As Hurricane Matthew continues to leave a path of destruction leaving millions stranded or worse….it is important to remember how you can prepare yourself for when disaster strikes.
Although its unlikely London will ever be hit by a hurricane, natural disasters such as flash floods, tornadoes, earthquakes and snow storms are a possibility. Salvation Army, Area Director for Public Relations, Dan Millar says every home should always have a 72 hour emergency kit.
“In those kits there’s always a first aid kit, there’s prepared jugs for purifying water, food rations, shelter materials, lighting and communication supplies, as well as anything you’ll need to help search and rescue teams locate you.”
Millar also said you should make sure that you never go more than a year without checking your kit to ensure everything is up to date and functioning.
“Never leave your 72 hour kit for years on end, make sure you’re checking it over and changing it, ensuring you have any important documents you might need.”
If the time comes when your emergency supply kit or rations run out and you need to purchase additional supplies, it is imperative to be able to so in the event of wide sweeping power outages.
“If power goes out, what do you have? everybody uses a debit card you should always have a little bit of cash available so that if you have to purchase stuff you can go and still purchase it without worrying if someone has a debit machine that works.” said Millar.
It all comes down to having a plan and being prepared. Extreme weather or natural disasters can happen without warning however it doesn’t mean that you have to be caught off guard.