SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at the Wuhan coronavirus crisis brewing in New York City, and the first wave of “camping” refugees leaving cities. To borrow some modern parlance: This is about the get real.
Re-Scheduling Note: Because of the urgency of some of this news, I decided to post this Odds ‘n Sods column on Saturday, instead of Sunday, this week.
Maine: First Comes The Trickle, Then The Torrent
A Fox network affiliate in Bangor, Maine reports on “visitors” to their state: DEEMI tracking visitors to Maine. Here is how the article begins:
‘A group in Maine is tracking who is traveling up Interstate 95 into the northern part of the state in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Members of Down East Emergency Medicine Institute are counting the license plates of folks driving north on I-95 past the Kelly Road every day at around 4:45 p.m.
‘We’re seeing large increases in the populations of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and one particular day before New York was locked down, we saw a large surge of people who came out of New York,” DEEMI Executive Director Richard Bowie said Wednesday. “This is concerning to us because of the infected folk that are coming from New York City that have been infected that are then traveling up here to find someplace of respite up in the woods.’
He added, ‘We’re seeing, you know, RVs, and campers and people’s cars loaded with camping gear. It’s very early in the year for that to be happening.'”
Florida Troopers Setting Up Checkpoints on Interstates
Reader Tim. J. sent us this: Gov. DeSantis suspends vacation rentals in Florida, orders checkpoints on roads.. Here is a pericope:
“Gov. Ron DeSantis is ordering that checkpoints be installed along Florida’s roads to account for traveling drivers and has also suspended all new vacation rentals in Florida for the next 14 days.
DeSantis made the announcement during a press conference on Friday.
For the next 14 days, new vacation rentals will not be permitted. Those already here can finish their trip, according to DeSantis, but are encouraged to go home as soon as possible.
DeSantis also ordered that checkpoints be installed along the state’s major roads that come into the Florida Panhandle from the Gulf Coast, including I-10.
The checkpoints do not apply to commercial drivers.
“There’ll probably be a diversion for folks with certain license plates,” DeSantis said. He didn’t give specifics as to where the checkpoints will be installed.”
JWR’s Comments: Do you readers recall my advice (starting in 1993, with first publication of the draft edition of Patriots) to have an in-state driver’s license and your bug out vehicle registered in the state where you have your retreat? Mark My Words: We will see many more travel restrictions in the weeks to come.
Rhode Island to Hunt Down New York Refugees
Reader JJT sent this, with the comment “So it begins…”: Rhode Island Police to Hunt Down New Yorkers Seeking Refuge
Coronavirus Sends City Dwellers Fleeing to Second Homes
Reader G.Y. spotted this: Coronavirus sends city dwellers fleeing to second homes, inflaming tensions in towns across the nation. JWR’s Comment: Here we can see the “We/They” paradigm, writ large.
The Pandemic as Seen From a Safe Distance
This article caught my eye: Rural America watches pandemic erupt in cities as fear grows
The Pandemic as Seen From Up Close and Deadly
‘People Are Dying’: Battling Coronavirus Inside a N.Y.C. Hospital — NYT News. JWR’s Comments: The great unspoken truth here is that suburban and small town hospitals will soon likely be stripped of their “extra” ventilators to supply the big cities. Keep in mind that a large portion of hospitals in the country are no longer independent. Soooo… The suits who run those corporations may soon order the redistribution of ventilators, medications, and even their staff to other hospitals under their corporate umbrella. Then, when the virus finally hits the hinterlands, the “stripped” hospitals will be under-equipped.
They’re Moving to Idaho
Hopefully, most SurvivalBlog readers are well-situated, well-supplied, well-armed, and hunkered down where they plan to be, during the upcoming Peak Virus months. It is time to lock the gate. Check on your neighbors, and see if you can help them, logistically.
I know of a couple of families that are now in the middle of household moves to properties that they’ve purchased in Idaho. Take a look at the Orange Jeep Dad family (bloggers) and the Good Simple Living family (vloggers). Please pray for their health and safety, as they move in the midst of the midst of this global turmoil. These folks are proof that it is not too late to move. If you’d like to do likewise, then see these two new SurvivalRealty.com listings:
Make the move now, folks!
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You can send your news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) Thanks!
To late to make the move with title companies shut down and closings delayed…
I closed on my house just 3 weeks ago; in the nick of time! Still, it’s been interesting doing this in the midst of a pandemic. I saw this coming so I arranged everything from my wood stove install to the firewood delivery(nearly all green alas but it’s March) to happen immediately after the sale went through. People were amused that I was so adamant about the timing but I was sure I knew what was coming. So thankful to be here.
