guest post by Veranio – submitted on March 6 2010
God is very kind to us and we can surely feel his guidance and protection. It was indeed a long day yesterday.
Our day started at 3:00 a.m. when we got a call to turn on the T.V. The announcer confirmed that we will be hit by a massive tsunami by 11:25 a.m. So my wife and I prayed together and blessed the house. Immediately, we started gathering our pre-arranged bug out bags. My wife put together additional things that could augment our kit while I went to fill up gas for our van.
At 4:00 a.m. there was already line at the gas station. Before 5:00 a.m. we got the essentials together and loaded it to the van and went back to bed to rest awhile. The children woke up at 5:30 and they started with their own personal kit.
We loaded most of our gears to the van just in case we need to go to a higher ground. Not wanting to be herded like refugees, we decided not to go to any evacuation center. But if needed, head to a place where we ride our dirt bikes and wait it out up there.
The emergency warning sirens started sounding at 6:00 in the morning. I cooked a hearty breakfast for everybody to keep our energy level. My daughter and my middle son went to put gas to the 4Runner since we decided to go with the van, the 4runner and a dirt bike. The CRF450 will be used for scouting if were required to move from place to place.
My eldest son put together gear for long term survival which was stowed in the 4Runner. Our youngest who is eight also organized his things together including his beloved pillow. When my daughter and my middle son returned, they related that there was a long line at the station and several accidents on the road.
The radio reported that the road to Upcountry was jammed since everybody was headed for the higher grounds. In the meantime, there was a small plane and helicopter buzzing the beach and fire trucks and police cars were patrolling the road to clear the area.
Our house is by the beach and we were in the flood zone but located on a hill so we were in the middle of the commotion. A fire truck passed by but did not warn us to evacuate.
At 8:00 we were very much situated. My daughter had a morbid but very pragmatic idea. The children wrote their names on their bodies for easier identification. My eldest son followed suit and went further by waterproofing a removable computer stick with his personal info and wore it as a pendant.
We continued to monitor developments so that if needed we can react or change plan accordingly. Part of the entertainment is to listen to the local radio station and have light moments listening to callers with their silly thoughts and questions on the incoming disaster.
I asked everybody at home to take a bath and go to the bath room before the utilities will be cut off. I did additional cooking for lunch to have the last warm and decent food if things get bad. We had also ice cream to keep the energy level high while waiting for developments. At the meantime, I filled up the three 50 gallon water barrels
The first of the island chain was Hawaii or Big Island. In the past, it suffered most of the tsunami casualties. It was an advantage for us because we can monitor their damage and the effect of the incoming tsunami. We have between 20 to 30 minutes difference before the actual waves hit us.
We can also observe the ocean changes through live camera on Big Island. It was forecasted that the wave will be higher on Maui based on the structure of the island and its reef formation.
The night before, the dogs in the neighborhood were agitated. There were lots of barking and howling. Normally there is bird traffic in the wooded area of our yard but yesterday it was noticeably absent. Most likely, they flew inward to the mountains. We also heard from radio callers that pets were acting crazy.
At this time, we prayed again as a family, thanking God that we were all together and prayed for his continued protection and guidance. In the meantime, the sirens are sounding every hour. Later on the sirens sounded every 30 minutes as it gets closer to the expected time of arrival.
The fire department passed by our house once again but they did not ask us to leave. At this time, most of our neighbors have already evacuated. We learned from the local radio some roads were closed and that road to the higher areas were congested.
Cars were tightly parked on the shoulders and on available county and state parks. Later on we also found out that there were multi-family camp out on vacant lots.
There are also light moments for us during the tension. We have a two story house and our eldest and middle sons sleep downstairs. My eldest son placed his art supplies on top of the refrigerator. My middle son brought upstairs his truck muffler and placed it on my daughter’s bed.
My guess was to keep it safe from the inundation. My daughter put on a make up so she would look pretty during the disaster. They all put on deodorant so they would not be stinky in case something happens.
Basically, the children were given liberty to pack what they want to bring besides their essentials. My daughter had firecrackers to celebrate if we survive. My eldest son had pillow covers that her girlfriend made and his drawing materials for a comic strip to illustrate our experience.
My middle son had his flow master muffler and assortment of things. My youngest has his pillow, game boy and joke books to make us laugh. He also wanted to bring his bow and arrow but I told him that his Red Ryder is more than enough.
On a more serious side we also packed comfort food such as chocolates, snacks and drinks. We had raisins and nuts besides the usual canned goods. We also have a pot to boil and distill water and for cooking soups and hot drinks.
We had extra changes of underwear and socks. Learning from the aftermath of major disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti earthquake where the best and the worst of people surfaces, we have defensive arms. My wife and my daughter had .38/.357 revolvers each. I had a 45 pistol and the boys had 9 mm pistols.
