Don’t you use a nearby supermarket as your refrigerator.
“I live near a small grocery store, so I will be OK in an emergency.”
“My friend has a farm; I can ask him for help.”
“My son works at the city office, he will get something for me.”
No, no, no! Do not expect somebody to help you in an emergency, especially in a long-term emergency. Remember, during the COVID-19 pandemic, how it was impossible to find certain items at the store? Many people were panic-buying after seeing empty shelves on their TV’s and on SNS. Panic leads to shortages. Do you have confidence that the people in your neighborhood will not scramble for food in an emergency? Or will they help each other calmly and peacefully, without fighting? Sadly, I can not say “100% yes, my neighbors won’t panic,” mainly because I don’t know my neighbors that well, and because we have never worked together on anything… If I’m alone in having this problem, I am sorry, but at least in my neighborhood, we have never teamed up on anything. How about you?
When I lived in Japan, I used to attend my area’s events, all the time. It was normal to clean up the park with neighbors, gather recyclables, play team sports, etc. Because of all of these activities, we knew each other well, and if something happened, we were ready to cooperate. We wouldn’t hesitate. On the other hand, nowadays, newer families and the younger generations tend to avoid community events. I don’t know if it’s just my city, or if it’s more widespread. But I feel very sad. How about your country? Or your hometown?
Now, I live in the U.S., and it’s hard to have the same relationships with my neighbors. Maybe it’s because of my personality? Or my poor English? But I can’t guess how I will get along with my neighbors in a crisis. Maybe we’ll be able to cooperate, maybe we won’t, or maybe we’ll fight. I just don’t know. We don’t know each other well well enough for me to know: will we even be able to share food?!! Or trade? Is it right? Long-term emergencies are unfamiliar territory for me, and I can not predict how my neighbors will act.
How long do we need to wait for panic-buying to settle down, or for supply chains to recover, after a major disaster? The purpose of your long-term stockpile is to survive until things calm down.
When a big one hits the fan, many stores will not sell food; heck, many stores will cease to exist. And if the emergency situation becomes prolonged? Or if the crisis affects the entire world at the same time?
The supply chain disruptions will lead to a gradual (or not so gradual) decrease in food supplies. No products at stores. No menus at restaurants. No meals in schools and hospitals.- When stores’ food supplies run short, they will say, “One per person only!!” If your whole family needs to wait in the line to get food, who will go to work?
- Many people, in order to get food, will skip going to work. If enough people do that, who will run the stores? Or provide the necessary services?
- Who will take charge of the situation?
How long do we need to wait for panic-buying to settle down, or for supply chains to recover, after a major disaster? The purpose of your long-term stockpile is to survive until things calm down. We don’t know how long. But at least… 6 months? or 1 year?… I am sorry I can’t say definitively, how long.
However, we have time now, and we can get a variety of foods, cheaply, right now. So, why don’t you prepare food for a long-term emergency, now? It’s OK, you don’t need to push your neighbors and friends to get food, but I hope you will tell your family at least (grandparents, siblings, etc), and help them prepare for the big one. If everybody does that, before you know it, your neighbors might have their emergency stockpiles ready, too.
See you next time.