Storm highlights the need to be prepared

The Deseret News ^ | 2/19/2003 | Lee Davidson

[Utah Girl]

After worry about terrorist strikes and war, disaster finally struck Washington this week from an unexpected source: a record snow storm.

It tested how well prepared we are — personally, and as families. Frankly, Washingtonians could have done better. So how prepared are you, Utah, if that long-feared big earthquake, fire, blizzard or even terrorist attack arrives?

Bear in mind that Washington rarely receives much snow, and a quarter-inch is often enough to cancel schools here.

But this time we received more than 2 feet of snow in a day in the Maryland suburbs where I live. Snowplows could not make it through major streets. My neighborhood road was dug out mainly because of neighbors working together to do it ourselves. Snow is piled 7 feet high in front of my house, which is a surreal sight here.

Maryland on Sunday and Monday even shut down all state highways except for police or medical personnel (or sick people) trying to make it to hospitals.

So, for a while, people had to depend on themselves. They couldn't depend on stores — which were often closed even if customers could make it to them.

Many people in my area suddenly found they should have had more food at home, or maybe a first-aid kit, or plans about how to contact family members. Many found out they had forgotten something basic — like they should have bought a snow shovel.

I live near a Safeway food store. As I was shoveling snow, I watched a long line of people walking back from it (driving wasn't really possible yet). We asked if it had much food left on the shelves. "Barely," one said — because trucks couldn't make many deliveries at first, and people fairly quickly drained food that had been there.

Luckily for me, I have a smart wife. She long ago made "72-hour kits" with disaster supplies for the family. We have a basement full of long-term food storage. We had no fear, even if stores were cleaned out and supply trucks were buried in snow for a while.

Still, with all of that — and with terror alerts that remain on "high" — disaster preparedness suddenly has become a hot topic here, and Washingtonians are ready to listen.

The government and other groups have some wonderful information about how to better prepare. Most is available for free on the Internet or by calling toll-free numbers. Following are some of my favorites:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has a detailed publication full of tips called, appropriately, "Are You Ready?" It is available online at www.fema.gov/areyouready/. Printed copies can be ordered by phoning 1-800-480-2520. FEMA does not take orders for printed copies online.

However, another government Web site does accept orders by the Internet. It is: www.pueblo.gsa.gov. It is one of my favorite sites on the Internet. It is run by the General Services Administration and has a listing of free or low-cost pamphlets from many government and private agencies on virtually every topic imaginable. It has online copies of most publications for free.

Currently it is highlighting a brochure called "Your Family Disaster Supplies Kit." It is only five pages online, but it gives great information about what should be in a "72-hour-kit" and basics about what to think through with a family before disasters come. Local churches have been photocopying it for congregations here.

For those without Internet, the GSA (the same people who offer the Pueblo, Colo., catalog of free government publications) can be reached toll free at 1-888-8PUEBLO (1-888-878-3256).

Maybe the best site on the Internet for all sorts of questions and answers about disasters and planning is www.redcross.org. It has steps and checklists it suggests for different levels of terrorist threat.

Finally, for those who want to go the extra mile and prepare long-term food storage to ride through really tough times, one of the best Internet sites for that is actually based in Utah: www.providentliving.org. It is a site sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

So, Utah, learn from us ill-prepared Washingtonians. Be ready with a family disaster plan and a disaster supplies kit. Think about even learning first aid and CPR, and building up some longer-term storage. The times may demand it.

[Utah Girl]

Good advice on all the websites. I highly recommend providentliving.org. There is a lot of very useful information on food storage and preparedness there. And as much as I hate to say it, the Red Cross site is also very useful.

[newgeezer]

So how prepared are you

Psalm 23
¹   The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²   He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
³   He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
⁴   Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
⁵   Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
⁶   Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

In short, "Bring it on."

[Utah Girl]

Actually we talked about this in church on Sunday. I think the best way to be prepared is to have increase my faith in Jesus Christ, to put all things in His hands. That said, the Lord helps those who help themselves. It is important to not only be prepared physically, but also spiritually. "If ye are prepared, ye need not fear."

[dirtboy]

I think the best way to be prepared is to have increase my faith in Jesus Christ, to put all things in His hands. That said, the Lord helps those who help themselves.

Well, God will eventually melt all this snow. But I'll get my car on the road a lot faster if I start shovelling.

[newgeezer]

the Lord helps those who help themselves.
... "If ye are prepared, ye need not fear."

Neither one of those rings a bell. Are those bible verses, or Book of Mormon verses?

[Utah Girl]

Exactly. That is why I said the Lord helps those who help themselves. :)

[backhoe]

While looking up other stuff last night, I found this excellent post by you:

Emergency Preparedness (Now that you have a year's supply of food, what do you do with it?)

 

[Utah Girl]

The first one is a saying. The second one comes from the Doctrine and Covenants (LDS scriptures) section 38 verse 30. It is good advice though. :)

[Utah Girl]

Thanks. I just think it is important to be prepared, and it does take a bit of effort to get there.

[Last Visible Dog]

Bear in mind that Washington rarely receives much snow, and a quarter-inch is often enough to cancel schools here.

That is NOT true. Washington DC (the city) gets an average of 16" of snow a year while the Northern and Western suburbs get from 24" to 30"

They were forecasting the “twin storms” for most of the previous week and I stocked up on Friday – by the Saturday storm I thought I overreacted but by Sunday/Monday I realized I had not.

I have lived, so far, all of my life in the mid-Maryland area and I can't remember schools being closed for a quarter-inch of snow (mainly because the smallest measurement of snow they use is one full inch). The Washington DC area are not light-weights when it comes to snow - I think you are thinking of Richmond VA and south

[Alberta's Child]

I think people should go live in the mountains in Canada or Alaska for a winter. When you get through the snowstorms, the -40 cold, the days with five hours of daylight, the gravel roads that aren't plowed anyway, and then the spring flooding that occurs when all that snow and ice melts, you'll come back to Washington, D.C. and look upon a two-foot February snowstorm as a mild spring day.

[Alberta's Child]

That's right. The last time I saw a snowstorm like this was up in the Canadian Rockies in 2000.

That's July of 2000, BTW.

Freak summer snowstorm up on Sunwapta Pass dumped 18+ inches of snow and closed the Icefields Parkway for a day. The snow was gone and it was 70 degrees out two days later.

[Last Visible Dog]

yeah but 100's of thousands of people do not try to go to work or school in the mountains of Canada or Alaska. 26" of snow is still a pretty good snowstorm even if you are a hard-core mountain man.