Trees
are down. Power’s out. Are you ready?
With the winter storm season bearing down on us,
how do you know you’re really prepared for
an emergency? Don’t plan on local government
agencies to come to your rescue if you‘re
stranded. That will take time.
Plan on taking care of yourself for the first three
days, at least. If you are a senior living alone,
perhaps a caregiver will be with you when the lights
go out. Caregivers should carry emergency supplies
of their own with them and know what to do.
Have
a battery operated or crank-up radio
When you hear sirens or the lights go out, tune
in to a local radio station and listen for instructions.
Are people in your area being warned to evacuate?
Which roads are open? Is there a shelter open?
Are your instructions to stay where you are,
to “shelter in place“? If you can,
let someone know where you are or where you plan
to ride out the emergency.
Evacuate
If you have to evacuate, you need a car or a
ride in a car that has at least a half a
tank of gas. Don’t plan on using public
transportation. Take enough supplies with
you to live on for three days, time for emergency
personnel to set up their services.
A shelter may mean a high school gym with no
electricity or water, either, so this means you
should have food and water, warm clothes, a blanket,
cash, personal items you ordinarily use, such
as Depends, and medications. When you hear about
a “72-hour kit“, that’s what
they are talking about. If you have to stay in
a shelter for three days or more, you will want
to have a book, a pack of cards, anything to
occupy your time while you wait.
Shelter
in place
Roads may be blocked or clogged with traffic,
you may not be able to get out, so be prepared
to stay where you are without heat, electricity,
running water, or a stove. Pick one room where
you can settle in for three days. You will need
to lie down to sleep, to sit in a comfortable
chair, to go to the bathroom. Keep gallon milk
jugs filled with water on hand for washing and
flushing..
Your “72-hour kit” will be necessary
if you have to shelter in place, too. You will
need food and drinking water, medications and
things to keep you warm. Unless you have a lot
of batteries, you won’t be listening to
the radio for much more than the news, so have
a book, magazines, photo albums, a journal, or
games to keep you occupied while you wait.
Keep
emergency supplies ready to go
This is your “72-hour kit“. Besides
the items already mentioned, you will need at
least 64 ounces of drinking water a day. Have
non-perishable food in your kit, dried fruit,
food bars, perhaps a sterno cooking kit for making
hot cocoa, and camping utensils. If you have
to evacuate, you will need to bring important
papers with you, in case you can’t get
home again.
Put it all in a duffel bag on rollers, easy to
move, and keep it in a front closet. One final
tip: Keep your flashlight in the top of your
72-hour kit so you can see to find what’s
in it!
For more information, check with your local emergency
management office. For a list of items for your
72-hour kit, check our website at www.elderwiseinc.com,
or search for “72-hour kit” on the
Internet.
Martha
Miller is the founder and State Coordinator
of ElderWise, Inc. www.elderwiseinc.com
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