So, for those of you who don't know, one of my biggest fears involves natural disasters. I have never lived through one to my knowledge... but... they terrify me. Not seeing them in tv shows or on the computer, but ones that happen in real life near me/to me. The thought of losing everything I have to something that nobody has any control over... it's horrible.
Every time there is a tornado warning issued for my area, I will rush to grab the things I think are most important, and go hide in a closed bathroom, or go for the lowest ground I can find if I'm not indoors/in an area where the buildings are safe. Once I was even 5 minutes from jumping in the bathtub with my animals (two cats and a dog that hates cats... ^_^ ) and throwing my mattress on top of me.
I am thankful for every time it's just a false alarm, or a tiny tremor instead of a large quake. Because I know that there are others out there who did lose everything, because it wasn't a small storm, or a false alarm.
But it also gets me to thinking... what would I do? What would I try to save?
It's a question people ask a lot.
"If you had five minutes to grab something in your house then run, what would you grab?"
And then add details to see if that would change the answer, like if it's a zombie apocalypse and zombies are coming, or if it's a forest fire, or a hurricane.
All but the first are very real... and oftentimes people have far less than five minutes.
But... it's still an interesting thing to think about. And I think I have my own answer for what I would do/grab.
The most likely natural disaster that I would encounter at my current home is a tornado, so I will go off of that.
First, as soon as I knew it would be coming, I would write my name and phone number on various rags. Braid one into my horse's mane, one into her tail. And put on a breakaway halter with my name and phone number already on it (breakaway so that in case something happens and it gets caught, she can still get free). Don't let her out of anything but her stall. If I have a trailer at the time, she would be loaded up with the truck turned on and ready to head out.
If I had any other livestock the rags would be tied around necks, tails, whatever. Perhaps even numbers written on them with a quick picture of each from both sides for help in proof of ownership. (for large livestock, sorry chickens and ducks, you'll be let out of your coops and... well... good luck).
Second, I would grab all my indoor cats, meat rabbits, and any similar small animals, and put them in carriers, and either put them in a safe underground type location with food and water, or take them with me, depending on the situation.
Get all my dogs on leashes and take them with me. All of which would be microchipped if something happens.
If I had human relatives or friends with me, they would be the first to pack up. And we'd either be heading out in the opposite direction of the tornado, or we'd be hunkered down in a bathroom or underground location (in a solid building, not a trailer house), or a low spot. All my animals, humans and me.
That's it. My living animals and humans. Perhaps my computer and phone if I could remember to do it. But really... they are replaceable. A life is not.
Every time there is a tornado warning issued for my area, I will rush to grab the things I think are most important, and go hide in a closed bathroom, or go for the lowest ground I can find if I'm not indoors/in an area where the buildings are safe. Once I was even 5 minutes from jumping in the bathtub with my animals (two cats and a dog that hates cats... ^_^ ) and throwing my mattress on top of me.
I am thankful for every time it's just a false alarm, or a tiny tremor instead of a large quake. Because I know that there are others out there who did lose everything, because it wasn't a small storm, or a false alarm.
But it also gets me to thinking... what would I do? What would I try to save?
It's a question people ask a lot.
"If you had five minutes to grab something in your house then run, what would you grab?"
And then add details to see if that would change the answer, like if it's a zombie apocalypse and zombies are coming, or if it's a forest fire, or a hurricane.
All but the first are very real... and oftentimes people have far less than five minutes.
But... it's still an interesting thing to think about. And I think I have my own answer for what I would do/grab.
The most likely natural disaster that I would encounter at my current home is a tornado, so I will go off of that.
First, as soon as I knew it would be coming, I would write my name and phone number on various rags. Braid one into my horse's mane, one into her tail. And put on a breakaway halter with my name and phone number already on it (breakaway so that in case something happens and it gets caught, she can still get free). Don't let her out of anything but her stall. If I have a trailer at the time, she would be loaded up with the truck turned on and ready to head out.
If I had any other livestock the rags would be tied around necks, tails, whatever. Perhaps even numbers written on them with a quick picture of each from both sides for help in proof of ownership. (for large livestock, sorry chickens and ducks, you'll be let out of your coops and... well... good luck).
Second, I would grab all my indoor cats, meat rabbits, and any similar small animals, and put them in carriers, and either put them in a safe underground type location with food and water, or take them with me, depending on the situation.
Get all my dogs on leashes and take them with me. All of which would be microchipped if something happens.
If I had human relatives or friends with me, they would be the first to pack up. And we'd either be heading out in the opposite direction of the tornado, or we'd be hunkered down in a bathroom or underground location (in a solid building, not a trailer house), or a low spot. All my animals, humans and me.
That's it. My living animals and humans. Perhaps my computer and phone if I could remember to do it. But really... they are replaceable. A life is not.
