The American news channels aren’t covering it, but there has been increasing civil unrest in Venezuela over the last few days.  To get the overview the Mainstream Media is actively suppressing won’t provide, watch this short amateur video on the situation.

Now you might think something like this would never happen in the United States but you would be wrong.  History shows that riots and civil unrest have happened in America since the founding and will occur in the future.  Just like in Venezuela, one event could cause civil unrest to erupt and spread quickly with little warning.  This is especially true when economic, political, and social factors act as a catalyst.  Nobody is safe when order breaks down, so it wise to start planning and taking action now to prepare for it.

The bad news is that civil unrest is unpredictable, the good news is that it usually lasts only a few days before calm is restored.  My suggestion is to start planning for interruptions that could occur if civil unrest suddenly erupts.  Remember that even if there isn’t civil unrest in your community, other areas could be affected which can lead to shortages of various items.  Therefore it is important to have adequate supplies on-hand to ride out interruptions.

The basic needs during civil unrest include:

• Food
• Water and water filtration
• Fuel for cooking, power generation, and vehicles
• Currency
• Medicine
• Vitamins
• Flashlights
• Batteries
• First aid supplies
• Trauma kit
• Fire extinguishers
• Firearms and ammunition
• Clubs, bats, and hammers
• Reinforced door jambs
• Light Commercial-grade deadbolt locks
• Designated safe room
• Social network of friends and family
• Emergency contact list

More advanced items include:

• Gas masks and respirators
• Helmets and visors
• Gasoline generator
• Jerry Cans for storing fuel and water
• Shortwave radio
• Barter items
• Built-in safe
• HAM radio
• Police scanner

Start small (3 days) then work your way up to medium (10-14 days) then to large (30+ days) inventories of consumable items.  It may not be possible to have a large supply of some items like fuel but with planning, supplies can be stretched through smart use.  The key is to have an inventory that will keep you alive and well during periods of civil unrest.

Remember when armed soldiers and protesting civilians are fighting in the streets, its too late to get ready for what comes next.