I’d suspect that when this all goes into some sort of lull, maybe this summer, there’s going to be a major movement of people looking to find a rural locale to move to or have as a refuge. If I were them I’d be looking at the maps of infection numbers; places like the redoubt are lookin good! So is West Virginia. Prices are going to skyrocket there I’d say. The northeast is pretty scary right now due to the numbers of people in NYC, NJ, MA etc who are trying to get out.
Infection Numbers tell Little without Test numbers
The test numbers are at 40% or so for positive results.
They are actually reducing the tests given to focus on medical treatment rather than who has it.
This article linked here is pretty scary and demonstrates how ill-prepared we were for this. Seems that there are still many cruise ships out to sea and what to do with the passengers is a problem as many are sick. And it appears that many have just been let go to travel home via commercial airline flights even if they are sick. How to continue to spread the virus without hardly trying! And as it’s now the end of March, what on earth were people thinking who got on these ships(floating virus incubators) anyway?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/us/coronavirus-cruise-ships-zandaam.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
https://nypost.com/2020/03/28/rhode-island-sending-cops-national-guard-to-find-new-yorkers-seeking-coronavirus-refuge/
Rhode Island is now trying to find New Yorkers who have entered the state.
Whatever you do folks, don’t use a car with NY plates! A little scary as there’s a big difference between far upstate NY and NYC. I have friends in upstate NY just across the lake from VT. They’re in Western MA right now at an AirBnB building they own and turning away people trying to rent a room there to find refuge. But they themselves have NY tags and it’s getting dicey for them.
1) What I find really infuriating is how the New York Times and Washington Post are hiding the threat that New York City poses to the rest of the country. It seems to me that a mark of deceitful propaganda is vagueness and avoidance of numbers.
2) Consider: New York City only makes up 8.4 million of our 328 million population. Yet 450 of the 1689 Wuhan virus deaths we’ve had occurred in NYC. If the rest of the country was as badly infected , we would have (320/8.4)x 450 = 17,143. Whereas the actual is 1689-450 = 1239.
3)Healthcare has always been a local responsibility with the federal and state governments adding assistance as needed. Mosquito diseases are a big worry in Florida —not so much in North Dakota where frostbite is a concern.
4) So New York Mayor Blasio and Governor Cuomo deserve criticism for creating a Petri dish that will threaten the USA as New Yorkers realize they are in a death trap and flee. Yet the New York Times and Washington Post are not only hiding the incompetence of those politicians they are praising them. Even though other news agencies, including the strongly pro-Democratic CNN , are starting to question this failure.
5) In the past 4 years of relentless attacks on Trump by Democrat billionaires’ News Media, Fox News has posed a limpwristed defense akin to Woody Allen fighting Mike Tyson. Taking a dive.
The latest being Fox News cutting off Trump’s spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway when she tried to point out the danger New York City poses.
6) NYC’s liberal neighbors aren’t so stupid — Rhode Island is stopping cars with NYC license plates and trying to identify all NYC refugees:
https://pagesix.com/2020/03/27/hamptons-seek-travel-ban-on-corona-fleeing-new-yorkers-from-cuomo/
https://nypost.com/2020/03/28/rhode-island-sending-cops-national-guard-to-find-new-yorkers-seeking-coronavirus-refuge/
https://mynews4.com/news/nation-world/states-impose-new-restrictions-on-travelers-from-new-york
7) People, you have to realize something: If major news corporations will give you dishonest information about this, what else are they lying about?
WHY the silence? To give the Rich time enough to escape , of course.
Update: I just noticed that this morning the NY Times finally provides numerical data acknowledging how badly screwed New York City is:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/27/upshot/coronavirus-new-york-comparison.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage
Note the Detroit red herring. Detroit is greatly impoverished — they are bulldozing parts of it and giving it back to the wildlife.
Whereas New York City is rich — and had the wealth to be far better prepared for this than it is.
Thought we were all supposed to be in FEMA death camps by now controlled by a magical appearing herd of powers to be?
The in state license and plate is a good idea if your trying to have and eat you cake too. I’d forgotten about it reading in Patriots years ago.
So in true NYer fashion they are jumping ship and bringing it with them to the other nice places they want to ruin too.
I’m just over here locked in counting my ammo cans of old nickels that are gonna hit one day.
Lol no I’m not I’m going to work, mowing the yard, checkin on neighbors, doing springtime chores ……
Y’all stay safe cause we got a long ways to go.
