Sorry, but i grow more pessimistic by the day. Protect yourself and your family. Hopefully it will not come to this where you are.

From Rocky Mountain Survival Library for ed. purps only.

LOOTING - NEIGHBORS CRUISING FOR YOUR GOODS Each year disasters shred thousands of homes and mingled the tatters of lumber, drywall, shingles and roof tiles into one sickening blanket of scrap building materials.

(Photo: Looter openly steal goods during Hurricane Andrew)

As if dealing with a major disaster was not enough, I have found looting to be on the increase.It is interesting to note now and it was appalling to observe then, the majority of the victims were demanding that the "government--or someone--do something." The prevailing rationale was that the victims were not responsible for their own safety and welfare. Unfortunately, the magnitude of this disaster shut down an already cumbersome governmental support system upon which they were depending.

It was during Hurricane Hugo in the Carolinas that I first observed the extent of looting during a disaster. Of the hundreds of victims that I have dealt with, most had lost something to looters. Pillage even occurred in the rural areas. Then came Hurricane Andrew in south Florida. There the storm related damage estimates reached 20 billion dollars property damage, 250,000 homeless, 35,000 in shelters and 1.3 million lacking power--one of the costliest disasters ever in the United States. Here looting took on a life of its own. Many times whole families, including children, could be seen pushing shopping carts full of merchandise they had stolen.

In any disaster cash is "king" after all the banks were closed. Since lack of electricity meant no electronic funds transfers or interior lighting for the banks, cash was the only method of purchasing in many areas. There was a surprising number of people who had emergency goods to sell but they did not accept credit cards or personal checks. For several weeks, victims could not even get their paychecks cashed.

Unfortunately thieves and looters seek out those who have cash or goods. Most victims are to intent on making a purchase or solving their immediate crisis to be aware that others are watching them. They falsely assume, no one could be so cruel to take from those who already lost most or all of their possessions.

In large disasters, the National Guard will furnish some security, but it will be delayed by the extensive debris blocking the roads. The extent of a large damage area makes the efforts even less effective. Also the expedient focusing of National Guard activity mainly on town centers leaves rural residents unserved, disgruntled and very vulnerable to attack.During Hurricane Andrew, the Assistant City Manager of Homestead, Florida reported that he had a hundred National Guard next to the city hall, but every time he tried to direct them to a problem area, he was told they needed approval from higher up which sometimes took hours and sometimes days. Unfortunately, there was a severe shortage of on-site leadership.

Before the National Guard's presence is known, looting is always widespread. In many cases the plundering is done by "neighbors" from the next block. In one complex, during Hurricane Hugo, three scavengers gained entry into a number of the evacuated apartments. But when they began to pry one door open, one remaining occupant threatened to shoot. The looters then kicked in the door of the next apartment and ransacked it rather than face someone who was armed.

During one disaster, with no street lights, pitch blackness prevailed at night. It was frightening to see many people milling around after dark as both a result of and cause for anxiety. In one suburban area, the National Guard was unable to enforce an imposed curfew as people experienced the boredom and anxiety that rapidly sets in when normal patterns are disrupted. In some low income areas, the bars were in full swing by noon, and by dusk, bands of drunken men were moving out into urban areas looking for something to do.I recall a fright I experienced one evening when returning late to my motel during Hurricane Hugo's recovery operations. I made a wrong turn and found myself lost in the inner city after curfew. When I paused at the first intersection, several people brushed my car checking for an unlocked door. I was fortunate, for they might have broken out a window and crawled in. Needless to say, I did not slow down at other intersections.During Hurricane Andrew, looting was common place and accepted as a way of life. One victim from an upper class neighborhood told me " I was shunned by my neighbors because I rejected an offer to cruise for goods."

Or as Fred Taylor, Metro-Dade police director said,"The looting has occurred in areas made vulnerable in the storm. That's mostly homes on main roads, convenience stores and strip shopping malls. The takers included young people, old people and people with little kids."

In another situation, a looter was questioned about his looting as he carried out a television. He said, "I'm not looting - I need this television."

It was clear the looters knew the inability of law enforcement to handle masses of looters. "The police know we are here," said one female in her late teens, who declined to identify herself. She was pushing a shopping cart overflowing with clothes through the shattered plate glass window of a flooded T.J. Max store.

Police confessed they had more important worries. "Frankly, the priority is not property, " one said. "We're only handling life-threatening situations." What he said is probably true, for the victims I worked who lost most of their personal goods or business inventory due to looting saw very few arrests. Drug stores and veterinary clinics were especially vulnerable for drug theft.

