It is not logic that keeps us from reducing risks before earthquakes, it is brain chemistry. It has been more beneficial for people to avoid thinking about risks and live their lives than it is for our brains to have us objectively think about each and every risk. Trust me, we would have far fewer children and far fewer rags to riches stories if our brains let us look at danger objectively. But the problem is, because our subconscious lure us into feeling that it is important not to worry about what might happen–it means that we are walking into avoidable harm again and again. When it comes to the situations that can leaad to catastrophic destruction in our community and our lives, we need to overrule our subconscious–it does make sense to objectively think about this danger, it does make sense to act on it now.
Act on it. If you only feel like you want to prepare for disasters after a disaster, it means the source of your urge is your third party ‘fight or flight’ response from the images and situation–this will go away soon and you may well go back to talking about how you wish you were prepared but not doing anything. Take this chance to make preparedness something that is easy to sustain. It really isn’t hard:
Go through your cupbards, junk drawers and storage areas to pull together all the things you have that can be useful in a disaster. Determine what you may be missing. This slideshow may help show what to gather and where to preplace them. You are preplacing solutions that you can use during any sort of disruption:
Use your online or computer’s calendars to put in reminders to spend 15 minutes every 6 months or so just looking at what you have again–did you run out of something? Your goal is to build the existence of that kit into your life–if you go hide it away you probably won’t even remember it when you need it since your subconscious will be calling the shots.
Use your phone, computer, online contact lists to get information about all the people and animals you love–but also the people who may be caring for them, or in a position to give you an update on their status. Create a little form you can handle to teachers, babysitters, dog walkers and your neighbors that explains that you would like to be able to reach them after a disaster so you can help each other, but that local lines probably won’t work, so could they give their normal number, if they receive text messages, Social media usernames and the number of a friend or relative of theirs that lives out of the area (since long distance lines often work when local lines are clogged) Include all of your contact details on it too. Print a pile of these out and have them ready to give out. Yes, there will be some people who shake their heads–but really, you are going to place yourself in a position of not being able to learn the status of the most important people animals and things in your life because you are afraid of someone sniggering? Puh-leeze.
Take the time to honestly look at where you and the people you care about live, work and study–look at interactive hazard maps, look at the building styles, use this home retrofit checklist, bring in a specialist to help. Don’t spend money to do your kitchen, before you do retrofit. Do you have the right type of insurance? If you are at risk from flood, landslide, seismic shaking–insurance won’t cover the losses without special riders. Can the buildings you spend your time in withstand the hazards it will face? If not–work to rebuild, retrofit or move. Simple as that.
