After watching Oklahoma setting a record for 6 national disasters in one year; you would think that people would plan for a disaster. During the power shortages in Oklahoma where some 600,000 people were without power for long periods of times we did not see the news covering looting, rioting as we did with Katrina. What they did cover was the Red Cross coordinating shelters, neighbors helping each other, churches opening their doors, and electric companies sending employees from across the country to help get power back up. This is a great story of countless hours of volunteers that cared for their neighbors throughout the ice ravaged area. It looked like a bomb had gone off in many areas of Oklahoma City and Tulsa. We however as a family did not spend much time working on our issues because we were prepared and did not have the disruptions that impacted so many other people. We did have a great time helping neighbors and our church. My son took this picture of an owl during the storm.

There are two key take aways from the ice storm of 2007. First that there were enough people that had a plan, additional supplies and were able to help. Second is that the people who did not have a plan did not panic, riot or loot. Seeing a disaster in a community brings out the best and worst of times. Lots of rebuilding and pain, and lots of community spirit were built in neighborhoods because of the team work that took place.

One key difference between the ice storm of 2007 in Oklahoma and Katrina was that the police were not instructed to pick up the guns from legal owners, and there were very few lootings reported. People were able to band together in their neighborhoods for help and security.

Today I was sitting in an office waiting for my next appointment when a government add came on showing terrorist blowing things up, landslides, tornado's, earthquakes and a family making a plan for communicating. The add had one point; make a plan for any disaster. Is your family ready for the next disaster? Do you have a plan?

Can you ask yourself the following questions: Can my family survive a natural or terrorist disaster without support from the local or national government for 72 hours; 6 months; or 1 year? Each time period has different requirements and different answers. Where do you go? How do you communicate with your family if the cell towers are down? How can you protect your family in a riot and the police cannot respond?

The more we can prepare for both natural and man-made disasters the better we will be prepared to help those who did not prepare. The measure of a man is not in the day to day living, but rather what is his reaction to a disaster. Take a moment and make a plan, communicate the plan with your family, and implement the plan. The life you save may just be your own.

Happy trails and keep the lead down range – Clark –Carryconcealed.net