Take lots of care. Unbelievably, my father is up that way at the moment, so I'm feeling a little concerned myself. (I'm from Australia, so what are the odds?!)
In the past ten years I've been personally affected by natural disaster which means I've learnt a little the hard way about disasters. (I've included a photo to show you. Yes, I was home when it happened and yes, afterwards, I could see the sky, looking up from inside - it was one heck of a way to get a sky-light, tell ya. I'm so grateful that no-one was killed!)
Aside from practical things like tarps, torches etc, I'd like to add the following:
Have in one place and ready to go, your important papers including passports; any required prescriptions; birth certificates and insurance papers. This way you don't have to worry about trying to find them in the event of an emergency.
If it hasn't been mentioned make sure you have your mobile phone charged up. Keep your charger with your important papers.
For mum's with babies - make sure you have lots of nappies and formula and lots of wipes if you use it. Also have anti-bacterial gel to clean your hands after changing nappies in the event you don't have access to clean water.
Not particularly critical, but from a comfort point of view, after the QLD floods in January, milk and dairy products were in short supply for quite a while. A supply of powdered milk came in handy. A full gas bottle for your BBQ also is handy for heating up water afterwards in the event of no electricity.
In a natural disaster, petrol suddenly becomes very scarce. Please fill up your car now, so you know you can get out and about after it has taken place. This is honestly a true story as it happened first hand to my friend. She was in Japan when the Earthquake struck this year in Sendai. They had enough petrol in their car to be able to drive for seven hours to get their passports and then get to an airport to get out of the country. There was no public transport, no petrol available, so they were incredibly fortunate that the tank was on full, not empty. For quite a few years, I've always made sure that my car always had at least half a tank of petrol in it. You never know when you need to make a quick getaway!
I guess my ultimate point is that the natural disaster is very scary. For the majority of people, the disaster doesn't necessarily cause any severe damage to their home - it is more a case of a week or so of a little discomfort. Having those supplies on hand made for a much easier ride than other families experienced, I can tell you!
I'm thinking of you all! Please keep us up to date with how you are getting on. I am crossing my fingers for you! xo
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