Are You Prepared For Disaster?

As more information comes out about the fateful Italian cruise that ran aground last week, it is the topic of conversation around the world. The plight of the ill-prepared passengers on board begs the question, “Are we prepared (in our own lives) in the event of a disaster?”

Chatting with the other moms at K’s dance class, I thought about how naive I am in my own life about things that could happen. While I am a worrier for sure, there are many circumstances in which I just assume everything will be alright. A family cruise is case in point.

As friends discussed the possibility of taking a multi-family cruise aboard one of Disney’s ships this summer, one friend is already prepared with a game plan for getting her four-year-old daughter off of a sinking ship in an emergency. She plans to grab a tablecloth or bed sheet to create a papoose to secure her daughter as she shimmies up the banisters crawling to safety. A mental image that gave me a chuckle, but made me realize that on board several cruises I have never even considered running aground, sinking or capsizing as a possibility. On trips I tend to be more worried about forgetting something, a sunburn or getting sick. Hats off to my friend who now has me thinking that I will carry my Sleepy Wrap EVERYWHERE on board a cruise, just in case…

Sinking Italian Cruise Ship

Disaster can take many forms, although the natural ones seem to involve either fire or water. While I live in the sunshine state, I find myself more worried (for no apparent reason) of a house fire than the very real effects of a hurricane. Of course, a fire would be awful, but Central Floridians learned in 2004 — hurricanes are a real threat even in the middle of the state.

I buy a couple flats of water (just in case) at the start of every hurricane season. Water I know that we will drink throughout the year. But major disasters like the Italian cruise ship make me wonder if I do enough to protect my family from the just-in-case scenarios that now play in my mind. Water is all fine and good, but perhaps I should also stock my pantry with emergency food from Prepare Wise.

Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. Perhaps I should continue to live in the comfort of assuming everything will be fine… I certianly have enough to worry about already. But perhaps… perhaps we should all take another look around us to make sure we have an evacuation plan out of every environment – cruise ship, home, hotel, plane, train, automobile or otherwise… I think I will go make sure the emergency kit in my car is up to date now.

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