Be Prepared for Disaster

It seems the recent months have brought us every imaginable natural disaster in this country -- earthquakes, floods, blizzards. While some people waste time arguing about whether these events are or are not a result of global warming, the more practical among us have taken steps to be as prepared as we can be when natural disaster hits home.

Do you recall images from Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina came ashore? Thousands and thousands of people were scrambling to the rooftops, hoisting hastily-made signs that begged for help.

Help did not arrive in a timely fashion, as many had clearly expected it would. That should have been a strong lesson for us all -- in the event of catastrophic events, we are probably going to be on our own for quite some time.

Several of my earlier posts have addressed the need for preparation. One can never do enough to prepare, of course, because it is impossible to know just what will happen and what resources will be most needed.

The smart thing to do is to learn all we can and prepare for everything we can imagine.

To that end, I recommend a free online course called Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness.  

This FEMA sponsored course focuses on "how to develop, practice, and maintain emergency plans that reflect what must be done before, during, and after a disaster to protect people and their property. Also included is information on how to assemble a disaster supplies kit that contains the food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity for individuals and their families to survive."

Don't wait -- it's never too soon to take protective and proactive measures.