Hurricane Sandy has once again driven home the point about the importance of being prepared for a major disaster. Whether it's a house fire, a flood, a hurricane, tornado, or an earthquake, no one is immune to a loss of their home. The question is how to
best be prepared for the disaster than can rock your business and your personal
life.
Sadly, most people put off preparing for a potential disaster. They think they will have time to prepare, but in many cases they do not. Two weeks ago, would you have thought that half the population of Manhattan would still be without power and that the residents of Staten Island would be dumpster diving for food?
I was evacuated from my home twice in L.A. due to brush fires. I had a listing where 15 homes out of 280 survived one of the major Malibu fires. I have personally experienced three major earthquakes, including the 1994 Northridge Quake where the epicenter was just 6 miles from the college where I taught. I never expected a brush fire here in Austin, but last summer close to 50 homes burned just across the canyon from where we live. I wasn’t prepared and was frantically shooting a quick video of our contents as the ashes landed on our roof and back patio. Our neighbors across the canyon had less than 5 minutes to get out of their homes.
Please take the list below and turn it into a marketing piece for your clients. If you belong to a Homeowner's Association or are active in your local community, be the person who helps your friends and neighbors be prepared for the unthinkable. A fire or other disaster can strike at any time. Here are the key questions to ask to see if you are adequately prepared. Do you have…
1. Enough food and water for at least three days for an evacuation or two weeks if you can stay in your home?
The Red Cross recommends at least one gallon of water per day per person and easy-to- prepare food items that do not require refrigeration. Canned goods, dehydrated fruits, nuts, as well as vacuum-packed foods are good choices. Also, be sure to remember baby formula, bottles, or any other special needs anyone in your household may have. Stock up now. If you don’t use the food, you can give it to your local food bank and take a tax deduction. Furthermore, be sure you have knives, a pair of scissors, as well as an old-fashioned can opener that doesn’t require electricity. Don’t forget to include eating utensils for each person as well.
2. At least $500-$1,000 of cash on hand in case you are unable to access an ATM and have to evacuate to a safer area.
If the power is out, chances are that your Internet service may be down as well. This means that your credit cards and your local ATM will probably not be working either Even if food and other supplies are available after the disaster, you may have to pay cash.
3. A First Aid Kit, medications, and personal hygiene items for each member of your household.
A smart way to prepare these items is to pack a backpack for each member of your household including your pets. If someone in your household requires refrigerated medications, make sure you have an ice chest with cold packs ready to go. Be sure to include glasses, hearing aids, contact lenses, syringes, or any other necessity. For children, include games and activities to keep them occupied. Also, remember to include personal hygiene items including diapers, soap, shampoo, baby wipes in case there is no water, pillows, and blankets or sleeping bags. For your animals, include a collar, leash, ID tag, carrier, plus food and water bowls.
4. A way to keep the lights on
While a generator may not be a practical option, a flashlight, candles, matches, and extra batteries are within everyone’s reach. Even if the power is out, you can use a solar charger for your cell phone or a battery charged recharging station. It’s also smart to have a battery-powered radio or crank radio so you can stay on top of how to respond while the emergency is taking place. In terms of your computer or other devices, be sure you have all the cables, the charger, and any other hookups necessary to run your computer from a remote location.
5. Your personal documents stored in a single place
The Red Cross recommends that you pull all critical personal documents together in one place so you can quickly grab the package if you need to evacuate on a moment’s notice. Items to include are proof of address, insurance policies, medical ID cards, credit cards, deed/lease to your residence, passports, birth certificates, plus pertinent medical information and medications. To be doubly safe, scan these documents and back them up in the cloud.
6. Specialized survival items for your home
Surgical masks can be a necessity after a major quake or building collapse. In the Northridge quake, a number of people contracted a serious lung condition that was triggered by the spores in the dust that the quake stirred up. It’s also smart to have sturdy shoes, rain gear, plastic sheeting, duct tape, and household bleach for water purification.
7. Your items you can’t replace stored where you can access them quickly
Whether it’s family heirlooms, junior’s golf trophies, or grandma’s favorite quilt, decide which items are irreplaceable and have those stored in a single place where you can quickly reach and pack them if need be.
8. A plan for being in touch or going to a safe place
It’s smart for your household members to have two or three options as to where they can go in an emergency. The Red Cross also offers a way to notify friends and loved ones through their organization, even if the power is out.
Plan to Help Others
To make sure that your friends, clients, and acquaintances are prepared, you can send out the Red Cross guidelines for disaster preparedness as a prospecting tool. After the Northridge Quake, our Homeowner’s Association put together earthquake preparedness packages for every homeowner in our subdivision.
The biggest challenge here is procrastination. The smart move is simple: prepare now and advise your cilents to do so as well—don’t wait--no knows where the next "Sandy" will strike.
Posted by Bernice Ross
Get the first ever real estate sales training designed for delivery on your mobile phone or tablet at ListenandLearnRealEstate.com. Order our Premium Membership Now for only $97.00 per year and receive over 300 audio training sessions that will play on your smart phone or iPad, 102 Premium articles, four webinars, plus 250 of our RealEstateCoachRadio shows over the next year. Order today to get the edge you need to dominate your market tomorrow