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Today’s lesson…Do you want to help out after a disaster?
A lot of hurricanes and other disasters happen every year, but every so often one occurs that is so big and so impactful that it seems like everyone wants to jump in and help. Hurricane Helene in September 2024 created a situation like this across most of the southeast US, including my home in South Carolina.
But it’s not that easy.
Let me give you the bad news first…
Many of you aren’t fit enough or useful enough to help out at a disaster site. I’m sorry it had to be said, but it did. Now that that’s out of the way, let me show you a way around that fact.
If that’s you, you have two choices-
- Find another way to help. You can always give money to the right places or gather resources where you are and send them.
- You can decide you’re tired of being not-so-useful when others need your help and make the necessary changes.
Message me if you need either option!
For those of you in a position to physically help those in need, I’ve gotten a ton of questions from friends, family, and clients about what they need for gear if they drive to a disaster site.
First a few quick tips…
- Either go as part of a group or register with one to have someone to work with. Unaffiliated individuals are seldom useful and usually harmful. After a disaster, but before the next one, is a great time to find a group to volunteer with and get trained. Samaritan’s Purse and Grindstone are two really great ones.
- Be prepared for austere conditions. By austere, I mean worse than camping. Louder, noisier, and more dangerous. Expect military combat deployment conditions. Yes, sometimes with the getting shot at also. That happened to us quite a bit after Katrina in New Orleans.
- Go with enough supplies to manage for a week with no assistance. If a group can help their volunteers by feeding them and supplying shelter, that’s great, but remember that you’re there to be a help and not a needy burden on the broken supply chain.
- Understand that no matter what your training is or why you volunteered, you may be asked to do just about anything. I was a disaster medic for many years, but was often asked to be the Chaplain as well because I was a very open Christian. Because of this, I had the opportunity to lead church services to my team and survivors.
If you’re still with me and want to see a short gear list for a disaster deployment, keep reading. Most of this list came straight from the Grindstone Ministries website.
This list is written from the point-of-view of arriving in your vehicle rather than flying to the site. This is all really basic as well, and doesn’t include any truly specialized equipment like chainsaws, HAM radio gear, or emergency medical gear.
Here’s your Basic Disaster Volunteer Loadout List:
- Pack enough clothes, toiletries, food, etc. to last you for at least 7 days.
- Your packed food should require no heating and minimal water to prepare. Peak Refuel makes some great stuff.
- Carry electrolyte mix to supplement your water.
- Don’t forget your medications and/or supplements.
- If you plan on being armed (and you should), take your concealed carry permit for that state if you have one. I have carry privileges in almost all 50 states, and it’s surprisingly easy to get, even for civilians.
- Take your phones completely charged, several charged battery packs, and at least two charging cables.
- Carry a solar charging device, as access to power or generators may not be available.
- Pack your own hygiene supplies plus extra toilet paper, shower wipes, and hand sanitizer.
- Carry an extra full tank of fuel in your vehicle in 5 gallon cans.
- If you are familiar with radios and own them, take your own radio kits (radio, charger, extra batteries, antennae, etc.).
- Always carry your own IFAK with a tourniquet.
- Take two pairs of sturdy footwear for work and a pair of shower shoes, sandals, or whatever for camp.
- Prep your own sleep kit with what you need to get the best sleep you can, including a cot, ground pad, air mattress, sleeping bag, pillow, blankets, or a stuffed animal.
- Don’t forget a tent.
- Take plenty of waterproof notebooks, pens, pencils, and Sharpies.
- Carry your own protective gear, including a safety vest, goggles, ear protection, gloves, and a hardhat or bump helmet.
- Pack a flashlight and a headlamp plus multiple sets of batteries.
- I shouldn’t have to say it, but don’t forget your Bible. Don’t plan on having a phone signal to use your phone for this.
- Take a compass, a GPS device, and purchase or print out road maps or topographic maps of the area you’re responding to.
There’s so much more that you could pack and that would be useful, but for this newsletter I just want to give you a starter kit. For instance, I’ve lost paper maps so many times to rain that I pack mine in a clear dry bag.
What I would suggest if you really want to move into boots on the ground volunteering after disasters is that you sign up with a group, get registered, get trained, and start volunteering. It’s likely you’ll have the opportunity to work at a few smaller sites before another apocalypse like Hurricane Helene happens again.
That way you can get some practical experience and have a better grasp of what to pack, what to expect, and how to truly jump in for those who need you.
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This information may not be relevant to you right now, so I recommend one or all of the following…
- Saving it to an email folder titled “Prepared”
- Saving it as a PDF in a file called “Prepared” so you don’t have to worry about your email provider
- Printing it out and putting it in a binder with a word on the front in big fat letters…yes, you know it…”Prepared”.*
*No. 3 is the gold standard EMP proof recommendation.
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This is my core philosophy on preparedness.
Get prepared NOW as best you can with what you have. It’s better than nothing.
Stay simple. Don’t complicate things.
Upgrade and level up as time, money, resources, or training are available. Never stop improving.
Train and practice often. Always think of yourself as an amateur.
Don’t get complacent. Anything can happen anywhere.
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I am here to serve.
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