Month 4: The Security and Defense Challenge A Bangladesh Rifles Senior Warrant Officer (left in yellow/green outfit) applies a mechanical advantage control/hold to a United States Marine during a demonstration. By Photo By: Cpl. Juan D. Alfonso - http://www.marforpac.marines.mil/News/NewsArticleDisplay/tabid/919/Article/4810/iii-mef-unit-shares-non-lethal-tactics-with-bangladeshi-service-members-law-enf.aspx, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22321685
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Month 4: The Security and Defense Challenge

ByTeri Rehkopf

When disaster strikes, threats often extend beyond the natural world. In times of crisis, the stability that typically keeps society functioning begins to crumble. Panic, scarcity, and desperation can drive people to extreme actions. Homes are no longer guaranteed sanctuaries, and the risk of theft, assault, or worse, becomes a daily concern. The potential for…

More details The Great Blue Hole near Ambergris Caye, Belize
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How to Plan for a Sinkhole: Your Grip on Falling Ground

ByTeri Rehkopf

Sinkholes are earth’s trapdoors—ground yawns open, swallowing homes or roads with no mercy. Water or mines carve them slow, then drop fast. A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. Sinkholes abound in Florida. We have so much limestone and dolomite here. There are more…

How to Plan for an EMP/CME Disaster: Your Pulse Against the Blackout By ISS Expedition 23 crew - Mission: ISS023 Roll: E Frame: 58455 Mission ID on the Film or image: ISS023, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10691965
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How to Plan for an EMP/CME Disaster: Your Pulse Against the Blackout

ByTeri Rehkopf

EMP/CME disasters are silent tech-killers—electromagnetic pulses from bombs or coronal mass ejections from the sun fry circuits, grids, and gadgets in a flash. Power’s gone, cars stall, and comms die, hurling you back to the stone age. An electromagnetic pulse (EMP), also referred to as a transient electromagnetic disturbance (TED), is a brief burst of…

How to Plan for a Shark Attack: Your Bite Back in the Deep By Terry Goss, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1561215 The great white shark is involved in the most fatal unprovoked attacks
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How to Plan for a Shark Attack: Your Bite Back in the Deep

ByTeri Rehkopf

Shark attacks are the ocean’s gut-punch—jaws clamp, blood flows, and panic drowns you faster than teeth. Rare but raw. The first shark image above is of the great white shark. It is involved in the most fatal unprovoked attacks. I’m a fish. I love to swim, and I was a competitive swimmer in high school….

How to Plan for a Power Outage: Your Edge in the Dark Power_outage_at_night_in_Tuntorp
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How to Plan for a Power Outage: Your Edge in the Dark

ByTeri Rehkopf

Power outages are modern cripplers—lights die, heat fades, and tech goes black, whether from storms or sabotage. Days stretch to weeks with no juice. We have all experienced power outages. It’s inevitable. We have storms. We have generators, flashlights, and candles. The worst outages have been during and after hurricanes, lasting only a few days….

How to Plan for a Heatwave
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How to Plan for a Heatwave: Your Shield Against the Blaze

ByTeri Rehkopf

Heatwaves are slow broilers—temps soar past 90°F for days, frying you without relief. Power strains, bodies wilt, and dehydration ambushes fast. Every Summer, we have what feels like a heatwave in Florida. August can get to the high 90s and more. We have enough ocean winds to keep it from getting hotter, so it’s not…

How to Plan for a Drought: Your Stand Against the Dry Corn shows effect of drought
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How to Plan for a Drought: Your Stand Against the Dry

ByTeri Rehkopf

Droughts are silent stranglers—water dries up, crops wither, and dust chokes the air, stretching months into years. Fires flare, wells fail, and survival turns lean. I have been in a drought, but not that totally dried everything up. Florida has had a couple of months in a row without rain, but we haven’t been as…

1993 Storm of the_Century_Asheville_North_Carolina
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How to Plan for a Blizzard: Your Fight Against the Freeze

ByTeri Rehkopf

Blizzards are winter’s war machines—snow piles deep, winds howl, and cold bites to the bone, locking you in or stranding you out. Power dies, roads vanish, and frostbite stalks the unwary. I’ve never been in an actual blizzard that had white-out effects. I’ve lived most of my life in Florida, except for 10 years in…

CAPSIZED BOAT
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How to Plan for a Boat Capsizing: Your Manual to Stay Above Water

ByTeri Rehkopf

A boat capsizing is a watery ambush—calm waves turn rogue, the wind flips your hull, or a wake swamps you, dumping you into the drink with no warning. It’s not just sinking; it’s fighting cold, currents, and chaos to survive. I have self-capsized a small sailboat and a canoe to practice righting the boat while…

How to Plan for a Pandemic: Your Armor Against the Plague New coronavirus 2019-ncov. 3D illustration
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How to Plan for a Pandemic: Your Armor Against the Plague

ByTeri Rehkopf

Pandemics are silent, invisible reapers—microscopic invaders that turn bustling streets into ghost towns, grocery shelves into battlegrounds, and a simple handshake into a death sentence. One day, it’s a rumor from halfway across the globe; the next, it’s at your door. Cities lock down, supply chains snap, and the unprepared scramble as everyday life twists…

