Are you prepared for emergencies?

​With the news yesterday of the big earthquake, and then the tsunami waves after it, it's a great reminder to check how prepared you are for an emergency. 

Emergencies are often unexpected and abrupt and don't allow much time in the moment to prepare.  And they can happen to any of us, from fires to floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, snowstorms, and even gas leaks or windstorms that bring down power lines and make an area unsafe for a while.    

Many people learned last night that a tsunami isn't always just a large wall of water.  In fact, most often it's many unpredictable and higher waves that create storm surge flooding.   
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There is also the difference of prepared to shelter in place and being prepared to evacuate.  And if you evacuate, and your family isn't all together, do they all know where to meet up, or head to?  

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Side note here, this is also important for a fire in your home for your family.  Have a designated place where everyone will meet, because in a home fire, you may be evacuating from different places in the house.    ​

​In the case of a tsunami, do you know how far inland you need to go? 

​If you had to leave your home, would you have any cash with you? Identification? Your pets? Medication? An extra cellphone charger? 

And did you leave a note on the door that says something like: I evacuated 07/11/25 at 7:45 pm with my dog.  No one is in the home. 

If you have kids or pets, are the basics covered?  And when the pet isn't a dog but instead is a cat, bird, lizard, or a fish tank, are you prepared to make hard choices? 

One of the ladies, in my local neighborhood group last night, said that her best advice, having already lost two homes to disasters, was - take a video of EVERY THING, in each room, because you are going to need that for the insurance mess that comes after.  

​And I added, yes, this is great advice, but it's also something you should do periodically, just like changing the batteries in your smoke detectors.  And definitely after completing any major purchases or changes.  

That is another issue. Do you have insurance, and do you know how to access it if you aren't home?  

One simple thing to do is take pictures of, or scan in, important papers and keep them in your email files.  That way, you don't have to have access to your actual computer.  

This quick post of thoughts doesn't cover everything, but hopefully it gets you thinking.  And more importantly, I hope it gets you taking some action.  

Stay safe out there - the world is a lot these days! 

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