A PREPAREDNESS REMINDER

Recently, Tropical Depression Chantal provided an excellent preparedness reminder for residents in my area of Central North Carolina.

For most, Chantal did not cause the catastrophic destruction seen in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennesse last year from Tropical Storm Helene, nor the ravaging destruction of the July 4th Guadalupe River flood in Texas caused by Tropical Storm Barry.

A lot of people were away from home when Chantal dumped 9 – 12 inches of rain on our area in just a few hours.  Creeks and rivers rose; roads and bridges were flooded and/or washed out. Those who were away from home often needed to find alternate routes to get home safely.  Some needed to find alternate places to shelter or had to shelter in their vehicles.  First responders completed hundreds of water rescues. 25,000 people were without power for lights, cooking, running the refrigerator/freezer, water, etc. Six people have been found dead. Many crops were destroyed. Water treatment plants in several communities failed and those communities are under boil water warnings for drinking, cooking and handwashing. Commuting to work the next day was tricky due to detours caused by downed trees and flooded roadways.

There are several preparedness reminders local residents should have picked up from this event.  1) Know multiple ways to get to and from places you frequent.  2) Have an emergency kit in your car.  2) Keep your car gassed up and in good condition.  3) Have a supply of emergency water for your home. 4) Have alternate sources of power for your home.  5) Have a communication plan in place for your family members.  6) Have a community of friends and family you can turn to when stranded or evacuated from your home. 7) Keep ready-to-eat food stuff for short term power issues and/or alternate means of cooking.

Preparedness is less about end-of-the-world situations and more about the small chaoses that come into our daily lives.  If we are prepared, we need not suffer or be afraid.  We must continue to improve our personal level of preparedness by acquiring tools, skills, and other necessary items to allow us to function outside of our normal lifestyle and modern conveniences. The time to prepare is Before it’s needed.

(A note regarding the Texas disaster: yes, sadly, there are some events of such magnitude that all the preparing in the world will not be enough. The area had a limited ability to send or receive communication. Despite emergency communications systems, the warnings went out after most people were asleep. The water rose so fast that even those who got the warnings had little time to evacuate and often got caught anyway. In such situations, we can just be grateful for mercies, blessings, and miracles and for people who step in to help with the aftermath. Thankfully, these types of situations are rare.)