We opted not to bring long guns to avoid standing out in the crowd and creating undue tension. We also decided against shotguns because they are bulky and the ammunition will take more space and weight. I packed a foldable Keltec 9mm carbine that was compatible to the 9mm pistols and a .22 carbine that can be disassembled in two parts. Both of the carbines can fit inside the back packs. We also packed two .22 pistols as back up.
We had sub-sonic and low powered .22 rounds for quite hunting if we cannot go back to our house for a while. Each firearm has at least 100 plus ammunition. Each family member has a knife, flash light, first aid kit, fire starter, sewing kit, mini-tools, hygienic aids such as s
oap, tooth brush, tooth paste, disinfectants and other possibles/ miniature survival kits. There was redundancy and overlapping in our bug out kits in case we get separated.
As usual as in the case of the island culture, the tsunami came Hawaiian time. It was more than an hour late and more subdued like a Jawaiian reggae, not the rocking tsunami that would have rocked the island chain to oblivion. Praise the Lord. God is truly awesome in his wisdom and kindness.
It actually came in at past 12:00 p.m. in four sets of tsunami waves. Instead of the massive wall of water it came just above three feet higher than normal, much smaller than surfing waves.
It was surreal because it was actually a beautiful day yesterday. The sun was shining bright, no trade winds, a perfect cloudless sky and blue water so we can really see the changes in the ocean.
On our side, the sea was calm with small sets of waves. Then suddenly in the shoreline, there is discoloration due to the under current as the water receded, exposing some reefs and then covering it. At the harbor, the changes were more noticeable.
The water in the harbor receded and only the muddy residue was left and then the water came in and repeating the process four times.
The children were joking that it was an excitement letdown but we are all relieved that there was no destruction and we still have a home. So we prayed again as a family to thank God. By 2:00 p.m., the next thing is to unload our survival gears and put it back in place.
By the way, my wife just napped through the tsunami. I did not wake her because it was not significant and so that at least one of us will be fresh if things got worse. I told her she was unbelievably calm and she responded “We already prayed and that God is with us and remember I am a nurse – nurses are supposed to be calm. Besides, we also ate lots of grapes from Costco in case those were our last grapes.” What an incredible woman for a wife.
After this, it’s back to routine. We went to church for the 5:00 Saturday evening mass and helped out as Hospitality ministers. Prayed again and gave thanks to God. My older sons went to surfer’s banquet and the rest of the family ate dinner at the re-opened mall and we were famished and hungry.
When we got home we were so tired because our adrenaline wore down. I went to sleep in the living room because I knew I will be snoring loud and I don’t want to disturb my wife because she was also very tired. The experience was a great exercise to learn from so we can be more prepared for the next time.
When I woke up this morning the weather was bad, it’s dreary and stormy outside. The ocean is not as friendly as yesterday since it is churning and furious, but this time the birds were back on the trees.
If you want to comment, please do not hesitate so we can all learn together.
{ 14 comments }
I would certainly rather be over-prepared and "anti-climatic" than anything else. Thanks for sharing! I would like to hear more about your observations of your unprepped neighbors and the media who assumed that no one had any preps.
Again, .22 rifles are great because they have great hunting capabilities, are portable, and .22 ammo is small in size for bug-out-bags. Just make sure it’s a quality .22 gun and your ammo is higher quality as well.
Even though they had some lead time, it still happens faster than you think.
Let this be a lesson to us all – when any SHTF, you not only do you have have to be packed with supplies but be rehearsed as well. Although they were probably nervous, they minimized their fears by being prepared.
Excellent post!
Todays prep item –
Bought a Springfield-XD-9 today – an MD recommendation, thanks.
SOUNDS LIKE YOU WAS PREPARED TO THE HILT.GOOD JOB MY FRIEND.LIKE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WE WERE PRAYING FOR HAWAII TO BE SPARED.GOING TO GOD IN PRAYER SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE FIRST THING TO WHEN PREPPING FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS.FROM JAY IN NC
Nice post….
I watched the news for a long time that day, unfortunately expecting a worse outcome, so I'm glad things were all well.
The thing that I think sticks out most in your post is how well your family dealt with the situation. For a small group of young children to help prep for incoming potential disaster without "losin' it", that is key. You clearly have done a good job of getting your family on board.
I envy your accomplishment, my wife is only now starting to think along the same line as me, but she has a long way to go. My 11 year old daughter is to worried about her jr. high social structure and could care less.
Kudos to you Veranio, sounds like it's time I had a more detailed discussion with my girls.
Dean in Mich……..
I have a question. It seems like you wanted to leave and then didn't because of the traffic, etc. Luckily everyhting turned out ok, but would it have been better to leave immediately when you got the first call at 3 am? Or was it ok to stay put because your home was on high ground? Great story, but it's hard to picture without knowing the terrain.
Holy Smokes! A fantastic post to share, thank you. Ditto Jay in NC. 1st prep is to pray, agreed. For us usually pray while we are gathering stuff together, depending on the threat. Good job Veranio!
awesome post!
I have one question. Was it low tide in your area of the Hawaiian islands? That could be the reason that the Tsunami was lower…. but good thing it was!
upinak
I really enjoyed this post as well. I would also like to know what else was going on around you with neighbors and such. People panicked? Looking lost or prepared? Anything you can share would be great. I feel better about my situation everyday but the general public is the real variable. I can't even imagine what it will be like with 90% of the general population running around who have nothing prepared and trying to figure things out at the last minute. We all like to believe that people will behave reationally in these types of circumstances, but as evidenced by Haiti and Katrina, civilized people turn on eachother in the blink of an eye when their survival is at stake. Anyway, any observations of what it was like in a "heightened alertness" situation would be great.
Never, never, never let the gas tank in any of your vehicles get lower than 1/2 full. When we have hurricane evacuations here in Florida, all the gas stations within five miles of the ocean are SOLD OUT within one hour. That include premium. It's also a good idea to store 10 – 20 gallons of gas – treated with Sta-bil – at a safe place on your property.
Also, make a list of the things you would want to take from your house if you have time. We have bug-out bags, and what we call "hurricane lists" – we keep them all over the place (including in the bug out bags) these lists (they are all the same) include all the important stuff to take from the house. Make sure all the family has an input. My daughter's most important object is her favorite teddy bear. Much better to have her calm during an evacuation than frantic because she is missing her teddy bear.
Nice that you had your individual family packs prepped and left room for the comfort items such as the pillow (also a great splint). Children aren't able to cope with tragedy as well as adults. I have four children,(2-14) and firmly believe in multiple packs. Fortunately, I live in the foothills of Kentucky, which I consider to be one of the best areas to be WTSHTF. Kudos on preparation. One thing that I value most in MY pack is a waterproof match container with Vasoline-soaked cotton balls and a Blastmatch Fire Starter. And as a paramedic, I am well-stocked (if not overstocked) on medical supplies. Gotta keep the kids in mind when planning survival as they are the future. God Bless you and your family.
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Great that you were prepared but you did not leave. Did you not think that decision was putting you and your family at risk? I live on the Texas Gulf Coast and we get hurricanes. When they tell us to evacuate we do that. 3 out of 4 times in the last 25 years we had no damage. In 83 the tide was flooded the first 5 feet of the house. The last one a few years ago tore the roof off the house but the house did not flood.
It was a good lesson on preparedness. We got into preparing for long outages and not being able to get back for a week or 2 last time. Next time we willbe more prepared and I printed out what you did so we could discuss it. Thanks….
Thank you so much for your prayers and support. It was scary. We were able to go through the experience only with the good grace of God. I also want to thank M.D. Creekmore for allowing me to share our experience.
The day during the tsunami, the weather was exceptionally calm and beautiful. As suggested, most likely the ocean was low tide.
Most of our neighbors decided to evacuate early on. I saw suitcases loaded haphazardly. I can only imagine there was chaos and pressure from each family member to leave because even those in the inland left for the higher grounds. On the extreme, a couple of our neighbors did not do anything. They decided to just to sit it out. If my family bugged out, my wife would make sure to ask them to come along with us.
Some stores outside the flood zone risked to open early to help the community with their supplies. Many people went into panic buying mode. It is sad and unfortunate to find out that the days after the tsunami; the same people who panicked were now returning cases of water, cartoons of canned goods, tents, generators and others.
It is an on going process to teach the children to become proficient with firearms. They all started with a single shot .22 rifles when they were 6 years old. The purpose was to take away the mystique of firearms while teaching proper and safe handling. It was a systematic process. They shoot the same action using a .22 so they can step up to higher caliber. For example, a .22 pump action made them familiar with a pump shotgun. They learn to shoot semi-automatic .22 to be acquainted with center fire. First, they shot Feather AT 22, which made it easier to transition to a Feather AT 9mm or Ruger 10/22 and step up to Mini-14. The emphasis was to be comfortable shooting. Later on, hitting the target just came naturally because there were not pressured to do so. The idea is to make the experience enjoyable. At some point, it will be easier to teach marksmanship.
When the children were young, we used to role-play different scenarios and suggesting what they can do in a playful way. I made sure that they understand that guns are tools that can be very useful but at the same time, very destructive if mishandled or misused. I made them aware to never, never touch a gun in the state of anger. We make sure that they are active in practicing our Christian faith so they can have the proper foundation and disposition to make a life and death decision. We ourselves try our best to set good example of practicing our faith. We hope to engrain good values, morality, courtesy, humility and compassion while they are growing up so they can have the strength to stand up for their principles.
Thank you for the tip on the Vaseline soaked cotton balls. Our fire starters were made of dryer lint and paraffin wax but other wax are good too. The way to do it is to melt the wax and mix it with the lint. When the mixture is cool, roll it into several skinny cigarette shape pieces. Light one end and it will burn steadily for a long time to start a fire even in a windy condition. I also learned that you could use the exposed bottom rim of a ceramic coffee mug to sharpen knives because it has the same composition as silica grinding stone.
Again, thank you for all the prayers. Peace and God bless to all
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