Right now in NYC there is over a death per hour. Daily death toll going up by 100 per day or so.
The break down on the numbers is:
With hospitals available
2-3% deaths
20- 25% critical hospitalized
Once the hospital’s overload deaths become more like 15 – 20%
At least that’s here in NYC.
Watch out if your in rural areas quarintine is the word.
Here in NYC a big reason for the super spread will be found out to be our high rise ventilation system where basically all shared areas hallways lobby’s etc are used to supply the rest of the building with air too. (This is my opinion from working on them) basically all our high rises are just vertical cruise ships.
It’s also worth while to note that most of our early victims were neither Asian nor on publicly transit. Infact our first. 2 cases were an Iranian doctor and Jewish lawyer.
One big reason for the NYC super spread is that your Mayor is an idiot:
https://news.yahoo.com/the-mistakes-that-turned-new-york-into-an-epicenter-of-the-coronavirus-epidemic-090040375.html
Not my mayor. I didn’t vote for them. Not my city. I just live and work here I’m a transplant .
This whole thing has been twisted and obfuscated from the beginning.
Had the critical hospitalization numbers been made available earlier many lives would have been saved and public outcry would have been more in favor of much earlier drastic action.
As it was there was only info given about 2% death rate which is much less severe than the 15 to 25% that will \could be seen in practice.
Would that info have helped the nation’s no but it would have allowed the rural areas individuals to prepare.
Of course the megatropolis are going to be hit hard this has been understood for years decades.
There was a lot done wrong some done right and that is about always the way of it.
For the record I’m not liberal I’m from the country
My criticisms were all directed at NYC’s Mayor and NY Governor. Plus the news media. Not at the residents of New York City.
Many of the infected are sick through no fault of their own and if they infect others will do so unknowingly. But that doesn’t fix the situation.
There are some other places that appear to be increasingly sick as well and through irresponsibility. Florida allowed crowded partying on the beaches by college kids on spring break and New Orleans did the same for Mardi Gras.
Yup. I agree with most negative things said about NYC. Sadly my wife and I are gonna have to ride this out here as the numbers hit too fast for us to be sure that our colds are just regular colds picked up by her sick grand kid while we were just down visiting (definitely not the corona for grand kid docs checked for that)
But the idea that we could carry it down to the grand kids is intolerable to us.
So we are here stuck doing the whole bug in thing. Fortunately we live next to a grave yard so if things go the bad way it’s a short trip.
Florida allowed crowded partying on the beaches by college kids on spring break and New Orleans did the same for Mardi Gras.
And then the Mayor of New Orleans blamed Trump because “The Trump administration didn’t tell us NOT to have Mardi Gras.” What a buffoon!
What? You need the President to tell you what to do, instead of making an informed decision and implementing and enforcing it yourself, Mr. Mayor! I thought you were the leader and an adult. See what the public school system/Nanny culture did to most people? I made them afraid to trust and operate in their own best judgment. Humph!
Miss Lily, that’s pretty much par for the course in New Orleans. Think back to Katrina. While the MSM placed the blame squarely on Bush, in reality, the vast majority of failures were on the local and state governments. The federal government made their share of mistakes, but a deep study of that fiasco will demonstrate the gross incompetence of Nagin and company. And yet the citizens of that city continue to elect liberal politicians. Some folks just never learn. The reality is that Mardis Gras is a huge cash cow…like spring break in Florida…and those politicians didn’t want to lose that tourism money.
TecTonix tracked New York City cell phones over a few days last week — and saw a dispersal extending across the USA but largely concentrated in the Northeast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5BFrDocPNs
Yes — you might want to reread that “Privacy Policy” from your telephone company.
This was also done for those partying on the beach in FL during spring break; showed how they dispersed everywhere. Data was supposedly anonymized.
Ok you want the down and dirty of it all
My wife is a FM Doctor in a small town
The Hospital she works for does not have masks, very little should I say, or cleaning supplies for her office.
Told her to have the nurses cut the cleaning wipes in half to use them also if they want paper towels to go buy them.
She gave all the nurses one box of masks each and said that is all we have.
She knows that 5 people last week came in with this virus.
They said never been so sick in all their life.
If you go to the hospital in town they send you to your FM Doctor.
Well she has no test kits. Can only go by the signs and symptoms.
The hospital is only testing people with high temps or maybe if you live in the same house with someone that shows they have it.
Not looking good at all.
Plus the test take days to come back with a + or – and can be wrong.
