We Could All Learn From Our Neighbors' Experiences
By Tom Herrin
Unless you have been living under a rock, recent disasters should create vivid memories. The events that resulted from Hurricane Harvey on the Texas coast had a tremendous effect on countless numbers of people. While Ft. Worth may seem to be a long way from the coast, just about everyone in the area has made some kind of connection with victims. Ft. Worth has experienced its share of tornadoes and hailstorms. Natural events are unpredictable and uncontrollable. The best that can be done is to plan, using others’ difficulties to learn from.
Develop A Plan For The Family
Everyone should be aware of what kinds of alerts are available and what they mean. Weather radios can be great if used correctly. There are many reliable channels that can keep people informed. There are no doubt that many lives that have been saved as a result. Every family member needs to know what source to listen to and what kinds of decisions can be made ahead of time. Once water is rising inside the home, it is too late to begin trying to make decisions. Everyone needs to understand the absolute right and wrong things to do.
Plan For Evacuations
Too many people prolong planning for leaving a dangerous area until it is too late. This can put them and other people in danger. It is a good idea for everyone to have something they can pick up and carry at a moment’s notice. Bottled water, ready-to-eat food, first aid supplies, and copies of vital documents can be carried in five gallon buckets for each person. They don’t have to be able to live for a month, but they need a means of surviving for a few days until better plans can be made.
Everyone Needs To Know How To Communicate
It is not always possible that every family member will be in the same place. Each family member needs to have contact information for every family member and some other trusted people or agencies. Email addresses should be included as well as phone numbers. Some of these should be somewhere besides your cell phone in case it is not able to function. Know where to go as a secondary meeting place. Temporary shelters are fine since they usually have a means for helping to account for people. Let the bad experiences of those on the coast serve as a basis for all of us to prepare ourselves better and help plan for our family’s survival.
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