Recently, I became aware of how a natural disaster in one part of our country can affect those of us in another part. After Hurricane Katrina, I realized that I was not prepared in case of a disaster here in Maine. So, I started rounding up personal records for a safety deposit box at the bank.
I was able to find everything I had organized earlier: my will, insurance records, social security card, copies of my Georgia teaching certificates, and bank records, but not my birth certificate.
Where was I born? Crowley, Louisiana. Where are the birth certificate records kept in Louisiana? Well, you guessed it—in New Orleans, of course.
When I called Vital Records in Lafayette, Louisiana, where I had once lived, they told me that they had no way of accessing those records in New Orleans at the present time. If I had only been prepared, I would have realized I needed to ask for a copy earlier.
Why prepare for an emergency that may never happen? Perhaps it’s for the same reason that we buy health and homeowner’s insurance. We hope we will never have to use them, but if we do, we’re prepared.
Although it’s probably impossible to prepare for all emergencies, here are suggestions:
1. Call your homeowner’s insurance policy and ask them what they will cover in the event of a disaster. If you have a mortgage, will your policy provide enough to pay off your loan if your home is destroyed? Does your policy provide enough money for you to stay in a motel for an extended length of time?
2. Examine your options for a source of heat in the event of power outages that last more than a few hours. What back up plan will you use? Wood stove? Gas fireplace? Kerosene heater? (Unfortunately, a kerosene heater needs ventilation and it should never be used while sleeping.)
3. If you had to go to a shelter, what would be the closest one? Schools are the usual source of shelter, although some senior centers and churches may provide daytime shelter.
4. In the event of icy, impassable roads, do you have enough water and non-perishable foods at home in a worst-case scenario—say up to three weeks? Do you have enough water to flush toilets in case of power failure? Wal-Mart sells seven gallon water containers for camping which are ideal for storing water for such a use.
5. Do you have enough water, warm clothing, non-perishable food, and warm blankets in your car to last a couple of days?
6. Do you have a battery-operated radio and flashlight in your home and car?
7. Do you have extra copies of important documents, including prescription labels, driver’s license, credit cards, wills, insurance policies, birth certificates, and social security cards, in a place other than your home? Do you keep the ones you have at home in a fire and water-proof box?
8. Do you have a first-aid kit in both your car and your home?
9. What plans have you made to keep in touch with loved ones in the event of a massive power outage? Although it is a good idea to keep your cell phones charged, transmission towers rely on electricity. Therefore, even a charged cell phone may not work until you can arrive at an area which still has electric power in tact.
10. If you had to escape your home by foot, are you prepared? Do you have a suitcase packed with essentials, such as water, nutrition bars, extra clothing and prescription medications?
11. Do you have extra cash on hand in a safe, but easily accessible place?
12. What plans do you have to keep pets safe? And last, but perhaps not least, what else do you do want to keep safe? Cherished love letters? Family photographs? College diplomas? The list could go on and on. Only you know what is important to you.
