preparednessblog

While reading various disaster-preparedness and survival blogs (and, really, you should get as much information as you can from as many sources as you can) you’ll occasionally run into odd acronyms and initialisms that can be confusing if they are unfamiliar to you.

I’ve put together a brief list of some of the most common ones and their translations:

BOB – Bug Out Bag. A bag that you keep ready-packed with items to get you through an evacuation, such as hurricane or flash flood warnings. I’ll cover this in more depth at a later date.

H5N1 – the CDC’s designation for Asian Avian Flu, aka bird flu, a particularly virulent flu that many suspect could lead to the next influenza pandemic.

MRE – Meals Ready to Eat. These are US Military field rations. Many people concerned with preparedness keep these on hand because they are dense in calories and last, just about literally, forever. They are expensive and don’t get high ratings on flavor, though, so I have never sought them out for my own stores.

NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A US federal agency, most closely associated with weather data. When I’m watching a hurricane (I live on Florida’s gulf coast) I go to them first. (www.noaa.gov.)

NOLA – New Orleans, Louisiana. What happened there after Hurricane Katrina was a wake-up call for a lot of people. The government does not have the ability to be everywhere, immediately. If your family is going to be safe, you need to provide for that safety yourself.

SHTF – Sh*t hits the fan. Basically, any large-scale disaster.

TEOTWAWKI – The End of the World as We Know It (pronounced “tee-aught-wah-kee”); this harks back to traditional survivalists who were/are preparing for a total breakdown of society.

TVP – Texturized Vegetable Protein. A dry, granular meat substitute made from soy beans. It stores well and is a great source of protein. (It’s more appetizing than it sounds, really!)

YMMV – Your Mileage May Vary; meaning, your situation and results may wind up different than mine. Research and test all ideas for yourself, and adapt plans to your personal situation.

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