What do you do when you hear a hurricane is coming? You get prepared, right?
I have lived in this area for 19 years. When we first moved here, we met up with two hurricanes our first summer here. Several years later, Hurricane Floyd arrived scaring me enough to plead with my husband to run and get away from our home and not deal with such fury. After many years and numerous hurricanes, I have become somewhat complacent.
Complacency can be a dangerous thing in all areas of life…especially in preparing for an emergency. Around here, when you hear there is going to be a hurricane; you gather up flashlights, batteries, water and bread. Those things are great and helpful, but I am talking about real emergency preparedness…having things in a bag ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Preparing for an emergency is actually on MY TO DO LIST! Yes, I am confessing this organizer is not as prepared as she needs to be. Yes, I have water, an emergency medical kit, some trash bags, duct tape, a few canned goods and some peanut butter. However, I don’t have my “to go bag” which should include: copies of insurance papers, banking account information, copies of medical history, copies of birth certificates, identification, and cash or traveler’s checks.
So take a little time this week to make a few copies of your papers, put them in a waterproof file and put it with your other emergency kit supplies. Don’t have any emergency kit supplies together? That’s okay…start today. Here is a link to the government’s suggestions about what you should gather together at ready.gov/basic-disaster-supplies-kit. It really is easy when, just like any other organizational project, you do a little at a time.
There are many people who think it is silly to get these things together in one place and be this prepared and it is until you need it. An emergency kit is just like insurance of any kind, you don’t need it until you need it! So start now, while there is no emergency. It sure can’t hurt to be prepared but it sure could hurt to be unprepared and this organizer does not want to be caught unprepared – it’ not good for business!
By Contributing Author: Peggy Walker Barnes, The De-Clutter Bug – Keep It Simple Girl™