let's take a quick look at some of the lessons learned that are emerging out of the mountains of western North Carolina.
Shelter - no new lessons here, other than if your house or primary shelter is on low or unstable ground, GET OUT!
Water - the fundamentals have not changed. Assume that what comes out of your tap is contaminated. Be prepared to decontaminate the water you can collect. Boil or chemically purify anything you use for drinking, cooking or personal sanitation. Have a water storage system, and put together a system that captures 'gray water' for uses like flushing toilets. Point of discussion - boiling water to purify it is the most effective method, but it requires a LOT of energy (gas, electric) to boil enough water to keep a small household going. Chemical decontamination of water is almost as good, and requires a lot less enegry. Regular household bleach is one of the most effective purification chemicals - eight drops per gallon of clear water, shake it up and let it set for 30 minutes and you should be good to go.
Food - nothing new here, either. The contents of your fridge and freezer will spoil within a few short days. Cook up and store what you can, toss the rest (one YouTuber had a great idea for like-minded preppers - feed it all to your hogs. They'll appreciate the feast and you'll reap the benefit later 😁). Canned food that does not need water to prep is best, unless you need to hit the road in a hurry. Cans are heavy and bulky, so if you think you might need to evacuate have some dried or freeze dried meals on hand (along with water). Have a few large coolers handy in case ice becomes available
Food prep considerations are also important. Virtually all Helene survivors report using propane for cooking. Gas grills are good for grilling duties, but for frying or heating things in a pot you'll need a camp stove and appropriately sized cookware. Bulk propane in 20 or 30 lb tanks is the best and cheapest option., and having refillable 1lb cannisters allows you to recharge from a 20 lb tank and use the smaller cannisters for things like table-top stoves. One Helene survivor mentioned a tip he picked up from a popular homesteading show on TV - use a crock pot to keep hot water available for things like heating food, making tea or instant coffee, sanitation , etc. This assumes, of course, that you have enough power to keep a crock pot running, but a crock pot set on low only draws about 10 watts, so it may be worth the investment of power. Also, don't forget your pets and livestock!
Medical - the usual medical advice stands. One personal difference from 2005 - like a lot of folks my age & stage, I use a CPAP. CPAPs require power. If my CPAP stops working, I don't sleep and my effectiveness and overall health goes downhill fast. While not strictly a medical issue, having a power source that can power a CPAP for at least 6 hours is absolutely critical
Communications - This is a topic I wrote about back in July, prior to Helene. This was in relation to the CrowdStrike system outage, and the experiences in western North Carolina were eerily similar. Off-grid communications is an area where we've seen a lot of interesting, and positive, change. First, space-based internet. Starlink has revolutionized this sector and has brought (relatively) cheap and portable internet to the masses. The current battery powered Starlink systems, like their new Mini unit, bring true off-grid internet access to everyone (if they are willing to pay). We've used Starlink while camping for almost 18 months now, and it's a game changer in those areas where there's no cellular-based data coverage.
Next under Communications is the development of low power, weak signal HF digital modes like FT8 and JS8. These modes allow you to reach out to the world using very little power and compromised antennas. FT8 really isn't a conversation mode - it's more about exchanging pre-canned text messages, but JS8 is, at its heart, a conversation tool. The #1 drawback to both of these modes? The person at the other end needs to be a ham radio operator with the right equipment and running the same software.
This brings us to Winlink, the real jewel in the crown of HF digital modes. It's a robust, effective and well tested radio-based email system. Plus, it doesn't need anyone on the receiving end to be a ham radio operator. I assume most folks reading this post know what Winlink is and how it works, but for the uninitiated, Winlink sends and receives email over ham radio. You type up an email using the Winlink application on your computer, which is connected to your radio. When you hit 'send' the Winlink app connects through the radio to any one of dozens of radio email servers scattered around the US. You upload your outgoing emails to the email server, then download any emails waiting for you. Emails can be sent to or received from any email server, anywhere. Need to let your family know you are safe and well? Winlink. Need to contact your local emergency management center that you need assistance? Winlink. Need to notify your physician that you need an emergency medication refill? Winlink. Winlink is a 'killer app' that by itself justifies the effort to get a ham radio license (General class level) and invest in ham radio hardware. Are you a prepper? Do it!
