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Editorial: Being prepared is key

Floods, fires, earthquakes… no matter the disaster, it pays to be prepared

It’s a phrase we’ve heard time and time again from emergency crews and officials. Be prepared in the event of a natural disaster.

In recent months, Mother Nature has proven she can be a fickle foe. Last Thursday, the Kilauea volcano erupted, spewing molten rock and high levels of sulfur dioxide on Hawaii’s Big Island.

A bit closer to home, almost all communities across the South Okanagan-Similkameen this week have been put under a local state of emergency due to flooding concerns.

One of the first steps to emergency preparedness is creating home and grab-and-go emergency kits. Kits should include a First-Aid kit, battery-powered or hand crank radio or flashlight, a whistle to signal for help, a cell phone and charger, seasonal clothing and water.

Kits should also include enough non-perishable food to last for three days to one week, and a manual can opener.

These items may not seem like much. You may even have many of these things tucked away in drawers in your home at this very moment. But put together, they can sometimes mean the difference between life and death.

The information above and much more can be found on Emergency Management B.C.’s website. Heck – there’s even a section about what to do during a zombie apocalypse, starting from outbreak to evacuation orders. From wildfires and earthquakes to zombies – the key to survival is being prepared.

Black Press