A wonderful spicy welcome to September. Personally, I think the fall colors and the aromas are some of my favorite. As the kids prepare to return to school, the tell-tale sign of leaves changing colors reminds me that fall is quickly approaching. Depending upon where you are in the country, fall and winter can mean very different things.
September is National Emergency Preparedness Month, and yes, I am a “prepper”. Having grown up in the Midwest, I became accustom to the mad rush to the grocery store when there was an announcement of a blizzard on its way or the wind chill factor of 72 degrees below zero. I have experienced floods, tornados, snow and ice while living in Iowa, but have no fear, California has introduced me to earthquakes and fires.
Friends of mine moved to the Chicago area and I decided to visit them in the dead of winter. Why? I question to this day. Shortly after I arrived, the news was filled with the Blizzard of 2008 threatening the area with blankets of snow, voracious winds and ice. I asked them if they were going to the store to get supplies and they looked at me like I was an alien. I proceeded to explain to them what to expect during such a feast of Mother Nature. We all hopped into the car and made our trek to the store so that we could hunker down and ride out the blizzard in comfort. Upon arriving at the store, we found the shelves nearly empty. My friends were astounded. I just smiled; well it was more like a smug grin of satisfaction. Their question was “what do we buy?” My response, “lots of water, any kind of food that doesn’t require cooking and fire wood.” Water, in case the pipe freeze, prepared food and fire wood, in case you lose power. We were held captive by the blizzard for two days. Ah…that was as easy one. Luckily there was no need for the prepared food and no water or power was lost, but the fire wood made for a cozy reprieve from the wretched weather outside. We all took turns shoveling the snow away from the front door so we wouldn’t get barricaded inside.
Disaster of all kinds happen and basic preparedness can mean a big difference when they do strike. The California Department of Public Health has great articles to help you in your preparations. Their first suggestion is to develop a family disaster plan. First, find out what could happen in your area. Preparing for a blizzard is different than preparing for an earthquake. Second, create a disaster plan based on those dangers. Third, create and complete a checklist of things to do during an emergency. Finally, practice and maintain a current plan. As your family dynamics change, so should your plan. Check here for the full article. http://www.bepreparedcalifornia.ca.gov/BePrepared/IndividualsAndFamilies/Pages/DevelopaFamilyDisasterPlan.aspx
The next best thing you can do is prepare an emergency supply kit. Here is a great list to get you started. http://www.bepreparedcalifornia.ca.gov/BEPREPARED/INDIVIDUALSANDFAMILIES/Pages/PrepareanEmergencySupplyKit.aspx As soon as my son started driving, he had a three-day pack in his vehicle. I can’t tell you how much he groused about it until he had a friend with a dead car better. His pack has jumper cables. It didn’t hurt that the stranded student was a girl. Over his years of driving he has used items out of his pack on numerous occasions not for a natural disaster but for regular life events like needing to cut something or needing a screwdriver. Each of our vehicles have an emergency supply kits, and we have a more comprehensive kit at home.
Finally, when disaster does strike, have a contact outside of your area to check-in with, and please, please check on those neighbors whether they’re elderly or not. This is a time to rally together!
From the President’s desk to yours, make it an amazing month!
– Dawn
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