Are you ready for the zombie apocalypse?
Photo: pasukaru76/Flickr/Creative Commons

Disaster will strike: It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when — so you’d better get ready. That’s according to this week’s podcast guest, disaster-management guru Joseph Pred.

“Being prepared is a civic duty,” he says. But it doesn’t have to be hard or cost a lot. In this bonus episode of the Storyboard podcast, Pred sits down with regular host Adam Rogers to give you the straight scoop on what you’ll really want to have on hand when the next earthquake hits or the zombies attack.

Best communication device? Ham radio. Tool left out of most lists? Wrench to turn off the gas line. Most overlooked common-sense strategy? Get to know your neighbors.

You can bet Pred knows his stuff. He’s head of emergency services at Burning Man, the annual art event and temporary community in the Nevada desert that he describes as “a recreational disaster — like planning for an earthquake, but more fun.”

He’s also got a book coming out in June called Show Me How to Survive, an illustrated guide to not dying.

If the podcast just isn’t enough for you, check out these links to some of Pred’s favorite disaster-related sites:

Photo: pasukaru76/Flickr