But justice prevailed in one interesting instance. As the crowd cheered, a woman was handcuffed and led away from the Royal Palm Ice Company. Her crime: Trying to cut the line, nearly a quarter-mile long and 5,000 strong, waiting to buy bags of ice from the back of several trailer trucks. A dozen Miami police had been on duty at the ice house since 7 a.m. The wait was at least four hours; the cost for a 4-pound bag was $5. "They are fighting in ice lines all over town," one policeman said.

One thing I have learned is your protection will be your prior planning. During the LA riots, a major portion of those injured were going to get food or water. If they had been prepared to be self-supporting for two weeks, the danger would have past. In addition, I have yet to see a loss due to looting occur to anyone who was prepared to defend their property.During Hurricane Andrew, peaceful citizens packed guns to protect their flattened homes as looters pushed shopping carts through downtown Homestead, Florida. I talked with a lawyer who was a victim and who had been away in another city during the actual storm. His neighbors had called him and told him to buy shotgun ammunition. Being somewhat passive and not knowledgeable about guns, he went to a gun store and asked for ammunition. The store owner asked him what "load" he wanted. Then, noting the unsureness, added, "Is it to be used for rabbits?" The victim replied, "Well not actually--Larger." "For deer?" the owner asked. The victim stammered that he was from Homestead where they had looters. The store owner responded,"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place. Here is the load you need for looters." The homeowner told me that he now cherishes his right to protect himself.

During Hurricane Hugo, prepared neighborhoods barricaded their block. Home watch guards worked in shifts during the day and night. This system was very effective. Active involvement with neighbors now will aid in future group preparedness actions. One store owner I met was the only retailer in his shopping center that was not looted. His solution was a generator for light, a cooler for food and drink, a comfortable chair located in his doorway while on guard and a shotgun. He never had to even point it for all looters gave him full berth while seeking easier spoils.

The larger disasters experienced in this decade continue to breed looting. Unfortunately, because of many disaster's magnitude, the support agencies were unable to adequately handle the effects. There was confusion and false starts on the part of federal and local agencies. Many victims had cause to feel helpless and become angry toward the powers in control.

In any survival situation, knowledge and advance preparation are crucial although loss cannot be completely prevented nor predicted. Yet understanding the tendencies of a natural disaster can enable one to become prepared physically and emotionally. Surely the mistakes made and the lessons learned from past disasters will not soon be forgotten--or will disasters continue to put unprepared people into desperate straits?

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-- Gordon (g_gecko_69@hotmail.com), December 05, 1999

Answers

When I was a kid, both traitors and looters were shot. Thats the way I was raised and thats the way I still think. I will have a hard time turning away anyone that is hungry, but the first move to "take" what is ours, will be met with a bullet. And I can shoot and I hit what I shoot at. I have no problem with having my 38 S&W on my hip as I go about my chores during the day. And I have no problem with patroling at night with a 410 short barrel. Don't mess with me or mine!

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie123@aol.com), December 05, 1999.

Good points on this post. The one that really jumped out to me was the need for keeping a low profile by having emergency preparations.

I lived in Detroit during the race riots in 1967 and the King murder riots in 1968. Banks were closed (no ATMs), gasoline stations were closed (gas being a prime ingredient in Molotov cocktails), and the grocery store shelves were bare.

The television coverage of the demonstrations in Seattle this week reminded me of the Democratic convention in Chicago in 1968.

A lot of posts on this subject stress staying out of trouble and keeping a low profile i.e conspicuous lighting during a blackout, etc.

-- Nancy (wellsnl@hotmail.com), December 05, 1999.

'fraction' should be 'fractional'.

-- Boy Wonder (robin@the.cave), December 05, 1999.

Is the government likely to sanction shooting criminals out of hand, vigilante justice, and lynching if Y2K turns out to be a disaster? The answer is HELL NO! If (big if here) Y2K turns out to be only a temporary 10 in your area YOU WILL LATER BE PROSECUTED AND CONVICTED for any vigilante acts that you commit.

I'm headin' for the hills, and "disavowing" whatever the hell happens up there.

-- Ocotillo (peeling@out.===), December 05, 1999.

Sad that it's come to such a sorry state of affairs, Gordon. But don't let yourself give in to despair. I find it helps to pull back far enough to be able to see these times as a course correction in our effort to create a saner, more conscious, more reverent world.

-- Faith Weaver (suzsolutions@yahoo.com), December 05, 1999.

To Boy Wonder.... Fractional should be Fictional.

-- SlickWillie (UBIGHICK@Yahoo.com), December 06, 1999.