Arkansas

I was sad to hear about the tornadoes in Arkansas this morning. My prayers are with the people who are still missing and those who have lost loved ones. I am also keeping in my heart those that are starting to search, clean up and rebuild.

It seems like we have had some weird weather this year. Or at least we have had some intense high profile storms, like the one that tore up the St. Louis Airport. Those of us living in the midwest know how devastating and frightnening storms can be. We had a severe storm last week that brought huge hail stones. I have a bucket full of hail in my freezer. What can we do to be prepared for such an event?

First off it is a good idea to talk with everyone in your household and discuss a plan of action. Better yet run a drill or two practicing these plans. When I used to work at a residential fascility we had quarterly drills. We would have pretend fires and go through the process of getting everyone out and checking all of the rooms. Now this was in California so we did not do tornado drills but we did have earthquake and fire drills. Also we were down stream (in the flood plane) of a dam. Yes we had "Dam Break" drills. We would get everyone out and on the buses an evacuate to our safe spot. I know drills seem tedious and boring but running drills can save lives. People learn best from repetition. If you practice, when and if an event occurs you will react automatically. On 9/11 hundreds of lives were saved because one man insisted that the company (in one of the towers) run practice drills so when the planes hit they were prepared and responded appropriately. Drills and practice can save time and lives. Especially with children practice can help. Not only will it help them follow the plan it will also help them stay calm if they have practiced it before since it won't be totally unfamiliar to them.

Another thing to remember is supplies. I jokingly call myself a "closet prepper". All of my preps go in my bedroom closet. The tornadoes of this last couple of weeks got me to thinking. I don't have supplies stored in the basement. There are two apartments in my basement so I do not really have access to them. I do however have my Bug Out Bag which I can practice grabbing and taking down stairs with me. I remember tornado warnings when I lived in Waterloo Iowa. Most of the time no one wanted to go downstairs and we would have to gather together supplies before we did anyway. With my new mindset this seems outrageous. Tornadoes and other disasters don't wait for you to find the flashlight. If possible have some things stores in your tornado safe area. Know where your tornado safe area is. If you do not have a basement you want to be in an interior room with no windows. Stay away from window and other breakable things. A bathtub can also help in a pinch.

Do some research about what disasters can strike in your area. Are there power plants near you? Dams? Flood Zones? Earthquakes? Tornados? Hurricanes and Tsunamis? Know your area. A little research can go a long way. Fires can happen anywhere so be prepared for that as well. It is helpful to know where the local police stattions, hospitals, and fire stations are. That may seem like a silly questions but you would be surprised how many people do not know where the nearest fire station is. Do you?

In review
1. Know your areas
2. Have plans in place
3. Have supplies ready and stored near your safe place or ready to go
4. Practice the plans regularly, run drills don't just talk.
5. Always remain calm and act instead of react.

Thank you for reading and good luck to you if your ever find yourself in an emergency situation. Blessings, FreedomFox

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