The Emergency Bag
When you live in a country where earthquakes are not infrequent - though thank goodness we’re far from the fault, so not at great risk - you need to make sure your emergency supplies are ready.
As soon as you start to feel the tremors, you should be able to grab your supplies and reach the nearest safe place.
To test your earthquake supply knowledge, I’ve made a small list of things you should and things you shouldn’t have. You decide which is which. We have them all.
A flat on the ninth floor.
Probably a door-frame that is not built in a dividing wall.
A lot of unfixed bookshelves with books piled on them right opposite said door.
A stylish bag, containing: water, snacks, toilet paper, warm clothing, wind-up torches, pens and papers and comic books for the children to pass the time while we’re waiting for rescue.
Oh, and obviously medical supplies as well, which I’ll put in as soon as I get home tonight.
Scratch the water. I forgot to replace it last time I looked.
Come to think of it, when we had a fire, we didn’t remember to the bag. Maybe a sign on the wall next to the bag would be a good idea.
A large, solid wooden table, you can hide under to be protected from projectiles.
Stacks of bags of flour, bottles, onions and potatoes, things (?!) under said table, so there’s no room for anyone to hide under it. Except maybe the turtles.
Pet turtles and a fish that need to be rescued too.
A big bottle of gas, connected to our cooker, right next to the table we can hide under.
Another big table that opens up in the middle when it moves and has a big central cupboard door as a leg, and a cupboard door that swings open if you look at it hard.
Some large window panes next to that table.
My secret stash by my bed: my phone, my laptop, the passports.
Ah. Maybe I should pack a phone charger. You know, in case I find a working plug hole in the rubble?
Oops, not the passports - they’re in my desk.
Shoes by the door, next to the emergency bag, so that we can forget to wear shoes and to take the bag if we ever rush out of the door in an emergency like we did last time.
Mostly, hope that we never have to live through a major earthquake, or any kind of natural disaster.
This post is for the Weekend Assignment blog. The topic this week was to reflect on how well prepared we are for emergencies. Of course, being prepared is never enough in a real emergency. A bag won’t see you through a disaster like the one that’s just hit Japan. So we’d better hope that others are prepared to help us.
If you haven’t already, why don’t you head over to the Red Cross and make a donation. It’s the best preparation there is.
