Gothamist: New Yorkers Aren't Disaster-Ready

interlard

Mon, 22 May 2006 22:25:38 -0500

During the 24-hour blackout, I watched a women fill a shopping basket with batteries (there were just a few left for the rest of us). She won't use them all as long as she lives. During a burst water pipe at Bleeker & Carmine, a woman earnestly asked me how many 1 gallon bottles of spring water she'd need to have a bath. Yes, I told her that her building had a hot water tank so just go home and take the f*cking bath. While visiting Austin, TX during hurricane Rita, the population of Austin panic-bought bottled water. As if this hill town was going to flood like coastal, below-sea-level New Orleans. Now we learn that disaster preparedness means you have to get a bag ready with a hand full of common objects in it (ooh, comfy shoes, how WILL I find those?) Did the world get a great deal more stupid in the last 5 years? Or is it just since I moved to this country?

Swimmer

Mon, 22 May 2006 15:53:09 -0500

Step 1. Swim to Governor’s Island. Step 2. Subsist on hunting pigeons and squirrels. Step 3. Profit!

The Red Nun

Mon, 22 May 2006 15:04:09 -0500

The biggest issue is clean water... where do i store clean bottled water and lots of it?

nyer

Mon, 22 May 2006 13:38:17 -0500

I can barely fit my garbage can in my apartment, I don't know where I'd keep a large stash of emergency supplies. that's why manhattan is the least prepared...