David E. Stevens was a Navy commander and engineer. As an F-18 pilot and the Strike Operations officer for the Persian Gulf, his job consisted primarily of planning and executing "disasters." After los­ing a friend on a low altitude mission, he created and patented a warning system to prevent pilots from flying into the ground. Realizing society is also at risk of "flying into the ground," he became an expert in catastrophic disasters with an advi­sory board of renowned experts - TED talk: "How Do We Prevent Our Inevitable Extinction?"

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 3

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 4

Where to Go from Here 4

Part 1: Preparing for Prepping 5

Chapter 1: Preparing for the Worst or Something Less 7

Prepping 8

Understanding the threat 8

Surviving with the basics: Air, water, food, septic, and medical 8

Sheltering in place: Staying connected, powered, and protected 9

Evacuating: When, how, and with what 10

Achieving independence from municipal infrastructure 10

Having some fun while prepping 11

Developing a Survival Mindset 12

Surviving an apocalyptic disaster 12

Mind: Learning to "MacGyver" 13

Attitude 14

MacGyvering 14

Humor 14

Body: Evaluating Your Physical Condition 15

Medication 15

Fitness 15

Spirit: Understanding the Impact of Spiritual Outlook 16

Chapter 2: Identifying the Top Potential Global Disasters 19

Ranking by Probability and Consequence 20

1: Asteroids/comets: Increasing odds of a catastrophic impact 20

2: Artificial general intelligence: Arriving sooner than you think 26

3: Global war: Growing international tension and rogue states 30

4: Biological threat: Expanding biotechnology and pandemics 31

5: Solar superstorm: Taking out the global power grid 33

6: Super volcano: Exploding cubic miles of ash 35

7: Climate change: Growing superstorms and a slow-motion train wreck 38

Estimating the Odds of Global Disasters 39

Table of Contents iii

Chapter 3: Identifying Local Disasters and Their Impacts 41

Evaluating Vulnerability 42

Hurricanes/Typhoons: Surging Water Carries Away Houses, Cars, and People 43

Classifying hurricanes 43

Considering storm surge 44

Assessing risk 45

Taking immediate action 46

Preparing 46

Heat Waves: Overheating Is the #1 Cause of Weather-Related Fatalities 46

Assessing risk 47

Taking immediate action 47

Preparing 47

Floods: Drowning Is the #1 Cause of Storm-Related Fatalities 48

Assessing risk 48

Taking immediate action 49

Preparing 49

Tornadoes: Blowing Away Structures and Creating Deadly Projectiles 49

Assessing risk 50

Taking immediate action 51

Preparing 51

Wildfires: Driving Winds Push Fires and Kill by Smoke Inhalation 51

Assessing risk 51

Taking immediate action 52

Preparing 52

Earthquakes: Collapsing Roofs and Walls Cause Most Fatalities 52

Assessing risk 52

Taking immediate action 53

Preparing 53

Industrial/Nuclear Accidents: Poisoning the Air You Breathe 53

Assessing risk 53

Taking immediate action 54

Preparing 54

Blizzards/Ice Storms: Freezing without the Power Grid 54

Assessing risk 54

Taking immediate action 55

Preparing 55

Active Shooter: Running, Hiding, Attacking 55

Assessing risk 55

Taking immediate action 55

Preparing 56

Cyberattack: Shutting Down the Digital Economy and Your Bank 57

Assessing risk 57

Taking immediate action 57

Preparing 57

Chapter 4: Avoiding Personal Disasters 59

Evaluating Your Vulnerability 59

Avoiding Fraud, Identity Theft, and Cyberattacks 60

Losing Your Job 62

Spiraling Debt 63

Suffering a serious injury or illness 65

Losing your significant other 66

Part 2: Surviving - Basic Life Support 67

Chapter 5: Breathing When the Air Is Toxic 69

Level 1: Protecting Yourself from Toxic Gases, Bacteria, and Viruses 70

Stocking N95 masks and knowing their limitations 70

Upgrading to a paint respirator for better filtering and dual use 71

Escaping with small cans of pressurized oxygen 72

Improving air filtration with central air HVAC systems 74

Improving air filtration if you don't have central air 75

Level 2: Securing the Air in Your Home for Longer-Term Disasters 75

Upgrading to a gas mask 75

Sealing doors and windows to reduce air infiltration 76

Installing an ultraviolet air purifier 77

Buying a standalone air purifier 78

Expanding your portable oxygen supply 79

Considering your vehicle's need for air 80

Chapter 6: Drinking When the Faucets Run Dry 81

Determining How Much Water You Need 82

Calculating water for drinking 82

Calculating water for flushing 82

Calculating water for cleaning 83

