What on Earth is Going On?

What on Earth is Going On? When I first started writing this post on June 1, I was amazed at the number of weather events that had recently unfolded.

o   5/31/25- Saharan dust cloud: expected to hit Florida, then Texas by June 3, 2025

o   5/30/25- Washington County, KY: tornado strike

o   5/30/25- Ocala National Forest, Ocala, FL: Perchman Fire

o   5/30/25- Western US: High pressure ridge pushes up record heat

o   5/29/25- St. John’s County, FL: tornado strike

o   5/28/25- Austin, TX: severe storms (flash flooding, heavy rain, powerful winds

o   5/25/25- Afton TX: giant hailstorms and tornado

o   5/21/25- Jackson, TN: tornado

o   5/21/25- Athens, AL: tornado

o   5/21/25- OK / AR / NE: tornado outbreak

o   5/19/25- Pittsburg County, OK: Blanco Tornado

This is just a quick snapshot of what’s happening in the United States. A series of massive wildfires in Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are causing devastation and the deadly smoke is working its way into the upper Midwest of the US.  A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck just under 1,400 miles of the southwest coast of Africa on May 30, 2022. An earthquake of similar magnitude struck 47 miles off the coast of Crete, Greece on May 22, 2025.     

You get the idea of where I’m going with this. This appears to be the new normal for the world. Again, the imperative to be prepared with both resources and a plan, has never been greater. In a previous post, The End is Near, I mentioned that the response capacity of FEMA is being greatly reduced. Further, the federal government now refuses to provide financial support following all but the most devastating disasters. The states are now scrambling to manage more with significantly less. The trickle-down effect is unlikely to bestow any benefits upon the tax-paying public because of this monumental policy shift, particularly in the states with fewer resources. Previous administrations have threatened to shut down FEMA. The current administration is hell-bent upon doing so has recently reversed course.

Whatever happens with FEMA, the states and private citizens will have to do more with far less support from the federal government. The states and private citizens are nowhere near as ready as they can or should be. I don't have enough time or crayons to unpack this lack of readiness, but what I will do is offer some hope.

The obvious answer is to look around you at what's happening and square this with what you believe. If your beliefs align with the fact that what's going on is unusual and we should do all we can to prepare, get after it. If you think that what's happening is largely happening to others in different parts of the country and that you have nothing to worry about, good luck holding onto that one. In certain situations, fear and negativity are more powerful that logic and reason. However, it is possible to counter this but it requires highly focused efforts and careful planning.

To be sure, you can't prepare for every eventuality and some events are far too large to prepare for. Ideally, you must do what you can and make the best decisions relative to your situation with the facts and resources at hand. I'm a huge fan of identifying two to three things I can immediately do to change my situation or ensure the outcome I want. That said, I make realistic plans- based upon what's likely to happen and what I'm able to do. This is critical because if I'm planning to walk thirty miles to my suburban camp, while carrying a backpack weighing 50 pounds, I need another plan! Again, my plan has to be rooted in reality: what's happening and what I'm capable of accomplishing.

Here are some resources to help you get started. Read the following posts, How I Got Ready and Getting Started. From, there, head over to the checklists. They're free so don't be embarrassed to download and print them all. While you're at it, Community Building gives you some solid pointers on how to build a community and work within a group.

Like I said, if you think what's going on is no big deal, carry on. Otherwise, exercise the muscles that count and get busy.