March 7, 2008

I briefly touched on this topic in this post, but I wanted to go into further detail as to what paperwork you should be able to take from your home at a moments notice.  I keep them in a plastic notebook sleeve in my big storage bin with my other emergency supplies. 

Legal Docs – You will want your marriage certificate, birth certificates, vehicle title, etc… You will also want your will complete with power of attorney, guardianship, and personal property.  If something happens to you during the evacuation process it will be nice to have this stuff on hand.

Financial Docs – Like I discussed in this post I keep mine in a folder.  Things to include with this are income statements, assets, stocks/bonds, tax returns, bank information, outstanding debts, etc.

Insurance – Definitely a copy of your agent and policy numbers!  This would be for your life insurance, auto, home, medical, vision, EVERYTHING. 

Special Items – Maybe you want to keep your diplomas, childrens recent pictures and fingerprints, school certificates, certifications, etc.  I also have a couple of our wedding invitations, and other special irreplaceable items like that.

What I’m Doing or Buying This Week to Prepare

• I’m starting to save for a tent!

February 22, 2008

My sister (who just got her plates in and they are available for sale today!) is very concerned that we will have a flood in our neighborhood this year.  While I usually could say that she’s just being a bit paranoid, a flood could very well take place in our neighborhood!  First we are already in a “flood zone” meaning we are pretty dang close to Utah Lake.  If it overflows it doesn’t take long for it to make it’s way to my sister’s backyard and my front door (we live about a block away from each other).  The other reason for the paranoia this year is that it has snowed A TON.  The mountains have a good bit of snow on them, and when the weather gets warm and all that snow melts, it’s headed right into the valley.  So today would be a good day to talk about what to do in case of a flood.  So, Amy, this one is for you!

First there are different types of floods and flood terms.  A flash flood is much quicker, and usually more dangerous than a regular flood.  The danger of a flash flood is that it usually carries a lot of rocks, debris and mud along with it.  If the news says you are on flood “watch” just be prepared, and it may or may not happen.  A flood WARNING means it’s happening and get out now.

It’s good to know if you are in a flood zone.  We already know that we are, so it’s time to prepare our homes!  First we need to be prepared to evacuate as quickly as we would if our house were on fire!  Have everything needed in a bin, which I  have previously discussed.  Have an evacuation route in mind and know where you can go to quickly find higher ground.  So… Mom?  Can we go stay with you in case of a flood in our neighborhood?   

Next thing to make sure you do in case of a flood is to shut off your electricy, gas and water.  So each family member that is old enough to do so, should know where these are located and how to turn them off. 

If a flood is on it’s way, first bring most of your outdoor equipment inside (so you don’t see it floating down the road later!).  Also move your important stuff upstairs if you have time.  This way you can prevent your expensive stuff from flood damage.  Turn off your electricity!  This is essential because you wouldn’t throw a hair dryer into the tub, it’s the same as with a flood, your electronics will be touching water, which could spell disaster.  Next fill your bathtubs up with water.  In case your local water becomes contaminated or there is no service you can have some clean water that you haven’t even had to store forever!

Now that you have some standing water where your house used to be, what should you do?  Avoid the flood waters!  It could be contaminated or even electrically charged from down powerlines.  Don’t touch it!  Also avoid moving waters, even 6 inches of moving water can sweep you off of your feet.  If you’ve ever been to the ocean and felt an undertow you know what I mean!  Stay away from the area if you can until authorities say it’s ok.  Then when you do return be extra cautious on roads that have been weakened by the water.  You could wind up on the bad end of a sinkhole!  Make sure to download and print this booklet from the American Red Cross about repairing your home after a flood.

Hopefully the floods will not come to our neighborhood this spring, but now my sister and I can be a bit more prepared if it does!

