Natural disasters can strike anywhere at any time. Take Buffalo, New York as a good example. Last we heard they had 7 feet-84 inches of snow in some areas. That not only crippled the city and its residents but also the whole Western part of New York with as much as 135 miles of the Thruway closed. Emergency vehicles from all over the region were called in to evacuate residents from their homes using some of the heaviest earthmoving equipment available.
This CNN news story confirms that Buffalo had nearly 7 feet of snow in three days. That is nearly one year’s total snowfall for Buffalo which is used to Lake effect snow but not this much in such a short period of time. The snow has stopped for the time being but warmer weather and weekend rains mean flooding. So their problems are far from over.
Once it starts to warm up, the snow that is sitting on rooftops will become heavier with the incoming rain and threatens to collapse more roofs. As much as 5 to 6 feet of water will accumulate in some areas in a short period of time.
This is just an example of the kind of natural disaster that can happen and happen in the blink of an eye. It accentuates the need to be prepared for emergencies. How would you deal with an emergency where you were unable to get out of your house for any reason for three or four days?
In our article published recently entitled ‘Are You Ready For A Natural Disaster?’ we discuss a three-pronged attack to emergency preparedness.
First, BE INFORMED including what disasters are specific to your area.
Then you need to MAKE A PLAN including talking to your family about what happens in a natural disaster and practice what to do in an emergency.
And most important is to BUILD A “BUG OUT” KIT that includes emergency food and water supplies, first aid kit, medicines and any other essentials you need to survive for at least 72 hours.
We have a close friend who lives out West in Colorado. For some strange reason, he had this view that Colorado was God’s country and that no natural disaster could befall its residents. Within the last two years, Colorado has seen two of the biggest wildfires in state history, dozens of tornadoes and despite its semiarid climate, flooding that destroyed hundreds of homes left thousands stranded and annihilated miles of highway.
People who live in the Midwest, in tornado alley, for example, are all too familiar with those natural disasters. And folks who live in California and Arizona, two states were stricken with droughts for years, are all too familiar with wildfires.
Here are some ideas to help you prepare for an emergency.
Our 72 Hour Emergency Food Kit has a Seychelle water filtration bottle for clean drinking water and WiseFire fire-starter pouches plus 72 servings of entrées and beverages.
This Seven Day Emergency Meal Kit has a seven-year shelf life and has enough food for emergency meals for one person for a week providing 2000 calories per day. The meat is USDA approved and rehydrates in 12 to 15 minutes.
Our emergency Wise Solar Pack Survival Kit has a waterproof solar panel that can charge smartphone GPS devices and other electronics and is perfect for camping with 32 food servings, emergency first aid and other basic necessities including a portable stove and water all in a nifty backpack.
Are you ready for an emergency natural disaster? Please share your experience. We want to hear your thoughts.