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| Photo Credit: All News Wire |
In the wake of the recent earthquakes in three parts of the country yesterday (one being
the DC area where I live) and a tropical storm along the east coast, I wanted to take a moment to reflect and ask a question to every mom with the responsibility of taking care of children,
"Are you and your family prepared?"
Yesterday was like any other day. I was making lunch for my girls as they watched their favorite show, when the unexpected occurred.
The whole house started to shake!
At first I didn't realize what was happening. I assumed I had just broken the refrigerator. The motor has been on the fritz for some time now, and it was meowing loudly like a cat in heat.
I placed lunch inside the oven and next thing I knew, staring at my crazy meowing fridge, I saw it start to shake.
I thought, "Uh - oh, I better call hubby. I've done it now!"
Ten seconds later the refrigerator started to move violently, which is when I ran, grabbed my youngest daughter to get her out of the path of an anticipated explosion, and then I felt the whole house moving.
That is one serious force!
I took my frightened four year old by the hand and we all ran to the bathroom and closed the door behind us.
Something just didn't feel right.
I thought about what was happening and it dawned on me as the walls trembled that
THIS WAS AN EARTHQUAKE!
I took my girls and we headed for our sturdy dining room table and crawled under it with blankets (as a kid, we hid under the desk during drills).
It wasn't until we were under the table that I realized my girls weren't wearing clothes. Not many kids under five do, but the youngest had taken off her diaper right before this started.
Great!
So, not quite feeling safe and secure yet (there were still a few trembles occurring) I reached out and grabbed any clothing items closest to us. Of course nothing fit, but they did the trick.
I immediately received text messages from hubby saying he could not get through. I tried to reach him as well with no luck of my own.
We were in it alone.
My girls were frightened and the time spent under the table seemed to last forever. Especially with no phone service. There were painters on ladders and on the roof of my house at the time the quake started so I blamed some of the racket on them to calm their fears.
It only worked with the baby. My four year old was pretty shaken up by the trembling.
Since I had no idea what to expect, I served lunch under the table and didn't allow the girls to get up until long after the last tremble was felt and the knot in my stomach was loosening up? My only concern was their safety.
I was not prepared for this!
"Why wasn't I prepared for this?", was all I was thinking. We just had an earthquake and I felt like I hadn't done enough or that I was not able to really do anything. I was just going with the flow.
The house shook. We took cover.
That's all, no plan!
In theory, the things I did
sound right.
- I took my girls to cover
- Dressed them quickly
- We waited for signs we were safe
But, here is what I did wrong:
- I left the oven on during the disaster
- I took my girls to the bathroom for cover
- I took my girls to the dining room to take cover under the table
What's wrong with what I did?
Well, for starters
- Ovens should be turned off immediately. (Fortunately, our oven is electric, but I had just started cooking and was in the kitchen when the quake started and I ran.) Although gas ovens can cause an explosion, any unattended oven can cause a fire.
- No one should take cover near mirrors or glass. (Our bathroom has two medium sized mirrors, one loosely hanging on the wall) -Flying glass and debris is one of the major causes of death and injury in natural disasters, not the disaster itself.
- No one should take cover near an outside wall. (Our dining table is along an outside wall and under four major windows and near a sliding glass door.) - Many people are killed when the outside walls of the shelter collapse.
These things seem very minor, but with a much stronger quake mistakes like these could have been fatal.
After the quake I started thinking to myself, "
What if this happens again? What will I do? What should every family do?"
The answer,
"We must BE PREPARED!"
The first part of being prepared is having "knowledge" of disaster types.
-Being knowledgeable about different disaster types and taking the action that is required in each particular situation is essential to survival.
Reacting the wrong way during a crisis can cost precious time that is valuable in saving yourself and your family.
The second part of being prepared is having a "plan of action."
-Every family MUST have a plan of action in place that every member is familiar with. (Escape routes, meeting places, emergency contacts, family communication plans)
When disaster strikes you'll need to be on the same page and prepare for the worst every time. In worst case scenarios you may be separated from your spouse and/or children.
The third part of being prepared is having the proper "supplies."
-In an emergency you and your family may be required to sustain yourselves before rescue teams can reach you. FEMA asks that each family be prepared to do this for at least 72 hours. This requires having food, water, and first aid supplies for each member of your family.
Many disasters deplete all supplies at local stores and your family will not have access to them. Having your own proper supplies will help you survive the situation longer than without.
Here are some links to resources that will help you and your family be prepared the next time a disaster strikes:
Test how safe you've made your home for an
I also found a really great site selling emergency kit backpacks, complete with everything you and your family will need in case of an earthquake emergency (possibly other disasters as well).
Included in this Grab 'n Go emergency pack are:
- 4 2,400 Calorie Food Bars (5 year shelf life)
- 4 Liter Sized Waters (5 year shelf life)
- 4 Emergency Ponchos
- 4 Survival Blankets
- 1 Emergency Power Station
- 10 yards of Duct Tape
- 1 Multi-function Pocket Tool w/Pliers
- 1 First Aid Kit (107 piece)
- 1 12 Hour Emergency Light-sticks
- 4 Pairs of Nitrile Gloves
- 4 Pairs of Safety Goggles
- 4 Packs of Pocket Tissues
- 1 Pair of Leather Work Gloves
- 1 Emergency Whistle
- 12 Pre-Moistened Towelettes
- 3 Bio Hazard Bags
- 1 Four Person Backpack
The great thing about having a pack like this is that it contains 72 hours of supplies for four people!
There are many other emergency packs available like this as well. Check out the Quakehold Website for more options to suit your needs or purchase this pack now from
Ready America.
One standout item for me available for purchase individually is the Emergency Power Station.
Having something like this disaster ready "
must have" on hand for use in any emergency is essential. It works as a Flashlight, Radio, Siren and Cell Phone Charger, and does not need batteries!
You just crank the handle for 1 minute and the 4 Function Emergency Power Station provides up to 30 minutes of bright light, 2 minutes of talk time on your cell phone and 15 minutes of radio. The handle even doubles as a stand. It also includes 3 FREE cell phone plugs for - iPhone * Droid * Mini USB (for Blackberry, MP3, MP4, Motorola V3/V6)
This is a resource I think EVERY family should have one (if not two) of. It can be purchased online at Ready America.
Another option to having things prepared for a disaster (and the route I am taking) is building my own emergency kit.
As a mom, there are certain things I want to make sure we have at our disposal, but also at the most economical price. This week I'll be putting together an emergency pack for our family, just in case we should experience a day like yesterday again.
I definitely want to be prepared!
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