Let's all be prepared

Some people reading this are picking up after disasters -- wildfires which have devastated the north and west, floods in Texas, disaster in Florida.

I've experienced the aftereffects of forest fires, flooding, and tornadoes, so I can sympathize. These things happen and whether it's Father Weather, Mother Nature, climate change, or whatever, it's still unsettling.

I remember the first time I had to evacuate after a fire. We had 15 minutes to get into our residence, get our cats and anything valuable, and leave. 15 minutes of fighting through smoke and water to try to find what we needed. The cats were easy -- they just about leapt into their cages, ready to get the hell out. The rest ... not so easy.

Since then I've always had an emergency bug-out kit. It sits in the basement in an interior closet where it's relatively safe from flood or winds. I have clothing, some food, a portable power source, radio, a First Aid kit, copies of important papers (which are at the bank), cans of cat food, and other assorted emergency stuff. We have a 100-gallon tank in the lower level full of water for flushing, we have a filtered 3-gallon tank upstairs plus I keep gallons of fresh water stored in the garage in jugs. I do electronic (i.e., writing) backups to cloud storage. I don't have to worry about grabbing my computer. It's all backed up.

I remember what it was like to go to an emergency shelter with the clothes on my back, my pets, a few "important papers" and that was about it. Never again. If I have to bug out, I want to feel I at least thought about it all ahead of time and didn't fly around like the proverbial headless chicken.

Take a minute and think about your preparedness. It really doesn't take long to pack a duffel bag and stuff it away somewhere. Bob Mayer has written some excellent books about it, others have, too. Just stop and think: if I had 15 minutes to get the hell out, what would I take?

It never hurts to be prepared ...

JL
(jayellwilson.com)