Health & Fitness
After the Storm: Lessons From An Emergency Prep Expert (Blog)
The powerful lessons from last week's storm and how to think ahead for next time.
Last week's hurricane-like winds meant fallen trees, lack of Internet and electricity, road closings and lots of dramatic photo opportunities but they also provided a valuable teachable moment for disaster preparation experts.
It's important to underscore that being prepared isn't just about getting ready for the big one, it's also for times like these that can escalate from minor inconvenience to a scramble to meet your basic needs.
Your quality of life after a disaster is directly proportional to your level of preparedness. If one wind storm can knock power out for so many people for this long, imagine what can happen after the big one hits. And for those of us with flashlights, lanterns, food supplies and cash on hand, the power outage was an inconvenience but not the agonizing wait for repair crews that it was for others.
Here's a list of what my Mount Washington neighbor Max Haberman learned during the 64 hours that her power was out:
1. My miner’s lamp flashlight was invaluable, allowing me to perform tasks hands free.
Find out what's happening in Echo Park-Silver Lakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
2. If you have a gas stove, you should be able to light the burner with a match, allowing you to make coffee. If you like milk in your coffee, keep some powdered creamer in your pantry.
3. If you are fortunate to have a hand crank/solar radio/flashlight/cell phone charger (thanks to emergencykits4all !), set it in the sunlight to charge the solar cell as soon as possible. The hand crank cell phone charger feature was a life saver.
Find out what's happening in Echo Park-Silver Lakewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
4. Have a large battery operated lantern on hand. I don’t, and by the time I decided it was a good idea to get one, Home Depot was out.
5. Of course, probably the most important thing to remember after 4 or 5 hours of no power, is to eat the ice cream in your freezer and try not to worry too much.
She also mentioned that her computers and flat screen TVs were plugged into surge protectors and anything that wasn’t, such as a small electric heater, hair dryer, etc. she unplugged until after power was restored.
As we succumb to the rush to get prepared for the holidays, let's not put off getting ready for the less predictable presents we will be getting from mother nature. Better yet, why not give an emergency kit as a gift?
It's a thoughtful present that shows you care. I can guarantee we'll all be needing more than another pair of Aunt Mary's socks when the time comes!
Important Note: The Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office, Office of Emergency Management (OEM) announced Monday the activation of the 211 LA County Disaster Hotline (1-800-980-4990) for residents to report damages caused by the recent wind storm event.