Seeing people 'stranded' in there homes should be a reminder of why we put some prior planning into our lives. People found themselves without electricity, running water, access to stores and living on what was now an island. Could you and your family cope with your home suddenly becoming an island? Hopefully you can at the very least for a day or two????
If you plan on just leaving if the flood waters rise what do you do if the water rises before you can go? Remember Nature was not at the kitchen table with you when you made the plan and Nature does not care what you planned on doing. Roads, bridges and other infrastructure you might not think about on a daily basis are no match for Nature. Storm drains clog up, roads get washed away and your Prius is worthless. Your Prius is worthless everyday and should not be allowed on the freeway any day but when the water rises your Prius and most cars are not made to drive through the water.
Think about all the ditches you drive over. The bridges both large and small you drive over. What is under all the roadways you take for granted? how many of these need to be washed out for you to be stuck at home? Sure you could have a small boat you can use or you can walk through the water to get out.
If you decide to just walk through the water to get to where you want to be please think of a few things before you do. One water moving quickly is much more powerful than you might think. The water will quickly knock you down and now you have become a victim of the storm. The second thing, what is in the water you want to walk through? Sure there could be wild life in the water. What is not really ever discussed is the germs floating around in the flood water. Remember the smallest scrap or cut can let germs into your system which could make you sick or worst. Just think about your cities water treatment facility. Is it flooded and where did all the waste go? Yep, good chance all that human waste is floating around in the water you want to walk through in your shorts....... Besides where are you going to go? The store, what if the store is not there any more? Remember things are not normal after something like this and assuming you can just wade through the water to the grocery store might not be something you can or should do.
All of us should plan not only to leave if need be but also to stay if we need to. This means being able to sustain yourself for a day or two at home without any help from the rest of the world. We need to have options and we need to plan ahead to give us the ability to utilize these options.
As Always,
Stay Safe.
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