GET READY FOR THE UNEXPECTED WITH A DISASTER “GO BAG”

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version Share this

Don’t think you need an emergency kit? Think again, say families who needed one.

By Juan Castro

February 23, 2022 (San Diego) -- Flashlights, a first aid kit and water bottles cover the dining room table. The Sánchez family is not going camping — they are preparing for disaster by putting together a “go bag.”

Preparing in advance with a disaster-ready kit has helped families nationwide through extreme and abnormal weather events, which experts warn are on the rise. 

Sergio and Marisela Sánchez, along with their children, have lived for decades in the neighborhood of Encanto and understand how dangerous natural disasters can be. Sergio Sánchez said, “We appreciate the accuracy and positivity of the articles on jw.org. It prepares us physically, emotionally and spiritually for things to come.” Their daughter Yvette added, “It gives me peace of mind that my family and I are prepared in case of an emergency.”

“Having a personal preparedness plan increases your chances of staying safe,” according to a training program from Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness.

Jolted awake by a neighbor’s urgent knocking, Aaron and Jacqueline Pate were horrified to see the encroaching flames of the fast-moving Woolsey fire that had been miles away when they went to bed. It burned to within 100 feet of their Westlake Village home in 2018 as part of California’s deadliest wildfire season on record.

"Because we had ‘go bags,’ we weren’t running around trying to pack things at the last minute,” Jacqueline Pate said. “We had the time we needed to comfort our kids and get everyone safely into the car.”

The Pates credited the disaster-preparedness help they received as Jehovah’s Witnesses, both through periodic reminders at their congregation meetings and from tips for putting together “go bags” on the organization’s website, jw.org.

"Life is precious, so we encourage all to heed the Bible’s advice to take practical steps to protect ourselves from danger,” said Robert Hendriks III, spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses in the United States.

“Go bags” also have proven useful in the opposite circumstances as “stay bags.”

Disaster-preparedness suggestions and tips for putting together a “go bag” are available from FEMA at ready.gov and from Jehovah’s Witnesses at https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/awake-no5-2017-october/disaster-steps-that-can-save-lives/.


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.