Calculating water example and worksheet 84

Acquiring Immediate Water When Water Pressure Is Lost (Level 1) 85

Accessing water that you may already have 85

Stockpiling water 87

Treating contaminated water 90

Securing Water for Longer Duration Disasters (Level 2) 94

Creating a larger water reserve 94

Collecting and treating water 94

Finding new sources of water 95

Using an atmospheric water generator 96

Chapter 7: Eating When the Grocery Stores Shut Down 99

Determining How Much and What Kind of Food You Need 100

Forget the old food pyramid; for survival, fat is your friend 100

Testing the best types of survival foods 102

Acquiring Basic Survival Foods for a Week or Two (Level 1) 102

Identifying the right types of food 103

Choosing optimum foods to fill your pantry 104

Trying a multi-day fast to learn your body's response 109

Securing Enough Food for a Month (Level 2) 109

Stocking basic staples 109

Using powdered and freeze-dried foods 110

Expanding your nutritional supplements 111

Choosing to maintain a vegetarian or vegan diet 112

Evaluating ready-made survival foods 113

Fishing and hunting 114

Chapter 8: Pooping When the Sewer Stops Working 117

Creating a Backup Plan for When Things Back Up (Level 1) 118

Gloves 118

Trash 118

Municipal or city sewer system failure 119

Toilets to go 120

Finishing up the paperwork 121

Using Technology to Improve the "Backup" Plan (Level 2) 121

Chapter 9: Treating Injuries and Illness without Emergency Medical Services 123

Understanding Your Personal Health 124

Evaluating your medical condition and medication requirements 124

Consulting with your doctor to consolidate or eliminate medications 125

Acquiring First Aid Kits and Supplies (Level 1) 125

Getting first aid training and having a medical guide 125

Stocking over-the-counter medications 126

Stocking your prescription medications 127

Choosing or Building First Aid Kits 128

Nitrile gloves 129

Epinephrine Autoinjector 131

Venomous snake or insect bite medication 131

Radiation exposure measures 132

Expanding Your Medications and Supplies for Longer-Term Disasters (Level 2) 133

Requesting important emergency medications 133

Creating a shelter agreement with medical personnel 134

Part 3: Sheltering 135

Chapter 10: Sheltering in Place 137

Preparing to Stay (Level 1) 137

Finding immediate shelter for time-critical disasters 137

Improving Your Home's Security (Level 2) 144

Fortifying your home from storms and intruders 145

Creating an earthquake sanctuary inside your home 149

Improving your home's resistance to wildfires 150

Using an RV for a Backup Shelter 151

Chapter 11: Connecting without the Networks 153

Using Apps That Provide Advanced Warning 153

Wireless Emergency Alerts 154

Weather apps 154

Space weather apps 155

Wildfire apps 155

General warning apps 155

Staying Connected When the Cell Phone Network Fails (Level 1) 155

Understanding cell phone network and Internet vulnerability 156

Using radios 158

Using your cell phone without cell phone towers 160

Texting via satellite 161

Protecting electronic devices from EMPs 162

Setting up non-local emergency points of contact 164

Staying Connected Long-Term from Anywhere (Level 2) 165

Iridium satellite network phones 165

Switching your Internet to a satellite network 166

Protecting your entire home from an EMP 169

Storing and accessing digital information 169

Chapter 12: Powering without the Power Grid 171

Understanding and Prioritizing Power 172

Defining power grid limitations 172

Prioritizing power 172

Understanding how much power you need 173

Powering Communication, Lights, and Medical Equipment (Level 1) 177

Powering critical medical equipment 177

Powering communication and lighting 178

Jump-starting your car and phones with one device 181

Dealing with the loss of refrigeration, heating, or air conditioning 183

Exploring Power Options (Level 2) 184

Powering with gas generators 185

Portable power stations 189

Portable solar panels and wind turbines 190

Powering Basic Heating and Cooling (Level 2) 191

Combining a gas-powered generator with a portable power station 191

Powering Central Air and More (Level 2+) 198

Powering your home's central air and heat 198

Bidirectional charging with an electric vehicle (EV) 200

Chapter 13: Protecting Yourself during Civil Unrest 203

Evaluating Your Self-Defense Mindset 204

Keeping a low profile 204

Listening to your gut feeling 204

Trying to be a lone wolf is dangerous 205

Observing Orienting Deciding Acting (OODA) 205

Defending with...