Tag Archives: emergency preparedness

Hurricanes: Planning for Evacuation

Evacuation due to a hurricane brings many things to mind. You may think of being stuck in the car in awful traffic for hours. You may worry about leaving your home and possessions behind. And you may worry about where you are going to stay during the period of evacuation. Once you have formed an evacuation plan then you most of these concerns will be resolved, and you will be order to move forward quickly. The first thing you should do is decide where you will stay during an evacuation. If you have family and friends in a nearby area, … Continue reading →

Are You Prepared for Hurricane Season?

Hurricane season begins on Thursday June 1st. Are you prepared for this year’s hurricanes? Forecasters are predicting another active year for hurricanes. If you live inland and away from the Southeast and the Eastern Coast, you may consider yourself pretty safe from a hurricane. But hurricanes have been known to do some pretty strange things. My husband had the eye of Hurricane Hugo pass over them with hurricane strength winds. He lived in Hickory, NC, which is about eight hours from the coast. They were expecting rain and strong winds, but not the eye of the storm. Do you know … Continue reading →

Why Store Food?

Many people may wonder why anyone would want to store a year’s supply of food. It might seem a little extreme or odd to people. But the reasons for having food storage on hand are numerous and most are not extreme. I have known several families who have lost their jobs and have turned to their food storage as a way to continue to care for their families. Food storage is just another form of security. Many people have several months of income set aside for a rainy day. Having food storage is just another way to stretch the money … Continue reading →

Pet Evacuation Bill in Congress

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Representative Tom Lantos from California has sponsored the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, which was voted on by the House of Representatives on Monday. Lantos says that this piece of legislation was inspired by an image you may or may not remember from the Hurricane Katrina disaster: a little boy wailing as his dog Snowball was taken away from him. The idea of the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act is to require that emergency preparedness officials at the state and local level include pets and service animals in all evacuation plans. Preparedness offices that fail to include animals … Continue reading →

Planning for your School’s Evacuation

One important emergency plan that you will want to have in place is what to do if your children’s school is evacuated. This is more common than many people realize. It is not always for a reason that is scary. They may send your children home early due to inclement weather or power outages. It may be due to a chemical spill nearby or some other type of disaster. I taught school for a short while before staying home with my children. The first thing that was discussed every year was an evacuation plan, and what to do if the … Continue reading →

Emergency Preparedness For Pets

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Hurricane season begins June 1st. After last year’s deadly hurricane season, it makes sense to have a disaster plan in place for your family AND your pets. Being prepared can save your pets’ lives. If you must evacuate, you should make every attempt to evacuate your pets as well. Leaving pets behind can result in injury or worse! Before a disaster happens, you should plan a safe place to take your pets. NOTE: Red Cross disaster shelters cannot accept pets due to states’ health and safety regulations. Only service animals are allowed in Red Cross Shelters! Find hotels and motels … Continue reading →

Pet Friendly Hurricane Shelters

A friend pointed me to a story from the First Coast News of Jacksonville, Florida. The city of Jacksonville is preparing for the upcoming hurricane season by designating four pet-friendly shelters. A spokesman from Jacksonville Animal Care and Control said that “The city certainly recognizes the close bond that people have with their pets and we’re working to provide a place for them.” The designated pet-friendly shelters are Landmark Middle School, Ocean Way Elementary School, Chimney Lakes Elementary School, and Mandarin Middle School. At least one of these shelters will also be prepared to accommodate special needs residents. If you … Continue reading →

A Pet First Aid Kit

Are you prepared, in case of an accident involving your pet? Do you know what to do if they have been injured or attacked? One good way to be prepared is to have a Pet First Aid Kit set up. You may already have a lot of these items around the house, or in your family’s First Aid Kit. You should keep a list of phone numbers with your first aid kit, in case you need to call for help. You may want to include the following important phone numbers: Your vet Your vet’s emergency backup The nearest 24-hour animal … Continue reading →