{"id":609,"date":"2011-05-26T05:14:35","date_gmt":"2011-05-26T09:14:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=609"},"modified":"2011-05-25T07:20:26","modified_gmt":"2011-05-25T11:20:26","slug":"12-survival-essentials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/05\/12-survival-essentials.html","title":{"rendered":"12 Survival Essentials"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>As I watch the tornados ravish central US, I realize that in some ways those of us who live in Florida have been blessed. \u00a0When it’s not hurricane season, we are often faced with another natural disaster. \u00a0However, we are almost always given days or weeks of warning–time to prepare.<\/p>\n

When the winter and late-spring \u00a0“wet” season turns dry, Florida becomes a tender-field primed for wild fires. \u00a0In 1998, the headlines across the nation\u00a0were \u201cFlorida on Fire.\u201d \u00a0The conditions of dry, hot weather became the perfect recipe for tragedy.\u00a0 Because of great fire prevention efforts by our fire department, we have avoided a similar experience until this spring.<\/p>\n

In 1998, I went to our Special Gathering Daytona program without any concerns about the fires that were burning in other\"\"<\/a> parts of the state.\u00a0 They were hundreds of miles away.\u00a0 However, during the hours of our program,\u00a0numerous wild fires broke out in Central Florida.\u00a0 One was only a few miles from our Daytona program.\u00a0 When we exited the building, it was evident that there were problems.<\/p>\n

Over the treetops, we could see the flames lapping into the western skyline.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0After insuring that everyone was home safely, I was caught in Daytona with basically no way to drive south to my home in Brevard County 100 miles away.\u00a0 I went west by way of Interstate 4 into Orlando, then took Highway 50 back to the east coast.\u00a0 The highways were being closed behind me as I traveled.\u00a0 Tongues of fire sprang up along the roadway as I drove in the darkness.\u00a0 While I normally would be home by 7pm, it was 11 before I pulled into our driveway.<\/p>\n

In March of this year, \u00a0a similar thing happened, traveling the miles to Daytona for a Volusia board meeting, I saw the smoke from a large fire burning to the west of I-95 in the county south of Daytona; but the winds were blowing the smoke toward the west.\u00a0 I could not even smell the smoke.\u00a0 By the time our meeting started, however, I-95 had closed.<\/p>\n

Our meeting ended at 5pm.\u00a0 I turned on my car radio for the most current fire alerts.\u00a0 I-95 and US 1 had been closed and A1A was the highway recommended if you were heading south.\u00a0 Because of numerous wrecks in Orlando, it was recommended that people not detour by way of Orlando.\u00a0 I began my winding way home.\u00a0 At one point I was within a few feet of the raging forest.\u00a0 Without incident, I reached my house only two and half hours later than originally planned.<\/p>\n

When facing emergencies or local disasters, it is good to have a plan in place before you must\u00a0confront the lions of fire, tornado, riot or tumult.\u00a0 Understand, I\u2019m not suggesting that you put your family in the middle of such danger but danger may happen suddenly and unaware.\u00a0 It is godly wisdom to prepare for the eventuality of such events. \u00a0Here are 12 must-do precautions you should do before and in the middle of a disaster.<\/p>\n