Worst-case Disasters...

Each year around Halloween, we like to present worst-case disasters that challenge you to think out of the box and maybe even take a new look at your existing plans. This year, instead of looking at disasters of the past, we're mostly looking at disasters that haven't or probably won't happen (except #4 & #6) and asking you to think about how you might handle them, as well as the ones that have already happened.

The CDC helps us figure out how to deal with a zombie pandemic. (Item #1)   What do you do if a category 3 hurricane is headed for NYC? (Item #2)   These several worst-case disasters of the future could prove challenging. (Item #3)  

Food disasters? Really? (Item #4)   Here's advice on surviving the Zombie Apocalypse. (Item #5)   Sinkholes have been in the news a lot this year; here's one that's ongoing. (Item #6)  

As always, we look forward to hearing your comments & insights regarding business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like us to cover, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp

1. Preparing for a Zombie Pandemic

The CDC's graphic novel, "Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic" demonstrates the importance of being prepared in an entertaining way that people of all ages will enjoy. Readers follow Todd, Julie, and their dog Max as a strange new disease begins spreading, turning ordinary people into zombies. Stick around to the end for a surprising twist that will drive home the importance of being prepared for any emergency. Included in the novel is a Preparedness Checklist so that readers can get their family, workplace, or school ready before disaster strikes.
http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/_media/cymkPrint/11_225700_A_Zombie_Final.pdf

2. New York Is Due for a Hurricane Worse Than Sandy

New York City has a pretty good chance of being hit by a category 3 Hurricane this very decade. And the next one. And, in fact, each and every decade. A Category 3 hurricane, in case you were wondering, is defined by the phrase "Devastating damage will occur." We're talking demolished houses, damaged skyscrapers, and destroyed infrastructure, here. We're talking JFK airport under 19 feet of water, according to the people who study this sort of thing.
http://www.cracked.com/article_20384_the-5-major-cities-most-likely-to-be-spectacularly-destroyed.html

3. Worst Case Disasters of the Future

From a chlorine fire in Chicago to a tsunami on the east coast to earthquakes destroying New York, everything in these scenarios is possible. They probably won't happen, but they certainly could. Many have been discussed in esoteric, scientific literatures. These are certainly scenarios, but they are not fanciful. How could you plan to survive these disasters?
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/108597in_future.html

4. The worst and weirdest food disasters you'll ever experience

Food is a hoot to eat, but it's significantly less fun when it's exploding or drowning you or turning you into a psychedelic werewolf. Here are seven kinds of real-life food disasters that will make you lose your appetite...forever.
http://io9.com/5697733/the-7-varieties-of-weird+but+true-food-disaster

5. Halloween Fun: 7 Ways to Keep Your Business Alive in the Zombie Apocalypse

NetStandard has a little fun - and some good advice - for Halloween.
http://www.netstandard.com/halloween-fun-7-ways-to-keep-your-business-alive-in-the-zombie-apocalypse/

6. Meet the Town That's Being Swallowed by a Sinkhole

About once a month, the residents of Bayou Corne, Louisiana, meet at the Assumption Parish library in the early evening to talk about the hole in their lives. "It was just like going through cancer all over again," says one. "You fight and you fight and you fight and you think, 'Doggone it, I've beaten this thing,' and then it's back." Another spent last Thanksgiving at a 24-hour washateria because she and her disabled husband had nowhere else to go. As the box of tissues circulates, a third woman confesses that after 20 years of sobriety she recently testified at a public meeting under the influence.
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/08/bayou-corne-sinkhole-disaster-louisiana-texas-brine