
Houston’s Flooding from Hurricane Harvey Reminds Us to Prepare and Be Ready for Anything
All over the nation, and perhaps beyond, people are glued to televisions and social media as Hurricane Harvey is causing catastrophic flooding in the city of Houston, Texas and surrounding areas. It is heartbreaking as you watch communities deal with this weather event.
People in the area felt they knew what to expect according to interviews, but it is much worse than most planned, including local government. Most hurricanes come through and leave, but this one is hanging around and major rains are due to hit the area for days to come. It is going to get worse before it gets better is what all meteorologists are warning. Historic flood levels are going to occur. To add to the problems, the Category 4 hurricane, now a tropical storm, is spawning tornadoes.
This flooding event is so bad that the National Weather Service has used phrases such as “unprecedented and all impacts unknown and beyond anything experienced.” Experts believe this will be the worst flooding event in U.S. history when the storm finally subsides or moves on.
I live on the Atlantic coast of Florida in a city that has escaped major storm warnings for years. Last year we experienced Matthew, but it wasn’t the storm it could have been and as all forecasters love to remind us — all areas where hurricanes can hit are due for major ones.
Hurricanes are not the only threat people face and you don’t have to live on the coast to experience flooding. Tornadoes can hit almost anywhere and there are earthquakes, tsunamis, volcano eruptions, landslides, snow storms, and wildfire events that can turn any normal day into a disaster.
Some of the time we have ample warnings, but if time has passed since the last disaster, we often prepare less than we should or we fail to prepare in time or at all.
Everyone should prepare fully for anything.
No one in New York City expected the terrorist attack on September 11th and while no one wants to think something like that will ever happen again, emergency plans are important. For years after September 11th we were reminded through a variety of outlets to have an emergency plan in place and to discuss how to respond and remain safe in the event a family was separated during a terrorist event. Those warnings no longer are offered routinely though media outlets as they once were. Yet, there are children that have come into families that were born after that event that have never been instructed to stay put or where to go to be reunited with family members should something happen.
Everyone should take to heart the event unfolding in Houston and prepare now. Prepare before you have to do so. Gather the important papers or copies of documents that you will need in the event of an emergency, including information for your pets. Prepare and discuss with family members how everyone should respond if you are apart. Build your reserves of food items, water, spare pet food, and other supplies.
This event reminds us that maybe we shouldn’t let our gas tank get to empty or allow ourselves or family members to get to the lower levels of needed medication. We can’t always count on electricity or Internet service to connect us through ATMs to our money.
We should have family, friends, and neighbors on alert in case there is a more personal emergency that occurs. Choose who will be responsible to care for children and pets. Also a source of funds should be secured to pay for immediate needs. Gathering together medical information and other important paperwork is something that should be done and discussed with the personal emergency team you coordinate to support you and your family.
You should also alert someone in your circle as to how to access your mobile phone and get past your security code if information on your phone could be important during an emergency. Be sure to supply all of those in your emergency circle with important contact names and phone numbers and alert them as to where you will put important paperwork and resources for their needs.
Review your insurance coverages for property, health, and life and make sure you are adequately covered and up to date on information.
There are all kinds of things that should be reviewed and considered before an emergency that will help you make strong and smart decisions when stress piles upon you in a disaster event. There are family, pet, business, and home checklists and more available on https://www.ready.gov.
“If you are failing to plan, you are planning to fail,” Benjamin Franklin said. Preparing is something everyone should do. There is no time like now to review the checklists and suggestions on the Ready.gov website and get everyone in your family ready. It will offer you peace of mind and set you up for greater odds of thriving during and after a disaster event. Make it happen.
Meanwhile, to help those impacted by Hurricane Harvey consider donating to the Red Cross through this link: https://www.redcross.org/donate/hurricane-harvey?campname=Harvey&campmedium=aspot
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