Are you prepared??

*The Harvest Benefit!

We had a good turn-out for our auction. There was great music, lots of desserts and lots of items auctioned off.

THANK YOU  to all the individuals who came out and supported the Long-Term Recovery!

Because the event items were donated and the venue was donated the LTRO was able to bring in over 8,000 dollars to support flood

victims in Lewis County! The work stillcontinues and any help via volunteering and donating are always very much appreciated!

Are You Prepared? 

We don't like to think about something catastrophic happening, so not planning ahead comes natural to most of us. 

But having seen first hand what a family can lose in a disaster has made me stop and think about a few things.  The most mentioned lose we heard from the families was that of family photos.  Time and again people mentioned losing the only picture they had of their father, mother or other deceased family member. 

Many times there will be opportunities to carry some possessions with us when we are given the order to evacuate.  I have decided to store all my photos together in a trunck that can be grabbed in one trip.  This will give me the chance to take all the photos instead of not having the chance to gather them from around the house.  If they do go through something like an earthquake the trunk will keep the together. 

Which brings me to something else many victims shared with us.  Trying to get together financial records to verify income and elegibility for programs after the disaster was a nightmare for many families.  Accountants' offices were flooded.  Many Insurance agents and doctors' offices were impacted the last disaster we had. 

We want to recommend you think about what you do with your paperwork. 

It is always smart to copy everything in your wallet once a year in case you ever lose your wallet. This is also a good strtegy in preparation for a disaster.   If each year, after filing taxes, you put the copies in a large sealable plastic sack with your return and copies of any other documents you may need,  they would be available if there was a disaster.  They may not survive a fire but if you exchange packets with a trusted friend so you each have theothers packets the filing for benefits from insurance or governments programs will go much faster. 

While a safe deposit box for this is the normal way to go it's possible that an earthquake or flood may make the banks unavailable.  Knowing you can get your hands on bank account numbers and credit card information gives piece of mind if you find yourself displaced with no option to return home.

There are other ways to protect your vital information.  We just want you to start thinking of the things you may wish you had done if you are caught in a catastrophic event in the future.

Granted our ideas are low tech, but I don't think that will matter if you ever need to recover documents.

“MAP YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD”

Knowing what to do in the first hours of a disaster response may help you save a life, reduce the severity of possible injuries and reduce the amount of damage the neighborhood sustains.

Listening to Weather Radio will provide updated information on the event, contain safety messages and evacuation instructions. In a disaster, your most immediate source of help are the neighbors living around you.

The following information was provided by Washington State Emergency Management and Washington Council Citizen Corps. Use the simple tools to secure your home and protect your neighborhood following a disaster:

1. Create a neighborhood map showing the locations of:

All natural gas meters and propane tanks

• About 67% of house fires following disasters are caused by leaking gas. Knowing where these meters are and shutting them off helps eliminate this threat.

• All neighbors who are elderly or have any type of disability, and where children are who may be home alone at certain hours of the day.

2. Checking on neighbors vulnerable to injury and trauma helps protect them from going into shock and helps ensure that everyone is okay.

3. Identify the skills and equipment each neighbor has that are useful in an effective disaster response. Knowing which neighbors have supplies and skills helps your disaster response be timely and allows everyone to contribute to the response in a meaningful way. Listening to your Weather Radio will assist you with emergency information.

4. Make up signs that read “HELP” and “OKAY” and place these signs on the front doors or windows of a residence. Posting the sign helps your neighbors and first responders locate those who need help first.