Kansas preppers face most of the identical threats as anybody else in America: civil collapse, EMP, pure disasters, and so forth. Nonetheless, Georgians have distinctive challenges than preppers in different states. What is smart for a prepper in Alaska might not make sense for a prepper in Colorado. This is applicable to Kansas as effectively.
This text will deal with Kansas 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 Kansans prioritize their preps?
NOTE: Do you reside in Kansas? 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?
Life On the Prairie
In the course of the midwestern United States lies the good state of Kansas. True to its sq. form, it borders 4 very completely different states:
- Colorado, to the west is the start of the Rocky Mountains.
- Missouri to the east transitions from Kansas flatness to the rolling hills that finally develop into the Appalachian Mountains.
- Oklahoma and Nebraska sit the the south and north respectively making up nearly all of the American Nice Plains.
The inhabitants density in Kansas is pretty low. Whereas it’s the fifteenth most in depth state, it is just the thirty fifth most populous. This leads Kansas to be flat, lonely state that’s conducive to the peace, serenity, and security most preppers crave. Although there usually are not that many individuals within the state, it has managed to earn a number of nick names. “Bleeding Kansas,” “Jayhawks State,” “Sunflower State,” and “Wheat State” simply to call a couple of.
Nonetheless, don’t be fooled by Kansas. Kansas is a extremely productive state that manufactures a few of the most advanced machines on this planet. The state’s largest metropolis, Wichita, known as “Air Capital of the World”. This is because of it being dwelling to a number of plane firms. Aviation is among the state’s high 5 industries using over 24,000 folks.
Kansas Meals Sources
Excellent news for preppers – meals just isn’t scarce in Kansas! The state is 1st within the US for wheat manufacturing and third within the nation for cattle manufacturing and beef processing. Whereas that is implausible for big agricultural farms, it’s also good for the prepper. It demonstrates the vitality of Kansas as a spot to develop your individual meals.
A homestead might do very effectively on this state with a bit effort and planning. Its plains and fertile soil is ideal for each animal husbandry and rising row crops. If you end up as a prepper in Kansas, contemplate constructing a small farm to make the most of this.
Traditionally, the American Nice Plains had been a real bread basket for native populations. Whereas at this time it’s largely farmland, there may be nonetheless an ample quantity of wildlife to be harvested. Kansas is routinely producing report e book whitetail deer, antelope, and is a historic dwelling to free ranging buffalo and elk. Whereas at this time most of the massive species aren’t as obtainable as they as soon as had been, there are nonetheless populations which can be simply harvested by a hungry hunter.
Water
Ogallala Aquifer
One factor that comes with large agricultural efforts is rampant consumption of water. For hundreds of years, Kansans loved loads of water and the Ogallala Aquifer might simply be tapped for wells. Nonetheless, with the necessity for extra meals because the American inhabitants has swollen, the Ogallala Aquifer is affected by unsustainable stress.
Efforts to curtail the water use is inherently divisive. So as to stop life ending drought, the residents of the state are dealing with tough choices within the coming years. For the Kansas prepper, which means that water effectivity is vital for long run sustainability.
Unrest on the Horizon?
It’s a story as outdated because the American West, water wars. As city populations develop so does their demand for water. In Kansas, many cities have been encroaching on the water that farmers and ranchers must preserve their operations viable. As these tensions rise, so will the tensions between the folks of Kansas regardless of its low inhabitants. That is prone to erupt into authorized battles and land devaluation sooner or later. Preppers in Kansas ought to concentrate on this social and political dynamic as water disputes might simply come dwelling to roost in plenty of methods.
Kansas Climate
The climate might be essentially the most like SHTF situation in Kansas. In case you dwell in Kansas it isn’t a matter of if you’ll get caught in a twister, however when. Figuring out this, each precaution needs to be taken to maintain your self, your prepper provides, and your lifestyle protected from the inevitable tornado that blows previous your home.
Dorothy wasn’t the one one having downside with tornadoes. Kansas appears to be stuffed with them.
Whereas many individuals dwell by way of them yearly, in a SHTF situation medical assist, meals, water, and regulation enforcement will stop to develop into certainties. You need to construct your own home in such a manner that it may “climate” essentially the most violent of storms and nonetheless be capable of maintain you through the darkest of instances. If that isn’t an possibility, contemplate expedient fallout shelter designs that may simply double for twister safety.
The state experiences on common 50 main thunderstorms per yr. It isn’t stunning that Kansas is ranked third within the US for lighting flashes and fifth for cloud-to-ground lightning. As well as, different unusual climate patterns could make it in order that Kansas people expertise flooding, crop harm, and hail-related property harm.
Being within the coronary heart of Twister Alley with twister averages between 88 and 96 annually, Kansas could be very well-known for its storms. Nonetheless, it additionally has different, much less extreme, pure disasters comparable to wildfires, landslides, earthquakes, extreme droughts, and energy outages. One value mentioning is the winter storms Kansas suffers from. They produce snowfall that varies wildly from location to location dropping wherever from 11 inches to 40 inches of snow.
Kansas Pure Disasters
Typically it’s useful to have a look at the previous to be able to predict the longer term, and that is notably useful should you’re prepping in Kansas for pure disasters. Following are a few of the most notable disasters which have struck the state.
1) 1935 Mud Bowl Catastrophe – You’ll be able to’t discuss Kansas and disasters with out mentioning the Mud Bowl. It’s iconic and was used as a template for the premise of the film Interstellar. It seems, should you don’t repeatedly rotate your crops, all you do is create a dusty nightmare. This one nearly destroyed the agricultural financial system of Kansas with a lethal onslaught of mud storms that blotted out the solar for days.