Community - More than in any previous regional crisis, I've seen more discussion about community, and in a good way. It's clear that the isolation imposed by the western North Carolina terrain has fostered a strong sense of local community. These are people used to taking care of themselves, their neighbors and family. They realized early on that the government wasn't going to be by any time soon, and they needed to fend for themselves for a few days or weeks. OK, no problem; they just did for themselves what needed to be done - cleared roadways so line crews and emergency responders could get through, checked on neighbors and shared resources, made sure everyone was as safe and secures as possible given the circumstances. Let this be an example. Your neighbors are your immediate support system, and helping each other to the best of everyone's ability should be a hallmark of any post-disaster effort. Be a good neighbor that preps, not a prepper that doesn't care about his neighbors
Security - this is the most politically and morally sensitive topic on the list. I'll just say this - in the event of a regional disaster, your security is your responsibility. The police won't/can't be there for hours or days. It happened in Katrina, and it was an issue for some survivors of Helene. Be prepared
Resilience - this is one of the 'soft' issues, in that there are few metrics you can use to predict human resilience in situations like Helene. but I did note some commonalities that ran through a lot of the videos. First, self-reliant folks living in the smaller communities, where they had family and neighbors nearby, and had at least some preparations in-place, seemed to be in a much better mental place than those living in the urban areas with no support systems or preparations. The post-Helene reports coming out of the small communities, while sober, reflected a lot of positive determination. Gender was not an issue here - in fact, a lot of videos were put up by matriarchs who were proud that their families had prepared and endured. Most of the videos coming out of places like Asheville were of the "Where's the government? Why isn't someone here to save me?!" variety. Lots of bitching about no hotel spaces, having to sleep in cars, no gasoline, no food, no water. One gal even griped about how the hotel they were staying at (which had no power and was close to being flooded out) wasn't putting out the breakfast spread that was part of the room charge. Really? Bottom line - those who live a self reliant lifestyle are far better mentally prepared for disasters, large and small
Power & Fuel - I saved this category for last, because power and fuel are the absolute baseline requirement. Without a power system or systems, and the fuel needed to keep those systems going, your shelter in-place plans will fall apart. Fast. What's interesting comparing Katrina with Helene is that nothing in terms of baseline power have changed. Let's be honest - it's all about generators and gasoline. Nothing - NOTHING - provides the necessary baseline power better than a generator. Not wind. Not solar. Not magic pixie dust. It's good old fashioned generators and dead dinosaurs. If you plan around other power sources you will fail, and you will put all of those depending on you at unnecessary risk. There are exceptions - things like a roof covered in solar panels and enough battery storage capacity to provide baseline power. But if the grid is down and the sun doesn't shine you are back to... a generator. However, the generator is the easy part. A steady supply of fuel is the hard part. Fuel availability quickly became an issue across western North Carolina. It was mostly a transportation issue - either the fuel trucks could not get to the gas stations, or the few gas stations that could get fuel were sucked dry in hours. There's really no good solution to this problem beyond understanding what your power needs will be, having enough gas storage to cover the need for up to 72 hours, and being proactive about filling your gas cans and vehicles before the storm arrives. Virtually every Helene survivor blogging about his or her experience put a generator and fuel at the top of the list of items that were absolutely critical.
While gasoline powered generators are the best option for base load requirements, there is still key role for solar and low voltage battery systems. New battery chemistries, particularly lithium-ion and lithium-iron phosphate provide significantly improved power density than lead acid batteries. With things like lithium-based power bricks and and solar 'generators', it's easy to off-load recharge duties to these devices to keep laptops, tablets and smartphones running. These devices also pair well with portable solar panels for opportunistic charging when the sun is out. A number of Helene survivors mention the use of power brick/solar panel combinations for keeping phones and laptops topped off
Miscellaneous - there were a number of small 'pearls of wisdom' that survivors passed along that I think are worth noting:
- Hand saw - have a hand saw available to clear small limbs and/or cut things up for firewood
- Battery powered appliances - in the past 10 years a lot of tool manufacturers have put out a wide range of appliances that use common lithium-ion battery packs. Things like drills, saws, lights, fans, and more. The Ryobi range of items, sold at Home Depot, is probably the best example. Assuming, again, that you have the power available to recharge these battery packs, things like portable fans, lights and even battery powered chainsaws can make life easier and a bit more comfortable
- Batteries - pick devices that use common battery types - AA, AAA, C & D cell, etc. Buy cheap batteries (think Amazon Basics alkaline batteries) and have enough on-hand. Don't buy the more expensive lithium batteries unless the current drain requires it. Also, don't buy devices that require hard-to-find battery types like 6 volt lantern batteries or the CR123 batteries popular for use in tactical flashlights
- Buy the same model of common use items. Again, flashlights are a good example. Don't buy a bunch of different flashlights that have on/off buttons at different locations. Don't force your family members to fumble in the dark. Standardize on a single model, and have one for every member of your party. A simple flashlight can be an enormous comfort to a child who is having difficulty understanding what's happening around them - something that can light their way through the mental chaos
- Lighters - have plenty of stick lighters on hand. To heat water and cook you will be using propane. Can't light your propane stove? Cold canned beans for dinner again tonight. Buy lighters in bulk and have them available
- AM/FM radios - a lot of survivors lamented the relative uselessness of portable FM radios, mainly because most of their local stations were small FM operations with limited coverage, and they went dark when the power failed or their towers were taken down. AM radio was somewhat more useful, mainly because of the better 'legs' that AM radio has. This meant that AM stations were able to be heard deep into the impacted areas. Have an AM broadcast receiver as part of your kit (there's a lesson in here regarding the current fight to force car manufacturers to keep AM radios in cars, but we'll cover that in another post)
- Firewood - several preppers brought this up. Lots of self-reliant homes planned to use open wood fires and stoves for things like heat, cooking, etc. While many had a supply of split, seasoned firewood, many commented that their long term plan was to cut downed (and partially seasoned) timber as needed. That was a no-go for most, because after two days of hard rain all standing or downed timber was soaked, and any uncovered split & seasoned wood was soaked and almost unusable. Bottom line - cut, split season and cover more than you think you'll need. Also have a stock of things like Duraflame logs and fire starters available, to get a fire going and dry out seasoned firewood to get it burning
The lessons learned from Helene will be studied for decades, but this close to the disaster it's looking like the fundamentals we discuss all the time still hold. Be prepared, be resilient.
W8BYH out
