Reminder to be prepared for a disaster

From the time that I joined the Boy Scouts of America, at age 11, that motto, “Be Prepared,” has stuck with me and has been beneficial to me throughout my life.

Currently we are witnessing numerous disasters unfolding, here in the United States.

In Hawaii we see the lava flowing from the volcano and in California and many other parched western states, we see horrendous fires. In the rest of the country, we have witnessed many areas of flooding and hurricanes and who knows when or where the next major earthquake will strike?

No, none of this is anything that is new to us, we’ve seen it all before, and yet I have to ask, are you prepared if one of these disasters should happen to you?

Your home is about to disappear and you have 30 minutes to evacuate, what do you take with you? Where do you go? Who do you call? What important papers will I need to take?

There are many more questions than answers, but if you are prepared for a disaster before one strikes, you will be a lot better off than most.

Each situation is different and many factors will come into play. Single, living alone: Married, with wife: Children and how many: Elderly and can’t get around quickly: Special needs children; no transportation and many other individual situations that I can’t even begin to express but you know your own special problems.

So what do you take with you?

Some clothes and some food, water and medicines and bedding depending on the situation.

You should have all your important papers where you can grab them quickly. Birth certificates; marriage documents; insurance papers and the like. These papers can be some of the hardest things to replace. Don’t forget those photographs that cannot be replaced, at least the most important ones. Remember the cash and credit cards.

Because you were told to evacuate, there will most likely be a place to go for shelter; if not, then you may need to bring your own shelter. Did you plan for that? That also means camping equipment. Just how long can you be without a permanent shelter? While you are driving away, someone in the car, with a cellphone, can notify family and friends as to what is happening, keep the calls short, you can talk at length later.

This is not meant to scare anyone but just to keep you prepared for any disaster. Henry M Niedzwiecki

Grafton