About

This web site is intended to be a guideline for disaster preparations.  The “lists” used here are loosely based on a popular list that was prepared by Joseph Almond titled “100 items to disappear first in the panic of 1999” in preparation for Y2K and has been relabeled and recirculated many times. Disappear refers to disappear from retail resources and personal supply.

The blog pages will take input and integrate the good suggestions into the content of the site.

There are links to disaster agencies, other blogs and resources pertaining to disaster preparations that have good information.

You can send an email to support@first100items.com.

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A few years ago there was a large forest fire near me that consumed over 100,000 acres. The fire traversed 19 miles in one windy day. Luckily it slowed down after that, but it left many people homeless in minutes and for weeks for the people whose home survived. As the planes dropped retardant on the front line, the people in the eventual path were being constantly advised as to if or when they would have to evacuate. Obviously, some people had more time to prepare than others. The people closest to the source had no time. Others had weeks. As the weather decided what the fire did next, I clearly remember the local police driving up and down all the streets advising people from their PA to be prepared to evacuate. After the fire, the forest service took weeks going over every square inch of land to make sure the fire was out. Neighborhoods were cleared first and forest was reviewed later.

It was a hit or miss situation as to whether you were affected or not.  Twenty miles away, people were totally unaffected, while you would be totally displaced.

We watched the plume for weeks.  It was mostly white.  Occasionally a black streak would enter in.  That usually meant a house burned up.

Surely, I was unprepared. Luckily, I didn’t have to leave.

I still drive through the region that was incinerated and can see the aftereffects as far as the eye can see.  There were road washouts and flooding from rain due to no grass.  Hiking takes a wary eye because trees still blow over unexpectedly.  More so now that the roots have decayed for a few years.