She is scared she will bring it home to me and our son.
Our other two kids and grand kids live right down the road we have not seen them in weeks.
Also it does not help that her mom and dad are moving at this time out here by us
and need help with work on there house.
They still go out to eat etc.
even after my wife tells them not to go. I do not get it.
We will most likely get this and hope and pray it is not bad.
This is how it is going to spread you have your people on the front lines trying to help with no PPE and you have your people that say it is nothing but the Flu.
Plus here is a little more info
Watch for April 29
Watch for May 12
Ice-age Farmer
Adapt 2030
Mike from around the world
RED, imo, you are a family of heroes. I hope your son will understand that one day, if he doesn’t already. I understand grandparents still going out. Being told what to do and feeling controlled can sometimes elicit irrational responses and resentment. I nursed my own mother after surgery in early February, and it was shocking to see all common sense leave her. With that said, I believe God gave each of us the right to make mistakes. It is also difficult to watch loved ones suffer for them. Such is life. I try to love on them anyway but know my hands are clean. I work unto the Lord remembering that I am blind in my own faults that others see clearly… If you feel safe in doing so, I will give up 12 of my masks for my family for your family. One of my married sons is on the front lines also. He is a firefighter and has been transporting the sick to the hospitals, but he is provided with ppe. The masks I have were purchased last fall, so are good to go safely. Maybe I could forward them to JWR or he could forward an address to me to send them too. Whatever OPEC works best for you. I have four young grandkids, and like you, pray they and family will only get a mild case. Thank you for posting reality. God bless you and your family.
Thank you Krissy for the offer of the mask very very nice of you
But I have to kindly say no please keep them for your family
We will brake into are own stash for her
My one son works at a Health Dept they stopped doing all inspection
I am happy about that he has 6 little kids from 4 months to 5 years old yes there is a set of triplets in that group His office is locked down only taking phone calls working one week on and one week off but are on call 24/7 And the are getting the phone calls LOTS of them
Business do not want to shut down Car dealers,ect and there is nothing they can do about it
May you and yours be safe
Thanks RED
Red… what is significant about April 29 and May 12…TY
Listen to Paul Begley’s Thursday night broadcasts on YouTube with “Mike from Around the World”.
Mike is talking about an Asteroid that will be approaching way too close to earth on April 29. I forget, well I haven’t really heard clearly yet what Mike is saying about May 12. I don’t have time to listen to the whole broadcasts, or I get busy and miss it. 😉
Mike has predicted a bunch of things during the past two years that are occurring right now! VERY INTERESTING! I would listen if I were you. And then watch!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsJVCncsJq4
This is Paul’s talk today. I think Mike appears on this broadcast. I’m currently listening to it right now!
Blessings,
Lily
I have a small number of N95 masks(sent some to my mom and brother in NYC). I’ve offered to send some to my friend’s sister in NY who’s a nurse in a hospital if she needs them. I’ve told my friend I really really mean this. It is a travesty beyond belief that our health care workers and first responders have been treated this way while hospital and insurance company CEO’s rake in the big bucks. Where is the accountability?
In my state(VT) people are sewing masks out of fabric for the hospitals here and in NH following the directions they’ve provided; I don’t have a sewing machine and am not very “crafty” so I’ll be helping in other ways. But in the richest country in the world, to not have proper PPE for our health care workers, police, etc………
We live north of New Orleans. We have already seen the urban flight.
RE: Moving to Idaho (or anywhere in the Redoubt).
I finally made the decision to NOT move in late Dec./early Jan. and quit looking. Not a very easy decision to come to – by any means. Why? The numerous negative comments made on this blog (and a few other places) over the last year or so about those from the “outside”. Perhaps this will change in the future. We will have to wait and see. I hope it does.
To those that are considering it, please be very careful and use good judgement. Moving, as we all know, is something should not be taken lightly, no matter where you go.
Stay safe and if you can donate to your local hospitals, health care facilities, etc. please do. It’s tough out there!
Burt,
Sorry to hear that the opinions of a few others may have influenced your decision to move.
Most of the people I know do cast a curious glance when people move in from out of state.
Even though we live in a military town it still happens.
Takes a little time to fit in sometimes but if you are looking for a change of culture, not to change a culture, people will recognize that.
Your moniker makes me think you would be a valuable addition.
We might have a Graboid infestation next.
So we’ve been defacto locked down up here in AK now (mandates issued yesterday). I’ve been talking with my former co-workers in Kellogg Idaho who are telling me the migration from Spokane and points west into Coeur d’ Alene and surrounding area is steadily increasing.
