What disasters await Kootenai County?
This is the second of a Be Prepared series of articles meant to move you a little further along the way to disaster preparedness. The first article entitled “Be prepared, North Idaho” talked about the Cascadia Rising that could cause earthquakes, tsunamis and huge disruptions along the Pacific Coast. It ran on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. More than 59,000 people read it online and more than 40 comments have been received to date.
Some comments asked why be prepared at all, if this was a rare natural disaster? But being prepared doesn’t have to assume something that big and unusual would have to occur.
The Kootenai County Office of Emergency Management recently updated the “Multi-Jurisdictional All Hazard Mitigation Plan.” It is insightful to see what it determined were the rank order of natural and human-caused hazards in this area. The process involved representatives from 33 jurisdictions made up of local cities, school districts, fire districts, highway districts and Panhandle Health, as well as private businesses and members of the public.
As you can see there are a number of these hazards that occurred in 2015. Some we were warned about and some came quickly without much warning.
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Since many of us are away from home a good portion of the day, one of the first questions to consider is what should you carry with you at all times in case a disaster occurs?
Here are five things of importance to consider carrying at all times:
• A day’s supply of cash (to take the bus, a taxi, pay for a meal, or hotel so you can get to your disaster supplies)
• A flashlight
• A multipurpose tool
• Emergency phone numbers (see article No. 3 coming next month)
• Emergency information (see article No. 4 coming)
These five ought to be in your purse, briefcase, phone, and/or wallet at all times.
The purpose of what you carry on your person is so you can get to home or your disaster supplies when you need them.
What if you have more room, or the weather is inclement?
I felt so unprepared last week. I decided to make a quick business trip and drive to Seattle and back in one day. I left at 6:30 a.m., had a full day of business meetings, and didn’t get back home until 2 a.m. the next day. Although I checked the weather for snow and ice, I didn’t really prepare.
Can you think of three things that I should have taken with me? One would have been a warm coat; two, gloves; and three, a hat.
If my car had broken down I would have been very cold, even if it hadn’t taken long from someone to pick me up. Worse, I could have suffered hypothermia if I was outside at night for long even in 50°F weather — and it was under 30°F that night. Hypothermia is usually caused by prolonged exposure to cold temperatures. Your core temperature only has to drop from 98.6°F to below 95°F and you’ve got it.
Reflecting back on the collapse of the World Trade Centers, do you remember the pictures of people running away from the dust cloud in high heels? That would bring us to the fourth item you should have close by that I should have put in the car that day — a pair of walking/running shoes.
So if you have a little more room in a briefcase or purse, here are these four items to carry or have nearby at work:
• A coat
• A hat
• Gloves — anything necessary for inclement weather
• A pair of walking shoes other than your business shoes or high heels
We will cover the disaster supplies to have in a car later on. This article just elevates the idea that some things should be on your person, regardless of where you went or how you got to work, etc.
In Be Prepared article No. 3 we will cover ICE and emergency phone numbers and in article No. 4, the apps and information you can carry in your wallet or smartphone. Until then, let me know if there is something else you feel is absolutely necessary to carry on your person and I’ll comment on it next month.