Are You Prepared?

by Darrin Lythgoe

Earthquakes, floods, tornados, hurricanes—although such disasters are a natural part of the world, they always seem to take us off guard. While you can’t always know when a disaster is coming, you can be ready to deal with one. Here are some precautions you can take to help your family pull through a disaster:

Obtain informational pamphlets on dealing with disasters from your local fire department or Red Cross. Review these with your family and organize an action plan for a variety of disasters.
Help your family organize a 72-hour kit, including clothes, nonperishable food, a flashlight, medicine, water, a radio, blankets, and other essentials.
Keep a flashlight with fresh batteries near your bed.
Help coordinate and rotate your family’s food storage. Make sure necessary items are well stocked.
Know where your home’s gas, water, and electricity controls are. Have your parents show you how to turn them off in an emergency, and keep any needed tools nearby.
With your parents’ supervision, test your smoke alarms and make sure all batteries are strong.
Learn the signals your community uses to warn of potential disasters. Know where to tune your radio for instructions when the signals are given.
Assemble a first-aid kit and learn how to use it properly.
Know basic fire safety rules, including how to extinguish fires and avoid smoke.
Make a priority list of items to bring with you if you need to leave home in a hurry. Necessities and things that can’t easily be replaced, such as photos and scrapbooks, should come first. Remember, however, that you and your family are more important than any objects.
Memorize the phone numbers of your local police and fire departments, as well as those of friends and relatives you can count on for help.
If you hear of a disaster elsewhere, ask yourself, “What would I have done in that situation?”

Photography by Welden Andersen