Readiness and Emergency Survival For Beginning Preppers. It's not all doom and gloom. Preparedness has fun topics, too, like gardening and saving money.
In the high winds, rain, and hail tonight, Las Vegas found itself faced with severe storm damage across the valley.
Power was knocked out in areas south of the Rio resulting in traffic light disruption. The roadways filled with water causing some areas to be a river of rain water.
Wind carried items with speeds up to 71 mph according to the Review Journal. Trees were downed and the area around the city prone to flooding did cause some major traffic delays.
Cabbie - Take A Seat!
A taxi driver was in for a huge surprise as she exited the driveway heading south on Rio Drive.
A white, leather couch planted itself in front of her cab barely missing the hood.
She did collide with the item and knocked the bumper loose. "I am lucky I wasn't killed!" replied taxi driver, Ms. Sarah. A foot or two closer to the windshield and she might have been.
There were 4 couch benches total ripped off of the top of the Rio's Voodoo Lounge. This club is 50 stories atop the Rio Hotel.
Two of the couches landed in the front of the hotel. I saw this one on my way in tonight. It was in the median entering the hotel.I was wondering where it came from when I met Ms. Sarah.
She's lucky all that happened was a dislocated bumper.
Storm damages
In related news, pieces of the strip are without their fancy neon lighting as various objects were tossed around the city's resort corridor.
Damages all over can be seen tonight.
Lights on the outside of the Luxor are missing.
Various properties including the Rio are facing repairs to their Marquee signs and lighting displays. New York New York's Sign has been reworded with sideways V's.
The Hotel is partially striped with it's gold neon.
Las Vegas Skyline With Smoke From Wildfire Looming Overhead
The wildfire north of Las Vegas has moved to the Kyle Canyon Area.
It started apparently Monday. I thought it started on the 1st, Tuesday when we were going up on a retreat. The smoke was visible for miles over our city today and a huge dark cloud of it is spreading throughout the evening.
This is the largest fire in my memory and it is frightening that it is this close.
Images from Tuesday evening July 1st, 2013. From the Mt. Charleston Resort.
In my cousin's words, our beloved mountain is on fire. It is heartbreaking to watch and even more devastating to those that have had to evacuate. In the event of an emergency of this scale, your life is the most important thing you bring with you. No matter what you have in your home that is of any importance it can be replaced. You and your family cannot. You must leave, don't look back. It is like trying to out run a ticked off dragon.
Over the week I have watched at a distance as this scene painfully becomes darker and more frightening. The images tonight are positively prehistoric. They look like something from the top of a volcano!
This area is so rugged a terrain that they are having difficulty getting to the area and trying to shut off the fuel supply for this fire. There are craggy drops throughout these mountain areas and they are only accessible through a hiking trails. I think all they can do is let it burn to the cliff face and try to prevent it from coming down to the small town atop Mt. Charleston.
Images from around 4:30 pm shot near the Airport
Video of the Mt. Charleston Fire smoke covering the valley this afternoon. Tonight it is even thicker than this! People with breathing problems are urged to stay indoors as this fire continues to spread an the air is tinged with the ashes, smoke, and dust.
Video time lapse video
About all they can do at this point is dump flame retardant and water from airplanes. Its not like you can just drive a fire truck up 12,000 feet of mountain. It is really making things difficult for firefighters.
These images were from sunset this evening July 8, 2013 - All images: M Burgess
What do you do to prepare for a wild fire crisis?
Hope you have a good vehicle to run like the dickens! Keep your gas tank at least at 3/4 full, keep a change of clothes or two for each member of your family in a bag ready to go. If we are still in a functioning society you can get somewhere to shelter and be fed so emergency and survival items aren't as pressing, unless you are suspecting your vehicle to break down on the way out.
Tend to a bag for each of you and the animals you can take with you. Water for all. If your home is in the wake of something of this magnitude, there isn't much you can do. We see people in California showering their roof down and trying to stand up to the fires. Fire doesn't give. It consumes. If you are careless enough to think putting your life on the line for stuff and things you will probably suffer serious and even fatal injuries. Another thing to have prepared is a dust mask and a bandanna or a cloth you can put over your face to breath through if you are close to the smoke. If you have to, moisten it down a little.
In the safety of our families, I am asking for prayers for those that have had to leave and those who cannot. Please, pray for rain and the protection of the animals still trapped on these hills! There are wild horses, burros, ground squirrels and chipmunks, lizards, birds and many beautiful things on this once pristine area.
Mt. Charleston our hearts and tears are with you tonight!
Once a year we take a much needed time out to Mt. Charleston, Nevada from our home in Las Vegas.
This year brought a close to home event of a wildfire being seen over the mountain edge from Carpenter Canyon.
The fire did not reach us but the smoke sure did. I spent the evening with a slight cough from the hazy air and caught these images drifting into the area.
This event reminds me how very important it is to keep on hand a ready made go kit. A bug out bag that is more of an overnight kit so to speak.
This emergency kit would be different from your Bushcraft kit. It would not require survival gear.
If an area you are in is prone to wildfires, leaving in a moments notice is necessary. You will not have time to pack your essentials. Having a bug out bag stored and already assembled with personal items is a necessity.
This bag does not need to contain your 3 day rations or a ton of survival articles if you are evacuated to a nearby city or family or friend's home. You will only need a change of clothing or two, your hygiene items like a toothbrush and comb. Just the essentials.
Keeping copies of important records in this pack would be a good idea, too. Insurance papers and anything you would need in the event your home and property were severely damaged, God forbid. Keep a gallon of water near this emergency bag for each member of the family and lift and go if a situation calls for it.
Another thing to consider is what each member of the family would need to get through a day or two away from the home. Does Jr. need his asthma meds? Does Dad have the equipment and medication needed for his Diabetes? Will your family need allergy pills or anything to get them through just 2 to 3 days of and away from home when having to bug out to a civilized area?
Plan for emergencies like this accordingly and you won't have to think about what you need to bring with you if this does happen close to your home. Grab that bag and go!
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A white, leather couch planted itself in front of her cab barely missing the hood. .JPG)
Two of the couches landed in the front of the hotel. I saw this one on my way in tonight. It was in the median entering the hotel.I was wondering where it came from when I met Ms. Sarah. 
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