Preparing for Disaster – Part 2

In our last article, we talked about things to have on hand in case of a disaster such as a heavy storm, or a major earthquake, and your power, gas, and water may not be available. In today’s, we’re going to touch on some major things you should have on hand that you might not think about and consider what to do during the disaster.

In Advance

Many people have converted to an internet phone, or have cordless phones that are battery powered. Internet VOIP phones will not work in an emergency if the internet is down. Cell phones may or may not work depending upon if the cell tower is getting power. You can go to your local thrift store and purchase an old fashioned rotary or touch tone phone, and keep that in your emergency pack. Even if you no longer have local service, you should still be able to dial 911 in case of an emergency.

Secondly, have a crank radio on hand. As we’re seeing back East, some places still do not have power a few weeks after Hurricane Sandy. Always have a means of getting up to date information.

Finally, create a plan for getting your valuables and getting out. For example, if you have a regular back up of your computers on an external disk, have one person in the family be responsible for grabbing that disk. Also consider looking into online backups. That way, if you have to get out quickly as in the case of a house fire, you will feel secure in knowing that your computers are backed up. If you have old photographs or negatives, try to keep them in one spot that can easily be grabbed.

During an Earthquake

Here are some good resources:

• About.com guide for what to do during an earthquake. This one also tells how to respond if you’re outside or in your car during the quake.
• EarthquakeCountry guide with pictures

The bottom line is to protect yourself from falling objects.

Another great guide is provided for by the government at Ready.gov

Next time, we’ll talk about house fires, wild fires and strong storms including blizzards. As always, please leave a comment with your thoughts and questions.