Our recent brush with the wildfires so close to us has gotten me thinking. A lot. What I have been thinking is how I respond in the face of a crisis and what is helpful and what is not. There are a lot of lists out there of things to do in the face of a disaster of any kind and I thought it would be a good exercise for me to just write down my own list. So here it goes.
Just do something! Anything! While it is easy to just sit around and twiddle your thumbs it is a great idea to get up and do something for someone else. I checked in on neighbors and friends, volunteered to help with breakfast for the first responders, shopped for items that were needed at the command centers and reached out to others who were feeling stressed out as well. It really helps me when I am able to serve others and move the focus from the crisis to something or someone else.
Be ready. It was important to us when we felt our home was being threatened by fire to be prepared to evacuate. I made a list and went from there. That list is going to get typed up and kept in the lockbox from now on as a checklist if we should need to evacuate. We really had very few items that we packed. A couple of suitcases of clothing, supplies for the cats, photo albums, fire proof lock box with all of our important papers and valuables, a few totes with specific sentimental items and that was basically it. It is freeing to know that if it came down to it there was really not that much that I could not live without. Which means it is time to start whittling these possessions down a bit.
Don’t panic. Even if the situation seems dire it is a good thing to try to remain as calm as possible. When I found myself getting a little spun up, a good round of deep breathing and prayer really centered me and brought. me back to being much calmer.
Take a break from social media and news if possible. Social media and the news is good until it is not. Doom scrolling and focusing on every single announcement that comes out can really raise the anxiety levels. I had to limit my time doing this but because our recent situations were so dangerous we did have to stay up to date on the status of the hurricane and fires. If possible install apps on your phone that will alert you to updates for whatever the crisis is.
Make sure you are listening to reliable sources. During Hurricane Helene we had no power for 6 days which meant no internet or tv. We relied on a battery radio and were able to get updates from an Asheville radio station that was our best source of information. During the wildfires we did not lose power so we could use all the normal ways of finding out information. However, some of the sources were not timely or at times accurate. We found that our community fire department and our community email blasts were the best sources of information until the county got their act together. It’s difficult to sort through a lot of information but find trusted sources and stick to those.
If possible do something “normal”. Now normal is different for everyone and every situation is different. During the hurricane we could not do anything normal. During the fires we were able to drive into town, eat a lunch out and shop for supplies for the first responders. Brevard was not affected and even the air was okay when we went into town so it was just that – a breath of fresh air. We could not be outside at home because the air quality was so horrific. That little foray into town was a little retreat and just what we needed to feel a bit of normalcy.
Make a plan for evacuation. No one wants to leave their home but it is important to make a plan when you will do that. If you have a partner it is important to be in agreement on this. For us we were going to leave when our fire department told us to leave. No questions. We would not try to be heroes and stay behind when told to leave. Know what is the safest way to leave. We have a handbook with actual evacuation plans for our community and a paper that we are to turn into security as we leave so that they know we have evacuated.
Make sure you communicate with your family and friends. It is so important to communicate with everyone who might be concerned. Of course during the hurricane this proved to be almost impossible for the first few days which caused our families a lot of angst. We now have an option to use in case that would be the case again. It is easiest to have one person who you can communicate with that will pass the information along to everyone else so make sure you have that set up before the crisis occurs.
Listen to your body. The body has a way of responding to stress and it is important to manage that as positively as possible. Take a walk if possible, take a bath, relax and try to focus on something positive and not the crisis 24/7.
Stay ready. Just be ready for whatever might happen. Easy to say but hard to do at times when things are happening quickly and are unknown.
I am praying that we have no more big events like we have had the past 6 months. Poor Western North Carolina needs a rest. Thanks for popping in today for a read — leave me a comment and remember to Comment for a Cause — Connestee Fire Department.
