Block Party: Anatomy of a Self-Reliant Community

No man is an island—no matter what kind of community you live in. Peter, a technology consultant who lives with his wife and children in a Texas suburb, walked us through how he’s rallied his block together into a close-knit, mutually supportive, prepared-for-anything team.

WRITTEN BY Crystal Shi

Each household keeps at least a 3-month supply. (On top of his family’s core food supply, Peter keeps an extra 5 percent to give away to someone in need.) Several grow or raise some of their own, to supplement their storage and trade with others, using methods such as:

1. Raised-bed gardening, using companion planting to maximize space (e.g., potatoes and cucumbers can be grown very densely and prolifically; marigolds help repel insects).

2. Aquaponics, a closed-loop system that combines aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics, using the fish waste to fertilize the plants, which in turn filter the water for the fish.

3. Edible landscaping, replacing decorative shrubs with plants both ornamental and edible, such as rosemary bushes and ornamental cabbages.

4. Keeping chickens or rabbits, to supply eggs and meat for protein.

5. Knowledge of edible local plants, to safely forage.

Power Life-Saving Supplies

Power is a key consideration. Each household has a backup source, such as solar panels or a generator, or at the very least flashlights, headlamps, and extra batteries. Candles are an emergency lighting source, not a first choice.

Essential tools include: a first-aid kit and medication, including antibiotics and pain meds; fire extinguishers; radios; a wellmaintained vehicle that can pull or haul; and tools that can sever or free things, such as a pry bar to open a jammed door and a chainsaw to cut through a fallen tree.

How to Get Started

Say Hello: Get to know your neighbors—you might host a block party or simply start saying hi on the streets—to find like-minded people, build trust, and make a plan

Plan a Productive Party: Throwing a canning party or taking a ham radio class together can both strengthen bonds and build knowledge.

Get Involved in a CERT: FEMA’s Community Emergency Response Team program offers free training materials and will connect you to a larger community. Take its online courses or search for a local CERT at Community.fema.gov.

Designated Roles

Each house is equipped with security cameras, well-tested locks (Peter recommends trying to break into your own house to identify weak spots), and armaments and the skills to use them. Dogs, naturally pack-minded, are also great protection—you’ll never sneak up on them.

Identifies needs and checks that each household’s are taken care of; formulates disaster plans and leads neighborhood drills; assigns roles; encourages learning and improving skills

Coordinates with block captain to plan, organize, and check on neighbors.

The Engineer

Troubleshoots and repairs electronics and machinery (radios, generators, air conditioners, etc.), and handles welding and any other machine work.

Applies nursing background to provide medical care, and teaches others basic skills such as how to make a tourniquet and clear an airway.

The Medic Covers personal prep, while the rest of the block focuses on protecting them.

The whole neighborhood has practiced identifying and following escape routes in case of an emergency evacuation, taking into consideration areas that may be blocked by fallen trees or other obstacles, and the possibility of having to navigate in the dark.