Everyone is praying for the folks over there. Thousands are dead, many more injured, millions left without power. We've been fortunate in the United States to have most of our disasters, with the exception of Katrina, to be limited in size and national disruptions.
But there are many earthquake faults in the United States, including one in the middle of our country, and its a good time to consider our own situations, if we live in an area where we could be affected by these, or hurricanes or other natural disasters. If you're reading this blog, you probably already have a sense of independence and self-reliance and being able to be responsible for your own care during an emergency is part of that.
Ready.gov, the United States Government's website, has some suggestions for items that you should have on hand. I'd add that these should probably be available in your vehicle, too.
Their suggestions include food and water for several days, prescription medications, copies of important documents and other items. A copy can be found here: http://www.ready.gov/america/_downloads/checklist.pdf.
One way to store copies of your important documents is to keep them on a thumb drive, although you will want to be careful to keep it secure. Something else you might want to consider is to also include copies of family photos on this drive and to make multiple copies of it, to be kept with trusted family. In housefires, this is one of the biggest losses insurance can't make up.
Another consideration is contact with your family. In Tokyo, phones aren't working. If your children are old enough, have a plan about where to go if they can't get home and have a list of contacts. You may tell them that if your neighborhood is damaged to go to a grandparents or family friend. But know plan ahead of time where that location is.
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