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Here in Arizona, we are officially (as of June 15th) in Monsoon (rainy season). A clear, hot day can quickly turn violent as monsoon storms sweep into the metropolitan areas of Phoenix and Tucson. High winds and blowing dust can knock visibility down to mere feet and send dangerous debris flying through the air. After the winds can come very heavy rain, hail, thunder, and our beautiful, but oh so treacherous lightning.

Beautiful as these storms can be (I love sitting on the porch watching them and photographing the lightning and clouds), and as much as we need the rain they provide, there are many issues that can arise as a result of them.

Common problems:
- traffic accidents
- downed power lines & poles
- fires from lightning strikes and power lines
- widespread power outages
- Flash floods

Are you prepared to survive these incidents?

If driving in a bad dust storm, drive slowly and steadily, pull off the road to the shoulder when safe to do so. Put your vehicle in park and shut off your lights. Keep your foot off the brakes too. Many drivers attempt to follow the faint glow of the tailights in front of them. If you are stopped with tailights on, your car just became a magnet for the car behind it. Ensure that you do not pull off into a wash or flash flood zone (typically well posted on Arizona roads).
At home you should have ample supplies to remain comfortable for an extended power outage (2-3 days)...
Flashlight in each room & hallway
A box of candles
Sufficient food and medication for a few days
At least 1gal of water per person per day... You will drink more if the power is out as you will have no air conditioning.
A couple of bags of ice in freezer, which can be moved to well-insulated coolers with perishable foods.
Gas or charcoal for your outside barbeque for cooking.
Battery powered radio with weather band
Battery TV?
Extra batteries
At least 1 old fashioned, corded phone that does not require power beyondthat supplied by the phone jack.
Fully charged cell phones AND car/auto chargers for them
Extra batteries
More water
More batteries
Matches / lighter
Board / card games or puzzles for entertainment

Following up on today's earlier Tweet , how would you start a fire in a survival situation were you to be given only a log, a pocketknife, a flint & steel, and a sharp rock?

1. AREA: Use your hands, feet, and the rock to dig / scrape a shallow fire pit when possible. If the ground is too hard to dig, clear all brush at least 6 feet around the site of your fire. If possible, gather some dry pine needles & leaves to serve as tinder.
2. KINDLING: trip the bark from one side of the log... this becomes your kindling
3. TINDER: If you were not able to gather pine needles, dry leaves, or some small dry twigs, you  need to make some fuzz sticks...
   Using your knife or rock, separate a few lengths of wood from the log, no bigger around than your little finger. Break these sticks into 6-8 inch lengths. Using the pocketknife, whittle these so that the shavings curl outward, but do not separate from the stick. These "Fuzz Sticks" will more easily catch fire than will straight twigs or shavings.
4. BUILD: Arrange your bark in a loose pattern in the bed of your fire pit. Your fuzz sticks should be interspersed throughout, standing vertically.
5. IGNITE: Placing your flint at a shallow angle near the edge of your tinder, strike downward repeatedly with the steel, done rapidly, and at the correct angle, sparks will fly into the tinder igniting it, which will then ignite your kindling.
6. STOKE: Add the log to the top of the now-burning kindling.
7. MAINTAIN: If windy, you may be able to use your rock, or other rocks found in the area as a wind break.
8. UTILIZE: Warm up, cook, whatever you need to do.
9. EXTINGUISH: Make sure your fire is out & cold before leaving the area.

RESOURCES:
Here's a page on Boy Scout fire building, that shows many different fire types.


MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER!!! Pack some of the items below in your Bug Out Bag, and in each of your vehicles..