With hurricane season in what appears to be full swing, families need to remember emergency preparedness.  What does that mean to you? Let’s start with money. Keep a couple hundred dollars in small bills around the house in case of an emergency. I was one of the thousands fleeing hurricane Rita and found it hard to find cash since ATMs were all empty. Second, keep your vehicles at least half full with gas at all times.

Don’t feel silly about keeping a little extra food and water at the house. I have seen grocery and hardware stores empty out in a matter of hours. If you have the room, keep a week’s worth of canned goods on hand. If there is a problem with supplies getting to your area, you will have a nice cushion.

Gone are the days that we can wait until the last minute for everything. Get together as a family and prepare several command stations. For example, we have family in California and Texas. The Texas people need a singular family member to notify in California. The California members need a contact in Texas. Everyone has the contact numbers and knows what to do in a disaster right down to the children. Remember to get the number of the church contact information for elders to make sure someone has accounted for them.

Sometimes children get separated from their parents. This borders on paranoia, but I keep sharpies in different areas of the house. For what do you ask, to write important information on your toddler before you hand them to some stranger to save their life  (Sorry—Katrina freaked me out.)  Also with small children, it is a good idea to keep a small supply bag in each vehicle.

The 1993 flood in Iowa, the 1981 & 2007 floods of Gainesville, Texas, Hurricane Rita, Tropical Storm Allison, and a host of tornados have personally affected me.  I want everyone to be as prepared as possible.