Think an earthquake can’t happen where you live? Check this list of states that are at risk of experiencing an earthquake. I was somewhat surprised to see that Illinois, where I live, is listed as “high risk.”
Even if you live in an area not at risk for earthquakes, there are many other disasters you could experience. That’s why we all need to be prepared.
The Lazy Man and Money blog offers seven emergency preparedness tips (do you have a hand-crank radio?) I especially appreciated his advice about protecting important documents and items of sentimental value such as photo albums.
Consumer Reports provides numerous helpful ideas, including more detailed recommendations pertaining to documents.
Another blog, The Big Picture, includes links to several Popular Mechanics articles on natural disaster preparedness (and I thought CB radios were only for truckers).
Other ideas from people commenting on the above blog posts include: have a pre-arranged place for family members to meet in case they are separated during a disaster; maintain one week’s worth of drinking water per family member, a week’s supply of canned food (along with a can opener!), and if you have kids, a supply of kid-appropriate snacks and games; if you have a pet, be sure you keep some of its non-perishable food on hand; and keep your vehicle’s gas tank at least half full.
How prepared are you?
Some great points, April, especially about the different preparedness needs of different people. Thanks for writing.
I am a disaster consultant and speaker trained at the national level from an all-hazard perspective, but specialize in earthquake disasters, and especially in the life safety issues surrounding them. Based in Southern California, I am concerned that many people here believe that Haiti’s quake can be distinguished from what we are subject to here, due to two factors. Many people note the differences in overall building construction, and others note that we have a much better functioning disaster management infrastructure. Both are true, but when you subject buildings to five feet of movement per second for two minutes, which is what most of SoCal will experience when the San Andreas goes, we will still have some of the same problems with collapses, fatalities, injuries and homelessness in much larger numbers than ever before experienced here in modern history. It is a civic responsibility to take care of oneself, a Biblical admonition to be prudent, and one of the two great commandments to be able to love and serve others in need. People need to make informed decisions on their plans and supplies or they may end up with less functionality than appropriately fits their personal circumstances. For example, a physically fit 30-yr old male who drives over 100 miles per day in a sales position has very different needs than a 70-yr old woman with osteoporosis who lives on the 8th floor of a security controlled building. The same types of differences also apply to schools, government agencies, residential care facilities and more.