How to Prepare for Everything

Here is a brief excerpt about how to most effectively volunteer after a disaster.

This excerpt is about a disruption I experienced during a snowstorm, and the disruptive solution I came up with involving a robocall and ended in an international media explosion.

After every disaster conferences are held, large binders of “lessons learned” are amassed, and we solemnly swear to “never forget.” But we do forget; and we place the binders on the shelf, next to binders from the previous disasters that

Knowing your problem-solving strategies will help you prepare without stress. There are at least four preparation problem-solving strategies: Making things, doing things, buying things, and building relationships. There is no one best strategy, and many of us use multiple strategies.

All communication strategies may be classified by timing (live or delayed) and mode (one-to-one, many-to-many, or something in-between). Instead of focusing exclusively on amateur radio (a many-to-many, live method), first determine the timing and mode you need, then pick an

Enjoy this excerpt from How to Prepare for Everything, called “Helping in Pine Bluffs.” It outlines what happened when a bunch of community volunteers rallied to help clean up after the July 2016 hailstorm in the small town of Pine

This is an audio excerpt of How to Prepare for Everything, called “A Sign of Hope.” Like pine cones that bloom in intense heat, something deep in our nature can channel pain and injury into the long and difficult task

Tonight Hurricane Harvey will slam into the Texas coast. It is expected to stall, dump more than a foot of water, and cause catastrophic flooding. Over the next few days we can expect to hear about deaths, see pictures of

During disasters, human behavior is overwhelmingly collaborative and loving. Neighbors help neighbors. People are very polite. Panic and anti-social behavior is rare and overblown by news outlets. Disasters knock down fences and make good neighbors. Your neighbors don’t become

How to Prepare for Everything includes dozens of stories illustrating common disruptions, and practical solutions to them. The point is not to suggest a solution for everyone under every circumstance, but instead to get your creative juices flowing as you