EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES - Flooded Roads

Before I go any further, I'm going to warn you.. this is going to sound like a sermon. And if you will listen to my words, maybe I will save your life. I can only hope.

I want to talk about HIGH WATER. We have a saying:

TURN AROUND - DON'T DROWN

People around here seem to ignore the saying. Their claim is that they've lived here all their lives, they know the roads, they know how deep the water is.. yadda yadda yadda

What they do not take into account what can be under that water... or what might NOT be there - like the road itself.

Anytime you come across water over a road, TURN AROUND! Last year one guy found out the hard way, he couldn't see the road for the water... because the road had fallen in, leaving a cavernous drop, which his little truck took a nose-dive into. Thankfully, he was not hurt. You Just Do Not Know!

If you do choose to drive through water that appears to just be a few inches, drive slow. Do not spray water up into your intake. That will flood out your engine and leave you at the mercy of any current you did not realize was there. Not to mention the towing cost and the the mechanic cost for drying out your engine. Do you REALLY have to be out and about in a storm that bad? Seriously?

Sadly, some people have chosen to attempt flooded roads and have never lived to see the other side. At least not of this world. Is getting somewhere more important than having more time with your family? Or risking your family?

Be Safe!

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WEEK - Missouri

While I am doing Prepper posts on Friday, I wanted to do this one today. Today begins Missouri Emergency Preparedness Week.

Living on the edge of Tornado Alley, ear marks us for a bit of earlier preparation than most other states. The National Emergency Preparedness Week comes up in May and we'll be talking about this again then in some other capacities.

If you, someone you know, or you've seen the devastation a tornado can leave in its path on TV, then you know how important being prepared is. Spring brings unsettling weather patterns. Like our systems battle the seasonal change, so do the elements. We just can't give the elements Nyquil and tuck them in to bed (where I spent a good portion of last week).

Instead, there are definitive things we can do to at the very least, come out on top.
National Weather Service  has a great breakdown of what you need to look for ahead of time, how to prepare for a storm and what to do following a storm.

Here are the basics:

Knowing your risk, taking action and being an example by sharing your knowledge and actions with your social network are just a few steps you can take to be better prepared and save your life and others.

Know Your Risk: Hurricanes, tornadoes, storms - every state in the United States experiences severe weather. Visit weather.gov to get the latest on weather threats. THIS LINK will take you to great information about the difference between a WATCH and a WARNING as well as other key information. THIS LINK from Missouri.gov is another great source.

Take Action: Take the next step in severe weather preparedness by creating a family communications plan, putting an emergency kit together, keeping important papers and valuables in a safe place, and learning about Wireless Emergency Alerts. 

A 72 Hour Emergency Kit should contain: (but not limited to the following items)

Information from Ready.gov

   WATER - one gallon per person per day

    FOOD - a 3-day supply of non- perishable food per person. 

   BATTERY -POWERED (or crank) radio

   FLASHLIGHT & extra batteries

   FIRST AID KIT

   WHISTLE - to signal for help

   DUST MASK

   BABY WIPES

   MANUAL CAN OPENER

   CELL PHONE w/ charger/ inverter/ solar charger

A Complete list can be found HERE as well as links to separate items, such as the First Aid Kit

Be an Example: Once you have taken action to prepare for severe weather, share your story with family and friends on Facebook or Twitter. Your preparedness story will inspire others to do the same.

Don't be caught un-prepared. A few minutes now will save you pain and suffering later.