Real World Survival

Disaster preparedness isn’t about bunkers or weapons stockpiles. It’s about having water when the pipes run dry, food when the stores are empty, and a plan when everything goes wrong at once — and knowing that comes from experience, not theory.

Richard Lowe learned about emergency preparedness the hard way, starting with the 1994 Northridge earthquake that caught his family completely unprepared. No working flashlight. No first aid supplies. No plan. They survived through luck, not preparation. That wake-up call began three decades of learning, preparing, and surviving real emergencies throughout California and beyond.

This guide draws lessons from major disasters including the Northridge and other California earthquakes, Hurricane Milton, extended power outages, wildfire evacuations, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Lowe shares personal experiences and observations from friends and neighbors who faced the same challenges, showing what preparations actually work and which popular advice fails when tested by reality.

The book covers every aspect of family emergency preparedness, from basic 72-hour kits to advanced homesteading and community building. Special attention goes to families with children, elderly members, pets, and people with special needs who require adapted planning. Unlike survivalist guides that push fear and isolation, this book is built on community cooperation and practical steps that improve daily life while providing real security.

Key topics include water storage and purification, food preservation and production, home security, alternative energy systems, medical emergency planning, financial preparedness, insurance, and legal protections. The guide also addresses modern challenges like supply chain vulnerabilities, technology dependencies, and climate change adaptation. Appendices provide planning templates, supply checklists for different disaster types, resources for training and equipment, and regional guidance to help families adapt to their specific geographic threats.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ vicki drane
A must read
The book that made me realize as a parent there are so many things I can do to be prepared for any disaster. Easy to understand, practical, and thought provoking. This is a must have for everyone.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Paul A. Moore
How to Survive Most Anything: a practical guide.
Right from the beginning Lowe draws us into the situation by giving anecdotes of personal experience where he wishes he knew what he knows now. Then he goes through a list of types of events — from floods to power outages — telling what can happen and how to prepare for it. This is not an alarmist book, but a simple, easy to follow bits of advice to help anyone get through an emergency. It is a must read.

⭐⭐⭐ Sharyn
Three Stars
Unfortunately, it was more basic and general than I was looking for.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beth Jones
Excellent! Filled with practical wisdom to prepare for a disaster!
This is an excellent, no-nonsense guide filled with practical wisdom of what to do to prepare for a disaster — rather than to panic and not know what to do after one strikes. Richard’s stories that he shares at the beginning of this book — his father and him on a mountain hike, the fire on the sides of a road in the mountains — and others could have ended in great tragedy, but taught him well, and now he teaches others what he has learned. One important lesson is to always pay attention to your surroundings and to understand your surroundings and local conditions from experts. Richard engages the physical senses with his descriptive writing, such as the terrifying earthquake that he, his wife and son experienced. “It was as if the Mad Hatter had taken control of our apartment,” he writes. Getting prepared before a disaster hits “can mean the difference between living through a disaster and not surviving at all.” The key is to be ready and to know what to do when one occurs, but finding the middle ground between not being prepared at all and being overly prepared, ruled by fear. Richard encourages the reader to be prepared to be without help from anyone for at least three days, and possibly up to two weeks in large disasters. Some ideas he offers, such as buying a portable generator or solar power panels, may not be possible for some people, especially those who are renting a home. Other suggestions, like buying MREs and lots of trash bags, having extra batteries, clothes, and blankets, keeping a supply of water (enough for two weeks for all people with you), are very doable and are great ideas. He includes suggestions to keep a full tank of gas, a renters’ insurance or homeowners’ insurance plan that includes a stay at a hotel for several weeks or months, going over escape routes in your home in case of flooding, fire, or other disasters. He also listed additional great resources for disasters, a list of foods for your emergency supplies, what should be in your emergency medical kit, and a binder with important documents, family contact info, maps, etc. I love the pictures in the book, too. One of the most important things to do before a disaster hits is to “Look around you. Just look.” Be aware. Be alert. Be prepared. Don’t wait until disaster strikes and it’s too late. This is a book everyone should read to help prepare in the event of some disaster. Loved it.

