Beware of Mother Nature’s surprises

No matter where you live, Mother Nature can produce life-changing events. The Atlantic hurricane season is officially here and runs until the end of November. New Hampshire and Maine recently experienced devastating flooding. In the West there are frequent forest fires. The Midwest gets a fair share of tornadoes.

Are you prepared? Many of us aren’t as agile and strong as we used to be, and it’s even more important for us to be ready in case of emergency. In a disaster, we could be on our own for up to three days.

Here are some suggestions:

• Have enough food and drinking water for three to five days. The rule of thumb is one gallon of water per day per person.

• Keep on hand a two-week supply of any medications. And keep an eye on the expiration dates.

• Make a written list of phone numbers and contacts. In an emergency you could forget a number that you frequently call.

• Make copies of important documents, such as wills, insurance policies, bank account information and veteran’s papers, and store them in a sealed plastic bag.

• Gather batteries and a radio, copies of keys, and a few changes of clothing.

Note To My Readers: I do not stock the manuals or help guides I mention in this column. Please do not send money to me, as I cannot get them for you. I promise to always provide a way for you to get the information, usually a phone number and possibly a Web site, too.