Dear Black Bag Confidential Reader,
Take a look at the shocking photo below. Believe it or not, this image hasn’t been photoshopped or altered in any way:
Now read on and check out article No. 5 to find out why this Alberta man is so calm despite the raging twister looming in the background — and what happened after the photo was taken.
1. The Post-Traumatic Psychology of Disaster Survivors
According to our resident special operations physician Omar Hamada, our psychiatric/psychological processes are perhaps the most important bodily system:
We know from multiple studies — as well as overwhelming evidence gained in combat, POW camps and even civilian situations like kidnappings or challenges like climbing Mount Everest — that the No. 1 factor in whether or not someone will survive is their mental state, whether or not they believe that they can and will survive.
The aftermath of a traumatic event also presents psychological challenges, and often those who survive a disaster experience feelings of anger and guilt for being alive. Friends and family members of victims may also be affected.
This piece from The Atlantic discusses different ways these feelings can manifest. It’s a sobering reminder that even after a crisis is over, there are still survival elements to consider.
2. Organization and Storage Ideas for Preppers
Unlike most of my survivalist friends, I keep my emergency gear highly organized. As my wife will tell you, it’s one of the few areas of my life I keep that way. Because you can have the best gear in the world, but if you can’t access it quickly enough, it won’t do you any good.
In this article, Dale over at Survivalist Prepper offers some general organizational advice, along with 12 specific ideas you can integrate into your home to maximize space and keep everything where it belongs. Check it out!
3. Obama’s Deadly Revenge Against American Seniors
If you are over 60 as of Jan. 1, 2017, you are now at immediate risk — and it’s up to you to protect yourself.
This threat directly affects your health and health care, which means you should take preventative action NOW. Because in a survival situation, you need to be firing on all cylinders.
Click on the link above to learn about seven new disease treatments available right now that could cure the most dangerous diseases affecting American seniors today, like Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and even cancer.
4. Japan Has Disaster Theme Parks… Should We Try Them in the U.S.?
The tricky thing about disaster prep is you can buy all the supplies in the world and draft emergency plans A through Z, but you won’t know exactly what it’s like to be in the thick of things until you are. So wouldn’t it be nice to be able to practice what to do in the event of an earthquake, tsunami, mudslide or any other unexpected natural disaster?
That’s what officials in Japan seem to think, so they’ve set up disaster education centers in cities across the country. And now, according to The Seattle Times, “Some civic leaders in Seattle [want] to import the concept to quake-prone Western Washington, where many residents have only a vague understanding of the risks.”
What do you think? Would you participate in an earthquake simulator so you know what to expect when the real thing happens? Or do you have any other brilliant disaster prep ideas? Send me your thoughts at spy@LFB.org.
5. Canada Tornado: Alberta Lawn-Mowing Man Defies Twister
Just like last week’s video of the Wisconsin woman thwarting an attempted carjacking, I almost couldn’t believe what Theunis Wessels did when a tornado touched down near his home in Three Hills, Alberta.
This article states that the warning from officials didn’t come until after Theunis’ wife, Cecilia, took the notorious picture above — but I’d say that if you can see the tornado, you have been warned.
Stay safe,
Jason Hanson
