Disaster Knows No Season
Disaster Preparedness Month is in September each year. With everything else, we need to think about the last thing we need to consider is how to be ready for something devastating and unexpected. Disaster preparedness is something intentional that we do when we least need to consider it. It’s time to make your plan!
As residents living in Houston on the Gulf Coast, we would finally exhale in December and then start a bit of panic breathing in June when hurricane season began. The evening before we were moving from Houston in June 2015, floodwater was literally lapping at our front door. Now that we are residents in Colorado, there is a whole new world of potential natural disasters to live with and manage. A thorough a good home disaster preparedness toolkit should never be an afterthought.
In Colorado, there is no dearth of natural disasters that range from floods and wildfires, to severe hailstorms, tornadoes, mudslides, and blizzards. Many of these events are caused by extreme weather conditions. One might think since Colorado is dry and arid, we might not have natural disasters of the magnitude of a Category 4 hurricane. Perhaps so. But dry and arid means wildfires and our late summer monsoon season creates the potential for floods and dam releases or collapse. There is the possibility that you may have a damaged home or you may lose your home and you will need to know where to turn and what to do.
Disaster or Seasonal Preparedness Month happens across the nation. When we think of disasters, we may think of natural disasters and rebuilding or managing our home from a distance. But a disaster or emergency situation is also when a family member or loved in leaves us suddenly and we don’t know where or how to access personal, property, financial or medical information.
DISASTER READY SUPPLY LIST
Disaster preparedness will mean different things depending on the season and the type of natural disaster that happens during a season. Your county will have an extensive emergency preparedness list of what to expect and how to prepare based on the different seasons. In general, consider the following items or actions for each season:
- Your home and environment escape route
- Car tank filled with gas
- Communication devices and an external charging battery
- First-aid supply kit and prescription medications ready to go. You don’t want to be filling your medication boxes in an emergency!
- Flashlight, battery operated radio and a two-week supply of batteries
- Bottled water, electrolyte drinks and cooler with gel packs (or equivalent for winter)
- Hammer, nails, masking tape, plywood and plastic for quick home repairs
- Clean up supplies – pails, mops, brooms, rake, tree or shrub trimming tools
- Non-perishable food items, disposable eating utensils, plates, cups and a manual can opener
- Protective clothing, rain or snow gear, and sturdy shoes depending on the time of year
BONUS TIPS FOR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Have you thought about how to manage your household if you are displaced from your home? Yes, we all have our phones and emails and much of our household management is done electronically these days. We get messages about bank balances. We can deposit checks on our phones and set up auto payments for utilities, mortgage, and revolving credit accounts. We can watch our emails for payments that have been made or are due. But in a crisis, either personal or natural in nature, can you find:
- All your mortgage, utility, and medical insurance in less than 15 minutes?
- Your home and auto insurance information?
- Lists of important contacts like your veterinary, volunteer or work contacts?
- Passwords and IDs for your bank and other online accounts?
- Your will, power of attorneys, or other legal documents?
Our home management portfolio is one of the primary home management tools I ensure is in a safe, protected place to use or take with us in case of an emergency. Although some of the documents are not in the binder itself, I have the contact information in the binder and on line, so if need be, I can make calls and manage my household, from the veterinary and volunteer groups, to medical care and a roofer. In an emergency situation, such as dropping what we are doing and going to take care of my in-laws for two weeks), when my mind is not exactly thinking straight, I feel secure knowing my documents and contact information are “at the ready.”
The portfolio includes all important information we would need to access to manage the house, damage or otherwise including:
1) All healthcare insurance information, online access, medical history and associated accounts such as the health savings account and PCP electronic medical record
2) Personal property insurance and utility account and contact information
3) Financial information including bank account, credit card, credit union, business and asset list among other information
Don’t be stuck in a hotel, a friend’s house or caring for a loved one, trying to remember all the important things you need to do and people to contact. Have some peace of mind during a traumatic time. Be prepared.
Join the conversation about disaster preparedness on our social media. We’d love to hear about how you prepared or a disaster you’ve experienced with encouragement or advice for others who may experience what you have. Our Facebook community page is a great place to meet other It’sYouSeason.Life followers. We’re all in this together and can’t wait to share with you!
Don’t be stuck in a hotel, a friend’s house or caring for a loved one, trying to remember all the important things you need to do and people to contact. Have some peace of mind during a traumatic time. Be prepared.
Join the conversation about disaster preparedness on our social media. We’d love to hear about how you prepared or a disaster you’ve experienced with encouragement or advice for others who may experience what you have. Our Facebook community page is a great place to meet other It’sYouSeason.Life followers. We’re all in this together and can’t wait to share with you!
