Four months after total collapse, survival gardens are in the ground, local leaders clamor for dominance, and the government closely controls any relief supplies. Today we’re brainstorming considerations you need to make for an inevitable rainy day ahead.

In The Changing Earth Audio Drama adventure, it’s about four months after The Great Quake shook the world and destroyed global infrastructure. Erika and her family explore the Lotus camp. The people raided local garden plots and centralized the plants by the river. Gardens growing food are essential to have in place immediately after a collapse. If it isn’t already, food will be a big problem quickly. The sooner you can start producing, the better. Gardens need good soil, but food shortages will cause scrap shortages to make compost. Animal manure is the solution. Rabbits and lamas make some excellent, safe fertilizers for gardens.

TJ Swenson is touring his town with one of his region leaders, Alyssa. Everything is in order, except for one squabble that Alyssa wants TJ to solve. One defensive team has no appointed leader, and the men are fighting for the position. It’s essential to have a command structure as quickly as possible in a long-term survival situation. That leadership person can change per the task, but someone has to make decisions when emergencies arise. As your group size expands, so should your leadership structure. It allows local leaders to maintain a voice.

Major Cole Virgis is planning for winter, but Monroe wants to go to the government FEMA camp in Las Vegas for supplies. Heating and cooling modern homes without power is a tall order. Heaters and air conditions require a lot of energy and cause a significant drain on independent power systems. Extreme temperatures in some parts of the country can make solving this problem a life-and-death situation.

Recent supply chain disruptions have illustrated just how fragile this on-demand world that Americans take for granted is. In a collapse, government institutions may try and assist, but there would have to be massive controls on those efforts to ensure that the people didn’t get out of control.

In the Lotus camp, Erika visits a friend whose daughter was raped by a gang in Auburn. In a collapse situation, a lawless civilization is a dangerous one. Survivors will have experienced significant trauma from multiple sources. Some people will have serious psychological problems, and some friends will become family. Distance will become much further, so have a plan for finding loved ones, or you may never find them again.

When we catch up with TJ, he complains to Mr. Lee about the unrest amongst his fighters. Mr. Lee illudes to a similar problem because of the constant bickering between Serge and TJ. Idle hands cause problems. Everyone must have a task to do, so everyone participates. Entertainment is also important. Find creative ways to engage the group and keep their minds focused.

Major Virgis takes the trip to Vegas to get the desperately needed supplies. The very first thing government officials ask them for is IDs. You must have backups of your important documents and can quickly grab them in an emergency. Hard copies are preferred over electronic records because there is no guarantee you will have access to them.

To spend time together, Erika and Vince go out on a horseback ride. They encounter a cougar on the trail. In the case of a significant natural disaster, humans won’t be the only displaced animals. As humans invade the wilderness to secure food, they will frequently clash with predetors. Doctors I have interviewed previously advised that infection is your biggest concern in the event of a wild animal wound. The wound should be flushed and not sewn up so it can drain.

Most horses in the United States would not do well if they encountered this caliber of danger. The gunfire is deathly frightening to most horses. It will take time for these animals to become helpful in any battle.

TJ ends up hosting a fight so the men vying for the position can battle it out for the job. This was one of my favorite scenes of the audio drama. TJ is all fired up, and Serge is not backing down. Mr. Lee ends up putting them in the ring against one another. The anti-male social pressure has made this type of fighting a bad thing, but sometimes the best way to solve a problem, especially for men, is to fight it out. Athletes often get very angry at one another during the game, but good sports people can understand that it was just a game after the game. Sometimes guys just need to be guys. They are conditioned through genetics to be warriors. However, in our current society, these traits are not favored and warriors without a place to productively expend their energy are dangerous.

Unable to produce documentation for Monroe and Chappe, Virgis meets the command team in Las Vegas. He is introduced to Staff Sergeant Alex Bingham, amongst other acquaintances whose relationships change the world. You never know where relationships will lead you. Never discredit people, and always keep expanding your network. Your light is worth shining.