Aftermath of Emergency

Enough time has passed so that most people have forgotten that there was even a hurricane this summer. What I would like to do is update you with some of the aftermath, illustrated with pictures provided by the AP. These show you things that you will need to consider. It’s always best to look at past examples to better understand what one would need to prepare for. Especially in regards to natural reoccurring disasters.

Let’s apply the rule of 3’s in determining what we can learn. Remember what they are?

You can last 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter,

3 days without water, 3 weeks without food, 3 months without hope.

Air – No immediate problem with having enough air to breath. Had this been an industrial/chemical/biological accident then we would need to take into consideration how to obtain enough fresh air to breath for us to be able to evacuate. However long term we may need to consider the ramification of airborne diseases as a result of decaying animals and undiscovered corpses.

Shelter – For those impacted by the flooding, or high wind damage, they were unable to remain in their homes, so they needed to evacuate.

Do you have a plan on where you would go to if you needed to evacuate your home? Relatives, friends?  Are they aware of your plans? Have you pre-plotted the route you would take to get there? Do you have a plan B if that route is closed? Have you actually driven the route to see if you can get their as soon as you plan? Have you done it during rush hour? Will it take more than one tank of gas? How much gas is in your auto right now?

Do you have a ‘Go’ Bag that you can grab at a moment’s notice which contains at least a 3+ day’s worth of clothes, medication, items specific to your family? Quick where is it, can you get to it a load it in the car with your family in 20 minutes?

Water – One of the common dangers of flooding is the polluting of water supplies. Wells will get fouled and water treatment plants can be put out of commission as a result of severe storms and natural disasters. Not to mention dead animals fouling the water.

Do you have enough water store equal to1 gal per family member per day? Do you have a way to filter/clean water?

Food – With the storm there were power outages. This meant that if a person didn’t have a generator, the food in their refrigerator would be spoiled within a day and freezers within a couple of days. Do you have a pantry with food that doesn’t require refrigeration, as well as a means to cook it? If you don't have a well stocked pantry don't expect grocery stores to be readily available and do expect to have to wait for in long lines.

Hope – Often times in the aftermath of a natural disaster your emotions can be overwhelmed. Even those of us who are level headed can find ourselves depressed after the adrenaline wears off that got us through an initial crisis.

This is why it is important that you have some type of support system. A church, a family, a group of like minded friends. People who can support you and provide strength. As a Christian I draw strength through prayer and trust in God.  As well as know that I am part of a church that will utilize their resources to help those in need. In your immediate family your children will need you to help them provide a certain level of normalcy in the midst of chaos. You can do this by insuring you have some of their favorite books they can read, or games they can play. And it doesn’t hurt to have some hard candy as a treat.

Other matters to consider which I didn’t touch on were: Did you have cash available? With no power there are no ATM’s, and stores won’t accept credit/debit cards. Also expect prices to be temporarily increased do to shortages and price gouging.

If you are able to remain in your home following a natural disasters, because your home survived and you were prepared to live without utilities for several days/weeks, you will also need to consider protection. Thieves take advantage of disasters and will see such times as opportunities’ to loot and steal. Are you prepared to protect your family and your property?

As we enter Fall and head towards Winter take time to take stock of what natural disasters might befall your area and make plans now to be prepared.

My next post will deal with a different type of disaster. One that fits in the category of manmade disaster and that has been in the news and on many people’s minds.