⭐⭐⭐ titus
Three Stars
it was OK…nothing groundbreaking

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lynda Dickson – Books Direct
An interesting and informative read
The author begins by listing his expertise and experiences which qualify him to write a book of this nature. He gives examples of disasters he has experienced and the lessons he learned from surviving them, e.g., hiking with his father, having his car surrounded by fire, and narrowly escaping a flash flood in a dry riverbed. He asks you to start by first asking yourself what kind of disasters are likely to occur in your area. Being aware of where you are and of what is around you can save precious minutes if/when disaster strikes. You need to be prepared to not be rescued for a minimum of three days to a couple of weeks. In this book, the author will teach you: how to prepare for and deal with disruptions to power, gas, water, sewage, trash collection, cell phone service, internet, and cable services; the types of disasters you might have to deal with (volcanoes, fires, earthquakes, chemical spills, floods, hurricanes, nuclear disasters, long-term power outages, rioting and looting, tornados, tsunami); and the disaster information services you can subscribe to. He will then lead you step-by-step to creating your disaster plan, a communications plan, preparing your home (including stockpiling water, food, flashlights, batteries), packing a go-bag, and preparing for trips and outings. The author maintains a light, conversational tone throughout, keeping your interest and making this book easy to read. There is a bit of repetition when you read the book from start to finish, but this allows you to re-read portions out of order as needed and still find the information required. This is an invaluable guide for everyone, not just the preppers. All I can say is that I hope you never have to implement the emergency preparations taught in this book. And, as the author advises, find the middle ground of preparedness and “don’t live your whole life waiting for a disaster to happen.” Littered with anecdotal experiences of the author as well as other people, this book makes for an interesting and informative read. Followed by a glossary of the terms used in the book and a list of recommended reading materials.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ carissa backherms
Everyone should read this book!
This survival guide is well-researched and written by a qualified expert. I loved the way this book was put together, catching my attention right off the bat and flowing perfectly. The author starts off having the reader consider what sort of disasters could occur in their area. It’s something I’d never really thought about, and I got hooked from the start. I felt like the author was sitting next to me, literally guiding me and telling his personal experiences to me. I commend the author highly for this. Earthquakes, floods, fires, volcanoes — you name it, the author has crucial information for readers. He discusses the importance of preparation and teaches the reader how to survive in any situation. I learned so much, and could see this as being an important book to keep on hand at all times. Overall, this was an interesting and informative read. I loved the author’s “voice” and respected his expertise. A well-deserved five stars!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ armando carbajal
A must read for people that have no idea how to start or how to put an emergency bag together.
First I found this book spot on, on everything he offered to get ready for an emergency. We have two go-to bags — mine I carry in my truck, the other my husband carries in his car — and when we’re together we take them both. But I had not included a whistle or thought of trash bags for bathrooms in case there’s no flushing water. In my personal opinion everyone that lives in areas where they know something big will happen should own it, follow it, and use it as a guide to get themselves ready and their family, because I had never thought to have a person outside the state as a contact person. Simple basic things you never think about — good book, very helpful, everyone should read it and follow his advice.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Steve Secara
Straight forward advice to keep you safe during an Emergency.
As a trained incident commander, an EHS professional of 25 years experience, and a certified Safety Professional, Richard’s book is well written and well formatted for the average person. It is a wealth of knowledge on what you should do in the event of an emergency. Don’t rely on your common sense, because in the heat of the moment, like Richard’s late wife in the earthquake, we all will do something that in our “common sense” we know not to do. Thank you Richard for distilling down your CERT knowledge to help us all.

Questions

Read the Introduction

On Christmas in 1986, my father decided we were going to take a hike. The day was beautiful, warm, but not hot. Snow still covered the ground from the storm of a week before. Our goal was to get back before lunch, so we left early, about 7 a.m., and anticipated returning home by noon.

Our front yard bordered on the south side of the San Bernardino Mountains. Just past Route 18, there was a steep drop of several thousand feet. A small canyon wound its way down the side of the mountain. It looked very scenic, and we thought we’d easily make the trek to the bottom and back in a few hours.

