Taking the first steps to “Be Ready” for disaster

Be Ready Longmont:

Taking the first steps to “Be Ready” for disaster.

Written By: Kimberly Smith

I confess. I’m a Prepper. Not an “End of the World, Build a Bunker, Learn Wilderness Skills and Survive the Zombies” type Prepper, but a “Be Ready and pick up a few extra items at the grocery store” Prepper. I have been affected by several types of disasters - riots in London, hurricanes in Cayman, earthquakes in San Francisco, severe winter weather in Arkansas and floods in Longmont - and my “Be Ready” style of prepping has kept my family and I fed, warm and safe.

During the 2012 floods in Longmont, my teen daughter and I went without power for three days and were unsure about the safety of our water. Yet we remained comfortable and healthy because our "Be Ready" closet was stocked months before the event. We had a camping stove and fuel to cook up hot meals and three 5 gallon jugs of water to drink and wash.

I admit that by day 3 I was tired of cooking on a camping stove and taking sponge baths with lukewarm water. My teenager was bored and every towel we owned (all 6) were filthy after using them to clean up wet dogs, muddy floors and ripping out the wet carpet in our basement.  We knew little about what was going on around us and gleaned information speaking to a few neighbors and, when my cell phone was charged, calling my husband serving in the Guard.   

It wasn't until after our power was turned on that we realized how extremely lucky we were. Watching local news we understood our few days were spent in relative comfort compared to so many others. We didn't spend time waiting in long lines at grocery stores for water or being hungry or cold and in the dark. Even our short evacuation was spent in relative comfort at friends who welcomed our four pets (although the cats would disagree as we had to cram all three into one cage in order to fit every soul into the car).

What made us different? We were prepared. 

Granted, we were not directly affected by raging flood waters. There’s little one can do when they get hit head on by the disaster other than have your insurance policy at hand and a place to go. But otherwise, we were prepared to stick it out at home with a long-term power outage and no running water. Why were we so prepared? Because it is our way of life.

I grew up on a farm in Arkansas. Winters in Arkansas could result in snow/ice storms that resulted in ice forming on tree limbs and breaking power lines. Out in the country, we could be without power for a week or more. But our pantry was always stocked, wood stacked up by the fireplace and my cousins and I snug and warm in old blankets, wearing socks for gloves, and cooking hotdogs and burning marshmallows over the fire in the living room fireplace.

I recall meeting up with a fellow Arkansan years after a particularly bad winter ice storm.  I reminisced and said, “Oh that storm was so much fun.” She looked at me in horror, “We almost STARVED.” I was stunned. She told me that after 3 days in their house without food and electricity, how she and her brother managed to walk to the grocery store only to find it closed.  Of course it would have been closed, I thought. Employees could not get to work and trucks could not make deliveries. I was stunned by her assumption that businesses and shops would still be operating normally in such a storm.

I then worked in San Francisco. Luckily I never experienced a major earthquake but when my business moved into a high rise building in the Financial District, the building management required we take an earthquake preparedness session. We were advised that if all of the glass in the windows shattered during A Big One, there would be 17 feet of glass surrounding the building and it would be several hours if not days before an overwhelmed fire department could rescue us and we could leave the building. We were then provided with instructions on what to have on hand (food, water, first aid kit) and how to stay warm (cut up the carpets if necessary and wrap up). 

When living in London, I experienced being stuck on the train (underground) and heard of instances where some people were trapped for hours – sometimes in darkness. Not a disaster, but not comfortable either – especially in summer when the heat can be unbearable. So when I took the Tube to work I always travelled with some granola bars, a bottle of water and flashlight “just in case”. 

During some riots in London, my colleagues and I were forced to "shelter in place" at the office for a day due to violence on the streets outside our building. Being one who usually went out for lunch and a quick Starbucks, I was grateful to our office manager who had boxes of ramen noodles and bottled water stored for just such a situation.  (We also drank the bottles of wine left over from a Christmas party but that's another story.)

In Cayman, we could sometimes wait for days to see if we would be impacted by a hurricane heading our way. Windows were boarded, boats moored in harbors and cars taken to higher ground just in case. In 2004 Cayman took a direct hit by Hurricane Ivan and, although I personally did not experience it, many friends and colleagues went for weeks without power, air conditioning and running water. Most want to forget the days after the hurricane because they were so awful. I particularly recall the story about the toilets. With dozens living at the shelters (usually office buildings) and no running water, the sanitation and smell was apparently unbearable before they figured out to use trash bags over the toilet seats which were then disposed of later.

Regardless how well prepared everyone was in each disaster, there was still some discomfort and some unpleasantness experienced. But I can only imagine how much worse each situation could have been had someone not had the forethought to “Be Ready”.

To become a “Be Ready” prepper does not require a drastic change in lifestyle or mentality.  Being ready for an emergency is already a way of life for you if you think about it. When you take your dogs for a walk I'm betting you take doggie bags. You probably also make sure you have enough gas in your car to commute to work. Parents of young kids I suspect carry juice boxes and snacks for the children and extra diapers and wipes for the babies. You get vaccinations and health checks and you probably ensure there's enough milk left for breakfast in the morning. So you already plan ahead for little emergencies.

To “Be Ready” for disaster is just taking those same skills and applying them for bigger emergencies. You don’t have to get extreme and build an underground bunker. And definitely don’t try to start out by thinking of every possible disaster scenario – especially the “end of the world” thinking. Just think in terms of no power and no running water for a few days. Start there. Consider what YOUR family needs for a short-term power outage and gather the supplies you will need to ensure you are comfortable and safe – and work the preparation into your daily life. 

After the floods, I participated in The City of Longmont’s CERT program and learned even more useful tips for anticipating and preparing for possible emergency scenarios. The CERT training made me realize how many possible disasters we could face here in Longmont – from a train or semi accident, a chemical spill, tornados, a pandemic, winter weather or even more flooding.  The CERT training helped me understand not just what could happen, but what I could expect and for how long.     

So, sign up for an upcoming CERT class through the Office of Emergency Management at (303) 651-8438 or email them at oem@longmontcolorado.gov. You can schedule a BeReady presentation for your office, school or community organization to help you learn how you can Be Ready by contacting Michelle Cherniske, The City of Longmont’s Public Safety Education Coordinator, at the Department of Public Safety. You can reach her by calling (303) 651-8432 or by sending her an email at Michelle.Cherniske@longmontcolorado.gov.