Post-Disaster Logistics

After a disaster, every response agency in the area will be concerned with logistics--getting the stuff they need to the place they need it--the difficulty being that said disaster will have possibly closed the roads, made overland travel impossible, disrupted the supply chain (which runs on razor-thin margins as it is) or wiped out the infrastructure necessary to complete the delivery (ie: if the store has been blown down, delivering a semi full of groceries to the store would be impossible).

No matter how well you have stockpiled and prepared, if the disaster lasts longer than your supplies, you will have to be concerned with logistics too.  Getting the food you need from source to yourself, getting fuel for your vehicle when every gas stations in the area is empty, getting needed medications, getting construction materials to make repairs, etc.

As part of your disaster planning, consider how you would get the stuff you need brought to your home after a disaster has wiped out everything in your region.  Plans may include:

• Driving out of the area to buy the stuff you need if road conditions allow.
• Having someone from outside the area drive the stuff you need to you.
• Having someone from outside the area meet you half way with the supplies you need.
• Ordering online and utilizing the post office for delivery.  There are usually updates like these to let you know when mail service is back up and running.  You can have mail delivered to yourself an another post office via general delivery or use these methods recommended by the postal service.
• Getting supplies brought to your area by disaster relief organizations (hit or miss and you usually have to wait in long lines with everyone else who needs the same stuff).
• Making do with what you have on hand (might work with temporary repair stuff, not so much if you are completely out of food).
• Doing without.  Again, this may work in some circumstances, not so much for critically needed stuff like food and medications.