Posted on 01/15/2007 3:13:43 PM PST by blam
Rural U.S. areas better disaster ready
CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Jan. 15 (UPI) -- A University of Illinois study suggests rural U.S. areas are better prepared for disasters such as storms, earthquakes and terrorism than are urban areas.
However, the study showed although rural residents may be more directly involved in responding to crisis, their location makes them more vulnerable.
Assistant Professor Courtney Flint and student Joanne Rinaldi interviewed 20 emergency coordinators across Illinois to determine what they are doing, what disasters they're prepared for and what they do between disasters.
"What we've learned so far is that in rural communities there is a tradition of being more self-reliant," said Flint. "They're off the grid, so that makes them check on each other more, but they are also uniquely situated, closer in some ways to the physical environment and more isolated, making them uniquely vulnerable."
While people in urban communities ask questions about liability, Flint says rural dwellers say, "We can't wait around for funding. If we need bandages, we'll just start ripping up old bed sheets."
"Farm families have to keep going," said Flint. "They are more prepared for disaster. They have generators, kerosene heaters, snow plows and other equipment."
I don't get that one. Maybe it's better that I don't. :-)
Hell, I pee in my front yard.
I pee in my neighbor's front yard when walking the dog...
You have money for Sunday go to meetin' teeth?
Shoot. All my disposable income goes for ammo. ;o)
Okie doke. At least you're proud. *chuckle*
I wish more people would also.
Very true, i think that is why most people are thinking about it. ;o)
*Rural Ping*
It's too far to my neighbor's yard just to go pee.
Pee in my backyard anytime, front yard only after dark. Had a cousin in NE Texas with a neighbor who complained about him peeing in his driveway. He told her to quite looking at the driveway. This could be the only time a FR thread got hijacked by urine.
No doubt complying with regulations written by a beltway bureaucrat who wouldn't know the snowplow from the bulldozer, and wonders how you get elected to govern bulldozers, and how much it pays.
1- Terrorists wouldn't waste their nuke on a cow pasture.
50 acres in front of me owned by my neighbor. My best friend is my neighbor to the right. 30 acres of soybean field to my left and a river in my back yard.
2- There are no skyscraper pieces to fall on your head.
I worry about big branches falling out of the trees while my grand kids are under them.
3- It's dark and quiet at night with stars.
I actually had some city folk amazed at the view of the stars we have.
4- Intruders in cars are obvious.
They usually drive much slower than the natives. A car driving slow gets our attention.
5- You can pee in the backyard.
I do that but have learned that some canoe rs are very quiet.
6- You can shoot in the backyard.
Sometimes a shot gun is the only way to trim some of those pesky vines out of the trees but a deer rifle won't touch the top that broke in the top of a hickory tree in the back yard.
7- Your neighbors actually know you and help you.
My neighbor has a key to my house and I have a key to his.
8- There is no homeowners association.
We work out of our garages so our doors are open a lot. We park our boats in the yard when they aren't in the river. We can set off fireworks whenever we damn feel like it.
9- There are plenty of places to hide things.
Did you know you can bury a rifle in 4" PVC pipe? Put a cap on one end and a clean-out on the other.
10- You can have real dogs.
Our dogs run free, mostly labs with a rescue and an Aussie. There's no telling what they'll bring home.
I designed my house, I built my house, I plumbed my house and I wired my house. I've got 2000 s.f. of living area with 400 amps of service. I've got a hidey hole in my basement in case of a tornado.
I'll make it short of a major calamity.
front yard, back yard,...
depends on the wind
Ammo, one can never have enough....
We've checked and double checked, then checked a third time. If we're missing something we can't think of it or don't need it. We bought a cook stove this last summer, just encase.
I wish more people were prepared as well. If they wait for Uncle Sam to help them, they'll be waiting a mighty long time. They'll be too busy covering their own a$$es to worry about John and Jane Q. Citizen.
Got you both beat. We don't even bother to go outside anymore. We pee right inside the house!
That reminded me of my late father who lived on a main thoroughfare. He used to visit us and stay overnight. He never failed to complain about the quiet when he arose. Just couldn't understand how we could sleep with it so quiet.
And the hits just keep on coming...
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