Hurricane season is here! Our area, while not directly impacted by hurricane winds and storm surge, can suffer extended power outages, tornadoes, straight-line winds, flooding and flash flooding as a direct result of a hurricane. Are you and your loved ones ready? Now is the time to take stock and get ready. Get a kit. Make a plan. Be informed.
Let’s focus on planning. If you lost or broke your cell phone, or it lost power, do you have at least one phone number of a trusted confidant and helper memorized? Can that person provide you needed information in an emergency where you’ve lost access to your phone contents and home contents? Can they relay messages to loved ones, provide contact and policy information needed for property, auto, flood, medical and dental insurance, claims or assistance? Where do you have extra, secured copies of your vital records, necessary for establishing your identity, citizenship and residency, making detailed loss insurance claims and for accessing your online accounts for banking, email, social security, taxes, government assistance or benefits, etc.? Hopefully a current copy of all is securely stored off-site whether in a secured cloud document service or in a physical location away from home and protected from fire and flood. If you use multi-factor verification and your phone and home computer were not available, how do you log in to these necessary websites to help you with document replacement; access to funds and credit; and proof of insurance, identity, residency, etc.? If your home were damaged, do you have supplies immediately available to protect your contents (like extra heavy duty garbage bags, coolers, tape, waterproofing and tarps) and to complete an emergency patch or repair? If a flash flood were occurring, could you quickly block the water from seeping in around your doors and windows or treat for mold and mildew? Is your auto fully fueled and is it typically parked under trees, on a low or high spot? Do you have enough cash on hand to conduct all your business transactions for lodging, food, caffeine, tobacco, fuel, and replacement of clothing, shoes, phones, charge cords, medications and medical equipment for at least three days? These are just a few considerations to ponder and address now while the weather is nice and there are no lines, anxiety, stress and chaos. Search online for planning resources at redcross.org; ready.gov; download and use them!
Gail Thompson
Clay County
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
