For this month alone, several earthquakes were felt in different parts of the world. There have been small hits in Asia that were barely felt by their residents but were still able to make it to the records. However in the US, there were quite a few hits as well that came in different levels. Some were felt in California and Los Angeles areas; apparently those were enough to cause alarm to people residing in these areas.
As a general rule, every household should have a disaster-preparedness plan, although its importance is often overlooked by many until it’s too late to do so. More importantly, in face of disasters such as earthquakes, you will need to move fast with one direction in mind. This can be hard if your own range of motion is limited or if you are living with someone with disability problems. With a disaster-preparedness plan, everyone in your household will know what to do and how to move in one synchronized movement that will enable everybody to move into safety the soonest possible time.
Another thing the head of the household should be thinking of when it comes to disaster-preparedness is the kit itself such as earthquake kit. If you are an elderly person, you should take time and prepare it ahead rather than regret later for not doing so. Here are some general suggestions of what goes inside your own earthquake kit:
1. Water. A seniors’ earthquake kit should contain at least one gallon of water per person. This should be in durable plastic containers that will not break or leak. You should also take note that you must replace it once in a while to ensure water safety. Try to keep a three-day supply in there.
2. Food and medical supplies. This is equally important as you will need these things to survive. Canned goods are your best bets; just don’t forget to pack in the can opener! Canned soups and juices are great too since they will not spill, leak or rot (unless it’s expired). For seniors, you should put together your three-day worth of medications, complete with doctor’s prescription in there, just to make sure you won’t get confused what medicine to take in a certain hour of the day.
3. First-aid kit. Some drug stores sell complete first-aid kits so you don’t have to go through it one by one. It is more convenient for elder people to just buy one since these kits are cheaper and come in cute, handy bags as well.
4. Documents. Yes, it’s a tedious task but seniors need to do them. All your important documents should be gathered in one place, safely wrapped in a waterproof container. This will include personal records such as birth certificate, marriage certificate, social security number, and any other ones you can think of.
If you want to emergency proof your house, read more in this post I made two months ago.
