When the cold front rolled through, our temperature dropped more than 20°F in less than three hours. And it was during the day. At night, temps continued to drop, reaching single digits.
The records seem to keep dropping as we repeatedly hear, “this is the coldest winter since…” with the dates getting further and further back. First it was 2008. Then it was the decade prior. Now it’s the coldest winter since 1977. And we’re not done yet.
While it’s going to be extremely cold this week in places that expect it, like the Dakotas, it’s also going to be cold in places that don’t. The biggest danger may be in the deep south where people and municipalities are unprepared for freezing temperatures followed by four or more inches of snow.
Look out Down South
If you are reading this and live in the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, or any other Southern location that doesn’t see much snow, you can reduce your chances of dying by staying off the roads when snow is expected and cocooning at home. If you have never made a 360 in a car that hit an icy patch or slid into the guardrail on an interstate only to have the next five cars slide into you, creating a big pile up, that’s what potentially awaits if you drive on ice or snow.
It’s also important to prep for cold weather. If you have a portable heat source, you have only a couple days in which to fill your propane tanks, kerosene cans, and firewood racks before the storm hits. Consider buying a knit hat and insulated gloves while you are out.
When I lived in the South, the state DOT had trucks that would plow and treat the interstates, but the local roads were often untreated because the local municipality had little or no snow removal equipment. The schools just closed until it melted two or three days later. This time, it might take a while longer as the Polar Vortex is supposed to last days, maybe a week.
I feel like I’ve been over our winter preparation plans several times in previous posts this month, so I’ll just leave it this: We went grocery shopping Thursday, we brought firewood inside on Saturday, our solar power batteries are full, and I have six library books on hand since we don’t plan to leave the house. Added this to our normal food and water preps, and we feel about as prepared as we can get.
Los Angeles Fires still Burn
Notice how the Los Angeles Fires have slipped off the front page? I guess neither the media nor its audience have that long an attention span. Maybe the cold and snow, a potential new disaster, pushed the old disaster of the Los Angeles fire off the front page. Or maybe the musical artists performing at the inauguration or TikTok going dark and then coming back are deemed more interesting.
In any case, I can empathize. The same thing happened after Hurricane Helene. There was news, concerns, and an outwelling of support, but it quickly died down. Only a few groups, including Samaritan’s Purse, are still working in the area.
While the major fires are more than 50 percent contained, winds of up to 80 mph are expected this week and could cause the fires to break containment and head towards more houses. My guess is the danger won’t be over until the area gets a soaking rain. While this is the “rainy season,” the area has not had rain since May 5, which is another of those weather records.
Last count I saw was more than 25 dead, with more than 30 missing.
Questions About the Economy
It’s interesting to follow the economic news and how it differs depending on who is telling it. The liberal sources who were trying to convince us everything was great and inflation was transitory while Biden was president are now prophesying doom and gloom. On the other hand, conservatives are predicting surging employment, lower taxes, and a stronger economy because Trump’s policies will be good for businesses.
Will we see the stock market crash, housing collapse, and a recession? Or will there be a surge of productivity and consumer confidence as inflation drops and the market continues its upward climb? No one knows, but everyone is making a guess. I think Trump’s pro-business, low-tax approach will be a positive, but a recession is going to happen, eventually. It’s inevitable. The economy is cyclical, even though it is up more than down when measured over decades. I expect that to remain the case until we reach a big economic collapse or financial implosion. So if we get hyperinflation or a government default, then all bets are off.
Overall, I think the economy and the Trump presidency will fail to live up to the doom and gloom his detractors predict. I think he will leave the country in a better place in four years than it is today, something we can’t say about Biden. I don’t, however, expect Trump will get to do everything he campaigned on or promised. But he’ll make some deals, say and do some outrageous stuff, reduce the size of government, and maybe be the first president in years to lower the deficit.
A State of War
The UK signed a new 100-year agreement with Ukraine that covers defense, security and trade. Headlines claim Germany may send troops to Ukraine. Biden squeezed out a few billion dollars of extra aid to Ukraine (but not to Western North Carolina or Los Angeles) before he left office. Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia continue to lob missiles and drones at each other, sometimes hundreds per day. Our media plays up those that hit important Russian targets, with videos of oil tank fires and damaged airplanes littering the airwaves. Careful viewers will note that the Russian counter strikes are both deadly and have knocked out power to large chunks of Ukraine. It’s not a one-sided war, no matter how many YouTubers and the UK media try to make you think Russia is losing.
In Israel, the first three hostages were released and the ceasefire has held, despite getting a late start. Hamas heard Trump’s threat and signed on to the ceasefire agreement and releasing hostages, much like the Iranians did some 45 years ago when Reagan was inaugurated.
Most of the Gaza Strip, Hamas’ territory, looks like Los Angeles after the fires: devastated. Some 40,000 Palestinians were killed during the war. Yet Palestinians, who either have short memories or lack common sense, will no doubt elect Hamas to govern them again. If so, expect the war to resume in five to fifteen years.
Meanwhile, satellites have found China is cranking out barges that aren’t good for much else other than ferrying troops to Taiwan. Maybe Xi’s 2027 invasion timeline is more than an idle threat. But that’s two years away; why would we worry about it now?
Bird Flu is Coming, One Day
The World Health Organization—the same folks who screwed up the COVID diagnoses and seemed to be in China’s pocket—is trying to stir up concern about bird flu. I’m not buying it. I think certain globalists are rolling out an old playbook, but our memories haven’t faded and we will not fall for it again.
Yeah, we might have to kill some chickens and face higher egg prices (the average is now $6.12 per dozen), but I don’t think we’re all going to die from it. At least not this year.
Can Avian Influenza be serious in human? Yes. But is it transferring from human-to-human? No, not yet. Will that happen? Probably, but it hasn’t yet. No need to panic.
If things get bad, we can hope the powers that be at the federal, state and local levels have learned and will quarantine the sick instead of the healthy.
Lots on our Plate
As we work our way into 2025, one thing is clear: there is plenty to prep for on a local, regional, national and global basis. You never know what is going to happen, only that something will, sooner or later.
Maybe we’ll get lucky, and the Los Angeles fires will be the only major natural disaster of the year. Perhaps Russia and Ukraine will reach a peace agreement. Maybe things in the Middle East will calm down. If we’re lucky, our economy will grow, bipartisanship will overtake congress, and crime will drop after many habitual offenders are locked up or deported (or both). But are you willing to bet your life on a sunny outcome?
I’m not. As a prepper, I consider a good year to be an opportunity to continue to plan and build up my stockpile. You should, too.
