To be really scared by this messaging from the government?

[sookiestjames77]

As someone who really struggled during the pandemic this has really scared me. I have done a big order of hygiene basics to arrive tomorrow (12 x packs of wet wipes etc) and will be heading out for a stock up shop tomorrow to fill up on tins etc.

I’m considering ordering 12 of those water refills for water coolers and a pump that fits in the top, but I don’t know if that’s overkill. I alone drink 4-5 litres of water a day, plus cooking water!

I am really scared. How is everyone else dealing with this?

Are they expecting floods and fires? I live over 700 feet above sea level. Our village is not getting flooded anytime soon!

This is a great way to be. We had oil heating in Argyll and no solid fuel stove, so we were still chilly during Hurricane Bawbag. I had to lug buckets of sea water up from the loch to flush the toilet. I would put the kids in the car and drive to a soft play in Dumbarton just to have heat and to be able to listen to the radio.

It was all very dreary and annoying.

So, yeah, now I'm prepared with an indoor gas heater, a camping stove, lots of batteries, and plenty of water stored.

I sure wish I had a small solid fuel stove, though.

Don’t most people just have 3 days of food anyway 🤷‍♀️

Well, if that's what they were actually saying rather than "here are some simple and effective steps you can take to be ready for emergencies" then I might have a tiny amount of sympathy with your argument. But that's not what they're saying and I find it quite weird that people are so determined to misrepresent it.

However, the juxtaposition of "it's scaremongering to tell people this is what they can do to be better prepared" with "but actually you should probably have at least twice that much" might honestly be the funniest part of a very amusing thread. So thank you for that.

Have you seriously never seen a news report of people being evacuated from their homes after an extreme weather event? Are you completely unaware that this happens every year right here in the uk for reasons such as
Flooding
Wild fire
Power outage.

If your home is flooded or a tree falls on ur and you need to get out quickly do you nor think it would be a good idea to have what you need quickly and easily accessible. If you are evacuated to a hall or school etc then having a sleeping bag could make a real difference to your comfort.

Can people really not use their imagination anymore and figure such things out?

I think people need to be aware there have been a lot of posts the last few days trying to drum up a panic and suggesting a Russian attack. I’d like people to consider the fact that these may be bad actors trying to garner public support for abandoning Ukraine and helping Putin end the war soon (which he needs to) with a better deal.

This post for instance started off being ‘I’m terrified’ but quickly descended into attacking the UK government and a suggestion that Russia might attack.

Just be aware that not all discourse in in good faith

Yes, Zov. This advice was tailored to a single emergency situation and to your exact circumstances.

Too much water can actually cause the brain to swell and its extremely dangerous. I actually think it was a bit irresponsible of the government to suggest we stock up, because as we saw in 2020, people were clearing the shelves through panic. On a lighter note, I will leave a video which summed up those crazy times.

https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-is-too-much-water-intake

Sleeping bags are good for a couple of reasons. The checklist includes them under "light and warmth" alongside blankets. They are a good source of extra warmth and insulation if you lose heating. If for any reason you're evacuated due to flood, dams bursting, landslide, or multiple other reasons people experience local or widespread evacuation, it's good to have your documents and your own easily portable bedding.

It’s just general sensible being prepared. Could be a power cut, trees down and you can’t get to the shops, a bad storm, transport disruption.
Having some food which doesn’t need cooking, some drinks, pet food and enough medication sounds a good idea.

Too much water can actually cause the brain to swell and its extremely dangerous. I actually think it was a bit irresponsible of the government to suggest we stock up, because as we saw in 2020, people were clearing the shelves through panic. On a lighter note, I will leave a video which summed up those crazy times.

Agree @oldtiredcyclist I can't believe that ANYone would consume 5 litres of water a day! (10 and a half pints!)

And yeah, it's pretty daft of the Government to issue this warning, as it IS scaremongering, and will result in panic buying and the shelves being cleared.

The OP's posts have proven it's scaremongering as she's freaking out!

I think most people ARE prepared and generally sensible. Why do they have to talk to us like we're all a bit thick? As has been said, most people have at least 3 days worth of supplies anyway, most people will have much more.

I live in a rural village and have 2-3 months worth of non-perishables and essentials at any given time anyway. I don't need to be told I need to get them. After living in the sticks for almost 15 years, I have learned to adapt.

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Not everything that people are scared of is scaremongering.

OP seems to be enjoying her freakout and impervious to the fact that this is the same advice the government and other agencies issue every year.

Some of it is.

This isn't.

Which part of this one is? Primary sources.

This is an utterly asinine take. The emergency services and local authority disaster response in the UK is generally excellent. Just because you’ve been lucky enough not to need it doesn’t mean that it’s non-existent. I can assure you that if and when your house is flooded, or you are cut off by a landslip, or there is a chemical leak from a nearby industrial plant, the emergency services WILL be there for you, regardless of your contemptuous opinion of them.

This make for some disappointing reading https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-public-survey-of-risk-perception-resilience-and-preparedness-2026/uk-public-survey-of-risk-perception-resilience-and-preparedness-2026-headline-findings-html

13% of survey respondents felt that their household was largely or totally prepared for an emergency/disaster and 33% reported feeling moderately prepared, while 50% felt they were slightly or not at all prepared for an emergency/disaster and 3% said they did not know.

I’m ignoring it. I ignored it during Covid to my brief detriment in that DH had to drive for miles to find loo roll and hand wash but that’s as bad as it got. I’m not filling my home with loads of random crap unless the government actually decide to tell us there’s an imminent threat and we all must do this, which they won’t because there isn’t.

The key word here is ‘most’. That leaves a large number of people to whom it doesn’t occur to prepare for foreseeable eventualities. These are the people that end up taking up a disproportionate amount of the emergency services’ time when there is a disaster. If the website and publicity campaign nudges these people into taking some basic precautions then that can only be a good thing.

I'm sitting here on the west coast of Ireland, listening to Storm Baolo whistling around the house, and remembering that the year before we moved here (1999, so 98 or 97) the entire village had a power cut lasting for 3 days over Christmas. We're always prepared for something like that to happen. Candles, power banks, tinned and dried foods, wood/turf for the fire...

But we should all worry, we should be worried about climate change, consquent (or at least subsequent, I don't want to argue about it) changes in the arable areas of Earth, human migration as some places become unbearable in certain seasons, extinctions of pollinating insects, changes in the Gulf Stream, - I could go on.

Don't look up - just make sure you have enough loo roll :D

Sorry to pop your bubble. About 50% are prepared and generally sensible.

Agreed - I think a lot of people assume everyone is like them and would be surprised just how many people couldn't withstand a couple of days fully off grid.

Meanwhile, dickheads are going to panic buy. Better they do it now because they've briefly had a run in with common sense, when supply chains are resilient and shelves quick to replenish, than during a mass banking outage or a Spain-style power cut.

You clearly have no idea about the existence of emergency planning.