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Prepare for disaster.
That’s not meant to be alarmist, but rather sensible advice for people in Northeastern Pennsylvania – a region susceptible to many kinds of natural calamities, as well as human-spawned dangers, including terrorism.
During September, billed as National Preparedness Month, you and your neighbors are urged to consider the worst, then follow the experts’ readiness tips so that if things go wrong, you can swiftly reunite with household members and begin to recover – in turn, helping the broader community to rebound.
For starters, make a plan.
If flooding swamps your neighborhood, or a blast shakes surrounding buildings, what will you do? And if your family is not together when the incident happens, how will you contact one another?
Guidelines for drawing up an emergency plan can be found at ReadyPA.org, a website maintained by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
The site includes specifics on dealing with 10 types of emergencies. They include weather-related events such as winter storms, tornadoes and dam failures. But attention also is given to potential Keystone State crises resulting from a nuclear facility accident, hazardous material spill or influenza pandemic.
The agency’s site also offers guidance on coping in the aftermath of a terrorist strike; the information might seem more pertinent to you today because of recent bombings in New York and New Jersey, as well as the mass stabbing last weekend in a Minnesota mall.
Bracing for a statistically rare act of terror, as with more common emergencies, involves keeping a properly stocked emergency kit close at hand, the experts say. “Be prepared to do without services you normally depend on: electricity, telephone, natural gas, gasoline pumps, cash registers, ATMs, and Internet transactions,” states information at ReadyPA.org.
Your disaster-response planning also should include consideration of people with special needs, including young children, the elderly and anyone requiring medical care. If compelled to evacuate your home, for instance, would you be able to quickly grab any necessary prescription medications? Eyeglasses? Pet-care items?
By creating an easily remembered plan for emergencies, your family potentially can make a horrible incident not only survivable, but more bearable.
Make a plan. And make sure everyone in your household knows it.