"Imagine severe weather is about to strike your neighborhood and you have to evacuate in the next 30 minutes. What would you do to prepare to leave? What would you take with you and why?"

According to NOAA’s NCEI, there are an estimated 500 deaths or more per year due to natural weather disasters. They were clearly not prepared. Let’s assume a tsunami was coming directly for New York City, where I and 8 million others live. I'd carefully choose what to pack, where to go, and how to navigate this disaster. Many things are important to me, but other items might be more essential in my survival of the tsunami, so I have to pick and choose certain things and materials. Setting up this scene, it’d be about 10:00 AM when the tsunami warning is issued. As soon as I'm warned, I’ll get packing. I will not be sticking around and I won't capitulate. First of all, this is what I definitely wouldn't do. Number one, get in a car. A car seems smart, as it's the fastest mode of travel available in NYC, which is exactly what will cause it to fail. With everyone else trying to evacuate, roads would be filled with cars and traffic, only slowing you down or bringing you to a stop entirely. Another thing  that I won't do is go into the subway tunnels. At first it seems efficient, serving as both protection from the tsunami, and a mode of transportation, however, the tsunami water will eventually rush in and flood the tunnels, eventually drowning you. 

The things I would pack would all serve some purpose in my survival. First of all, I would put my phone in a plastic bag with a portal charger. The plastic bag would be for protecting my phone from water damage and the portable charger would obviously charge my phone more. The phone itself seems a bit selfish, but do not discredit me, as it can be useful in many ways. Most phones are able to call emergency services, even without service, and also have a flashlight. I'd grab a lightweight but big backpack, and pack various things.  A few bottles of water, lots of canned food, a firework, a simple medkit, and a metal baseball bat. The water and food are obvious, and the others might not be. The medkit will serve as a last resort if I get injured and need healing. The firework can be used as a flare if I spot a nearby rescue team, and can alert other people I'm stuck. The metal baseball bat is just a matter of safety, as, if it comes to being a ravaged wasteland with abandoned people, it’ll get violent. A baseball bat can be protection.

So, by now the tsunami would've hit Coney Island and I would have my bag packed. I would run to the nearest…Citi bike. The perfect  balance between speed, convenience, and mobility. On a bike, I can weave through traffic while keeping a top speed of 15 miles per hour, assuming the bike I'm riding is electric. My destination would be Battle Hill. Battle hill road is  elevated 210 feet above sea level, which is well above the average height of a tsunami, which can range from 10-100 feet tall. The distance to there from my house is about 1.5 miles, so on a bike, I can get to the point within 8-10 minutes if I’m really going at top speed, which is quicker than the time it would take for the tsunami to get to  me (≈ 15 minutes). Once I get to Battle Hill, I’d immediately set up camp and wait for rescue teams. I would try to use my phone as little as possible, to maintain the battery. Once rescuers arrive, I’d light the firework to alert them of my presence, and finally, I’d be rescued, while also giving the rescuers reverence.

I truly think, if there were a tsunami coming for New York City, I’d be properly prepared. Even with a big, 100ft tsunami, I’d stay safe at the peak of Battle Hill, rising over 200 ft above sea level. Transportation would be efficient, as I'd be using Citi Bikes and not cars. My bag would be packed, with food, drink, and items that will increase my chances of survival. Rationing my resources and having a strategy layed out will be the reason i dont die.  I would comfortably survive this natural disaster, and would make sure I get rescued without a scratch, thanks to this plan.