Former Unity resident, Karen McLean, experienced Hurricane Sandy first-hand. While vacationing in Salem, Mass., Karen and her friends discovered they would soon be in the path of Hurricane Sandy.
Upon her safe return Karen was quick to remind us of the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Whether it is through weather incidents like this hurricane, prolonged power outages, natural disasters, harsh winter storms or other events, this experience taught her and her travelling partners the importance of being prepared.
Vacationers can easily be distracted by the absence of routine and by the attractions they are visiting. Karen said without them watching the news one morning and recognizing they were about to be in the hurricane's path, they would not have had the heads-up on this system.
The travellers quickly filled their rental car with fuel and ran out to get extra water, food, flashlights and additional batteries. They noticed the big box centres of Walmart and Target had rapidly depleted supplies which made even getting a loaf of bread difficult. As well several stores they visited were either already out of some items or had very low stocks, in addition to advertising they would be closed until the storm passed or the power was working enough for them to operate.
One thing Mclean did think of, and said it is a good habit for people to get into anyway, was to have everyone charge their cellphones. They also used them minimally during the worst part of the storm so as to conserve power.
McLean laughed as she said some common sense needs to be in place. They noticed some shoppers buying supplies they would have no way of cooking or heating without power, or not thinking enough to not board an elevator with the threat of an impending power outage.
She said one of the certain lessons learned from this experience is the importance of being prepared as once into a poor situation there is no way to "upgrade".
She said even though within 48 hours, businesses were back in operation and life was relatively back to normal, she knew from a friend's experience in the Dominican during a hurricane that living without the regular comforts can last much longer. She also said that, even though their hotel was highly effective in looking after their guests by making sure to know the names of guests and the number in each room for tracking and contact purposes, as well as providing a hot meal during the waiting period, not all places can or will provide assistance in this manner.
Often when these situations arise there isn't much time to become prepared and, as Karen pointed out, you can't always rely on the stores to have supplies enough for everyone in need.
The Government of Canada website has excellent information on building your own emergency supply kit as well as making up a travelable kit, in case you are forced to evacuate. McLean said, although their inconveniences were short-lived, she knows from other peoples' accounts it can be much worse and it is far better to be "safe than sorry." And in today's age of electronic payments, she was quick to point out the benefits of carrying cash or having cash on hand for emergencies.
It is said a basic emergency kit should have two litres of water per person per day, as well as small bottles in case of evacuation. Food that can't spoil or doesn't need cooking is essential, like dried foods, energy bars and snacks. A manual can opener is imperative, as are a flashlight and batteries. First aid kits are helpful as are extra supplies of prescription medication. Definitely people and their families should make an emergency plan.
While we never hope to experience a situation that forces us to be in "survival" mode, it can only help us, if we are prepared for such cases, to make the already stressful situation just a little easier.
A recent press release by the Canadian Red Cross says polling they did showed 67 per cent of Prairie residents have not taken steps to prepare for the occurrence of a major disaster, even though nearly half report they have been affected by a severe storm or tornado-related disaster. "On a related note, the Red Cross is currently providing food, water, safe shelter, and community services in seven countries impacted by Hurricane Sandy. The Canadian Red Cross is accepting donations to support this response."
The release also point outs, "By being prepared for disasters, families can also help their communities. Following disasters, emergency crews are not able to assist everyone immediately. 'If most people are prepared for disasters, emergency crews can focus on helping the most vulnerable members of the community first,'" says Kim MacLean, the provincial disaster management lead for the Canadian Red Cross in Saskatchewan.
You can visit www.redcross.ca/ready for a full list of items to have on hand.
Now that Karen McLean is back home, she said she plans on developing a personal emergency preparedness kit "just in case".
