What does your own personal disaster recovery plan look like? Storms have often been “around us” but recently one hit the area hard so let me ask, were you ready, was your household prepared, what lessons did we all learn? Last week in Tennessee areas recorded 17” of rain. We like to say “if it rains by you it can flood by you.” Here are some things you should routinely do so you and your loved ones are not scrambling around before a storm hits your block.
- Have real money, cash on hand
- Have an auxiliary battery source of power for your smartphones, they cost under $10 and can recharge several phones at once
- Have other emergency power sources such as flashlights (don’t forget extra batteries)
- Have emergency food and water supply in the basement or your safe place
- Have emergency medical supplies on hand
- Have emergency phone numbers and apps added to your smartphones
- Have spare clothing packed and personal items
- Keep important documents, including medical documents, wills, passports, and personal identification in a safe that can be accessible after a storm
- Keep several fire extinguishers on hand
- Have a shortlist of hotels nearby that you could call in case you don’t have power and they do