A beneficial end to the hurricane season - Hurricane Preparedness Review ritual.
Remember in school you always had final exams at the end of each semester? Well some things never change. November 6th is Hurricane Preparedness Review Day. It is the same day that we go back to standard time from daylight savings time. It is also the day when everyone is asked to change the batteries in their smoke detectors. What a better day to also review your hurricane preparedness checklist to see which supply items you need to rotate out and use before expiration date and what are the supplies you need to replenish or enhance your current supplies.
I agree whole heartedly with Leigh Tahirovic, the editor of the Naples Sun Times, This year so far has been a mild one and may it stay that way. With this being such a mild year for the US, there are dangers lurking that most people don’t see and very few talk about.
The danger is complacency, and the attitude that there is nothing to worry about. We so desperately want to get back to ‘normal’ that we try to not think about the horrors of 2 years ago. Yet, we should do just the opposite, we need to learn from that tragic occurrence and get as prepared as possible.
No one can help us as much as we can help ourselves!
Worse yet we can get a dangerous, even potentially fatal case of the ‘get-around-to-it ‘hurricane preparedness lack of effort disease. That short-sightedness can cost lots of money, time, inconvenience and even health and life in some cases. When the winds blow and the water churns, there is the often the realization of lack of disaster preparedness. It is a terrible thing to have, especially with just a little effort, we can seriously reduce the disaster = chaos formula.
We all get busy with holiday activities, and all the joys of Naples’s Florida winter living. It’s easy to want to put off hurricane preparations but DON’T!
Pick up the necessary supplies, including plywood for windows, hurricane shutters at mild - off season lower prices when many contractors are slower in work. Get the other items that are necessary for you and your loved ones, including flashlights, canned food, medical supplies especially a 3 week supply of prescription medications.
Sit out on the lanai and enjoy the wonderful winter breezes and sunshine while completing or reviewing your emergency preparedness plans and post-disaster recovery portfolio. Multi-task the enjoyable way and get that long put-off disaster plan completed and enjoy the assurance you are doing all you can to safeguard your loved ones and your home!
The more you prepare in these calm months from now until 2008 hurricane season , the more you can enjoy the summer and fall without as much angst about what if a big storm should hit. You’ll be prepared. Do a little bit now regularly and get a lot of peace of mind and disaster response comfort should next year not be so mild!
COMMENTS WELCOMED!
Please share your thoughts, emergency preparedness tips and stories here on this blog.
All I ask is that everyone be respectful and sensitive of each other and that identifying information about a person who is not the author be limited to protect their privacy.
Be Safe
Terrie
www.trainforahurricane.com
1 comment:
Terrie,
I completely agree that the best time to prepare for an emergency is when no emergency is looming. The last thing you want to do when you hear a hurricane is coming in your direction is to grab your kids and run to the store for some milk, bread, and toilet paper!
I've heard some parents express concern that preparing for a disaster will scare their children. I disagree with that thinking. Children generally like order and when a parent explains that hurricanes, floods, or other emergencies do happen but the family is prepared the event moves out of the realm of a terrifying unknown into a possibility that has a planned response.
Parents should involve their children in the planning process as much as is practical for the family, taking into account the ages of the children and their understanding level. A two-year-old might like to help stack some non-perishible food in a box for a go kit, and a teen might have a goode idea of where the family could meet up in an emergency.
When packing a Go kit, make sure to pack some books and perhaps a small toy for your child to play with so he doesn't have to just sit around and think of the storm wherever you land.
In our house as we're refreshing our emergency kits with fresher non-perishable food, I mention to my son that we're going to have "hurricane lunch" or "earthquake dinner" and I pack up a lunch made from the older supplies. PB&J is an exotic dish when it's part of a kit--and that demystifies the contents of the emergency kit!
This is an awesome blog, Terrie, and I like the information you have on TrainForaHurricane.com as well. GREAT ideas for preparation and recovery--I'm so glad I found your site!
Amy Zahler, Editor
Afterschoolers.com
http://www.afterschoolers.com
Post a Comment