Where Disaster Strikes – Northeast Power Outages

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DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

As this video from MyFoxDC.com shows, disasters inflict an emotional toll on those who survive them. It's one thing to experience a power outage after a devastating storm. It's another to wait through extreme heat for electricity to be restored. Nerves will be fried.

It's not a surprise that the Washington, D.C.-area man in this video vented frustrations onto the news crew. The stress of the situation got to him.

Preppers spend time and money accumulating materials for survival situations. What about emotional preparedness? How will preppers and their families manage stress?

It's a consideration that isn't as easy as saying, “Buy product XYZ.” As with concealed carry, another topic Gun Digest covers, no amount of gear can prepare one for the actual emotionally charged event.

What may help is getting in touch with the spiritual side of things. Some may find comfort in a Bible, Torah or Koran tucked into a survival kit. Others could reach out to neighbors beforehand to curb stress post-disaster. Building a feeling of community can pay off when people need to come together. For adults, stress management may even mean a flask of the good stuff next to those MREs.

However one chooses to do it, stress management is as important as anything in a bug-out bag or survival kit. People under stress tend to eat more or less than usual, causing any number of effects on food supplies. Their vitals, such as blood pressure, may also be affected. This can cause havoc on those with strict medical orders.

For more on stress management and emotional preparedness, click here to browse Gun Digest‘s selection of survival books.