Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready?

Sept 28, 2009

Disasters happen daily around the world: fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and tornados. Just check the news!

Less than 7% of Americans are prepared for events like these. For example, the Western United States has wild fires. The Mid-West has tornados, and the South has hurricanes. California is well-known for its earthquakes; however, an earthquake can happen anywhere. California's San Andreas fault is expected to cause a 7.0 to 8.0+ magnitude earthquake when it ruptures. As we saw with Hurricane Katrina, in a major disaster, there won't be enough help from emergency services to reach everyone.

If electricty is unavailable or gas lines are leaking, do you know what to do? Even cell phones may not work, because cell towers could be damaged. That means loss of service and no way to contact outside help. What about basic needs, such as food, water and shelter?

Do you have an emergency plan for home, school and work? How about a first-aid kit? Flashlight? Radio? Shelter? Gas turn-off wrench? Disaster preparedness is an essential element of you and your family's well-being. Take a little time today to prepare for all the tomorrows.

This is an extremely good time to register and attend a C.E.R.T. (Certified Emergency Rescue Team) course in your community. These classes are free to the public and teach you to help yourself and others should a disaster occur in your area.

For other ideas on how to prepare, check out http://www.survivalsupplies4u.com/.