Japan and Preparing For Emergencies

Japan and Preparing for Emergencies

What a horrible loss of life. Countless people made homeless. Radiation contamination. Lack of food and water. Cities and towns swallowed whole by the ocean. After-shocks.  It is devastation on a massive scale.  Everyone's thoughts and prayers go to the people of Japan in their time of trouble. Charitable donations are made as we watch the news, dreading a nuclear meltdown.

By all accounts the Japanese have taken many precautions (stringent building codes, sea walls, etc.) to avert just this sort of disaster. Some preparations helped while some went awry (building the nuclear plants close to the ocean meant a ready water supply but also susceptibility to tidal waves and a lack of power to pump needed cooling water to the plants). 

When discussing this the conversation can turn to "what if", as in "what if something like that happened here"? Not pleasant to contemplate but possibly a useful exercise in preparedness.

 So, what would you do if...

• The electricity went out for an extended period? Everything in the fridge / freezer would go bad. Is there any food stashed somewhere in the house to get you through a few weeks? People with wells would lose their water supply, so ditto with having a supply of water on hand. Also, toilets need a supply of water to flush so you would have to forgo that in an emergency too. No heat in winter unless you have a wood burning stove and a supply of wood. No computers, internet, or cell phones (after the battery dies) means a lack of communication to the rest of the world. Home owners with generators will be quite popular.
• There was a disaster at a nuclear plant in your area? Best to know which way the wind normally blows and have a place in mind to go to if the worst happens.
• Your home is damaged during an earthquake / storm / etc.? You should have a supply of food / water / medicine / blankets / batteries / etc. (click here for a Red Cross list: http://www.ctredcross.org/pdf/Your_Family_Disaster_Supplies_Kit.pdf). Also, make sure you have a toolbox, tarps, duct tape, etc. to make repairs in an emergency.
• Your house caught on fire? You'll want smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, a planned escape route for the family, a place to gather outside the house.
• There is massive flooding? Always good to have a pump around just in case. If your house has an existing sump pump a spare pump and / or a reserve battery might be a good idea. Boilers, hot water heaters, etc. will not work underwater so plan accordingly.
• Your road was damaged and unusable for an extended period of time? Recently in Connecticut we had flooding so serious that in a few neighborhoods roads were washed out for a week or more. Some people had a "Plan B" where they hiked through adjoining woods to have relatives pick them up.

The list could go on and on. Think ahead. Be prepared. 

Here's one possible place to make donations: http://www.americares.org/

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