What to do in the event of a zombie apocalypse

Social media outlets and the blogosphere were alit this Sunday with the story of the story of a naked man in Miami who was eating the face off another man on the off ramp of a busy causeway.  According to the Miami Herald (at the time of this writing.  Apparently, the story on their website has changed several times since first released, adding fuel to some people's beliefs that this really was a zombie, since a changing news story just screams "cover up"):

One man was shot to death by Miami police, and another man is fighting for his life after he was attacked, and his face allegedly half eaten, by a naked man on the MacArthur Causeway off ramp Saturday, police said.

The horror began about 2 p.m. when a series of gunshots were heard on the ramp, which is along NE 13th Street, just south of The Miami Herald building.

According to police sources, a road ranger saw a naked man chewing on another man’s face and shouted on his loud speaker for him to back away.Meanwhile, a woman also saw the incident and flagged down a police officer who was in the area.

The officer, who has not been identified, approached and, seeing what was happening, also ordered the naked man to back away. When he continued the assault, the officer shot him, police sources said. The attacker failed to stop after being shot, forcing the officer to continue firing. Witnesses said they heard at least a half dozen shots.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/26/2818832/naked-man-shot-killed-on-macarthur.html#storylink=cpy

Other frightening details from CBS Miami include "Armando Aguilar, who heads the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, said he has spoken with the officer who responded. Aguilar said the officer saw what the man was doing, and ordered him to stop. He said the man growled at the officer, and then returned to his meal."  While numerous of accounts of this incident mention drugs as a likely cause of this man's bizarre and disturbing behavior, internet rumor has it that a preliminary report revealed no drugs in his system, however, as terrifying of a notion as that is, that is unlikely to be a factual report since police are keeping further information, such as the victims condition, under tight wraps.

So, yeah, this is problem some seriously messed up drug related craziness.  Or maybe it's just plain craziness and the result of someone's severe mental illness.  But what if it isn't?  What if this really was a zombie and it really is the beginning of the zombie apocalypse?  Yes, I know that's a long shot, but, much like the CDC's warnings of an impending zombie apocalypse last year, planning for such an eventuality means you are in pretty good shape for any sort of disaster.

Research

Perhaps it is especially fitting that this would happen in Florida during hurricane season.  Many of the same supplies you'd want to have on hand for a zombie apocalypse would get you through the worst hurricanes as well:  water (at least 1 gallon per person per day; although double that is even better), food that doesn't need electricity to store or prepare (I'd go with several weeks' supply rather than the usually recommended three day supply; think Hurricane Katrina....or the Walking Dead), medical supplies whether it be first aid supplies or medications or both, and something to board up your windows so they are zombie and/or hurricane proof.  In event of a really bad hurricane or zombies, defense isn't a bad idea either (Double tap!).

If you find the possible reality of a zombie apocalypse pretty frightening and want to get started prepping right away, but don't know where to start, you may find my previous post on getting started useful.  If you think this whole thing about this one incident being silly (or you just want to pretend you do, but are really doing research on zombies and how to survive, thrive, or even defeat them), here are some novels about zombies that I've particularly enjoyed: