I received a recorded message today from my Insurance Broker reminding me that my home insurance doesn’t include flooding. The message then asked if I would like to purchase some additional insurance and to call the office if I did and to be honest I just don’t know.
Today was ‘The Great Southern California Shake Out’ a mass earthquake drill that occurred at 10am this morning. The Shake Out is one of the Nation’s largest ever emergency response and public preparedness exercise; a drill based on a potential magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault— approximately 5,000 times larger than the magnitude 5.4 earthquake that shook southern California on July 29. Organizers made it clear that it is not a matter of if an earthquake of this size will happen—but when. And it is possible that it will happen in our lifetime.
There is a bit of a joke in our household that while we have a preparedness kit in the car and we could survive for a few days with our supplies the car actually rarely has a full tank of gas so we wouldn’t actually get very far! But in reality is that a joke we can afford?
I find it fascinating that we put so much effort into worrying about our day to day activities but how many of us really prepare for the more important challenges that might face us? Is it clear on your cell phone who should be contacted in an emergency? Is there information in your car telling emergency services that there are animals at home or children at daycare that need to be attended to? We spend a lot of time sweating the small things and yet often don’t think about the simple things that could really make a difference in an emergency. Does your family have a designated meeting place in case of a natural disaster? Are you aware of the people in your neighborhood who would be challenged to evacuate?
As I await further news on the Montecito fires, I wonder why drills aren’t actually compulsory I am sure we would all learn a lot and be more compelled to spend the time it would take to put these important precautions in place; maybe this weekend would be a great time to have that family conversation and place those notes and contact numbers in your car and wallet.
As for the flood insurance… I think I will just start by ensuring there is always gas in my tank.
Candice
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