ARE YOU PREPARED?

Everyone is subject to some sort of disaster. The question is, are you prepared? Depending on where you live can narrow things down a bit. For instance, I'll most likely go through a major earthquake if I stay in California. So, just how prepared am I? The electric goes out. The gas gets turned off. There's no water. My building is stable enough to stay but we're warned not to go outside. What do I do? I'll go through my apartment now to see how well we'd survive.

....since it's dark, I stumbled my way into the bedroom and phew, there's the flashlight in my nightstand drawer and it works! I check in my battery drawer but there's only 1 for the flashlight and it needs two. (mental note buy spare batteries!) I then go to the kitchen drawer and get out the tea lights and find the lighter. I remember I threw a bunch of matches away. :(

I then light the candles that's always set out and find only 2 extras on my office shelf. I don't have any stored water and only one 16 oz bottle left which equates to one toilet flush. My grocery order was put off. One bottle of grape juice, 7 beers, half box of wine, 2 boxes of lemonade and a few bottles of coke. That's it. 

Since I cannot cook and I don't have a grill, knowing everything in the fridge will eventually spoil I look to my cupboards. This will we our staple to survive the next few days or even weeks. A few cans of green beans, corn, peas, tuna, tomato soup and a box of granola bars. One loaf of bread. Half jar of peanut butter and a few bags of cashews. If push came to shove we'd have to start working on stuff like croutons, spaghetti sauce, cake mix, but I would hope we'd get help fast from Red Cross or FEMA.

I don't have a battery operated radio so I don't know what the situation is in our area. I don't have a first aid kit in the event one of us had been injured during the quake, I just found some small bandages in the medicine cabinet. We do have a lot of blankets, and my important papers all in one container. 

I check my wallet and I only have $4.00 in cash. I'm not sure how long it's going to take the banks to open. We'd survive for about a week on what I currently have at home, but that's it.

We need to be more prepared, all of us. We can't rely on outside help, especially in the early stages. One of my friends who went through one of the hurricanes last year in south Texas said it took her 6 months to get any financial help from FEMA. When they did come, they brought them EXPIRED rations! Please don't rely on anyone but yourselves. Get prepared, be prepared.