Preparing for Disaster, Natural or Otherwise

    I have been hearing more and more disturbing news from many different sources and I'm beginning to be concerned.  Can you believe riots and the disruption of the school system in Wisconsin over such a small thing as asking the members of the teachers' union to pay a larger percentage of their health care!  What if truckers decide to strike?  Are you prepared for the disruption in the food chain that would be caused by that?  Or how about a natural disaster happening near you?
      A couple of weeks ago we had an ice storm in the area.  Many thousands were without electricity so they couldn't heat their homes or cook, or refrigerate their food.  Many people tried to purchase generators, but found the stores were sold out.  The shelves of the grocery stores were emptied quickly.   One person said they went to 3 grocery stores before they found one that had any bread left, and none of the 3 had milk.  They had been cleared out by people preparing for the storm.  They were told there would be more if the delivery trucks could make it in the next day, but what if they couldn't, or wouldn't?  I remember reading that grocery stores' supplies last about 3 days and then they need new shipments to replenish their shelves.
      We have become much too reliant on well-stocked grocery stores and well-run utility services.  We must begin to think about what it would take to be somewhat independent of these things--at least for several days, or weeks.  I believe it is imperative that we have enough water and food on hand to feed our family for a few weeks.  It may even be time for us to learn how to grow some of our own food to supplement what we have on hand.  We buy insurance to prepare for any disaster--healthcare insurance, life insurance, car insurance, house insurance, but then we leave the most important thing--our family's survival--to a hope that the grocery store will always have the food and water we need, or that the government, or someone else, will show up with food when we need it.  Why not consider a few weeks supply of food and water as insurance, too?  Unlike other insurances, the money would not be wasted if no emergency presents itself because you can consume the extra food you have purchased.  Just keep rotating what you buy.  I believe most disasters would not have been nearly as catastrophic if people had taken seriously the responsibility of preparing their family for an emergency before it happened.
    One of the survivalist blogs I found when I was searching for ways to prepare had some very helpful ideas.  (Some of the posts on the blog contain much more information on survival than I am interested in.)  But I think this link has some good suggestions to help us determine what kind of supplies might be needed in order to be prepared for any disaster, either natural, or otherwise, that might come upon us unexpectedly.  Check out the list and then let me know if you think of other things that would be helpful.   Minimum list of supplies
     I would love to hear your comments.