Kentucky preppers face most of the identical threats as anybody else in America: civil collapse, EMP, pure disasters, and many others. Nonetheless, Kentuckians have distinctive challenges than preppers in different states. What is sensible for a prepper in Alaska could not make sense for a prepper in Georgia. This is applicable to Kentucky as nicely.
This text will concentrate on Kentucky from a prepper’s perspective. What particular challenges does the state face from a historic perspective? What are the threats given the state’s geography? The place ought to Kentuckians prioritize their preps?
NOTE: Do you reside in Kentucky? You recognize your state, so tell us within the feedback part how this text could be improved. What did we miss? What did we get proper?
Kentucky Overview – Prepper’s Perspective
Welcome to the “Bluegrass” state, dwelling of 450 thoroughbred horse farms and the world-famous Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Kentucky produces extra thoroughbreds than some other US state, serving to drive each tourism and playing. Over 165,000 folks attend the Derby every year, contributing $160 million to the Louisville economic system. Greater than 100,000 persons are employed in horse-related enterprise statewide and have a $4 billion financial affect.
Kentucky can also be the house to the Buffalo Hint Distillery, the oldest constantly working distillery within the US. Bourbon is a major export from this state and there may be an fascinating dynamic between the state’s non secular fervor and its alcohol manufacturing. Nonetheless, due to prohibition, the state has a really anti-government tradition which makes it a first-rate location for somebody who needs to stay an unbiased life-style.
Meals
For hundreds of years, Kentucky has been a haven for mankind on account of its means to provide meals. Subsequently, nobody ought to starve in Kentucky if SHTF. The state is full of fish, recreation, and farmable land that may simply be cultivated in instances of want. There are studies of Daniel Boone killing upwards of 40 bears in at some point, every of which might have rendered 70-80lbs of meat. Granted, the sport inhabitants isn’t almost what it was all these years in the past, however the level stands that Kentucky is a useful resource wealthy setting.
Water
Kentucky just isn’t beneath risk of operating out of water. Each floor water and groundwater are current within the state. Floor water happens primarily within the type of streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and wetlands. Groundwater is current in porous areas inside rocks and alluvium. The common precipitation is 48 inches per 12 months, and the common annual snowfall is 11 inches. Nonetheless, they do wrestle with official and unofficial water contamination from the mining exercise that’s nonetheless lively within the state.
Kentucky Pure Disasters
Situated in Hoosier Alley, part of the US that will get substantial quantities of tornadoes. Kentucky has a mean of 21 tornadoes every year. The state is thought for intense storms, akin to air-mass thunderstorms, lightning, heavy precipitation, and hail. These storms are recognized to steadily be lethal as they’re typically canalized into flat areas which can be additionally conducive to farming and constructing cities.
Kentucky’s most devastating and frequent pure catastrophe is flooding. Although the floods had been lethal previously, the state has managed to construct a security infrastructure that enable folks sufficient time to get out of flooded zones. Nonetheless, the property injury brought on by flood waters remains to be excessive.
1) June 1917 Twister Outbreak – This twister killed or injured nicely over 300 folks, decimating properties all through its wake. Tornadoes are nothing new to Kentucky although. An entire record of all of the tornadoes which have hit this state within the final 100 years can be impractical, however if you want to get an concept of simply what number of commonly hit right here, try this hyperlink.
2) The Nice Flood of 1951 – When ten inches of rain fell within the span of solely 12 hours, a very flooded Kentucky was the inevitable outcome. The flooding was swift and extreme. In lots of areas, the second ground of buildings had been the one areas not submerged. Even in 1951, the injury got here in as over a billion {dollars}.
3) The 1976 Scotia Mine Catastrophe – One of the crucial epic and sudden mining disasters in, in 1976 a large explosion rocked the hearts and minds of the residents of Kentucky. Attributable to an absence of air flow led to a buildup of harmful gases the explosion was inevitable. Lastly, a stray spark discovered the gasoline cloud and took the lives of 26 miners.
4) The 1981 Adkins Coal Co Mine Explosion – An issue with {the electrical} system within the mine led to an explosion that killed 8 miners. Nonetheless, this was solely the start of an extended string of coal mining accidents. Over the course of the following 30 years, 445 miners can be killed on this state.
