Hope For The Best, Prepare For The Worst
By Deborah Ann Dramby
Summer 2007
Every Monday night is “family night” at the Schneider home.
SMSgt. Randy Schneider, his wife Cassie and their sons
In August 2005, with most of their belongings packaged into boxes, Randy and his family were 25 days from a permanent change of station to
For more than a month, Cassie and the three boys lived at a church and Randy slept in his office at Keesler Air Force Base near
The Schneiders salvaged the scraps that remained from their home. After weeks of worrying about survival, they faced the difficult task of calculating the extent of their losses and reconstructing their lives and home. Yet they considered themselves fortunate. “The military helped us with a house,” Randy said. “We were OK. There were a lot of people worse off than us.”
The Schneiders were driven to help in any way they could. Before the storm hit, the family had helped an elderly neighbor and others find safe shelter. In the aftermath, Randy coordinated rebuilding projects, shingled roofs and delivered trunk loads of prescription drugs to needy families. Cassie helped clear debris with a chainsaw, and the boys organized food shipments for their shelter.
They also learned that there is much more to preparing for a disaster than stockpiling some cans of food. Consider these recommendations offered by the Schneiders, together with other disaster preparation tips:
Save for a rainy day. Saving is a must – and it’s easier than you think. “So many people say, ‘I don’t have the money to save,’ but you do,” Randy asserted. “When we had
Saving $20 from each biweekly pay period adds up to more than $500 per year, not counting any interest that may accrue. Also, make sure to keep at least one month’s worth of money within easy reach. Maintaining an emergency fund that grows with each paycheck and keeping enough money in your checking account to live for at least a month should prevent you from dipping into other savings if an emergency strikes.
Get insurance and update your policy annually. Randy and Cassie moved to
But the Schneiders made two mistakes. One was failing to update their policy each year. By the time Katrina arrived, the family had grown and had bought couches and televisions, but the policy had not been updated. The other mistake was failing to select the policy’s “replacement cost option.” Instead, the Schneiders received only the depreciated value of their belongings. The family quickly spent much of the insurance money replacing basic household items and a few clothing necessities.
Protect your important documents. Katrina destroyed all of the Schneider’s important records and receipts. A safe deposit box is the best place to keep birth and marriage certificates, Social Security cards, proof of residence (deed or lease), insurance policies, stock certificates and other investment paperwork, wills, deeds, copies of recent tax returns, passports, health and vaccination documents, a written or visual inventory of your belongings (with model and serial numbers) and perhaps a few hundred dollars in traveler’s checks. Renting a safe deposit box costs as little as $10 a year and is sometimes free if you have a checking account or loan with the bank.
Buy an external hard drive. Scan your photos and all important papers. Upload your videos – because those memories are not easy to replace. “When we were packing up our van and looking at the space,” Randy recalled, “we couldn’t put the computer in there. If we had backed up everything on an external hard drive, we could have just packed it into one of the suitcases.”
Keep a credit card solely for emergencies. In the event of an emergency, the extra credit line will come in handy.
The survival skills of this military family and others whose lives have been affected by disaster are enhanced by their faith, finances and selflessness. In the wake of Katrina, the Schneiders taught themselves new skills from the basics of construction to the fundamentals of financial planning. Today, the family looks forward to replenishing their savings and enjoying many more Monday “family nights.”
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Military wife Deborah Ann Dramby lives in
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Preparing For Disaster: Your Evacuation Plan
- Have a “ready to go” kit. Essential items include bottled water, food, first aid kit, prescription medications, batteries, first aid kit, flashlight, radio and contact numbers. If possible, take changes of clothing and a sleeping bag and pillow for each household member.
- Plan ahead for family pets by contacting area shelters and have provisions stored for self-care, if possible.
- Determine a planned evacuation destination. This includes knowing the location or numbers to call to get such information, having maps and knowing alternate routes.
- Keep at least a half-tank of gas in your vehicles at all times. This can save valuable time in an evacuation.
- Turn off propane gas but leave natural gas on prior to evacuating. If you turn gas off, a licensed professional is required to turn it back on, and it may take weeks for a professional to respond.
- Turn off electricity and water. Turn off electricity at the main fuse or breaker, and turn off water at the main valve.
- Gather your important papers. If you don’t have them in a safe deposit box at your bank (you should), keep them conveniently located so you can grab them in a hurry.
Source: Uniformed
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