Comments on: How To Be Prepared For a Storm and/or Emergency

By: KC

KC — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:47:32 +0000

Been there, done that! I grew up in hurricane country and at least we had a warning and could prepare or get out. But living in Memphis for about a decade I experienced storms that came with no warning. We had a straight line wind storm that left over half a million without power for 2 weeks and the city was in tatters. Sounds a bit similar to your storm which makes me think these things are more common than we think (btw, Memphis had a very similar storm a few days ago, not as sever but still bad). Anyway I learned to not only have cash on hand, but have 1s, 5s, and 10s as places can’t always make change. I keep an envelope of about 20 1s, 4 5s, and 4 10s. I always have 20s on hand that I pilfer from as needed.

I also learned to keep your gas tank at least partially full. I was planning on getting gas the next morning and I was on empty. Big mistake.

Water was never in danger, but having been through a few hurricanes I know to have both drinking water and flushing water on hand. Fill up the bath tub before the storm hits so you can have something to flush the toilet with and take sponge baths, etc. Keep potable water on hand to drink, brush teeth, etc.

Keep non-perishable food on hand. Eventhough some in Memphis were without power for 2 weeks there were still places with power to eat and get ice from. But the first week was touch and go and you needed your own food supply.

Have an old fashioned plug in the wall, no-batteried phone on hand. The cell phone didn’t work (towers were down and the battery eventually died) and the cordless phones didn’t work w/o electricity. But that old push button phone was great! It now permanently resides in the cabinet above my cordless phone.

Yes batteries and flashlights are a must. If you have children or pets you don’t want candles. And if the power goes out in Memphis in July you don’t want ANY additional heat sources even as small as a candle.

We didn’t do any cleanup ourselves, but if you do have additional gas and a first aid kit as you mentioned.

By: Rajeev SIngh

Rajeev SIngh — Wed, 27 May 2009 18:22:32 +0000

Must say storm can have an adverse impact physically, emotionally , mentally and financially on its victims. The steps suggested will help one to deal with them in a much better manner. I particluarly think one needs to have cash, emergency kit and food to be able to survice this. Thanks for the list. One can always learn from others experience. Rajeev SIngh’s last blog post..HOW TO NEGOTIATE LOAN INTEREST RATE WITH BANKS

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Weekend Reads: Memorial Day and Saying Thanks | Steadfast Finances — Mon, 25 May 2009 03:36:32 +0000

[...] Financial Cents has a great follow up article on How to Prepare for a Storm or Emergency. We occasionally get these here in the southeast thanks to the summer thunderstorms, and just [...]

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Sunday Money Roundup - Long Weekend Edition. | My Two Dollars — Sun, 24 May 2009 13:30:32 +0000

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Weekend Reading: Can You "Digg" It? | Man Vs. Debt — Sat, 23 May 2009 14:26:50 +0000

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By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:15:54 +0000

Jeff, I'm glad you and your family made it out okay. I think this article serves as a great reminder for everyone to always be prepared and to always have plans. Too often people think the worst will never happen. Andrew’s last blog post..5 Events that Deserve Your Aspiration: Who Says that All You Have to Look Forward to is Death and Taxes?

By: Tony Cartman

Tony Cartman — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:15:26 +0000

Yeah.. good that everybody is ok

but the tips are nice… for any emergency situation.

By: Matt Jabs

Matt Jabs — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:09:08 +0000

I can completely relate! After our recent storm I also ended up writing about how to prepare for a power outage. My wife & I were stuck without power for 2 days, although our storm did not leave quite the destruction as yours...yikes! Glad your still alive! Matt Jabs’s last blog post..The Importance of Financial Mentoring

By: -> In The Event Of An Emergency Series: Planning Ahead For Life’s Emergencies | Bible Money Matters

Mon, 18 May 2009 16:58:50 +0000

[...] How To Be Prepared For a Storm and/or Emergency @ goodfinancialcents.com [...]

By: Bible Money Matters

Bible Money Matters — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:56:47 +0000

Great post. Sorry you had to go through that, but it's good to know that everyone is doing ok. Added this post to my "in the event of an emergency" series! Bible Money Matters’s last blog post..If You Were Strapped For Cash, How Far Would You Go To Make Money?