Recently, I became aware of how a natural disaster in one part of our country can affect those of us in another part. After Hurricane Katrina, I realized that I was not prepared in case of a disaster here in Maine. So, I started rounding up personal records for a safety deposit box at the bank.
I was able to find everything I had organized earlier: my will, insurance records, social security card, copies of my Georgia teaching certificates, and bank records, but not my birth certificate.
Where was I born? Crowley, Louisiana. Where are the birth certificate records kept in Louisiana? Well, you guessed it—in New Orleans, of course.
When I called Vital Records in Lafayette, Louisiana, where I had once lived, they told me that they had no way of accessing those records in New Orleans at the present time. If I had only been prepared, I would have realized I needed to ask for a copy earlier.
Why prepare for an emergency that may never happen? Perhaps it’s for the same reason that we buy health and homeowner’s insurance. We hope we will never have to use them, but if we do, we’re prepared.
Although it’s probably impossible to prepare for all emergencies, here are suggestions:
1. Call your homeowner’s insurance policy and ask them what they will cover in the event of a disaster. If you have a mortgage, will your policy provide enough to pay off your loan if your home is destroyed? Does your policy provide enough money for you to stay in a motel for an extended length of time?
2. Examine your options for a source of heat in the event of power outages that last more than a few hours. What back up plan will you use? Wood stove? Gas fireplace? Kerosene heater? (Unfortunately, a kerosene heater needs ventilation and it should never be used while sleeping.)
3. If you had to go to a shelter, what would be the closest one? Schools are the usual source of shelter, although some senior centers and churches may provide daytime shelter.
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