5) The Floods of 2020 – Main rainfall as soon as extra led to floodwaters rising to a stage of destruction. Although just one man died, the property injury was substantial sufficient to be severely disruptive to the lives of residents of the state. Flooding needs to be one of many foremost considerations of anybody seeking to transfer or buy a house on this state
Prepping Methods
Bugging In
Accumulate Rain Water
Many don’t know this, however Kentucky will get a considerable amount of rain by way of the 12 months. Because the state has an issue with water high quality and summer time’s proceed to get drier, it solely is sensible to reap and retailer the rain when it’s obtainable. A few meals grade barrels will greater than suffice your wants for water all through the longest of laborious instances. No matter you gather that’s over what you will have to drink can simply be used on crops throughout instances of want.
Embrace Mountain Life
Not way back, and a few even to today, stay in Kentucky fully minimize off from the surface world. If you end up in Kentucky, contemplate exploring these methods of life. Many individuals nonetheless stay a close to subsistence existence within the backwoods by farming, looking, and fishing. In case you can emulate their life-style, then bugging in would merely be simply one other day for you. To get began, learn concerning the historical past of the primary settlers into Kentucky and the way they managed to make life work earlier than electrical energy, the web, and fashionable communications.
Have a Shelter
Even if you’re within the mountains, tornados can nonetheless strike throughout sure instances of the 12 months. On condition that you possibly can use a root cellar and meals storage locker, it solely is sensible to assemble an underground shelter that may function all three. Having a under floor twister shelter can will let you mitigate a number of threats to incorporate the state’s lethal tornados whereas with the ability to maintain your shops discreetly tucked away. See additionally free fallout shelter designs for cost-effective concepts.
Bugging Out
One of the crucial vital items of kit for any prepper planning to bug out is to have first rate maps of their state. Having an recognized bug out location is essential. All preppers in any state ought to start their bug out plans with a paper map of their state. Nothing is best for all-purpose use than the DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer.
Don’t Shelter In Mines
One of many chief considerations throughout a bug out is to find shelter if you are on the transfer. All through the state, there are deserted coal mines of various dimension. It might be a straightforward factor to discover a derelict mine and declare it as dwelling. Nonetheless, you could by no means do that.
Mines, by nature, are unstable and require fixed remark and upkeep to be able to maintain them protected. Deserted mines, particularly older ones that predate fashionable security regulation, can collapse with out warning. It might do no good to bug out of a SHTF scenario simply to be perpetually misplaced in a collapsed coal mine.
Purify the Water
Mining has lengthy been aside of Kentucky’s historical past. The implications of man digging down by way of the aquifers and utilizing chemical substances within the strategy of coal extraction has result in contaminated water all through the state. Subsequently, it is crucial that you simply purify any water that you simply ingest. To neglect to take action can be to topic your self and your loved ones to early deaths from quite a lot of maladies introduced on by chemical substances that permeate the hills of the state.
See our article on water filters to make use of at dwelling in a disaster and the best way to purify water with bleach.
Squirrel Hunt
Whereas they could not appear like a lot, squirrels are plentiful in Kentucky and supply a supply of simply accessible protein. Appalachian tradition has a practice of squirrel as breakfast and for good cause, their inhabitants is strong, they’re simply obtained, they usually can be utilized in quite a lot of methods. In case you are bugging out in Kentucky, carry a squirrel gun and harvest squirrels as you come throughout them. Although they’re small, a number of squirrels will feed a household when meals is scarce.
Additional Studying for Kentucky Preppers
This text simply scratches the floor of what Kentucky preppers must know. The next hyperlinks may held educate you extra on prepping within the state.
Kentucky Prepper Community – Fb group centered on prepping points and information in Kentucky.
Northern Kentucky Preppers – Fb group the place folks publish about prepping in Kentucky.
Kentucky Emergency Administration – State catastrophe response, information, and sources for residents.
Catastrophe Aid and Emergency Help – HUD useful resource web page for managing Kentucky disasters.
Sojourner Survival Outpost – Bushcraft and survival course taught by a Inexperienced Beret from Ft. Campbell.
Nature Reliance – Faculty that teaches the best way to stay off the land and survive in Kentucky.
