Over the past few months, our country has experienced flooding, tornadoes, wildfires and hurricanes that have left hundreds of thousands of people stranded with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.
I have lived through a house fire–one that incinerated everything my children and I owned. We were at church at the time, so no one was hurt; however, I cannot begin to tell you the magnitude of emotional problems devastation such as that causes a young family.
One memory that haunts me from that fateful night is one from my oldest son as we stood on the street watching our house burn. My two boys and dad were holding hands, and I was holding our youngest daughter (18 months old). Only five years-old at the time, he turned and asked me, “Where are we going to sleep tonight? Our beds are burning.”
We found a place to sleep and we rose above the ashes of what was once our house and rebuilt our lives. But not without the help of good insurance and incredibly helpful neighbors and family.
However, not all people manage to get through as blessed as my family. Some have no insurance. Some have no neighbors or family to help them because their homes have also been ravaged. Some struggle even worse with the loss of loved ones.
Having to regain your home life is a difficult and long process, both mentally and physically, and nothing you do today will make it easy to rebuild after devastation; however, you can make life easier at the present time with a bit of planning. And having a few personal items or medicine stored safely somewhere after a disaster can also give a sense of security, if just for a moment.
In the case of a fire, if your house is totally engaged, then a supply of emergency items packed away somewhere is not going to help. However, you can always place a few items in an outdoor shed or in the console or trunk of your car. I would especially do this if there is medicine someone takes on a daily basis. It doesn’t have to be much, just enough to get through until a pharmacy can be contacted. You need to keep the prescriptions rotated so they don’t expire.
You can usually find somewhere to store a few items in the house–the attic, garage, outside shed, or car–that will come in handy should you have an emergency. Look around your home and find the best place. Take in consideration all emergency events when locating the spot. Once you have found it, make sure all family members know where it is, along with a survival plan.
Emergency preparedness isn’t only about supplies, but they are a big part of being ready when disaster strikes. According to www.ready.gov, the following is a list of essentials you should pack and store in a safe place. Check out their Web site for a more thorough emergency plan.
• Bottled water
• Non-perishable, low- or no-salt food items
• Can opener
• Clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, and a tent
• Toilet paper and baby wipes
• First aid kit
• Flashlights, a portable radio, and batteries
• Infant and pet supplies, if needed
• All medications
• Matches stored in a water-proof bag or box
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Cash
• Whistle to signal for help
Prepare your car also with an emergency supply of food and water, a first aid kit, jumper cables, flares and blankets.
First Aid:
The following items can help stop bleeding, prevent infection and assist in decontamination:
• Two pairs of sterile gloves
• Sterile dressings
• Cleansing agent and antibiotic towelettes
• Antibiotic ointment
• Burn ointment
• Adhesive bandages in various sizes
• Eye wash solution
• Thermometer
• Prescription medications taken daily
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever