Michael Estimé is Prepared.
What are the three unique items you plan to include in your kit in addition to the suggested items from the list? Being a Meteorologist at 41 NBC in Macon means that I'm never too far away from a radar. In my Ready kit, I'd toss in an Internet accessible cell phone, so I could track where the showers and storms are relative to my safe place. That cell phone plus an extra battery can come in handy if I needed to call someone in case of an emergency (or if I just wanted to talk with my twin brother to catch up!) Having an emergency contact list with you in your safe spot is important so that you can contact your loved ones and let them know your condition and where you are after the storm.
What would you say to fellow Georgians about preparing for a large-scale emergency? Given that we live in Dixie Alley, an area that's particularly vulnerable to strong and severe thunderstorms, it's important to be prepared not only before and during a storm, but also after the storm has passed. Make sure you and your family know where to go in the event a severe thunderstorm warning or tornado warning is issued. Should a tornado damage or destroy your home, it's equally important to know where you and your family will meet up after an event of this magnitude. You've heard it before, but I think it's worth mentioning again that “hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst” is key when it comes to saving your life.
Have you or a loved one experienced an emergency where a Ready kit would have come in handy? Absolutely! I learned that flooding doesn't just occur in flood prone areas, it can occur anywhere it rains. After a rainstorm dumped several inches of water in our neighborhood in a short period of time, rainwater poured into our home and flooded our basement. When I went to look into our basement, it resembled an ocean! Don't get me wrong, I've always wanted an indoor pool, but this was certainly not what I had envisioned! Water was everywhere and covering everything! In the end, the flooding caused hundreds of dollars of damage. If we had a Ready kit which included all of our important documents and receipts, we would have been in a better position to claim what we had lost. Every emergency plan should include a Ready kit in the event that the unthinkable becomes a reality.
