Emergency Preparation

[Donald Gibby <djgibby@BellSouth.net>]

I live in metro-Atlanta, Ga. USA.  As many of you may have observed, we
have in the last few weeks, had a devastating flood in southern Ga and a
killer tornado in northeast Ga.  I listened to a radio comentator
yesterday complaining that the government would use our tax money to
help the victims of these disasters to reestablish their lives.  It
seems there are many people who have no compassion until it touches
their lives directly.  I wonder what they will say then, because the day
will come when some disaster will involve them or someone they love.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons)
I believe very strongly in being prepared for emergencies of all kinds
and in helping those whose lives are turned upside down by such.  I have
helped in relief efforts after floods and toradoes, and have seen first
hand the unbelievable devastation.  Not to mention the few tornadoes I
have witnessed personally.  In all this, I have found there is nothing
that can replace advance preparation

I've heard many people say you can't prepare for such disasters, but you
can!  Of course you can't divert a tornado from your home, but you can
establish a course of action in the event one should threaten your
family.  Extremely few families have actually rehearsed with their
children a course of action in the event of any kind of emergency.  You
can't protect your posessions, but you can certainly protect yourself by
knowing what to do.  I've seen people who had to trash everything they
owned because they waited until the water was only a few feet from their
door to try to get out.  They knew days in advance the water was coming
and could have taken precautions, but didn't.  It's better to be
prepared unnecessarily than to loose everything.  I helped many of those
very people to strip their homes down to the bare frame, while
everything they owned was piled alongside the street waiting for a dump
truck to carry it away.

Twelve people were killed in last weeks tornado in northeast Ga.  They
didn't know a tornado was coming.  But they did know the weather was
very bad and getting worse.  Most were in mobile homes (we call them
tornado magnets).  Wouldn't it have been better for those people to be
embarassed by seeking refuge unnecessarily than to die because they
didn't?

We Mormons believe in storing food and other necessities in case of
emergency.  If I loose mine in a disaster, my church brethren will have
theirs to share with me, and vice versa.  As it happens, I have been out
of work due to illness (without any pay) for the last three and a half
months.  We have our storage, and have not as yet had to ask for help
(although I will run out of money to pay the bills next week).  What
peace of mind it has provided my family up to this point!

I am always looking for better ways to prepare for disasters from
hurricanes to earthquakes, from volcanoes to tornadoes, from floods to
drought or famine.  I am a strong believer in the addage "better to be
prepared and not need it than to need it and not have it."  No amount of
aid after the fact can take the place of preparation!

I would love to exchange ideas with any of you.  There are many levels
of preparation: national, state or province, county or parish,
community, or family.  We can all learn from each other.

Donald Gibby
djgibby@bellsouth.net
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