CLIMATE-RELATED EMERGENCIES SUCH AS HURRICANES, FIRE AND FLOODS ARE BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. HOW TO PREPARE WHETHER YOU NEED TO EVACUATE OR HIDE.
Emergencies are often unpredictable. But you can still plan them.
In this week alone, millions of people across the country experienced catastrophic emergencies. Hurricane Ida left millions of Louisiana residents without electricity or access to food and water. Flash floods in New Jersey and New York surprised many people. In Lake Tahoe, some residents were evacuated in less than an hour of an evacuation warrant as fires threatened their homes. Flash floods devastated central Tennessee in August, and earlier this year millions of Texas people were left without electricity or water after a winter storm.
Unfortunately, climate scientists are now warning that weather emergencies like this could be the new normal as global warming leads to more rainfall, more hurricanes, more tornadoes, and larger forest fires. According to the World Disasters Report, the average number of climate- and weather-related disasters per decade has increased nearly 35 percent since the 1990s.
THE “GO BAG”
No matter where you live, there should be a “Go Bag” and a “Stay Bin” in every household. The gobag is what you grab when you need to get out of the house in a hurry, be it to get to the emergency room or to evacuate because of a fire or hurricane. The Stay Bin is a two-week supply of essentials in case you need to settle at home without electricity, water or heating.
Creating a gobag and storage case won’t make you a panic maker or someone who lives in fear of the apocalypse. It just means that you are prepared. Over the years, I’ve learned the hard way that emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere. One night while I was living in London, I came home to a ruined apartment because a neighbor upstairs was running his water. (I managed to save my passport and cats, but I lost everything I owned.) Years later, I had to evacuate my Pennsylvania home three times – twice because of the Delaware River flooding and once because of Hurricane Sandy.
When my house first flooded, I was completely unprepared as the flood was only a few meters from my driveway. I had to pack my four little dogs, a few clothes and whatever else seemed important to me and quickly leave. I couldn’t come home for two weeks. It was then that I realized that I needed a real evacuation plan, not just for myself and my daughter, but for my pets as well. (I was better prepared when I evacuated a few years later, before Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast.)
The hardest part of creating a gobag is getting started. You don’t have to do it all at once. I started with a Ziploc bag and put my passport, birth certificates, and other important documents in it. Then I added extra reading glasses. Last year I added a phone charger to my bag because a doctor in the emergency room told me this was the most requested item in the emergency room
I also added some masks that we all need now because of Covid-19, but you may also need a mask if you’re running away from a fire or a chemical syringe. I remember that on September 11th, after the first tower fell, a New York bakery distributed hundreds of masks to those of us who were stranded in the area to protect us from inhaling the ash and fumes.
I recently upgraded my bag to a sturdier reusable silicone bag from Stasher and added some emergency cash (small bills are best). I’ve also added a list of phone numbers to reach family and friends in case I end up in the emergency room. The list is also useful when your phone’s battery is empty. On September 11th, I used a pay phone to reach my mother in Dallas because it was the only phone number I could remember.
Some people treat their gobags like a survival kit and add lots of extras like multi-purpose tools, duct tape, fire starters, portable stoves and a compass among others. But I prefer to keep it simple. I assume that if I need my gobag because I have a short term emergency, not because it’s the end of civilization as we know it.
Once you have the basics down, consider using a backpack or holdall to stash a few more items that could be helpful with certain types of emergency evacuations. Add a flashlight and batteries, as well as a small first aid kit of dental care items. You should also have some essential medication on hand for a few days. Pack a few bottles of water and granola bars for the jam on the evacuation route or the long wait in the emergency room.If you don’t have them, just make it a habit to leave your keys in the same place so you can find them in an emergency.
When you have a baby, add diapers, wet wipes, bottles, formula, and baby food to your bag. If you have pets, add leashes, portable bowls, some food, and copies of veterinary records in case you need to put your pets in a kennel while staying at a shelter or hotel. Some people add a change of clothes to their go-bag, but I prefer to keep my go-bag small and light. After you’ve put together your family’s primary go-bag with documents and other essentials, you may want to pack personal go-bags for all of the children.
I recently ordered another item for my bag after reading about emergency equipment on Wirecutter. It’s a $ 3 pipe. “Nobody wants to think about being trapped during a natural disaster, but it happens,” wrote Wirecutter. “Shouting for help might get a rescuer’s attention, but the high-pitched shriek of a whistle is far more likely to pierce the sound of a wildfire, storm, or emergency siren.”
THE ‘REMAINING CONTAINER’
In case you need to crawl into hiding, you probably already have many of the essentials for a storage container in your house. It’s a good idea to collect these items and place them in one place – like a large plastic bucket or two – so they aren’t used. If you’ve already created a go-bag, you have a head start as there are many go-bag items that could be needed at home in an emergency. The storage containers should also contain a two-week supply of bottled water and non-perishable food, pet food, toilet paper, and personal hygiene items. Flash lights, lanterns, candles, lighters, and firewood are important. (Wirecutter recommends a headlamp.) A battery-operated or crank weather radio and a solar phone charger will help you in the event of a power failure. Extra blankets are a good idea. Other items that are often recommended include duct tape, a multipurpose tool, trash bags for hygiene, and towels and disinfectant. If your prescription schedule allows, order an extra amount of your medication or ask your doctor for free emergency samples.
The City of Milwaukee has a helpful checklist for building your gobag. The Ready.gov website has a checklist to help you set up your residence container, and the American Red Cross has additional advice on emergency preparedness. Pick the items that make sense for your family.
My gobag and storage case are still in the works, but I feel better knowing I am better prepared than I used to be. I have also created a crisis journal in case of a health emergency. My advice is to start with what you have on hand today and work on getting more items over time. A little planning and preparation helps in any emergency.
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