“Know what’s weird? Day by day, nothing seems to change, but pretty soon…everything’s different.”
– Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes

Here’s evidence of just how much our world has changed. Twenty years ago you would have found little or no mention of any of these topics in the news or even in preparedness literature. But now they’re all hot topics and things we should consider in our emergency planning.

1. Flu Pandemic

“At this point, further spread of the pandemic, within affected countries and to new countries, is considered inevitable.

“This assumption is fully backed by experience. The 2009 influenza pandemic has spread internationally with unprecedented speed. In past pandemics, influenza viruses have needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new H1N1 virus has spread in less than six weeks.” (World Health Organization, 16 July 2009)

My Take: The current flu “pandemic” is being blown entirely out of proportion in order to sell vaccines and promote political agendas. But it’s a certainty that a genuine killer pandemic will appear sooner or later. We need to prepare for the possibility of extended periods of isolation, and we need to build up our immune systems through proper nutrition and exercise.

2. Dirty Bombs

“‘We know that terrorists come here and we know that they are surveying here,’ said Captain Michael Riggio of the NYPD counterterrorism division.

“A dirty bomb, which combines conventional explosives such as dynamite with radioactive material, could have a devastating impact and close down the surrounding area for several years.” (Boston Globe, 1 July 2009)

My Take: The fact that this hasn’t yet happened in a major city suggests that it might not be such an easy job to pull off. But the possibility is real. We need to prepare for the extended effects of such an event, such as job losses, mass transportation disruption, and extended utility outages.

3. Cybercrime

“The biggest security threats to business and home networks may be the avalanche of webcams, printers, and other devices that ship with embedded web interfaces that can easily be turned against their masters.

“The web interfaces are designed to make it easy to manage the devices by allowing people to use a readily familiar medium to change settings such as file names and IP addresses. But there’s a catch: The low-cost gadgets were never designed to withstand attacks, even though they interact with some of the most sensitive parts of a computer network….” (The Register, 16 July 2009)

My Take: Your identity and money are targets for a growing army of cyberthieves. Make sure your computers are well protected from viruses and spyware. Learn to recognize “phishing” scams that try to trick or scare you into giving out sensitive personal information over the Internet. Exercise your common sense. (Your bank already knows your account number and won’t send you an email asking for it. No foreign dignitary is going to ask a total stranger to help with a multimillion dollar money transfer. You can’t win a lottery you didn’t enter or inherit money from a non-relative you never heard of.) Be extra careful in making online purchases.

4. Asteroid Impact

“Early Monday, astronomers confirmed the passing of an asteroid a mere 45,000 miles above the Earth’s surface. This distance is about twice as high as the locations of most satellites that orbit the Earth in free fall, but about only one-fifth the distance between the Earth and its moon. Although it passed somewhere over the Pacific Ocean and did not reach the Earth’s surface, it did receive some publicity among the scientists. ‘It’s pretty unusual to see one this close,’ said Timothy Spahr, an astronomer at Harvard University, ‘if an object of this size were to impact the Earth, it would be equivalent to a small nuclear explosion.’” (Journal of Young Investigators, 27 March 2009)

My Take: The earth has survived several near-misses in just the past decade, and has actually been hit by quite a number of small objects. Apocalyptic scripture prophecies that a “great mountain burning with fire” will be “cast into the sea” (Revelation 8:8-9), which could well be a prediction of an asteroid strike. While there is very little one can do to prepare for such an occurrence, a supply of food and survival items would likely be of great benefit in the aftermath.

5. Suicide Bombing

“A British Muslim convert was jailed Friday for plotting to carry out a suicide bomb attack on a shopping mall in southern England.

“Isa Ibrahim, a 20-year-old doctor’s son who was educated at some of Britain’s most exclusive private schools, was convicted of planning to kill himself and scores of innocent shoppers.” (Google News, 17 July 2009)

My Take: It’s happening almost on a daily basis in some parts of the world, and eventually it will happen in yours. Generally the targets are downtown in large cities, where the attackers can maximize the damage and the publicity. If you’re living or working in the heart of a big city, it might be time to start looking at other possibilities.

6. Solar Storm

“…the danger posed by solar storms is increasing. This growing threat comes not from changes in the Sun, but from the increasing dependence of human societies on technology and electricity. A storm on the scale of the Carrington Event could damage the U.S. electrical grid to such an extent that vast regions of the country could be without power for weeks, perhaps months. Without electricity, drinkable water would soon be in short supply, as would fuel, food, communications and just about everything else society depends on to function. ” (MinnPost.com, 27 May 2009)

My Take: The sun has been acting very strangely lately, and scientists are struggling to find an explanation. In past decades solar flares and coronal mass ejections have caused massive blackouts and electrical system damage. Today’s interconnected grids and micro-electronics would be affected even more severely. The damage from a solar flare can be more widespread than just about any other disaster. Interestingly, Luke 21: 25 predicts “signs in the sun” in the last days. We need to learn enough self-reliance skills to sustain our families in a worst-case event, where all public utilities and services might be cut off.

7. Climate Change

“Five top United Nations officials have added their names to a petition urging world leaders to ‘seal the deal’ in Copenhagen, Denmark, this December on an ambitious new climate change pact aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions.” (U.N. News Centre, 14 July 2009)

My Take: Human-caused “global warming” is a lot of hot air, but climate change is real. Unfortunately, the draconian legislation being proposed in many countries is designed to line pockets and advance globalist political agendas. It will do little or nothing to help the climate. We need to be prepared financially to face a period of extreme taxation, expensive travel, and restricted business activities. Getting out of debt is critical.

8. Bioterror Attack

“U.S. counterterrorism officials have authenticated a video by an al Qaeda recruiter threatening to smuggle a biological weapon into the United States via tunnels under the Mexico border, the latest sign of the terrorist group’s determination to stage another mass-casualty attack on the U.S. homeland.” (Washington Times, 3 June 2009

My Take: Biological attacks have been attempted numerous times over the years. Most have done less damage than their perpetrators expected. However, it is a virtual certainty that eventually a devastating large-scale attack will occur somewhere. Large transportation hubs are the most likely targets. You should be prepared with a supply of emergency masks and the materials to create a temporary “safe room.”

9. Civil Unrest

“The new director of national intelligence told Congress on Thursday that global economic turmoil and the instability it could ignite had outpaced terrorism as the most urgent threat facing the United States.” (New York Times (12 February 2009)

My Take: With the economies of nations falling into chaos and tens of millions unemployed or underemployed, civil insurrection has already begun in many places. It will most likely spread as conditions get worse. Desperate people do desperate things. We need to do three things to prepare. First, we should build up a supply of food, water, and survival gear so that we don’t become desperate ourselves. Second, we must get our finances in order and learn some skills that can provide self-employment or barter income in a pinch. Third, we need to develop strong friendships with family and neighbors so that we can support and watch out for one another in times of crisis.

In Summary

The threats we face are changing and multiplying. But the solution for individuals and families remains the same. A supply of food, a good water filter, extra clothing, provisions for warmth and shelter, and an emergency evacuation kit are essentials. Self-reliance skills such as gardening, breadmaking, and canning may be crucial to survival. Getting out of debt and spending less than you earn are of prime importance. And building a support network of trusted friends, family members and neighbors can make all the difference in coping with crises.

We encourage you to share your ideas, experiences, questions, problems, and solutions. Submit a comment below, or contribute your expertise by submitting an article.

Our best to all,

Jared and Jeannie