Help Your Pets in a Disaster

If you are like many people, your pet is very important to you. The likelihood that you and your animals will survive an emergency such as a fire or flood, tornado or terrorist attack depends on your emergency planning. Some of the things you can do to prepare is assembling an animal emergency supply kit and developing a pet care buddy system with friends or neighbors. Whether you decide to stay during an emergency or evacuate you will need to make plans for your pets in advance. Be prepared with emergency food and water for at least three days, maybe longer. Depending on the type of emergency it is also a good idea to have a pet first aid kit on hand.

Tip:
Have a picture of you and your pet together. If you become separated from your pet during an emergency, a picture of you and your pet together will help you document ownership and allow others to assist you in identifying your pet. Include detailed information about species, breed, age, sex, color and distinguishing characteristics

Survival in Economic Chaos

As mentioned in our last article, ‘2008…Possibly one of the deadliest years in history’, 2008 left behind somber communities with natural disaster after natural disaster devastating countries throughout the world. However, 2008 was an unforgiving year for our nation in other ways, too, as our economy continued to fall apart. Unemployment lines are getting longer, American faith is diminishing, and counting every penny of every dollar is becoming crucial for many families.

Every American has one very earnest thought lingering in their mind, ‘What’s next?’
Feelings of uncertainty and uneasiness can be read on the faces of individuals and families alike without the need for a single spoken word.  The truth is, things will probably get worse before they get better…how much worse is the question that perhaps no one has a definite answer to.

It is certain that the future cannot be foreseen, but it is undeniable that change is ahead of us, and hopefully that change is a positive one brought about by a new President and a new outlook. However, while some of us wait patiently for that change to take place, others may panic in the process. A question one may want to ask themself is, ‘What will I do if riots and chaos ensue? How will I protect my family? How will I fend for myself?’ Chaos is the natural order of the world, not calm, but that should not be a reason to fear, rather a reason to prepare.

Panic may stem as a result of a shortage in food and water with people relentlessly raiding grocery stores, it may occur after a government estimation of how long it will take to turn things around, it may transpire as those left without jobs and income realize how long they will have to wait before their first unemployment check arrives.

Calamity may or may not be approaching us, but while we hope for the best, it is imperative that we prepare for the worst. No one will look out for you or your family other than you. Begin making preparations today by equipping yourself with a survival kit including emergency food which is storable, blankets, a survival guide, and other essential survival  tools.  It is advisable to also invest in a  water purification system lest there become a water shortage or to overcome potential water contamination. Survival equipment will allow  you to be self-reliant and can alleviate the stress that comes with unpreparedness. Allow yourself a good night’s sleep  knowing that you’ve prepared yourself and your family by becoming proactive in your safety. Preparedness puts the control back where it belongs…in your hands.

2008…Possibly one of the deadliest years in history

Only a few months ago we stood in the year 2008, a year that allowed us to witness many events, some good, some bad and others unimaginable. 2008 paved the path for an economic decline yet also a hopeful outlook as America elected its first black President.

A reflection on 2008 also reminds many of the devastation’s caused throughout the world by natural disasters such as Cyclones, Earthquakes, Typhoons and Storms. These curve balls thrown by Mother Nature left over 220,000 people dead, many injured, countless homeless and billions of dollars worth of property damages.

The calamities of the past year were the most costly in terms of financial damage and the count of fatalities although there were less natural disasters than in 2007..

Some of the most notable natural disasters include Cyclone Nargis in May 2008, which pummeled Myanmar leaving millions homeless and killing more than 135,000 people and then a jolting Earthquake that left thousands dead, many people missing and millions homeless in the Sichuan province of China just a few days later. This Earthquake is also noted as the most expensive disaster of 2008, eliciting 85 billion dollars worth of damages. As Nargis was wreaking havoc on Myanmar, Emma and Hilal were leaving behind billions of dollars worth of destruction in Europe and Typhoon Fengshen was the cause of 557 deaths in China and the Philippines that June. .

October brought with it shattering Earthquakes in Pakistan that left 300 dead while six tropical cyclones clobbered the southern United States, one of which includes Hurricane Ike, with insured losses of 10 billion dollars making it the country’s costliest catastrophe of the year.

Astonishingly, the ten warmest years ever recorded have all occurred in the last 12 years With that being said, it should also be noted that a big contributor to the weather extremes we have been facing is changes in climate and the progressive warming of the atmosphere accredited to greenhouse gases being released by human activity..

These phenomenon’s of nature are frightening yet should stand as motivators in preparing ones self for possible future occurrences, some of which are inevitable depending on where you live. While it is important to know how to react to a natural disaster properly, it is probably more crucial to be proactive, formulating a plan of action and having the resources available to execute it.

While it is true that we cannot control the ways of Mother Nature, we can and should take control of our safety. The reigns of our lives are in our hands, it is up to us what we do with them.

 

The Dangers of Extreme Heat

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