Preparing for a "Once in a Lifetime" Flood or Storm

Throughout the past few years, storms of all strengths and sizes have swept through the United States, leaving destruction in their wake. In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy killed over 100 Americans during her tirade. Those who survived were forced to continue on despite the destruction of thousands of homes, and the fact that millions were without power for weeks. Even still, a year after Hurricane Sandy exploded across the East Coast, 26,000 people are without homes. In Sept. 2013, Colorado residents were shocked when a year's worth of rain poured down in just two days, causing flooding almost 200 miles wide. With these once-in-a-century storms that seem to be growing more frequent, what should you do? The answer: prepare. In fact, this is a lesson that one of Emergency Essentials’ founding partners, Don Pectol, learned as a boy living in California in the 1950’s. As a survivor of both a once-in-a-century and a once-in-a-thousand-year flood, Don (along with his family) learned a powerful lesson about the importance of emergency preparedness. In the Lessons Learned article “I Survived a Once in a Lifetime Flood Twice,” Don shares what he took away from those two devastating events:

"The influence this flood had on me and my family was a powerful reminder of the principle of preparedness. We knew floods could happen where we lived, but not like this! We moved to higher ground. Higher ground is not just a physical location; it is also a state of mind and a way of life. Being prepared for emergencies is ‘moving to higher ground.’"

Hear more of Don’s story straight from Don himself in this 30 second Emergency Essentials TV Spot: Don provides a great reminder that if you’re prepared, you’ll feel a sense of safety and security. Your levelheadedness and preparations before the storm could make all the difference for you and your family as you’re able to rely on yourself to provide for your most basic needs. When widespread emergencies (such as flooding and storms) occur, it's better to be able to rely on yourself when everyone else is relying on governments and relief agencies (who can take days—even weeks—to get set up). During Hurricane Sandy and the Colorado floods, relief resources were stretched thin because of the huge numbers of people relying on these agencies. In widespread or large-scale emergencies, relief resources can run out quickly, leaving citizens on their own. We hope the possibility of these once-in-a-century storms gives you more incentive to start your preparations now, even if disasters haven’t increased in your area quite yet. For help getting prepared, check out the resources below. - Start with a good emergency kit - Checkout our emergency survival gear - Look at emergency food and food storage options Learn how to prepare for a flood or hurricane. Read more about disaster preparedness on our Read First page, our blog, and our Insight Articles. Sources: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/29/hurricane-sandy-strengthens-to-85-mph/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/cause-for-concern-the-7-most-alarming-hurricane-sandy-images/2012/10/28/615bbbfe-210b-11e2-ac85-e669876c6a24_blog.html http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/08/16/hurricane-sandy-bloomberg-column/2659065/ http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_24080294/colorado-flood-no-relief-sight-record-rain-falls http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/18/us/colorado-flooding/index.html http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2013/0918/For-Colorado-s-biblical-floods-numbers-tell-astonishing-tale-video http://www.climatecentral.org/news/flood-ravaged-boulder-colorado-sets-annual-rainfall-record-16481 http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Colorado/average-yearly-precipitation.php http://www.9news.com/news/article/355407/339/Rebuild-likely-to-take-more-than-a-year