"It'll never happen here"...until it did!

[@brendawelch4674]

Hi Nick and Lisa. :) I agree with what you've said. One thing I've taken away from what has happened in NC is that there were those in the mountains who were sustainable. They had what they needed in place. A storm dumping loads of rain down the mountains into the streams/rivers was a perfect storm, creating mudslides. Gravity dictates. There is little one can do in a situation like that. Everything they thought they had set washed away. It shows how small we as humans truly are and how much we need the protection of our Heavenly Father. We can/should plan, but we also have to realize those plans may be changed in a moment, far outside of our control. HE is our everything, in the good, even the prepared, and most certainly when all is falling apart. The community support and togetherness those folks have displayed is such an object lesson of loving ones neighbor as themselves. Looking forward to your class. Take care. :)

[@TheReadyLife]

Totally agree! Not much you can do about a flood carrying your house away or a landslide covering it up. But I guess what we're saying is that there are many folks in those affected areas who didn't lose their home--only their lifelines like power, water, transportation, etc. So the idea is that if we can be okay for at least a couple weeks without those services, we can be in a position to actually help folks around us, rather than needlessly being in a desperate situation ourselves. But thanks for mentioning this, as it's so true that our lives are in God's strong hands.

[@RidgeHavenHomestead]

Agree. I am from Greene County, TN, where we sustained a lot of damage. Our house personally didn’t get affected. But those who got hit and those that didn’t? Their proportions would not have mattered in the least. The mudslides and flooding ruined it all. We prepare, but we recognize that in some instances, it’s just not a matter or preparing. Esp those in the mountains of NC. When houses were literally washed off the mountains, when homes got swept away, it was not the supplies that helped them. Prepare, but realize that it’s only one part, and be careful about suggesting that if people were prepared they would not have been affected, because we realize that this is something new. A once in a thousand year occurrence is a challenge to have everything prepared for. People are completely cut off. I’m trying to be super careful about getting the preparedness message out while not suggesting that people should have done more, because the devastation we are seeing-supplies didn’t matter.

[@TheReadyLife]

@@RidgeHavenHomestead yes, thanks for sharing that and we totally agree. There's not much you can do if your house is swept away or a mudslide covers your home up. But while devastation happened to far too many in this storm, and we feel sick about all who lost everything, there were still millions who didn't lose their home and yet were struggling to take care of their families simply because they were dependent on power and other utilities in order to function and get water, eat, and other basic needs. The hope is that everyone can learn from these disasters so that when they hit close to home, those who are not wiped out are able to function and help those around them.

[@karenbianco1084]

Oh our gracious God. We lean only on you. I lived In south Florida most of my life. I can relate to what you are saying.

[@normanbyers-ND]

Thank you for doing this.

[@frugalwendy]

Looking forward to this--thanks for sharing with us!

[@3015tinamiller]

I live in WNC. It breaks my heart. All of it. But to see people are starving to death is horrifying. Babies are drinking formula made with water tainted with sewage. While I realize a lot of people lost their homes and food storage would not have helped, some are living like a third world country in the mountains and going without food and water. There are tons of donations of food and cases and cases of water but what about those who can't get to it? I grew up with Grandparents that lived the depression. Grandma always stocked up on canned goods, had a garden and canned veggies herself. I lived in FL for years with hurricanes and many power outages. I have lived up on top of a mountain in Western NC. I have been poor and gone without so my kids could eat. I have learned that even a few extra items picked up with weekly groceries can help. I have learned to can and bought a dehydrator. We have a sun oven, butane stove, rocket stoves, buddy heaters, and solar generators, among other items. It is not too late to start now. Build your supplies up. Instead of lots of Christmas gifts this year buy useful items you will need in an emergency. We have had to dip into our emergency food supply a few times and I was glad I had it. It is not just for weather related or disaster. How would you feed your family if all income stopped? If you were injured or sick and could not work? I did see a lot of people posting two days after Helene that they had no food. Two days! Buy an extra can or two of soup or canned meat or an extra bag of rice, instant mashed potatoes. Take advantage of BOGO sales. Thank you both for doing this. God bless.

[@TheReadyLife]

Oh my...your comment resonates with me SO much. Thank you for sharing this note from your heart. I absolutely agree with all these powerful points you made. So many lessons for the rest of us to learn from this terrible tragedy.

[@carolcourtney3143]

I have a private question. How can I ask this?

[@TheReadyLife]

Hi there, there's a contact form on our website: TheReadyLife.com and you are welcome to reach out that way if you'd like. Thanks!