All right my lovelies this is a reminder post because I love you but have you got emergency plans and kits ready for the bushfire, cyclone and storm season?
Have you got copies of your personal documents stashed away? Have you got an emergency food kit ready? Have you got your first aid kit done? Are you insured correctly? Have you read the fine print of that insurance to make sure that you are covered; think Brisbane floods? Most importantly have you got your action plan ready for bushfire, cyclone or floods?
Having been brought up with a mother who lived through Cyclone Tracy. I’m needless to say prepared come summer to weather any storm. And despite being inland and sheltered by a mountain range my area still suffers from cyclones and I most recently went through Yasi whilst husband was at work. Fortunately we are always prepared with the yard being clear and we always have a kit prepared; all year round.
In the past we have stayed in the family home but for Yasi I made the decision to spend it a friend’s holiday home its concrete block and low set. My home is high set and almost a hundred years old. I couldn’t take the risk despite how much I love her. To get her ready as best I could I dismantled the trampoline. I peg down the cubby house the chicken coop. I pulled all the furniture off the veranda. I put all the garden furniture away. I pulled all my pictures off the wall. I cleared off all the benches. I boxed up all the ornaments. I had six hours to get ready if you can’t get prepared in six hours you are obviously to scared and you need to really take stock of what you are doing for your own and family’s safety and if you are unprepared perhaps consider evacuating while you have the time.
We take our pets with us because they are part of our family and pen up our chickens in the shed. We fuel up our cars for the after. We grab a little stash of money because who knows when the ATM or banks might be open. We take a first aid kit and have a small tool kit for just in case. We take some tinned food for the pets because who knows when I will be able to get them something. It’s all about being prepared opposed to be scared. Being scared is no good for the situation nor is it any good for the kids.
Now most of what you need for your kit you should already have at home. It’s just a matter of getting it all together and putting it in one big plastic container and storing it somewhere that’s easily accessible. I keep mine in the laundry the strongest part of my beautiful old home.
Doing it now having a little kit ready now means you are not running to the store only to find every other Tom Dick and Harry has gone into panic mode and cleared out the shelves of bottled water, tins of baked beans, cat food, dog food, batteries, bacterial wash and nappies. Trust me no one is thinking of their fellow man when there are frightened for their own lives.
If you are unsure what you should have in your kit here is a link for each state and territory.
So to my own detriment what I have not been prepared for is bush fires; which was only brought to my attention over the weekend as a large paddock caught fire just east of the town. Which is why I’m writing this post this morning, I had no clue what I would do. I do know now I having discussed it with husband and the kids. We would leave. Grab what can and just leave. My home is nothing without my family. Nothing.
So my lovelies do me a favour go and do all this today. Not tomorrow but today. Make sure your prepared not scared especially if your partner is at work. We can do anything especially when we are prepared.
So get a kit ready, know your action plan.
Promise me you will do that today?
xx Deb
