Barbara J. Hamby

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Thinking About Disaster

Watching the horror in Haiti makes me believe we should all be thinking about how we would cope if it happened here. Just because our buildings are a bit better and we think we have superior systems doesn’t mean we are well prepared. We’ve seen what the lack of organization has caused in Haiti. We may not be able to do much about governmental or military confusion under pressure, but we can at least make some preparations for our own households.

I’ve read some lists of things we should accumulate as a “disaster kit.” Most are fairly obvious, battery operated radio and flashlights, extra batteries, can opener, canned food, blankets, extra clothing, medical supplies, sheets, towels, soap, toiletries and a gallon of water per person per day. Which leaves me wondering—for how many days? Also, where is a safe place to keep this stash? What about prescriptions? Usually we just have exactly what we need for a given period of time. Do we need another whole set that we rotate continually?

It’s not enough to know that we should get under a table or in a doorway and protect our heads. We need to know what to do when the shaking stops and be sure we have what we need to do it with.