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Hello! Welcome to Medical Monday!

Today’s Topic: Hurricane Sandy

Sorry about my vacation from Medical Mondays, as my rotations have had me traveling, working odd hours, and I’m also applying for Residency Programs. I have a short moment so I wanted to discuss Hurricane Sandy and what I have learned:

1. Don’t have a Hurricane Party.
That is what my friends in Hoboken did and they got stranded and had to get rescued by the National Guard. They had to walk through the gross water. They also had to get a tetanus shot because the water went over their boots and soaked their clothes and touched their skin. Dirty Hudson River water. Icky.

2. Just because you are in a high-rise building does not mean you are safer.
It might mean you are not flooded, but if you are in Downtown Manhattan, yeah you have an awesome view on the 32nd floor, but now you have to walk up and down all those stairs because you have no power. No longer so awesome. How do you plan to get supplies up and down in case of an emergency? Also, the winds increase in velocity above the 30th floor.

3. Always have a Bug Out Bag!!!
If you are told to evacuate or you deem the situation to be getting out of control and you need to get out quickly, having a bag that you walk in, grab, turn around and walk out, is a huge help!!!

4. ALWAYS have cash!!
Don’t be one of those people that never has any cash. There are places in the city and in New Jersey that are not taking Credit cards because of power outages and some internet outages. And ATMs were running out of cash, especially in parts of NJ. Cash is useful, even in the early parts of a Zombie Apocalypse, so make sure you have some!!

5. Gasoline!! (And other transportation woes)
Look at the shortage! Well, there isn’t really a shortage, it’s a distribution problem, but still, it’s really bad. You have people pulling guns at gas stations, huge brawls, assaults on police officers, price gauging, cash only at some places, wait times that are measured in HOURS, and just chaos. Essentially, Crazy town. And you can’t get over most bridges INTO the city if you don’t have at least 3 people in your car. Now it is MANDATORY to carpool. Transportation is shot and everyone and their brother is trying to get on the ONE BUS that is running. Not fun. And if you can’t get to work, you don’t get paid. Talk about chaos. Learn to walk and get yourself in shape! Know alternative routes! This is where this knowledge comes in handy!

6. Looting
Obviously the mall ninjas of our group are going to say, “I have my gun, no one is going to steal anything!” But clearly, you are not here. Its below 40 fucking degrees and you have no fucking heat. You cannot stay in your house or you’ll freeze to death. You have no electricity. You have no access to clean water and your supply of food and water has run out because it has been a week since the storm hit. You have to go somewhere else because you have no other choice. Your shit is going to get stolen. The end. Take what is of value to you that cannot be replaced that you can carry, and go to a shelter or find someone to stay with. You need heat or you will become a fatality.

7. General Preparedness
I always get laughed at by my friends for being prepared for zombies. They were not laughing this week as they stayed at my apartment and I had plenty of everything. They were anxious about what to do and how they were going to get their cars out of parking garages that were flooded and other similar messes and I talked them through it. I helped them fill out paperwork for FEMA since flooding is not something that renters Insurance generally covers. I knew what to do for pretty much everything and when I didn’t know, I knew where to look or who to ask.

Moral of the Story: Gathering knowledge about WHAT TO DO during a disaster/Zombie Apocalypse is more important than WHAT YOU HAVE.