Once upon a time, there was young woman named Katrina. She didn’t have much to her name, was just getting started in life, and arrived in West Palm Beach, Florida in the late summer of 2005 with a slight touch of attitude but otherwise unremarkably.

Katrina’s arrival in West Palm Beach was noted by some, commented by others, but generally not appraised with the high concern that others of her kind garnered upon their arrival in the Sunshine State. What she did have going for her - and what most who came into contact with her dramatically underestimated - was one hell of a body. Especially for her tender age, she was remarkably well-built. So while most people blew her off because of her relatively gentle voice, anyone who took the time to appreciate her measurements knew that she was destined for big things.

Katrina left Florida after a day or so, enjoying the unusually warm summer waters found in the Gulf of Mexico at the time. There she found all the resources she needed. Katrina then swung up to the north, revved up to Cat 5 levels and destroyed New Orleans.

Men in high political office famously stated later that no one could have predicted Katrina’s impact on Louisiana. But the truth was, anyone could have. Anyone who knew what barometric pressure was, how it affects the integrity (and so, the life span and intensity potential) of a hurricane, and what happens when a remarkably low-pressure hurricane system enters a large body of hot water. It was math. Anyone who knew the math could have predicted Hurricane Katrina several days away, the only area of interpretation being final landing point.

There’s another storm coming now, and once again, it’s math. It’s a financial storm, and it is coming. If you want to be prepared for it, do the following.

1. Get thyself to the nondiscretionary side of the economy, or at least as close as you can, ASAP. Don’t be easy to lay off. Have several backup options.

2. Start cleaning house in terms of your personal relationships. Begin thinking in terms of your personal village - that cozy, select group of people who you would fight, kill and die for. Then look at your entire social circle, one by one, and ask yourself: how does this person impact the overall integrity of my village? Do they contribute or just consume? Asset or liability? Are they good for my best friends, or do they isolate me from them? Start the painful process today of distancing yourself from people who compromise your ability to maintain and protect your most trusted relationships. We are entering a time in history very soon where your worst enemies could well turn out to be your closest friends, and vice versa.

3. Get thyself close to civilization. Don’t be a two-hour drive from the nearest grocery store, and be prepared to do more walking. Maybe invest in a good mountain bike, equipped for utility usage - big saddlebags, sturdy rack, spare cables, good tools (and a couple good books on bike mechanics), and street slick tired reinforced for puncture resistance. Get ready to live without your car.

4. Know your neighbors and what you offer each other in practical terms. If you offer nothing, get something to offer. Today.

5. Use the limited time you have to start learning practical, low-tech skills that will have commonplace barter-trade value. In all of human history, it has never been easier or cheaper to learn new skills than today - but that could change fast and without warning. Focus on learning how to get by in a dramatically lower power-consumption society.

6. Get your debt under firm control. And for the love of God, keep it there.

There’s a storm coming, and it’s been coming for a while now. We’re getting the first rain bands right now, but the cold numbers say that it’s going to get much worse. Be ready for it when it arrives, and make sure your loved ones will be ready.

Early 2008. Watch for it.

Posted by Rob on Thursday, August 23rd, 2007 at 4:44 pm.