Are You Prepared For An Emergency or Disaster in Your
Neighborhood?
You’re sitting down to dinner with your family when the
floor begins to shake. A dull roar fills
the room as glasses fall over, dishes crash to the floor, cracks appear in the
walls, and the ceiling light sways crazily and finally falls onto the
table. Your family is experiencing an
earthquake!
The children cry out in fear as you and your spouse
frantically try to remember the safety procedures for such a catastrophe. You can either hide under the table, or you
can coax everyone to stand in a doorway – the structurally strongest part of
most buildings – or, if there’s time, you can lead everyone outside and away
from the house, which is now swaying like a drunken man.
You opt for getting completely out of the house. On the street you cannot stay on your feet;
the ground acts more like a liquid than a solid. You lie down and watch in horror as trees
come crashing down, electric wires snap, and your beautiful home starts to
collapse. After the main shock there are
aftershocks; a water main breaks in the street, sending a geyser twenty feet
into the air. Several buildings in your neighborhood catch fire; the smoke is
thick and choking.
Can’t happen here, you say?
Haven’t had an earthquake in this part of the country in a hundred
years? Just remember, my friend, that
the Washington Monument was closed for nearly 2 years after an earthquake
shattered northern Virginia back in the summer of 2011! There had been nothing like it for over 100
years.
The U.S. Geological Survey has
come out with a map of the contiguous United States that clearly shows the
chances of an earthquake in every state. (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards/products/conterminous/2014/2014_pga2pct50yrs.pdf)
Large sections of Utah, Arizona,
Missouri, Arkansas, and Maine are labeled as highly likely to have a major
tectonic episode in the next ten years.
And the whole West Coast is constantly at the mercy of temblors.
There is NOTHING we can do to
prevent an earthquake. But there is
PLENTY we can do to prepare for the aftermath.
·
As suggested by Hikingware.com, a good water filtration
system is a must. Your tap water will
undoubtedly be unsafe for weeks, perhaps months, after the earthquake. Make sure you have one that is
quality-inspected. Also keep on hand as
many gallons of pure water as you can.
Plastic containers are the best, since they are least likely to be
damaged during a seismic event.
·
Power will be out for an undetermined amount of
time. Make sure you have a back up
generator. And fuel for it!
·
What are you going to eat? Do you think the Red Cross or your local Food
Shelf is going to have meals hot and ready for you? Think again!
You should have a stock of MREs on hand.
(MRE stands for “Meals Ready to Eat).
They are an invention of the military.
They have a shelf life of 5 years, and come with a flameless heater. Wise Foods are also an excellent choice and have a shelf life of up to 25 years!
·
Make sure you have a standard first aid kit
handy and ready to go out the door with you if you have to leave your home
quickly. You can pick one up at any drug
store, but be aware that often the items in them are on the brink of going out
of date. It would be better to go online
and get a fresh first aid kit.
Remember the Scout Motto: Be Prepared!
Visit us at www.hikingware.com
Email: sales@hikingware.com
Telephone: (703) 496-5500
www.facebook.com/pages/Hikingware/183290271848107
https://twitter.com/Hikingware
Written by Tim Torkildson
Visit us at www.hikingware.com
Email: sales@hikingware.com
Telephone: (703) 496-5500
www.facebook.com/pages/Hikingware/183290271848107
https://twitter.com/Hikingware
Written by Tim Torkildson
