Preparedness

Everyone can remember the devastation and chaos following the flooding in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. Very few people were prepared for the aftermath of such a large storm surge battering and breaching the levies surrounding the city. After all, they were many prior storms that had not caused that much destruction. This is one of many natural disasters that have hit America in the last decade. Usually people are not very well prepared for the smallest interruption in their daily routine. The US government, state governments and the American Red Cross have been trying to educate Americans about the need to have some basis emergency preparedness items on hand in case of a disaster, power outage, terrorist attack, etc. Most Americans ignore this education effort thinking that it will never happen to them…

I am not talking about going overboard and building an underground bunker with 5 years worth of food and water. The most realistic scenario will be 3-5 days of supplies to provide for your basic needs while the infrastructure and utilities are repaired and put back in order. It takes very little time and money to prepare your home with 3-5 days of supplies. The American Red Cross has already made a list that you can print from their web site. Personally, I have a longer term kit ready to go in my garage. Having lived through a couple of events myself, I feel that 3-5 days is a good start and 20-30 days gives me additional peace of mind, just in case.  As always, check out what Costco has to offer!

I can remember three major events that I have lived through here in Spokane. May 18, 1980 Mount St. Helens erupted covering Spokane in 2-3 inches of volcanic ash. On October 16, 1991, a firestorm of 92 fires caused by extremely dry conditions and high winds burned 114 homes and killed two people. November 19, 2006 brought an ice storm to Spokane covering everything from cars to trees to power lines in a thick layer of ice. What do all three events have in common you ask? All three incidents brought the city to a halt, with store closures, power outages, school closures, etc. Having a small cache of emergency supplies on hands makes a lot of sense, especially after living through these three events.

Another important tip to keep your family prepared is to keep your vehicles full of fuel. Try to keep your vehicle half full of fuel at all times and never wait until you are on empty to fill up. If an event occurs that scares the populace there will be a run on gasoline. Everyone has seen the news reports of the long lines developing at gas stations right before a hurricane hits Florida. It doesn’t cost extra to fill up more often and it makes a lot of sense to never letting your tank fall below half way point.

Hopefully you will never need to break into your 3-5 day kit. But should the need arise, you will be thankful that you spent half a day and $100 or so to prepare your family. Don’t delay! Get prepared