Sidebar: Lessons from a disaster

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Next up on The World and Everything in It: disaster preparedness.

Over the years, WORLD reporters have spoken with a lot of natural disaster survivors. Some have told us hard-learned lessons that they hope just might help others be better prepared for future disasters. Here’s WORLD’s Paul Butler with more.

PAUL BUTLER: After losing all cell reception during Hurricane Helene, North Carolina resident Amy Bollinger had no idea what was going on outside her neighborhood.

AMY BOLLINGER: We had no way of knowing that, that was something our neighbors were facing until we saw it.

When Amy and her husband left for a wedding shower, they were blown away by the scope of the damage in and around neighboring Asheville. They only had a half-tank of gas…and few service stations were open.

AMY BOLLINGER: The biggest lesson that we learned from all of this. If the power goes out…it was cash only, and we … just not prepared for that.

Millions of Helene and Milton survivors have learned similar big and small lessons, finding out the hard way what they could have done beforehand.

MICHAEL OUTAR: I'm trying to scramble to get enough income to, to float myself ...

Michael Outar is a landlord in Swannanoa. He owns a handful of rental properties. He has FEMA backed flood insurance on most of them…but came to a nasty realization:

OUTAR: And so FEMA says we will only cover the structure and nothing outside is covered.

That means the washed-out driveway, the missing sewer lines, the broken water lines…none of that is covered.

OUTAR: Which I was not aware of until this event happened…

And there’s no coverage for lost rent while repairs are underway.

OUTAR: It puts me on the clock to say I've got to get these things up and running as quick as possible.

So Outar says it’s important—before a storm hits—to understand what your insurance policy does and does not cover. Read the policy carefully. Know how to file a claim, before you need to do it. And keep an emergency fund to tide you over in the meantime.

VIDEO: [GO BAG PROMO]

Over the last 20 years, we’ve heard a lot about “Go bags” and “Emergency kits” — basics you can grab quickly in an emergency. Drinking water, flashlights and batteries, prescription meds, lots of helpful checklists online. In the days after Helene and Milton, many families are grateful they took the time to gather those things in advance.

It’s crucial to also have your important documents in one, accessible location if you have to evacuate. Documents like passports, drivers’ license copies, birth certificates, insurance policies. Many families who’ve lost everything also wish they’d included a USB stick with family photos and videos.

AMY JOHNSON: I do have an emergency kit in my house pretty well stocked with things that we would need should we lose power or water for several days.

Black Mountain, North Carolina resident Amy Johnson told WORLD, she thought she was well prepared…

JOHNSON: And I think a lot of people in the mountains live that way they live, knowing that life is unpredictable, but this was way more unpredictable than what we thought.

Natural disasters often wipe out communication systems, so establish a couple known meeting places—both close by and farther away. Figure out an escape route and a backup route in case a major road is washed out or blocked. A paper map isn’t a bad idea, either.

Disaster preparedness doesn’t mean living in fear. It means you can be calm in an emergency—for your safety, and the safety of others who aren’t prepared. And one more suggestion. As Christians, we ought to be prepared to offer spiritual encouragement as well. So perhaps include a Bible in your Go Bag…

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Paul Butler.

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