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Spring is in the air. Yesterday the temperatures were in the high 70's. It was absolutely beautiful outside. There's so much about this time of year that I love, especially while living in Western PA. But there are also things about living in this region during the Spring that leave me feeling very uneasy.
I'll never forget the horror I felt in the pit of my stomach that morning last Spring, as I listened to a loud siren blaring outside my home. I had just finished getting ready for church and was about to wake up the rest of the family when it started.
I'd never heard anything quite like it, but somehow I knew that it was a warning siren. After waking my husband up, we soon came to realize it was a tornado warning. We also realized we were completely unprepared for such an event.
Of course, we have a basement to escape to, but we hadn't taken the time to educate our children about weather related emergencies, nor had we put together any type of emergency kit of supplies to have handy if we found ourselves spending a lengthy amount of time in our basement. Thankfully, we never saw a tornado in our neighborhood that morning.
Yes, this is the beginning of tornado season. Let's be real though. Tornadoes aren't the only bad things that happen in this world. There are hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, floods, thunderstorms, tsunamis, landslides, volcanoes, and even the possibility of nuclear threats. Sure some are more likely to happen than others, but it's important to be prepared regardless of what the disaster may be and regardless of which season we're in.
The first step in preparing is to educate ourselves on the various disasters that can occur and what steps we need to take to ensure our immediate safety while the threat is occurring. We need to have family discussions as well, to make sure our children are informed and aware of the necessary safety precautions. {I know it's not always easy, but try to have these discussions with your children in a way that prepares, rather than scares.}
Next, we need a plan. What if our family members are all in different locations when a disaster occurs? What if the disaster occurs in the middle of the night while everyone is resting peacefully in their beds? What if a fire occurs in your home during the disaster and you need to seek shelter elsewhere? Does the gas line need to be turned off? Who's in charge of getting everyone to safety?
Finally, do you have an emergency safety kit on hand? Is it filled with the necessary supplies to keep your family fed, warm, and reasonably comfortable in the event that you have to wait in your shelter area for an extended time period before help arrives or before it's safe to resume normal activities? Do your family members know where to find the emergency safety kit?
Here are some fantastic links filled with information, tips, lists, and ideas for preparing your family for a variety of disasters.
One of my favorite mom bloggers {she is also a dear friend} recently wrote a safety blog post offering great information on discussing safety with children and assembling tornado safety kits as well as first aid kits. Check out her Spring Safety post!
Let's remember, God doesn't want us to live in fear. Planning and preparing now, for events beyond our control can help put our mind at ease and help us to respond more efficiently when the time comes. Plus our children rely on us to be a vision of calmness in a world that is sometimes very scary to them.
So tell me…are you prepared? If so, did I leave out any important information you'd like to share with other readers?
~Until Next time, May God bless you and your family with wisdom, quick reactions, and His complete protection during life's sometimes unpredictable and scary disasters!
Rosann Cunningham
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Found you on Bloggy Moms. What a terrific reminder how important it is to have an emergency plan, especially at this time of year. I do have an emergency box, but I bet it is lost in the basement right now... I do need to start talking to my daughter about what to do in an emergency, such as a fire... As I am spring cleaning I will be sure to check my emergency box and make up a plan to keep my family safe.
OneMommy, I'm so glad you stopped by. Hope you like what you've seen.
I must confess my emergency box is in the basement and it's nearly empty, but writing this post has pushed me to gather more items for it, which has really put my mind at ease. The hardest part for me is having the conversation with my girls about safety in a way that won't freak them out. I think in many natural threats, there is some beauty if we have the opportunity to stop and watch what's happening. For example, when the power goes out at night because of a bad storm, it's kind of cool to huddle close and watch the lightening show God is putting on for us. {We've enjoyed that more than once since moving to PA} Moments like that make me really stand in awe of His creation.
Blessings,
Rosann
In Colorado generally our biggest threats are wild fires, but with the globe changing so much sometimes we never know what it will be. This is a great reminder to rotate supplies and brush up on the "what-ifs" if it was something new to us! Thanks for the Great Post!
Retha, I love Colorado! Such beautiful country. Wild fires were a big issue for us in California too. Thankfully it's not a problem in PA, because we get lots of rain and snow to keep the land pretty moist and green. I'm so happy you stopped by.
Thanks for the comment love too!
Blessings,
Rosann
I'm so glad you posted this! We live in the south as well RIGHT in tornado alley. I hate tornados, but I suppose I need to make SURE I'm prepared this year. Great post. And thanks for stopping by my blog a few days ago to comment on my 30 before 30 list. It's never too late to make a list though! I will start a 40 before 40 on my 30th birthday I'm sure.
Nice to meet you,
Jackie
http://tofindtheline.blogspot.com/
Jackie, thanks for stopping by and for your comment. Watch for my upcoming 40 before 40 list! Since I only have two years to accomplish everything, I'm sure it will be a quick read!
Blessings,
Rosann
Yay! Tornado season. My husband and I were just discussing it last night during a storm. The safest room in our house is our downstairs bathroom. It's split into two rooms so the sink area is the only real central room in the house (no exterior walls) and the only downstairs room with no windows. Our bedroom closet is the second best because it also has no windows and it's under the stairwell but it has one exterior wall. The scary thing is that I had never considered all the mirrors in that bathroom. That is the same bathroom that had the mirror fall off the wall. Whenever we replace it I want a mirror I can take down and put in another room if we need to. I also need to work on our emergency kit. Don't have one right now. Great reminder.
Thanks for your comment Rachael. Sounds like you don't have the option of running to a basement? Ours is dark and scary and unfinished, which doesn't give me a warm, cozy feeling for going there in an emergency. But if we have to...
Blessings,
Rosann
[...] wedding it was. I just remember it was an outdoor celebration. Or at least it was until the tornado sirens started blaring. I recall watching the dark sky above, my heart beating fast with fear, and [...]