Do I have your attention? Yes, the previous post here was about a scary data breach. No, the blog isn’t pivoting into doomsday-prepping( sorry, Preppers). But given the recent Anchorage earthquake the subject couldn’t be more timely.
There’s not a distinct and direct financial planning angle here, but I can’t get over the headline of this stunning Seattle Times piece out today:
Say what??
You can read all the juicy details for yourself – like how they won’t release all the details of the study for fear of exposing infrastructure vulnerabilities – but it’s kind of shook me to the core when thinking about my own disaster preparedness.
Personally, we have some basics on hand but are nowhere near prepared for up to two months without water. I’m sure 99% of the population is in the same boat, which is exactly the big worry. It will be utter chaos if and when The Big One hits. If you live within SPU’s service area – or any water district that could be this vulnerable, which is probably most – it makes sense to start thinking about how to store more water than just a case of small bottles. It’s probably unrealistic to store two months’ worth of water, but shooting for more than whatever’s on hand now is a worthy target.
Click on the links for good places to start on water treatment and water storage.
OK, here’s the small financial angle: It also makes sense to keep some cash on hand as part of your emergency kit. Money talks, especially in an emergency. And, no, I don’t think a thumb drive containing bitcoin is going to do the job.
Specifically having a financial emergency kit could also prove very useful. Here is FEMA’s PDF if you want some late-night reading on the subject. The four main subjects in their Emergency Financial First Aid Kit:
- Household Identification
- Financial and Legal Documentation
- Medical Information
- Household Contacts
I’m still shocked after seeing what kind of disruption a large earthquake will cause, and that’s only covering one basic need. Hopefully this post will, at nothing else, be reason to check and confirm what level of preparedness you have, and whether you’ve considered the financial angle. I know I’m re-evaluating.
Prepper post: Over.