The NPR radio show, On the Media has an excellent segment about the H1N1 'panic', and what's really happening:

ERIC KLINENBERG: The email said that they're looking for someone who could talk about the way the public reacts in panics. And then she goes on, think fallout shelters, anthrax scares and buying duct tape before the Iraq War. [BROOKE LAUGHS] She just wants someone quotable who can give me a behavioral perspective on all this.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: So what’s wrong with that?

ERIC KLINENBERG: Well, the problem is, if there’s one finding that’s consistent in the sociology of disasters over the last, say, five decades, it’s when there are crises, people don't panic. And yet no matter how hard we try to make this point, we always get emails and phone calls along these lines.

So I immediately responded in an email and said, look, I'd be more than happy to speak with you, but here’s the thing. It turns out that sociology of disaster mostly tells us that people don't panic, in general.

And furthermore, if we look specifically at what’s happening here in New York City, I don't see any signs of panic. I walk to work and haven't seen a single person wearing a mask at this point, no violence, no screaming, no people keeping their kids home from school en masse.

And I said, look, even, at Mexico City. I'm seeing images of people who are being cautious, far more people wearing masks, but the scenes from the streets that we've seen in the news, at least, don't suggest that there’s panic.

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Well, that sounds like a sober-sided corrective. How did the story come out?

ERIC KLINENBERG: The headline of the piece is, Swine Flu Snafu: Ernst & Young Episode Reveals Pandemic Panic. And then the kind of lead story is that there was a case where one worker at Ernst & Young went home sick and many people were concerned that that worker had developed swine flu. But then they later verified that it was not a case of swine flu. So -

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Sounds terrifying.

ERIC KLINENBERG: Yeah. [BROOKE LAUGHS] I mean, there’s just no [LAUGHS] – exactly. I mean, there’s no evidence even in the lead anecdote for what became a five-page story about panic in the United States. The best they could do was a story where there doesn't seem to be any panic whatsoever.

Got that? People don't tend to panic in disaster situations, in general. That is good to know.

I do a lot of reading about disaster preparedness and similar subjects. It's one of my 'hobbies', but it's a hobby that has already come in handy for me- in many ways. I've been through a few disasters, and some major calamities- including being in the crowd during the ill-fated air show in 1988 at Ramstein AFB in Germany. I've been through hurricanes, blizzards, and an earthquake or two- happily minor. I've had to camp out in my home for days on end, trapped by ice and without power, hoping I wouldn't freeze to death. I've seen the aftermath of tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes and spent one memorable autumn cleaning up after a hurricane instead of attending tech school.

So, I suppose you could say that my own experience passport is truly stamped. But there were times when I would stand by and feel frustrated that I could not do more. In some cases, the best and only thing to do was run like hell. Or hide. But in others, I felt frustrated that I was on the sidelines, unable to pitch in and do more.

Disasters bring out the best- and sadly also the worst- in people. When tragedy strikes, our first impulse is to help in whatever way we can- even if it's just holding a flashlight or manning a cookstove. But there is always more to do- and more to learn. I think that every person should have some knowledge of basic first aid, and have some sort of first aid kit- well maintained- in their home, workplace and vehicles. With that first aid kit should be some heavy gloves, protective goggles, and a working flashlight. There are many other things that you could have handy, but you get the idea.

But I believe that there is something more important one should have on them at all times. Happily, it's an item that does not need to be stored or carried. That item is situational awareness. You're going to hear me talk about that a lot- situational awareness is the key to getting through any situation- no matter how great or small. Most people sleepwalk or automatically go about their days, not paying attention to details, not paying attention to things on the periphery of their awareness. This tunnel vision can be deadly. So can the clinging to disbelief that happens seconds before- and after- disaster strikes. "That's not a tornado." Oh, yes it is! "That's not gas I smell." Oh, yes it is! "That airplane isn't crashing." Oh, yes it is! "That water isn't running across the road!" Oh, yes it is!

That hesitation, that frozen disbelief, is natural. So is freezing up when something does happen. This isn't as common with an expected disaster as it is when something happens out of the blue, but there's always a feeling of disbelief when your normal routine is totally smacked.

Cultivating situational awareness- of the weather, of your neighborhood, workplace, vehicle, etc- helps to make that moment of stunned disbelief much briefer, or even non-existent. Learn to trust your intuitive hunches. Learn the patterns of your immediate environment, so that when something is 'off', you can respond to it.

And you can do more, too. Consider taking a first aid course. If your local city, county or area has a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), see if you can join it. And if they don't, start pestering the local emergency response and law enforcement community to have one implemented. Get a ham radio license, and learn to 'camp out' with your radio on battery power. Ham operators often become the sole communication resource in a disaster- even when the cell phones are out. Get to know your neighbors, join the neighborhood watch, sponsor a neighborhood night out. See if your circle of friends, colleagues, fellow churchgoers, fan club, etc. is interested in disaster preparedness. Join Toastmasters International and learn how to speak to local social clubs like the Kiwanis, Shriners, Rotary, and Lions clubs.

Get involved. I started this community to help readers here to become motivated to learn about disaster preparedness, and how to deal with disasters when they strike. My hope is that readers here will have their own stories, lists, websites, and ideas to share. No one wants to think about disaster, but it is never an 'if'- it is always a 'when'. Don't get caught flat-footed.

I'm in the process of putting this community together, but am happily welcoming new members, articles, links, lists, stories, etc. This is going to be a community effort, so come pitch in!