I had a Friday morning meeting with the Communications Committee of the Transportation Club of Tacoma. Afterwards I drove to Westgate to make a deposit. I was shocked when I saw fifteen cars parked at Key Bank. It looked like people were going crazy preparing for a complete disaster. There was a snow storm coming, which brought down a tree into our driveway, but we knew we had enough food to last for a week if we were completely snowed in. It was a little more serious on Vashon Island where the entire island lost electricity.
However, this winter storm did underscore the need for disaster preparation. I had already heard that people were buying everything off the shelves to prepare for the upcoming snow storm later that afternoon. Perhaps, it was the repeated news about snow storms in the mid-west that caused people to over-react a bit.
I do think everyone in Pierce County should prepare for disasters in general and earthquake and storm emergencies in particular. Most people can’t afford to go out and buy electric generators and such, but by budgeting and shopping at Dollar Tree (now in most communities) and St. Vincent de Paul (stores in South Tacoma and Puyallup) they can buy emergency foods, bedding, and warm clothing to protect their families for weeks.
We should all be aware of the fact that we live in an earthquake zone, where a category 9 earthquake has been predicted for sometime during the next hundred years or so. Right now, people should start slow and build up supplies to protect their families for weeks and then take on a larger project down the road. Be aware and be prepared.
