The First 72 Hours.
What were you doing five years ago today? If you lived in southern Florida, you may have been recovering from a Category 1 Hurricane that crossed over the state earlier in the week. But on August 27, 2005, this storm - better known as Katrina - was gathering strength in the Gulf of Mexico and would devastate New Orleans on Monday, August 29th (click to see and hear the stories of a few Agility members).
Five years later, as the rebuilding continues, there’s no better time than the present to think about how best to prepare ourselves for another event of this scale. As FEMA recommends, we all need to be prepared with adequate supplies for the critical first 72 hours after a disaster. This includes operating under the assumption that utilities (phone, electricity, gas, etc.) as well as public safety (police and fire departments) may be unavailable. FEMA recommends keeping on hand: food, drinking water, a first aid kit, a working fire extinguisher, flashlights with batteries, and a weather radio. And that's just to get started.
Agility is incredibly privileged to have an expert speak on this very subject next week - Former FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison will kick off Agility’s National Preparedness Month program with a free webinar, “Can you go alone for 72 hours?” on this Wednesday, September 1st. To register, please click here.