What I’m Buying Or Doing This Week To Prepare

• I’m going to figure out how to turn off our electricity

February 15, 2008

Since I did not get to continue this series last week due to illness, I’m continuing it now.  Many people find getting prepared to be an overwhelming task to undertake.  If you look at it like this giant thing you have to do then yes it will seem extremely overwhelming, but if you take it one step at a time I promise it is manageable!  The best way to accomplish this is to create a plan, and make sure you have deadlines for very small items.  Let me explain further…

First sit down and figure out each type of disaster that can occur in your area.  Don’t forget about personal disasters like unemployment, medical problems, death, etc.  We are in a flood zone, and my Sister is very concerned about flooding this year due to all the snow we have had.  Once those mountains start to melt it will all come down to the valley (where we live).  I promise Amy, I’ll touch on floods next week.

Now that you understand everything that can happen to your home/family then write down the supplies you would need in each scenario.  Some may be duplicates.  If you do have a duplicate put a star by the item so you know that you’ve already covered that item somewhere else (don’t put a star by it the first time you write it down, just one on the duplicates). 

Next you will put a plan into place on purchasing all the items necessary.  This plan could span 1, 2 or many years.  The point is to aquire the items according to your budget.  You may even put space in the plan to save for some of the more expensive items.  In your plan you should also place evacuation procedures (that I’ve already discussed).  Keep the plan in a notebook or on your computer (if you hate paper like some people I know.. )  When you purchase or accomplish tasks on your plan you can cross that off and know that you are one step closer to being prepared for anything that comes your way!

So don’t think of it as some big overwhelming project… think of it as creating a plan for being prepared in small chunks!

January 11, 2008

I may have been watching a little too much Dora this week.  It got me thinking though about more evacuation procedures.  I already discussed what things to pack up when evacuating, and I wrote about how to evacuate your house… but I failed to mention how to evacuate your city!  Do you know more than one way out of your neighborhood?  How about out of your town?  Do you rely on a major freeway that you would be stuck if it was out?  These are things you need to think about when you talk about evacuating for an emergency. 

First, Get a Map – You can get a map of your city and state at a AAA. 

Second, Plan – You should plan out your first ideal route out of town, which direction will you head?  For us we would most likely head for California (since we both still have family out there).  Then plan a secondary route… what if the way to CA was mostly blocked?  Then we would head North to Oregon.  Things like that.

Third, Color Code – Now color the route with a highlighter for your first, second and third plans.  You also need mulitple ways to get to the major road ways, so make sure you plan at least 3 routes out of your city too. 

Fourth, Plan For Pit Stops – Make sure you can find where the gas stations and other things of that nature are along your route, so that if you start out with only a half tank of gas, and three of the gas stations nearby are out of gas… you know where there may be additional places to get gas. 

The more you have planned out before disaster strikes the faster you can get out of harms way!

What I’m Doing or Buying This Week to Prepare

• Since I completely spaced this very important item, I’m going to the gas station and picking up some maps, and planning our routes out of town!

November 16, 2007

We are a big Disney family (OK, probably my fault, but I digress).  So we watch Disney Channel, and there is a little mini show in between the shows called Lou & Lou Safety Patrol.  They really have some great tips on being safe.  They had an episode where they were practicing evacuating their house in the event of a fire.  I thought I’d copy them and help you practice evacuating your house.  It is important that we practice these things so your children know what to do, and they won’t hide or panic.  It would be so awful for you to have to look for your child, who is hiding in a closet while you need to get out of the house fast.  Here’s a good printout from where I got most of these ideas.

Practice Different Escape Routes – Make sure they under stand the main route from their bedroom, but if that room is inaccessible then help them with a different route.  Even if that route is climbing out their window.  If their room is on a higher floor it is especially important to practice.  Keep a ladder in their closet that they can use for emergencies. 

Establish a Meeting Place – Make sure every member of the family knows where to meet (far enough away from your house to be safe, but close enough to not make it a long trek). 

Check Your Smoke Detectors – Make sure you test your smoke detectors regularly.

Hot & Cold – Make sure your kids know the difference between hot and cold and show them how to test their door.  If it’s hot, don’t open the door!

Keep Low – Show them how to keep low to avoid most of the smoke.

Again, practice makes perfect.  The more you practice evacuating your house, the easier it will be if you actually do have an emergency.

What I’m Doing Or Buying This Week To Prepare

• I’m going to create our evacuation plan and practice it!