The magnitude-6.0 earthquake that shook California鈥檚 Napa Valley this week wasn鈥檛 felt on Vancouver Island, but it shouldn鈥檛 go unnoticed. You know how the refrain goes: It could happen here; sooner or later, it will happen here.
The familiarity of that refrain should not lull us into letting the issue of emergency preparedness slip into the background. We can鈥檛 do anything to prevent earthquakes, but there is much we can do to help us deal with the aftermath.
While governments have emergency plans to varying degrees, they are generally big-picture plans. It is incumbent on individuals and families to have their own plans, because it could be days, even weeks, before official help arrives.
鈥淒uring an emergency, you and your family could be on your own for an extended period of time,鈥� says information on Emergency Management sa国际传媒鈥檚 website. 鈥淓mergency services may not be readily available, as increasing demands are placed on responders. It may take emergency workers some time to get to you as they help those in most critical need.鈥�
The Red Cross, civil authorities and other agencies are constantly reminding people to have 72-hour kits to get them through the first hours and days after disaster strikes. It includes such necessities as two litres of water per person per day, canned or dried food that won鈥檛 spoil (and don鈥檛 forget a manual can opener), flashlight and batteries and some cash in smaller bills and change for pay phones.
If you never need the kit, so much the better, but it鈥檚 cheap insurance.
