Better Prepared then Sorry
Hurricane Irene has given us all a new perspective on emergency preparedness. Over 100,000 homes on the east coast have been impacted by a loss of electricity as well as countless others on boil water notices due to flooding. In an emergency, once you lose power, water is likely to be the next to go loss due to the lack of power to pump water into the municipal lines. Since a majority of us have never suffered a long time loss of electricity and water, we wait until the last moment to prepare. We foolishly rely on the never ending access to electric power. There are 3 basic steps: get a kit, make a plan, be informed. The list of preparation includes water, easily stored food, battery or crank operated radio, first aid kit, whistle to signal help, can opener, local maps and even a dust mask etc. It is also important to consider prescription medications, cash, pet food, sanitation supplies, chlorine bleach to sanitize water, waterproof matches, fire extinguisher, etc. Preparation is often your lifeline to stay safe and manage through an emergency situation. We are notified ahead of time when a hurricane is expected to impact our area. However, we are not always afforded the luxury of notification before a disaster or crisis. In this case, we should stay prepared instead of waiting until the last moment when we are notified that a natural disaster is headed our way.