2) The Nice Flood of 1951 – You’ll suppose {that a} state that’s on the verge of a water disaster would by no means flood, however that isn’t the case. Kansas has epically harmful floods. One of the crucial influential was the Nice Flood of 1951. Adjusted for inflation, this large flood ended up inflicting $8 billion in damages. Seventeen folks ended up dying, however hundreds ended up shedding their houses within the course of. Nonetheless, classes realized from this flood had been employed and saved lives and houses within the Nice Flood of 1993.
3) The Udall Twister – In 1955, Kansas lived as much as its fame as the house of many extreme tornados. A collection of those harmful twisters hit that yr, however the worst twister in Kansas historical past landed in Udall. An F5, this 1300-yard-wide tornado killed 20% of the Udall inhabitants. That’s proper, one fifth of a whole neighborhood was laid to relaxation within the wake of this storm.
4) Wichita Hailstorm – In 1992 a freakishly harmful hailstorm descended on Wichita. Inside the span of six hours, two separate thunderstorms pelted Kansas with hail roughly 4.5” in diameter. Think about chunks of ice the dimensions of enormous ripe oranges falling from the sky at close to terminal velocity. The consequence was one of many worst hailstorms in US historical past. In its wake was $100 million in crop harm. Nearly 100% of the wheat was destroyed and $500 million in property harm befell.
5) Greensburg Twister – In 2007 an F5 twister destroyed 95% of the city of Greensburg. This left 11 lifeless and wounded a further 216. What’s astounding from this storm was that a whole metropolis was deemed unlivable. The consequence was that each dwelling particular person within the city of Greensburg was evacuated as efforts to revive it had been underway.
5) The Nice Flood of 1993 – In 1991, Mount Pinatubo, a volcano within the Philippines erupted and prompted a volcanic winter to set in through the continuing years. The consequence had been report rainfalls that flooded many elements of the world, however particularly Kansas. Due to implementations of classes realized from the flood of 1951, a lot harm was prevented. Nonetheless, after the 100 days of flooding had been over there have been $15 billion in property harm and 32 folks misplaced their lives.
Kansas Prepping Methods
Bugging In
Be taught Permaculture
Kansas gives loads to the can be farmer. Investing the effort and time in studying easy methods to construct a extremely efficient and environment friendly farm is effectively well worth the time for a prepper that wishes to face their floor throughout a SHTF situation. Fortunately, with solely a small quantity of planning and energy, even an acre of Kansas could be remodeled right into a productive single household farm. It’s all in how you employ the land.
Drip Irrigation
Kansas is susceptible to drought, warmth, and is on the sting of a serious water disaster. Due to this fact, it is very important take advantage of out of each drop of water that you’ve got. Investing in drip irrigation methods that deposit water immediately on the bottom of your crops as an alternative of broadcast irrigation will do exactly that.
Once you use broadcast irrigation you commit majority of the water to evaporation earlier than it ever will get to the plant. Utilizing a direct line and drip emitters will tremendously scale back your water wants.
Totally Stocked Storm Shelter
Whereas everybody is aware of that it’s best to have no less than a 90-day provide to dwell off of if one thing occurs, not everybody is aware of it ought to beneath floor. The explanation in Kansas is straightforward, tornados. Within the occasion an F5 or a collection of tornados ranges your home, having your provides in a beneath floor twister shelter might be a recreation changer by way of dwelling within the aftermath. Construct or buy a twister shelter that’s sufficiently big to deal with your 90-day provide in addition to you and your loved ones and store sensible by awaiting bulk survival meals offers which have an extended shelf life.
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.
Shoot Lengthy Vary
You probably have determined to set out for security in Kansas then the excellent news is there may be loads of wild recreation for the desk. With the abundance of row crops, the wildlife inhabitants is fats and wholesome. Nonetheless, given the terrain your stalking expertise will should be distinctive to get near them.
Due to this fact, having one thing that’s highly effective sufficient to place down massive recreation and being in proficient in its use is significant. Take into account shopping for a .308 and making time to apply with it repeatedly so when the day comes you might be prepared.
Onboard Water
Relying on the time of yr you bug out, water might very effectively be in brief provide. Whereas there are lakes and rivers in Kansas, it could be a while earlier than you get to them. Due to this fact, have no less than a weeks water provide onboard your bugout car always. This may be sure that when you need to depart, you may make it to the following water level with out having to fret about dehydration.
Ruck Your Toes Off
Throughout a SHTF situation, the roads, if satisfactory, might be harmful locations. Due to this fact, you could elect to easily stroll to your bug out location. Given the lengthy distances that Kansas can afford a prepper, this can be fairly some stroll. It’s important that you simply keep in form. Extra particularly, the form of form that’s conducive to strolling lengthy distances for days on finish with weight in your again. Spend money on a superb ruck and begin practising with 50lbs in your again. That is the candy spot to maximise coaching and minimizing harm.
Additional Studying for Kansas Preppers
This text simply scratches the floor of what Kansas preppers must know. The next hyperlinks might held educate you extra on prepping within the state.
Kansas Preppers – Very lively Fb group centered on growing preppers and sharing data
Kansas Metropolis Preparedness – Fb group for networking of preppers round Kansas Metropolis
FEMA Kansas – Federal useful resource on how to answer floods and different disasters in Kansas
Blackthorn USA – College that teaches all the pieces about being independent to incorporate wilderness expertise and blacksmithing
Kansas Permaculture Institute – Provides lessons on constructing, dwelling on, and thriving off small farms in Kansas
