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Editor's note: This week's earthquakes (and yes, I felt the babyquake in San Francisco Tuesday night), and the news about Hurricane Irene, made me stop and think about the state of my emergency kit. I was naughty and raided it several times for camping trips this summer. This weekend, I'm using the fabulous checklist SeattleMamaDoc made after the Japan quake and tsunami to restock and expand my kit. I recommend that you do, no matter where you live. -- Julie
I was up until nearly 1:30am today watching the tsunami in Japan live online. Terrible for the psyche and hard on the heart, I simply couldn’t stop watching it unfold. It’s utterly terrifying to imagine the devastation and separation that catastrophic events like this cause for people. In the face of this terrible news, there is much we can do as parents. In addition to donating to relief organizations, we can prepare our families. We have incredible strength and insight as the proud providers and nurturers of our children. Now, today, is the time to utilize this reminder for good and harness your concerns into preparedness.
On the news last night, reporters kept repeating that every home in Japan had an emergency kit ... that every family had a plan for an earthquake. They detailed how children knew at a very young age what to do when an earthquake began and families had communication plans to re-unite.
Photo by Ruaridh Stewart/ZUMA Press
Today is a day to begin to create the same for your family. Emulate the universal emergency plans of families in Japan. I trust these kits and plans have saved many lives in the past 12 hours and lessened the worry of the millions of parents reuniting with their children as I type.
Last year, I made a disaster kit and blogged about the experience. Today, in the wake the Japan Tsunami, please consider doing the same. I’m re-posting some of the content here.
I’m gonna be honest, making a disaster kit completely stressed me out. I hope my experience will make it better for you. I guarantee with each step you take, you’ll feel an incredible sense of relief as you ready your family. I’m no expert at this but have learned a lot along the way. And there is no question, I feel so much better with my family prepared and my preparedness tidied.
As The Economist said last year when discussing Iceland’s volcano, “Disasters are about people and planning, not nature’s pomp.”
Prepare.
I believe in the three-tiered approach you see everywhere:
- Make a Kit (detailed below and in my video)
- Make a Plan (how to communicate and find your family)
- Stay Informed (what disasters are likely to happen, where to find info)
If you watched the video, you know that Dr Suzan Mazor and I were totally overwhelmed by the task. Do your best to buddy up; having a partner was the best move I made. Hopefully she’d agree. Thanks again, Suzan. Please continue to be my friend despite me filming a video while sitting under a desk and having you help edit it at 11:30pm on a Friday night.
The good news: You’ll feel better with each step you take and everything you do to prepare your family.
The bad news: This is gonna cost you some cash. And some time. I spent somewhere between $300-$350 getting my home and family prepared. And, well over 15 hours, too.
Double ouch, I know.
First, don’t try to re-invent a list. People make these emergency lists for a living and are very good at it. After reviewing multiple websites, I really liked the Red Cross list the best. Both for its details for a homemade kit but also its list on communication plans. It’s long and overwhelming but do your best to pick through it.
You’re not going to be able to do this in one day. I’m not entirely done and I’ve been working on this for a month. You’ll need a trip to the grocery store, the hardware store, the bank, the pharmacy and possibly the doctor’s office, and then lots of conversations with those in your family so you are all clear about a communication plan. You really want to have a plan to reunite your family in the case of an emergency.
After the water, I think the communication plan is what is most important for your family.
This is a long post. Think of it as vitamins for today but ones that can save your family, keep you warm and