We began the hike with little more than a few granola bars, sturdy shoes, and the clothes on our backs. We slipped out of the house early, simply telling the rest of the family that we’d be hiking, without informing them exactly where we would be. Talk about the perfect storm.

The hike down the mountain was beautiful. The small canyon soon became a stream, then it transformed into a small river filled with cold water from the melting snow. Because of the tremendous beauty of the surroundings, we soon lost track of time. Before we knew it noon had come and gone. We climbed down a 200-foot shale cliff to discover a magnificent hidden waterfall, with a deep pool shaded by the cliffs and trees all around it. One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited.

We remained at the waterfall for a while, then continued further down the riverbed. As we hiked, we finally realized it was much later than we thought. We began the long hike back up the mountain. My father suddenly grabbed his chest and exclaimed that he believed he was having a heart attack. He sat down, looked at me, and told me to hike out and get help. It started to snow.

These were the days long before cell phones existed, and even if they did, we wouldn’t have gotten service way down in that canyon. I turned around and began struggling to get back to where we started. I finally climbed out at 8 p.m., guided by the voice of my mother and sister walking around the top of the canyon calling our names. A fireman named Kurt took off down the mountain and eventually found my father covered in a pile of leaves to keep warm. As it turned out, he was fine. The firemen airlifted him out with a helicopter the next day and named the place where he was found “Lowe’s Meadow.”

My father and I could have avoided that emergency with some simple preparations. We didn’t bring any food, water, or supplies. We vastly underestimated the distance, didn’t tell people where we were going, and hadn’t looked at the weather report. The lessons I carried forward: research, prepare, check conditions, and always tell someone exactly where you’re going.

A few years later I was commuting from Lake Arrowhead to college in San Bernardino. One hot summer day, driving down the mountain, I realized the sides of the road were on fire. The trees and shrubs were burning all around me. I looked back and saw the fire had jumped the road. Everywhere I looked there was fire. At that moment I thought I was going to die.

A fireman ran toward me, radio in hand. I stopped and let him into the passenger seat. He told me to drive slowly forward, talked on his radio, and a few minutes later told me to stop. I had no idea what he was doing. Then the car was immersed in water. A helicopter had dumped directly on us, clearing the way for me to continue down the mountain. I had been completely unprepared for a disaster of that magnitude. If I had been paying more attention, I might have avoided being trapped by the fire in the first place.

Then came the Northridge earthquake. Early one morning I was awakened by a low rumbling sound and gentle shaking. A few seconds later the whole room swayed side to side for what seemed like an eternity. I pushed my wife out of bed onto the floor and watched as the furniture came alive and started dancing all over the apartment.

The kitchen table slid six feet. The bookshelves rocked back and forth. The coffee table somehow found itself in another room. Books became missiles. CDs flew off the shelves. The refrigerator moved across the floor to the other side of the room. Glasses and plates tumbled out of the shelves in the kitchen, shattering across the floor, sending sharp shards of glass everywhere. It seemed as if the Mad Hatter had taken control of our apartment, rescinding the laws of physics for those few moments.

After the shaking stopped, my wife jumped up screaming our son’s name. She ran, barefoot, into his room and emerged in a complete panic. He was not in his bed. He was not in the apartment at all. She screamed for him, ran back outside, still barefoot — then started crying because her feet were bloody. She had run over the broken glass in the kitchen. We didn’t even have a first aid kit. I used towels and scotch tape to bind up her feet and stop the bleeding.

We found our son the next day, after a full 24 hours of stress and insanity. He had put on his headphones and walked around the neighborhood, as he often did, and found himself in downtown Hollywood when the earthquake struck — miles from home, in complete blackness, with no way to contact us, no food, no water, and only a few dollars in his pocket.

We were regular people leading normal lives. We believed we didn’t need to prepare for emergencies. We didn’t even think about it before that day. We had no flashlight, no batteries, no bottled water, no extra food. It’s a wonder we survived at all.

Good preparedness doesn’t require lifestyle extremes or massive financial investment. It requires paying attention, making decisions before the emergency forces them on you, and building the simple systems that make luck unnecessary. That’s what this book is about.

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