Natural Disasters: How Prepared Are We?
Over the last several weeks nature has been showing us who is boss. If you haven’t figured it out yet it’s not us. Between wild fires, hurricanes and earthquakes our lives have been disrupted directly and indirectly. In times of chaos our reactions are often based on whether or not we are prepared. While it is a tough thing to acknowledge, black women are the most affected and least prepared during times of chaos. Granted I know there are many reasons why this is the case but we also need to take some of the responsibility as well. Storms come in all forms in nature and in life; however if you have a basic plan it can alleviate some problems. Your plan must take into consideration all phases of the storm before, during and after. If you get the beginning right the other parts usually fall in line. Just a few tweaks are generally needed to work out any wrinkles. This is just a general outline for a basic survival plan.
Education: Knowledge and common sense are key to the decisions that you make. Ask questions, research information, this will give you an idea of possible scenarios that you might face. Common sense is really all about critical thinking and coming up with solutions.
Life application: While you are waiting for that potential mate, improve yourself. Education doesn’t always have to come from a classroom. Some lessons can only be learned through experience.
Health: be aware of what is going on with your body. If you have to be stuck in one place or travel for any reason, you want to make sure you can handle it. If you have medical issues make sure you have the medications and equipment necessary to get you through.
Life: Not all of us are former athletes or have perfect bodies. But exercise and dietary habits help us live longer and better lives.
Funds/important documents: Know your account balances and if the accounts are designated for a purpose. Storms affect banking systems and banks. Make sure you have cash (100-500), enough to hold you over for a few days. Have copies of important documents, and put the originals in a separate place from the copies.
Life: The more education and skills we have the more sources and funds are at our disposal.
Safe place/space: This is a designated area in your home or someone else’s home if you decide to ride out the storm together. Supplies may be stored here depending on the size of the space or you can easily access supplies from this location. Things that you should definitely have in this space are bag of personal items,funds, important papers, radio, phones, and medications.
Life: These are the people or places were you can be yourself,without fear or judgment. Nothing beats that.
Communication: Have a way to contact friends and family. Make them aware of your plans, and share any pertinent information in case they have to help. This is important for anyone who has dependents and work in a public health field (nurses, firefighters, police). Many times they are separated, so its good to have a clear line of communication and plan of action.
Life: Our opinions, our views, our beliefs all shared with others. Agreeing or not but still interacting.
Supplies: The majority of your supplies can be found at any store that carries camping equipment. Bedding, flotation devices, water/fireproof containers, portable stoves, radios, lanterns, batteries. Most of these things are now solar powered and they give you the option of being able to charge other devices as well. Camping equipment is designed to be multi-functional, portable and efficient exactly what is needed during a storm. In terms of food canned and dried goods work best. They can be stored for long periods of time and you can add or subtract at anytime.
Life: Materialistic, emotional, physical, spiritual, financial and everything in between. Giving and taking from all the sources above only leads to growth..