Maintaining Calm Amid Chaos: Families Pack ‘Go Bags’ To Be Ready for Natural Disasters
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Tue, 10/11/2022 - 2:16pm
Two backpacks full of emergency supplies sit ready for action in the room next to Robin and Shawn Grayshield’s garage.
As a wildland firefighter who has lived in Carson City, Nevada, for more than 40 years, Robin has seen people who arrived at a shelter with nothing but the clothes on their back — “not even money in the wallet,” he said. “I knew that I never wanted to be put in that situation.”
With extreme weather events escalating in frequency and severity in recent years, experts urge families to plan ahead for natural disasters. Ready.gov, a FEMA website, recommends putting together a “collection of basic items” to last for several days, including food, water, a change of clothes, cash and a flashlight.
Although it has been years since a major natural disaster in the area, the Grayshields don’t want to get complacent. Recalling the 1997 flood that left many trapped in the city amid widespread utility outages, Robin said, “A lot of us didn’t expect something like that could happen to our little city, but it did.”
The Grayshields credit regular disaster-preparedness reminders through their congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses and on the Christian organization’s website, jw.org, for helping them to keep at the ready.
In 2017, the Grayshields were invited to a disaster-preparedness seminar in Reno that the organization held for 200 people from 15 area congregations. Robin recalls one of the main points made on the program was to “not
be part of the problem,” but to be prepared enough to help others in an emergency.
“Being ready to face a natural disaster may be the difference between life and death when it unexpectedly hits,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesperson for the Christian organization. “We can’t just say life is precious; we need to live it. That’s why the Bible’s advice to take practical steps to protect ourselves and our families from danger makes so much sense — even if threats seem far off.”
Until recently, Colorado couple Michael and Crystal Brook only thought of wildfires as a threat to those high
on the slopes of the Rockies — never imagining that their suburban home in the foothills would be at risk.
Still, heeding advice to expect the unexpected, the Brooks assembled go bags, utilizing tips from the jw.org article “When Disaster Strikes — Steps That Can Save Lives.”
Last December, their efforts paid off when the Marshall Fire, a record-breaking inferno fueled by drought conditions and high winds, ravaged homes and businesses in Boulder County.
As flames leapt across the interstate highway near their home and billows of smoke darkened the midday sky, the Brooks grabbed their go bags, along with pillows and stuffed toys to help keep 6-year-old daughter Annastyn calm amid the chaos of evacuating their community.
Michael recalls the panic within the community. “They didn’t know what to do,” he said.
Though the Brooks’ house sustained only minor smoke damage, and their go bags went unused, the couple feel being prepared helped them remain calm and act swiftly under pressure. “Having the go bags made things simple,” said Michael.
“These days, anything can happen anytime, anywhere,” added Crystal. “It’s good to be prepared.”
In flood-prone Louisa, Kentucky, Brandon and C’onia Fitch made preparing go bags a fun activity for kids Nolan, Gavin and Stella, letting them pick out their own bags and add their favorite toys and nonperishable snacks.
“Everyone in the family had a role in preparing the bags,” said Brandon. “They know what’s in them, and they know where to find them.”
The importance of being ‘go bag ready’ was put to the test last year when floodwaters surrounded their home in rural Appalachia.
In pitch darkness and with freezing water rising steadily in their home, the Fitches loaded their go bags —and Princess Pickles, 6-year-old Stella’s beloved guinea pig — into the family car and drove to higher ground.
By morning, four feet of muddy floodwater had devastated the Fitches’ home and brought into sharp focusthe true value of their efforts to prepare.
“It took a bit of the panic away,” said C’onia. “It seemed like a daunting task … but I’m so glad we did it.”
“You’re not going to regret it,” agreed Nolan, 16. “It could save your life.”
