Dear Black Bag Confidential Reader,
About this time last year, heavy rains caused widespread flooding in parts of Texas, prompting many people to evacuate their homes. But in Rosharon, Texas, one family chose not to leave as the floodwaters rose. Instead, they built a dam around their home and decided to stay.
Yes, you read that right — this enterprising family built a dam around their entire home to hold back the floodwaters.
You see, when local authorities warned Rosharon residents about the potential flooding, Randy Wagner decided to begin his preparations. He purchased a product called AquaDam, which is basically a giant tube you fill with water. Randy bought 400 feet of the 30-inch tubing, placed it around his home and filled it up.
Neighbors were leery, and local news station KHOU quoted Wagner as saying, “I was the crazy guy. Everybody was kind of going by, laughing at me. But today, they are really impressed with this AquaDam.”
As the rain intensified, the water level outside the dam reached 27 inches. But the floodwater never breached Randy’s dam, and he and his family remained safe.
The Price of Survival
Now, building a dam around your house is not cheap. In fact, Randy paid approximately $8,300 for his AquaDam. However, it potentially prevented a lot of damage to his home, saving him tens of thousands of dollars in repairs — and a huge headache. From a cost/benefits perspective, Randy definitely made a good choice.
Like the AquaDam, there are many great survival items we could all use — if they didn’t cost thousands of dollars. So until you win the lottery, here are some items I recommend saving up to purchase. One day, they just might save you.
1) Food Storage: You’re probably thinking, I can build up food storage. That’s not expensive. But I’m talking about building an entire year’s worth of food storage, which can be expensive, so I recommend building it up slowly.
Food storage is critical because not only will it save you in a survival situation, but it can also be a relief in times of financial crisis — like a job loss, medical emergency or other unforeseen circumstances that tighten your purse strings.
By accumulating an entire year’s worth of food, you can be confident in your ability to feed your family. Just remember to be mindful of expiration dates and rotate your food storage regularly so it doesn’t spoil.
2) Generator: When it comes to generators, there are a range of different options. For thousands of dollars, you can install a huge generator that will power your entire home. Another (cheaper) option is to buy a portable generator to power just the necessities.
Both choices have their advantages. A generator attached to your home, for example, has more juice to power more items. However, a portable generator can be taken with you in an emergency.
Either way, it’s worth spending the money to buy a quality generator in the event you are without power for an extended time. Personally, I prefer a portable propane generator, but that’s only one alternative. Do some research and find the option that best meets the needs of you and your family.
3) Guns & Ammo: Since I’m a big gun guy, I have more than a few guns in my home that I can use to protect my family. And since you never know how long a crisis situation will last, I have also stockpiled plenty of ammo — I strongly encourage you to do the same.
I recommend having at least 1,000 rounds for each caliber of firearm you own. If you own several guns of the same caliber — 9 mm, for example — you may want to increase your supply to 2,000 rounds. Remember, you may need to use your firearms to hunt as well as defend your family, and a gun without ammo is useless.
The Bottom Line
Of course, the items mentioned above can be purchased on a budget. But the more money you spend on stocking up, the bigger the benefit in the long term.
And while you’re at it, think like Randy Wagner and look for ways you can reduce damage to your home from natural disasters. For example, if you live in a hurricane-prone area, keep sheets of plywood on hand to cover your windows, and make sure your roof is in good shape. Or if you live in an area where earthquakes occur, look for ways to reinforce the structural integrity of your home.
At the end of the day, I would much rather be like Randy Wagner and have my neighbors laugh at me than have my home trashed during a natural disaster.
Stay safe,
Jason Hanson
