AIBU to wonder whether the three day emergency advice is serious?

[Mich1986]

I know I might sound crazy, but is anyone else worrying about all the posts about stockpiling and prepping for 3 days that the government is telling us to do? Is anyone actually taking their advice and buying torches, extra water and wind up radios? I just don’t know whether to take it seriously?

I probably sometimes do look like him😂

The images this creates! Alan Titcharsh mit head torch amid the lettuces!

I get two months at a time so could any disruption please be when I’ve just picked up rather than when I’m due to order.

Threads like this highlight just how many people are completely ignorant of what's going on in the world, and others who are completely unwilling to take responsibility for themselves and their families.

It really is quite concerning and something to puzzle over when I see them running down to the shops while I pop on my pre charged lights and get food from my stores.

Meanwhile, over in Siberia... A scientist working in Russia's Anti-Plague Institute broke a testtube and contracted, supposedly, pneumonic plague - the most most contagious form of plague. "The bacterium can be carried by moisture droplets in the air, such as from a cough or sneeze. It can survive several days on an exposed surface." Hmmm... What does that remind me of? (She died.)

Russia is playing it down, and meanwhile trying to contain/quarantine it. But I would think having some basic supplies in would be a good idea were another massive outbreak of something no-one wants to catch - which is on the cards to occur at any time, along with other potential disruptions to daily life, and power and supply chains.

Yes, but all of that is about organisations. Is there actually any advice for individual household preparedness or is that just media-induced hysteria?

Got it. Thanks.

Given the mad state of things at the moment, whether or not the Government thinks it is a good idea to make some sensible provisions, surely common sense suggests that it would be reasonable idea to consider our dependence on immediate convenience.

If there was a cyber attack and some of the power grid went down for example, I can forsee that there will be some people who are too old, too economically strapped or incapable for a variety of reasons to have prepared for that eventuality. Whatever emergency relief is provided, they will need.

If I can build in some personal resilience and not be another burden or dependent on emergency relief, then I think that is a good thing. That doesn't mean I am building a fortified underground bunker, it just means I have some charged powerbanks, a way of feeding and watering myself, a few solar lights, some candles and so on. Just some fairly easy practical measures I can take within my own economic means to look after myself to some degree.

@creeeepya lot of places don’t allow that

British government ‘complacent about food as a national security matter’ | Food & drink industry | The Guardian

I think have some stockpiles makes sense. There are so many 'threats' just now.

For example we know that the hot weather/drought has effected harvests. We know their is shortages of fertiliser due to the SOH blockages. The economy is in a mess with our bond interest going up. We are likely to see increases in food prices and/or shortages. We've been warned about bad weather this winter and we have current fuel shortages which can lead to lorries being unable to deliver food, medicine etc

That's before we get onto the scary stuff - like the Russia, oops we dropped a test-tube (very ala covid style). Trump and his SOH war. Iran and their going's on. Riots in France and right wing parties being voted in Germany. Changing world order with China and the USA battling for top spots. The Ukraine war still rumbling on.

I've bought some food, water, powerbank, radio. Also a small camping stove, fireblanket and battery kettle. Yes it could all be a waste of time and money. For a couple of hundred quid though it gives me some peace of mind that I have tried to make some sensible preparations.

Already strugggling with food prices going up so I've stocked up on things I eat anyway like tinned mackeral and oatcakes. Tinned Soup and cheese oatcakes. Cereal and UHT milk. Tinned fruit which is okay is not as good as fresh/frozen but better than nothing. I have stocked up on some things I wouldn't normally buy like powdered milk and tins of meat and vegetables. Pasta and sauce is versatile although I do try to limit my carbs normally. At best prices go up and I have saved some money. At worst I just use up the stockpile a bit at a time.

I've also bought extra shampoo, deodrant, dog food, first aid stuff because it will all get used up anyway (or at least most of it).
I remember too well the Covid carry on when there were queues round the supermarkets, empty shelves and you couldn't get delivery slots for love nor money (actually you could but it involved being awake at 4am when they opened up new slots).

I also remember numerous other times when shelves were empty. Refinery blockades, beast from the east saw no milk deliveries getting through to central Edinburgh. The UK govt seems quite hell bent on taking us back to the seventies and for those of you who weren't there power cuts were just a normal event except we are far more reliant on power now than we where then with the internet etc. (Obviously the power cuts would not be because of miners strikes this time)

I think we will see some empty shelves, some fuel shortages (diesel), some power cuts. We quite likely will see some cyberattacks and systems going down. Hopefully that is all and it won't be too bad. I don't consider nukes because I don't want to live through that and an accidental release of plague would be pretty bad as well.

I went to pick up my prescription today and was given 2 months instead of the usual one month. Didn't ask for it to be changed. Wonder what is coming?

That’s good for you right now. I’ve always been on a 2 month repeat prescription - talking years and years, but it seems a lot of you are on monthly. Perhaps a word with your GP could change that.

No way would I get anymore than the 28 day prescription. It is a controlled drug and if anything DS (different gp) has had his reduced to 14 days

The only place I’ve seen anything about this is on MN

@StarCourt do you not watch or listen to the news on any other outlet? Wes Streeting, UK Defence Secretary said on Sky News on 11th September that the UK population should be prepared to be resilient in the event of disruptions. It was widely covered at the time.

Ah I went into hospital on 11 September for an op and still in recovery now so that’s probably why.