How to Plan for an Earthquake: Your Survival Playbook Earthquakes strike without warning—one moment the ground is solid, the next it’s a rolling wave tearing through everything you know. They can topple buildings, rupture gas lines, and trap you under rubble in seconds. No forecast, no mercy—just raw power. At GoldenSurvivalist.com, we don’t wait for fate to decide; we take control. Whether you’re on a fault line or just passing through, here’s your no-nonsense guide to planning for an earthquake and coming out stronger. Step 1: Know the Ground You Stand On Earthquakes don’t send RSVP’s—they hit when they please. Learn your risk: check USGS fault maps to see if you’re in a hot zone like California, Alaska, or the New Madrid region. Understand the signs—not the quake itself (you won’t see it coming), but the aftermath: cracks in walls, gas smells, or downed power lines. Aftershocks can follow, sometimes as brutal as the main event. Stay informed through apps like Earthquake Alert! or USGS feeds. X can buzz with real-time reports from locals when the shaking starts. Knowledge isn’t prediction—it’s preparation for the inevitable. Step 2: Build an Unshakable Plan When the earth moves, you’ve got no time to think—only act. Pick your safe spots: under sturdy furniture (tables, desks) to shield from falling debris, or an interior wall away from windows and heavy objects. Forget doorways—modern frames aren’t stronger than walls. If outside, find open ground away from buildings, trees, and poles. In a car? Pull over, stay inside—let it absorb the hits. Drill it hard: “Drop, Cover, Hold On.” Drop to your knees, cover your head and neck, hold onto something solid. Practice with your crew—family, pets, roommates—until it’s reflex. Plan post-quake: a meet-up spot (park, neighbor’s yard) if home’s compromised, and an out-of-state contact to relay messages—local lines jam fast. Write it, live it—when the floor buckles, you’ll move like a pro. Step 3: Pack an Earthquake-Proof Kit After the shaking stops, you might face days without power, water, or help—roads crack, bridges collapse. Your kit is your anchor, built for at least 5-7 days: Water: One gallon per person per day—pipes burst, and tap water can turn toxic. Food: Non-perishables that don’t need cooking—canned fish, nuts, granola. Include a can opener. Safety: Flashlights, spare batteries, a whistle to signal rescuers. Skip candles—gas leaks spark fires. Health: First-aid kit, meds for a week, dust masks for debris-filled air. Tools: Wrench or pliers to shut off utilities, sturdy shoes for glass-strewn floors, gloves for digging out. Stash it in a backpack or bin under your bed or safe spot—somewhere you can grab it fast. Refresh it yearly; stale gear fails when you need it most. Step 4: Fortify Your Domain You can’t stop the earth, but you can outlast it. Secure your space: bolt bookcases, cabinets, and water heaters to studs—falling furniture kills more than collapsing roofs. Strap down TVs, microwaves, anything heavy that can fly. Install latches on cabinets—keep dishes from becoming shrapnel. Check your walls—retrofit older homes with shear braces if you’re in quake country. Store breakables low, and swap glass frames for plastic. Know your shutoffs: gas, water, electric—practice turning them off blindfolded (darkness is common post-quake). If renting, push your landlord for upgrades. Every fix is a lifeline when the ground turns liquid. Step 5: Stay Steady and Ready Earthquakes don’t announce their arrival, so vigilance is your edge. Monitor seismic activity—small tremors can hint at bigger ones, though science can’t predict exact strikes. Post-quake, assess fast: smell gas? Shut it off. See sparks? Kill the power. Don’t light matches—fires are the second wave of destruction. If trapped, cover your mouth and tap on pipes or walls—sound travels better than shouts. Avoid elevators, bridges, or cracked buildings during aftershocks. Keep shoes and a flashlight by your bed—night quakes catch you vulnerable. Adapt on the fly; survival rewards the quick and calm. Final Thoughts Earthquakes are chaos incarnate, but preparation is your rock. At GoldenSurvivalist.com, we don’t buckle—we brace. Know your turf, lock down your plan, pack your kit, harden your home, and stay sharp. When the earth shakes, you won’t just survive—you’ll stand tall amid the ruins. Start now—tomorrow might be too late. Stay tough, stay alive!
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How to Plan for an Earthquake: Your Survival Playbook

ByTeri Rehkopf

Earthquakes strike without warning—one moment, the ground is solid, and the next, it’s a rolling wave tearing through everything you know. They can topple buildings, rupture gas lines, and trap you under rubble in seconds. No forecast, no mercy—just raw power. Okay, I’m terrified of an earthquake. I’m amazed at those people who still live…

How to Plan for a Tsunami: Your Guide to Riding Out the Surge
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How to Plan for a Tsunami: Your Guide to Riding Out the Surge

ByTeri Rehkopf

Tsunamis are nature’s bulldozers—walls of water triggered by earthquakes, landslides, or volcanic eruptions, capable of drowning coastlines in minutes. They don’t mess around: waves can hit 20-30 feet high, moving at 500 mph in the open ocean, slowing only to unleash chaos onshore. In the US, we call them tidal waves. I’m so glad I’ve…