Meanwhile, US Army Corps of Engineers is going to start releasing contracts to convert facilities suitable for temporary hospitals this weekend. Fast Tracking every contractor they have access to, they are pushing for creating new facilities in every state. My company has already been tapped and will start mobilizing on Monday.
That’s a lot of money to hit circulation very soon. This trillion dollars push is going to make Obama’s stimulus bailout of 2008 look like chump change. But you don’t get something from nothing. The only way to generate currency like that is to devalue everyone’s current holdings substantially, and continue doing so for a long time to come. When countries start cranking their fiat this hard, it usually leads to hyperinflation, followed by economic collapse. Looks like we are going to get Venezuela’d anyways. Last I heard, I am way, way down on the list of folks scheduled to receive these govt checks. So looks like I get to be a giver.
And with the US/Canadian border closed, we’re stuck in Alaska. We have been planning our move south for more than a year and have a home waiting for us in the Redoubt, but now we’re stuck until the border is opened.
Trump considering quarantine for NYC, NJ, parts of CT etc; says will make decision later today.
https://nypost.com/2020/03/28/trump-says-hes-new-eyeing-coronavirus-quarantine-for-nyc-area/
Evidently Trump backed down and won’t do it. Saw a post online by someone in CT I think it was bragging about how he was headed up to VT this weekend and we could all kiss off if we didn’t like it. Then he posted when he was hitting the road.
Here in the Ozarks life pretty normal except schools out and restaurants closed. Most everything else open. Closest case to our back water county is 60 miles away.
Local sheriff has stopped processing ccw permits both new and renewal. Could be an issue if your was expiring but MO is now a no permit needed state.
Re: The influx of people leaving the cities for their “second” homes and the comping scarcity of supplies /equip in corporate controlled rural health facilities. This is first hand proof how little value city & suburban folks typically place on the lives and wishes, to say nothing of the livelihoods of rural people. To put it mildly they show nothing but total disdain for the “common” folks whom they see as nothing more than there to support their lifestyles and needs. The rural areas are their “playgrounds” and typically, not always, but typically bring their big city socialist values with them, expecting to be waited on hand & foot by the rural locals. I know this is true as I live in a rural county where the primary address of approximately 60% of land owners are some place other than here in this county. The ones that are here permanently have retired or taken early retirement, sold their expensive city dwellings for some place cheaper, but have not forsaken their big city ethics and values. It’s very easy to see who they are simply by observation of how they interact. Their vacating the cities is understandable but not understandable is their uncaring attitude and concern that yes they may vacate to keep from getting the Wuhan but completely unconcerned that may be carrying it and will spread it further. to say nothing about putting undue stress on typically limited supplies and services. But that’s of no concern of theirs………. at least they feel safe…….. for now….. until they go to the local clinic for help and find that personnel and supplies have been shipped to the cities…….
Someone from NY just bought a vacation home down my road and they have arrived! It’s bizarre as the pond is frozen, we’re buried in snow yet here they are……. It’s sad as I don’t want to feel un-neighborly but…… As someone pointed out online, it’s a good thing NY has gone back to those orange license plates; way easier to spot!
Ani, am praying they will be neighbors who are a blessing.
Me too, but right now I’m praying they brought enough food with them and I don’t see their car leave their driveway for at least 2 weeks!
Florida pushing for 15-minute test kits, I-95 checkpoint, according to Gov. DeSantis
By Jacob Murphey
March 28, 2020
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV)
https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Florida-pushing-for-15-minute-test-kits-I-95-checkpoint-according-to-Gov-DeSantis-569191981.html
“Gov. Desantis said the I-10 checkpoint along the Alabama-Florida border was going well and announced plans to open a similar operation on I-95 along the Georgia-Florida line.”
More checkpoints….
I guess I-75 will be next…
Re: checkpoint on the Florida-Georgia line and NYers trying to get into the state
Too late. They should have done that around 1970. 😉
The situation in Arizona is more fuel for the fire. The snowbirds are leaving in droves and they are loaded down with toilet paper, paper towels, food and all the things local folks need or will need. It is wrong and irritating to see it.
I guess these travelers will carry any contamination through rural towns as they move toward Canada, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, etc… But they don’t care.
So much for sheltering in place and respecting other people.
Yes, I am in Arizona watching the truckloads leave daily. I plan to do the right thing and ride this out. If I am stupid enough to be here then I should buck up and stay but I do have maximum preps and I am located near a walkable wilderness area which I know well.