Lessons from Hurricane Katrina Will Benefit Future Hurricane Victims
Hurricane Katrina made me eat my words. I had lived in Biloxi, Mississippi since 1999, transplanted from Dayton, Ohio. We didn’t deal with hurricanes up North. I naturally thought these people we overreacting. They weren’t. Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast. My own belongings were put under 10 feet of water. I lost everything that I ever owned, to include baby pictures of myself, my children, furniture, clothing…and the list goes on. Even after suffering the loss of my belongings, I feel like I can’t really complain. I have my life, my children are alive and well and that is all I can ask for. Materials can be replaced, people cannot. Other people weren’t so lucky.
Tragically, many people thought they were beyond the reach of Katrina’s wrath. They chose to stay and some of them lost their lives. People from my parent’s neighborhood were trapped on the roofs of their homes waiting for help. A neighbor relayed her fear through tears. “We were upstairs in our house and could hear the water coming in. We had inflatable toys wrapped around our son and we were saying good-bye. We thought we were going to die.” All the while water is washing away all of their furniture, appliances…walls! Down the road the houses were completely gone. Only bare slabs lay where families used to reside.
I can’t stress enough, if there is an evacuation in your area, board up your windows and LEAVE! The traffic will be bad and irritating. The gas lines will be long. The benefit of being alive outweighs all of the above annoyances.
Please don’t forget about your pets. Many animals were lost due to drowning because their owners left them in the houses that they left behind. They figured they would be right back home; things didn’t quite work out that way and pets perished.
Even if your house is truly out of harms way, the possibility of losing power is great.
I compiled a list to help what has the tendency to be a very uncomfortable situation a tiny bit more manageable.
Food (you obviously want to mostly stock up on non-perishables):
Canned goods such as fruits, vegetables, soups and meats
Dry and/or evaporated milk
Dry cereal
Dried fruits
Jerky (chicken, turkey, beef)
Nuts/seeds
Granola/breakfast bars
Singles of applesauce/pudding
Tortillas
Crackers
Snack foods (chips, pretzels, cookies)
Apples/oranges
Baby food
Water (Lots and lots of water!)
Juices (plastic bottles, cans, singles)
Soda
Instant coffee/tea
Ice
Once again, don’t forget about your pets! Make sure they have plenty of food, water and any medications they might need.
Everything else:
Manual can opener
Tarp
Fire extinguisher
Battery powered radio/TV
Flashlights
Extra batteries in all sizes
Soap
Hand sanitizer
First Aid kit
Any medications the family needs
General medications (example: Tylenol, Benedryl)
Diapers
Baby wipes (these can be really helpful when showers are not possible)
Toilet paper
Paper towel
Plastic utensils
Garbage bags
Candles (DO NOT USE DURING STORM!)
Duct tape
Towels
Bug repellent
Cooler
Chain saw (in case of fallen limbs)
Fuel
Generator (if you have one of these, make sure you have extra fuel)
Unscented bleach (will help purify water in a pinch. Use 7-8 drops per gallon)
Toiletries (feminine products, shampoo, razors)
Matches
Camera (to take pictures of damage for insurance)
Cell phone (may or may not work but it couldn’t hurt)
I am sure there are things not on this list that other people will choose to have on hand. This list is only a tool to help prepare in the event of a major storm.
Storage is very important. Keep everything that needs to stay dry in airtight containers. I hope that my experience can help others.
