Are You Ready?
By Tamara Head
Do you have a plan if bad weather occurs? Bad weather usually occurs in tornados, hurricanes and other disasters such as floods. It might be a storm season but you don’t have to panic!
Hurricanes and tornados devastate families every year, homes are destroyed and lives are lost. I have family which live in Florida and they have been through several hurricanes. Recovering from such devastation takes help from family, friends and the community support such as Red Cross and other disaster relief organizations. If you want to know how to make a plan then keep reading, and I will help you get started.
The first think you need to do is think about where the safest place in your home or community would be for your family to go, then make your emergency kt. In some communities, they will allow people to go to a near by school or church until the storm passes. You can also help others understand the importance of being safe. Being prepared is making sure your family will be safe. If you don’t have a plan then I suggest you start packing an emergency kit. When you pack your emergency kit always make sure you pack something easy to carry, such as a few blankets. For example, don’t pack tons of pillows only a couple so it’s not hard to manage.
If you don’t already have a designated place to go, you and your family need to sit down and make an emergency escape plan. My family has decided to meet at the back door and go to the basement where there are no windows and our emergency kit is already there waiting for such a time. We decided it was important to take time to make a plan so everyone knows what to do, your family should do the same. Please take my advise so that your family can be safe too, because family is so important. When you are choosing the designated place for your family, make sure there are no windows becasuse debris could come through the windows and hurt someone. You should first decide where your designated place to meet your family, so you can all stay together and go to your safe area.
When making your emergency kit you should include medicine, food and water. The food needs to be dried or canned an you need to have at least one gallon of water per person. You also need healthy food like canned fruits and vegetables. You can also take milk and cereal, but the milk should be non-perishable powdered milk. If you have pets make sure you pack their food too. Your kit can not be complete without a bible, plastic cups, plates and utensils, a manual can opener. Board and card games will help if you have to stay there awhile and also pack hand sanitizer, a whistle, face masks, money, flash lights with extra batteries, and a battery powered radio, extra clothes, cell phones and chargers and most importantly a first aid kit.
After you get together all your supplies put them in an air tight box, put a label on it and tape your emergency escape plan sheet to it. This is what you will need to survive and keep your family safe during a terrible disaster. Some people think that being safe isn’t a big deal, but I think it is because being safe or not being safe could be the difference between life and death to your family. So make sure you and your family take the time to make a plan, pick a safe place to go, and make an emergency kit. So it you take my advise it could make a difference for you and your family.
